What are you reading tonight?
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- TANGODANCER
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Aye well, anybody who ploughs through "War and Peace", just for the sake of saying they've read it, is deluded. You either enjoy a book or leave it alone. I have fond memories of King Solomon's Mines, She, John Carter on Mars and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, amongst half a million others. I've done Dickens, Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters and found pleasure in some, if not all of them. Thomas Hardy is another author of merit, but then again, so is Ian Rankin.Worthy4England wrote:
No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.
Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?
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The Wasp Factory is a work of genius! (though some people think its utter sh*te, so its all opinion )TANGODANCER wrote:Aye well, anybody who ploughs through "War and Peace", just for the sake of saying they've read it, is deluded. You either enjoy a book or leave it alone. I have fond memories of King Solomon's Mines, She, John Carter on Mars and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, amongst half a million others. I've done Dickens, Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters and found pleasure in some, if not all of them. Thomas Hardy is another author of merit, but then again, so is Ian Rankin.Worthy4England wrote:
No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.
You can judge the whole world on the sparkle that you think it lacks.
Yes, you can stare into the abyss, but it's staring right back.
Yes, you can stare into the abyss, but it's staring right back.
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Same here. Read it for English Lit, didn't get very far and had to wing it in the essay!Worthy4England wrote:No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.
Don't call it a comeback
Lord Kangana wrote:The Wasp Factory is a work of genius! (though some people think its utter sh*te, so its all opinion )TANGODANCER wrote:Aye well, anybody who ploughs through "War and Peace", just for the sake of saying they've read it, is deluded. You either enjoy a book or leave it alone. I have fond memories of King Solomon's Mines, She, John Carter on Mars and The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, amongst half a million others. I've done Dickens, Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters and found pleasure in some, if not all of them. Thomas Hardy is another author of merit, but then again, so is Ian Rankin.Worthy4England wrote:
No, but a similar(ish) story here - had to read Great Expectations for English (Lit) and never got past the first couple of chapters...I have to say anyone who thinks it's a "good read" needs their bumps testing.
Rankin is the crime author,Iain Banks wrote The Wasp Factory. Did it for A-levels and absolutely loved it,so very very wrong though!
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Like Dr H I thoroughly enjoyed Things The Grandchildren Should Know - for a bloke with so many family tragedies, he's admirably pragmatic.
As for overrated literature, I was forced for A-Level to read Troilus & Cressida, one of Bill Shakespeare's "problem plays". To me, its main problem is that it's shit. But back to the good stuff...
As for overrated literature, I was forced for A-Level to read Troilus & Cressida, one of Bill Shakespeare's "problem plays". To me, its main problem is that it's shit. But back to the good stuff...
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- Dujon
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Hardy's name rang a bell as I'm sure I've read some of his stuff, TANGO. A quick check with an on line literature site though brought back no memories.
On the same site, this made me read it twice:
On the same site, this made me read it twice:
No wonder I did a double-double take.www.online-literature.com/hardy wrote:Hardy died in Dorchester, Dorset, on January 11, 1928. His ashes were cremated in Dorchester and buried with impressive ceremonies in the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Last edited by Dujon on Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
- TANGODANCER
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Aye, he wanted to be "Far from the Madding Crowd". Or maybe he just wanted to be "Thomas the Obscure"Dujon wrote:Hardy's name rang a bell as I'm sure I've read some of his stuff, TANGO. A quick check with an on line literature site though brought back no memories.
On the same site, this made me read it twice:
No wonder I did a double take.www.online-literature.com/hardy wrote:Hardy died in Dorchester, Dorset, on January 11, 1928. His ashes were cremated in Dorchester and buried with impressive ceremonies in the Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.
Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?
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Reading Not Abba, look back at the 70's that does not just include Abba and the sodding Bee Gees!
Got a pile to read, just finished The Chalice by Phil Rickman which is about a dark anti Holy Grail at Glastonbury which was very good.
As for the comments earlier about classics read Dracula and Frankenstein both are class
Got a pile to read, just finished The Chalice by Phil Rickman which is about a dark anti Holy Grail at Glastonbury which was very good.
As for the comments earlier about classics read Dracula and Frankenstein both are class
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Reading 'The darkness that comes before' a kind of post-apocalyptic Holy War story. Heavy going but I'm sensing the build to climax, so I'll persevere.
Waiting next is the Boudica quadrilogy and then The Book of Dave by Will Self.
Oh and TD? You're only the fourth person I know to have read the Thomas Covenant Chronicles. Have you started on the third trilogy yet?
Waiting next is the Boudica quadrilogy and then The Book of Dave by Will Self.
Oh and TD? You're only the fourth person I know to have read the Thomas Covenant Chronicles. Have you started on the third trilogy yet?
"You're Gemini, and I don't know which one I like the most!"
- TANGODANCER
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No, frankly I haven't enfield. I read the first trilogy and stopped, simply because I envisaged a literary version of "Die Hard" or "Lethal Weapon" where each one is weaker and less creditable than the one before. Thoroughly enjoyed the first lot, so are you recommending I carry on?enfieldwhite wrote:Reading 'The darkness that comes before' a kind of post-apocalyptic Holy War story. Heavy going but I'm sensing the build to climax, so I'll persevere.
Waiting next is the Boudica quadrilogy and then The Book of Dave by Will Self.
Oh and TD? You're only the fourth person I know to have read the Thomas Covenant Chronicles. Have you started on the third trilogy yet?
I've just started "The Death of Dalziel" and, whilst I don't like the televised versions, this book has a good story, is well written and, in parts, hilarious. "Dead men don't fart" as a chapter title should give you an idea.
Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?
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- TANGODANCER
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I read several of the Bond books ( the Fleming ones) before they started making films of them. They were all decent reads without the need for jet-packs etc. Dr No, Goldfinger, From Russia with love and Casino Royale were all good stuff. Then Hollywood got on the scene and it all went laughable.David Lee's Hair wrote:Just finished "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" not a bad bond book, but not as good as some of the others. Really recommend "Casino Royale"
Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?
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The second chronicles are quite harrowing but worth it. They take place 10 years on in Covenant's time, but 10,000 years have elapsed in 'The Land'TANGODANCER wrote:No, frankly I haven't enfield. I read the first trilogy and stopped, simply because I envisaged a literary version of "Die Hard" or "Lethal Weapon" where each one is weaker and less creditable than the one before. Thoroughly enjoyed the first lot, so are you recommending I carry on?enfieldwhite wrote:Reading 'The darkness that comes before' a kind of post-apocalyptic Holy War story. Heavy going but I'm sensing the build to climax, so I'll persevere.
Waiting next is the Boudica quadrilogy and then The Book of Dave by Will Self.
Oh and TD? You're only the fourth person I know to have read the Thomas Covenant Chronicles. Have you started on the third trilogy yet?
I've just started "The Death of Dalziel" and, whilst I don't like the televised versions, this book has a good story, is well written and, in parts, hilarious. "Dead men don't fart" as a chapter title should give you an idea.
The 'Last' chronicles are only two books, with the third due out next year. I started reading the first but have decided to read all three at once.
"You're Gemini, and I don't know which one I like the most!"
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