What are you reading tonight?

[Dujon]

Well, believe it or not, I have just finished reading, for the first time, Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. I cannot recall reading any of Hemingway's books prior to this one either. What a pot pourri of characters he collects together as the cast. His style I found appealing but not having read any of his other writings I am not aware as to whether this is adopted for this novel. Lots of introspection given the situation but nevertheless it is certainly interesting. In the end I am left with too many unresolved issues - which might well have been Hemingway's intent, of course - by his ploy of leaving most of them open ended.

[clapton is god]

As I've mentioned previously, I got myself a Kindle earlier this year and I'm getting on with it very well. Not touched a paper book since I got it.

I stocked up on about a dozen books when I first got it, mainly because they were at a good price. One of these was Stephen Kings The Shining which I got for $6.

My memory of reading Stephen King is that he over writes, never writes a paragraph when a chapter will do, and I stopped reading him about 25 years ago.

However, late last year I got Under The Dome (the last paper book I read) and found it to be excellent and that was one of the reasons I got The Shining. What an excellent read it is! King certainly knows how to do horror! If your only experience of The Shining is the film then get the book. There's much much more in there than the film. I read a chapter last night that had me laughing nervously to myself all the way through it. Wonderful stuff!

[P.O.S.]

Looking forward to starting "Disgusting Bliss - The Brass Eye Of Chris Morris" by Lucian Randall tonight. Always been quite interested in finding out more about Chris Morris, it's rare you hear much about him.

Brass Eye and The Day Today still rank as two of my favourtie programs of all time and although I wasn't a great fan of Nathan Barley, while My Wrongs and Jam were just a bit too weird for my liking, I can't wait for his latest film, "Four Lions", due out in May and getting some great reviews.

[General Mannerheim]

Looking forward to starting "Disgusting Bliss - The Brass Eye Of Chris Morris" by Lucian Randall tonight. Always been quite interested in finding out more about Chris Morris, it's rare you hear much about him.

Brass Eye and The Day Today still rank as two of my favourtie programs of all time and although I wasn't a great fan of Nathan Barley, while My Wrongs and Jam were just a bit too weird for my liking, I can't wait for his latest film, "Four Lions", due out in May and getting some great reviews.

didnt know about that book but will certainly be looking it up!

im also a huge fan of Chris Morris, and i know i say this about loads of stuff, but Brass Eye is probably my favourite of the lot, abso-cocking-lutely Joss Acklands spunky backpack BRILLIANT!!!

The Day today also (the birth of Alan Partridge) great and i liked Nathan Barley too.

I have Jam on my rental list, never saw that. bit weird is it? good.

[P.O.S.]

Some of Jam is really funny it's worth seeing if you've not already, but some of the sketches are plain wrong - they make they paedophillia episode of Brass Eye look tame. There's an audio version called Blue Jam too which has some different material on it which is worth a listen, "Suicide Journalist" is a favourite!

It's always good spotting people that you see on mainstream TV now in some of his earlier work too, the two parents in Outnumbered popped up in a Brass Eye episode I was watching the other day. I think it was the one about crime, I could watch the bit about the modern day borstal over and over. Lick yourself off my shoe!

[General Mannerheim]

Some of Jam is really funny it's worth seeing if you've not already, but some of the sketches are plain wrong - they make they paedophillia episode of Brass Eye look tame. There's an audio version called Blue Jam too which has some different material on it which is worth a listen, "Suicide Journalist" is a favourite!

It's always good spotting people that you see on mainstream TV now in some of his earlier work too, the two parents in Outnumbered popped up in a Brass Eye episode I was watching the other day. I think it was the one about crime, I could watch the bit about the modern day borstal over and over. Lick yourself off my shoe!

books in the post!

[TANGODANCER]

Well, believe it or not, I have just finished reading, for the first time, Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. I cannot recall reading any of Hemingway's books prior to this one either. What a pot pourri of characters he collects together as the cast. His style I found appealing but not having read any of his other writings I am not aware as to whether this is adopted for this novel. Lots of introspection given the situation but nevertheless it is certainly interesting. In the end I am left with too many unresolved issues - which might well have been Hemingway's intent, of course - by his ploy of leaving most of them open ended.

Always liked Hemingway, particularly "The Sun Also Rises" and "Dangerous Summer" (The story of two rival matadors).

[Puskas]

Some of Jam is really funny it's worth seeing if you've not already, but some of the sketches are plain wrong - they make they paedophillia episode of Brass Eye look tame. There's an audio version called Blue Jam too which has some different material on it which is worth a listen, "Suicide Journalist" is a favourite!

It's always good spotting people that you see on mainstream TV now in some of his earlier work too, the two parents in Outnumbered popped up in a Brass Eye episode I was watching the other day. I think it was the one about crime, I could watch the bit about the modern day borstal over and over. Lick yourself off my shoe!

