Do we have a Book thread?

ruroken · Post by **ruroken** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:44 am

I enjoyed his novel but I think Sandman/Lucifer graphic novels are the fucking shit.

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:17 pm

american gods was pretty disappointing since you people so massively hyped it

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Tue Jun 21, 2005 4:30 pm

it was also popular, so it was shit. AM I RITE TONY

[spoiler=:nub1]

[/spoiler]

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:36 am

lol
if it's popular, or newer than 1900, it sucks, eh doom?

turkish · Post by **turkish** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:56 am

I got pretty drunk tonight, and I woke up and saw that I wrote 'I am stopping my life and reading don quixote'. I read the first 400 pages of the book and loved it, but put it down for a couple months. I still rememeber every incident in that book and drunkenly vowed to finish it. So far it is one of the most enjoyable book I've read (right next to 'Atlas Shrugged'), and I still have 1100 pages to go through

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:52 pm

i simply prefer older books, and the ones that last are obviously more likely to be good

popular, on the other hand = usually cheap and overrated

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:55 pm

The fact of the matter is writing style has gone to shit more or less over the past century. 19th century novels are simply much better written. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:56 pm

yes, eg Da Vinci Code, aka 4th grade summer reading

Lord Golbez · Post by **Lord Golbez** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 4:09 pm

THANK YOU! I haven't read Da Vinci Code, but I've read as large chunk of Angels and Demons, and the writing style can only be described as trash. To take a book like that seriously.... My God the human race needs to be exterminated for that!

Lap · Post by **Lap** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 3:00 am

I haven't read Da Vinci Code either, but I have heard a chunk read out to me.
It's another one of those things I can't understand why there's a big fuss over.
One more thing I don't like about it is when people talk about the film and who's playing who etc. What disgusting conversation.

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 4:26 am

oh, Dan Brown IS trash, and thus can only spew trash. Once in a while, it's entertaining trash. Mostly, it's just trash.

Neal Stephenson though, hoho, awesome writing.

shmack · Post by **shmack** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 7:56 pm

the funny thing is that everyone thinks that the Da Vinci code is so original and everything, but there was a book almost identical to it (in ideas and theorys and stuff) that was much better written and just less mainstream trash written a while ago. I want to say it was written by Umberto Eco but I don't remember...

Minion · Post by **Minion** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 9:31 pm

Ward wrote:
ruroken wrote:
Calbrena wrote:
ruroken wrote:American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Anansi Boys in September! Yay for Gaiman.

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Thu Jun 23, 2005 10:40 pm

Lap wrote:It's another one of those things I can't understand why there's a big fuss over.

As I said in my first post, ez 2 read + controversy 4 the win.

the 3rd child · Post by **the 3rd child** » Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:38 pm

I tend to not read fiction outside of Lovecraft, but I'm reading Paradise Lost right now and loving it. Beautifully written, everyone should check it out if you haven't already.

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 2:29 am

Master Po has sometimes opportunity to read American novel. Now month, I read Golf for Dummies, by author Gary McCord. At first, lemon wedge was confusing, now it is not confexion.

In China, Master Po reads many Chinese classic. Li Taibai, or also Wang Wei. English now:

Dui jiu bu jue ming
Luo hua ying wo yi
Zui qi bu xi yue
Niao Yuan ren yi xi

Facing wine, did not see dusk,
Falling blossoms have filled the folds of clothes.
Drunk, rise and approach the moon in the stream,
Birds are far off, people too are few.

This is Li Bai. What China author do you know?

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 3:25 pm

I personally don't know any Chinese author (except Lao Tse

)
So, hmm, who does read something else than American or English novels?

We've already heard of Dostoevsky in this thread. And I guess every forum member whose first language isn't english could probably name a few authors from their own country (Cal already named two rather interesting contemporary French speaking authors)

Reminds me this year is the 100th anniversary of the death of a pretty famous French author, Jules Verne

I know quite a lot of French authors since I studied their works at school, but I realize it's a bit harder to name authors who use neither French or English as a first language.

