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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING > What are U reading these days? (PART EIGHT (2012) (ONGOING THREAD for 2012)

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message 651: by Carol (new)

Carol | 29 comments Joy, it may be me. I've been away for awhile. I clicked "reply to post" which took me (I think) to the main Goodreads site and posted there. I'm doing that now too. Is there another way to do this? Thanks.


message 652: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "I'm glad that helped clear things up, Joy. I guess you see what I mean about the emotional impact, though. ... Unfortunately, many of the stories in this collection read best if the reader knows something about the authors that contributed & Zelazny. ... So, while the book really does it for me, I don't think it's for everyone."

Yes, I can understand that, Jim. At least I can say I dipped my toe into the these waters and got a feel for what they are like, even though I can't get a full appreciation of them.

Back in 2010, Jackie recommended some Fantasy books which I could start with. I saved those titles and still intend to try them. It's taking me a while to get to those books because of the many distractions online and off, but I still intend to get to them.

Jackie's posts are at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
(Messages # 19 & 20)

The titles she recommended are below:
Three Against the Witch World (Witch World, Book 3) by Andre Norton
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Black Trillium (The Saga of the Trillium, Book 1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, Julian May
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Dragonflight (Pern: Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

As soon as I finish the John Jakes Kent Family Chronicles I vow to try one of the above books. In fact, perhaps I should get one now and read it alternately with the other books I have going. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, book-wise. :) (Remember that old expression? LOL)


message 653: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Jul 31, 2012 07:02AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments PS-Is there any reason why I shouldn't start with Andre Norton's:
Witch World (Witch World Series 1: The Estcarp Cycle #1)
instead of:
Three Against the Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #3) (which Jackie recommended)?

PS-I'm focusing on Andre Norton because I enjoyed her short story, The Outling.


message 654: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) I never read many of Norton's Witch World novels & it's been a long time, so Jackie knows best. Personally, I liked her The Beast Master book quite a bit. An Indian scout in the future with a bunch of animals that he works with using telepathy, sort of. More SF than fantasy, though.

The Riddlemaster of Hed is the first book of a trilogy that was my favorite by Patricia A. McKillip.

Dragonflight is also the first of a favorite old trilogy by Anne McCaffrey. That was one of the trilogies that Marg & I both had when we merged our book collections 30 years ago. I don't care for most of the spin-offs. McCaffery also wrote some good SF. Restoree & The Ship Who Sang are two old favorites.

I read several books by Bradley back when she first started writing. They were OK, but I never kept them around or read them again. It's probably been 30 years since I last read one. I have read some short stories by her & they were OK, too. She doesn't really blow any wind up my skirt, though.

I think you'd enjoy any of them, but would tend to go with Jackie's recommendations. I'm not a girl & sometimes that influences taste, too.


message 655: by Jackie (last edited Jul 31, 2012 09:47AM) (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments The only reason I say start with #3 is that it's a better story, but it's part of a trilogy so you'd have to read all three to get to the end of the story. Later when I went back and read #1, it wasn't that exciting and had I read it first I might not have gone back and read the rest. You might want to start with #1 anyway. Your choice, but I would move that down to the bottom of the list.

Firebrand and Alphabet of Thorn are standalone.

Firebrand is excellent, a unique take on the Trojan War, from a female point of view. That would be my highest recommendation of that list.


message 656: by Nina (new)

Nina | 6069 comments Have any of you seen The Artist? I recommend it. Great acting and though different; quite entertaining.


message 657: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim & Jackie: I have filed all your recommendations above in a WordPad file with links to this webpage. I'll look over the choices and decide which one to read next. The choices look very good! THANKS!

At least I'm getting familiar with titles and authors. :)


message 658: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Nina wrote: "Have any of you seen The Artist? I recommend it. Great acting and though different; quite entertaining."

