So, no DVD of it yet. :( It is supposed to be good, let me know how well it follows the book for the time in eternity when I can actually get it. I don't want to buy it on VHS and then have it come on DVD.
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So, no DVD of it yet. :( It is supposed to be good, let me know how well it follows the book for the time in eternity when I can actually get it. I don't want to buy it on VHS and then have it come on DVD.
The last book I've read was the Wind in the Willows. I've been reading it to my 2 year old son and we just finished it. I love having a little kid, it gives me an excuse to pick up and read all the things I haven't read in a while. My advice, if you want to read an entertaining little book pick it up. Don't wait on kids so you have the excuse.
Meg
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Holden H. Caulfield, a young rebellious man, with the hunting hat as the sign of his uniqueness. In a way, I see Holden as a teenage with high self-esteem, and he kept calling other people as phonies, which is a strong mark of his self confidence and a sign that he considered himself better than most people in general. Perhaps these self-esteem and pride were the main reasons why he got kicked out of schools several times. Yet, in another way, I think that his rebelliousness has something to do with his effort of protecting himself, not wanting to be like everyone else (the phonies), afraid that his surroundings might change his principles. So, he somewhat isolated himself. He called people without intention only to prove his independency and that no one controlled him other than himself. Deep down, he's actually an insecure young fellow.
Overall, I really like the book. In fact, due to the big fuss I heard/read about this book, made me put aside other books which already queuing in my "to read list". And I kept saying "and he's only 16", every time he did something. The narrative is good, as well as the dialogues. A friend said that maybe someone would appreciate the book more if she/he were younger. Personally, I'm kind of agreeing with him, in regards to the theme, of course. And I'm re-reading Franny and Zooey again, to see whether there are some similarities between these two Salinger's works.
Valis by Phillip K. Dick
A somewhat autobiographical novel about a man named Horselover Fat and his experience with a omnipotent pink laser. Horselover is basically a burnout who wants to help anybody he can. He ends up in a downward spiral after a friend commits suicide until a pink laser hits him, and he decides to save humanity with his friends David, Kevin, Sherri, and a science fiction writer named Phillip K. Dick.
The book is 3/5's a philosophical tractate on what Fat thinks the pink laser is and what the laser or beings behind the laser wants with him. The other 2/5's of the book is basically a short story on their actual attempt to find out what the entities want from Fat and his friends with a little less of the philosphical discussions.The language in the book is straight forward and flows nicely which will let you read it in about three days. The first three-fifths of the book sounds like it would be boring but it isn't. Dick puts just enough of a plot in it to keep the story going but not enough to take your attention away from Fat's 70 or so explantions of what he thinks about God, our origins, and time. The other part of the book starts after the friends see a movie named Valis(Vast Active Living Intelligence System) which sends them on a wild ride to the home of three self-proclaimed religious figures who protect a child who the friends think is the entity behind the pink laser.
I partically enjoyed the the psychological questions behind Fat's behavior and the theological questions raised in the book were worth thinking about, but my favorite part in the whole book was when Kevin goes back to ask the child why his cat died and the child says because the cat was stupid. This was totally different than what I and most people expect a messiah to say on those occasions which usually sounds a lot like what your mom says to you when your pet dies when your young.
I like the story, but I did not think it one of the best stories ever.
Overall 7/10
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver.
I just finished this book yesterday, and I have to admit I didn't think it would be that good, but it was. An easy read I may add, but worth it. I have given a lot of thought to the title. It could mean several things in reference to the novel. I am curious if anyone else has read it? Just wondering what the title meant to you. Anyways, there are a lot of elements to this novel: family, friendship, adoption, and rights for foreigners. It was pretty complicated for such a little book. The author appeared to be trying to cover many problems that not only people think are gone today, but are predominate in many cultures. Anyways, anyone that has never read Kingsolver before, this is a good intro. I have two other books by her, have to dig them out.
