What Are You Reading, Again?

Eli · Mar 31, 2006

Finished Judas Unchained. I heartily reccommend the Commonwealth Saga for everyone. It's a fascinating space opera and the society is described in great depth. Just keep in mind that both books are about 900 pages each.

I decided to re-read Tuchman's Guns of August :thumbsup:

, and I have no choice but to delve into Sedra's and Smith's Microelectronic Circuits. :thumbdown:

Heretic_Cata · Mar 31, 2006

@Babbler - i used to do that too :lol:

. But now i have no time to even go to the library... let alone do some serious reading ...

But i did start "Nicolas Eymerich" by Valerio Evangelisti. I heard only good stuff about it.

Babbler · Mar 31, 2006

Heretic_Cata said:
@Babbler - i used to do that too . But now i have no time to even go to the library... let alone do some serious reading ...

No time for reading?

I don't like where this is going...

Phlegmak · Mar 31, 2006

What Are You Reading, Again?

Ok, I'll play.

I'm reading a variety of horror books, mostly short story collections. My favorites are the early 20th century stories or 19th century stories. I also read Skeptic magazine, and some science fiction books. I recently finished reading "The Sleeper Awakes" from HG Wells. What an amazingly bad book.

Sidhe · Mar 31, 2006

Are we talking Lovecraft and Poe if not read them their fantastic. Lovecraft is particularly wierd, early 20th century stuff, a man born way ahead of his time horror wise. just a recomendation if you like old fashioned horror. i suspect that's what you mean anyway.

Fifty · Mar 31, 2006

luceafarul said:
1. Hamsun was a Nazi. Period.
2. There is a clear connection between his works and his life. Period.
3. It is highly relevant.Period
Because: The only way we can preserve Hamsun as a great writer is to realize he was a great Nazi.

Only problem is that these introductions I refer to tend to go into little more depth then "Hamsun was a nazi". I agree that it is very crucial to understand his life and the connection to his works but the intros tend to be of the "yeah he was a nazi but he was a good author too!" sort, as opposed to the more in-depth sort of analysis that I believe you are referring to.

luceafarul said:
I recommend you to give it a second thought. Unfortunately most relevant material is in Norwegian (Brynildsen, Larsen, Heiberg,Langdal, Dingstad, Linneberg, Haugan), and unfortunately there is a clear numerical superiority of Hamsun apologets. But at least Leo Löwenthal should be possible to find as well as Walter Baumgartner.If available Peter Kierkegaards study "Hamsun as modernist" (originally written in Danish) should not be missed.

So far in books all I've found in terms of works on Hamsun are Enigma: the Life of Knut Hamsun by Robert Ferguson, and Martin Humpal's The Roots of the Modernist Narrative: Knut Hamsun's novels Hunger, Mysteries, and Pan. Other than these books, I've been able to locate several articles. These seem to mainly deal with Hamsun's role as one of the first Modernists rather than his politics.

luceafarul said:
Why? Biographical introductions are quite common in novels, and in this case it is relevant information.

The only reason I'm really complaining a bit about it is because the English introductions tend to just be of the variety of "Hamsun is known as a nazi but I swear he's a good author!" followed by boring plot summary.

Furiey · Mar 31, 2006

A Player of Games by Iain M Banks. A strategy game by which the fate of an empire is decided. I can't but be reminded of my obsession with Civ.

Phlegmak · Mar 31, 2006

Sidhe said:
Are we talking Lovecraft and Poe if not read them their fantastic. Lovecraft is particularly wierd, early 20th century stuff, a man born way ahead of his time horror wise. just a recomendation if you like old fashioned horror. i suspect that's what you mean anyway.

I've all of Poe's short stories. Not of all his poems though. Poetry bores me.

I've read all of Lovecraft's stories that I could find. I really wish some publishing company would publish a single book containing every short story he ever wrote.

Lately, I've been purchasing books on "Victorian ghost stories" for example.

Here are some of what I'm referring to.
Link
Link

I have another book at home which I can't remember the name of. It has this very strange story of a derelict ship with a white substance all over the decks. The substance turns out to be some sort of organism with very rapid digestive powers.

