Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted June 13, 2002 Since there is a Catcher in the Rye thread and since there lacks a literature folder(It should replace the jokes portion in the comic books folder.) I'll start this thread. After not reading a sincle novel in over 5-10 years I have been reading for the last few months, so far I have read: Fight Club- Great like the movie, I enjoyed the ending which was different than the movie. Rage of Angels- Great book, the movie was mediocre but i was made for t.v. so it was not unexpected. True Crime- Good book, I have yet to see the movie. Catcher in the Rye- Really good book, I could identify wit what the main character went through. I don't know if a movie has even been made from it but I expect there was since it was a classic. To Kill a Mockingbird- I loved this book and can't wait for the movie to cme on TCM or AMC because I hear it is great also. The Green Mile- My favorite book, I watched the movie first, then read the book, then rewatched the movie. It has a great atmosphere. Thus spoke Zarathustra- Great Nietzsche book, both philosophical and poetic and an interesting story. A bit of a hard read for those unfamiliar with N, I was lucky to be somewhat familiar with his work. Red Badge of Courage- Good war book and poetic. The Hobbit and LOTR- I never watched the movie as I wasn't interested at the time so I will have to wait till it comes out in early august. I finally read the books tough and it lived up to my expectations even though I have heard other say it was disappointing nd even boring. I can't wait to finally see FOTR and TTT in december. The Dead Zone- Great book, I have several King books that I look forward to reading(Christine; It; Hearts in Atlantis; The Stand.). The Illiad(Lattimore's translation) - After I became familiar with all the characters and their lineages the book was easy to follow and I thought it was great. If there is a book that deserves to be a movie right now it is the Illiad, it would be hard to do but I think an epic on the heals of the Gladiator and FOTR would be great. I am going to start reading The Odyssey(Butlers translation) next. I recommend all the books I have read thus far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anorak Report post Posted June 13, 2002 I'm reading 'freezer burn' by Joe R. Lansdale at the moment, its a knowingly trashy crime fiction novel which is quite smartly written and entertaining. I'm also slowly working my way through 'Time of our Time' by Norman Mailer, some of its dull and some of of it is fascinating. I've got 'Bullet Park' by John Cheever and 'Elephant' by Raymond Carver sitting on my shelf to read when i'm done with the others. The book that stands out the most for me over the past year or so was Denis Johnson's 'Already Dead', its was classed by many as a modern noir novel but as everyone seemed to concede after reading it that its many other things as well. Its not really a novel thats easily definable, i need to read it again and look at the Bill Knott poem 'Poeme Noire' that apparantly inspired it, Denis Johnson himself has never talked about the book and claimed the reader probably understand it better than him, i certainly don't. There is a proper narrative to it but there's something else about it thats so tantalizing in its loose ends, like there's something else hiding there that never fully reveals itself. Its one of those books you can't forget about after you finish reading it because there's a dozen questions you want to ask about things you can't quite get clear in your head. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted June 13, 2002 I'll be starting Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children later today. I don't know if a movie has even been made from it but I expect there was since it was a classic. No, there isn't. J.D. Salinger refuses to option the rights to any of his works to be made into films. And wouldn't it be ironic if Holden Caulfield--who hates movies--was turned into a movie character? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest areacode212 Report post Posted June 13, 2002 Moving it to the newly-renamed Comic Books & Literature forum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted June 13, 2002 RollingChop, they didn't have you read most of those novels in school? Anyways, I just finished reading the "Enemy Lines" Duology by Aaron Alliston from the New Jedi Order series of Star Wars books. Once again, it's some refreshing therapy from the crapfest that George Lucas has masquerading as the "Fall of the Republic" trilogy. You've got GOOD villains in the Yuzaahn Vong (think Cobra-La taken to the extreme), some of the original characters running around (sadly, Chewie's still dead), plus some of the expanded universe characters taking centre stage (Jaina Solo, Wraith Squadron). Highly recommended. Another great book that I read back in February is called "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlosser (sp?). It's non-fiction, and I guarantee that it'll change the way you think about the average fast-food burger. Finally, READ ELMORE LENARD!! I'm not a big fan of his westerns, but his crime fiction novels are some of the best. >No, there isn't. J.D. Salinger refuses to option the rights to any of his works to be made into films. ...which is the reason for James Earl Jones' reclusive writer character in "Field of Dreams". In "Shoeless Joe" (which FoD is based on), the protagonist meets up with Salinger. