Books

[danielet...@googlemail.com]

Well, we've got a lively films thread going, how about a books one?

I tried reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Wikipedia says it's "one of
the longest novels ever written in any European language". I'm
struggling.... 100 pages into 1200. It's pretty damned verbose......

.... So I started reading trashier stuff instead - such as the CJ
Samson Shardlake books, mystery thrillers set in the time of Henry
VIII. Some great imagery of 16thC London in the 2nd and 4th ones, and
York in the third one.

Now on Flicker, which is another kinda thriller, but set in the world
of the movies. The cover blurb calls it "Sunset Blv meets The Da Vinci
Code", which I guess is reasonably reasonable, though it's arguable a
tad more intellectual than Brown's stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_(novel)

[Spinky]

I tried to read Ayn Rand, but it just annoys me - I just completely
disagree with her on every level, and while I know I should read it to
see the viewpoint, I just can't be bothered.

Best thing I've read recently was "The World Without Us", what would
hapen if humanity suddenly disappeared, what would remain, what would
fall down, all that sort of thing.

[Rowan]

Recently read A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian - it feels
trashier than it really is because of the writing style, but it's a
good page turner which kept me entertained coming back from France
recently.

I've just invested in 4 Fantagraphics comics - so waiting for them
eagerly and reading The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency: The
Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers in the mean time.

[Daniel E]

I keep meaning to get that Rowan. How is it? Much detail on pig
breeding?

Yeah, I know what you mean about Rand Spinky - her philosophies seem
borderline odious, but I still kinda felt I ought to. Maybe the book
will just go to the charity shop, and I'll read her Wikipedia entries
again....

[Rowan]

It's a good read but it's not going to make my all time favourites
list (although not sure what would). Perhaps the voice is more
knowing than I warm too - but I'd be interested to see what you think
- you're welcome to borrow my copy, will you email me your address
again and I'll send it if you want.

[David Thair]

I recently finished Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I know everyone was raving about it a while back, but for some reason I thought it was another Da Vinci Code and ignored it. It isn't. It's bloody excellent.

--
http://david.thair.net

[Rowan]

I think Could Atlas is on my list of all time favourites. Has anyone
read any of David Mitchell's other books?

[Math]

I read his book Black Swan Green a while ago. A tarted up memoir of his adolescence. Sharply written but I thought it was too self-absorbed to be very interesting.

Pointless factoid; my sister is a friend of Mitchell's brother, who was in a mild panic before Black Swan Green came out, what with it being a tarted up memoir. He (the brother) thought he'd be portrayed as some kind of monster. In fact he - or she, as she's a sister in the book - is something of a hero. Panic over then.

[astrotomato]

Dave, if you think the Cloud Atlas is like Dan F**&*(£$ Brown, then
it's going off my "to read" list straight away.

Can someone compile a list of essential graphic novels from the last 5
years or so, please? I've lost touch, and want to reach out and touch
something.

Thanking you all,

astro*

On Sep 17, 12:23 am, "David Thair" <dth...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I recently finished Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. I know everyone was
> raving about it a while back, but for some reason I thought it was another
> Da Vinci Code and ignored it. It isn't. It's bloody excellent.
>

[Spinky]

I forgot we could talk about comics here too... best one I've read
recently is the Mammoth book of crime comics - 50 years (and 500
pages) of crime comics. Will Eisner, Mickey Spillane, Frank Miller,
Gaiman, Moore, all that sort of thing. Maybe not essential, but
fantastic value for under a tenner.

Other than that, Persepolis? City of Glass? (acquired taste), the
McSweeney's comics issue? and Chris Ware's acme novelty library? You
know what, Collective recommended most of those, ask for anything in
the last few months and I'm out. I think I need some recommendations
too... anyone?

Oh and I've been banging on about Flight for 5 years - the new one
came out a few months ago :

http://www.flightcomics.com/

> > --http://david.thair.net- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Rowan]

Jimmy Corrigan too - although that's older than 5 years. Most things
I thought were great are on Collective (most of them were indexed I
think - here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/C1230?s_view=archive).
Recently I've not seen anything amazing, although haven't been looking
quite as thoroughly - but I'll update that opinion soon hopefully,
what with the recent investment...