I've read a few short stories by Russian author Anton Tchekhov, and German author Franz Kafka (dark humor get's ~~)
When it comes to German authors I've also read die Unendliche Geschichte by Michael Ende, and some Grimm's tales. Oh, and Goethe's Faust too.
From contemporay foreign authors, I've also read Solaris, by Polish SF author Stanislaw Lem, and Club Dumas (on which is based the movie The 9th Gate) by Spanish author Arturo Perez-Reverte.
Hmm, what else... some horror short stories by Japanese author Akutagawa Ryûnosuke, and I've started reading La Divinia Commedia by Italian author Dante Alighieri... and I've also started reading the first French translation of The Arabian Nights.

I haven't read any of those in their original language yet, although I plan to do so some day (reading untranslated novels can be a good way to improve one's written language skills)

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 5:13 pm

You want Canadian authors?
Timothy Findley
Margaret Atwood

YHeah, that's a good start for you.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takumi is always a classic. Read it translated!
Ring, Spiral, and Loop by Koji Suzuki are also entertaining reads.
Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton is the first part of a trilogy, but it appears that the second book is never being released. ;[

Tokyo by Mo Hayder
Abarat by Clive Barker
The Coma by Alex Garland
Millennium People by JG Ballard was quite intriguing.
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
The Global Soul by Pico Iyer,if you're into overwrought travelogues that give the illusion of being "deep".

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 8:37 pm

I've read the usual... Tolstoy, Chekhov, Kafka, Hugo, Dumas, Voltaire (i.e. Candide).

I've read plenty of Murakami but most of his characterizations are recycled.

I've started Genji but I'm not very far.

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Sat Jun 25, 2005 9:54 pm

Candide

Alice, I was planning to get the bilingual edition of the Devine Comedy to refresh my italian skills, so feel free to borrow it next time next time

At the moment I'm reading Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho, which is great. Should finish it tonight or tomorrow.

Need to get some new books for next week as I'm gonna spend hours in trains, but not sure what to get yet, so help me please

ruroken · Post by **ruroken** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 1:07 am

I really enjoyed Isaac Asimov's Magic and Gold (two separate books).

Catherine Lim's probably the best Singaporean author.

Voltaire and Kefka wrote?

I want to read those books, and Don Quixote too!

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Sun Jun 26, 2005 7:11 pm

Ah! You know Lao Tse is very famous Chinese.

"Dao ke dao, fei chang dao. Ming ke ming, fei chang ming."

Ha ha! "Way can way, not forever way. Name can name, not forever name." In English this not make cents, but in Chinese quite excelent. I think Americans cannot understand this. Remember, fei chang, not feichang, this means "not way", not "excelent way".

ruroken · Post by **ruroken** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 7:34 pm

I'm a Singaporean Chinese (most of me anyway) and I don't get the slightest clue of what you're saying. "Fei chang" and "feichang"?

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:11 pm

Ah! Singapore is very diverse. Perhaps you speak Malay as well? For us it is difficult, because pinyin is very silly. With characters perhaps you understood? Perhaps also, I have not including the tone mark, as it looks ugly.

Because my explanation was not very English, either... You know "fei chang hao" but "fei" and "chang" perhaps have meaning as well. So, when Lao Tse says fei chang dao, he is not meaning "excelent way", he is meaning "not forever way".

My English... Perhaps, "not common way", "not right way". You see?

Perhaps you can look at this website, very usefull for tao te ching. www.zhongwen.com Then you will understand because it is not in alphabet.

Your English typing is fei chang hao, were did you learn? "Slightest clue" very good. You sound very English, I never guessed you are Chinese from Singapore.

Oh! Congratulations on 40th years old! Very important celebration for Singapore!

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 9:57 am

Yamashita is dead. Long live Yamashita.

Now let's find his gold.

