Jan '09 / Thriller Poll

[Scheherazade]

In January 2009, we will be reading a thriller.

Please nominate the book you would like to read in this thread by November 30th.

Please remember that:

- Only those members with 50+ posts can nominate.

- One nomination per member.

- Only the first 10 nominations will be included in the poll.


The Book Club readings are for those who would like to read and discuss books together with other members.

If you are not able to take part or unwilling to (re)read your own nominations, please refrain from nominating books.

Information on "thriller genre" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre))

Thriller section on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Thrillers-Mystery-Books/b/ref=bw_ab_18_5?ie=UTF8&node=10484&pf_rd_p=236703001&pf_rd_s=browse&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=18&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1WEZ8JRB7ZDKAMNQS4P2)

Some information on the books:

Next Episode by Hubert Aquin (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Episode-Hubert-Aquin/dp/0771034717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256568&sr=1-1)

Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crime-Punishment-Penguin-Popular-Classics/dp/0140621806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256636&sr=1-1)

The Eight by Katherine Neville (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eight-Katherine-Neville/dp/0552154679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256708&sr=1-1)

The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Jackal-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/009955271X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256777&sr=1-1)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebecca-Virago-modern-classics-Maurier/dp/1844080382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256834&sr=1-1)

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster (http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-York-Trilogy-Ghosts-Locked/dp/0571152236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256876&sr=1-1)

The Ghost by Robert Harris (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527499/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256934&sr=1-1)

The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Hawk-Rafael-Sabatini/dp/1842328271/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256997&sr=1-1)

Night Watch by Sergey Lukyanenko (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Watch-Sergei-Lukyanenko/dp/0099489929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228257044&sr=1-1)

In the Heat of the Night by Ball (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-Night-Mystery-Scene-Books/dp/0881848875/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228257112&sr=1-2)

[Etienne]

I nominate Hubert Aquin's Next Episode.

http://www.amazon.ca/Next-Episode-Jean-Louis-Major/dp/0771034717

[bazarov]

Crime and Punishment.

[papayahed]

The Eight - Katherine Neville

[Scheherazade]

My nomination: The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

The nominations so far:

1. Next Episode by Hubert Aquin

2. Crime and Punishment

3. The Eight by Katherine Neville

4. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

[JBI]

Crime and Punishment isn't really a thriller I don't think. It would be somewhat against the purposes of this genre-selection if we just put books up because they are fantastic reads.

That being said, one could perhaps argue Dostoevsky wrote thrillers, but I think it would be better not to, as they aren't really thrillers in the sense of other books, or of the genre in general.


Though, to be honest I can't think of a better book than one of the posted ones, so I will abstain from nominating anything myself, since I have already seen a book up there I would like to read more than any other I can think of.

[Jozanny]

No, Crime and Punishment isn't a thriller, not in the modern sense of suspense, and knowledge withheld from the reader. Aside from being Dostoevsky's finest technical achievement, if one has to pigeonhole it, it is crime fiction. In 19th century terms, Gaskell's gothic stories come closest to today's thriller/suspense stories.

I will not nominate either. I generally have a distaste for the genre, even when someone fine like Mankell engages in it; the formula is too familiar, and no American author I know of really attempts to challenge the seemingly necessary techiques, although I am kinder to, and even admire Dobyns (http://www.amazon.com/Church-Dead-Girls-Novel/dp/080505104X). He started to get hot when I was active with my author-click in Speakeasy.

Again, I am not nominating this title; read it and I am not keen on a second round, but he does try to offer the reader more to chew than King, and there are some interesting whiffs of McCarthyism being toyed with amid the course of the story arc.

I don't mind if another member nominates it out of interest--but I will definitely absent myself from C & P.

[bazarov]

My nomination: The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth




That's one of the best books of my prereading era :D

I was joking about C&P (mostly)...

[Niamh]

If is has plots that fit in the thriller genre, regardless of what era it was written in, well then i think it should stay. Alot of classics slot nicely into genres now, because there are genres now that they can slot into.

