Review A Book

I just finished Orlando by Virginia Woolf. I thought it was fascinating following Orlando through the centuries and his transformation to female. I agree with Woolf that both sexes are capable of being fundamentally the same; it's society that puts pressure on us to act and develop according to gender specifics. I also read The Rainbow by D. H. Lawrence. It's amazing that Lawrence and Woolf had the guts to write what they did in early 1920's as they helped in the transformation from the Victorian frame of mind.

Rachy,
I read Wuthering Heights a while ago and I agree it was really very good. In my literature course we are to be studying it soon.... it will be interesting to see the other students' reactions to it, as I have already been told by someone, they did not care for it at all.
I am not sure about anyone else, but I believe it is rather feministic...

I last finished Virginia Woolf's last novel, Between the Acts.

I wrote up some thoughts and posted them here.

Few weeks ago I'v finished A Farewell to Arms, a novel by Hemingway; I gess everybody knows it. Intresting novel if it is well analysed. I found intresting themes to be descussed in it. In short, it changes, in a way, my vision of life.

Gump & Co.

Hilarious.

While substitute teaching I came across a book of Mark Twain's short stories. "The Diary of Adam and Eve" was hilarious. Witty beyond belief. I now understand more why Mark Twain is so famous. Actually, Dr. Gray (I think his name is) who wrote "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus" was able to turn such psychological and behavioral characteristics into a multi million dollar enterprise. Twain presented the issue long ago.

Man's Fate (La condition humaine) by Malraux. Some parts are extremely good and very hard (IE crushing, violent...). Sadly on the whole it's sort of unequal but still the use of multiple main characters gives the naration an interesting twist.

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I thought the first two chapters were quite slow but then in the third one the momentum really picks up and it's almost too quick. I'll have to read it again though, to really think about it. It's interesting but I still think Apocalypse Now is better. The repetition of the word darkness is a bit overdone.

Wow. I think Mark F. finished Heart of Darkness in 3 minutes. Very impressive.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. I liked this one quite a bit, although I thought the third and final chapter felt a bit off compared to the first two. Just my quirky observation.

Double Act by J. Wilson

Struggles of 10 year old twins Ruby and Garnet as they try to get used to a life without their Mom, their father's new girlfriend and living in a small town while realising that they have to develop separate identities and become individuals.

While reading the book, I realised that I had watched a TV adaptation couple of years ago on BBC.

Girls in Love by J.Wilson

Growing up pains of 13 years old Ellie and her best friends Magda and Nadine. They feel pressures of being 'cool' and trendy while trying to keep up with the expectations of grown ups: being good students, daughters, sisters...

I enjoyed reading both books. Wilson seems to have develop the perfect style for younger readers to keep them turning pages. She is creative and witty, and seems to have an understanding of how the young girls mind work! I can imagine teens and even some younger readers enjoying these books very much. No wonder they are in BBC Big Read list.

7/10 KitKats for both of them!

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Originally Posted by byquist

While substitute teaching I came across a book of Mark Twain's short stories. "The Diary of Adam and Eve" was hilarious. Witty beyond belief. I now understand more why Mark Twain is so famous. Actually, Dr. Gray (I think his name is) who wrote "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus" was able to turn such psychological and behavioral characteristics into a multi million dollar enterprise. Twain presented the issue long ago.

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I also loved "The Diary of Adam and Eve," finding its dark humor of the utmost satisfaction. I once purchased The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain, taking some time to read it, with such a quantity of stories, but found it well worth the read; I highly recommend "The Stranger." :thumbs_up :thumbs_up :thumbs_up

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Originally Posted by chmpman

Wow. I think Mark F. finished Heart of Darkness in 3 minutes. Very impressive.
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. I liked this one quite a bit, although I thought the third and final chapter felt a bit off compared to the first two. Just my quirky observation.

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He he, I'm a fast reader ;). The Metamorphosis is very good, I'm thinking of reading some more by Kafka, any ideas?

