What fiction book are you currently reading?

[crushing]

I'm reading Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 for the first time. I've seen the Truffaut film (1966) a couple times, including just last week which led me to finally check the book out from the library.

I'm surprised how different the pop culture take on it is different than the actual story. Maybe that is because the book is critical of the media and the turning of media characters into Friends and Family and the distraction the mass media played in pulling people away from books, not to mention the 'political correctness' as demonstrated by the line "Don't step on the toes of the dog-livers, the cat-lovers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, chiefs, Mormons, Baptists, Unitarians, second-generation Chinese, Swedes, Italians, Germans, Texans, Brooklynites, Irishment, people from Oregon or Mexico." The censorship that lead to the Firemen starting fires, rather than putting them out didn't start with the government, but with the political correctness from special interest groups.

I guess I justed wanted to say that the story is so much deeper and involved than any pop culture references or film could provide. I hope the upcoming movie does it justice and doesn't end up being a Barb Wire (1996), but instead starring Tom Hanks.

 

[Big Don]

I just finished CONFESSOR The tenth (DAMN) and final novel (eleventh really, but...)of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth epic. Yes, it was good. No, I did not like the ending. It tied up just a little too neatly and easily for me. All this horrific stuff goes on and the end comes down to, well, I won't spoil it...
One of the Black Belts in my school gave me the first six books last year. So, I blame him.

 

[crushing]

I'm still on my classics kick and I'm reading James Joyce's Dubliners. It's supposed to be one of the great classics, but I'm not really getting in to it. I guess I'm just not sophisticated enough for Joyce? I've only read the first four stories, maybe I will start getting it with the other stories?

I just noticed as I glanced at the index that 'The Dead' is one of the stories. When I was putting together my list of 'must read' classics, someone said to read 'The Dead' first. I thought it was a separate book and couldn't find at the library. I think I'll jump ahead to 'The Dead' and then come back to the other stories.

 

[Sukerkin]

It's an important thing to sometimes remind ourselves that 'classics' were things that were popular in their time and are thought of as having literary significance or being examples of excellence in their genre.

That does not mean that we all have to like them tho'.

From my own tastes, I love Shakespeare but can't handle Dickens, Golding is excellent in my view but Hemmingway can either tune me in or leave me cold.

So, if Joyce is turning into work rather than pleasure, Crushing, let him go. Come back to him another time and maybe then you'll 'get it' and enjoy reading him. I intend to do the same with Dickens once I've hacked into my stack of novels and texts that's built up on the library shelves .

 

[crushing]

I hear you Sukerkin! Good advice. I'm planning on revisiting some required school reading and see how different they are now that I want to read them, rather than have to read them.

Speaking of Hemingway, I've really enjoyed a few of his works in the last year. The most recent read being Green Hills of Africa, which was ok to me until he shot the Rhino. I understand it was a different time/different place and told myself that as I read on because I was enjoying the read, but it still bothered me. I'm not sure if it is speciesist (?) of me, but I didn't mind the kudu hunt, or other 'deer- or cow-like' animals, but the killing of a rhino, or the discussion of shooting an elephant or lion I found very offputting.

 

[Sukerkin]

I can understand that response - sometimes when we read things from an other time the large changes in social attitudes really hit home.

That's especially so when we're looking at the literary 'heavyweights' as we can tend to approach them with a degree of reverence and are, therefore, shocked more when something jars our sensibilities.

 

[harlan]

Thanks for the heads-up. Would you happen to have a review yet?

Just started reading The Essential Ellison: A 50 year Retrospective It's a fascinating look into the growth of an author and the themes in his works.

 

[Fiendlover]

the good guy by dean koontz was the last fiction book i read.

i started reading the mists of avalon but damn that book is over 700 pages long so i didnt finish it.

 

[Jade Tigress]

I just started reading I Am Legend 2 days ago. I haven't seen the movie yet.

