What are you reading tonight?

Bench · Post by **Bench** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:03 pm

The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas.

Read that one about two months good. Bloody good - but a bit of an emotional heart tugger.

Can't really say more without giving the plot away - but let me know what you think when you've finished.

I'm about to embark on an old fave of mine (for about the fifth time actually). It's tagged as 'Science Fiction Opera' - a trilogy (in five parts) by Stephen Donaldson - The Gap Series.

Donaldson is a tad obsessed with rape and what it does on the human psyche, but once you get passed this the whole series has more twists, turns, troughs and peaks than the Big Dipper.

If you're partial to the odd bit (or a lot) of Sci Fi, then have a gander. Well worth it.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:09 pm

Interesting author Mr Donaldson. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever were similarly excellent once (if) you got past the first couple of hundred pages on leprosy

Bench · Post by **Bench** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:12 pm

Worthy4England wrote:Interesting author Mr Donaldson. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever were similarly excellent once (if) you got past the first couple of hundred pages on leprosy

I've got that one on my shelf - never got past the first rape scene (which is on about page 12). Always wanted to finish it but never really got round to it. That said, it just hasn't lived up to his later work (The Gap Series), in my honest opinion - was gripped from the first page of the first book.

Seriously, give it a try.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:20 pm

Bench wrote:
Worthy4England wrote:Interesting author Mr Donaldson. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever were similarly excellent once (if) you got past the first couple of hundred pages on leprosy
I've got that one on my shelf - never got past the first rape scene (which is on about page 12). Always wanted to finish it but never really got round to it. That said, it just hasn't lived up to his later work (The Gap Series), in my honest opinion - was gripped from the first page of the first book.

Seriously, give it a try.

They're different genres - one being more hobbity the other being more Sci-fi - sci-fi generally doesn't work for me - it's just all so unbelievable, whereas everyone knows hobbit type races exist on the planet. Estimates suggest that the Chronicles flogged about 10 million copies over the first two trilogies so I think they stand up pretty well. Lord Foul's Bane doesn't start working (seriously) until about 150 pages in when he actually gets into the Land - 150 pages for the uninitiated isn't very far into the book

Bench · Post by **Bench** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:34 pm

Oh i understand that they're two different genres (quite obviously so - one is in space and the other isn't!).

Big fan of Lord of the Rings - from which most modern fantasy (if not all) is derived.

Still, with the Gap Series the most compelling thing about Donaldson's writing is the effect that varying traumatic circumstances can have on the human psyche. There is a lot of role reversal prevalent within the books - with the last books hero (or heroin) becoming the villian in the next.

The first book in the series, The Real Story, is quite short (only a couple of hundred pages or so. It's quite basic and simple, but it forms the basis for the development of the rest of the series. I suggest you have a look - it's really only a couple of nigts read.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:45 pm

Might give it a whirl then

Covenant in the Chronicles is an anti-hero from the off and stays that way throughout to be honest. Doesn't want to be there and certainly doesn't want to save anyone

Little Green Man · Post by **Little Green Man** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 11:34 pm

Klondike Tales - Jack London

I read the Thomas Covenant stuff many moons ago - all six, I think. By the end I was utterly bored of them, so I never bothered to read the 'bonus' seventh one. One sci/fantasy author I might be curious to read again would be Gene Wolfe and his 'Book Of New Sun' novels. Seems Amazon have all four together in one for just over a tenner - might be worth sticking in a Super Saver free delivery run one day.

General Mannerheim · Post by **General Mannerheim** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:19 pm

The Ice Man, confessions of a contract killer (richard kuklinsky)

brutal! cant put it down tho, even made her drive this morning so i could carry on with it.

hisroyalgingerness · Post by **hisroyalgingerness** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:26 pm

Live and Let Die

Enjoyed Casino Royale and this seemed like perfectly sensible holiday fodder, and it proved so. Completely different from the film and extremely good read. Shall be reading more of the Bond books

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:34 pm

All the early Bond books ( the Ian Fleming ones) are decent reads. You should start with Dr No, then From Russia with Love etc. The films let the books down in every instance, for me.

ratbert · Post by **ratbert** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 2:53 pm

Wait until you get to Moonraker. The gulf between that and the film is astounding, and in a good way.

I'd disagree on the films letting the books down in a lot of cases. Thunderball and OHMSS are direct adaptations and the films of Goldfinger, The Man With the Golden Gun and Diamonds are Forever all improve on the slackly plotted books (as does Casino Royale 2006).

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:02 pm

ratbert wrote:Wait until you get to Moonraker. The gulf between that and the film is astounding, and in a good way.

I'd disagree on the films letting the books down in a lot of cases. Thunderball and OHMSS are direct adaptations and the films of Goldfinger, The Man With the Golden Gun and Diamonds are Forever all improve on the slackly plotted books (as does Casino Royale 2006).

And all the crazy inventions, impossible stunts and humorous tongue-in-cheek lines thrown in by a supposededly serious
"licenced to kill" employee of MI6, in the film versions? Sorry, I'd stick with the books.

ratbert · Post by **ratbert** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:46 pm

There's a lot in the books that's impossible to believe, let alone the films! How many times does Bond get horribly tortured in Fleming's novels and still he manages to walk straight?