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 1:43 pm

Abe wrote:You want Canadian authors?
Timothy Findley
Margaret Atwood

YHeah, that's a good start for you.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takumi is always a classic. Read it translated!
Ring, Spiral, and Loop by Koji Suzuki are also entertaining reads.
Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton is the first part of a trilogy, but it appears that the second book is never being released. ;[

Tokyo by Mo Hayder
Abarat by Clive Barker
The Coma by Alex Garland
Millennium People by JG Ballard was quite intriguing.
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
The Global Soul by Pico Iyer,if you're into overwrought travelogues that give the illusion of being "deep".

Yeah, like there's no decent French-Canadian authors.

Wait, there are none. Except maybe Tremblay and Yann Martel.

But then again, you listed Atwood. I guess I could list more if you did that. But I won't.

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:28 pm

Master Po wrote:Ah! You know Lao Tse is very famous Chinese.

"Dao ke dao, fei chang dao. Ming ke ming, fei chang ming."

Ha ha! "Way can way, not forever way. Name can name, not forever name."

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 6:47 pm

I do not understand this pipe. What language is it?

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:21 am

It's French (a painting by surrealist artist René Magritte), and it says : this is not a pipe.

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:37 am

Atwood has her moments, Ward. The Handmaid's Tale is quite interesting.

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:46 am

Magritte <3

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:41 am

Ah! This is not a pipe. I understand! This is the same as "ming ke ming, fei chang ming", I think. This René Magritte is very much like taoist painters.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 12:39 pm

I've started reading again as I have no computer or PS2 D:

ruroken · Post by **ruroken** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:15 pm

So if it isn't a pipe, what is it then?

I got hooked on Rene ever since this art teacher of mine showed the class his "Dominion of Light".

Great stuff!

I went to this bookstore today in an attempt to get Neil Gaiman's autograph and perhaps a picture but the queue was at least two hours long, and was closed by the time I got there.

:(:(

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:44 pm

How unlucky

...I've stopped reading since I stole Damien's PS2

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:50 pm

Can you use a it to smoke tobacco ?

Just like the word "pipe" is not a pipe, this is not a pipe, but a pipe's picture.
... like they say, the finger that points at the moon is not the moon.
Hmm, I should try to remember that analogy for the next time I have to explain pointers to CS students ...

Master Po · Post by **Master Po** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:52 pm

Also, even sometimes the pipe is not a pipe. When you are in smoking the pipe or not smoking, is it same pipe? Taoist says no, neither is not pipe.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 6:01 pm

Calbrena wrote: How unlucky

...I've stopped reading since I stole Damien's PS2

We've exchanged our hobbies

Mitsurugi CP · Post by **Mitsurugi CP** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 8:11 am

Currently reading "The Areas Of My Expertise", by John Hodgman.

So far, this is one of the most hilarious books I've ever gotten my hands on. Very on par with Napalm and Silly Putty, but more literary and absurd. There is nothing in this book you will know, because until you read the startling facts he's compiled from basic snow and ice warfare to all things dealing with Hoboes, including a list of 700 hobo names and their failed plot to take over the US Government.

All that needs to be said to foreshadow what entails is summed up on the first page:

[spoiler]

This reasonably priced hardcover Dutton book contains the complete text of THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE. Not a single word has been omitted. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported as "UNSOLD AND DESTROYED" to the Publisher and is stolen property. Also, you should be aware that the cover was awesome. It featured a painting of a metallic silver dragon flying up either to rescue or eat a beautiful, nearly nude sword maiden as she falls off a cliff. All of this is overseen by the bitter glare of the ever-uncaring Triple Suns. Plus, a very flattering portrait of the Author appeared within the main sun.

If you purchased this book with a cover, you should know that this book was accidentally reported as "SOLD AND NOT DESTROYED" to the Publisher, and both the author and the publisher have received payment for it. It is unclear how this may have happened.

