Richard Kenneth’s Comments (group member since Jan 21, 2021)

Richard Kenneth’s comments from the Sharing Thoughts about Books with Others (STBO) group.

Shreya wrote: ". The secrecy, having to hide their true loves, made the whole scene much more real for me. The negative ..."

I loves the nostalgic factor of Old Hollywood in this story. We are in such a different era that behaviors out in the open these days could not be done back then. Doing so would ostracize the person or worse even get them killed. Unthinkable these days in the majority of people’s thinking.

I’m up to Evelyn’s marriage to Max Girard. The book comes across like those Biography documentaries of actor and actresses that you se on TV. Entertaining, but with the main character, Evelyn, unsympathetic.

... and to eat it with ...

Journal Entry #36

Romance is in the air for this journal entry.

Romance, at its simplest, is a story that has as one of its main foci, a developing relationship between two people. (I say people, rather than a man and a woman because though it's a much smaller subset of the genre and less regularly available, there are romances that feature a relationship between two women or two men.)

I am inferring the appeal to the romance genre is also adding a real story to the romances; often there is a mystery or a task that the characters are focusing on that is just as strong (and generally features into the development of the relationship) as the romantic aspect.

Vivid characters, the characters and how they act as real people act is one of the most important parts of any story, be it romance or not. And for the romance genre there is the so called "HEA" aspect at the end of the book. The "happily ever after" ending. The appeal to these HEA's I suppose would be something where a romance reader would love to read HEA, with the explanation that once, when you get tired of nothing positive on the evening news, then you just have to turn to something else. A romance novel.

* * * * * *

By the way I just posted a review of the Midnight Warrior by Iris Johansen, which was a romance novel she wrote when she was known as a romance author, and not as a crime fiction author which she is now known. Here is the link to that review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

It's too bad Evelyn's second marriage was abusive. But she's still very manipulative, getting the media to print a sympathetic story about her and her second husband. That was really slick utilizing the housekeeper's nosiness.

Journal Entry #35

Classics usually are far best written than nowadays literature aka contemporary fiction, from my point of view. But I will say this, contemporary fiction is more entertaining. Classics hardly lack anything. The plot is well introduced and well resolved, and the characters are consistent (at least the ones that are not boring). Maybe topics have apparently changed, but not human nature. Maybe some topics or how they are resolved may appear out of fashion through history, but it shows us that nothing has changed over the course of history. As I said, human nature remains the same. Therefore, classics' characters & plots etc. may be found in today's modern contemporary fiction stories.

Reading the classics, is always worth it in my opinion. I won't lie there are some that are terrible or just plain boring. This one wasn't I might add, but it strikes me as funny that many books from the late 1700's and early 1800's are very similar. What rich guy is the girl from a lesser family going to marry. That may be cheapening Jane Austen and other authors from that era, but it seems that is what a lot of those stories from that era are about.

The Red and the Black had made the new literature style - psychological realism. It is hard to explain, but this book is like a tool that shows your life in a different light. It is easy to read but makes you feel and analyze some people actions and behavior around you. What you'll get during the reading will just depend up to you.

Stendhal essentially made a "portrait" of the French community back in the middle of the 19th century. I personally loved how he went on laughing out every side, the liberals, the Church, as well as the aristocracy, pointing out their flaws, but he also showed their good sides.

Stendhal's novels. They are passionate, clever, deep, and some have also a good dose of humor. 'The Red and The Black' is a beautiful story of a passionate love that few other authors have ever been able to challenge. It is a universal story and the historical background doesn't change anything, even makes it more interesting. This is a kind of novel, that once you start it, you can't stop reading until you 'get exhausted', which means you read it like an obsessed, or drugged reader until the end.

* * * * *

I just posted a review of Stendahl's The Red and Black here in Good Reads just now for those that are interested in reading it:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

and

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Zahraa wrote: "Hi Richard.

Glad to hear that you’re feeling better.

My suggestions are:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Flowers for Algernon"

Thanks hopefully I'd get better. Also, your suggestion has been added also.