[Daniel E]

I've been going back and re-reading some of my comics collection.
Couple of classics available as "graphic novels":

Like A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, Dan Clowes
Black Hole, Charles Burns
Both freaky, beautiful, potentially disturbing must-reads. Clowes'
comic about a guy searching for his long-lost ex-wife, who he thinks
he glimpses in a surreal kinda porno. Burns' about a STD spread among
US high schoolers that mutates them, and divides them from their
peers, from the rest of society. A coming of age story, in Burns'
amazing contrasty b&w artwork.

More recent stuff, and arguably more mainstream: can't recommend
Gotham Central highly enough. Police procedural set in Gotham PD, with
the Batman in the background. Classy stuff, about the conflict between
real policing and Bats' vigilantism. Sadly recently cancelled, so only
5 trade papberbacks available.

Just read the final trade pb of Y The Last Man. Anyone else read that?
Relatively mainstream apocalyptic comic book, about a world where all
the men mysteriously, suddenly die, bar one. Found the final issue
oddly moving.

On Sep 19, 3:05 pm, Rowan <rowan.ke...@bbc.co.uk> wrote:
> Jimmy Corrigan too - although that's older than 5 years.  Most things
> I thought were great are on Collective (most of them were indexed I

> think - here -http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/C1230?s_view=archive).

[Rowan]

Read my first Frank last night - totally brain bending stuff somewhere
between sweet and hideous.

[jacqui...@hotmail.com]

i've just finished the girl with the dragon tattoo by stieg larsson,
it was a holiday book, so it was meant to be trashy.

now i think i'll start on the shardlake books, cj sanson's madrid in
winter has got to be in my top twenty or so books.

[Amir]

Hey hey hey

In the past few months I've read...

The Great Gatsby - I'm very sceptical of books that Americans revere -
the mere idea of Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson makes me cringe for
some reason. However, this is a great story - and surprisingly slick.

Cloud Atlas - excellently told, the story that bookends (ahem) the
novel paints a brilliant picture of the colonial era, whilst the
dystopian middle is all too prescient in my eyes.

On The Road - hmmm... I just don't get it. My mate loves it, thinks
it's one of the greatest books ever written. I just think it's over
long, light on content and dare I say it, a bit boring.

Energy Flash - a socio-political critique of dance music? Written by
Simon Reynolds? Quotes Deleuze and Guttari, Adorno AND Marcuse? Yes
please.

The Watchmen - if I had read this comic when it was originally
released, I think I'd have gone mental having to wait for the next in
the series. Astro, you'd love it.

I'm about to take on Don Quixote - wish me luck!!!

[Math]

Today I finished The Road. I was in absolute pieces for a while
afterwards. Staggering stuff. Easily the best post-apocalyptic novel
I've read but it's a lot more than that.

I can't really talk about with a cool head, I'm still all het up about
it. The prose though. I'm not usually blown away by the prose in
English language novels, the ones that hit me hardest are usually
translations. There's something about native English that doesn't fit
quite right. Or that's what I thought until I read McCarthy. He's got
it. He's stripped it down to the bare bones. He stands there,
rattling.

Probably the most horrific book I've ever read. Vile, vile scenes. I
know this sounds trite but in the book McCarthy said to me that
humanity is a choice we make. I'd thought it was inherent, even for
the worst of us. I was wrong about that. He's made me see something
about people. Not a good thing but hey.

All that tragedy. But kindled with love, hope, all the good stuff. And
a fascinating final paragraph. It lurched from one thing to another.
Lurched is a bad word in this case. It's deftly done. The whole thing
is deftly done.

The man is a master! But he looks upon us today and sees this. That is
not good.

[Daniel E]

/agree with Math

I've really been so moved by a novel.

I do wonder if the movie will be any good, if it'll capture even a
fraction of the power of the novel.

[Mister Savage]

I read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead recently. I thought they
were very good actually - they have to be, to hold your interest for
long enough. I disagree with some of the things she says, but I do
like seeing such a viewpoint raised so eloquently. Worth sticking
with, I think.

[Daniel E]

I'm still stuck at page 100.... it's been like that for months. I'm
reading a children's book instead now....

[astrotomato]

Amir:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2594838

Ha :-D

a*o

[Amir]

Haha.

Fair point.