This forum uses cookies
This forum makes use of cookies to store your login information if you are registered, and your last visit if you are not. Cookies are small text documents stored on your computer; the cookies set by this forum can only be used on this website and pose no security risk. Cookies on this forum also track the specific topics you have read and when you last read them. Please confirm whether you accept or reject these cookies being set.

A cookie will be stored in your browser regardless of choice to prevent you being asked this question again. You will be able to change your cookie settings at any time using the link in the footer.
Your top 5 books
Started by Herzog




95 posts in this topic
pondlife
Posting Freak

Posts: 16,712
Threads: 4
Joined: Nov 2014
Reputation: 1,082
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 01:06 PM -
#61
(05-16-2020, 12:26 PM)Dr. Colossus Wrote: Genuinely tough to pick 5

American Tabloid - James Ellroy
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy 
The Stranger - Albert Camus
Lucky Jim - Kingsley Anáis
Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

I’ll throw Watchmen in there as a comic book too

Did you read The Cold Six Thousand ? Thought it pretty good at the time and believed it just a matter of time before it was made into a movie but ...

Since then I've read a review or two of it and get the impression that because it was the sequel (or 2nd in the trilogy) it/he lost the lustre that American Tabloid had. Thoughts?

Blood Meridian MyMan
Currahee!
A tenner for this

Posts: 7,132
Threads: 23
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation: 499
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 01:17 PM -
#62
(05-15-2020, 09:25 PM)Walter Boycechak Wrote: How good are Dahl's books. Can't wait to share them with my daughter. Danny, the champion of the world is probably my favourite, but I imagine that might change when reading them together, or as she gets older as well.

Roald Dahl books were amazing growing up. Danny the champion of the world and The Wonderful story of Henry Sugar were my favourites. Brilliant.
Herzog
Horrible Bastard

Posts: 8,579
Threads: 55
Joined: Nov 2014
Reputation: 701
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 01:21 PM -
#63
I remember our English teacher reading us I Am David. Brought the Holocaust crashing home Sob

Kashinda
it wasn’t a fix, I swear

Posts: 12,495
Threads: 67
Joined: Nov 2016
Reputation: 1,253
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 01:51 PM -
#64
We read The Machine Gunner, Of Mice and Men and An Inspector Calls in English. Don’t remember much about them but remember basically being forced to say the N word when reading Of Mice and Men and the teacher justifying it to the class by saying she had a black husband Warnock
Poor Playercey
Slug and not physical

Posts: 42,284
Threads: 205
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 3,193
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 02:32 PM -
#65
Impressed at how well-read the THF are. Quite Good I don't read enough books, and when I do read it tends to either be non-fiction or trashy thrillers.  Warnock

Top 5 off the top of my head:
  • A Season With Verona - just a perfect football book. Frequently appears on "best football books" lists for good reason; would recommend it to anyone here.

  • The Lies of Locke Lamora - a really fun read; heist caper set in a brilliantly-written world. The trilogy (as it stands - there's meant to be a fourth book coming soon) is really good, but the first is excellent.

  • You - the book the Netflix series was based on. Trashy, but I couldn't put it down.  Warnock

  • Macbeth - read this in 4th year at school. Just a great play - have seen it live shree times now.

  • I, Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan - the funniest book ever written.  Warnock  
(08-02-2018, 09:04 AM)Mags Wrote: A resposta é Sim.

Neave
Trabelsi Loyal

Posts: 5,888
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation: 629
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 03:03 PM -
#66
Other than "The Best of William Shakespeare", Macbeth is my favourite too. Would be interesting to see it in a theatre. Went to see Waiting for Godot once at the Usher Hall and it was really good Quite Good
Poor Playercey
Slug and not physical

Posts: 42,284
Threads: 205
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 3,193
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 03:07 PM -
#67
Saw Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in Waiting For Godot at the King's Theatre about 10 years ago. VanGaals Bitch
(08-02-2018, 09:04 AM)Mags Wrote: A resposta é Sim.

Neave
Trabelsi Loyal

Posts: 5,888
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation: 629
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 03:29 PM -
#68
Wow

That must've been brilliant. Only seen bits of that on YouTube.
Hung S.J.
Elite

Posts: 42,908
Threads: 970
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 1,341
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 04:57 PM -
#69
Walt/Dr Colossus. Talk me through Camus’ the stranger (or whatever the french name is)

I wanted to love it, and it was ok, but what makes it good for you? I know it’s in many people’s top fives and would love to understand.

I like existential topics for reading so was expecting to love it. Maybe I built it up too much for myself
This post was last modified: 05-16-2020, 04:57 PM by Hung S.J..
Mikey
Human Rights Respecter

Posts: 11,066
Threads: 13
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 1,164
Status: Online

05-16-2020, 05:25 PM -
#70
It's pretentious and French Stendel creep
2NaFez
Modphibian

Posts: 17,373
Threads: 85
Joined: Dec 2014
Reputation: 1,056
Status: Away

05-16-2020, 06:40 PM -
#71
Is l'etranger the one where he bitches out the priest in prison near the end? That's a great book. What's the one where it's just one side of a drunken conversation in amsterdam and it mirrors dante's layers of hell? Dug that too.
Shuto Makino
1-1 :jos:

Posts: 16,759
Threads: 55
Joined: Dec 2014
Reputation: 1,630
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 07:01 PM -
#72
Hated L'Etranger when I had to read it for Higher French - a really weird choice to give to school pupils whose only aim is to understand and write a short summary of a novel Heh Can remember struggling through a chapter where all he does is watch people from his balcony like 'what the fuck is this' Heh Maintained that hatred right up until I read it again as part of my MLitt, at which point I was more able to understand it. Still wouldn't say it's a particular favourite tbh. The other novel 2na is referencing is La Chute, which I liked a bit better.

