Sean’s Comments (group member since Jan 30, 2019)

Sean’s comments from the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die group.

Finished my re-read of George Orwell's 1984.

James wrote: "Good luck Sean with the ebook. What are you going to read it on? I find I really like reading on my Kindle (which I use mostly for easy to read fantasy, etc.) but not so much on an iPad."

Unfortunately, not being an e-book reader, I only have my Iphone. At least it's a Plus so it's a little bigger. I could probably borrow an iPad. I know somebody who does not use hers.

This months group read, The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing will be my first ever e-book. I had hoped the libraries would be open in time, but I guess not.

I just finished The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. Bad luck and hard times are pretty much the story. Well besides the grossness that is depicted.

On an interesting side note, I read it concurrently with Doctor Zhivago, one experiencing socialism while not a fan and the other advocating for it.

Then I was still reading it while reading 1984, with its dystopian socialist world.

That made for some interesting comparisons.

1984. It's been years and years. This was a high school read. Time for a re-read.

Finished Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
I love it. Really fun.
Bizarre but fun.
Serious and sad and tragic, but still fun.....
... somehow.

Nocturnalux wrote: "without my passing judgment on them, knowing full well that readers may very well encounter less than savory material here. Readers may find these representations interesting if only from an historical point of view (or not, which is entirely valid as well). ..."

This was practically a trigger when I read what you wrote here. The 120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade definitely qualifies in this department. The group of men does what they do with both females and males.

Just hit 150 this weekend with The Return of the Native

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Dark, Brooding, Dramatic, Suspenseful, and I loved it.

On Saturday, I started Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.

So far, a little bizarre, and a lot funny... or maybe vice versa...

Karen wrote: "Sean wrote: "Karen wrote: "Did you know that Nicole Krauss is married to Jonathan Safran Foer and both published books in 2005 shortly after they were married. The History of Love and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Foer have a lot of similarities -- precocious kids on a quest in New York who meet old men with lost sons and memories of World War II.'..."


I did not know that. Very interesting. I have looked at that book to read often. If I didn't have this overwhelming obsession with the LIST I would have read it by now.

Karen wrote: "The History of Love by Nicole Krauss"

What did you think Karen? I loved that book.

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. Long and so many characters. But it was a decent read that kept me interested.

Prior to this the only thing I knew about it was that when I was a kid (like 12) my dad tried to make me watch it and I wasn't having it. I knew it was Siberia and that's about it.

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. This will be my 3rd Hardy

George P. wrote: "Diane wrote: "The Devil to Pay in the Backlands by João Guimarães Rosa."

Where did you find a copy? English translation copies are scarce/expensive. Are you reading it..."

Really? My local library has it in English (so the catalog claims) Maybe I should get it sooner than later. I will do so the day it reopens!

Middlemarch by George Eliot. Got this big one done! I liked it.

Until then.... I just started Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak.

Peter wrote: "Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Am hoping for more than I got out of his Hundred Years of Solitude."

Funny, I have Hundred Years of Solitude still TBR, and I am hoping to get more out of it than i got out of Love in the Time of Cholera...

The most prevalent thought as I was reading this book was how much it reminded me of Vonnegut. It was my first Pychon so I really had no idea what to expect. I really really liked Vonnegut when I was in high school. But since then, having re-read one, and reading a new (to me) one, I am not so sure anymore. I think I liked the strangeness and the uniqueness when I was strange and unique (ok, maybe I still am.) But wait, this isn't about Vonnegut...

What I liked most about this book was the way that the search for Trystero paralleled the play. There were so many tie ins and even though the whole idea was extremely odd and bizarre and unlikely and surreal, I was very interested in finding out what happened. Then the end happened and I was left with an open book with no pages left and only..... THAT ENDING!!!

I can't say that I really cared about any of the characters, not even Oedipa. But I cared about they mystery. I cared about the hidden meaning of the whole thing. I think I liked it when I finished it (thinking back on it) more than while I was reading it. It was about the destination rather than the journey. Which is ironic considering where I was left when I was done....

An odd book that I am glad I read.

As far as themed:
John Banville, The Untouchable
Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Heavy Undertones:
Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

Minor themes and incidents:
Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games
José Saramago, Caim
Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49