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What have you just read? Opinions, recommendations & reviews
I finished Gone Girl last week. I just didn't like it. The characters were unlikeable, the story bland and the writing average. 2 stars from me!
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About to start it! Glad you liked it:we usually are of the same mind
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Did ypu liked it then? Green is one famous author I don't quite grasp...
Becca wrote: "I finished Gone Girl last week. I just didn't like it. The characters were unlikeable, the story bland and the writing average. 2 stars from me!"I had heard that the characters were unlikeable, so I don't feel much interest in reading it. Thanks for justifying my decision :)
Jenny wrote: "Ramona wrote: "I just finished reading The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus. I've been going through the antique literature -well, just a little bit- this summer. I've been reading Sophocles and am cu..."You see, Jenny, I quite loved, as a child, myths and legends and I used to read about the antique Gods from children book. It made my universe go round, somehow. It was beautiful. And now, at my 20 years of life, I felt like going back to that feeling and I couldn't read the children book I once devoured. So I though I'd give it a try with the real thing. Plus, I have enormous lacks regarding this type of literature...
Actually, I am currently studying Philosophy and I started going into Plato and others and I felt a little confused, realising how little was the bit of literature I knew of the antiques (before Aeschylus and Sophocles, I only read The Satyricon by Petronius and The Aeneid byVirgil. I loved them quite a lot, but I don't know how many things I really learned or understood out of Aeneid, for instance... and i just felt I should go through it again!
and now, what was of an interest to me from Aeschylus' all ...hm, it's hard to decide. There is this thing about the antiques, they are part of another world and you have either to understand them, which is kind of hard, either to read them as you perceive them. of course, there is always the third option of reading randomly and whatsoever, but I left that stage behind a while ago. So for now I read and perceive and it's really great - I feel I really make contact with another world and I am trying, through notes and other stuff, to understand the historical/mythical context in which the plays were written, etc. It's a gorgeous try - more than that, it makes me fantasise so much that I have nightmares imagining tragedies in those respective contexts (which is great, only that it takes my sleep aways).
So if you ask me what sparked my interest in the first place, it's just that it was a childhood bound, the desire to regain a lost, but wonderful world. Some sort of Neverland - that is, Neverland is the word.
Leslie wrote: "Becca wrote: "I finished Gone Girl last week. I just didn't like it. The characters were unlikeable, the story bland and the writing average. 2 stars from me!"
I had heard that the characters w..."
Haha no problem ;-) Never before have I wanted to punch fictional characters in the face!
I had heard that the characters w..."
Haha no problem ;-) Never before have I wanted to punch fictional characters in the face!
I've just readAstonishing Splashes of Colour and The Cuckoo's Calling.Robert Galbraith is a pen name for JKRowling which is why I tried it .I found it slow to start but once it got going very gripping. The Astonishing splashes of colour was a very well crafted , brilliantly written book and I did enjoy it but I expect its not for everyone. It deals with dysfunctional families, loss,mental illness and is raw and painful.
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I liked Rowling attempt to mistery!
Ramona wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Ramona wrote: "I just finished reading The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus. I've been going through the antique literature -well, just a little bit- this summer. I've been reading Sopho..."Funny that you mention Philosophy, my childhood was rather untouched by myths and legends of that kind and what sparked my initial interest were my amateuristic studies of the very beginnings of Philosophy (mind you, I am now at the 'dark ages' where all is swallowed by theology, but at the speed that I am going at I won't reach Wittgenstein before my sixties)
It made me want to pick up some literature of the antiques, the same way it made me want to pick up history books, because putting things in context really helps me understand.
However, what you say about the notion of letting go the 'must make sense of it' is something I can deeply relate to. On that note: I have no idea whether you have any interest in poetry, but Anne Carson, one of my very favorite poets (a rather unusaual one too) seems to share a passion there. She has translate quite of the ancient Greek poets (like Sappho, Aiskhylo, Sophokles and others) and she weaves that universe into her poetic novels (they feel more like novels than poems) as well. A perfect example being Autobiography of Red by her, which I adored. The art of perceiving: she's my favorite practice place for that.
Becca wrote: "I finished Gone Girl last week. I just didn't like it. The characters were unlikeable, the story bland and the writing average. 2 stars from me!"Interesting you should say that, Becca, I read Gone Girl earlier this year, and I wasn't that impressed, either. I also gave it 2 stars...
Leslie wrote: "Becca wrote: "I finished Gone Girl last week. I just didn't like it. The characters were unlikeable, the story bland and the writing average. 2 stars from me!"I had heard that the characters w..."
Same here. No desire to read it.
I've just read The Wood Beyond the World which I came across on the book title game thread in this group. Fascinating as a piece of literary history - apparently it inspired C.S. Lewis and Tolkien - and an education for me as I only knew of William Morris as a leader in the arts and crafts movement, famous for his wallpaper designs!As a story in its own right, sadly I felt it didn't really work. It's written in faux-archaic language which took some getting used to, although then I did enjoy the middle section. However I thought the ending was weak - the problem faced by the characters is resolved too easily.