But in either case:

Under arrangement with the Publisher, purchasing this book frees you from the obligation to read it.

[/spoiler]

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 12:06 pm

I'm currently reading Around the World in 80 Days. Started last evening, currently roughly halfway through.
Phileas Fogg is a bit of a maniac, IMO

Even if the writing style has somewhat aged, the book is still quite entertaining.

Damien · Post by **Damien** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 12:45 pm

I'm reading a book about London and one about a Peeping Tom

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 1:14 pm

omg i wanted to revive this thread because I bought Franz Kafka's Trial yesterday. Poor John K.

Doom · Post by **Doom** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:42 pm

sup
aged writing style =

present day reading-while-waiting-for-some-method-of-public-transportation ADD bullshit style =

WaWard · Post by **WaWard** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 5:44 pm

Dan Brown

Chi · Post by **Chi** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 8:43 pm

Entr0pi3 wrote:I never read the prequels written by Frank Herbert's son (just read the original books : Dune, Messiah, Children, and God Emperor ~ got bored after this one). And I don't plan to, as I've been told Brian did an awful job.

OMG bump!

Don't give up on the Dune series after God Emperor - it bored me too (really, really bored me), but the last two books (Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune) are very good. I've read three of the prequels (written, as noted, by Brian Herbert) and they were ok - I wouldn't recommend 'em as a Must Read though. I got bored with "The Machine Crusade" OTOH. I'm a bit wary of the upcoming Dune 7 (based on Frank's notes, but written by Brian).

To

- if you enjoyed Asimov's "Magic," you should check out "Azazel" which is a book of stories regarding the two centimetre demon. I'm a big fan of Isaac Asimov.

My recent reading: Aside from "An Encyclopaedia of Sex Practice" by A. Willy (I kid ye not!) et al. (a translation from a French medical book from the 1930s, it is amazing how little they knew and understood at the time), I've recently read the complete collection of Sherlock holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle), re-read 1984 (George Orwell), and read a number of Conan novels (Robert E. Howard). I'm presently reading Ringworld (Larry Niven).

Entr0pi3, The Arabian Nights is very good (as I'm sure you know since that post was back in June), but please try to get a full, unabridged translation (the famous French one is that by J. C. Mardrus, if you can find it - be warned it is in 8 volumes! The most compete English one is Sir Richard Burton's)

Impaler · Post by **Impaler** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 8:59 am

Just finished Book 11 of the Wheel of Time and now starting on Elite Forces. More military stuff

MegaManX · Post by **MegaManX** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 9:20 am

Now reading Phooh and The Philosophers.

I also have my copy of the World of Pooh out while reading.

Winnie the Pooh fucking owns me

.

Entr0pi3 · Post by **Entr0pi3** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 10:36 am

Finished reading Around the World in 80 Days yesterday.
Started reading Le Chateau des Carpathes (don't know the translated name) by same author.

@Doom
The aged writing style doesn't bother me, but I know it might bother some people, so I thought I should mention it in this minimalistic review of mine.

@Chi
I've started re-reading the original Dune series, I'm planning to go past the Emperor God this time, but I need to get the books first (I've bought the 3 first books from a specific editor, and now I can't find the other ones in the exact same edition... I could get them in a more recent edition now, but I hate having inconsistent covers on my bookshelf )
Right now I'm (still ... I got bored in the middle) reading the first french translation of The Arabian Nights (by Galand). I know it's an abridged, somewhat censored version (but it is also the most famous one, at least in France), so when I'm done with this one I'll get another one for comparison purpose, I guess.
Funny how some "fairy tales" got censored when the genre was made popular again by people like Perrault or the Grimm brothers. The original version of, say, Sleeping Beauty, makes much more sense, somehow.

Fei Ayanami · Post by **Fei Ayanami** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:50 am

awhile back I read jonathan strange & mr. norrell

highly recommended !!

Calbrena · Post by **Calbrena** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:44 am

Is it better than Peeping Tom?