Reading Thread/Discussion
Moderator: ArcWolf
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
My literature finished Nabakov's Lolita last week.
My skin feels all crawly and junk.....
My skin feels all crawly and junk.....
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Why? Because the protagonist is so likable?
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Well the subject matter is pretty disturbing on it's own, and when icoupled with H.H.'s justification for his actions it's a really disturbing look at the human psyche's ability to justify horrible things.
That and it's a really twisted take on the love story , so while I did enjoy the book as a piece of literature I couldn't help but be disgusted (which is the point of the novel, so well done Nabakov .*golf clap*)
That and it's a really twisted take on the love story , so while I did enjoy the book as a piece of literature I couldn't help but be disgusted (which is the point of the novel, so well done Nabakov .*golf clap*)
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
To be fair. the young girl in Lolita is very cunning, aware of what she has and how to best use it. While it is very creepy, this is not uncommon, one reason it's such a rousing good read, the characters overshadow the 'ick' factor when you get to see how they play off of each other's weaknesses to gain what they want. And for those up in arms, everyone ends up lost at the end of the book.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I'm currently a bit over halfway through Stephen King's The Shining. I've got to say, I knew King was a great writer before, but this is just on a whole other level.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I liked 'It' better but it has lots and lots of moments that just make you shudder.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I haven't read IT, I've only seen the TV miniseries they made, which is corny as...a cornfield.
But anyways, I'm glad that I'm reading The Shining now, because I've heard that King's writing a sequel to it. Should be good.
But anyways, I'm glad that I'm reading The Shining now, because I've heard that King's writing a sequel to it. Should be good.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Well put,Foxstar wrote:To be fair. the young girl in Lolita is very cunning, aware of what she has and how to best use it. While it is very creepy, this is not uncommon, one reason it's such a rousing good read, the characters overshadow the 'ick' factor when you get to see how they play off of each other's weaknesses to gain what they want. And for those up in arms, everyone ends up lost at the end of the book.
I definently plan on reading it some time in the future when I can read it at my leisure and not have to worry about keeping up with my class.
Stephen King has always been my guilty literary pleasure, I personally think he's a great writer, but try telling that to my high school english teacher.Penwrite wrote:I'm currently a bit over halfway through Stephen King's The Shining. I've got to say, I knew King was a great writer before, but this is just on a whole other level.
The shining is probably my favorite King book, check out the Stanley Kubrick adaptation if you get a chance.
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I plan on checking it out as soon as I'm finished with the book.
^_^
Anyone else read Stephen King?
^_^
Anyone else read Stephen King?
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Not currently, but I'm going to try to get through Bag of Bones and The Dead Zone this summer.
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I like Stephen King but he does tend to use stock characters and characterization that does nothing to advance the plot.
Probably my favorite King book is one of the shortest, "Cycle of the Werewolf". Its a good introduction to King and it has illustrations by Berni Wrightson, who also illustrated "Creepshow".
I just got through reading "House on the Borderland" by William Hope Hodgeson. Hodgeson was like Lovecraft before Lovecraft. H.P. Lovecraft sited Hodgeson as an influence on him and his work. I had read a graphic novel adaptation of it so I decided to read the original. It is about two friends on a hiking and camping trip in rural Ireland when they find the ruin of an estate. In the ruins they find a journal of the estates owner who wrote of a nearby chasm that contained a gateway to another dimension. Every night, wild boar-like monsters called the "Swine-things" would come through and attack the house.
Probably my favorite King book is one of the shortest, "Cycle of the Werewolf". Its a good introduction to King and it has illustrations by Berni Wrightson, who also illustrated "Creepshow".
I just got through reading "House on the Borderland" by William Hope Hodgeson. Hodgeson was like Lovecraft before Lovecraft. H.P. Lovecraft sited Hodgeson as an influence on him and his work. I had read a graphic novel adaptation of it so I decided to read the original. It is about two friends on a hiking and camping trip in rural Ireland when they find the ruin of an estate. In the ruins they find a journal of the estates owner who wrote of a nearby chasm that contained a gateway to another dimension. Every night, wild boar-like monsters called the "Swine-things" would come through and attack the house.
"I have known hardship and learned to aid the wretched."
-Virgil
-Virgil
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Currently on book 5 of the Termaire series. Loving it.
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Just finished Xenophon's "Anabasis". It is one of the greatest adventure stories ever written and it is a true story! A thousand mile forced march through hostile territory.
