|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 22, 2009 13:38:11 GMT 1
Today I'm re-reading Interpriter of Maladies of all things...
For technique writing of course. It's quite rich with the language at times.
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Nov 22, 2009 19:54:38 GMT 1
What's Interpreter of Maladies all about? The title really sounds fantastic! Really, what a cool title.
--
I just finished reading The First Casualty by Ben Elton - which Eleven Forty-Eight mentioned and that I convinced him to buy. Now I am feeling slightly guilty about that because the book is a bit disappointing toward the end - it wraps up too quickly and too unconvincingly - espescially after a long and wonderful first act which takes forever to set up the basic premise of the main plot (not a bad thing - I just wish the conclusion was as in-depth and interesting).
Despite that - I liked it a lot. It's a detective story set in the First World War, and dealing with the War itself and a lot of the new political situations (Feminism, socialism, Irish rebellion, homosexuality, free speech versus the war effort) that were prevalent in Britain at the time. Some of these issues are crowbarred into the story, but he has lots to say about them all.
Our hero is a brilliant, arrogant policeman turned utter outcast because he's a conscientious objector - he loses his family and his life by opposing the War morally, but escapes death when he's called to investigate the murder of a famous poet who was serving in the trenches (this character based heavily on Siegfried Sasoon.)
So he goes to the front line, still refusing to fight a war which 'offends his sense of logic', and solves a single murder while hundreds die around him for unjust reasons every day. So the book is essentially a simple murder mystery, but it's more about the War than anything else. It goes on a lot about the Horrors of War (Canderous Ordo would not enjoy it) but also gives a thoughtful, two-sided commentary about the reasons for that War, and whether fighting it was necessary for anyone.
Big review there. Anyway - pretty good stuff. The first third is superb. I've always liked Ben Elton, and also been fascinated by WW1 and the disillusioned, horrified poetry that came out of it - so the subject matter of this book was right up my alley.
Also Elton re-uses one or two of his black-humoured WW1 jokes from 'Blackadder 4' in it - which made me very happy. I love that series.
--
I'm about to read 'A Christmas Carol' now I think. I have always wanted to get into Dickens, so I figure a short one about Christmas is a good place to start.
|
|
|
Post by Knightfall on Nov 22, 2009 22:21:40 GMT 1
I think you're forgetting just how much Canderous Ordo wants to fight. Have all those conversations by the random swoop bike been lost to you, sir?
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Nov 22, 2009 23:24:11 GMT 1
No, no, no - remember that conversation when Carth mentions the 'horrors of war' and Canderous mocks him? 'My people know only the glory of battle!' This book is all about the horrors - and the lack of glory.
|
|
|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Nov 23, 2009 3:31:44 GMT 1
Interpreter of Maladies is a collection of short stories about the Indian culture in a moden day world.
One of the short stories, the tillar title, is about an Indian Taxi Driver who used dream of working as an interpreter of the UN but instead he's now stuck in his dead end job as a driver while working as a part time interpreter for a local doctor. He had a strain relationship with his wife due to the fact he working as a interpreter of the same doctor who failed to save their son back in the past. One day he met a young American-Indian couple with two children, who insisted him to take them for a tour around the area. While he showed them around, he noticed the same strain relationship between them while the wife seem to have some interest in him...
Not a bad book. It's slow and not that spatactular but it's a good to read for the language alone. The author made some rich describtion of the world around them without turning into a purple prose. Characters are realistic and very compeling but it's quite a tearjeaker at times though.
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Nov 24, 2009 0:40:32 GMT 1
That sounds right up my street. I might have to look that up.
|
|
|
Post by Hodster on Nov 24, 2009 6:28:58 GMT 1
And, Hodster, if you're reading this, you've gotta tell me how the new Robert Jordan book turned out. =O Give me a little more time Knight, I'm not rushing through it like most people. I need to savor every single word in it. So I'll get back to you on that (If your wondering how I manage to not rush through it it's because unlike most people who waited several years for it I really only had to wait 2 weeks because I got the 11th book done 2 weeks before it came out. Also I'm at the climax and after that the book will end and I'll have to wait a year for the next one )
|
|
|
Post by grungehead1991 on Dec 4, 2009 4:32:30 GMT 1
im reading pirate latitudes by michael crichton (RIP)
|
|
|
Post by Hodster on Dec 4, 2009 6:10:12 GMT 1
Well I got done The Gathering Storm a few days ago. I must say that this is honestly one of the best in the Wheel of Time series. In my opinion they could not have picked a better writer then Brandon Sanderson to take over the writing of The Wheel of Time. He has stayed true to Robert Jordan and is story, the fact that he decided to split the last book into 3 books instead of just cramming it into one book shows that he cares about this story. Another good thing is that he doesn't try to copy Jordan's style of writing but does it his own way but also in a way that it still feels like a Wheel of Time book.
This book has so much stuff happening that is finally does feel that the end is near. Also this book has not one but TWO climaxes. This book is defiantly in the top five of the Wheel of Time books.
I have no doubt that the last 2 books will be amazing. But now I have to wait a year for the next one, so I'm probably going to read some of Sanderson's other books like the Mistborn Trilogy.
|
|
|
Post by Tillian Panthesis on Dec 4, 2009 12:45:56 GMT 1
I'm look back at the dusty collects of books I've kept *cough cough*
So far nothing particullar atm for me... unless you're counting that thick book called "Rules of play" count. Speaking of that, I've recalled a book that has a decent detail of the history of the game industry and BioWare was mention in the pages and the lecturer did talked about them... Chekov's Gun? Time will tell.
Normally I've read more technical books more than literature atm. Not sure why.
|
|
|
Post by Zarsthor on Dec 4, 2009 13:56:34 GMT 1
Deadpool and Cable series.... Technically I've finished it now though so I'm currently looking for the Deadpool volume 4 series and the other two that are currently in production.
|
|
|
Post by Knightfall on Dec 8, 2009 20:42:06 GMT 1
I have no doubt that the last 2 books will be amazing. But now I have to wait a year for the next one, so I'm probably going to read some of Sanderson's other books like the Mistborn Trilogy. A friend of mine, who annually reads the entire Wheel of Time series over the course of two weeks, was really nervous about The Gathering Storm being written by someone else. I gave him a copy of Mistborn for his birthday, and afterward he said it was probably his second favorite series behind Wheel of Time. After that, he was nothing but excited for the new book, so I'm sure you can't go wrong with Mistborn. In reading news, I've discovered that I like the Conan of Cimmeria (Conan the Barbarian) stories. I got most of his books for free after my friend cleared out his bookshelf, so I struck gold there, already having every book I'll ever need. xD
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Dec 9, 2009 1:49:22 GMT 1
I'm on 'A Christmas Carol' now, and I'm loving it. I've never read Dickens before, but I reeeeeally like his style so far. This could be the start of something
|
|
|
Post by Knightfall on Dec 9, 2009 2:24:03 GMT 1
I'm on 'A Christmas Carol' now, and I'm loving it. I've never read Dickens before, but I reeeeeally like his style so far. This could be the start of something This song immediately came to mind:
|
|
|
Post by Mister Buch on Dec 9, 2009 2:27:08 GMT 1
Heheheh I was thinking of that too! Yep, that's hat I was imaging, scene for scene! Me and Dickens running on the beach, getting matching tattoos...
-Can I interest you in a night-cap? -No thank you, I don't wear them.
GEEnius. I must remember that line and pass it off as my own some day.
|
|