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Other than the obvious, are there any good historical fiction novels set in the Chinese Three Kingdoms period?
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Nov 17, 2011 15:17
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funkybottoms posted:Might be worth checking out Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard stories- not horror, but they feature an awesome/ridiculous buddy dynamic similar to that of JDATE (he's written a bunch of "real" horror, as well). I second the Hap and Leonard series. The buddy vibe of that series is the best I've ever read. While talking of Lansdale, I would also suggest his book The Complete Drive-in trilogy. This is by far the closet you can get to John Dies at the End (until the sequel drops) in terms of tone, humor, and weird things happening to people that you wouldn't see coming. And it also deals with people reacting to horrific stuff on a way that seems real. Those are my two cents.
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Nov 18, 2011 17:17
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WARnold posted:Can someone recommend a book about the Korean War? Open to non-fiction and fiction alike. Non-fiction: Remembered Prisoners of a Forgotten War -based on interviews with POWs, covering pretty much all aspects of their lives from capture to repatriation MASH: An Army Surgeon Remembers -memoirs of a doctor who worked at a MASH. Depending on how interested you are in history vs. entertainment, I'd recommend this over the novel MASH, which is still worth a read. Fiction: I'd really like some recommendations for this myself. I'm reading War Trash right now, which is from the perspective of a Chinese POW. I'd really like to read more from the Korean perspective, if anybody has any suggestions.
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Nov 19, 2011 05:13
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Where is a good place to start with Dickens? I love sprawling stories and could read dead russian authors all day long. I'm not sure if there is any correlation beyond 'old' and 'great' and I just don't know where to start. For reference, I read maybe the first 3 pages of Bleak House and liked what I saw of the prose, but it admittedly put me to sleep. If there are any additional/complimentary resources you'd recommend, I'd enjoy that too. Thanks! Edit: I hadn't considered different versions or whatever, but I'll be on a kindle, so if you have a particular format/copy to suggest I'd be open. meanolmrcloud fucked around with this message at 18:06 on Nov 19, 2011 |
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Nov 19, 2011 18:02
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meanolmrcloud posted:Where is a good place to start with Dickens? I love sprawling stories and could read dead russian authors all day long. I'm not sure if there is any correlation beyond 'old' and 'great' and I just don't know where to start. For reference, I read maybe the first 3 pages of Bleak House and liked what I saw of the prose, but it admittedly put me to sleep. If there are any additional/complimentary resources you'd recommend, I'd enjoy that too. Thanks! The Pickwick Papers. I think it's his most accessible and fun book. Also, Sam Weller rules.
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Nov 20, 2011 04:17
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Sounds plucky!
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Nov 20, 2011 04:49
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meanolmrcloud posted:Where is a good place to start with Dickens? I love sprawling stories and could read dead russian authors all day long. I'm not sure if there is any correlation beyond 'old' and 'great' and I just don't know where to start. For reference, I read maybe the first 3 pages of Bleak House and liked what I saw of the prose, but it admittedly put me to sleep. If there are any additional/complimentary resources you'd recommend, I'd enjoy that too. Thanks! I'd recommend either Christmas Carol or David Copperfield. Christmas Carol is short and by far his most accessible work. It's important to remember that when Dickens wrote this, the idea of the Christmas celebration was sortof dying off in England -- it was either viewed as sinful celebration (a la Cromwell) or as a primarily rural holiday celebrated by a whole village together. So Dickens was actively re-imagining Christmas as an urban, family-focused, relatively secular holiday, and this story is why we view Christmas today the way that we do. Christmas Carol is a really interesting example of active myth-making in modern culture. He wasn't depicting a contemporary view of Christmas, he was creating one. So all the parts that seem hackneyed or trite to modern readers were not just new images, they were whole new *themes* to his contemporaries. David Copperfield is probably Dicken's best novel and was certainly Dicken's own favorite novel. It's also his most autobiographical, especially in the early portions -- Dickens himself lived as a London street urchin for some time. His writing in David Copperfield, especially the early portions, has an immediacy and "kick" that he rarely achieved elsewhere, partly because he was writing more from direct experience and partly because he was writing about issues he deeply cared about. If you want to get into Bleak House, I'd recommend that you find a copy of Nabokov's _Lectures on Literature_ and read the lecture on Bleak House; it's included as a preface in some editions now anyway. He does a really good job of explaining just why the writing in it is so brilliant. Still, I wouldn't recommend Bleak House as a starting point. Personally, I had a hard time getting into Pickwick Papers because it's basically just an assortment of silly events, a picaresque rather than a structured narrative. Still, your mileage may vary and it certainly has its moments. Just about anything by Dickens should be available as a free kindle edition, but it's basically impossible to advise a specific edition because Amazon crosslinks everything. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 15:41 on Nov 20, 2011 |
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Nov 20, 2011 15:30
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I don't think Dickens ever lived as a street urchin. His father was imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea (like Mr. Dorrit, though it's Micawber who most closely resembles Dickens's father) but Dickens himself stayed with other family or friends or something during that time (I forget exactly). He did work in a blacking factory for awhile, just like David did, and there's a passage in David Copperfield about it that Dickens basically took directly from his own memoirs/notes that he later gave to John Forster. But the last two biographies I read of Dickens seem to agree he probably exaggerated how bad it was, mostly because Dickens was just angry that a super awesome guy like himself should never have ever been deprived of a proper education, even for a few weeks or months, and he blamed his father for being improvident, because Dickens had no time for people who couldn't get their poo poo together (see also: his poor wife). I've never read Nabokov's intro to Bleak House (which I think is Dickens's best book, followed closely by Our Mutual Friend and David Copperfield, each for very different reasons), but J. Hillis Miller has an awesome article on Bleak House called "Interpretation in Bleak House." It's been published in a bunch of places (including once as the intro to the '71 Penguin edition), and you might be able to find it free online on Google Books or something (or PM me). DirtyRobot fucked around with this message at 18:29 on Nov 20, 2011 |
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Nov 20, 2011 18:26
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Tale of Two Cities is a good Dickens book, too - the backdrop of the French Revolution definitely makes it one of his most exciting. That said, I read Copperfield this year and loved it.