I finished The Hound of the Baskervilles which I would recommend to mystery/thriller fans. The most suspenseful of the Sherlock Holmes stories I have read so far.
I've just finished reading two books. The first one was 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. It was a book recommendation from Perks that was given to me by Stacy. It was a collection of weird short stories. The were some of the stories that I really enjoyed but others I just didn't see the point of. I gave it 3 stars overall. I'm not sure if I would recommend it or not but I'm glad I read it :)The second book was A Storm of Swords Part 2. It's the Fourth book in the Game of Thrones series and it was awesome yet again a solid 5 stars :)
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Kingdom of Heroes was a pretty good read. I read it earlier in the Spring. My friend Jay Phillips wrote it so if you like Superheroes, definitely check it out. You can get it on Amazon and there's a giveaway for it on goodreads.
LauraT wrote: "Just finished Micro, too "slow", improbabke, even more than the usual Michael Crichton's works. No I wouldn't recomand it, only if you really needed a day off!"Too bad! I generally like Crichton's books but mostly I have read his older ones which were more sci fi and less thriller.
I've just finished Tigers in Red Weather. I started it last night and finished it today. It was an odd book it was almost as if the author started out writing a drama and then decided in the last few pages that she wanted to write a mystery thriller but obviously by then it was too late lol 3 stars from me :)
I've just finished A Prisoner of Birth, it was excellent! 5 stars from me, it really drew me in and there were lots of twists to keep you thinking and in suspense, it was my first Jeffery Archer book but if his others are as good as this one I will definitely be reading more!
Just finished Overdue for Murder - 2 1/2 stars. OK cozy mystery but there are a lot better mysteries out there. However, it did complete my Clue Game mystery challenge as one of the characters is murdered by a candlestick! :P
The last book I read was the dystopian novel,Wool Omnibus, and even though it's not the type of book I'd normally read, I really enjoyed it. I bought a copy for my son once I had finished it.
Connie wrote: "I just read Life After Life and really enjoyed it; however, I realize it is not a book for everyone. I like puzzles and mind games, so I think this sort of thing appeals to someone with that sort o..."I just finished this book last Wednesday, and I agree with your comments. Have you heard of The Shining Girls? I didn't exactly like it, but a character moves through time.
Elaine wrote: "I've just readAstonishing Splashes of Colour and The Cuckoo's Calling.Robert Galbraith is a pen name for JKRowling which is why I tried it .I found it slow to start but once it got going very gripp..."Elaine, I really enjoyed The Cuckoo's Calling. I'll definitely read Cormoran Strike #2!
I finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane this evening. I don't know if I can recommend it or not, since I'm not even sure what to rate it. I decided to give it a couple days to sink in before I assign stars. I've never read anything by Gaiman before, but it wasn't what I expected. Finished Inferno yesterday. It was the typical Dan Brown formula, but I liked it overall. I don't feel that it ended in a satisfactory way, though.
Denise wrote: "The last book I read was the dystopian novel,Wool Omnibus, and even though it's not the type of book I'd normally read, I really enjoyed it. I bought a copy for my son once I had finished it."This is on my TBR as well and really wants to be read this year. The book falls about outside of my comfort-zone in literature but I have heard so many good things about it that, in the spirit of 'broadening my horizon' I will give it a go sometime soon.
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Too bad! I generall..."
Me too Leslie!!!
I just read Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't by Jim Collins. To be honest it was an impulse buy, and I didn't really get much out of it. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are profoundly interested in business and economics.
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Today I finished Titanic Love Stories: The True Stories of 13 Honeymoon Couples Who Sailed on the Titanic by Gill Paul. For anyone interested in the Titanic this is an interesting book; a different perspective of that tragedy and some good information about life aboard the ship.
If you like political satire, or Victorian literature, or both, then I would recommend Phineas Finn by Trollope. In common with most Victorian novels, this is a long book but once you get to know the cast of characters, it moves right along.
I have finished If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino. For me it is a 4,5 star book.Calvino has been a genius writing this book: for the idea of the structure, for the things he says but also for the wonderful language he uses.
It is a deep book, it is a book about reading, about writing, about space and time in books. It isn't conventional fiction and it is a complex book but it is really worth to be read.
It isn't only about the experience of reading but also everything else is around the reading process/adventure: the print, the translation, what a reader is looking for, what a writer thinks or wants writing a book, censorship...There is so much in this book! And when you finish reading it, it isn't really finished because Calvino opens doors from one reading to the other; all the books we read can be a single book, every book we read can lead to another book and so it is a neverending circle, an adventure that never ends.
It was really amazing and original but I had this strange feeling of coldness reading this book though Calvino has been able to push me in the reading of this book since the first lines. The reader is hooked, it is as if he enters another universe, the universe of reading and writing but at the same time it is "cold".
If I recommend it? No if you like easy books, if you like pageturners, if you like conventional fiction. Yes if you like complex books that have something to tell you, if you like to make work your brain, if you want to experience another way of reading a book.