There was a book of Irish horror stories I read recently too. Most of the stories were very unremarkable but there was one in particular which stood out as pure genius. It was called "The Miraculous Revenge." Basically, a miracle happens in a little town; a criminal is buried in a graveyard on the north side of a river, and after he's interred, all the other graves have disappeared and moved to the opposite bank of a river. A guy (who's spent a lot of time as an actor in London) is sent by his priest relative to investigate the miracle, to determine its authenticity. The actor finds out that the miracle is true. While in the town, he tries to court a lovely young lass. The lass's father is the town's priest, the guy who reported the miracle in the first place. He ends up being thrown out of her home, literally. The priest father told him to get out of his house and leave his sight. So the actor gets up in the middle of the night, digs up the criminal from his grave on the north bank, goes to the south bank where the rest of the tombstones are, and buries the criminal there in an unmarked grave. When he's done, he looks up, and all the graves have moved to the north side of the river. He then leaves town. After he left, other official inspectors from the Catholic church arrive in the town. The story ends with him reading the newspaper, reading an article about a little town in Ireland. In the town a priest reported a miracle of a moving graveyard, which turned out to be fraudulent. The priest is then defrocked. Like I said, pure genius.

tossi · Mar 31, 2006

I just finished "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I allmost cryed at the end

.

Seriously this is such a sad story...

Sidhe · Mar 31, 2006

Phlegmak said:
I've all of Poe's short stories. Not of all his poems though. Poetry bores me.

I've read all of Lovecraft's stories that I could find. I really wish some publishing company would publish a single book containing every short story he ever wrote.

Lately, I've been purchasing books on "Victorian ghost stories" for example.

Here are some of what I'm referring to.
Link
Link

I have another book at home which I can't remember the name of. It has this very strange story of a derelict ship with a white substance all over the decks. The substance turns out to be some sort of organism with very rapid digestive powers.

There was a book of Irish horror stories I read recently too. Most of the stories were very unremarkable but there was one in particular which stood out as pure genius. It was called "The Miraculous Revenge." Basically, a miracle happens in a little town; a criminal is buried in a graveyard on the north side of a river, and after he's interred, all the other graves have disappeared and moved to the opposite bank of a river. A guy (who's spent a lot of time as an actor in London) is sent by his priest relative to investigate the miracle, to determine its authenticity. The actor finds out that the miracle is true. While in the town, he tries to court a lovely young lass. The lass's father is the town's priest, the guy who reported the miracle in the first place. He ends up being thrown out of her home, literally. The priest father told him to get out of his house and leave his sight. So the actor gets up in the middle of the night, digs up the criminal from his grave on the north bank, goes to the south bank where the rest of the tombstones are, and buries the criminal there in an unmarked grave. When he's done, he looks up, and all the graves have moved to the north side of the river. He then leaves town. After he left, other official inspectors from the Catholic church arrive in the town. The story ends with him reading the newspaper, reading an article about a little town in Ireland. In the town a priest reported a miracle of a moving graveyard, which turned out to be fraudulent. The priest is then defrocked. Like I said, pure genius.

Thanks

I'll have tored the Victorian ghost stories, I presume you've read modern horror too?

If so what are your favourites?

Sorry threadjack but I love horror. hmm gives me an idea

I read almost all of H.P Lovecrafts short stories in a single book, I really wish I could find it but it was from a library. Try a major publisher of his work, or Amazon maybe?

Phlegmak · Mar 31, 2006

Sidhe said:
Thanks I'll have tored the Victorian ghost stories, I presume you've read modern horror too?

If so what are your favourites?

Sorry threadjack but I love horror. hmm gives me an idea

I read almost all of H.P Lovecrafts short stories in a single book, I really wish I could find it but it was from a library. Try a major publisher of his work, or Amazon maybe?

Actually, no, I'm not a fan of modern horror. The most modern horror novel I've read is the book "The Store." It was extremely interesting and fun at times. Most modern horror just bores me though. Especially Stephen King; can't stand his stuff. Actually, my all around favorite novels and short stories are old stuff. My all time favorite book is "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

Sidhe · Mar 31, 2006

Well if you want well written modern horror with a very clever message read Clive Barker,the guy who is responsible for the Hellraiser movies.

