Books 2nd Edition, Foreword by m0r1arty Options

[widowspider]

I finished 'The City & The City' by China Mieville this week. At first it seems like your run of the mill detective fiction set in a made-up Eastern European city, but it quickly becomes something much more metaphysical and surreal. It took me a while to get my head around the incredibly inventive language that he uses, but once in the world it is a fascinating and absorbing story.

I just started 'The Skull Mantra' by Eliot Pattison. Another strange crime/mystery novel, this time set in Tibet under Chinese oppression.

[Sir_Robin_the_br...]

Continuing my mission to read things I haven't ever got around to before, I've started reading Lord of the Rings.

Good stuff so far. Those Hobbits sure can eat.

[omni]

Moved on to Downtown by Pete Hamill.

[maian]

After discussing the upcoming TV adaptation in another thread, I've spent the last two weeks ploughing through A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. It's very good, but quite slow-going for the first 500 pages (out of 807). It's clear that Martin has an epic story in mind, and for that reason I can forgive his decision to make the first book largely about setting the scene and moving the pieces into place. It helps that he populates his world with fun and fascinating characters. (My favourites so far being Tyrion Lannister, a frequently insulted and kidnapped dwarf who gets some really funny, sarcastic dialogue, and who will be played by Peter Dinklage in the adaptation; and Daenarys Taegaryen, a young girl who family previously (and violently) ruled the Seven Kingdoms in which the book is set, and who spends the entirety of the novel in exile, preparing for her no doubt violent return.) It's also, in places, bracingly violent and bleak, which helps to undercut the mysticism that creeps into the story at times.

As I said earlier, it's a slow-burner, so anyone interested in investigating it will have to be prepared for the long haul of reading all of Martin's books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, since it works best as a piece of a larger puzzle than as a self-contained story. (Although Daenarys' is pretty nicely self-contained.)

[omni]

After discussing the upcoming TV adaptation in another thread, I've spent the last two weeks ploughing through A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. It's very good, but quite slow-going for the first 500 pages (out of 807). It's clear that Martin has an epic story in mind, and for that reason I can forgive his decision to make the first book largely about setting the scene and moving the pieces into place. It helps that he populates his world with fun and fascinating characters. (My favourites so far being Tyrion Lannister, a frequently insulted and kidnapped dwarf who gets some really funny, sarcastic dialogue, and who will be played by Peter Dinklage in the adaptation; and Daenarys Taegaryen, a young girl who family previously (and violently) ruled the Seven Kingdoms in which the book is set, and who spends the entirety of the novel in exile, preparing for her no doubt violent return.) It's also, in places, bracingly violent and bleak, which helps to undercut the mysticism that creeps into the story at times.

As I said earlier, it's a slow-burner, so anyone interested in investigating it will have to be prepared for the long haul of reading all of Martin's books in the Song of Ice and Fire series, since it works best as a piece of a larger puzzle than as a self-contained story. (Although Daenarys' is pretty nicely self-contained.)

Oh maian, you poor fool. You will be like all of us who have read this series, up at 3am with Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords because the books are impossible. to. put. down. There really should be a support group. Or at least a separate thread. Good luck.

[Raven]

Has anyone read the Coldfire trilogy by Celia Friedman?

[Sostie]

Just finished Underground London by Stephen Smith. An interesting read about the history of London's sewers, bunkers, tube system cellars etc. A lot of it revolves around the Thames - nice to know half a millenium ago my office would have been under water! One worrying thing that was mentioned - between 1982-1991 the Thames barrier had to be closed 9 times. Between 1992-2001, 63 times. During the winter of 2001-2, 20 times!

Just started $20,000 by Bill Drummond. The ex-KLF man's book about one of his (many) odd art projects. This time round he travels the length of country with a rare photo he bought for $20,000. Having fallen out of love with the photo, he puts up estate agent style For Sale signs for the photo along the way and then givs talks about his intentions at gallerie, cafes, homes etc. The photo is of a stone circle in Iceland. He wants to sell said photo for $20,000 in cash (well below market value) put the money in a wooden box and then bury it in the middle of the stone circle. Regardless of whether you believe what he is doing is art, a sham or just pain stupid, Drummond's books ar always a great read.

[maian]

Oh maian, you poor fool. You will be like all of us who have read this series, up at 3am with Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords because the books are impossible. to. put. down. There really should be a support group. Or at least a separate thread. Good luck.

I can't wait to join the horde of people who are so frustrated by his lax rate of productivity. Just release the fifth book already, dammit! (See, it's started already.)

[sweetbutinsane]

So much for only reading a chapter or two of The Girl Who Played With Fire and then doing my reading for uni - I've ended up almost halfway through it this afternoon and I already like it even more than the first book.

[Jubei]

I bought The Xeelee Sequence omnibus by Stephen Baxter because I was bored in town yesterday. Already finished Raft. Loved it. \proper thought about science too, even if it is tenuous.

[sweetbutinsane]

So much for only reading a chapter or two of The Girl Who Played With Fire and then doing my reading for uni - I've ended up almost halfway through it this afternoon and I already like it even more than the first book.

And finished! Marvellous stuff. I am very glad I bought The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest at the same time because now I don't have to wait to find out what happens next.

[curtinparloe]

Just finished The Princess Bride again. Still as awesome.

[omni]

I can't wait to join the horde of people who are so frustrated by his lax rate of productivity. Just release the fifth book already, dammit! (See, it's started already.)

I recommend reading Neil Gaiman's opinion on the matter here:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/enti...ent-issues.html

I found it genuinely helpful after finishing the 4th book and slavering for the fifth.

[maian]

I recommend reading Neil Gaiman's opinion on the matter here:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/05/enti...ent-issues.html

I found it genuinely helpful after finishing the 4th book and slavering for the fifth.

Oh, I totally agree with Gaiman on that matter; I'd much rather he took his time and wrote a great book than rushed it and delivered something that was a disappointing. I was being facetious, more than anything.

(Having said that, if I had started reading his work years ago, and had to wait as long between books as regular readers have, I almost certainly wouldn't be as relaxed about it.)

[jem]

Reading Ulysses.
This book is the hardest thing... It just really makes no sense to me. It's not the references that are bugging me, it's the fact that the book just does not make sense.. It's so scattered! I don't get it. I know the basic plot, but I can't follow it. I feel utterly stupid reading this book.

This post has been edited by jem: Apr 14 2010, 05:42 PM