I would say 8/10. Not that it was terrible, I just can't put it on the same scale as some of the other really good books that I have read.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Hummmm I cant explain it so if you want to know what its about hit the link^^:D
(my copy has a nicer cover:nod: )
I loved it! Didnt realise till Id finished that Id already read somthing by thisman before, well co-written by him ( Good Omens withTerry Pratchett) cant xplain it I just loved it. BIzarre charcters magic real people and the real world all mixed up! :D
Ok what I wanted to do in the first place was put my favourite line down which is really why I decided to post!
Sorry about the swearingnot that it is swearing I think the woman means it quite literally! :eek: ;) :lol:Quote:
'Rubbish!' screamed a fat, elderly woman, in Richard's ear as he passed her malodorous stall, 'Junk!' she continued ' Garbage! Trash! Offal! Debris! Come and get it! Nothing whole or undamaged! Crap, tripe and useless piles of s**t. You know you want it.'
8.5/10 (have yet to find a book that is 10/10)
But lack of slep may be a reason I loved it so much not sure- hope not :D
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
I wanted to read this book because it won a big award in Canada, The Governor General's award. I am a Canadian, so I am big on supporting the writers of my country, and this book was one of the better pieces of fiction I have read from here. It is about a Mennonite community in Ontario (province in Canada, I know not everyone is a pro at geography). Anyways, they are very religious and primitive, but the children are starting to break the mould so to speak. This book follows Nomi through her 12th year of high school, with flashbacks to the life that she lived before. I really enjoyed it!
9/10
Earlier today, I finally finished Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcìa Márquez.
To state the fact bluntly, which I liked, but others may not, the author's rhetorical style reminded me much of a more modern Charles Dickens, written in Spanish; I think it builds beautiful imagery, and gives characters lots of depth, but the style tends to sometimes 'rub some people the wrong way.'
The plot, however, seemed very unique - very few characters, yet with much depth, sometimes predictable, yet still touching. The word 'sentimental' describes best the theme and mood of the novel, I think, placing the greatest emphasis on love devoid of marriage, children, and certain seemingly superficial stances. In the end, I thought the book beautiful!
My rating: 10/10
"One" (1989) by Richard Bach.
In the preface Bach describes a sort of epiphany he experienced when he found an obscure book on theoretical physics in a little bookshop. The subject of the book was the "many worlds" interpretation of quantum mechanics and its bizarre implications.
Bach asks the questions:
*What if we could meet the people we are destined to be in twenty years? *What if we could confront the people we were in the past, and those we are right now in parallel worlds?
*I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?
In the novel Bach and his wife Leslie are catapulted into an alternate world in which they exist simultaneously in many different incarnations.
''One'' presents a number of provocative speculations...To appreciate the spirit of this book, you must think metaphorically. Just as a television has many channels, everyone has many lifetimes that are going on simultaneously -- Joyce Cohen, New York Times
I won't divulge the conclusion the Bachs come to, even though it should be obvious from the title. I enjoyed this strange novel about unknown possibilities and I give it an 8 on a scale of 10.
(Bach's masterpiece was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," a 10 for sure.)
Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
I had heard of this book before, not sure where from, but when I saw it the other day I decided that I had to see what the book was like. It was actually quite good. It tells the story of a mother and daughter living in a small town. They both go through changes during the novel, and find out that even when they think they are the farthest apart from each other, they are not as different as they may think. The only thing that bothers you is how they act in situations, you know that this is likely how things would be played out in a real life setting, but at the same time I kept wanting to tell them to get a clue!!! The book sucks you in.
8/10
So, finished Light on Snow by Anita Shreve today as well. It was an easy read. A surprising novel from her, all the others I have read are really very romancy, it is in there somewhere. This one had none as a prominent feature, so it was strange. I kept waiting for something to happen, but any relationships in the novel were underplayed. Anita Shreve has to be a good author though because she writes romancy novels generally, and I don't read romance all that often. I can't give it a perfect grade, though, because it was not better than her novel "Fortune's Rock". So, 8/10 again. :)
Because posting a new one would make 3 posts in a row...