 

[crushing]

I actually kind of got into Dubliners a little bit. I had to change my mindset (paradigm shift?) that a story needs to have some closure rather than being open ended. One story ended with a man coming home drunk after a lousy day at work and an evening of drinking and beating his child for letting the fire die down. That was the end. No come-uppance for the drunkard. No lessons learned for the father. I ran into the same thing reading Chekhov's short stories. In fact, one of the Chekhov stories was very similiar with a drunk beating his child. But, Chekhov went on to the next day where the father didn't remember the insults and beating he put on his child the night before and tried to give his boy a hug and the young boy was pale, meek, and standoffish.

Well, it's on to Heart of Darkness. Only a couple pages in.

Speaking of Chekhov. My favorite story was of a young man that was so proud of his name appearing in the newspaper. He figured he was famous and would be known around the area. He was bragging himself up in regards to his newfound fame to everyone around him.

*SPOILER ALERT*
Come to find out, his name is in the paper for having too much drink which ended up causing the destruction of property and injury to himself!!!!! LOL! Anyway, it made me think of so many people now-a-days looking for their 15 minutes of fame.

 

[Jack Meower]

There are many pages to this thread and I've just come in on it. That said, I'm not currently reading anything, but I'm eagerly awaiting the new book by John Sandford. It is called Phantom Prey and it comes out in May.

If anyone is interested in the series, the first was called Rules of Prey, and my personal favorite is Winter Prey. My favorite series of books by far.

It is basically about a cop in Minneapolis, but that description doesn't do justice to the author. If you google John Sandford you'll find his site where you can find more info.

Not a paid endorser, just a huge fan.

 

[crushing]

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I made it through the forward and introduction last night. It sounds like it will be quite interesting. Next to the Satanic Verses by Rushdie, it is probably the longest fiction book I've attempted.

 

[mrhnau]

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I made it through the forward and introduction last night. It sounds like it will be quite interesting. Next to the Satanic Verses by Rushdie, it is probably the longest fiction book I've attempted.

I read the Invisible Man by HG Wells. I assume this one is a bit different any good?

 

[crushing]

I read the Invisible Man by HG Wells. I assume this one is a bit different any good?

Yeah, I think it's a different invisibility . Here is more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Man_(novel). I'll post a follow-up when I get into the story. It sounded like a compelling read and was on several of the 'best book' lists when I was researching things to read.

 

[benj13bowlin]

I just finished reading Reaper's Gale: Malazan Book of the Fallen, by Steven Erikson.

I really liked it. Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen has to be my favorite series right now. Everytime he comes out with another instalment I start the series over at the begining.

Before that I read all the books in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.

Now I need something new to read. I read pretty fast going through 2-3 books a week, and I have read most of the better know books in the genre. Any suggestions? Something along the same lines. I read mostly SF/Fantasy with a little bit of just about everything else thrown in.

 

[mrhnau]

Now I need something new to read. I read pretty fast going through 2-3 books a week, and I have read most of the better know books in the genre. Any suggestions? Something along the same lines. I read mostly SF/Fantasy with a little bit of just about everything else thrown in.

Geez, I wish I had that kind of time to read!

I really enjoyed some of the classics lately. I got on an HG Wells kick for a little while. Old, but really entertaining. For a twist, you can try some of CS Lewis's lesser known books: The Space Trilogy. I have been meaning to reread those. If you like old stuff, I could recommend a few more, but not a lot of people like reading that these days

As far as Fantasy, I always enjoyed the Star Wars novels, but they kept coming out faster than I could read, and it got a bit much to keep up with. Been reading the Forgotten Realms books a bit. Just finished up Elminster: The Making of a Mage. That was a fun read...

 

[kidswarrior]

Well, I hate to admit this to you group of highbrows, but I read the newest Robert B Parker Saturday, and John Grisham's Playing for Pizza on Sunday (had just gotten home from a 6 day, 3200 mile, 10 state, 3 time zone road trip which included a funeral service for a sibling, so needed some R&R pretty badly). Both really hit the spot. I was in no mood for the likes of Dorian Gray or Shakespeare .

 

[Hand Sword]

I will say that aside from my math book, my fictional books are all of my other school books!

 

[LoneRider]

Right now I just polished off Star Wars: Republic Commando by Karen Traviss.

 

[stickarts]

The sequals to The Wizard of Earthsea trilogy by Ursula Le Guinn