Racoon wrote: "Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Josh and Hazel's guide to not dating by Christina Lauren"

Reed wrote: "The Horse Whisperer

Swimming Toward the Ocean"

Thank you, your suggestions have been added.

Thanks. The suggestions you made have been added as well.

Ren wrote: "This book is a recent favorite of mine. It makes you feel like the characters are actually real people."

For some reason, the title character Evelyn Hugo reminded me of the late Elizabeth Taylor, who herself had eight husbands in her lifetime.

I wonder if she was one of the legendary actresses this book's title character was inspired from ? But then again in the book, the studios had her bleach her hair blond, and rename herself from Herrera to Hugo. So perhaps Marilyn Monroe, who was a blonde and had multiple husbands, was also one of the legendary actress where the book's title character was inspired from as well.

Mariana wrote: "I'm starting it next week ;D looking forward to discuss it!"

This book should be able to generate an interesting discussion. There's lots of interesting things to talk about.

I've finished the first few chapters. So far it's interesting. I liked the part where the reporter, Monique interviewed the legendary actress, Evelyn Hugo, and the latter offered her to instead to co-write her autobiography and publish after her death instead of the interview, which would have garnered Monique millions of dollars. I mean if you were the reporter, would you have agreed to this?

Another interesting note was when the reporter asked her who was the love of her life and Evelyn Hugo responded that she couldn't tell her the truth because she was so accustomed to lying all her life about it.

Journal Entry #34

A thought has crossed my mind recently. Mysteries, thriller, and suspense novels. It's great watching this genre in films, particularly the classic old noir films of the 1940's to 1960's. In book form I am sure well written ones are great reads as well.

A mystery is a book where something has happened (typically a crime, but it doesn't have to be) and you have to try to figure out exactly what happened or, more often, who did it. As the author tells the story, you learn more and more and you get clues, so sometimes you can guess what happened (or who did it). Some authors give you enough information so that you can figure it out for yourself, some authors mislead you so that you make the wrong guess, some authors never let you know what's going on so you don't even know what happened when you're finished reading the book. (I don't like those kinds of mysteries, I feel cheated when the book's over. Luckily, very few mysteries are like that.) To me, a really good mystery is a book where you don't figure it out -- but when the author lets you in on what's going on, you feel that you should have figured it out, the clues were all there for you, you just didn't see them.

A suspense novel is where the author makes you wonder so much about what's going to happen next that you always feel tense. If it's a good suspense novel, it's hard to stop reading at the end of each chapter, because you just have to find out what's going to happen next. A good suspense novel can really be exciting -- it's like the feeling when you're watching a scary movie, and the hero is sneaking through a dark house, and with every step you feel like something bad is about to happen, and you're on the edge of your seat, and you don't even realize it but your muscles tense up and you start breathing a little faster, and you're just a little more alive than you were a minute ago. It's easier for a movie to do that to you (because you can see it), but a really good suspense novel can do that to you, too (because you can see it in your mind).

Some mysteries are very suspenseful as well, so I guess those books are both mystery novels and suspense novels.

* * * * *

On a separate note. I just posted a review of Blue Belle by Andrew Vachss for those that are interested in reading it:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Can anyone suggest three fantasy genre novel series that you would recommend? It's very much appreciated. Thank you.

Reed wrote: "What do you guys think about A Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain"

I have watched the film which was at the time on Classic Turner Film on American Movie Classics. I found the film to be highly entertaining. However, I haven't read the book yet, so I cannot give an opinion about the book. If I may suggest look at the overview of the book here at Good Reads, then read a few review of good reviews and a few review of bad reviews. Then decide if it is a book you would start to read.

This book was the winner of our poll and is our official book discussion for November 2021.

Please feel free to join in and share your thoughts, ask questions, answers, and comments in the comments section below.

If your post will have spoilers... please warn the other members on the top of your message that your thoughts/comments will have spoilers in them. Thank you and enjoy your book discussion everyone.

This book was tied for runner up in our November 2021 book discussion. It is one of two optional book discussions for November 2021.

Please feel free to join in and share your thoughts, ask questions, answers, and comments in the comments section below.

If your post will have spoilers... please warn the other members on the top of your message that your thoughts/comments will have spoilers in them. Thank you and enjoy your book discussion everyone.