Finished "A Little Stranger" today. I thought it came out in 2005, but it was actually 2004. I missed it, I guess. It was really good, I think. Quite different than the other book I read by her, "Weird Sister", but a good different. It is about a woman that grew up in a dysfunctional family, gets married and then one day just leaves. She needs to find herself in order to be a wife and mother, and her husband needs to hear her, something that he has been unable to do while she was living with him. It is by Kate Pullinger
9/10... Weird Sister was better...
A Redbird Chirstmas by Fannie Flagg
My friend lent me this novel, and a book club I know of is reading it, so it all worked out. It was really good for such a little read. I always try to read a Christmas novel at this time of year, and I think that this was a good choice. It is about a man living the last days of his life where he learns that it is never too late to start something new in life. He is in the last half of his life, but he finds that if you want something bad enough it can happen. The "miracle" at the end is pretty impressive as well.
9/10
Saints of Big Harbour by Lynn Coady
I can't say that I didn't like this book, but it was a bit of a strange one. There is this girl in it that I think goes a little crazy and the book starts to revolve around this strange story that she made up about a guy that does not exist and a guy that does exist but really has no contact with the story. There is one character in the book that baffled me, though, the brother of the girl that makes up the story. He goes through all this stuff in the book, becomes one of the main characters, but it never explains why he dropped out of college and came back home and himself went a little crazy. I thought that was something central because it is one of the questions that many of the people in the novel have, so you would think it would get answered one of these days.
8/10
Brave New World (Huxley, Aldous)
Reading Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World was inspired by realising that I hadn’t read any of a recent list stating the top twenty geek novels. Given that my impressions of geek literature being hardcore science fiction and adventures in elfworld it was pleasant to discover that this novel, over seventy years after its publication, is still fresh. I would tend to think, however, that its endurance is due to its satirical tone rather than any sort of geeky idolisation as, despite its futuristic setting, it deals more with its characters rather than the world around them.
Set in a dystopian society in 2540AD or, as the book calls it, AF632 (AF meaning After Ford) the novel presents an almost perfect society where war and poverty has been eliminated at the cost of family, culture, and religion. The whole world is considered to be a single state and the central tenets are those, as you would expect, of the industrialist Henry Ford. Fordism is the semi-religious doctrine that permeates this society: his sayings are gospel, his name is said in vain, the cross has been replaced by the ‘T’; indeed, in a motion similar to crossing oneself, the citizens make the sign of the ‘T’. An interesting idea, perhaps, but the incessant expletives (“for Ford’s sake!”, “oh my Ford!”, etc.) do lose some of their humour and power.
It begins, with little narrative, in the Central London Hatching and Conditioning Centre, a place where human beings are raised are ‘bottled’ (raised in test tubes) and then conditioned via radiation and Pavlovian techniques to become one of the five social castes of society (the independent Alphas through to the half-retarded Epsilons). Once fit for society the citizens are then ‘decanted’. The Director of this centre is giving a tour to a group and shows them the bottled embryos passing along a conveyor belt as they are treated with chemicals to determine the future intelligence and physical attributes of the embryo. He then shows them the nursery where some children are being conditioned to loathe, of all things, books and flowers.
Then, moving on, we meet one of the world’s controllers, a man named Mustapha Mond. He tells the touring children about the World State and the benefits that attempts to quash peoples’ emotions and relationships has made on society. Indeed, in this world, there is no marriage, grief, or joy – promiscuous sex is actively encouraged, death is no big deal, and games only serve to further the economy.
More characters, from here, are introduced into the narrative as Huxley’s world escapes the Hatchery and Conditioning Centre and goes further afield. The self-conscious Bernard Marx gets permission from the Director to visit a savage reservation in New Mexico; Lenina Crowne, attracted to him, accepts his offer to join him. Helmholm Watson, a hypnopaedia writer (slogans that are repeated and learnt whilst citizens sleep) shows discontent at his job feeling, as an Alpha, that he is capable of much more. And, in New Mexico, they meet John and his mother Linda, a pair of savages discontent with their world. Returning to London attempts are made to integrate John into society but, his world is shaped by Shakespeare (he found a copy of his complete works) and he disagrees with the dystopian World State, arguing with Mond until each character goes their own way (John to exile; Marx exiled.) and the final denouement.