[Jozanny]

What is a Thriller?
The genre of Thriller is, for the most part, fairly uncontroversial, unless there is debate about the ability of a Thriller to also be Contemporary Literature. Thriller is an extremely broad genre, which encompasses written and televisual texts. Many sub-genres within the genre.

A Thriller contains certain characteristics. The pace must be quick, there has to be a lot of action, and there should be suspense and plot twists aplenty. Thrillers should have the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering if the good guy can get one over the bad guy and save the world (even though it's extremely rare for the bad guy to win, in your classic Thriller).


http://www.illiterarty.com/genre-thriller
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)

[bouquin]

I would like to nominate The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. Thanks.

[Niamh]

Can i vote for Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier?

[Virgil]

Is there a definition for thriller? I'd like to nominate something but I don't what exactly is a thriller. Aren't almost all novels thrillers if you really think about it?

[Niamh]

Scher has stuff up in the original post. I just went to amazon. A lot of the books on it i wouldnt class as a thriller.

[Ronak]

I nominate Deception Point by Dan Brown

[Scheherazade]

The nominations so far:

1. Next Episode by Hubert Aquin

2. Crime and Punishment

3. The Eight by Katherine Neville

4. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

5. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster


I nominate Deception Point by Dan BrownRonak, only members with 50+ can nominate; so, if you increase your post count by the end of the month, your nomination can be taken into account.

Is there a definition for thriller? I'd like to nominate something but I don't what exactly is a thriller. Aren't almost all novels thrillers if you really think about it?Not Heart of Darkness, I hope! ;)

In a way, yes; we can fit books into different categories. The Wiki gives a description but there are many sub-genres as well (which is why I think Crime and Punishment would be acceptable as a Psychological Thriller).

We can all sit and discuss genre-issues instead of reading the books but, as I often mention, author/country/genre of the month is just an excuse for us to read a different book every month. It does not matter that much which book has been chosen as long as there are people willing to read and discuss it.

[Etienne]

Virgil, no, the Death of Virgil would not qualify as a thriller :lol:

Actually...

[papayahed]

Can i vote for Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier?

No because it's horrible:p

[Jozanny]

No because it's horrible:p

The first third wasn't that bad. I read part of it for a Yahoo Reading Group I am no longer with, and skipped over to the end. It seemed familiar so maybe

1. I read it before
2. all romantic thrillers are pretty much the same, but for a light read I think it wears fairly well.

Virgil: Maybe you are busy but I did list a couple definitions of the genre during the Crime and Punishment debate on the first page of the thread.

Though I will concede to Sche that C&P has some psychological stressors, I still think putting it in that thriller sub-genre is stretching things,:idea:, but I yield to the masses after this comment. Dostoevsky rules the roost around here, apparently.:D

[Nightshade]

Im going to have to think about this. I have a few ideas, but too many to just put down. :D

[papayahed]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]The first third wasn't that bad. I read part of it for a Yahoo Reading Group I am no longer with, and skipped over to the end. It seemed familiar so maybe

1. I read it before
2. all romantic thrillers are pretty much the same, but for a light read I think it wears fairly well.


ehh, the movie ruined it for me. The movie was suspenseful and left me with a creepy feeling, the book felt anemic compared to it.

[lugdunum]

The Eight - Katherine Neville

hey... I''ve been wanting to read that one for a while. :D

[Scheherazade]

Nominations so far:

1. Next Episode by Hubert Aquin

2. Crime and Punishment

3. The Eight by Katherine Neville

4. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

5. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

[bazarov]

I nominate Deception Point by Dan Brown

On a day when Dan Brown will be seriously discussed on this forum, I will resign from it!

Dixi

[kasie]

On a day when Dan Brown will be seriously discussed on this forum, I will resign from it!

Dixi

I suspect you would not be the only one!

May I suggest The Ghost by Robert Harris? It seems appropriate as it's about writng a book.

[_Shannon_]

I'd like to nominate The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini:
http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Hawk-Rafael-Sabatini/dp/0393323315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226875965&sr=1-1

[Scheherazade]

Nominations so far:

1. Next Episode by Hubert Aquin

2. Crime and Punishment

3. The Eight by Katherine Neville

4. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

5. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

7. The Ghost by Robert Harris

8. The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini

Last two nominations up for grabs!

