The 2nd "What are you reading now" thread

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BomberGal said:
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway. Bit hard to get into so far.
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How are you finding his style BomberGal? I skimmed over the first few pages in a bookstore a few months ago, and I can't say the prose appealed to me at all. I know he is very highly regarded, but I just found it too dry. Maybe it grabs you after a while.



I'm currently reading The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky. Pretty good so far.
 
I just finished The Forsaken by Tim Tzouliadis (sp? ) which was about the Americans who emigrated to russia after the great depression then were caught up in the terror.
It's all-encompassing, harrowing and very very sad. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to know more about the period.

And am now continuing Ahmadinejad by kasra naji which is a great portrait of a fascinating leader. The more I read it, the more interesting he gets.
 

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It's been 2 years, but I'm starting Shantaram for the third time. I cannot find another book as good as this, as much as I try to. I just love the way it's written, the way he describes everyday Bombay, it just takes me to another place for those 30 minutes where I sit down and read. My one goal in life, as far as reading books go, is to find a book that affects me the way this one does. (Anyone have any suggestions?)
 
In the last two months I finished:

Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

I found it quite dissapointing. Had some good ideas and themes but there was not one likeable character and it's depressing ending left me very apathetic towards it. I liked his writing style in general, but his characters were horrible.


Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury

Fantastic book. Good themes and ideas as well as likeable chracters and an exciting story, something 'Brave New World' struggled with. I loved Bradbury's writing style and the ending wasn't completely depressing and it still left you with hope.


Am currently reading 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' by Robert Heinlen. It's very enjoyable so far.
 
BomberGal said:
Isn't that the idea?
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Obviously it was his idea. And I didn't like it. It made it painful to read towards the end because I just couldn't care less what happened to them. Bernard and Lenina started to see something was wrong with the way they were they living yet they just ended up going with it. They were weak characters.
 
Stand Your Ground- Kevin Sheedy


Funnily enough I was walking to the bus stop from Uni, walked past Angus & Robertson (worlds most expensive bookshop) and they had the this book for $13!!!


I thought it was a bargain so grabbed it an started reading it on my hour long bustrip home
 
Got nothing on the go at the moment, just waiting for copy of Howard Zinn's 'People's History of the US' to arrive. Won it off ebay for $30 all up, which is a bargain.
 
placebo said:
Obviously it was his idea. And I didn't like it. It made it painful to read towards the end because I just couldn't care less what happened to them. Bernard and Lenina started to see something was wrong with the way they were they living yet they just ended up going with it. They were weak characters.
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But the book would have absolutely no point if they were stronger. It's supposed to show you what dystopia does. It'd be like reading a book narrated by a serial killer and then saying you didn't like it because the character wasn't very nice to others!
 
BomberGal said:
But the book would have absolutely no point if they were stronger. It's supposed to show you what dystopia does. It'd be like reading a book narrated by a serial killer and then saying you didn't like it because the character wasn't very nice to others!
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A dystopia is just a setting. It doesn't mean that the characters don't have to be likeable. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia and there are likeable, strong characters in that. Ayn Rands 'Anthem' is a dystopia and there is likeable, strong characters in that. V for Vendetta is a dystopia, doesn't mean there can't be likeable and strong characters.
 
placebo said:
A dystopia is just a setting. It doesn't mean that the characters don't have to be likeable. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia and there are likeable, strong characters in that. Ayn Rands 'Anthem' is a dystopia and there is likeable, strong characters in that. V for Vendetta is a dystopia, doesn't mean there can't be likeable and strong characters.
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Is 'V for Vendetta' a novel? I loved the movie...

Agree with your thoughts re. A Brave New World BTW.

Just knocked off 'A Thousand Splendid Suns', by Khaled Hosseini (author of 'The Kite Runner'). Was a great book, and a really easy read. Read it virtually from start-to-finish yesterday.

Have just started 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying', by George Orwell.
 

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placebo said:
A dystopia is just a setting. It doesn't mean that the characters don't have to be likeable. Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopia and there are likeable, strong characters in that. Ayn Rands 'Anthem' is a dystopia and there is likeable, strong characters in that. V for Vendetta is a dystopia, doesn't mean there can't be likeable and strong characters.
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OK. I just think the whole point of Huxley's dystopia was that the system had produced people who were thoroughly unlikeable and had no particular endearing traits. Likeable characters would have defeated the system.
 
Can only recommend me any good surfing books.


Along the lines of breath by Tim Winton



Also on that, can anyone tell me any other good Tim Winton books besides Breath, Dirt Music & Cloudstreet
 
BomberGal said:
OK. I just think the whole point of Huxley's dystopia was that the system had produced people who were thoroughly unlikeable and had no particular endearing traits. Likeable characters would have defeated the system.
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I guess that's why I didn't respond to it as well as say Fahrenheit 451.
 
KingsCrow said:
Can only recommend me any good surfing books.


Along the lines of breath by Tim Winton



Also on that, can anyone tell me any other good Tim Winton books besides Breath, Dirt Music & Cloudstreet
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The Riders is a good Tim Winton book although it's a bit different to his other ones. I really enjoyed "The Turning", which is more a series of stories than a novel per se.

I've got both of them at home so let me know if you want to borrow them and I'm sure we can work something out.
 
BomberGal said:
I finished American Psycho last night, finally. I say 4/5. Entertaining, disturbing. I started out hating him for his superficial, material values, but coupled with all his murderous sprees and inability to feel, I just felt sorry for him.
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:thumbsu: - Love that book. Hated the film adaptation though.

In an unrelated topic i just picked up True Colours by Adam glichrist at A&R for $13.75 so if you don;t have it it's a good bargain to get
 
BomberGal said:
OK. I just think the whole point of Huxley's dystopia was that the system had produced people who were thoroughly unlikeable and had no particular endearing traits. Likeable characters would have defeated the system.
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But then Huxley introduces a character who has not been effected by society and you think he will be likeable and prove all the flaws the dystopia has produced, but he is just a bible bashing squib. Even less likeable than the rest of society IMHO.

Back on topic, I am undertaking War and Peace.... see you in a couple of months!
 
Equus said:
Reading American Psycho at the moment after catching hte film.

I was sitting on a train and this lady gave me this most scornful look and said to me "Why are you reading this book? It's vile!"

I told her to get stuffed.
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:D - Gold.

People who look at you funny if you're reading a book, for example on serial killers, need to stop poking their nose into the business of others!
 

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The 2nd "What are you reading now" thread

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