What book are you currently reading?

[cyRil]

Rather. Anyway, I must dash! TigerTiger is calling!!!
I shall return c. 3am to sprout some nonsense drunken babble. Unless a certain lady gets very lucky

 

[RC]

1984!!!
Orson Welles!!!
One of my favourite books of all time.
I absolutely love it!

 

[Laetca]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Oct 27 2008, 10:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

1984!!!
Orson Welles!!!
One of my favourite books of all time.
I absolutely love it![/b]

I just got that book
I read it before though.
A friend of mine was cleaning out the library at home, and since no one reads most of the English books and paperbacks that are on the shelves there, she told me to stop by and pick whatever I liked. I had a field trip!
I got several science fiction books, Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and a few others not so well known, if I like them I can pick up the rest of them! Found out "Who framed roger rabbit" was based on a novel, that I took home with me, I now have the Lord of the Rings trilogy in English (had it in Dutch), I have the novel based on the videogame created by Douglas Adams, and his first Dirk Gently novel, a very strange sounding book by Kinky Friedman, a few books that I passed on to others (Leaves of Grass, Colossus and The Wasteland), a Jane Austen, an Agatha Christie, ...

And I don't have the time to read any of them :'(

 

[RC]

********! Everyone has time to read!
You just don't have the discipline to make the time to read!

 

[Laetca]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Oct 28 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

********! Everyone has time to read!
You just don't have the discipline to make the time to read![/b]

When I make time to read, I read Modernistic things, Expressionistic poems in German and occasionally a knitting pattern. The first two because I have to, the latter because without, I'll never finish my knitting.
I'll read for my own amusement when I graduate. Or when I don't feel like sleeping all night

 

[cyRil]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Oct 28 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

********! Everyone has time to read!
You just don't have the discipline to make the time to read![/b]

Oh eck, hit a nerve there!

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyRil of Ospreylia @ Oct 29 2008, 09:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Oct 28 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

********! Everyone has time to read!
You just don't have the discipline to make the time to read![/b]

Oh eck, hit a nerve there!
[/b][/quote]
Wouldn't read too much in to it.

 

[cyRil]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (shtove @ Oct 29 2008, 11:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cyRil of Ospreylia @ Oct 29 2008, 09:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RC @ Oct 28 2008, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

********! Everyone has time to read!
You just don't have the discipline to make the time to read![/b]

Oh eck, hit a nerve there!
[/b][/quote]
Wouldn't read too much in to it.
[/b][/quote]
Dm dm tsh.
(That's two elephants and a snake falling off a cliff, btw)

 

[gingergenius]

I don't read too much, but I read two books by Tom Sharpe set in South Africa during apartheid; they're very political obviously but the main reason I like them is because they're the funniest I've ever read. Sexually ludicrous, highly racist (characters not author) and extremely violent (in a cartoonish way).

Basically, in Book 1 Police Kommandant van Heerden attempts to save the future of white South Africa by covering up the shooting of a black cook by his white employer.

In Book 2, the Kommandant attempts to become an English aristocrat, while his Liutenant Verkramp bombs the entire town to save SA from communism and tries to prevent the South African police force from raping black women by using electric shock therapy.

Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe

Indecent Exposure by Tom Sharpe

 

[Laetca]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Oct 30 2008, 12:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don't read too much, but I read two books by Tom Sharpe set in South Africa during apartheid; they're very political obviously but the main reason I like them is because they're the funniest I've ever read. Sexually ludicrous, highly racist (characters not author) and extremely violent (in a cartoonish way).

Basically, in Book 1 Police Kommandant van Heerden attempts to save the future of white South Africa by covering up the shooting of a black cook by his white employer.

In Book 2, the Kommandant attempts to become an English aristocrat, while his Liutenant Verkramp bombs the entire town to save SA from communism and tries to prevent the South African police force from raping black women by using electric shock therapy.

Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe

Indecent Exposure by Tom Sharpe[/b]

There has been some controversy in the past on whether an author can be sued over the ideas expressed by characters in his work. In Belgium, I'm ashamed to say they can. It's hard to see where the opinion of one merges with an opinion of the other, but instead of discussing such issues, a writer can be sued (and was sued) because his main character called a well known Belgian fashion designer a stupid cow or something.
Where does this leave literary freedom?

 

[RC]

Started reading last night (and finished just now) 'Snuff' by Chuck Palahniuk.