[motherhubbard]

how about Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith?

[Taliesin]

I nominate "Night Watch" by Sergey Lukyanenko. Not entirely sure whether it qualifies as a thriller or not, though.

[motherhubbard]

I want to change mine to In the Heat of the Night by Truman Capote. Is that OK? I'm wishing I had just kept my mouth shut.

[Paige19]

The Fig Eater by Jodi Shields.

Check out the synopsis on Amazon. I think it could be called a thriller.

Paige

[Paige19]

Oh, I see me and my big mouth don't have enough posts to nominate.

Apologies. Just pretend I never said it.

P.

[Niamh]

go to the games section Paige and post till you get enough ;)

[Scheherazade]

That's all folks! We have got the 10 nominations we need!

1. Next Episode by Hubert Aquin

2. Crime and Punishment

3. The Eight by Katherine Neville

4. The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

5. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

6. The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

7. The Ghost by Robert Harris

8. The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini

9. Night Watch by Sergey Lukyanenko

10. In the Heat of the Night by Truman Capote.

[Paige19]

Thanks for pointing me to the poetry games, Niamh! Regardless of how and how fast I get my 50+ posts, I am enjoying myself in that forum. A bit addictive, actually...

Paige

[JBI]

GO GO Aquin!

[Etienne]

Aquin! Aquin!

[hellsapoppin]

Do you folks mean "Heat of the Night" by Ball?

[Paige19]

I wondered that myself.

[JBI]

Yeah, what is In the Heart of the Night?

[Drkshadow03]

Night Watch! I would read that!

[Etienne]

Night Watch! I would read that!

You'd much rather read Next Episode, believe me. If you only knew :p

[motherhubbard]

Do you folks mean "Heat of the Night" by Ball?
yes, I did. I didn't realize I had made that mistake. so sorry

[oblivion252]

I heartily recommend The Next Episode.

[Paige19]

Etienne, what do you mean by "If only you knew"? Is that a comment on Night Watch or a comment on The Next Episode?

This is a very mixed bag of choices. I've researched all of them, and they really run the gamut - from actual classic suspense to psychological thriller to mystery to fantasy.

[Scheherazade]

Some information on the books:

Next Episode by Hubert Aquin (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Next-Episode-Hubert-Aquin/dp/0771034717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256568&sr=1-1)

Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crime-Punishment-Penguin-Popular-Classics/dp/0140621806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256636&sr=1-1)

The Eight by Katherine Neville (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eight-Katherine-Neville/dp/0552154679/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256708&sr=1-1)

The Day Of The Jackal by Frederick Forsyth (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Jackal-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/009955271X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256777&sr=1-1)

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebecca-Virago-modern-classics-Maurier/dp/1844080382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256834&sr=1-1)

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster (http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-York-Trilogy-Ghosts-Locked/dp/0571152236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256876&sr=1-1)

The Ghost by Robert Harris (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Robert-Harris/dp/0099527499/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256934&sr=1-1)

The Sea Hawk by Rafael Sabatini (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-Hawk-Rafael-Sabatini/dp/1842328271/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256997&sr=1-1)

Night Watch by Sergey Lukyanenko (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Watch-Sergei-Lukyanenko/dp/0099489929/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228257044&sr=1-1)

In the Heat of the Night by Ball (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heat-Night-Mystery-Scene-Books/dp/0881848875/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228257112&sr=1-2)

[Etienne]

Etienne, what do you mean by "If only you knew"? Is that a comment on Night Watch or a comment on The Next Episode?

This is a very mixed bag of choices. I've researched all of them, and they really run the gamut - from actual classic suspense to psychological thriller to mystery to fantasy.

On Next Episode.

Arguments in favor:
- Prize-winning translation, by a well-known translator.
- Great piece of literature
- Short (less than 200 pages)
- Much to discuss about
- Written by an interesting personality


I heartily recommend The Next Episode.

