Books 2nd Edition, Foreword by m0r1arty Options

[Serafina_Pekkala]

Apparently it is a dark comedy so maybe it will be a bit League of Gentlemen. I think she writes well for kids but her skills for adults are to be proved. Neil Gaiman had to do it the other way round and he said it nearly killed him. It is not easy to do both forms of writing. I like JKR but she is no Roald Dahl or Mary Wesley when it comes to overall prowess. She needs a very good editor because her long chapters will not serve an adult audience as well.

If she wanted a genuine reception - she should have written it under a pseudonym and then revealed it.

This post has been edited by Serafina_Pekkala: Apr 13 2012, 03:42 PM

[sweetbutinsane]

If she wanted a genuine reception - she should have written it under a pseudonym and then revealed it.

That would have been a really good idea.

[Raven]

Luddite tries to fight the future at The Hay Festival.

[Silky]

I might have to get this.



And this.



But instead, I've started the Dark Tower again. Fifth time I think.

[Julie]

Chins is a very enjoyable read. He's very endearing and his stories of how he ended up where he is were pretty inspiring. Make Love is extremely silly, but still fun to read.

[Silky]

On your recommendations Jules, SOLD!

[NiteFall]

His tales of being horribly tortured by Sam Raimi on the set of Evil Dead in Chins is brilliant. Especially the bit where he slips down a hill, sprains his ankle, Sam comes running up, not to see if he's okay, but to poke it with a stick.

[Silky]

His tales of being horribly tortured by Sam Raimi on the set of Evil Dead in Chins is brilliant. Especially the bit where he slips down a hill, sprains his ankle, Sam comes running up, not to see if he's okay, but to poke it with a stick.

DOUBLE SOLD!

[maian]

I finished reading Drood by Dan Simmons last week and it's taken me that long to figure out whether I like it or not.

It's written as a lost memoir by Wilkie Collins (author of The Woman In White and The Moonstone), and details the last five years of the life of Collins' real-life friend and collaborator Charles Dickens. After the infamous Staplehurst Train Incident, in which Dickens nearly died, Dickens tells Collins that he has been visited by a mysterious, possibly occult figure known only as Drood, who is supposedly a master of mesmerism. A cat and mouse game then ensues between the famed author and Drood, with Collins stuck in the middle.

The first 400 pages or so are really good since Simmons has clearly done a huge amount of research into both Victorian London and how Dickens' fiction relates to it, creating an interesting blend of supernatural mystery and historical novel, but the second half of the book, once the story starts to examine more of who Drood may or may not be, is less effective, since mysteries are often more compelling than answers. It loses steam a lot after that point, and I found it a bit of a chore to finish.

So, a really cool idea which has some great moments, but ultimately Simmons doesn't manage to sustain that level of intrigue for 800+ pages.

I've now started Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, which I'm about 200 pages into now and it's been hilarious but oh so dense.

This post has been edited by maian: Jun 24 2012, 03:44 PM

[NiteFall]

So, a really cool idea which has some great moments, but ultimately Simmons doesn't manage to sustain that level of intrigue for 800+ pages.

Strange, this is pretty much exactly how I feel about Hyperion by Simmons as well.

[maian]

I get the sense, from what little I have read of his other work, that he suffers from a tendency to over-write terribly. He's clearly hugely talented and intelligent, but there's too much fat around some very strong core ideas. Drood, in particular, would be a great book if it was 400-500 pages long.

[Outatime]

I've just finished reading The Help. I waited a while after seeing the film last year but I think I could have read it straight afterwards and it wouldn't have mattered particularly as the book has a lot more in it and the film sticks pretty closely to the main story of the book. It's such an engaging story that I found that I wanted to keep reading and not put it down. Interesting to find that it was inspired by the author's own childhood.

[Raven]

I'm currently reading Mark Kermode's The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex.

The first chapter is a bit repetitive, but the chapter asking why blockbusters aren't better and the one on 3D films make for an interesting read.

[maian]

I really enjoyed Kermode's book, though I might be a bit biased towards it since it was the reason why I got to interview him.

[Raven]

JK Rowling 'The Casual Vacancy' book cover unveiled - picture.

Yuck!