Nina, I haven't seen it, but it's in my Netflix queue. Thanks for reminding me. I've moved it to the top.
"The Artist" (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Arti...
Netflix Description:
"This modern-day silent film artfully recounts the poignant end of the silent-movie era in the late 1920s. The story contrasts the declining fortunes of a silent-screen superstar with his lover's rise to popularity as a darling of the 'talkies.'"


message 659: by Werner (new)

Werner Joy, in case you're interested (or anyone else is), my review of Feckless is up now. The link is: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... .


message 660: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 01, 2012 08:26AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Werner wrote: "Joy, in case you're interested (or anyone else is), my review of Feckless is up now. The link is: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... ."

Thanks, Werner. I'll be picking up the book, Feckless, later this week at our public library. I'll refer to your review when choosing which stories to read first.

Meanwhile, your review motivated me to go to Wiki to see the definition of "speculative fiction". Below is what I found:
=============================================
"Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.[1]
...
"In its English language usage in arts and literature since 20th century, "speculative fiction" as a genre term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. In his first known use of the term, in editorial material at the front of the 2/8/1947 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Heinlein used it specifically as a synonym for "science fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not include fantasy."

FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculat...
================================================

Sounds like the meaning of the term, "speculative fiction", might be controversial. I'll have to read more about it.


message 661: by Nina (last edited Aug 01, 2012 09:37AM) (new)

Nina | 6069 comments So far, there has been no mention on Goodreads of the sad passing this week, of one of Ireland's greatest story tellers, Maeve Binchy.


message 662: by Werner (new)

Werner Joy, I think virtually everybody today uses the term "speculative fiction" as broadly as the Wiki definition you quoted does. Unlike Heinlein, I don't anyone today would exclude fantasy (a genre he probably didn't like, as many "hard" SF purists don't) from it.

I saw a mention elsewhere of Maeve Binchy's death. She will be sorely missed by a lot of devoted readers, though I haven't read any of her work myself.


message 663: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) Arguing about genres is as fruitless as arguing about the gods. Everyone has faith in their belief & can find reasons not to accept yours. I've known people to say that SF is part of the fantasy genre. Others have said that anything with an FTL drive HAS to be fantasy, because it's a 'magical' device. Clark would likely disagree.
;-)

Since there are supposed to only be about 6 plots & almost any story has a 'romantic' (depending on how you define it) element, I'd guess that some folks might make a case that all fiction are romance novels. Personally, I'll just stick to reading, rather than categorizing them.


message 664: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 02, 2012 04:25PM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Nina wrote: "So far, there has been no mention on Goodreads of the sad passing this week, of one of Ireland's greatest story tellers, Maeve Binchy."

Thanks, Nina. Yes, I saw the announcement in the obituary section of our newspaper. Reports say that she was 72 and passed away on 7/30/12 after a short illness in a hospital in Dublin.

Maeve Binchy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeve_Bi...

The Washington Post wrote:
===============================================
" ... After working as a teacher and newspaper columnist, Ms. Binchy was in her 40s when she published her first novel, “Light a Penny Candle,” in 1982. The book ... vaulted her into the ranks of one of the world’s best-selling authors.

"She went on to write 16 novels and several collections of short stories, most of which were built around the sometimes-awkward problems of women and families coming to terms with a changing Ireland in the second half of the 20th century.

"Although highbrow critics were not always kind to Ms. Binchy, her books sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and were translated into 37 languages."
...
"If Ms. Binchy wasn’t widely considered an innovative novelist, she was regarded as a spellbinding storyteller who had a gift for creating characters with universal appeal.
...
"Six feet tall, rather stout and garrulous, Ms. Binchy spoke in a rapid Dublin brogue and delighted in meeting her readers."

FROM: http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
=============================================

More at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/st...
Excerpt:
"Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road," and her short story "How About You" were turned into films. Two other novels, "Echoes" and "The Lilac Bus," were filmed for television."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/boo...
Excerpt:
=====================================================
"Maeve Binchy, Writer Who Evoked Ireland, Dies at 72"

... Though her pages were rife with faithless lovers, alcoholism, unwanted pregnancies and even murder, Ms. Binchy resisted being described as a romance novelist. For one thing, she pointed out, her heroines were less inclined to win the dashing hero than they were to learn to live, quite capably, without him.