I just got my copy of the novelization of "Dawn of the Dead" written by George A. Romero and Susan Sparrow. I know it sounds kind of cheesy to read a novelization of a movie, but sometimes they add extra details that were left out of the film. As a long time fan of this movie it feels good to finally get a chance to read the novelization. It was reprinted last November in a new edition. It has not been in print since the late '70s, and because of that copies of it, especially the hardcover, are very valuable. I am going to hang on to mine for a long time after reading it and hope in appreciates in value as well.
I just got my copy of the novelization of "Dawn of the Dead" written by George A. Romero and Susan Sparrow. I know it sounds kind of cheesy to read a novelization of a movie, but sometimes they add extra details that were left out of the film. As a long time fan of this movie it feels good to finally get a chance to read the novelization. It was reprinted last November in a new edition. It has not been in print since the late '70s, and because of that copies of it, especially the hardcover, are very valuable. I am going to hang on to mine for a long time after reading it and hope in appreciates in value as well.
"I have known hardship and learned to aid the wretched."
-Virgil
-Virgil
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Reading 'Our Country's Good' in english (about first convicts shipped to australia putting on a play). It would be good if the teacher didn't stop us to explain every other line
[insert witty comment here]
You can PM me if you feel like it.
You can PM me if you feel like it.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I know exactly what you mean about novelizations. The novel version of Revenge of the Sith is actually a really good story. Loads better than the movie anyway.Radio Blue Heart wrote:Just finished Xenophon's "Anabasis". It is one of the greatest adventure stories ever written and it is a true story! A thousand mile forced march through hostile territory.
I just got my copy of the novelization of "Dawn of the Dead" written by George A. Romero and Susan Sparrow. I know it sounds kind of cheesy to read a novelization of a movie, but sometimes they add extra details that were left out of the film. As a long time fan of this movie it feels good to finally get a chance to read the novelization. It was reprinted last November in a new edition. It has not been in print since the late '70s, and because of that copies of it, especially the hardcover, are very valuable. I am going to hang on to mine for a long time after reading it and hope in appreciates in value as well.
Edit: Just finished the third book of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series! Hot darn was that a good book! Excellent ending too!
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Just began Woken Furies, the last part of the Takeshi Kovacs series by Richard K. Morgan. Excellent series; an action-laden rollercoaster ride with thorough, gritty worldbuilding.
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair
Wanderer wrote:You don't need a job, you need money.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Has anyone else read Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee?
Just read it for english, one of my new favorite books.
Just read it for english, one of my new favorite books.
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Started reading "Cabal" by Clive Barker today. Read the first 45 pages in one sitting. Its a really good book!
"I have known hardship and learned to aid the wretched."
-Virgil
-Virgil
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I am currently reading an Ethics book. It is actually very interesting!
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Has anyone else read the Shadow Children series by Margaret Ptereson Haddix?
I'm not much of a reader, but that was one book series I could not put down until I completed it.
I'm not much of a reader, but that was one book series I could not put down until I completed it.
Sometimes I wish the world would end in 2012
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I just finished The Shining! That was a very good book!
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Such an awesome book!!!!Penwrite wrote:I just finished The Shining! That was a very good book!
If you haven't read it yet The Dark Half is one of King's most underrated books, at least in my opinion.
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
No, I haven't read that. Heard about it though. My next book to read is the final book in the Inheritance Series. Then after that Ender's Game, and then book 4 in the Dark Tower series.Seth wrote:Such an awesome book!!!!Penwrite wrote:I just finished The Shining! That was a very good book!
If you haven't read it yet The Dark Half is one of King's most underrated books, at least in my opinion.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I really should give the Dark Tower series another read one of these days. I read the first one about a bazillion years ago and never got any further
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I'm on the 5th book in the dark tower series.
I will never know how Stephen King could create such an awesome story.
I will never know how Stephen King could create such an awesome story.
Jeff "Clavy" Civit
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
So pretty much your typical fantasy novelPenwrite wrote:Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
I'm starting on Notes From The Underground by Doestevsky but it might have to be put on hold until after finals.
I think in Non-sequiturs
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
"I told you not to put metal in the science oven! What'd you do that for?"
Trash boiz
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
just caught the Futurama reference in there. ^_^Penwrite wrote:Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
Can you blame his writing for being amateurish? He wrote the first book when he was a teenager. getting a popular book so early in his writing casreer, he likely didn't have reason to let his writing mature, meaning that the later books would seem amateurish because they happen to expose flaws that didn't show up in the first.
and Ender's Game is a great book. Speaker for the Dead is okay. I lost interest in reading when I got to Xenocide, though I probably will return to it eventually.
