Your opinions please...

[jesse sutton]

I was just curious to know what people on this forum thought about a few books. I just want to know your basic thoughts on the books, and whatnot. Some of these I am reading right now, and some of these i will be reading soon.

John Knowles - A Separate Peace
Ernest Hemingway - A Farewell To Arms
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World
Oscar Wilde - The Picture Of Dorian Gray
John Milton - Paradise Lost
Orson Scott Card - Atlantis

[Shea]

I read A Seperate Peace in high school, and it was the only book that my teacher assigned that I liked at the time. (I've grown to love the others as well through the years) It's one that I've been meaning to re-read because I have forgotten most of the details, but it had the spirit of the movie Dead Poet's Society, and that's what I loved about it.

I had mixed feelings on The Picture of Dorian Gray. I loved the work, but I didn't like how Dorian got away with everything just because he looked good. But maybe I'm vague on the details of that one too.

I've just got into the second book of Paradise Lost for my British Lit class, and aside from the traditional epic wordiness, I really like it so far. It could be because my teacher has a humorous way of explaining the scenes, but I like how Milton makes stories to anwser unexplained questions. Like, where did all the pagan gods come from?

[IWilKikU]

I could never get through Paradise Lost because, and I'm sure I will be called a philistine for this but, I HATE POETRY!!!

[Sindhu]

I liked A separate Peace a lot- the whole concept of "a separate peace' is intriguing.
Farewell to Arms is Classic Hemmingway- you like Hemmingway, you'll like this.
Brave New World- Excellent book- but one I have SWORN NEVER to reread- that and Lord of the Flies are too gruesome/ intense for me.
Picture of Dorian Gray - Fantabulous- Such a variation on the Jekyll/ Hyde theme is incredibly sophisticated- but exactly what you would expect from Wilde.
Paradise Lost- Love this. I could read the discussion of the fallen angels in Hell Umpteen times. And Satan is magnificent- the ULTIMATE anti-Hero.
Atlantis- OK- but I'm not really too keen on this genre.

[imthefoolonthehill]

Jesse: I have read a Farewell to Arms (read it on a hiking trip in the Sawtoothe Mountains) I liked it. Whoever said it was classic hemmingway was right. The book has some interesting (and obvious)parrallels with Hemmingways actual life. I really liked the book. It had the right sense of meloncholy, sorrow, and rage.

Huxley's BNW is a great book. It should be read within a few days of reading 1984.... Huxley toys with your emotions and makes you love it.

[crisaor]

I've only read 3 of the books you mention (Brave New World, Picture of Dorian Gray, and Paradise Lost), and I loved them all. You'll enjoy reading those, I'm sure, specially BNW. It'll make you think how bleak the future could be, and how near. Wait, that doesn't sound good, does it? I'm probably a madman ;)

[Sindhu]

I'm probably a madman ;) Which itself is a defenition of sanity! ;)

[Aesopone]

only one i've read is A Farewell to Arms and it is exemplary Hemingway, one of my favorites :evil:

[crisaor]

Which itself is a defenition of sanity! ;)
Great! That means I don't need my sane certificate any longer! ;)
*flushes toilet*