http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/139996 en-US Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:29:26 -0800 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 13464289 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:29:26 -0800
author: Patrick O'Brian
name: Charles
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2003
rating: 5
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date added: 01/24/08
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]]> 13462633 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:24:32 -0800
Just recently I picked it up and gave it a try. Wow! Was I wrong. This is one of the funniest and most enjoyable books I have ever read. What a great sense of parody and humor in this guy Thackeray. Also, his writing is a constant pleasure, he has a way of using words in slightly different ways than you have ever heard before but which makes perfect sense. E. g. he refers to a volcano having an "insurrection."

His writing style is definitly not transparent. He describes incidents and tells you what he thinks about them at the same time. Also the structure of the novel is very complex and dense. If you are going to read it, I would suggest making a little chart of all the families involved and who is married to whom etc. It is fun to do. Also the plot avoids all those plot resolutions so common in Dickens and other Victorian novels based on outrageous conincidences.

So, take a week off and curl up with this wonderful book.]]>
author: William Makepeace Thackeray
name: Charles
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1848
rating: 5
read at: 01/08
date added: 01/24/08
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I remember starting this book about 50 years ago. I was in love with Dickens and all things Victorian, so I tried VF. All I remember is that it seemed dry and boring.

Just recently I picked it up and gave it a try. Wow! Was I wrong. This is one of the funniest and most enjoyable books I have ever read. What a great sense of parody and humor in this guy Thackeray. Also, his writing is a constant pleasure, he has a way of using words in slightly different ways than you have ever heard before but which makes perfect sense. E. g. he refers to a volcano having an "insurrection."

His writing style is definitly not transparent. He describes incidents and tells you what he thinks about them at the same time. Also the structure of the novel is very complex and dense. If you are going to read it, I would suggest making a little chart of all the families involved and who is married to whom etc. It is fun to do. Also the plot avoids all those plot resolutions so common in Dickens and other Victorian novels based on outrageous conincidences.

So, take a week off and curl up with this wonderful book.
]]> 2129246 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:37:45 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129234 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:37:21 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 4.03
book published: 1880
rating: 3
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129226 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:37:14 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1884
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129210 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:48 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1900
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129207 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:45 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1889
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129205 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:42 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1985
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129200 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:35 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: Charles
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1876
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129185 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:10 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1972
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129182 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:05 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1929
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129173 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:35:53 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 3.58
book published: 1937
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129171 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:35:47 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1987
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129168 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:35:43 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1964
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129165 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:35:38 -0700
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Charles
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1926
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129146 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:35:14 -0700
author: John Steinbeck
name: Charles
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2000
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129130 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:34:44 -0700
author: John Steinbeck
name: Charles
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1937
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2129072 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:32:32 -0700
author: Orhan Pamuk
name: Charles
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2006
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128987 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:30:24 -0700
author: Bill Bryson
name: Charles
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 3
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128972 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:30:04 -0700
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Charles
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1932
rating: 3
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128951 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:29:34 -0700
author: J.D. Salinger
name: Charles
average rating: 3.92
book published: 1951
rating: 2
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128941 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:29:18 -0700
author: Gabriel García Márquez
name: Charles
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1967
rating: 3
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128934 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:29:09 -0700
author: Jared Diamond
name: Charles
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1997
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128927 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:28:53 -0700
author: Barbara Kingsolver
name: Charles
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1998
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128922 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:28:35 -0700
author: Mark Haddon
name: Charles
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2003
rating: 4
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128913 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:28:20 -0700
author: George Orwell
name: Charles
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1949
rating: 2
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128896 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:27:51 -0700
author: Michael Chabon
name: Charles
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2000
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128763 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:24:42 -0700
author: Stephen Crane
name: Charles
average rating: 2.88
book published: 1982
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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]]> 2128756 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:24:33 -0700
author: Elizabeth Wurtzel
name: Charles
average rating: 3.10
book published: 1995
rating: 5
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date added: 06/19/07
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