What book are you currently reading?

I am currently going through The Count of Monte Cristo (still) and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Some novels are easy to read over a long period of time, others are not. The Count of Monte Cristo is the first, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the second. The Count of Monte Cristo's is one that is easy to stop, with the characters faithfully returning to you after a long period of time. The plot of both novels is highly complex, but Tinker Tailor has many minor situations and characters that are necessary to remember. Forget one of them, and the novel will lose a portion of its enjoyment.
Both novels are fabulous in completely different ways.
John le Carre is not as well-recognized as he deserves to be. His writing style is distinct, consistent, and delightfully subtle.
Alexander Dumas stands among the greats, although something is wrong when I can't find a paperback copy in my city.

I bought a few books today from WH Smith. Bloodlines by Mark Billingham, The Eldritch Tales (a collection of short stories by H.P Lovecraft never before released in the UK, Apparently) and The complete short stories of Franz Kafka. The latter I'm really excited about. I've never read Kafka, but many have said that Bolano's work and Kafka are very similar. I would like to read ‘The Trial’ by Kafka but I want to read his shorter pieces first to see if I'll like his style or not lol. So I just started The Metamorphosis: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” -I love that opening already, my favourite type of opening, succinct and no BS.

Oh I also bought the Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Thesaurus for £10, BARGAIN! –but dull reading hahaha

Ben wrote:

I bought a few books today from WH Smith. Bloodlines by Mark Billingham, The Eldritch Tales (a collection of short stories by H.P Lovecraft never before released in the UK, Apparently) and The complete short stories of Franz Kafka. The latter I'm really excited about. I've never read Kafka, but many have said that Bolano's work and Kafka are very similar. I would like to read ‘The Trial’ by Kafka but I want to read his shorter pieces first to see if I'll like his style or not lol. So I just started The Metamorphosis: "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” -I love that opening already, my favourite type of opening, succinct and no BS.

Oh I also bought the Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Thesaurus for £10, BARGAIN! –but dull reading hahaha

I have read quite a bit of Kafka. "The Metamorphosis" is one of those I know best since I had to analyse it in depth while still at school. I didn't like it too much back then, and found most of it highly unappetizing, but that was before I read some of his more unsavoury short stories. I find it fascinating that Kafka is not in any way comparable to any other writer I have ever encountered. Usually it is fairly easy to find parallels between, say, Goethe and Lessing, or Flaubert and Storm - but Kafka is a singular phenomenon. Definitely let me know how you (and your stomach!) liked it!

Hey Laura, I finished The Metamorphosis last night and I've been pondering it all day today.

It was really quite tragic and yes, there were a few moments hahaha. There is a lot to analyse I guess, but it’s perfect as a story to read on a Sunday afternoon after dinner. I love Kafka so far, I didn't think I would to be honest. I’ve also just finished ‘In the Penal Colony’ (very dark lol) I'd love any further recommendations that you have.

I think I'll read a few more of his shorter pieces and then move on to 'The Trial'

Ben wrote:

Hey Laura, I finished The Metamorphosis last night and I've been pondering it all day today.

It was really quite tragic and yes, there were a few moments hahaha. There is a lot to analyse I guess, but it’s perfect as a story to read on a Sunday afternoon after dinner. I love Kafka so far, I didn't think I would to be honest. I’ve also just finished ‘In the Penal Colony’ (very dark lol) I'd love any further recommendations that you have.

I think I'll read a few more of his shorter pieces and then move on to 'The Trial'

I am somewhere in the first third of "The Trial", but can't seem to make it past that. It's not that it's boring or hard to read - but it's too much like a certain type of nightmare that I have during particularly stressful times. You might know the type: You find yourself in a situation that is beyond your control, and try to talk reason, but nobody will even listen to you (sometimes to the point of not acknowledging your presence at all). That's what "The Trial" is all about, and that's what scares me.

By coincidence, I bought a copy of "The Trial" (for 60% off at a Borders bookstore that is closing its doors). I have heard about and wondered about Kafka's writing style. I am hoping to get to it soon.

There's a 20% off sale going on at Page One, quite literally the largest bookstore in the city, if not the country. It ends august 31. Slight problem - I twisted my ankle in PE. Am furious about it.
Currently reading Night Watch series by Sergei Luyanenko. You'll hear very positive feedback from me. Anyone want a review?

Arrghhh I may go up September second (a big maybe), but I can't make it earlier.
Anyway, they have a terrible selection of John Le Carre, and seemed intent on replacing it with Shopoholic. How good could the book store be??

Classic case of sour grapes.