Brave New World could have been better, there’s no doubt about that. The obvious hindrance was a narrative that never really centered on one character: one minute we were touring the hatchery, the next we’re following Bernard who, in turn, slinked into the shadows when John was introduced. Huxley has ideas, though, and amidst his obvious taste for neologisms (centrifugal Bumble-puppy!) gets his ideas across fairly well although this can be at the cost of the narrative as the climactic argument between John and Mond goes back and forward with neither being right. The World Controller argues that society is better off when nobody reflects on the past, when people aren’t given any time to themselves, and when there is nothing to be emotional about and that eliminated studies (history, religion, science) are wrongs that require control while John, in his misunderstanding of the World State, believes that people should have freedom of thought and be allowed to suffer emotions to make them human. Of course, in a world where people are made to order, made on Ford’s assembly line, he has little chance of ever making a point.
The writing in Brave New World is fine, if a tad verbose at times or scientific at others (dolichocephalic!) with, as previously mentioned, a world of neologistic commodities (pneumatic armchairs, for example). Dialogue is alright and serves to paint a more accurate picture of the characters but it is not entirely realistic and sometimes serves as device for infodumps. The characters, however, are hard to follow as they feature for little periods and, while you get an idea of what drives them, you don’t get a complete sense of their role within the story, especially as to their reactions by the novel’s close.
While I liked Brave New World one of the hardest things for me to do was imagine Huxley’s vision as it would be incarnate. When I think of future societies I am given to thoughts of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis but, when least expected, Huxley would throw in the countryside, savage reservations, and, unexpectedly, a lighthouse. I understand that these elements demonstrate a world that strives to be perfect but suffers from underlying problems (the people are kept happy by use of recreational drugs rather than any utopian positivity) that mean it is still a burgeoning dystopia rather than fully realised with its wheels completely greased. Overall, it’s an attractive novel, full of ideas, but one that suffers from a lack of organisation with them.
Top twenty geek novels? Adventures in elfdom? Geeky idolisation? I get the distinct impression you don't like pencil-necked wonks who live in a dream world.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stewart
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea (Mishima, Yukio)
Yukio Mishima’s The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea is a short novel but, due to its tight plot, brevity is not an issue. Published in 1963, seven years before he committed ritual suicide, the novel explores motivation and the factors that can cause someone to abandon their passions and resume their life embracing the dreams of another.
Noboru Kuroda, a thirteen year old on the cusp of an adult world, is part of a savage gang whose members, despite their exemplary grades at school, have rebelled against the adult world they deem hypocritical. Under the tutelage of Noboru’s friend, also thirteen, they condition themselves against sentimental feelings – a goal they call ‘objectivity’ - by killing stray cats.
Ryuji Tsukazaki, a merchant seaman, has been granted two days’ shore leave and has spent the time romancing Noboru’s widowed mother, Fusako. Noboru likes the sailor at first, his commitment to the sea and all the manly stories he has to tell. But, as Ryuji falls for Fusako, Noboru feels betrayed by the man’s burgeoning romanticism and, with the help of his gang, feels that action should be taken against the man who has replaced his father.
The first thing I noticed while reading this novel was that the characters are rich with life and history. Noboru, at thirteen, has strong feelings for his mother that manifest through voyeuristic sessions at night when, peeking into her room through a spy-hole, he watches her undress, entertain, and sleep. Ryuji, the sailor, knows he has some purpose at sea and continues his life off the land in the hope that one day he will learn his place in life. And Fusako, five years widowed, displays certain strength as she runs her own business, mixes with a richer class of citizen, while trying to raise he son as best she can.
