DeanoTheGame Posted May 16, 2011 Posted May 16, 2011 Anyway, finished the Great Gatsby the other night. Thought it was great, hadn't read any Fitzgerald before. Despite its status as a modern classic I seldom hear people who've actually read it say they liked it. Maybe its widespread use in english literature classes hardens people against it. Spotted 'The Pocket Essential F.Scott Fitzgerald' in a box with 'extremely cheap' written on it in felt-tip in the corner of a book sale at my university the other day, got it for 50p. It seems to be an extended essay on the way that Fitzgerald's fiction mirrored his life. I'll make a start on it some time this week. Yeah, a lot of people I know who've read The Great Gatsby didn't enjoy it. I think its an amazing novel, probably in my top 5 favourites. It's simply a tragic story populated by interesting characters. The moment when Gatsby realises that he will never get Daisy, and his whole reinvention was for nought was heartbreaking. Other Fitzgerald I'd recommend would be Tender Is The Night and This Side Of Paradise, but you should also check out his short stories too. Trimalchio is another of his stories that is interesting, in that it is an early version of Great Gatsby. It's not as good, but still worth a read. On the Kindle/handheld books debate, I'll always prefer books simply because the aesthetics of the book is incredibly important to me. There's something about yellow dog-eared pages, with creased spines and worn covers that really appeals to me. If I buy a new book, I like to open it wide just to crease the spine - I dunno why, it just feels right. A book should look as though it's been read. I still want a Kindle, mainly for holidays, cost and efficiency, but I simply prefer the look of a book. I doubt I would enjoy Tim O'Briens The Things They Carried as much if it didn't have such a beautiful cover.
Paid Members tiger_rick Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 If I buy a new book, I like to open it wide just to crease the spine - I dunno why, it just feels right. I don't go to those lengths but I do feel incredibly self conscious when reading a new book in public. No idea why.
Paid Members Halitosis Romantic Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 If I buy a new book, I like to open it wide just to crease the spine - I dunno why, it just feels right. I don't go to those lengths but I do feel incredibly self conscious when reading a new book in public. No idea why. I always tended to do that with new girlfriends, too. I am rereading Wise Children, by Angela Carter, to help out my wife with an essay.
Paid Members ReturnOfTheMack Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 I hate seeing someone crease the spine of a book. I always try to avoid it.
Paid Members Carbomb Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 All people who've posted so far are missing the main argument against e-readers: you can't show off to girls that you're reading Shakespeare, Joyce, Kerouac or Dostoevsky. They need to have little screen on the back to show other people the title. Was so sad to read about Dostoevsky's death. I was reading some of his work the other day. War & Piece.
Paid Members Catfish Jake Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 All people who've posted so far are missing the main argument against e-readers: you can't show off to girls that you're reading Shakespeare, Joyce, Kerouac or Dostoevsky. They need to have little screen on the back to show other people the title. Was so sad to read about Dostoevsky's death. I was reading some of his work the other day. War & Piece. I'm probably missing some clever joke here or something, but didn't Tolstoy write War & Peace?
Paid Members Carbomb Posted May 16, 2011 Paid Members Posted May 16, 2011 All people who've posted so far are missing the main argument against e-readers: you can't show off to girls that you're reading Shakespeare, Joyce, Kerouac or Dostoevsky. They need to have little screen on the back to show other people the title. Was so sad to read about Dostoevsky's death. I was reading some of his work the other day. War & Piece. I'm probably missing some clever joke here or something, but didn't Tolstoy write War & Peace? Goddammit. Yes. Yes, he did. Dostoevsky - Crime & Punishment Tolstoy - War & Peace. Fuck's sake. I was quite pleased with that joke as well.
Paid Members Gallybagger Posted August 28, 2011 Paid Members Posted August 28, 2011 Currently reading the book "Bronson" Written about high-profile criminal 'most violent prisoner currently alive' Charles Bronson. It's a very interesting book with some good humour and tragic tales. I'm quite into reading about criminals, crime and notorious hard bastards, so this book is right up my alley. Anybody got any recommendations on books like this??
big mickey Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 (edited) Currently reading the book "Bronson" Written about high-profile criminal 'most violent prisoner currently alive' Charles Bronson. It's a very interesting book with some good humour and tragic tales. I'm quite into reading about criminals, crime and notorious hard bastards, so this book is right up my alley. Anybody got any recommendations on books like this?? Chopper by Mark Read is the obvious one Also for a good perspective from the other side of the bars Loose Screw by Jim Dawkins is pretty damn good Edited August 29, 2011 by big mickey
SteelEdge Posted August 29, 2011 Posted August 29, 2011 Started Let The Right One In the other night. Absolutely adore the film, my favourite foreign movie of all time, so decided to give the book a read. Looking forward to it, as it apparantly goes into more detail about the history of Hakan and Eli, which is the only thing I thought the film lacked.
Paid Members Stephanie Posted August 29, 2011 Paid Members Posted August 29, 2011 Breaking Dawn for the second time, sue me. The Twilight Series is COMPLETELY a guilty pleasure. Usually I read a lot of James Patterson, Tess Gerritsen, Martina Cole. I like fast paced books with a lot of action.
Paid Members ReturnOfTheMack Posted August 29, 2011 Paid Members Posted August 29, 2011 Ugh. The Twilight books are the worst written books I have ever read that werent entitled 'Mills and Boon' (yeah, I was sick in bed at my dads and its all they had to read). Just started one the Song of Fire and Ice series.
Paid Members gmoney Posted August 29, 2011 Paid Members Posted August 29, 2011 Just finished How I Escaped My Certain Fate by Stewart Lee. It was ace.
Horrorshow Posted September 4, 2011 Posted September 4, 2011 Started Let The Right One In the other night. Absolutely adore the film, my favourite foreign movie of all time, so decided to give the book a read. Looking forward to it, as it apparantly goes into more detail about the history of Hakan and Eli, which is the only thing I thought the film lacked. The novel is significantly different to the film as I'm sure you're finding out for yourself. Mildly surprising considering that John Ajvide Lindqvist wrote the screenplay.
cobystag Posted September 4, 2011 Posted September 4, 2011 I love the novel and wish they'd included some more of the stuff in there. But I can appreciate that there are time limits on the film so some of the sub-plots were removed. I find it funny that the Swedish version removed stuff from the novel, and then the American version removed even more stuff that was in the original! I did like Let Me In, but I didn't like how the policemans story was amended like that. The novel and original had it right. I'm 300+ pages into A Game Of Thrones and I've got the other three (technically four) books to read.
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