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Nov 20, 2011 19:03
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It's been awhile since I read for pleasure, but I really miss it and feel totally uncultured and boring. When I was in high school I read and did a report of Cat's Cradle and I loved it. I was just wondering what other Vonnegut books I should read and also if there are any other authors that might be worth checking out.
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Nov 21, 2011 02:26
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Wolfy posted:It's been awhile since I read for pleasure, but I really miss it and feel totally uncultured and boring. When I was in high school I read and did a report of Cat's Cradle and I loved it. I was just wondering what other Vonnegut books I should read and also if there are any other authors that might be worth checking out. Full disclosure, that's the only Vonnegut I've read so I can't compare it to Cat's Cradle or any of his other works, but it is a very good read in its own right, I really enjoyed it.
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Nov 21, 2011 02:49
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I was thinking about making a thread for my request but didn't know how much interest it would get: Can anyone recommend some really lighthearted fun/comedy books? The past few books I've read have been a bit towards the gritty/grim side and want to read something thats just really fun to read with a lot of laughs throughout. When I google recommendations, I always get the same suggestions, Terry Pratchetts Discworld Series, Jeeves and Wooster, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Diane Wynn Jones and Rhoad Dahl, which are all find suggestions except I've read them all. I don't mind if its books aimed towards younger readers as long as they're still enjoyable to an adult. Probably not so seen on Autobiographies as I read a couple in the last few months and am kinda burnt out on them for the moment.
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Nov 21, 2011 11:49
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Lord Dekks posted:Can anyone recommend some really lighthearted fun/comedy books? The past few books I've read have been a bit towards the gritty/grim side and want to read something thats just really fun to read with a lot of laughs throughout. A. Lee Martinez' books (Gil's All Fright Diner) are moderately amusing. Also Chistopher Moore's stuff. The first five or six of Robert Asprin's Myth books were the best thing in comic fantasy before Pratchett came along, but you've probably read them already. Bridge of Birds is the best book ever and you'll like it. Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October is great fun but halloween-themed so may not be what you're looking for. edit: Jim C. Hine's _Goblin_ books. Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Nov 21, 2011 |
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Nov 21, 2011 15:52
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Lord Dekks posted:I was thinking about making a thread for my request but didn't know how much interest it would get: Are you just looking for novels? As stated above, A Lee Martinez writes some funny fiction, but if you're interested in non-fiction, Mary Roach and (the first three) Sarah Vowell books are great, and of course there are always humorous essayists like David Sedaris and Dave Barry.
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Nov 21, 2011 16:04
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Can anybody recommend good science books for a smart 8 year old? I have a niece whose favorite subject is science & I want to help it along as much as I can. 
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Nov 21, 2011 17:31
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sean10mm posted:Can anybody recommend good science books for a smart 8 year old? I have a niece whose favorite subject is science & I want to help it along as much as I can. Simon Basher's stuff. The series has expanded, so I'm not familiar with all of them, but the books on biology, the periodic table, geology, and astronomy are all excellent, not to mention handy references for adults, too.
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Nov 21, 2011 17:42
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sean10mm posted:Can anybody recommend good science books for a smart 8 year old? I have a niece whose favorite subject is science & I want to help it along as much as I can. I remember really liking The Way Things Work books when I was a kid. Do they still make those?
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Nov 21, 2011 20:12
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penismightier posted:I remember really liking The Way Things Work books when I was a kid. Do they still make those? They do. Got one for my 8 year old last year at christmas.
