Save Kilted's Brain

[kilted exile]

Ok, I can feel my brain turning to mush as I type. I have been in a malaise for months and am having trouble finding something new to read. I have been on a LeCarre binge recently but I have read them before & need something new.

The only stuff I dont/wont read is romanticised nonsense or "stream of conciousness" novels. Other than that subject matter is not really important, but the story must have enough going on to keep me interested.

[B-Mental]

Hmm, I know you are well read, but I'll just sit here and bounce some books or authors off you for a while. It would help if you us what some of your favorite genre and authors are. I've been reading Umberto Eco this year. I really liked Foccault's Pendulum, and Baudolino is slightly allegorical, but still immensely entertaining to me. Hmm, I need to think for a while. Cya later kilted Shrexile (from the blog)

B

[Virgil]

You know I just recommended this for Nicolai. Try The Baron In The Trees by Italo Calvino. It's an off beat novel that is funny and weird and interesting.

[mtpspur]

If you've been reading LeCarre could you explain The Looking Glass War to me? I understood Spy Who Came in from the Cold but War left my head spinning and I've never been back. Likewise Len Deighton. Tray Adam Hall's Quiller especially Quiller's Run or if you want a real break Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series.

[B-Mental]

Oh, btw Imthefoolonthehill was on the other day looking for oldtimers.

[Etienne]

You know I just recommended this for Nicolai. Try The Baron In The Trees by Italo Calvino. It's an off beat novel that is funny and weird and interesting.

Agreed, a beautiful book and very candidesque too.

Oh, and what about that Le Carre? It's another of those authors that I've always kept away from as he was in the best-seller section...

[SleepyWitch]

Jews without Money by Michael Gold, a naturalistic/realist(?) novel about the life of Jewish immigrants in the New York ghetto. definitely not romanticized, except maybe in the end where he's like "Oh Communist party, you've saved my life, you're my mother etc"

[Niamh]

I'm Assuming that you have read some Bernard Cornwall (the other side of La Carre). If not give the Grail Quest Trilogy a shot.

Or
*pops into stephofthenights thread and comes back dragging a book*
Read HellFire By Mia Gallagher.(seriously. I want the world to read this book.)
How a childish obsession with the hellfire club gets intangled in a world of drug addiction, Gangs, prostitution and murder. Its a book fueled by revenge.

For something odd- John Connellys Book of Lost Things (plagerises a bit)

A Classic- Tom Jones by Henry feilding

[Scheherazade]

How about Fowles? Just finished The Magus and loved every page of it.

(Also read The Collector and The French Lieutenant's Woman , both of which are hard to put down.)

[Virgil]

How about Fowles? Just finished The Magus and loved every page of it.


Really. I tried reading it, oh it must be over 20 years ago, and just couldn't make my way through it, but lately I've come across a number of people who say the same as you. Perhaps I should give it another try.

[papayahed]

If you looking for something that's not too deep Caleb Carr is pretty good, The Alienist and Angel of Darkness especially. They are both good old fashioned fiction. They are set in the 1890's and deals with serial killers.

[kilted exile]

Hmm, I know you are well read, but I'll just sit here and bounce some books or authors off you for a while. It would help if you us what some of your favorite genre and authors are. I've been reading Umberto Eco this year. I really liked Foccault's Pendulum, and Baudolino is slightly allegorical, but still immensely entertaining to me. Hmm, I need to think for a while. Cya later kilted Shrexile (from the blog)

B

Well it might seem pretty wierd but my favourite authors are Dickens & Brett Easton Ellis. As far as genre goes it doesnt matter.


If you've been reading LeCarre could you explain The Looking Glass War to me? I understood Spy Who Came in from the Cold but War left my head spinning and I've never been back. Likewise Len Deighton. Tray Adam Hall's Quiller especially Quiller's Run or if you want a real break Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series.

Searching Amazon found a few "Quiller" books. Is there any back story I would have to know before reading or could I just start anywhere in the series

Is it a specific part of Looking Glass War you dont get? The overall theme is about people from a past time trying to hold onto some degree of power/importance.




Oh, and what about that Le Carre? It's another of those authors that I've always kept away from as he was in the best-seller section...

Le Carre is in the best-seller section for good reason - he writes fascinating stories (which are very well researched), he is accessible to the masses. You wont find any deep, meaningful message hidden there, so dont look for one - just enjoy the story.

btw, thought has just occured to me: Nobody criticises Hitchcock for being popular - why is it like this for authors? I know off-topic, probably suited for another thread


Jews without Money by Michael Gold, a naturalistic/realist(?) novel about the life of Jewish immigrants in the New York ghetto. definitely not romanticized, except maybe in the end where he's like "Oh Communist party, you've saved my life, you're my mother etc"

Hmm, sounds ok. Its not too biographical in nature is it?


I'm Assuming that you have read some Bernard Cornwall (the other side of La Carre). If not give the Grail Quest Trilogy a shot.