Well, the last book I`ve read was "Martin Eden" by Jack London.
It`s a kind of an autobiographical novel in about 400 pages. I really liked it as a whole. Although I was very disappointed in the beginning , the end was precious.I think the first 320 pages are rather boring but the other 80 pages are extremely dynamic and meaningful.They told me things I knew but in a kind of a different point of view.
About 7/10 (because the translation was awful)

I've seen the movie version of The Trial. That's what got me interested in Kafka - it was directed by Orson Welles. It's very eerie but great.

Earlier this evening, I finished Diary of a Drug Fiend by Aleister Crowley. It had its "highs" and "lows," where some places I felt entirely involved with the stories, and other parts I felt increasingly lost. Crowley, like Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy, sectioned this novel into three parts, but in a separate order from Dante: Paradiso, Inferno, and Purgatorio, and, as with The Divine Comedy, I would have to call Purgatorio my favorite, written in the first person, but by two people (a married couple, "Peter" and "Lou Pendragon").
As mentioned, the novel lost me in a few areas where, it seemed, Crowley attempted communicating an analogy that went far over my head, but the end summarized everything, and I call Diary of a Drug Fiend an absolutely incredibly inspirational work - one of the most touching I have encountered.
Additionally, I think I will begin a thread of good quotes in the 'Quotes' area of the forum.
My rating: 10/10 (really) :D

Hi, Newbie here.

I just finished reading "Gone with the Wind" a few days ago. The movie has always been one of my favourites, but the book is superb. Loved the characters, and Mitchell's backdrop of the civil war. The 1000+ pages seemed like nothing and the book was over far too quickly.

The Testament by John Grisham

The second Grisham book I have read (first one was A Painted House, which was very good: 9/10). It is about a will settlement of an eccentric rich man, who commits suicide. As usual, there are greedy, no-use off-springs who want to get their hands on the money however the old man has other plans for his fortune and a recovering alcoholic lawyer reluctantly becomes the person who is to see that things go according to plan.

It is a page-turner like other Grisham books but lacks the originality and strength of his some other stories (A Time to Kill, Rainmaker, The Client, The Firm, Last Juror, The Pelican Brief etc... How is it possible that one man can write so many books which are made into good movies as well?) 6/10 KitKats


HEIDI by Johanna Spyri
One of my childhood favorites. I am very glad that it is in BBC's Big Reads so I have had the chance to read it again. It is a feel good story about a little orphan who starts to live with her reclusive grandfather. As a child, I hadn't noticed that the book has many religious references; I have still enjoyed reading it and could not help wondering at the difference between the classic children's books and the modern ones. 9/10 KitKats!

I just read To Kill A Mocking Bird, and I loved it. It was an easy read for me. It was othing like I thought it would be. I should have read it years ago in my hayday, but couldn't sit still long enough to read anything good then.

The last book I read was "Pandora" by Anne Rice and I loved it! Pandora was an amazing character and once again Anne Rice hypnotized me with her work.

I'm reading my own book right now, A Man Named Beatrice. I want to figure out how I can take depraved comedy to an all new, brave level. I was thinking about dancing ninja disco zombies, and how they could be incorporated into a musical.

okay. i would like to say that War and Peace is the last book that i have read, but was just a little dismayed to find that there is an epilogue to the epilogue, if you will! :EEK: and it's fascinating to peer inside T's head, but it reminds me, aside from the passion of his questionings, of Hugo's horridly overwritten chapter "A Bird's Eye View of Paris" in Notre Dame...

The recent one i finished is :
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
I think it is one of the greatest novel ever..written to show the suffering of Human beings...I dont know how to express my feelings toward it ..But there is one thing to tell about it...its that when you read it you must cry..:(...i did not know that slaves suffered that much until i read this magnificent novel...i identify with the characters as if i am part of the plot...

I think I will read Uncle Tom's Cabin again. I loved it the 1st time, but was too busy with other classes to REALLY enjoy it. That seems to be the way with a lot of books. I get more out of them when I can relax.

