What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (13 Viewers)

[Denny Oubidoux]

finished Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin last night - excellent stuff, if a bit heavy on the lord god almighty stuff.

 

[rettucs]

A Selection of Oscar Wilde's plays...currently on Lady Windermere's Fan...good stuff.

Also flipping through a few different books (i'm always reading about 8 books at the same time, switching and changing as I go along)

Likewise. Got the complete works a few weeks back and am determined to read the whole lot of it.

Currently alternating plays, essays and poems. The kiddie's stories are amazing. Read 'The Infanta' the night before last. A very simple, yet touching story. Before that,
the slightly heavier subject matter of 'The Soul of Man under Socialism', which is an excellent written piece.

Read Choke last thursday/friday when on holiday. My first Paluhniuk book. Wasn't overly impressed. He seems a bit of a one-trick pony to me (based on having seen the film Fight Club), which is a shame because he does have some very imaginative ideas.

Also trying to fit in the Book Thief after it was recommended to me. I'll read it by the weekend hopefully.

 

[Lili Marlene]

I'm on the third dune book

I keep starting them, getting disheartened and bored and reading something else but then coming back and ploughing through them excitedly.

weird

 

[sweetoblivion]

never read him before but i am considering getting his latest book as i think it sounds interesting

I can't flipping find that anywhere! I've read most of his books, I'm trying to get them all read and for some reason his books are the only ones I can stick with at the moment. That said, I never got to the end of Mr Vertigo, for which I should be ashamed because I loved it! Bizarre.

If you want to get into his stuff, I'd suggest starting with Book of Illusions, it's a good introduction to him.

 

[Jim Daniels]

I can't flipping find that anywhere! I've read most of his books, I'm trying to get them all read and for some reason his books are the only ones I can stick with at the moment. That said, I never got to the end of Mr Vertigo, for which I should be ashamed because I loved it! Bizarre.

If you want to get into his stuff, I'd suggest starting with Book of Illusions, it's a good introduction to him.

Yes!

New York Trilogy
Moon Palace
Music of Chance

Are also all ace high!




Some editions are also in graphic form and look beautiful..

 

[sweetoblivion]

I've never seen them in graphic form, wow! I must keep an eye out. I've bought nearly all my copies of his books in Charlie Byrne's in Galway - they have them so cheap.

great suggestions there!

One thing about him that does slightly irritate me is how similar the protagonist is in about half of his novels - and they're always really like him as well! (lived in france, divorced/remarried, live in NY etc). It's only after you've read a few that you realise he brings the same themes in a lot.

 

[Jim Daniels]

I've never seen them in graphic form, wow! I must keep an eye out. I've bought nearly all my copies of his books in Charlie Byrne's in Galway - they have them so cheap.

great suggestions there!

One thing about him that does slightly irritate me is how similar the protagonist is in about half of his novels - and they're always really like him as well! (lived in france, divorced/remarried, live in NY etc). It's only after you've read a few that you realise he brings the same themes in a lot.

Yeah, thats spot on. But that happens with almost all the writers that I have liked - see Douglas Coupland and Haruki Murakami especially.

My sister used to go mad at the way Paul Auster's novels end..almost mid sentence, with the main dude just driving off, leaving the reader going but, but, but, what?

I saw the graphic version of New York Trilogy in Waterstones a while back. Can't believe I didn't buy it.

 

[Mitchum]

All Auster's books (bar the latest) are down in The Secret Book & Record Store including the graphic novel of City Of Glass. Save yerself a few quid.

Brooklyn Follies was rubbish wasn't it?
I enjoyed everything he'd written up til then but I don't think he reached the heights of the New York trilogy.

The metafictional motif is getting tiresome too. It's like a prop to disguse the fact that there's not much really going on in his novels.

Anyone ever read any of his wife's books?

Yeah, thats spot on. But that happens with almost all the writers that I have liked - see Douglas Coupland and Haruki Murakami especially.

My sister used to go mad at the way Paul Auster's novels end..almost mid sentence, with the main dude just driving off, leaving the reader going but, but, but, what?

I saw the graphic version of New York Trilogy in Waterstones a while back. Can't believe I didn't buy it.

 

[Jim Daniels]

All Auster's books (bar the latest) are down in The Secret Book & Record Store including the graphic novel of City Of Glass. Save yerself a few quid.

Brooklyn Follies was rubbish wasn't it?
I enjoyed everything he'd written up til then but I don't think he reached the heights of the New York trilogy.

The metafictional motif is getting tiresome too. It's like a prop to disguse the fact that there's not much really going on in his novels.

Anyone ever read any of his wife's books?

I'd go along with most of that. His first 4 or 5 were the best. Thanks for the tip about The Secret Book & Record Store.