Hear! Hear!

By the way, this link http://www.amazon.ca/Next-Episode-Jean-Louis-Major/dp/0771034717/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228265778&sr=8-1 might be more useful than the "official" one.

[JBI]

No, the reason why one should vote for Aquin is simply because the other books, with the exception of a couple, wouldn't yield much discussion.

Next Episode, though short, offers much, whereas I'm afraid the Forsyth offers very little.

Though, I think more importantly, it represents one of the (two?) non-English books on the list.

[Taliesin]

Ahem!
If it is so important then I would note that "Next Episode" is French, "Crime and Punishment" Russian and "Night Watch" also Russian. And there might be some others.
That makes n+2, where n is a natural number, non-English books.

"Next Episode" doesn't seem like a bad book by the short description I read, though.
Nevertheless, GO, "Night Watch"!

[JBI]

No, it is the concept that the majority of books we discuss on these boards are English, and these book club books are supposed to expand the ranges of reading. Why vote for something you would probably read and discuss anyway? What's the real point, seeing as how anyone can start a topic. Whereas when something new, something not always talked about on the boards is brought up, then there is an opportunity.

[kasie]

I suppose I had better vote for The Ghost as I nominated it! But I would be interested to read or re-read any of the titles. I can't comment on the amount of discussion each title would generate as I have read only six of the titles already, not all of them, and I tend to comment only on books I have read, not just on any cursory research or hearsay I may have encountered. I am looking forward to reading books in the genres theme in the hope that some discussion will be generated on the nature of the genres themselves and how the chosen title fits or does not fit into the definition of the genre it represents.

[Drkshadow03]

Oh come on, no one else wants to read Nightwatch? What about the person who nominated it?

[Etienne]

I am looking forward to reading books in the genres theme in the hope that some discussion will be generated on the nature of the genres themselves and how the chosen title fits or does not fit into the definition of the genre it represents.

Well one of the levels of the book is about a guy writing a thriller, he starts by saying that it is hard to overstep it's barriers, but then the books goes on and is a thriller that overcomes these so-called limits. So the book is not only a thriller, but also a deconstruction of the thriller book at the same time. Not to mention, that, in term of discussion, it is very rich, both in term of direct content in the book, but also to the understanding of the context. For example, how many here know anything about the revolutionary history in Canada?

It is basically a thriller written by a revolutionary while in a psychiatric hospital about a revolutionary writing a thriller while in a psychiatric hospital. And it's fabulous writing too.

[kasie]

I thought I'd make a start on this reading forum by starting on The Next Episode so I went onto Amazon using the link provided and found that if I want a new copy of the book it will cost me the best part of £40 including postage. :eek: A second hand copy in only 'fair' condition will cost me over £10. :eek: And it will take goodness knows how long to reach UK, given the Christmas rush at the PO. Now I know I have been known to be extravagent on books but I'm afraid this is too much even for me - £40? That's four tickets in the upper gallery for the RSC or two tickets for Welsh National Opera or the train ticket and the entrance ticket for Byzantium at the Royal Academy or.....no, sorry but if this title wins, I'm afraid I won't be able to join in the discussion, I'll just read and enjoy the comments by others.

[Etienne]

Of course paying 40 pounds for a less than 200 pages paperback book is ridiculous, but...

Check the link I provided, on amazon.ca. http://www.amazon.ca/Next-Episode-Jean-Louis-Major/dp/0771034717/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228265778&sr=8-1 That's about 5 pounds for you.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=aquin&tn=next+episode&x=0&y=0 has cheap copies as well. :thumbs_up

There's more than amazon.co.uk, y'know. You could even order it through any bookshop near your home anyways, borrow it at a library, what's all this helplessness? ;)

[JBI]

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Next-Episode-Aquin-Major-Fischman/9780771034718-item.html?Lang=en&pticket=xhjxemmkzwkgh2mwbdy1vu55PPCWrV1pl44cqwUoF6 Z4Nu03JhY%3d from a Canadian book-seller, who ship internationally.

Also, with shipping from Amazon.ca, it'll come to around 9 or so pounds, with the quick 3-7 day shipping.