“Nowadays women realize that they are dealt a hand of cards and must play it,” she told The Chicago Tribune in 1999. “There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems.”

For another, her novels had far less steam. “There’s a huge interest in sex and writing about it very graphically,” Ms. Binchy told The Daily Mail of London in 2007. “But I am not going to do it — not because I’m a Holy Joe, far from it. Not because I’m very moral, far from that. But because I’m afraid I’ll get it wrong.”

She added, “You see, I’ve never been at an orgy and I wouldn’t know where legs should be and arms should be.”

Ms. Binchy’s books were concerned instead with friendship, often charting the course of a relationship from idyllic childhood to turbulent adulthood. “Light a Penny Candle” follows two girlhood friends, one Irish, the other English, over decades, through love affairs and failed marriages. ...
...
If critics considered Ms. Binchy a commercial novelist rather than a literary one, then that, by her own account, did not faze her.

“I’m mainly an airport author, and if you’re trying to take your mind off the journey, you’re not going to read ‘King Lear,’ ” she told The Irish Times in 2000.
...
Her writing career began by accident in the early 1960s, after she spent time on a kibbutz in Israel. Her father was so taken with her letters home that “he cut off the ‘Dear Daddy’ bits,” Ms. Binchy later recounted, and sent them to an Irish newspaper, which published them.
...
A posthumous novel, “A Week in Winter,” is scheduled to be published this year.

===================================================


message 665: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "Arguing about genres is as fruitless as arguing about the gods. Everyone has faith in their belief & can find reasons not to accept yours. I've known people to say that SF is part of the fantasy ..."

Jim, I realize that so many genres overlap each other that it might be hard to categorize them neatly using strict definitions. However, if we keep the definitions "loose", they do help in choosing books we might want to read.

What does FTL mean? I looked it up:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/FTL.html
Take your choice. :)


message 666: by Jackie (last edited Aug 02, 2012 04:25PM) (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments Faster Than Light (space travel)


message 667: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 02, 2012 04:32PM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jackie wrote: "Faster Than Light (space travel)"

Thanks, Jackie. After I saw your post, I went back to acronymfinder.com and spotted "Faster Than Light" in their long list. It was the 4th definition from the bottom. Thanks for your prompt reply. :)


message 668: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Carol wrote [in Message #651 above]: "Joy, it may be me. I've been away for awhile. I clicked "reply to post" which took me (I think) to the main Goodreads site and posted there. I'm doing that now too. Is there another to do this? Thanks. "

Carol, I just discovered your post here today. I'm not sure of what you mean. Can you elaborate?


message 669: by Jackie (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments You're Welcome, Joy.
I think it should be much higher up that list.


message 670: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) Thanks, Jackie. I agree. Anything with an FTL drive is obviously an SF reference to Faster Than Light travel.


message 671: by Jackie (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments I knew it was safe to answer, knowing what you meant because knowing the books you read and being a fellow space traveler, lol

I couldn't think of one other meaning. Faster Than Light overshadows any other thing it could possibly mean.


message 672: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 02, 2012 06:03PM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments How about FTASB? (Faster than a speeding bullet!) LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAROcb...

Note: Superman was "created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman

I like to give credit where credit is due. :)

Jerry Siegel
JERRY SIEGEL - JOE SHUSTER


message 673: by Carol (new)

Carol | 29 comments Joy H. wrote: "Carol wrote [in Message #651 above]: "Joy, it may be me. I've been away for awhile. I clicked "reply to post" which took me (I think) to the main Goodreads site and posted there. I'm doing that ..."

Joy H. wrote: "Carol wrote [in Message #651 above]: "Joy, it may be me. I've been away for awhile. I clicked "reply to post" which took me (I think) to the main Goodreads site and posted there. I'm doing that ..."
HI Joy--you were wondering why you didn't receive a notice about my post I think---that was what I was talking about. I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly, but eventually we seem to catch up! No worries!


message 674: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Carol wrote: "HI Joy--you were wondering why you didn't receive a notice about my post I think---that was what I was talking about. I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly, but eventually we seem to catch up! No worries!"

