What book are you currently reading?

Wow, Jane, congrats on finishing Hunchback. The last 50 pages, I agree, were the best. Very moving.
I love Gemma Doyle - was this your first time?
Catcher in the Rye? Overrated. To me, it's like the emo boy's version of chick lit. All the cliche "My life sucks, everyone else sucks" blah. Irritates the heck out of me.

I am almost finished with Frankenstein. It's not a bad book, but it's taken me a while to plow through it. Mostly because I can't stand the MC, Victor Frankenstein. I will post a review when I am done.

The author of Catcher in the Rye just died. Weird coincidence. I might read it sometime.

ʆʘυɨʂɑ wrote:

The author of Catcher in the Rye just died. Weird coincidence. I might read it sometime.

Really? Salinger died? That is very sad...

Edit. So, here are the details - I googled it to see for myself. I admit I didn't like much of his work, but then again, few writers produce such memorable characters!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/29/MN431BP3BI.DTL&type=printable

ʆʘυɨʂɑ wrote:

The author of Catcher in the Rye just died. Weird coincidence. I might read it sometime.

Strangely, I have never read that book, either. I have heard so much about it (mostly bad), but I suppose some time I will pick it up and see for myself.

I've been hearing a lot about the Percy Jackson series. Do you people think I should check it out. From looking at the movie posters, it looks very much like a Harry Potter wannabe.

Katelyn Leclerq wrote:

I've been hearing a lot about the Percy Jackson series. Do you people think I should check it out. From looking at the movie posters, it looks very much like a Harry Potter wannabe.

...which wouldn't be half bad, imho...

I have a copy of Les Miserables that keeps staring me in the face, demanding to know when I'm going to crack it open. I know many here have enjoyed this book, and I did like "Hunchback" a great deal, but I'm like the little kid at the end of the pool, trying to build his courage to jump in the deep end, wary even though a parent is there waiting to catch me. Here I go now, here I go...whoops, wait a minute, now here I go...

Have officially started Les Miserables. I have 1500 pages staring me in the face. This may take some time. Hopefully it is as good as I have heard.

Do keep us posted on that, Paul. I really do want to know if Les Miserables is worth reading.

While we're waiting, does anyone have anything to recommend me? I want something ..... anything ....

Katelyn Leclerq wrote:

Do keep us posted on that, Paul. I really do want to know if Les Miserables is worth reading.

While we're waiting, does anyone have anything to recommend me? I want something ..... anything ....

How about A Tree Grows In Brooklyn? I read it last month, and I absolutely loved it. One of my favorites now.

I am about 300 pages into Les Miserables. After a bit of a slow start, it has gotten quite good. This is what novel writing used to be. This is what has been sacrificed in our era of instant gratification and the written word as junk food for the mind. No wonder I am gravitating back toward the classics.

I have just finished Winnie the Pooh - I know, it is a children's book, but I needed something silly and fun. And seriously, most of it has a smartness that you don't find in today's children's fiction.

One thing I have noticed about Les Miserables is that, just like in War and Peace, the spectre of Napoleon is never far away. In War and Peace Napoleon was a major character, and in Les Miserables he is constantly alluded to and the battle of Waterloo is described in depth. It goes to show just how much Napoleon affected 19th century Europe and how his presence was felt and written about by the top European authors even decades after his death.

I have just finished "Summer Lightning", another of Tamara McKinley's Australian family sagas. Gee, I love her work - in a way, they are all the same, only completely different.

For a change, I've returned to my "Asian" library section. I am now reading "Empress" by Evelyne McCune, an account of the life of Empress Wu Jao who lived during the early Middle Ages. It's heavy stuff, and I'm having trouble getting into it... but once I get into the flow, it's hard to put down.

Which reminds me. I wanted to get a copy of "Steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse. Anyone ever read any Hesse?

Grace wrote:

I have just finished "Summer Lightning", another of Tamara McKinley's Australian family sagas. Gee, I love her work - in a way, they are all the same, only completely different.

For a change, I've returned to my "Asian" library section. I am now reading "Empress" by Evelyne McCune, an account of the life of Empress Wu Jao who lived during the early Middle Ages. It's heavy stuff, and I'm having trouble getting into it... but once I get into the flow, it's hard to put down.