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Nov 21, 2011 22:41
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Jack Does Jihad posted:- The April Witch, a short story by Ray Bradbury, which is what I've enjoyed the most. I really like that lyrical style of writing, and I'd like to find more things like it. You should check out John Crowley, who's probably the closest thing to Bradbury in terms of how he approaches prose in SF. His book of short stories Novelties and Antiquities is a good place to start. While exploring Bradbury, make sure to read El Dia De Muerte and I See You Never. I think they're respectively published in The Machineries of Joy and Golden Apples of the Sun
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Nov 21, 2011 23:14
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I'm looking for historical fiction that takes place during World War I that is not All Quiet on the Western Front or any of Shaara's books. Also, Ottoman Empire historical fiction would be nice if anybody knows some. 
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Nov 22, 2011 07:39
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:A. Lee Martinez' books (Gil's All Fright Diner) are moderately amusing. Started this last night, really enjoying it so far, exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, a very fun read even in the first few chapters, thanks.
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Nov 22, 2011 12:12
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sean10mm posted:Can anybody recommend good science books for a smart 8 year old? I have a niece whose favorite subject is science & I want to help it along as much as I can. This might be a bit hard to track down in the states, but this is a absolutely fantastic book: Almost everything there is to know. Its done in a almost comic strip format with tons of interesting facts about how various things work. I still leaf through it sometimes 21 years later and although things are explained in a simple manner, it doesn't talk down to a kid at all. If nothing else, apparently he put all the original cartoons online although they're not amazing scans, but if you can't track down the book, direct her to the authors website, its still fantastic Link. Lord Dekks fucked around with this message at 12:18 on Nov 22, 2011 |
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Nov 22, 2011 12:16
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Farecoal posted:I'm looking for historical fiction that takes place during World War I that is not All Quiet on the Western Front or any of Shaara's books. Also, Ottoman Empire historical fiction would be nice if anybody knows some.
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Nov 22, 2011 17:42
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Farecoal posted:I'm looking for historical fiction that takes place during World War I that is not All Quiet on the Western Front or any of Shaara's books. Also, Ottoman Empire historical fiction would be nice if anybody knows some. I've heard Henri Barbusse's Under Fire is very good. If you're interested in non-fiction, I'd also recommend Robert Grave's and Ernst Junger's memoirs of the war, too.
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Nov 22, 2011 18:17
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:Well, you've disqualified all the WWI novels I know about, but when I asked about Turkey/The Ottoman Empire earlier in the thread I was recommended Orhan Pamuk. His novels like "My Name Is Red" and "The White Castle" are Ottoman-era fiction. The only work of his I've read is "The Museum of Innocence" which is in modern-day Istanbul, not Ottoman times, so I can't vouch for the quality of the books I listed in particular, but Museum convinced me that he's an exceptional author, so I can't imagine his other works aren't any good. I'll check out this Pamuk guy, his books sound pretty good. In return, here's a really good book about a eunuch detective in 1800s Istanbul : http://www.amazon.com/Janissary-Tree-Novel-Jason-Goodwin/dp/0312426135 barkingclam posted:I've heard Henri Barbusse's Under Fire is very good. If you're interested in non-fiction, I'd also recommend Robert Grave's and Ernst Junger's memoirs of the war, too. Nonfiction isn't usually my cup of tea, but Under Fire seems cool. Thanks a bunch. Farecoal fucked around with this message at 05:45 on Nov 23, 2011 |
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Nov 22, 2011 22:45
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Farecoal posted:I'll check out this Pamuk guy, his books sound pretty good. In return, here's a really good book about a eunuch detective in 1800s Istanbul : http://www.amazon.com/Janissary-Tree-Novel-Jason-Goodwin/dp/0312426135 While I'm here, I may as well repost my request from two or three pages ago that no one responded: WeaponGradeSadness posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for good books about Iran or Persia? I already have The Septembers of Shiraz, and I've been looking at The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani and Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji. Are those any good, and are there any others that I should look at?
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Nov 24, 2011 02:39
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Under Fire is drat good. There's one part with a field hospital that's haunting.
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Nov 24, 2011 05:46
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What is Seth Godin's best book according to businessgoons? I picked up Small Is The New Big which is great and i love the guy.. but its just a compilation of blogs/ideas and i want something ~cohesive~ Or recommend any business/marketing book in general that wasn't only enjoyable but you got something out of goldblums eyes fucked around with this message at 03:46 on Nov 25, 2011 |
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Nov 25, 2011 03:44
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I've been greatly enjoying John Steinbeck's novels. So far I've read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and I've just finished East of Eden. Which of his novels should I read next?
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Nov 25, 2011 22:24
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Umbriago posted:I've been greatly enjoying John Steinbeck's novels. So far I've read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and I've just finished East of Eden. Which of his novels should I read next? The Pastures of Heaven! That's definitely my favorite. Tortilla Flat is also good.