I see. Yes, Carol, sometimes it takes a while to get used to navigating around the Goodreads site. Eventually we get where we want to go.

Glad to see you found my post.


message 675: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 06:05AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments I picked up Feckless at our library and have read two of the short stories so far (the first two). They drew me right in. Each one had a good twist at the end that I didn't see coming. Easy reading too. The writing is good.

I also read another short story from Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny. The title of the story is "Lethe". Lethe is a technique which enables man to live forever by programming his mind and genes. Reproduction is done differently. The concept is fascinating but I couldn't get into the story. I skimmed a bit but never finished. I will struggle on to find a story in the book which is more my level.


message 676: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) In my review, I noted that "Lethe" was way too long. The only reason I was able to read it with any interest was because I'd just read an article about the 'Forgetting Pill', a new drug that has been developed to help people disassociate the emotions from traumatic events. There's a link to the article in my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Try "IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF MORNING" or "ASGARD UNLIMITED", but there probably isn't a lot here for you, Joy. You didn't care for nor connect with the little bit of Zelazny you've read from what I know, so these stories are about 2 steps removed from you to start. As I've said before, these stories were written for those who loved Zelazny & his writings. You won't get much out of them if you don't.

For instance, "WHEREFORE THE REST IS SILENCE" by Gerald Hausman was an excellent read for me because I've read "Wilderness" that Hausman & Zelazny co-wrote, the book referenced in this story. It's more historical fiction than anything else, so completely different than his typical writing. My review for it is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
It's about 2 early mountain men; John Colter and Hugh Glass. These are fictionalized accounts but firmly based on the historical facts. The book alternates chapters, starting with Colter & then switching to Glass.


message 677: by Jackie (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments Lethe is one of the five rivers of the Underworld in Greek Mythology. The dead would drink from it to forget their earthly lives.


message 678: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Yes, Jim, I just discovered (by looking back) that you thought the story was too long. If it could have been boiled down, I might have been able to digest it. I'll check out your link about the article on memory.

I think you're right when you say that "these stories are about 2 steps removed" from me. I haven't got the background of Zelazny's style and writings which would give me references to increase my understanding.


message 679: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 06:54AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim, I couldn't find the link to the article about the 'Forgetting Pill'.
Do you have the link to post here?


message 680: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:01AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jackie wrote: "Lethe is one of the five rivers of the Underworld in Greek Mythology. The dead would drink from it to forget their earthly lives."

Ah, another reference I didn't know about! Thanks, Jackie.
That explains the name of the technique in the story "Lethe".


message 681: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) The article on memory is a pretty long one too, Joy. It is interesting about how we store memory, though.

When I said 2 steps removed, you got one step, but it was the second one about Zelazny. The first is other background reading like Jackie made reference to. They often reference mythology & other standard works in the genre that I don't think you're too familiar with, but I have read extensively.

I'm always surprised by how much background I take for granted & you make me realize that. Our conversation about what FTL stood for in SF is an example. We discuss books a lot at home, but such things don't come up often because my family tends to read along the same lines as I do. I think I've mentioned that Marg & I had a lot of duplication when we merged our libraries, so the kids just naturally picked up on our tastes.


message 682: by Jackie (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments Jim wrote: I'm always surprised by how much background I take for granted...

I know what you mean, oftentimes I'm surprised people don't know these things. SF/F gives us a wealth and variety of knowledge we'd probably not have otherwise.


message 683: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "The article on memory is a pretty long one too, Joy. It is interesting about how we store memory, though. ...

What's the link?


message 684: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "... When I said 2 steps removed, you got one step, but it was the second one about Zelazny. The first is other background reading like Jackie made reference to. They often reference mythology & other standard works in the genre that I don't think you're too familiar with, but I have read extensively. ..."

I've never like Greek or Roman mythology. That's probably why I don't know much about it.


message 685: by Jackie (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments I finished the Cartamandua Legacy, the duology of Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone. I had no expectations for this book, never having read the author before. I am so lucky to have found this gem. It's one of the best books I've read in a while. I gave them both 5 stars.