[JBI]

Oops, posted on wrong thread.

[kasie]

Of course paying 40 pounds for a less than 200 pages paperback book is ridiculous, but...

Check the link I provided, on amazon.ca. http://www.amazon.ca/Next-Episode-Jean-Louis-Major/dp/0771034717/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228265778&sr=8-1 That's about 5 pounds for you.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=aquin&tn=next+episode&x=0&y=0 has cheap copies as well. :thumbs_up

There's more than amazon.co.uk, y'know. You could even order it through any bookshop near your home anyways, borrow it at a library, what's all this helplessness? ;)

Thanks for the reference: not quite sure where you get the £5 from, with overseas shipping it's closer to £14, still a lot for a shortish p/b, but thanks for your help.

Re: borrowing it from the library.......hollow laughter.......a foreign book, you mean, it's not English (or Welsh).....mystified silence.....

And my local bookshop (nearest in a town ten miles away, hence turning first to amazon) .....more hollow laughter.....you should have seen the reaction when I asked for the title in the recent Chinese thread!

But just a minute, hang on here just for a second - is this a translation you are proposing we read? :eek: I thought they were well nigh impossible? Or is this an exception?? :D

[JBI]

Well, Etienne will judge that - I recognized one or two American Yiddish English words in the translation a while back, and I'm sure those aren't in the original. Translation = necessity.

[Etienne]

Well considering I am studying in translation, I should believe in translations... I just don't like ton read poetry in translation, personally. This particular book is surely quite a job to translate, but it's not an untranslatable work at all. Besides on the amazon.ca you have used copies for 81 cents, which is less than half a pound. Shipping is about 6 or 7 pounds...

The abebooks website ships much cheaper to UK too, 9US for fast shipping with copies at 1US. No. Excuse. Possible. :D

[NEEMAN]

TBH, I'm not sure about some of the choices... is The New York Trilogy really a thriller? Of course, it's almost a dead cert for the 'Detective Fiction' category whenever that comes up, so either way, it's probably getting read. I'd probably have picked Leviathan if I was going to describe any Auster book as a 'thriller'.

[Scheherazade]

This poll is more heated than the Presidential elections! :D

[NEEMAN]

I hope Next Episode wins. I only read The New York Trilogy a few months ago =(

[Scheherazade]

The Admin's been to an astrologer and has been informed that the stars are lined up in favour The Day Of The Jackal in January and if it hasn't been chosen, some bad luck might befall the Forum!

:p

[NEEMAN]

CEASE THIS TALK OF SUPERSTITION:flare:


Ahem.

[kasie]

....The abebooks website ships much cheaper to UK too, 9US for fast shipping with copies at 1US. No. Excuse. Possible. :D


Stands in corner with slapped wrist, snivelling quietly :bawling:

Thank you, will order straight away if it wins the poll. Promise. And will try to be good in future.

[Etienne]

I hope Next Episode wins. I only read The New York Trilogy a few months ago =(

You can vote for Next Episode, just raise your post count to 50 in some of the games or whatever.

[_Shannon_]

I really don't want to read Day of the Jackal, so I am holding onto my vote. NEither of the books I'd most like to read have any votes--so I'll vote against Day :)

[NEEMAN]

As soon as I have 50 posts, I'll be voting for Next Epidsode, as I've already read all the other front-runners.

And thanks for the suggestion about the games Etienne!

[NEEMAN]

I have 50+ posts, but I don't seem to be able to vote- can anyone fill me in?

[Alexei]

"The New York Trilogy" :banana:

[Paige19]

I got a hold of a copy of Next Episode. It is short, but it looks weird. Maybe I should have voted for the Auster.

Argh. These critical life decisions.

[NickAdams]

I didn't plan on participating, but I couldn't resist.

[Scheherazade]

Going once...

[Scheherazade]

The New York Trilogy it is, then.

[Zee.]

May i join in?

[papayahed]

May i join in?

Of Course, Lima. Anybody can join the the reading and discussion, you just have to have 50+ posts to vote and nominate.