Michael’s Comments (group member since Mar 26, 2013)

Michael’s comments from the A bit of this and that group.

The new "Walking Dead" season has one challenge on its hands - "The Grove" episode from the last season is going to be tough to beat.

Victoria wrote: "I'm planning/hoping to read Bleak House by Dickens in December. I love everything by Austen, although Emma is my least favorite."

The good thing about Bleak House - it doesn't feel so long once you get into it. I'm hoping the other Dickens I've got feel the same, though I often imagine Hard Times might be well-named.

With you on the best zombie moment. The build-up to Sophia coming out of the barn was a masterclass in drama. It was made even more impressive because it wasn't that much of a surprise, yet still managed to be an incredible scene.

In fact never mind "best zombie moment" - I reckon it to be the best moment in all 3 seasons so far. Of course, as I write, season 4 is only about 194 hours away, so who knows..?

The French Lieutenant's Woman would count as a classic in my mind, but Fowles' best book is The Magus from the same decade. The 1960s is after all home to some pretty notable work - Catch 22, Slaughterhouse 5, Peter S Beagle's lovely A Fine and Private Place, to name just three fine examples.

From the dustier shelf, I'd have to pick Dracula and Bleak House. And some of the Shakespeare plays are quite readable too: The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet (which has some of the most beautiful writing I have read from any era.) I'm mildly ashamed to admit that my attention to the classic Classics, so to speak, isn't as impressive as it should be, but slightly less ashamed to admit that I have a pile of Dickens, Austen, and others that I definitely plan to deal with.