Now I've started Stand on Zanzibar. I've got mixed feelings on this one even though I'm not very far into it. The author uses a variety of techniques. It's unique, I'll give it that, but in the unique writing sometimes it's difficult to stay connected to the story and it's difficult to connect to the characters. Written in 1968 and set in 2010, I'm awed at the prophetic nature of this book.

And I'm still working on Richard II. This is my first Shakespeare history and will undoubtedly be my last. Long periods of boredom. When things happen, it's great but that's too far and few between for my liking. So when that British TV show finally comes around to our PBS, I think it'll be in my best interest to just watch the histories rather than read them. Or maybe even pass on it altogether, I haven't made up my mind yet.


message 686: by Jackie (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:29AM) (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments Joy wrote: I've never like Greek or Roman mythology.

As a kid, Mythology was a treasured favorite.
Now don't take this wrong, Joy, but if you don't like mythology, I don't think there's any Fantasy that you would really like then. Mythology is sedate compared to modern Fantasy; it all gets even more fantastical.
And now knowing you don't like Mythology, scratch Firebrand off the list I gave you, it's about the Trojan War. I don't think you'd like it. And it's better to have read the original Iliad or some other traditional version first, so you'd know the differences.


message 687: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:33AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "... For instance, "WHEREFORE THE REST IS SILENCE" by Gerald Hausman was an excellent read for me because I've read "Wilderness" that Hausman & Zelazny co-wrote, the book referenced in this story. It's more historical fiction than anything else, so completely different than his typical writing. My review for it is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
It's about 2 early mountain men; John Colter and Hugh Glass. These are fictionalized accounts but firmly based on the historical facts. The book alternates chapters, starting with Colter & then switching to Glass."


That was interesting. I could connect because I've heard of Lewis and Clark. I didn't know about "John Colter". Thanks for the links to Wiki in your review. Wiki says:
===================================
"John Colter (c.1774–1813) was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). Though party to one of the more famous expeditions in history, Colter is best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807–1808, when Colter became the first known person of European descent to enter the region now known as Yellowstone National Park, and to see the Teton Mountain Range. Colter spent months alone in the wilderness, and is widely considered to be the first mountain man."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Colter
=====================================
If I'm not mistaken, John Jakes might have mentioned him in his fiction series, _Kent Family Chronicles_".


message 688: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:39AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jackie wrote: "I finished the Cartamandua Legacy, the duology of Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone. ... I finished the Cartamandua Legacy, the duology of Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone. ...
...And I'm still working on Richard II. "


Jackie, as usual, I'm amazed at the amount and breadth of your readings and interests.
They put me to shame. :) :(


message 689: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:43AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jackie wrote: "As a kid, Mythology was a treasured favorite. Now don't take this wrong, Joy, but if you don't like mythology, I don't think there's any Fantasy that you would really like then. Mythology is sedate compared to modern Fantasy; it all gets even more fantastical. And now knowing you don't like Mythology, scratch Firebrand off the list I gave you, it's about the Trojan War. I don't think you'd like it. And it's better to have read the original Iliad or some other traditional version first, so you'd know the differences."

Jackie, the LAST thing I'd want to read is The Iliad by Homer ! LOL


message 690: by Jackie (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:50AM) (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments I have to agree, The Iliad wasn't the easiest thing to read. I had difficulty getting through it but I've read modern versions of the Trojan War that were very good and much easier to read.


message 691: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 07:57AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments The only think I remember about the Trojan War is the wooden Trojan Horse! LOL
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_H...