I have just started my very own copy of "Der Trotzkopf" - though it will mean nothing to you, this book and the films were very important for me when I was a girl. The novel tells the story of Ilse, a young pig-headed girl who is used to having her own way. She is sent to a boarding school for young girls (this was published in the 1880s, just so you know what kind of boarding school we're talking about). Of course, things go horribly wrong right from the beginning, but slowly, Ilse begins to evolve into what was considered a "proper woman" back then.

I know, I know. It's outdated and misogynistic and all that, but I love, love, love it.

Lillian wrote:

Currently reading Night Watch series by Sergei Luyanenko. You'll hear very positive feedback from me. Anyone want a review?

Absolutely! I always love feedback about authors I am not familiar with.

I have just started "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. This may come as a surprise for some, but this is my first Steinbeck book. So far, I like it. Very Americana, as I sort of figured.

Paul wrote:

I have just started "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. This may come as a surprise for some, but this is my first Steinbeck book. So far, I like it. Very Americana, as I sort of figured.

Your first Steinbeck? That does come as a surprise! Somehow I figured you'd probably have devoured every single American classic already.

Laura wrote:

Paul wrote:

I have just started "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. This may come as a surprise for some, but this is my first Steinbeck book. So far, I like it. Very Americana, as I sort of figured.

Your first Steinbeck? That does come as a surprise! Somehow I figured you'd probably have devoured every single American classic already.

No, not even close. I jump from here to there. And like you, I have the complete works of William Shakespeare.

One thing I am learning about Steinbeck is how much of a dark, edgy humor he has. There are lines in "Eden" that had me laughing and thinking "Wow, this guy is nuts!" at the same time.

Haha, interesting. My dad is reading East of Eden right now. He's in love.

I'm reading Dracula at the moment. In between painting and decorating that is. I want to read some of the more famous novels which I never got round to reading. I may start Frankenstein once I have finished Dracula. Then move on to either Moby-Dick or The Count of Monte Cristo.

Ben wrote:

I'm reading Dracula at the moment. In between painting and decorating that is. I want to read some of the more famous novels which I never got round to reading. I may start Frankenstein once I have finished Dracula. Then move on to either Moby-Dick or The Count of Monte Cristo.

I hope you have a LOT of patience if you read Moby Dick. Either that, or a fascination with the minutia of whaling vessels and every single detail imaginable concerning mid-19th century whaling. I enjoyed the beginning and the end of Moby Dick, but the middle...

Paul wrote:

Ben wrote:

I'm reading Dracula at the moment. In between painting and decorating that is. I want to read some of the more famous novels which I never got round to reading. I may start Frankenstein once I have finished Dracula. Then move on to either Moby-Dick or The Count of Monte Cristo.

I hope you have a LOT of patience if you read Moby Dick. Either that, or a fascination with the minutia of whaling vessels and every single detail imaginable concerning mid-19th century whaling. I enjoyed the beginning and the end of Moby Dick, but the middle...

Thanks for the warning, a few people have warned me about Moby-Dick. One person even suggested I skip it and read about the Essex; A whaling ship that was attacked by a Sperm Whale in 1820. Apparently it was the inspiration for the Novel. I am interested in that too, but only if I enjoy this novel. I also have been reading about Mocha-Dick; a real White Sperm Whale that was attacking ships off the coast of Chile around the same time. It was rumoured to have a number of Harpoons on its back from other whalers before it was eventually killed.

I downloaded it for free on my Kindle, along with Dracula and the other books I have mentioned. At the minute there are more books on there that are unread than there are read lol.

I will give it a go anyway, but thanks for the heads up.

Right now I am reading (and actually almost finished with) "Black Hills" by Dan Simmons. Simmons has recently written "Drood" and "The Terror", both novels I enjoyed. This one, while all right, is not quite at the level of those two.

"Black Hills" is about a Lakota Indian by the same name who, as an eleven-year-old child, wanders onto the corpse-strewn battleground that is Little Big Horn in Montana in 1876. There he finds a dying white man who is none other than General George Armstrong Custer. He touches Custer, whose departing spirit promptly flies into the consciousness of the young Black Hills. Black Hills then grows into adulthood in a land that is quickly taken over by the white American settlers and, years later, gets a job as a powderman (dynamite worker) on what will become Mount Rushmore. All this time the spirit of Custer stays with him. As Mount Rushmore is being sculpted on a mountain that is sacred to Black Hills' tribe, he of course has something in mind for the finished product, hoping at the same time to finally rid himself of the spirit of Custer.

As I said, I am almost done, and I will post a review when I am.

Ben wrote:

Paul wrote:

Ben wrote:

I'm reading Dracula at the moment. In between painting and decorating that is. I want to read some of the more famous novels which I never got round to reading. I may start Frankenstein once I have finished Dracula. Then move on to either Moby-Dick or The Count of Monte Cristo.