Another of his really weird tales of the people from societies we just aren't accustomed to hearing about very often. He concentrates on 4 characters and really brings them to life with 4 totally different ideals and concepts on their f***ed up world.
Entertaining book, short and very easy to read.
The ease of the language is a tribute to Chuck as it shows what a master he is. Only a good writer can make you feel comfortable when reading a sentence. You can always tell a good writer when you know you don't have to put any effort into reading their work.

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Oct 30 2008, 11:26 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I don't read too much, but I read two books by Tom Sharpe set in South Africa during apartheid; they're very political obviously but the main reason I like them is because they're the funniest I've ever read. Sexually ludicrous, highly racist (characters not author) and extremely violent (in a cartoonish way).

Basically, in Book 1 Police Kommandant van Heerden attempts to save the future of white South Africa by covering up the shooting of a black cook by his white employer.

In Book 2, the Kommandant attempts to become an English aristocrat, while his Liutenant Verkramp bombs the entire town to save SA from communism and tries to prevent the South African police force from raping black women by using electric shock therapy.

Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe

Indecent Exposure by Tom Sharpe[/b]

I read those years ago - mad and very smutty. They were massively popular, but don't know if I'd try them again. The author is a bit of a strange dude - problems as a child with an overbearing father who was a fire-and-brimstone preacher. I think he wrote Porterhouse Blues as well.

Anyone ever read My Uncle Oswald? It's the randy side of Roald Dahl - although not pure porn - and fairly funny. The surprise you get is like finding out that Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or when you saw that photo of Einstein for the first time, the one with his hair messed up and his tongue sticking out.

 

[Laetca]

Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang???

RC, there are many writers and literature professors who would disagree with you on the style a good writer uses. I couldn't agree more with you though.

 

[shtove]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Laetca @ Oct 31 2008, 08:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang???[/b]

Surprise!

 

[gingergenius]

Anyone read White City Blue by Tim Lott?

It's set in White City, an area of West London I've spent a huge amount of my life in and know very well... it borders the parts of West and Northwest London that are almost entirely Indian; it is dominated by the White City Estate which houses huge numbers of Caribbeans; is bang next to the diverse Shepherd's Bush and still maintains a large population of ordinary white, working class people.

It's about one guy, Frankie, and the relationship he has with his 3 closest friends as he reaches his 30s and finds a woman he wants to settle down with. There's two aspects to the book; one is the change in lifestyle of a single man when he enters a serious relationship, and the second, which I found the most clever, was the fragile friendships between the group of four. They have an anniversary each year to celebrate their friendship, but it is obvious that Frankie is the one who links them all; one friend he likes for being 'cool', another he feels sorry for, and another is truly a proper mate.

Basically, this isn't going to interest women readers, but struck a special chord with me because i could identify with the characters' situations, and also I knew all of the locations in the book. If you want to know about ordinary guys in West London in the 1990s then this is the best guidebook.

 

[RC]

Rant - Chuck Palahniuk

Only just started reading it but i'm looking forward to another one of his exploits as he writes about some anti-norm social structure.

 

[Laetca]

Found the time to read William Goldman's Princess Bride!!

And boy is it AWESOME!! I like the ending better in the film, the original one doesn't appeal too much to my romantic soul. You only know how well the film is made when you read the novel really, plus, the novel naturally has much more in it then they could ever put in the motion picture. A little example: The plothole in the film (how does Fezzik know about Count Rugen as the six finger man?) can be concluded in the novel, though they don't hand it on a silver platter, you get the story behind Inigo and Fezzik, and the Albino has a slightly bigger role.
The novel is presented by Goldman as a book his father used to read to him, by S.G. Morgenstern, that he abridged so only the good parts would be in it. It's all fiction (Florin was never an actual country I believe?) but still adds amusement, since every now and then Goldman jumps in in a different font to explain what he cut where and why, and to explain that he left certain things in, even though his editor wanted to take them out and such XD

Anyone that liked the film should most definitely read the novel!!

 

[Charles]

Anyone read William Boyd's books ? I've only read them in french but they're very good.

 

[Sir Speedy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Laetca @ Oct 24 2008, 06:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Oct 24 2008, 06:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

O I love AS Level English! I've been given The Bell Jar to read over half term. Fantastic.[/b]

I once read it in dutch in my free time and I'm not sure I got it. Was an interesting read, but still.
[/b][/quote]
Interesting?! :huh:
I'm sure this book single-handedly invented 'emo'. :mellow: Jesus, it's depressing - I haven't actually finished it, yet, but the 3/4's of it I've read have been either entertaining, morbid, depressing, disturbing, enlightening or distressing.
You're right, it is an interesting read.

 

[feicarsinn]

just moved onto the king of torts by john grisham
i've read a few of his and not been disappointed so far so im expecting big things