My brother has read all of the books in that series.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Yeah, you have a point. It might also be that the last three books I've read were all Stephen King books, and pretty much everything I read will seem ameteurish. XDRandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:just caught the Futurama reference in there. ^_^Penwrite wrote:Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
Can you blame his writing for being amateurish? He wrote the first book when he was a teenager. getting a popular book so early in his writing casreer, he likely didn't have reason to let his writing mature, meaning that the later books would seem amateurish because they happen to expose flaws that didn't show up in the first.
and Ender's Game is a great book. Speaker for the Dead is okay. I lost interest in reading when I got to Xenocide, though I probably will return to it eventually.
My brother has read all of the books in that series.
Speaking of, I had actually left my copy of Ender's Game in my dorm room when I visited home for the weekend, so I just went ahead and started book 4 of the Dark Tower series instead. A hundred or so pages in, this goes back to explore Roland's past!
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
And that it does.
And in some ways that can't be posted on the fourm.
And in some ways that can't be posted on the fourm.
Jeff "Clavy" Civit
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Agreed.JeffCvt wrote:And that it does.
And in some ways that can't be posted on the fourm.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Yes. Its only claim to fame was that it was written by a teenager, so they could market it as "OMG child prodigy". The only exceptional things about Paolini are his above-average drive and the fact his parents are publishers, however. There are children with serious talent, but he isn't and instead of sitting down some years cultivating some writing skills he choose the easy, quick way with predictable results.RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:Can you blame his writing for being amateurish?
Paolini's work reads like poorly written Tolkien fanfic lacking depth and everything else one can't rip off. Heck, his first book is A New Hope with the serial numbers filed off. He also can't refrain from throwing in every five dollar word he finds in his thesaurus, regardless of how disruptive to the flow or anachronistic it is ("psychedelic" in a generic LotR-esque setting?).
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Yeah, Paolini does have a serious problem with purple prose...Liam wrote:Yes. Its only claim to fame was that it was written by a teenager, so they could market it as "OMG child prodigy". The only exceptional things about Paolini are his above-average drive and the fact his parents are publishers, however. There are children with serious talent, but he isn't and instead of sitting down some years cultivating some writing skills he choose the easy, quick way with predictable results.RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:Can you blame his writing for being amateurish?
Paolini's work reads like poorly written Tolkien fanfic lacking depth and everything else one can't rip off. Heck, his first book is A New Hope with the serial numbers filed off. He also can't refrain from throwing in every five dollar word he finds in his thesaurus, regardless of how disruptive to the flow or anachronistic it is ("psychedelic" in a generic LotR-esque setting?).
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Really? I thought it was alright. He's no George R.R or even a Naomi Novrik, but he does alright. Maybe I have a higher tolerance level.Penwrite wrote:Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Eh, maybe I just drew too accustomed to King's style. I'll probably go back to Inheritance someday and try to finish it after I've read some other authors' stuff, but not now.Foxstar wrote:Really? I thought it was alright. He's no George R.R or even a Naomi Novrik, but he does alright. Maybe I have a higher tolerance level.Penwrite wrote:Okay, update time. I tried, but I just can't finish the final Eragon book. The characters are unlikable and unrelatable, the story is subpar and filled with deus ex machinas, and the actual writing is amateurish at best. You have to show readers how characters feel, not just tell them! That makes me feel angry!
So I guess I'm off to Ender's Game.
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Has anyone else read Only Revolutions by Mark Danielewski? I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to and I was hoping maybe someone to discuss it with would help my appreciation.
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Can't say that I have, sorry. What's it about?Sleet wrote:Has anyone else read Only Revolutions by Mark Danielewski? I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to and I was hoping maybe someone to discuss it with would help my appreciation.
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
I've yet to finish House Of Leaves...
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Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
It's so good! You should finish it! But take your time.
It's about two immortal 16-year-olds on a trip across the US that symbolically spans history while they span distances. It's a very difficult read due to the completely off-the-wall syntax and grammar, and I didn't feel it had enough narrative depth to justify that, but I feel like I could be missing something that would allow me to appreciate it more. It just seems a lot more shallow than House of Leaves.Penwrite wrote:Can't say that I have, sorry. What's it about?Sleet wrote:Has anyone else read Only Revolutions by Mark Danielewski? I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I wanted to and I was hoping maybe someone to discuss it with would help my appreciation.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Friendly banter? Feel free to click the "PM" button below!
Re: Reading Thread/Discussion
Did anyone read wereworld? It's a book about a medieval-ish world where the nobles can turn into werecreatures (werewolves,, weretigers, werestags, etc.). The story was kin da okay. But there was one plot point I disliked in the first book: The implied romance between the main character (who is a werewolf and a girl who is a werefox).
I didn't read the sequels, thou, so I don't know if they end up together or not (I hope not)
I didn't read the sequels, thou, so I don't know if they end up together or not (I hope not)
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