The way the characters develop from this introduction is fast yet believable – the book, in fact, is split into two sections, Summer and Winter, to show that enough time has passed to be plausible. Noboru’s respect for Ryuji wanes as he becomes the worst thing, based on his gang’s beliefs, a man can be in this world: a father. Ryuji’s abandonment of his life’s passion is, of course, the main thread of the novel and it is a tragic decision he makes to give up the destiny waiting for him at sea in order to embrace the world of Fusako and the new direction she has planned for him.
The best thing about this novel is the language. The translator, John Nathan, has done a wonderful job and not a page passes without hitting you with a warm wash of sea-spray. Metaphors and similes are drenched with watery goodness as they add to the novel’s appeal. The prose is warm during the Summer section but as the book turns to Winter the turns of phrase become icier and tend to sting more. The dialogue is nice and realistic and doesn’t smart of stereotypical Japanese honour; the way the characters interact completely plausible.
I hadn’t heard of Mishima until I picked up this novel and, given that he had three Nobel nominations in his lifetime, I will certainly look out for more of his work. His concise prose, realistic characters, and the way his voice carries the sea makes him a rare find. If books were shells, I would hope to hear Mishima in every one.
Vicky Angel by Jacqueline Wilson
Yet another Wilson book to cross off from my BBC list. As usual, Wilson picks up a problematic issue and concentrates on it hard and nicely: this time on guilt and bereavement. Jade's best friend Vicky dies and she feels guilty about the incident. On her own, she struggles to come to terms with this unexpected death.
It is a good read for a (younger) teen. I like the fact that Wilson deals with various issues, without getting stuck in the 'working' scenarios.
7/10 KitKats!
I have just completed it. A very good book, really good indeed. One can't forget a read like this one. Even the story of Cal's grandparents was very touching.Quote:
Originally Posted by Scheherazade
I will also give it 10/10.
I have just completed "Twins" by Caroline Cooney.
I will say that it is written for young-adults basically but people of every age can enjoy it. Personally, I liked it very much.
Those who like the sound of being a twin might start to dread having a twin after reading this novel and those who have always wished for a twin might start to think that they are better without a twin.
I will give it 9/10.
"Lighthousekeeping" by Jeanette Winterson had me absolutely spellbound. It's intertextual, which I always like, mixing in themes and images from both "Tristan And Isolde", "The Origin Of Species" (!!), "Dr Jekyll & Mister Hyde", "Treasure Island" (the main characters are Silver, DogJim and Blind Pew... though very different from Stevenson's characters; oh, and Stevenson himself turns up as well) etc... It's a story about storytelling, after all, and what a story is, and what stories and the people who tell them mean to us and our own stories. (That sounds pretentious, yeah, but I hate answering the question "So what's it about?" with "Well, it's about an orphan who goes to live in a lighthouse until it's automated and she has to find her own way in life." Because that simply doesn't come close to describing the book, any more than "Well, it's 234 pages and printed in Great Britain and has a horrible cover.")
Above all, Winterson has a fabulous ear for language, writing in this... almost singing voice, full of images and an almost extatic sensualism - which does not, for most of the time, mean it's necessarily sexy, just... sensual. That might sound girly, but I'm secure enough in my manhood to say that when I read this book, I saw it, I heard it, I tasted it, I smelled it. A pure joy to read, the way she makes the English language dance. It's one of those books where you're never sure exactly whose story is being told, the narrative is non-linear, taking place in several different times around several different people (who themselves might be several different people), and pulls it off seemlessly... Absolutely beautiful. The kind of book where I'm not sure if I should re-read it immediately or lend it out to everyone I know.
So I'm rambling. Blame the scotch, and blame Jeanette Winterson. I'm going to have to read something very dry now.
I read that a couple of months ago :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by Pensive
Just finished The Awakening by Chopin liked it pretty well but was disappointed Edna and Robert didn't get together. Also finally finished The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd. Excellent fairly accurate historical fiction.
