Other Books You're Reading

[Worm]

i've read James Joyce's "Portrait of a young artist"... the title is promising, but the content is very disappointing.  I have very little respect for the writings of James Joyce.  I am not interested in his other writings, i don't expect them to be much different.

[hull0997]

i tried to read all joyce's books i checked them all out from the library,read the first 20 pages of ulysses and hated it,i read about half way through "portrait" then it got too boring.and i couldnt even get past the first 10 pages of dubliners.

[Zissou]

Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.  Just started this and think its gonna be a good un.  One I'll need to drink in slowly I think.

[Scoundrel]

Brave New World is excellent...sort of like 1984, but not as intense......another good one by Huxley is "The Perennial Philosophy".......I've been meaning to read 'Island' by Huxley but haven't gotten around to it

[Screamgrip]

How about "Slaughter house Five"? I havent read it myself, but I hear that it is Dystopic too.

[Scoundrel]

Finally finished the grapes of wrath.....what a wretched story....wretched in a good way...just started 'The Catcher In The Rye' and I don't really like the main character thus far

[hull0997]

slaughterhouse is  funny{and wierd} as hell. i wouldnt call it dystopic though. it isnt set in the future.one of the charachters in the book says that every thing you need to know about life is in the brothers karamazov but it just isnt enough these days and thats why he reads sci-fi

[Scoundrel]

'The Catcher In The Rye' is a pretty entertaining book......I think the narrator is kind of a snotty, spiteful brat, but I like him.....nothing really happens in this book, but the story is told from an interesting point of view

[lerik]

Just finished reading "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks.Its so beautiful and romantic. Its a simple love stry but it is told so beautifully.Definatelly a "must read"

[Worm]

people that run away and then do naughty things together, that's a subject i love

who doesn't, you know?

[highseas]

     Recently read "Jane Eyre".  Really interesting characters, especially Jane, of course.  I was moved by how hard life can be for some young people, orphans, etc.  I think the three Bronte sisters were remarkable for their remarkable strength against so much adversity.  They were able to write really great literature although sadly they all died so young.  Only physical illnesses could temporarily remove their spirits from earthly chains.

     Also read Dickens' "Tale of 2 Cities".  It's always a humbling experience to read Dickens.  He's amazing AND entertaining.

     Been reading Joyce Carol Oates - "Diaries" + one of her novels, "The Tattooed Girl".  The diaries I find really interesting + inspiring.  Moreso than most diaries or journals.  She's super educated, has taught at a few big colleges.  I think she works or writes 23 hours/day.  Her output is amazing.

[Scoundrel]

reading a book called "London Bridge" by Louis-Ferdinand Celine.....it's  sort of an autobiographical novel, about a raving, slightly mad and delirious  frenchman, who gets involved in a gas mask competition in London during WWI....the premis is ridiculous I know, but the mad ravings of the protagonist are hilarious

[highseas]

who gets involved in a gas mask competition

     I'm curious - what is a gas mask competition?
     You're right.  It sounds really funny. The author, Celine, sounds familiar.  I've read something by him but can't remember what it was.  I love some of the older French authors.

[Scoundrel]

the main character is about 23 and freshly out of WWI, although the war is still raging and poison gas was being used...so the english government, apparently setup a competition for inventors to come up with a design for a new gasmask...and the main character is this inventor guy's lackey, I guess you'd call him......all celine's book are autobiographical, and the first one, that starts with his early childhood is called "death on the installment plan".....he's kind of perverse at times, but I think his sense of humor is hilarious......he may have been one of the first authors to use the "stream of conciousness" style of writing, where much of the story is an onslaught of the main characters scrolling thoughts.....it's funny stuff really, the character's ranting and raving thoughts

[Scoundrel]

I've been meaning to read "Tale of Two Cities' for some time...it sits on my pile waiting....and now I started a book called 'The Haj' by Leon Uris before even finishing this celine story( due to my forgetting my celine book at a friends house)