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted June 13, 2002 starvenger Posted on June 13 2002,14:47 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RollingChop, they didn't have you read most of those novels in school? I was supposed to read lot of the classics but outside of a short time in elementry school when I loved books like Call of the Wild and Where the Red Fen Grows I never was motivated to actually read what was assigned to me. I either got the info I needed through friends or read the first sentence of every paragraph so I could just get by. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vyce Report post Posted June 13, 2002 Fight Club- Great like the movie, I enjoyed the ending which was different than the movie. I love Chuck Palahniuk's works. I'm torn about which I love more, the book or the movie. Both, IMO, are fantastic and works of genius. I really believe that "Fight Club" (the book) is one of the best, most though-provoking novels written in the past 50 years. Finally, READ ELMORE LENARD!! I'm not a big fan of his westerns, but his crime fiction novels are some of the best. I read "Maximum Bob" and HATED it. I've been burnt on his work ever since. I was supposed to read lot of the classics but outside of a short time in elementry school when I loved books like Call of the Wild and Where the Red Fen Grows I never was motivated to actually read what was assigned to me. I was one of those geeks in school who loved English class, and it was where I developed my love for literature. I would actually ENJOY reading Shakespeare or classics like "Beowulf", "The Odyssey", "Canterbury Tales" and "The Faerie Queen". I was just about the only kid in my high school class who was looking forward to reading / analyzing "King Lear" in class. I wrote a play based upon Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale". I was a total literature FREAK. Still am to this day. But hey, it payed off - I got an almost perfect score on my verbal in the SATs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted June 14, 2002 Yeah - Beowulf is a really excellent read - The new Seamus Heaney translation is really good -and Homer's stuff is good as well- though controversially, I prefer the Odyssey to the Illiad. Midnight's Children is a very interesting and thought provoking read, if you like it - check out Rushdie's book of essays 'Imaginary Homelands', which covers similar topics. With Elmore Leonard, I read 'Rum Punch' and 'Get Shorty, both of which I liked and preferred to the ilms. The other guy along similar lines I rather enjoy is James Ellroy, start with LA Confidential et al, and then 'American Tabloid' and 'The Cold Six Thousand'. As for Shakespeare, I really enjoy his tragedies and some of the historical stuff - eg MacBeth, Hamlet, Julius Ceasar and Anthony and Cleopatra, but I can't stand the comedies, which I find almost painfully unfunny. Ian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest converge241 Report post Posted June 14, 2002 Favorite books: Nicholas And Alexandria - cant remember author off the top of my head. the fall of the russian tsars Rules Of Attraction - Bret easton Ellis. sums up your college life and all the tribulations and adventures within. 1984- Orwell. no explanation needed and pretty much a standard Perks of Being a Wallflower- Chbosky. a quick read but still a goodie. Will To Power - Nietzsche. same hard to follow as expressed in the previous poster on Zarathustra my brain is rotting as i have seldom little free time to try and enjoy some new books Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted June 14, 2002 Favorite Book, and undisputed Lord of Literature: Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest raptor Report post Posted June 17, 2002 Favorite Book, and undisputed Lord of Literature: Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut. I agree wholeheartedly. Have you read his other novels? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EricMM Report post Posted June 25, 2002 In terms of books, I am currently reading through the Terry Pratchett Discworld series. I dunno if anyone else has heard of it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy comedy a lot in general; if a book doesn't make me laugh, well that's strike one at least. If you liked the dead zone, (which was a failed attempt at a concept although a pretty good book) I think you will like It and especially Hearts in Atlantis a lot more. Low Men in Yellow Coats (the first half of Hearts and the part that became a movie) is ok, but that part is TOTALLY dwarfed by the actual story "Hearts in Atlantis" which didn't even make it into the movie but was outstanding. Especially if you're in college or have been in it. Other stuff by king that is outstanding is Bag of Bones and The Dark Tower series. Terry Pratchett who I previously mentioned is probably my favorite author currently. Diskworld is such a great diverse series, with few shortcomings. And his book Good Omens is superb. Other books I have read that I enjoy would be Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Catch-22 by Heller, of course Catch-22 is I think probably the best book out there. Not my favorite but I think it's the best. -Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted June 25, 2002 EricMM Posted on Jun 25 2002, 04:54 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In terms of books, I am currently reading through the Terry Pratchett Discworld series. I dunno if anyone else has heard of it, but I really enjoy it. I enjoy comedy a lot in general; if a book doesn't make me laugh, well that's strike one at least. If you liked the dead zone, (which was a failed attempt at a concept although a pretty good book) I think you will like It and especially Hearts in Atlantis a lot more. Low Men in Yellow Coats (the first half of Hearts and the part that became a movie) is ok, but that part is TOTALLY dwarfed by the actual story "Hearts in Atlantis" which didn't even make it into the movie but was outstanding. Especially if you're in college or have been in it. Other stuff by king that is outstanding is Bag of Bones and The Dark Tower series. I've finished with the Odyssey which I enjoyed more than the Illiad. I then read the Oedipus Cycle which was good and I got through it quickly. I am currently reading the Shining by King and will follow that up with the Stand, Hearts in Atlantis and It among other King books as I have really taken to his genius. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest EricMM Report post Posted June 26, 2002 Let me heavily recommend Bag of Bones in there somewhere. IMO it's the PERFECT ghost story. While It is the perfect badguy book. Pennywise is the best badguy ever Float? We all float down here... Plus in case I forget Ben, Beverly, Stan, Mike, Bill, Eddie, and Richie are the best characters ever. -Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Cerebus The Aardvark Report post Posted July 3, 2002 I haven't read anything new in a while...I've just had no real desire to do much of anything, so I haven't really done much reading recently. The last thing I read "new" was The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers; it was fairly bland. I also read 2 Fitzgerald biographies, but not sure that counts. I have been a King fan for a long time, although I am not too high on his horror stuff. My love for him has come from his short story work, and what I call the Holy Trilogy: IT, The Stand, and the Dark Tower series. Of course, calling what is currently a set of 6 books a "trilogy" is a bit silly, but the Dark Tower stuff is one large story, so it fits. That is all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Man in Blak Report post Posted July 3, 2002 I'm not exactly an avid reader, but I've read through more than a couple of sci-fi books and found that I really like William Gibson's Neuromancer. It's basically the first book that had that "cyberpunk" universe (a la Shadowrun, for those who are pen-and-paper RPG enthusiasts) and the story is very well done. I'd also recommend Frank Herbert's Dune just for it's sheer narrative construction (it's quite an epic), though it may not be for everybody. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest SuperTonyJaymz Report post Posted July 10, 2002 Right now Im not reading much fiction, basically my monoluage book and screenwriter's guide book. But I am a huge reader, wouldn't mind being an author one day, and in the past couple months I have read: The Shining(the movie didn't scare me, the book freaked me out) Animal Farm(I have like 3 copies of this book, read it so much. don't know why. Maybe Im a sucker for symbolism) The Left Behind series(pretty good but the best parts are about the antichrist bad guy. Don't know what that says about me) The Worst Movies Ever:Or What Were They Thinking(If you enjoy movies, bad movie especially get this book now) Reggi Miller: I Love Being the Enemy(pretty good auto biography, came out a while ago) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest gthureson Report post Posted July 10, 2002 Only thing I've been reading on any consistent basis is 'Rise to Globalism' by Stephen Ambrose. I may have to look for a newer edition, as this one only runs up to 1985, and I'd like to see what his analysis of US foreign policy in the last fifteen years has been. And I keep meaning to read Gene Wolfe's New Sun stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vyce Report post Posted July 10, 2002 The Left Behind series(pretty good but the best parts are about the antichrist bad guy. Don't know what that says about me) I can't STAND this book series. Some people have issues with it for content. I hate it simply because the writing is AWFUL. It's so amateurish and juvenile at times that I'm convinced I could write a better narrative. Don't feel bad, though - the parts with the Antichrist are the most entertaining parts of the novels. At least he's the only character that isn't hideously underdeveloped, poorly written, or just a total ass. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest red_file Report post Posted July 10, 2002 Don't feel bad, though - the parts with the Antichrist are the most entertaining parts of the novels. At least he's the only character that isn't hideously underdeveloped, poorly written, or just a total ass. Seriously though, has there ever been a good villain who wasn't more entertaining than the protagonist? And the devil (or anti-christ, in this case) is the uber-villain-ya-love-ta-hate. Just think back to Paradise Lost. I never got around to reading the Left Behind series; those preachy type books tend to rub me the wrong way. But if it's your thing, go with it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cdstunner66 Report post Posted July 10, 2002 Let me heavily recommend Bag of Bones in there somewhere. IMO it's the PERFECT ghost story. While It is the perfect badguy book. Pennywise is the best badguy ever Float? We all float down here... Plus in case I forget Ben, Beverly, Stan, Mike, Bill, Eddie, and Richie are the best characters ever. -Eric I haven't read Bag Of Bones yet, but I haven't really been able to get into King's newer stuff, Hearts in Atlantis, Black House (the sequel to The Talisman) and Dreamcatcher were all pretty good though. However, Pennywise was a good villian, but he's no Randall Flagg. Hell, ol' RF has shown up in so many King stories it't weird. The beuty part is how RF is used to tie all these completely different stories into the Dark Tower series. By the way, the low men in yellow coats from Hearts in Atlantis were trying to get the old guy back for the Crimson King so he could track Roland in case anyone didn't pick up on that. Other books and series you should check out: The Great War series by Harry Turtledove. Pretty cool story, it's WWI fought as if the south had won the civil war. Frank Herbert's Dune series and his son's continuation of it. I would say that if you've seen the David Lynch craptacular, forget all about it and go in fresh. It takes a little while to get into, but the weaving story lines are brilliant and you can see where a lot of SF movies stole their ideas from. Any Elmore Leonard crime story. The Star Wars books are good but infuriating. When you realize that Lucas supposedly approves all the major story point in the books and the pisses all over the origins and history described in them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest SuperTonyJaymz Report post Posted July 10, 2002 I get the left behind books free for some reason(I got the made for recyle bin movie too, which sucks) They just send them to me! Basically i skip 90 percent of the book and goto the antichrist parts. You know why bad guys rule? cause they get swiggly lines~ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vyce Report post Posted July 10, 2002 The Great War series by Harry Turtledove. Pretty cool story, it's WWI fought as if the south had won the civil war. ************ The Star Wars books are good but infuriating. When you realize that Lucas supposedly approves all the major story point in the books and the pisses all over the origins and history described in them. Harry Turtledove's books are usually pretty good, and are downright fascinating at times. The subgenre of sci-fi that is "alt history" is intriguing to me. If any of you are going to pick up the "Great War" series, I suggest reading his book "Guns of the South", as it's sort of the prequel to everything. As for the Star Wars books, right on. A lot of good authors have spent a lot of time and effort to make an entertaining universe out of Lucas' muddled "vision", and he keeps managing to screw it up. A good example - Boba Fett. The authors who manage the "expanded universe" have done a lot with Boba, given him his own personality and history....and then Lucas comes along and goes, "I'm gonna make him a clone now!" Screw you, George. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted July 11, 2002 >A good example - Boba Fett. The authors who manage the "expanded universe" have done a lot with Boba, given him his own personality and history....and then Lucas comes along and goes, "I'm gonna make him a clone now!" Screw you, George. Odd, but now I've got Weird Al running through my head... "I think I'm a clone now There's always two of me just a-hanging around" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