Coldheart Canyon a book I would heartilly recommend has a real clever plot. This guy is the horror writers horror writer. Stephen king wets his pants when he reads him. If you hate modern horror, reserve judgement until you read that book it's a masterpiece.

steviejay · Mar 31, 2006

I just bought Persian Fire by Tom Holland today, Basically about the rise of the Persian Empire and the East Vs West Battle against the Greeks

Richard Cribb · Apr 1, 2006

Fifty said:
Only problem is that these introductions I refer to tend to go into little more depth then "Hamsun was a nazi". I agree that it is very crucial to understand his life and the connection to his works but the intros tend to be of the "yeah he was a nazi but he was a good author too!" sort, as opposed to the more in-depth sort of analysis that I believe you are referring to.

OK, I agree on that being a valid reason for complaint.

So far in books all I've found in terms of works on Hamsun are Enigma: the Life of Knut Hamsun by Robert Ferguson, and Martin Humpal's The Roots of the Modernist Narrative: Knut Hamsun's novels Hunger, Mysteries, and Pan. Other than these books, I've been able to locate several articles. These seem to mainly deal with Hamsun's role as one of the first Modernists rather than his politics.

I know the Ferguson biography and I don't like it much. I haven't read Humpal so I only know him by references. Personally I regard Hamsun as both a Nazi and an important Modernist and see no paradox in this.
However, I think this might probably be better discussed on the basis of PMs.

The only reason I'm really complaining a bit about it is because the English introductions tend to just be of the variety of "Hamsun is known as a nazi but I swear he's a good author!" followed by boring plot summary.

That is indeed unsatisfactory. First of all, it shouldn't be any great effort to find reactionary ideas in Hamsun's works, secondly there is no reason why a person can't be both a Nazi and a great writer.

Heretic_Cata · Apr 1, 2006

Babbler said:
No time for reading?

I don't like where this is going...

I have time for reading but no time for SERIOUS reading - i mean i can't start reading this HUGE book "History of Ancient and Medieval Phylosophy" or read the "History of beliefs and religious ideas" again. I only have time for some short fictions - no history,phylosophy,religion because they require to much pondering and asimilation or repulsion of ideas afterwards - The university rules changed (to the worse obviously) and all the teachers are ******* us with homeworks and projects daily - it's like i'm in highschool again :mad:

.

Phlegmak · Apr 1, 2006

Sidhe said:
Well if you want well written modern horror with a very clever message read Clive Barker,the guy who is responsible for the Hellraiser movies.

Coldheart Canyon a book I would heartilly recommend has a real clever plot. This guy is the horror writers horror writer. Stephen king wets his pants when he reads him. If you hate modern horror, reserve judgement until you read that book it's a masterpiece.

I just remembered. Brian Lumley is a great author. I've read his books of short stories.

Atlas14 · Apr 1, 2006

I just finished reading today The Cossacks by Leo Tolstoy and it was pretty good but extremely predictable

Currently Im reading Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (mostly for AP Environmental Science class), Seinfeld and Philosophy, and in a couple of days I will be starting The Stranger by Camus for AP English.

thetrooper · Apr 5, 2006

The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martínez.

jameson · Apr 5, 2006

I'm reading E.L. Doctorow's The March. It reminds me a bit of Ragtime, in a good way.

At work, I'm sneaking in H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds via the excellent Gutenberg Project website after finishing all too fast a reread of Le Comte de Monte Cristo, probably one of my favourite books ever.

Odd tidbit: as bizzarre as it sounds, Monte Cristo is actually based on a true story.

Smellincoffee · Apr 5, 2006

My Life, by Bill Clinton. Digging in for a good read.

What Are You Reading, Again?

Emperor

We're gonna live forever

Deity

Deity

Deity

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Longer Just Lurking

Deity

Der kleine Prinz

Deity

Deity

Deity

Now in Black and White!!

He does monologues

We're gonna live forever

Deity

"Sophomoric Troll Master"

Misanthrope

Emperor

Trekkie At Large

Similar threads