Or
*pops into stephofthenights thread and comes back dragging a book*
Read HellFire By Mia Gallagher.(seriously. I want the world to read this book.)
How a childish obsession with the hellfire club gets intangled in a world of drug addiction, Gangs, prostitution and murder. Its a book fueled by revenge.

For something odd- John Connellys Book of Lost Things (plagerises a bit)

A Classic- Tom Jones by Henry feilding

Hellfire sounds about perfect thanks


How about Fowles? Just finished The Magus and loved every page of it.

(Also read The Collector and The French Lieutenant's Woman , both of which are hard to put down.)

Ooh, sounds good, also just seen amazon have Magus & Collector for $25.


If you looking for something that's not too deep Caleb Carr is pretty good, The Alienist and Angel of Darkness especially. They are both good old fashioned fiction. They are set in the 1890's and deals with serial killers.

Yeah, both of them sound good. Think I could do with some page-turners to get my head back into the swing of things.



Try The Baron In The Trees by Italo Calvino. It's an off beat novel that is funny and weird and interesting

Ok, I've looked at the synopsis. Not completely sold on this one.

[SleepyWitch]

Hmm, sounds ok. Its not too biographical in nature is it?


I think it is based on his life but it reads like any first-person narration. It's not the "I was born in... and went to school at ... etc." type of biography.

[Etienne]

"btw, thought has just occured to me: Nobody criticises Hitchcock for being popular - why is it like this for authors? I know off-topic, probably suited for another thread"

Well, you know Dickens, Dante, Tolstoy too were popular. Hitchcock wouldn't be what he is if he was doing it now, I think. Also, I am not criticizing anyone for being popular, it's simply that experience has taught me to stay away from those best-sellers.

[Niamh]

btw, thought has just occured to me: Nobody criticises Hitchcock for being popular - why is it like this for authors? I know off-topic, probably suited for another thread

Well there are a lot of authors that end up in the bestsellers that i personal avoid because i dont think they should be there.(like Cecilia Ahern) But in saying that there are a lot of good authors that have written so fantastic books that dont even make it to the best sellers because they are over shadowed by this well know popular authors. Hellfire was the best book i read last year and it was over looked basicly because it was the authors first book and alot of other Popular authors like Patterson, Connelly and gresham had books out the same time, not to mention all the chick lit authors.

Hellfire sounds about perfect thanks
It really is a wonderful book. Starts off a bit slow with family backround stuff but it all has a purpose and does really get unput-downable. You can get it on amazon.com through sellers but you can get it on amazon.co.uk for less through Amazon.

[papayahed]

unput-downable

I'm adding this word to my vocabulary.:D

[Niamh]

I'm adding this word to my vocabulary.:D

I'm a cornucopia of words like this!:)

[manolia]

You could read "Ten steps to lobotomy"..this will save your brain once and for all :p (oh wait..don't you know this book by heart already? :lol: )

Seriously I second B-mental's suggestion. Read Ecco.."The name of the rose" or "Fucault's Pendulum" (it's even better and i am sure you'll like it..lots of medieval history and belief systems ;) ).

[bazarov]

If you're insisting on Eco, bypass Badoulino.

[PeterL]

btw, thought has just occured to me: Nobody criticises Hitchcock for being popular - why is it like this for authors? I know off-topic, probably suited for another thread


People don't expect high quality from TV and Movie producers, so popularity isn't an indicator of low quality, as it is for authors. BTW, I saw Psycho about a year ago for the first time in decades, and it wasn't nearly as good or as suspenseful as I remembered. I tried to watch The Birds a couple of years ago and found it boring, extremely boring.


If you're insisting on Eco, bypass Badoulino.

Baudolino is much better as a story than The Island of the Day Before. I enjoyed Baudolino very much, but it doesn't have the depth or reach of Foucault's Pendulum or The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana.

[B-Mental]

Actually wasn't recommending Baudolino, I believe I recommended Foccault's Pendulum. I am reading Baudolino, which I would never place on the same level as Name of the Rose or Foccault's Pendulum.

[bibliophile190]

Try the book Stiff. I can't remember who it's by, but it gives a very detailed and very entertaining account of the many things that happen to cadavers that are dontated to science. It's really quite brilliant. Slightly disgusting.:sick: But brilliant.

[B-Mental]

I read that one, liked it too bib.

[mtpspur]

To Kilted--the Quiller are mostly self contained. IN fact you learn very very little about Quiller over the course of the series. Stories are from his viewpoint -- always 'more' to the mission then he's told. Only Quiller and Quiller's Run need be read back to back. Incidents are mentioned here and there from previous books but won't hurt the story is readout of order.

As to Looking Glass War--the opening with the fellow getting run over and a capsule being lost in the snow never seemed to be referenced in the rest of the book and I was never clear if the agent was a sacrifical lamb sent to the slaughter or just had a run of bad luck. Mind you I was a teenager then barely 16 which is why Deighton crashed and burned for me--struggled with Funeral in Berlina and the Billlion Dollar Brain and called it quits. But thanks for the insight---we're a bit older now and maybe should try it again.