Hi everyone. I hope you are all safe on this ongoing pandemic, and having some good reading materials to occupy you on you free time. Again, thanks for joining the group. At this time I am healthy enough again to continue this reading group. As you know with my ongoing health issues I was unable to maintain the reading group. For those still interested, welcome back. This will be for our group's official fifth monthly book discussion for December 2021.

Please suggest two books. You can suggest any genre you want (classics, fantasy, mystery, thriller, sci-fi, YA, contemporary, horror, non-fiction, memoirs, etc.). If you suggest more than two, then only the first two books you list will be included. After we reach 50 book suggestions or 1-week's or so worth of books suggestions (whichever comes first), then I will create a poll and then all our members will vote their choice in the "Polls" section of the group page which I will also send the link to the members for their easy reference. The winning choice will be our official 5th Group's Book Discussion for September 2021. The runner-up coming in second place will be our optional book discussion.

Thank you for your time. Have fun, enjoy, and most importantly stay safe.

Updated suggestions so far:

The Horse Whisperer
Swimming Toward the Ocean
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
Josh and Hazel's guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Flowers for Algernon
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book was tied for runner up in our November 2021 book discussion. It is one of two optional book discussions for November 2021.

Please feel free to join in and share your thoughts, ask questions, answers, and comments in the comments section below.

If your post will have spoilers... please warn the other members on the top of your message that your thoughts/comments will have spoilers in them. Thank you and enjoy your book discussion everyone.

Journal Entry #33

I've just posted a book review of Catch-22 here in Good Reads. The link below is for anyone who is interested in reading it:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Further to my posted review, I have additional thoughts that crossed my mind about the book.

I'd been wondering why it struck such a chord with me, and I suppose it probably has a lot to do with my situation at the time; I think I empathized a lot with the characters in the book, and the feeling of detachment and absurdity in daily life, although without the war part, obviously.

That being said, I think that even had I not drawn parallels between the characters in the book and my own life, I'd still have liked it. What sticks in my mind is that it was really funny (enough to cause me embarrassment on public transport), but also contained some really poignant and very sad passages.

There are a few strands which wind out in parallel throughout the book. There's a basic story, which was interesting enough to draw you along, but also a few episodes which are like half-remembered thoughts which repeat, with more details being added each time, like a kind of vague memory from a drunken night where you slowly remember more and more of what happened. Hopefully this isn't a spoiler as it's mentioned right from the start, but there's a recollection of someone being hit on the head with a high-heeled shoe, an injured soldier bleeding in a plane, and someone who comes up with a scheme for selling eggs. These repeat regularly, with a bit more of the events colored in each time like a recurring dream.

What I took from it as a novel, and I'm afraid you'll probably have read this in loads of the comments on the page about it, was that it gave a real sense of the absurdity of the war. I wouldn't say that it was anti- or pro-war particularly; just that it conveyed a feeling of how absurd and ridiculous war was to the people involved at the sharp end of it. The Catch-22 itself was a really great way of encapsulating what the whole book was about in just one passage. His description of what 'Catch-22' actually meant in military jargon was very memorable, but I don't want to spoil that bit for you, because hopefully it'll make you laugh.

As for Joseph Heller as a storyteller, for me he really carried it along well. It's a fairly long book, but between the humor, the tragedy, the ongoing storyline and the slowly unfolding recollections, it totally hooked me in.

In summary, after all that blathering, I'd have to say: yes, give it a go. Don't go into it expecting classic literature or 'the ultimate war novel' or anything. It's a great book that uses humor and interesting characters to explain one person's perspective of how people got by during the war. Everyone I've spoken to who has read it has also liked it, so hopefully it'll do it for you too as a reader.

1) The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli
2) Animal Farm by George Orwell

Hi. Thanks for the book suggestions. It has been added. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and stay safe.

Annaliesa wrote: "I personally really enjoy this book and I think it could bring interesting discussion, "The Silence of the Girls" by Pat Barker"

Katerina wrote: "Hi Richard! It's great having you back!
My suggestion is:
Atonement, Ian McEwan."