I read this book by Siri and it wasn't bad. I hear Art crops up a lot in her novels. I'd say, professionally, she goes bats being referred to as Paul Auster's wife, but they do have similar styles...

 

[eclectichoney]

What I loved is *gold*. I remember reading the first line in the second part and just being absolutely *shocked*. I firmly believe that women can't generally write good full length novels, but What I Loved is an exception.

her latest is a disappointment however

 

[IFF]

I can't flipping find that anywhere! I've read most of his books, I'm trying to get them all read and for some reason his books are the only ones I can stick with at the moment. That said, I never got to the end of Mr Vertigo, for which I should be ashamed because I loved it! Bizarre.

If you want to get into his stuff, I'd suggest starting with Book of Illusions, it's a good introduction to him.

cheers, i will the next time i'm buying books

an update: i finished Maus by Art Spiegelmann today. i really thought this was excellent

shortly i will finish "Up the poll" by Shane Coleman. this is a collection of election stories. very good

i'm starting:

journey through africa - manchan magan
the water cure - percivel everitt
of love and other demons - gabriel garcia marquez

 

[sugar_referee]

"Diary of a Nobody" by George Grossmith, dated, but so funny. One for fans of Jerome K Jerome.

High five.

 

[pete]

 

[sweetoblivion]

All Auster's books (bar the latest) are down in The Secret Book & Record Store including the graphic novel of City Of Glass. Save yerself a few quid.

Brooklyn Follies was rubbish wasn't it?
I enjoyed everything he'd written up til then but I don't think he reached the heights of the New York trilogy.

The metafictional motif is getting tiresome too. It's like a prop to disguse the fact that there's not much really going on in his novels.

Anyone ever read any of his wife's books?

great stuff, I'll pop in there at the weekend! nice one. There's always great stuff in that shop. I have to confess I never buy graphic novels, but I'd love to see the New York Trilogy in graphic form.

I didn't think Brooklyn Follies was rubbish - it wasn't his best, it was sort of him coasting along on autopilot, but not as bad as Oracle Night, which is awful. It has a fantastic premise and then he literally just drops it and leaves all these loose ends for no reason whatsoever. Grr.

I firmly believe that women can't generally write good full length novels, but What I Loved is an exception.

her latest is a disappointment however

I've never read her stuff, but eclectichoney I'm really disappointed someone would write off nearly half of the published novelists out there based on their sex. That's a bit sad (literally in the boo-hoo sense) have you never read someone like Margaret Atwood? Or Isabelle Allende? (examples of popular novelists who deservedly sell millions of copies of their books) Or maybe you're taking the piss!

 

[Corey]

He's edited a book of stories called True tales of American Life. Collection of some pieces he reads out on a radio show in the states. I started it yesterday, then left it somewhere. Thats why i'm on thumped.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

He's edited a book of stories called True tales of American Life. Collection of some pieces he reads out on a radio show in the states. I started it yesterday, then left it somewhere. Thats why i'm on thumped.

great book. some deadly stories in there

 

[eclectichoney]

I've never read her stuff, but eclectichoney I'm really disappointed someone would write off nearly half of the published novelists out there based on their sex. That's a bit sad (literally in the boo-hoo sense) have you never read someone like Margaret Atwood? Or Isabelle Allende? (examples of popular novelists who deservedly sell millions of copies of their books) Or maybe you're taking the piss!

'Tis ok! I was mainly taking the piss, but I do think that there are very few women who can challenge the likes of Richard Yates, Richard Ford, Don DeLillo, Roth et al. Atwood, Hustvedt and a few others are excellent though - I just find most of the 'supposedly' good women writers ridiculously saccharin and stuck in bland domestic plots about sick children and husbands having affairs. I'm fed up of throwing benefits of the doubt at Carol bloody Shields!

When it comes to short fiction though, women are better! A.L. Kennedy, A.M. Homes *own* it.

 

[sweetoblivion]

Just 'cos you don't like some of the writers doesn't mean they're all bad - shouldn't it be about how good the writer is rather than what sex they are?
Plus, sometimes the writers that are touted as the best might not be the ones that you connect with.

 

[eclectichoney]

I know where you're coming from (and I am a girl myself!), but even judging based on 'the quality of the writing' is inherently subjective - I just believe there are *more* good male writers *being published* than women writers. That may well be because less women are published in contemporary fiction for whatever reasons (because chick-lit is more financially rewarding it may attract more writers?? it's just a aguess). Also those few women who I think are good novel writers can hold their own against the men, so maybe if there were more women writing / being published in literary fiction the balance would be restored??


Last night I read... The Believers by Zoe Heller and it's quite good <shallow> Lovely cover as well </shallow>

 

[Cryptid]