Which reminds me. I wanted to get a copy of "Steppenwolf" by Hermann Hesse. Anyone ever read any Hesse?

I've heard of Hesse, of course, and "Steppenwolf" is on my to-read list, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

I've just started a book called Half the Sky. It's about women's oppression all over the world, and while I am interested in the issues brought up, I think the authors are trying more to evoke your sympathy rather than state the facts.

After this, it's either The Three Musteteers or another attempt at As I Lay Dying.

Jane wrote:

I've just started a book called Half the Sky. It's about women's oppression all over the world, and while I am interested in the issues brought up, I think the authors are trying more to evoke your sympathy rather than state the facts.

After this, it's either The Three Musteteers or another attempt at As I Lay Dying.

Go with Dumas. I hate Faulkner with a passion after having been forced to fight my way through "The Sound and the Fury".

Grace wrote:

Jane wrote:

I've just started a book called Half the Sky. It's about women's oppression all over the world, and while I am interested in the issues brought up, I think the authors are trying more to evoke your sympathy rather than state the facts.

After this, it's either The Three Musteteers or another attempt at As I Lay Dying.

Go with Dumas. I hate Faulkner with a passion after having been forced to fight my way through "The Sound and the Fury".

I haven't read any of Faulkner's novels, but I have read a number of his short stories. His style is definitely an acquired taste.

Thanks for the recommendations, people. I definitely will check out a Tree Grows In Brooklyn.

I love Winnie the Pooh! I am a huge fan of classic children's stories.

I will read Les MIserables when I have time.

Why is Faulkner an acquired taste? I've never read any of his stuff ... but he seemed to be pretty antagonistic in some of his quotes that I find online.

I've put Wu Jao on ice. My mother introduced me to Kay Hooper today - crime fiction meets mystery. Love the stuff, I really can't put it down. And when my mother likes a writer, she buys their entire work - i.e. I have loads to do!

Katelyn Leclerq wrote:

Thanks for the recommendations, people. I definitely will check out a Tree Grows In Brooklyn.

I love Winnie the Pooh! I am a huge fan of classic children's stories.

I will read Les MIserables when I have time.

Why is Faulkner an acquired taste? I've never read any of his stuff ... but he seemed to be pretty antagonistic in some of his quotes that I find online.

Faulkner is a very dark, grotesque writer. His style is commonly referred to here in America as Southern Gothic, as many of his stories are set in the southern states. Faulkner likes to explore the violence, corruption, and mental illness behind the "proper image" many people put up, especially in relation to families. His prose takes some getting used to. One of his better known short stories is "A Rose For Emily". As I said, I have never read any of his novels, so I do not know how much they differ from his shorter works.

Well, I am 1000 pages into Les Miserables. It seems to be taking me forever to chug through this book. I do enjoy the story, but when Hugo goes off on one of his many tangents it really bogs things down and my interest wanes. Still, I will finish it. I find it interesting, concerning the romance between Marius and Cosette, how stalking is considered an acceptable part of courtship. If Marius did this today he would have a restraining order slapped on him.

Paul wrote:

Well, I am 1000 pages into Les Miserables. It seems to be taking me forever to chug through this book. I do enjoy the story, but when Hugo goes off on one of his many tangents it really bogs things down and my interest wanes. Still, I will finish it. I find it interesting, concerning the romance between Marius and Cosette, how stalking is considered an acceptable part of courtship. If Marius did this today he would have a restraining order slapped on him.

Well, I went to see the musical, then decided that I wouldn't read the book. The shortened version on stage had its looooong moments already, and I feared that the novel would have much more of the redundant stuff

Paul wrote:

Well, I am 1000 pages into Les Miserables. It seems to be taking me forever to chug through this book. I do enjoy the story, but when Hugo goes off on one of his many tangents it really bogs things down and my interest wanes. Still, I will finish it. I find it interesting, concerning the romance between Marius and Cosette, how stalking is considered an acceptable part of courtship. If Marius did this today he would have a restraining order slapped on him.

Hugo does tend to do that. What is he blathering on about? Still architecture?