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seirstad
This book does not tell a common story about Afghanistan and its people during and after the fall of Taliban power. This book tells about the life of Sultan Khan, an Afghan businessman, who lived the life that many other people in Afghanistan could only have in dreams: money in hand, sufficient food to eat, and decent clothes to wear and place to live. With his several bookstores, managed by his family members, Sultan dreamed to build his own emporium in book trade and publications.
Asne Seirstad, the author, wrote every detail of her several months’ stay with the family. Most of the events were recorded during daily activities; visits to the market, marriage preparation, wedding ceremonies, Sultan’s business travels (where Asne was fortunate enough to be allowed to join), even a punishment of a thief. All pieces were gathered from every mouth of Sultan’s family members. No special moments were spared for interviews. This method and the use of third person point of view are probably the main reason why the story reads like a fiction.
Other than the man’s dream, the book also reveals the passions and conflicts among Sultan’s family members. Some actually depicts the passions and struggles of Afghan people in general, women in particular.
The heartache and sorrows of Sultan’s first wife were deeply told in several chapters in this book. These pains were the result of Sultan’s decision to take another wife (a women child), mixed with hopes and struggle to build a non-conflicting (if not harmonious) life with the new wife, in order to keep the family in one piece. On the other hand, the new wife also possessed her own fear as a boy had not been delivered from her womb. It would be a disgrace for her if she couldn’t give a son for his husband.
The oppressed dreams and passions experienced by the children are also well conveyed in this book. The son was not allowed to continue his school and his father commanded him to take care of the store everyday. “You’d take over everything I owned one day, and running the store is the best way to learn to be a good businessman,” that’s, more or less, what Sultan’s said to his son. The frustrated son then, expressed his sorrow and anger by treating the female members in the family as slaves, even his own mother. Then, there’s a daughter who struggled to leave the house for a better life. Sadly, luck didn’t stand on her side and she was forced to accept her destiny. All these stories are somewhat ironic as Sultan was very well read and strongly familiar with breakthrough ideas.
Other stories in the book would give the readers a further understanding about the common life, norms, and culture in Afghanistan. A story of a woman who was murdered by her own brother for her affair behind her (rich) fiancée’s back, gives another sad picture of women’s value and economic ambition for better life. Forced marriages, rape, insults, violence, and no speaking right in the family, are just additional gloomy realities that need to be faced by Afghan women. The situation may be worst for other Afghan women, as in general most of them belong to the poverty stricken families.
It seems like a hopeless and desperate situation there in Afghanistan, particularly for women. Yet, with the collapse of Taliban regime and the set up of somewhat reformed government, these women may have a little hope for a better tomorrow.
The Bookseller of the Kabul seems like a good book. I really wanted to read it but I was unable to find it anywhere.
Just finished Torgny Lindgren's Hash (Pölsan in its original Swedish) and I was curious if anyone else has read it? I absolutely loved it, but I don't know how much sense it would make to someone from outside Sweden... or indeed if it's possible to translate, since so much of it is about Lindgren's very concise and almost biblically precise language.
It's effectively a story about storytelling; a journalist in the wilderness of Northern Sweden gets fired by his editor when it becomes clear that every story he's ever written is invented from beginning to end; the villages he writes about don't exist, and neither do the people who live and die in them. The problem is that once he stops writing his stories, the lives of these people still continue somewhere, and 53 years later when the editor dies the 107 year old journalist starts writing again, and as long as he has a story to tell he doesn't age... and at the same time that we follow his attempt to write down everything he wasn't allowed to write in all that time, we follow the story he tells, which may or may not be completely made up. It's meta as hell, but also very beautiful and meaningful... not completely unlike a Scandinavian García Márquez, I'd say.
I started The Posession by Jaid Black and I did not have the nerves to complete it though. After reading half of the book, I just read the ending.
Till where I read it, I found it bitter, complicated and strange.
The first impression of the book on me was that I found it quite worthless. It consisted of strange characters. I like different sort of characters but in "The Posession" characters were really very strange. They did not seem like human beings.