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:12 am

Bench wrote:The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas.

Read that one about two months good. Bloody good - but a bit of an emotional heart tugger.

Can't really say more without giving the plot away - but let me know what you think when you've finished.

finished it last night about midnight, didn't get to sleep till about two. The last few pages are absolutely heartbreaking.

enfieldwhite · Post by **enfieldwhite** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:22 am

Bench wrote:Oh i understand that they're two different genres (quite obviously so - one is in space and the other isn't!).

Big fan of Lord of the Rings - from which most modern fantasy (if not all) is derived.

Still, with the Gap Series the most compelling thing about Donaldson's writing is the effect that varying traumatic circumstances can have on the human psyche. There is a lot of role reversal prevalent within the books - with the last books hero (or heroin) becoming the villian in the next.

The first book in the series, The Real Story, is quite short (only a couple of hundred pages or so. It's quite basic and simple, but it forms the basis for the development of the rest of the series. I suggest you have a look - it's really only a couple of nigts read.

Love Donaldson. The gap series took some getting used to, to be frank but I persevered and was well rewarded. You're right Bench rape looms large with Donaldson in this series AND in the Chronicles (incidentally there is a third trilogy of the Chrnicles out now. Check out Runes of Earth (first book). The Second is out in hardback and the third set to be released next year.

I have also read Mordants Need and the Mirror of her Dreams which is a good story about travelling between Worlds using mirrors.

Also, Reave the Just. A series of short stories.

Excellent stuff.

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:40 am

enfieldwhite wrote:
Bench wrote:Oh i understand that they're two different genres (quite obviously so - one is in space and the other isn't!).

Big fan of Lord of the Rings - from which most modern fantasy (if not all) is derived.

Still, with the Gap Series the most compelling thing about Donaldson's writing is the effect that varying traumatic circumstances can have on the human psyche. There is a lot of role reversal prevalent within the books - with the last books hero (or heroin) becoming the villian in the next.

The first book in the series, The Real Story, is quite short (only a couple of hundred pages or so. It's quite basic and simple, but it forms the basis for the development of the rest of the series. I suggest you have a look - it's really only a couple of nigts read.
Love Donaldson. The gap series took some getting used to, to be frank but I persevered and was well rewarded. You're right Bench rape looms large with Donaldson in this series AND in the Chronicles (incidentally there is a third trilogy of the Chrnicles out now. Check out Runes of Earth (first book). The Second is out in hardback and the third set to be released next year.

I have also read Mordants Need and the Mirror of her Dreams which is a good story about travelling between Worlds using mirrors.

Also, Reave the Just. A series of short stories.

Excellent stuff.

As a result of this thread, I dug out Runes of Earth, only to find out I stopped 450 pages in....Maybe just too much time elapsed between this one and the last. Read Mordants Need and Mirror of her Dreams. - good reads.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:56 am

Speaking of Donaldson, anybody read the original John Carter on Mars stuff by Edgar Rice Burroughs?

enfieldwhite · Post by **enfieldwhite** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:04 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
enfieldwhite wrote:
Bench wrote:Oh i understand that they're two different genres (quite obviously so - one is in space and the other isn't!).

Big fan of Lord of the Rings - from which most modern fantasy (if not all) is derived.

Still, with the Gap Series the most compelling thing about Donaldson's writing is the effect that varying traumatic circumstances can have on the human psyche. There is a lot of role reversal prevalent within the books - with the last books hero (or heroin) becoming the villian in the next.

The first book in the series, The Real Story, is quite short (only a couple of hundred pages or so. It's quite basic and simple, but it forms the basis for the development of the rest of the series. I suggest you have a look - it's really only a couple of nigts read.
Love Donaldson. The gap series took some getting used to, to be frank but I persevered and was well rewarded. You're right Bench rape looms large with Donaldson in this series AND in the Chronicles (incidentally there is a third trilogy of the Chrnicles out now. Check out Runes of Earth (first book). The Second is out in hardback and the third set to be released next year.

I have also read Mordants Need and the Mirror of her Dreams which is a good story about travelling between Worlds using mirrors.

Also, Reave the Just. A series of short stories.

Excellent stuff.
As a result of this thread, I dug out Runes of Earth, only to find out I stopped 450 pages in....Maybe just too much time elapsed between this one and the last. Read Mordants Need and Mirror of her Dreams. - good reads.

I thought the same. I'm going to wait until the third book's published then have amarathon read-through of all nine!

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:08 pm

enfieldwhite wrote:I thought the same. I'm going to wait until the third book's published then have amarathon read-through of all nine!

Not sure I could go through the 150 pages at the start of Lord Foul's Bane again..If ever a first 150 pages were designed to put someone off reading a book, they were them. I only persevered at about the third/fourth time of asking because loads of me mates were assuring me there was an excellent double trilogy screaming to get out....I then wagged some time off, to complete the first trilogy...

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:31 pm

Had a walk to Waterstones on my lunchbreak, picked up 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. Looking forward to reading it. Anyone else read it?

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