Earlier this evening, I finished Groundwork for the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant, translated by H.J. Paton - a moral/ethical philosophy book. I had read it once before, by a different translator, and found the book very enlightening, but I desired to read it again, under another recommended translator (Paton). This translator seemed better, as he always contributed a thorough introduction, summary, and analysis. Wonderful content, regardless! I have read a few other works by Kant (Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Judgment), finding all of them incredible, to say the least, along with the Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals (intimidating title, I know); Kant arranges his writing very logically, short, to-the-point, and reader-friendly.
My rating: 10/10

The last book I finished was One Hundred Years Of Solitude. A little confusing and complicated, but a beautiful, beautiful book.

The House of spirits by Isabel allande
I thought it was boring and a bit plotless for the second, third and fourth chapters ut then it got better .
Actually maybe not plotless but the oppoiset plotful? It jumped around alot was filled with too much sexauality I mean that thing with the dog that was unnessesary!
But in the end it was sort of intresting not earh moving or even schema changing but alright entertaiment for a few hours.

Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie

Another Hercule Poirot story by Christie. This time the detective investigates the small thefts which lead to a seeming murder at a youth hostel. Unfortunately, Christie is not up to her usual standard in this book. It lacks her usual clever twists and excitement. An average detective story: 5/10 KitKats

The last book I read was 'Birds Without Wings' by Louis De Bernieres. He's also the author of 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin', which I have not read....yet. I just finished 'Birds Without Wings' yesterday, and it was great!

'Birds...' is set in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, i.e., from the late 19th century, through the turn of the 20th century, and that period leading up to & directly preceding World War I. The narrative is laid out using parallel story lines: one setting is intimate, telling of the day to day community life in a small Anatolian villiage, while the other story line is more historically sweeping, encompassing events of a major significance.

An excellent book.

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Originally Posted by Akira

The next one we have to read is 1984 I forget who wrote it.

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George Orwell :)

The last book I read was Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

I thought it was really good, the first half better than the second. I feel I need/want to give it a second read though. I get the feeling it's that kind of book, where every time you read it you notice or realise something subtle that you didn't pick up on before; I like that :)

That was an odd book; it disturbed me a little, but it was pretty good. I was a little confused by the end, though.

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Originally Posted by ArcherSnake

That was an odd book; it disturbed me a little, but it was pretty good. I was a little confused by the end, though.

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Lolita? Haha, i'd be worried if it hadn't disturbed you a little! And yes, the end was very confusing :|

arms raised in victorious olympic pose:
finished W&P by the pool today!


*forgot, actually, 'til i saw the new posts here. :D

Anthony Burgess; A Clockwork Orange

I loved it. The language really helps pull you into Alex's world, and ooh what a world it is.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. A masterpeice that all I can say. I finished it yesterday.

Ooh I bought that because I heard it was good, and it was like £1.25 (not bad price). I think I will read it very soon.

I've just finished The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and it was very good. He has a really good style of story-telling and the end is so well put together, leaving you wishing Gatsby didn't ... well I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But something happens that shocked me completely.

Overall it's a nice short, enjoyable read and you all should read it if you havn't yet.

Earlier today, I finished reading Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett-Browning. A reader can consider it a novel, only written in poetic verse. The plot itself seems somewhat predictable, but Browning discusses a lot on the subject of aesthetics, and the purpose of art (in connection with nature). I found the book astoundingly beautiful, and would recommend it to anyone, as it seems a neglected work of hers, as compared to Sonnets from the Portugeuse.
My rating: 9/10.

just finished "the rum diary" - Hunter S Thompson...brilliant. One of the funniest men alive....it's just too bad he's dead.

Read "a clockwork orange" last week. That is one twisted book, absolutley loved it. Can anyone recommend anything else by Burgess. He's written a ton of books but Clockwork is the only one I know.

Complications, by Atul Gawande. This book is a very interesting read--not literary in the least, but it delves into many many philosophical questions and answers them the way the science of medicine (specifically surgery) answers or does not answer them. After reading this book, I know more and more that I could never be a surgeon myself, but it was interesting to read to hear a surgeon iterate that perfection does not exist-even in medicine.

I just finished reading Hamlet a few days ago.

It was a bit harder to follow than things I would read purely for enjoyment but I still enjoyed it.

The last book I read was House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III. It was a pretty good read, although I wasn't too crazy about the ending.