Chris Morris himself didn't appear in Jam, did he? He just wrote/produced/masterminded it.

So it misses those fantastic monologues that he does in Blue Jam. I think I have some episodes on CD (downloaded from the internets - google cookedandbombed I think...) - I'll have to dig them out.

And there was the brilliant last episode of Blue Jam in which he "mashed up" the memorial sermon to the late Princess of Wales, which got pulled halfway through transmission. He had to get it approved by the controller of Radio 1, who refused. Morris went and produced an alternative take of the show, which was the one due to be broadcast, but switched the tapes, so they played the unapproved one. However Radio 1 had been expecting something like this, so had episode one of Blue Jam playing in parallel - as soon as it hit the dodgy bit, it got faded out and the first episode faded in. Weird radio...

[P.O.S.]

Haha quality yeah I'm sure his track record of tampering with transmissions in the past would have made them think he might try that - inserting that message to Michael Grade during a Brass Eye episode was genius. And didn't people actually think that Noel Edmonds really had gone mad and was firing a rocket launcher off his roof once because of that spoof news flash he did?!

[Dujon]

Always liked Hemingway, particularly "The Sun Also Rises" and "Dangerous Summer" (The story of two rival matadors).

I was considering chasing up his A Farewell to Arms, TANGO. Perhaps also his collection of short stories Men Without Women. I know that you love everything Spanish, my friend, but AFtA I believe is set in Italy and the short stories I know nothing about. Are they recommended reading do you know?

[TANGODANCER]

Always liked Hemingway, particularly "The Sun Also Rises" and "Dangerous Summer" (The story of two rival matadors).

I was considering chasing up his A Farewell to Arms, TANGO. Perhaps also his collection of short stories Men Without Women. I know that you love everything Spanish, my friend, but AFtA I believe is set in Italy and the short stories I know nothing about. Are they recommended reading do you know?

Everbody sees reading differently. A couple of Hemingways books have made films, AFTA being one I think (can't remember off-hand) most memorable one being the Tyrone Power/Ava Gardner The Sun Also Rises. . For me, I'd say read them. I'd be interested in you opinon. Hemingway was seen by some as a very self-important character, always doing things for attention.

[Dujon]

Thanks, TANGO. Not having read any other of his works I cannot really comment, but in For Whom the Bell Tolls he does seem to have some sort of obsessive interest in death and, maybe, its method of deliverance. Given that he eventually took his own life perhaps he felt that death was the reason for living (as opposed to a result).

I shall see if I can find the previously mentioned publications and if successful will let you know of my conclusions.

[KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab]

And didn't people actually think that Noel Edmonds really had gone mad and was firing a rocket launcher off his roof once because of that spoof news flash he did?!

Was that the "Clive Anderson is dead" bit? That was arse numbingly funny. Much like a lot of Brass Eye.

I stood about ten minutes of Jam. Just couldn't get my head into it, it just seemed to be shocking for shocking's sake. Which is a massive difference to cocking a snoop at the outraged masses.

[P.O.S.]

Have you started Disgusting Bliss yet General? Im just nearing the end now, loved it. The man is a genius

[TANGODANCER]

Gerald Seymour, The Unknown Soldier, always writes decent novels.

[P.O.S.]

And didn't people actually think that Noel Edmonds really had gone mad and was firing a rocket launcher off his roof once because of that spoof news flash he did?!

Was that the "Clive Anderson is dead" bit? That was arse numbingly funny. Much like a lot of Brass Eye.

I stood about ten minutes of Jam. Just couldn't get my head into it, it just seemed to be shocking for shocking's sake. Which is a massive difference to cocking a snoop at the outraged masses.

Yeah that's the one, it's mentioned in the book too - there were loads of complaints about it, seems that no-one noticed the female reporter was sporting a large tash!

[clapton is god]

Just started Lee Childs latest, 61 Hours. Jack Reacher is my favourite character in any novel series. Superb stuff!

[TANGODANCER]

Just started Lee Childs latest, 61 Hours. Jack Reacher is my favourite character in any novel series. Superb stuff!

That must be his very latest. Thought I'd read them all. Reacher makes "Travelling Light" into a whole new experience. "Have toothbrush, will travel.

[clapton is god]

^ It is. Only out in hard back as yet. I had been trying to keep it on one side for my holidays at the end of this month but couldn't resist it on my bookshelf Cracking read as per usual!

[General Mannerheim]

Have you started Disgusting Bliss yet General? Im just nearing the end now, loved it. The man is a genius

I have started, but not had much reading time lately - struggled with the first chapter tbh, no laughs and too many names i didnt know, but im sure it'll pick up. think ill save it for me jollies!