Would recommend that anyone who enjoyed L'Etranger take a look at The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (Meursault Contre-Enquête in French - Daoud is Algerian, but wrote the original in French rather than Arabic. Being an intellectual, I have only read this version and not the English translation). It's written in the first person from the perspective of the brother of the Arab Meursault kills, and explores the failings of post-independence Algeria. Daoud is primarily a journalist, and in that capacity is actually a bit of a clown imo, but it's a really good novel.

Bit late to the party re. the Higher English texts, but IIRC I did Animal Farm. Can also remember doing Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Lord of the Flies, Death of a Salesman, and William Golding's The Inheritors - another novel which, like L'Etranger, I was nowhere near equipped to understand at the time and thought was some boring weird shit about neanderthals rather than a musing on human nature. Heh
(08-21-2017, 01:25 PM)i8hibsh Wrote: I AM A LONER BY CHOICE
I AM SINGLE BY CHOICE
I HAVE NO KIDS BY CHOICE

Neave
Trabelsi Loyal

Posts: 5,888
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation: 629
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 08:21 PM -
#73
Anyone ever read Grapes of Wrath? Surprised I forgot about all about it in my top 5 and honourable mentions, but it's one of my favourites. When he's sending the deid baby downstream Sob
Poor Playercey
Slug and not physical

Posts: 42,284
Threads: 205
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 3,193
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 08:37 PM -
#74
(05-16-2020, 03:29 PM)Neaven Staismith Wrote: Wow

That must've been brilliant. Only seen bits of that on YouTube.

It was fantastic. Obviously the play is total mince bobbins, but you're sitting there like Pinilla at the stage presence of both of them. Warnock
(08-02-2018, 09:04 AM)Mags Wrote: A resposta é Sim.

Kashinda
it wasn’t a fix, I swear

Posts: 12,495
Threads: 67
Joined: Nov 2016
Reputation: 1,253
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 08:50 PM -
#75
[Image: xT5vS5gl.jpg]

Acey meeting Patrick Stewart
Walter Sobchak
over the line

Posts: 23,050
Threads: 151
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 1,491
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 08:55 PM -
#76
(05-16-2020, 03:03 PM)Neaven Staismith Wrote: Other than "The Best of William Shakespeare", Macbeth is my favourite too. Would be interesting to see it in a theatre. Went to see Waiting for Godot once at the Usher Hall and it was really good Quite Good

(05-16-2020, 03:07 PM)Acey Exotic Wrote: Saw Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in Waiting For Godot at the King's Theatre about 10 years ago. VanGaals Bitch

(05-16-2020, 03:29 PM)Neaven Staismith Wrote: Wow

That must've been brilliant. Only seen bits of that on YouTube.


You wait all day for Godot then three come along at once. Deal with it
Neave
Trabelsi Loyal

Posts: 5,888
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2016
Reputation: 629
Status: Offline

05-16-2020, 09:03 PM -
#77
I'm going.
Drederick Shanktum
Desperate Tatum

Posts: 23,869
Threads: 62
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 572
Status: Offline

05-17-2020, 10:59 AM -
#78
Going to take a few of the suggestions here and start reading them.

I’ve started with The Catcher in the Rye, started it yesterday and have almost finished it. Not sure if it’s just because of the exposure to Trump and his speaking style but that’s who I’m reminded of initially from Holden caulfield’s thought process.

Not sure which to go for next
Monty Oh You
Floyd
Resident Weegie

Posts: 14,787
Threads: 9
Joined: Nov 2014
Reputation: 1,195
Status: Offline

05-17-2020, 11:02 AM -
#79
(05-17-2020, 10:59 AM)Our Daniel Tatum Wrote: Going to take a few of the suggestions here and start reading them.

I’ve started with The Catcher in the Rye, started it yesterday and have almost finished it. Not sure if it’s just because of the exposure to Trump and his speaking style but that’s who I’m reminded of initially from Holden caulfield’s thought process.

Not sure which to go for next

I’ve done the same! Laugh

Ordered myself a copy of Catcher in the Rye & I, Partridge: We need to talk about Alan.

Given I generally only read books when I’m lying by the pool on holiday, this is quite a commitment for me.
Don’t let me down fam.
Walter Sobchak
over the line

Posts: 23,050
Threads: 151
Joined: Oct 2014
Reputation: 1,491
Status: Offline

05-17-2020, 11:24 AM -
#80
(05-17-2020, 10:59 AM)Our Daniel Tatum Wrote: Going to take a few of the suggestions here and start reading them.

I’ve started with The Catcher in the Rye, started it yesterday and have almost finished it. Not sure if it’s just because of the exposure to Trump and his speaking style but that’s who I’m reminded of initially from Holden caulfield’s thought process.

Not sure which to go for next

Get wired into “not fade away.”
This post was last modified: 05-17-2020, 11:24 AM by Walter Sobchak.



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)