I hope you have a LOT of patience if you read Moby Dick. Either that, or a fascination with the minutia of whaling vessels and every single detail imaginable concerning mid-19th century whaling. I enjoyed the beginning and the end of Moby Dick, but the middle...

Thanks for the warning, a few people have warned me about Moby-Dick. One person even suggested I skip it and read about the Essex; A whaling ship that was attacked by a Sperm Whale in 1820. Apparently it was the inspiration for the Novel. I am interested in that too, but only if I enjoy this novel. I also have been reading about Mocha-Dick; a real White Sperm Whale that was attacking ships off the coast of Chile around the same time. It was rumoured to have a number of Harpoons on its back from other whalers before it was eventually killed.

I downloaded it for free on my Kindle, along with Dracula and the other books I have mentioned. At the minute there are more books on there that are unread than there are read lol.

I will give it a go anyway, but thanks for the heads up.

I recommend reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm past the half-way mark, and am loving every minute of it. The plot is highly intricate, nicely paced, and engrossing to say the least. The Characters are also well developed, enjoyable, and realistic.

I'm also finishing up Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. The book is undoubtedly a modern classic, and one of the best books written in the 20th century. After this I will read A Constant Gardener; I cannot seem to get enough of this author.

My apologies for being away for so long. I moved out of my parent's basement house to a new place. I didn't get internet until just recently. I like my new place. We rented a house with a large amount of rooms and 6 (soon to be 7) occupants. It's quiet throughout the week, which suits me perfectly. We do tend to have pretty crazy weekends, which also suits me well.

I have been eyeing up Le Carre for a while and the Constant Gardener is quite high on my 'to read list'

I read the Stars' Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry not long after Christmas. It is a modern retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo; I really enjoyed it and have been meaning to get around to reading the original work for some time. So thanks for the recommendation.

My reading has become quite neglected of late. I have had a burst of writing energy and have been writing nonstop. But now that the winter nights are drawing in I may pick up another book soon. Or my kindle lol.

Good Luck in your new place.

It's great to see you back, William. Best of luck in your new place!

Ben, if you have had a burst of writing energy, go with the flow, my friend! Send some to me, will ya? I've been a slug lately when it comes to writing. To quote an Aerosmith song, "My get up and go must have got up and went".

Anyway, I am reading "The Lords of Discipline" by Pat Conroy. Some of you may be familiar with this book or the movie version of it, which came out a number of years back. It concerns racism and corruption in a South Carolina military institute in the 1960's. I am 200 pages into it, and, to me, Pat Conroy is a find. There is some incredible writing here. I will have to look up more of his material.

Paul wrote:

Lilli--It's been a few years since I've read "American Gods". I remember it being all right, maybe a bit better than most of the other popular novels out there, but as far as it being worth finishing, I really can't say. If the book is boring you that much, I would have to say no. I don't remember anything really spectacular happening at the end.

Jen--Ah, I'm glad to see a fellow addict to "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I have read the four books currently in print and am eagerly awaiting "A Dance With Dragons", which is (hopefully, allegedly) coming out in July. And it damn well better not be another six years until the next novel, like it was for this one, Mr. George R. R. Martin!

*raises hand* just finished A Game of Thrones. I like it A LOT, but I'm unsure about starting a second one. They are rather weighty, even if the quality is spectacular.

Lillian wrote:

Paul wrote:

Lilli--It's been a few years since I've read "American Gods". I remember it being all right, maybe a bit better than most of the other popular novels out there, but as far as it being worth finishing, I really can't say. If the book is boring you that much, I would have to say no. I don't remember anything really spectacular happening at the end.

Jen--Ah, I'm glad to see a fellow addict to "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. I have read the four books currently in print and am eagerly awaiting "A Dance With Dragons", which is (hopefully, allegedly) coming out in July. And it damn well better not be another six years until the next novel, like it was for this one, Mr. George R. R. Martin!

*raises hand* just finished A Game of Thrones. I like it A LOT, but I'm unsure about starting a second one. They are rather weighty, even if the quality is spectacular.

They are weighty, but the more you read the more addicting they become. And at least you have the advantage of not having to wait for years in between each book! I say go for it.

Just finished reading Red Badge of Courage recently. I really busy now preparing for a test so too busy for much reading, but I plan to start one of Le Carre's books soon. Maybe The Constant Gardener; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; or Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

I finished "Lords of Discipline". For anyone who hasn't read any of his books yet, I recommend checking out Pat Conroy. He's very descriptive without being tedious, and his characters are rough-edged and very relatable. Lines like "She wore defeat like a piece of cheap jewelry." are eloquent and succinct all in one. While certain scenes at the end let me down a bit, I still recommend this book.

It is interesting that I actually saw the movie based on this book several years ago.