What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (8 Viewers)

[Mitchum]

I doubt it bothers him ;-)

 

[Mormon Nailer]

I like Roth but the Zuckerman novels don't do much for me at all.

 

[david jatt]

I like Roth but the Zuckerman novels don't do much for me at all.

Just finished "Indignation" and I thought it was fantastic. funny and moving.

 

[rettucs]

interesting read. He was different to say the least.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Everyman by Philip Roth

this wasnt great at all, very poor effort. the only real punch it had it got from drawing on basic fears such as death, illness, old age, loss etc which might move the reader to think about these things in relation to their own life. the writing left a lot to be desired - it was often like reading a mills & boon novel, lots of tedious detail about nonsense, very dull characters not worth caring about. the best thing i can say about it is that it was very short.

It was only a standard back brace, worn under the outer clothing, whose plastic posterior section was no more than eight or nine inches high, and yet it spoke to him of the perpetual nearness in their affluent retirement village of illness and death.
"Would you like a glass of water?" he asked her.
He could see by looking into her eyes how difficult the pain was to bear. "Yes," she said weakly,"yes, please."

 

[Mitchum]

this wasnt great at all, very poor effort. the only real punch it had it got from drawing on basic fears such as death, illness, old age, loss etc which might move the reader to think about these things in relation to their own life. the writing left a lot to be desired - it was often like reading a mills & boon novel, lots of tedious detail about nonsense, very dull characters not worth caring about. the best thing i can say about it is that it was very short.

Good enough for me.

 

[Jim Daniels]

I don't always like short stories, cause they can leave you hanging. Boo on being left hanging!

But this is ace

 

[IFF]

Good enough for me.

it was ok i thought but just lacked the punch of other roth books

one of the books i'[m in the middle of is "Dancer" by Colum McCann

 

[Lo La]

Im reading John Peel's autobiography Margrave of the Marshes its excellent and frollics between not only his fabulous highlife but also his tumultous earlier years.

Very insightful and humourous.

Im loving it.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

This has been sitting in the bbocase for a few months.
Given the current economic fun and games I figured it was abut time I read it.

 

[La La]

i like what i like, so dont mind that these are all to do with mountains

as a look at Mallory's life, this book relies heavily on rehashing letters from friends and diary entries. that said, it's still a good read, but I've heard The Wildest Dream is better and more in depth, so I'll probably give that a go too.

while it can be argued Beck Weathers' story is arguably one of the most fascinating from Everest's 1996 season – and perhaps of all time – this book didn't really excite me much at all and seems to have been more of a cathartic process for the author than something he intended to shock people with.

ten thumbs up. brilliant.
some people who've read this hate the style in which it's written - but they're obviously ballbags cos it was written in the 40s or 50s.
heinrich harrer was one of the ultimate dudes of the last century when you look at all the things he did, but i think this account of the eiger is one of the most gripping reads (if you like reading about ascents).

and finally

so good. just....amazing. lots of people have had their say on what happened that season, but i reckon this is the most definitive account. krakauer can climb, but he can write really well too. highly recommended.

i've started Krakauer's Eiger Dreams now and will be back when it's done. over and out.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

so good. just....amazing. lots of people have had their say on what happened that season, but i reckon this is the most definitive account. krakauer can climb, but he can write really well too. highly recommended.

i've started Krakauer's Eiger Dreams now and will be back when it's done. over and out.

i read this one recently myself, great read. i've shelved my plans to climb everest this weekend.

 

[IFF]

it is a very good book

 

[Flux]

About a hundred pages in, very good so far.

 

[Lili Marlene]

i'm about half way through and he still hasn't got below the surface, too busy commenting on Icelandish people

 

[spookeeeye]

Finished this:

Good but very much like a lecture at times.

 

[Moods For Mallards]

I read a lot of books in Argentina. I had to buy some over there as I ran out. I was in Argentina until yesterday.
Argentina.

I read:
Football Against The Enemy - Simon Kuper (dated, a bit boring and Kuper shows no understanding of football. The latter is the same impression I got from his Ajax book.)

Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut (really enjoyable, strange and little moving, like most of his books I've read thus far.)

Forza Italia - Paddy Agnew (some interesting chapters, in particular the doping and bribery scandal ones. Badly written - I'd never guessed from his journalism that his prose was that poor. Also, it veers a little clumisly between personal memoir and football book.)

Notes from a Big Country - Bill Bryson (had me in stiches for a lot of the early bits, but became less funny as it went along. Enjoyable, witty.)

Youth - JM Coetzee (the first Coetzee book I'd read. Great stuff, I got really 'involved' in it. Very vivid picture of the protagonist, who is presumably based largely on the author. Maybe I'm wrong.)

A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemmingway (the first Hemmingway book I'd read. A lovely read, found myself smiling a lot at the various writers brought to life, F Scott Fitzgerald in particular.)

The Master of Petersburg - JM Coetzee (went back for a second helping of Coetzee, and wasn't disappointed. Cracking read. I got through a lot of Dostoevsky as a youngfella so anything concerning him has my attention. It's a really intense book, and feels a little like reading Fyodor himself)

The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History Since 1900 - David Edgerton (right, I'm only halfway through this. Makes an interesting case for reevaluating the importance of particular technologies, focusing on what is actually in use when.)

 

[rettucs]

A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemmingway (the first Hemmingway book I'd read. A lovely read, found myself smiling a lot at the various writers brought to life, F Scott Fitzgerald in particular.)

I started reading Hemmingway last winter. I'm slowly but surely working my way through all his stuff. You've a treat in store for you. 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' is one of the greatest things I've ever read.

Haven't read 'A Moveable Feast' yet. Must get to it - currently on the complete works of Oscar Wilde. That could keep me busy for a couple of years though.

 

[flashback]

Zeno's paradox by Mazur.

Started off kind of annoying, buts its getting good now.

 

[static]

the virgin suicides