And of course there was Helen of Troy. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of...


message 692: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) Joy H. wrote: "Jim, I couldn't find the link to the article about the 'Forgetting Pill'.
Do you have the link to post here?"


http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02...


message 693: by Joy H., Group Founder (last edited Aug 06, 2012 08:04AM) (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments PS-I also remember the story of Odysseus from when I studied Latin in High School. That stands out in my mind... with the sirens, etc. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus
"Odysseus is not only ingenious (as evidenced by his idea for the Trojan Horse), but an eloquent speaker..."
"He is also known by the Roman name Ulysses."


message 694: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim, thanks for the link to the article.
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02...
"The Forgetting Pill Erases Painful Memories Forever", February 17, 2012.


message 695: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) I agree with Jackie, if you don't like mythology, I don't think fantasy or SF is going to do a thing for you. They all require the same suspension of belief & ability to imagine a world with other rules than ours. Not everyone likes that. Mom hates it & always thought my books were garbage. So did all my grandparents, especially my paternal grandfather, but it was my father's love of it that got me reading so much.

I've read several versions of the Iliad & found the 'true' translations were horrible. The prose is dense & the names are just impossible to keep straight. I had to read parts for school & never enjoyed them. As an updated & edited novel, it's great, though.


message 696: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) Jackie, as I recall Richard II wasn't much fun, but if you've got the language down, the 3 Henry's are pretty good. That's Henry IV part 1 & 2, & Henry V. Prince Hal is pretty cool & Falstaff is iconic. If you want something darker King Lear, Hamlet or Othello aren't bad, but I always thought MacBeth was the best.

If you can find a copy of it, read Sir Walter Scott's The Miscellaneous Works of Sir Walter Scott: Tales of a Grandfather, History of Scotland. The history starts with MacBeth, if I remember right. It's a good book. I'd offer to loan you my copy, but it's falling apart.


message 697: by Jim (new)

Jim (jimmaclachlan) Joy H. wrote: "PS-I also remember the story of Odysseus from when I studied Latin in High School. That stands out in my mind... with the sirens, etc. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus
"Odysseus is not only..."


I've always loved the Odyssey, far more than the Iliad. There's been a lot of remakes of Odysseus's trials, but the best is Silverlock by John Myers Myers. (No, Myers Myers isn't a mistake.) Zelazny took some tips from Myers. It's the Odyssey with all kinds of cool fantasy characters in it including Job, Robin Hood, & Dan'l Boone.

Here's the Wikipedia entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlock


message 698: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: "I agree with Jackie, if you don't like mythology, I don't think fantasy or SF is going to do a thing for you. They all require the same suspension of belief & ability to imagine a world with other..."

Jim, I can suspend disbelief. I don't think that's the problem. The problem is UNDERSTANDING what they're talking about!


message 699: by Jackie (last edited Aug 06, 2012 08:34AM) (new)

Jackie (thelastwolf) | 4050 comments The Odyssey is to The Iliad as The Hobbit is to LOTR, IMO. Odyssey and Hobbit are fast paced with something new and exciting happening in every chapter, Iliad and LOTR are long books, good in their own rights but will never be as exciting as Odyssey or Hobbit. It takes a long time to get the pay-off.
Not much happens in The Iliad until almost 10 years after the war starts, when Agamemnon takes Achilles slave girl Briseis then things kick off into some serious action. The Odyssey was a lot of fun to read, all those adventures in trying to get home from the war.

The language of Richard II slows me down but I understand it. I like Shakespeare's tragedies best. I have MacBeth and King Lear on my To Read list, and have copies of both. Othello and Hamlet were both good.

Jim, we have to learn how to be bookbinders, lol I often fix my broken books, maybe not the greatest job but as long as I can still read them, I'm pleased with the outcome. I wonder if there's any book repairers anymore? I doubt it.


message 700: by Joy H., Group Founder (new)

Joy H. (joyofglensfalls) | 16697 comments Jim wrote: " ... There's been a lot of remakes of Odysseus's trials, but the best is Silverlock by John Myers Myers. (No, Myers Myers isn't a mistake.) Zelazny took some tips from Myers. It's the Odyssey with all kinds of cool fantasy characters in it including Job, Robin Hood, & Dan'l Boone.
Here's the Wikipedia entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlock "


Wow, that's quite a list of varied characters listed at Wiki!
[It gives a]: "partial listing of the characters, settings, and events that are drawn from history, and from works of literature and mythology. Some of the characters go by names other than those given below, thus the reader is expected to identify them from their contexts."

Ah, there's the rub! :)


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