That is righly said, Dely. I loved your analysis of the book.Here is the review I had written for it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Dhanaraj wrote: "That is righly said, Dely. I loved your analysis of the book.Here is the review I had written for it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Thank you :D
It is difficult to review such a book, there are so many things inside it.
You are right, Dely. One of the reasons I became a fan of Italo Calvino immediately after reading it. I read some more books by him after that and my admiration for him has grown much.
Ah dely, I will happily join you in singing praise for Calvino and for this book in particular. Great review and thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Jenny wrote: "Ah dely, I will happily join you in singing praise for Calvino and for this book in particular. Great review and thank you for sharing your thoughts!"Thank you!
Dhanaraj, unfortunately I don't like a lot Italian literature and I don't think I will read other books by Calvino, at least not in the recent future.
I loved all the book that I read by Italo Calvino. And at present I am really in love iwth Italian Literature. Loved Antonio Tabucchi, Giovanni Verga, Carlo Levi, Primo Levi and Italo Calvino. Will try soon Pirandello and Moravia.
I very much second Dhanaraj's opinion on Tabucchi, Primo Levo and Calvino (I haven't read the others) What is it that frustrates you about Italian literature dely? Or what made you turn your back?
Dhanaraj wrote: "That is righly said, Dely. I loved your analysis of the book.Here is the review I had written for it: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Having read both of your reviews of this book, I am left very intrigued about it - I would like to read this one day, but it seems to be one that you would have to be in the right frame of mind to read it!
Dhanaraj wrote: "I loved all the book that I read by Italo Calvino. And at present I am really in love iwth Italian Literature. Loved Antonio Tabucchi, Giovanni Verga, Carlo Levi, Primo Levi and Italo Calvino. Will..."There are some authors I like as for example Alberto Moravia, Dino Buzzati, Giovanni Verga, Aldo Palazzeschi...
Jenny, I think it's because at school we were obliged to read a lot of books by Italian writers and the problem is that in my opinion we weren't ready and mature enough to appreciate books like these ones (but I want to try to re-read Luigi Pirandello). In this way there raised like a sort of hate for Italian writers because I considered them all very boring (except the few I have listed above).
@ Jenny, the Italians that I encountered in Goodreads had really less interest in Italian literature. That is an interesting revelation.@ Shirley, Buy that book and read only the introduction that Italo Calvino gives for it (the first chapter). In fact it is an exhortation for the reader as to how to prepare oneself to read the book. And you will love it.
Isn't it funny how school is trying to educate us about literature and makes us hate it instead? I've heard so many people say similar things about books they had to read in school. None of the authors you've listed I ever came across (apart from Moravia), so I will now devote some time to researching them ;)
And School is the villain.It would be more appropriate to say that the teachers were the reason for us to hate our own literature. I did not like much the Tamil literature in my school days. When in the college I had a professor for Tamil and that changed my attitude to Tamil literature completely.
So, the teachers are the villains. Lol...
Dhanaraj wrote: "And School is the villain.It would be more appropriate to say that the teachers were the reason for us to hate our own literature. I did not like much the Tamil literature in my school days. When..."
You are right.
I can make now comparisons with my son (he is 15) and his Italian teacher gave them for the summer holidays a list with different authors where he could choose. There aren't only Italian writers but there is also for example Gabriel García Márquez. Of course he will have his mandatory readings like The Betrothed and The Divine Comedy. There is no escape from these books for Italian students!
Agreed! ;) Eventhough in school's and teacher's defence: I had a brilliant teacher and was a sucker for literature early on. What might have also saved me though is that most of the books we read in school I had already read free willingly (oh my, that really makes me sound like a horrible little geek, doesn't it?) The amount of Germans hating Homo Faber by Max Frisch for example is incredible. Eventhough it really is a masterpiece, but I wonder if I'd say that had I been forced to read it at the age of 15.
I just finished Howards End by E. M. Forster and I really liked it: maybe it doesn't have the same charm of A Room with a View (with the setting, the story, etc) but it's still very good and different from the other one. I loved Margaret, she made up almost entirely of my pleasure reading! :)
Anastasia wrote: "I just finished Howards End by E. M. Forster and I really liked it: maybe it doesn't have the same charm of A Room with a View (with the setting, the story, etc) but it's still very good and differ..."I have been meaning to read something by E.M. Forster for a while now, would you recommend starting with 'A Room with a View' Anastasia?
Jenny wrote: "Anastasia wrote: "I just finished Howards End by E. M. Forster and I really liked it: maybe it doesn't have the same charm of A Room with a View (with the setting, the story, etc) but it's still ve..."A Room With a View is a good start, I've found it very entertaining. :)
On my TR-list it went ;) Thanks Anastasia!
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I've read the The Persians by Aeschylus a while back. What you describe is a pretty precise description of what my reading experience was, I couldn't quite grasp what I was reading, since it seemed so much part of a universe that I had trouble decoding. However it did make an appetite grow to 'practice' reading the antiques but next time I will be armed with books about the history and mythology of the classical antiquity ;)
What sparked your interest in the first place?