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Nov 26, 2011 00:12
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Umbriago posted:I've been greatly enjoying John Steinbeck's novels. So far I've read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and I've just finished East of Eden. Which of his novels should I read next? Cannery Row has a sequel that's great, _Sweet Thursday_.
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Nov 26, 2011 04:21
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:WeaponGradeSadness posted: Persepolis, get it now. Really gives an insider perspective on the Iranian Revolution.
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Nov 26, 2011 04:36
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Farecoal posted:Persepolis, get it now. Really gives an insider perspective on the Iranian Revolution.
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Nov 26, 2011 05:09
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Umbriago posted:I've been greatly enjoying John Steinbeck's novels. So far I've read The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row and I've just finished East of Eden. Which of his novels should I read next? In Dubious Battle is another tragedy about migrant workers (focusing on union organizers). Tortilla Flats is similar to Cannery Row, a drunken parable, this one based on the legends of Arthur. The Winter of Our Discontent is another study in ethics and morals like EoE, but without the biblical paratext. The Red Pony is another tragic bildungsroman set in the Salinas Valley. Or if you're looking for something completely different, you could try The Moon is Down which is the anti-fascist piece he wrote during World War 2, or one of his journals, like Travels With Charlie or The Log from the Sea of Cortez. Really, when you read Steinbeck, you can basically pick a book at random and you'll be satisfied. Eden and Wrath are his best works, but everything in his catalog is at least very good.
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Nov 26, 2011 06:06
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Thanks for the recommendations. I think I'm going to go for Sweet Thursday and Tortilla Flat next. PeterWeller posted:Really, when you read Steinbeck, you can basically pick a book at random and you'll be satisfied. Eden and Wrath are his best works, but everything in his catalog is at least very good. Funny you should say this. The BBC recently televised a documentary on Steinbeck and part of that documentary considered his literary reputation whilst he was alive. Notable was The New York Times's criticism of Steinbeck published when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962: "The Swedes have made a serious error by giving the prize to a writer whose limited talent is in his best books watered down by 10th-rate philosophising". The documentary suggested that Steinbeck's reputation suffered because he was hated by the right for being a suspected Communist (he was not) and later hated by the left for his support of the Vietnam War; and that this problem was compounded by literary critics mistakenly pigeonholing Steinbeck early in his career as a realist writer unable to experiment with his craft in the same way as, say, Faulkner. If anyone is interested in the documentary and has access to BBC iPlayer you can watch it here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b017j50x/John_Steinbeck_Voice_of_America/ If not, you can read a promotional article and comments on The Guardian which are also very interesting: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/nov/21/melvyn-bragg-on-john-steinbeck
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Nov 26, 2011 14:34
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WeaponGradeSadness posted:I actually picked that up between posting the first time and quoting myself and just forgot to update it. Thanks for the recommendation anyway, though, I haven't started it yet so l'm glad to hear some support for it! There's a really good movie version too.
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Nov 26, 2011 19:01
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I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it--what's a good starting point for Murakami? I'm leaning towards Hard-Boiled Wonderland, but Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka on the Shore sound good too.
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Nov 26, 2011 23:57
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ArgaWarga posted:I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it--what's a good starting point for Murakami? I'm leaning towards Hard-Boiled Wonderland, but Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka on the Shore sound good too. You couldn't go wrong with either of those and Wind-Up Bird's a very good read, but you could even start with his shorter stuff (it's what I did). I liked Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman the most: The Kidney-Shaped Stone That Moves Every Day was my first exposure to him.
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Nov 27, 2011 02:23
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I'm looking for a book on the end of the Russian Empire/beginning of the Soviet Union. Any general history of the Bolshevik rise to power would be good, or anything that details the February/October Revolutions in particular. Also now that I think about it, I'd kind of like to read a history of the Russian Empire as well. ArgaWarga posted:I'm sure this has been asked before, but I can't find it--what's a good starting point for Murakami? I'm leaning towards Hard-Boiled Wonderland, but Wind Up Bird Chronicles and Kafka on the Shore sound good too. Hard-Boiled Wonderland is a good starting point, as is Norwegian Wood or A Wild Sheep Chase. I wouldn't recommend starting with Wind Up Bird Chronicles at all; if any of Murakami's books could be described as "difficult", that would be it. I don't know about Kafka on the Shore, I had sort of lost interest in Murakami by the time it came out. Conduit for Sale! fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Nov 27, 2011 |
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Nov 27, 2011 20:16
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Can anyone recommend me a book that has childhood vs adulthood as a central theme? You know that Simpsons episode where the kids rebel against the adults and they expose all their shameful secrets on the radio? Like that, but in book form.
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Nov 28, 2011 02:20
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