I think that I wasted my time on reading it. So I would give it 3 points out of ten. First point is for the headache the author had to bear to write the story,second point is for the grammer of the author, it was quite good and the third point is for its "suspense"
It was quite suspenseful in the start.
The last book I read was Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated.
It was not bad. There are lots of funny parts, but as a whole, the book wasn't that great. I was a little disappointed.
I really enjoyed this book for lots of reasons. Why did you find it disappointing? Was it because of the humour of the early part of the book faded away as the story unfolded?
Didn’t you think some of those grammar/vocab. mistakes were hilarious? (I especially loved “my Mother is spleening me”). They also sounded very authentic. I thought this was pretty impressive - I would imagine it’s quite hard for someone who is fluent in English to write the part of a character for whom it’s a second language without it just sounding phony.
Yes, I think the parts "written" by Alex were the best. It was hilarious without sounding phoney or forced. What I especially liked about this book was how it was telling the reader about the past, present and future all at once (thru Alex's 'novel', Jonathan's 'novel' and the correspondence between the two).Quote:
Originally Posted by Sami
The reason I said I was disappointed was because before reading it, a friend of mine told me that it was like the "greatest book of all time" - so I set out to read the book with that in mind. I didn't think it was the 'greatest book of all time' but I did enjoy it. So that's why I was disappointed. :lol:
Yes! I thought that the theme of memory and history/time was brilliantly handled in this book. I liked the idea of writing as a time capsule that protects memory and identity against violence, in this case the holocaust - hence “we are writing, we are writing…”.Quote:
What I especially liked about this book was how it was telling the reader about the past, present and future all at once (thru Alex's 'novel', Jonathan's 'novel' and the correspondence between the two).
Have you seen the movie? I saw it recently and I really liked it. It was as funny as the book. Although the details in the novel was somewhat altered and it didn't include the story of Jonathan's ancestors, it was still pretty entertaining. The movie just focused on Jonathan's trip and some flashbacks from Alex's grandfather's memory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sami
I just finished reading "Memoirs of a Geisha". Eversince, I am fascinated of Geishas and japanese culture. I really like this book. I cried in the part when Sakamoto Chiyo,Nitta Sayuri's name before being a Geisha, found out that her parents died and her sister eloped. Actually,it's a shallow reason to cried at but I just can't help but to cry on that part.
Why don't you try to read this book? Perhaps you'll like it.
Yes, I've read it. I liked it, it gives a very good description of Geisha life (but hey, what do I know...I'm not a Geisha :D). Have you seen the movie?Quote:
Originally Posted by rhei_27
Nope. I haven't seen the movie. I'll try to watch it this weekend if I'm not that busy. Have you seen it?Quote:
Originally Posted by malwethien
I've just finished 'Educating Rita' by Willy Russell. This play has only two characters throughout the book, although others are mentioned, we only get to know Frank and Rita.
Frank is an alcoholic open university professor in Literature. He has a failed marriage, and a career as a poet which failed because, as he says, he tried to make his poetry literature.
Rita is a young hairdresser, who feels her life has no meaning, that people around her don't talk about what "matters" and that she wants to broaden her knowledge. Under pressure from her husband and family, she ends up turning to literature as an escape. Giving up her marriage, and changing her views, voice and look to fit in with the "educated" people she once felt inferior too.
The play discusses Rita's development as art and literature starts to crowd out her real life, and Frank's determination to try and stop this "breathe of fresh air" in his office from becoming the kind of person she thinks is really happy. It also shows the relationship between Rita and her tutor, one where gradually she starts to pull herself away from his opinions.
The book is a good read, a mixture of comedy, development and growth. Even if you don't like the book, from the many passages of teaching in it, you're sure to learn something about literature and life in general.
No, I haven’t seen the movie. I am surprised that the film left out the parts about Jonathan’s grandfather – that’s a HUGE part of the book to cut out. Didn’t you feel that this did a lot of damage to the theme of history/heritage in the story? Surely the events that occur in the present are only one side to what the book is about?Quote:
Have you seen the movie? I saw it recently and I really liked it. It was as funny as the book. Although the details in the novel was somewhat altered and it didn't include the story of Jonathan's ancestors, it was still pretty entertaining. The movie just focused on Jonathan's trip and some flashbacks from Alex's grandfather's memory.
I'm also disappointed to hear that about the "Everything is Illuminated" movie. Though not surprised. Sounds to me like yet another filmatization that cuts out half the story to fit it into an easy format, à la "Name Of The Rose", and ends up missing the point completely. Too bad, I was looking forward to that movie, but not so much anymore...
have you ever read The Teahouse of the August Moon? It is very charming and funny. About the American govt sending in troops to a small village to teach them to be like the Americans and have a democratic govt.etc.But all the materials for a schoolhouse are used to build a Japanese teahouse and all is supervised by a darling little geisha called Lotus Blossom. When the military brass show up they are enraged to see the guy they appt'd in a bath robe having tea. It really shows the life of the geisha and is loaded with beautiful imagery and humour. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by rhei_27
Hi Rhei,Quote:
Originally Posted by rhei_27
I read Memoirs of a Geisha last summer and enjoyed it very much. I agree with you that geisha culture is very interesting and the book does an excellent job of introducing it without overwhelming the reader. The story was really touching at times as well. What I liked most about it is that Nitta was not shown as this impossible angelic herion. She had her shortcomings and she was honest about those and she tried her best to do the right things.
I haven't seen the movie yet. A friend of mine has been insisting that we should but I am not so sure (she has actually seen it already but wants to see it for a second time!). I am worried that it will be another disappointing books-to-movies experiences.
Welcome to the Forum! :)
Actually the weird thing it is that, although it really is a story about Jonathan looking for Trachimbrod and for his past, I think the movie put more emphasis on Alex's grandfather's experience. I don't want to give anything away, but like I said earlier, there were some changes to the movie that I think affected the story a lot. The flashbacks that they shown were all from the perspective of Alex's grandfather and none (or maybe just one or two) about Jonathan's ancestors.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sami
But I think it's still worth watching. The movie is sort of an "indie" film and is only an hour and a half long. I'm sure they could have squeezed in stories of Trachimbrod if they wanted.
I was a huge Stephen King fan as a kid, and his novels are largely responsible for making me the bookreader I am today. Although my taste has since moved on, I still appreciate him for what he is - a pretty good meat-and-potatoes sort of writer who doesn't even take himself as seriously as some of his fans seem to. Over the years, I've come to read just about everything he's published. It's something of a guilty pleasure, though I certainly consider him head and shoulders over complete hacks like Dan Brown. I like Stephen King in the same way I like AC/DC: it's good clean gory fun.
His latest novel, "Cell", however is very far from good. It's basically a cover of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" with some of George Romero's "Dawn Of The Dead" thrown in for good measure. (And just so no one misses that, the book is dedicated to Matheson and Romero ferchrissakes!) Anything of his own invention in the story is recycled from the far superior "The Stand" (and the even worse "Tommyknockers"). For some reason he tries to make it a technothriller, and only comes off as what he is: a 50-something guy whose entire knowledge of computers is gleaned from a segment on viruses he saw on CNN three years ago. Talky, slow-moving, illogical and thoroughly unengaging. King will never be a great writer, but he used to at least be better than this...
beer,
I couldn't help but think as I read your post that over time you have gleaned such incredible knowledge and a feeling for this gender that , well perhaps you should now take a crack at writing one. I am quite certain it will be a nonstop page thriller.
I read what a fellow editor once said about writing"if you want to be good, really good at writing in a particular gendre, read, read, read, the very best of it, and chances are if you can write, you will be."
A man who is dead now began in the sixties collecting a book here, and a book there about space which was becoming his great passion after work eacg at his white collar job. He did that for about twenty years and read every syllable and could converse with anyone in the space program with the greatest of ease.
When he died his wife offered the collection to some branch of the space program and they were so impressed they built a building to house it.
Go Beer go, go Beer go!