TSF Book Club

Voltron

Nepia - on Lolita, imagine an entire book which is one long seduction of a 12 year old girl. Except the bits where he graphically describes exactly what it is that attracts him to said 12 year old girl. Very well written, which just makes it worse. I have no interest in an in depth exploration of the things that he explores.

Chris B.

[quote name='Nepia']Do you have sections on your bookshelf - i assume the section you're referring to is Overrated? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Malone's diaries are an interesting read - my MA was about NZ command structures - so have read a bunch of stuff in this area. 
 
I really want Peter Jackson to remake Chunuk Bair (Once on Chunuk Bair) as an actual movie and not as a filmed play.[/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah there's some vague sorting of the bookshelves - I think this section is probably, "books you were supposed to read at school". I've got "To kill a mockingbird" yet to add to that shelf. 
 
I too want Jackson or someone to remake Chunuk Bair. I've not seen Cactus Jack's version, but it doesn't sound like it's what I want to see (CJ's avatar suggests he knows something about good movies). I think you could make a great movie out of Malone's story - but, I don't want to see some Hollywood version full of a whole lot of shit that didn't happen, because I hate phonies.... <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Nepia

[quote name='Tim']Did you read the Yates book? Like it?[/QUOTE] 
It's sitting on my desk, but I've been reading a book about commanders throughout history so haven't got round to it yet. I'll let you know when I do. 
 
Chris B: I felt that To Kill a Mockingbird actually did live up to the hype. 
 
Voltron: Sounds awful, I probably wont read it now.

red terror

[quote name='Voltron']agree with Nepia, Great Gatsby way over rated[/QUOTE] 
 
Context is required, as-in the era, the zeitgeist, the influence.. 
 
I hear the same thing about Citizen Kane. Waaaay overrated. No matter that so many of the groundbreaking influences have been endlessly copied by every filmmaker since, many audiences don't see any surprises, ergo, pfffffffffft, it's overrated. 
 
I hear the same people say the same thing about Colin Meads, who tell me, "waaay overrated, he's too small - he may have been good in the ancient era, but no way he could toe it with the big men in the professional modern era. Don't see what the big fuss is."

Voltron

Quite. And i know plenty of people who were never even born the last time Colin laced up his boots who will confidently assert that he is the greatest player of all time. 
 
Having no experience of the context of The Great Gatsby i'll have to defer to you on that one.

Nepia

[quote name='red terror']Context is required, as-in the era, the zeitgeist, the influence.. 
 
I hear the same thing about Citizen Kane. Waaaay overrated. No matter that so many of the groundbreaking influences have been endlessly copied by every filmmaker since, many audiences don't see any surprises, ergo, pfffffffffft, it's overrated. 
 
I hear the same people say the same thing about Colin Meads, who tell me, "waaay overrated, he's too small - he may have been good in the ancient era, but no way he could toe it with the big men in the professional modern era. Don't see what the big fuss is."[/QUOTE] 
Well no, your attempted analogy doesn't work, Citizen Kane is a great movie, surprises have nothing to do with it. The Great Gatsby is just tiresome. (IMHO of course).

BartMan

[QUOTE]I love Chickenhawk, read it as a child when I was Vietnam War crazy and it scared the bejesus out of me. Read it again as an adult and it's awesome, you're right.[/QUOTE] 
 
Yes, a really god read, must re read at some stage soon. 
 
First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, might try and track them down.

taniwharugby

gutted, started reading Wolf of the Plains, then picked up the spot in the audio book, am now about 2/3 the way through and have realised the audio version is abridged <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Nepia

[quote name='Tim']Did you read the Yates book? Like it?[/QUOTE] 
Well I have to say I was a bit disappointed - maybe I placed unreal expectations on it. The only two that I really felt were decent were the last one Builders and Jody Rolled the Bones. 
 
I've been reading The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway on and off for the last couple of months and I must say I find them much more enjoyable. Although I do think that Yates has an easy writing style, although I expect Revolutionary Road to be harder going. 
 
Maybe I'm just naturally inclined not to like books I'm supposed to (Yates, Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby) but I didn't feel like I wanted to read more for most of Yates short stories (i.e. I wasn't disappointed when they ended).

BartMan

[url]http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/[/url] 
 
all your prayers are answered, if any of you pray for books that is...

taniwharugby

[quote name='Cactus Jack']The second Conquerer one is Lords Of The Bow from memory and if you are anything like me you wont want to have to wait for it after Wolf Of The Plains .[/QUOTE] 
 
finished Wolf of the Plains on Weekend, and made sure I had a copy of Lords of the Bow on hand, glad I picked them up great reading! 
 
Have you watched the Movie Mongols?

Tim

[quote name='Nepia']Well I have to say I was a bit disappointed - maybe I placed unreal expectations on it. The only two that I really felt were decent were the last one Builders and Jody Rolled the Bones. 
 
I've been reading The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway on and off for the last couple of months and I must say I find them much more enjoyable. Although I do think that Yates has an easy writing style, although I expect Revolutionary Road to be harder going. 
 
Maybe I'm just naturally inclined not to like books I'm supposed to (Yates, Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby) but I didn't feel like I wanted to read more for most of Yates short stories (i.e. I wasn't disappointed when they ended).[/QUOTE] 
 
Literary fiction is a tough one to recommend IMO - everyone has different tastes, tolerances and aspects of the writing that they appreciate. Genre fiction is much easier to recommend.

Nepia

[quote name='Tim']Literary fiction is a tough one to recommend IMO - everyone has different tastes, tolerances and aspects of the writing that they appreciate. Genre fiction is much easier to recommend.[/QUOTE] 
Yeah definitely - I have no problem with the recommendation though, I didn't stop reading which is what I do these days if I don't enjoy something (whereas in the past I would have to finish a book). 
 
I'm reading a book about the prevalence of successful Israeli start-ups which also provides a history of their military structures and doctrine.

Tim

[quote name='Nepia']Yeah definitely - I have no problem with the recommendation though, I didn't stop reading which is what I do these days if I don't enjoy something (whereas in the past I would have to finish a book). 
 
I'm reading a book about the prevalence of successful Israeli start-ups which also provides a history of their military structures and doctrine.[/QUOTE] 
 
That sounds pretty interesting. What's the book called?

dK

[quote name='Tim']That sounds pretty interesting. What's the book called?[/QUOTE] 
+1 on the title

Frye

[quote name='dK']+1 on the title[/QUOTE] 
 
"Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle"?

Nepia

[quote name='Don Frye']"Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle"?[/QUOTE] 
Ah, that's the one (cheers Don) - sorry guys I actually left that mid post. 
 
The end of the sentence was supposed to be: provides a brief history of their military structures and doctrine and how it relates to their entrepreneurship. I'd also suggest that if you think that Israel is the root of all evil in the middle east or you're Hezbollah/Hamas/Arab nations fans then the pro Israeli stance might do your head in.

Cactus Jack

[quote name='taniwharugby']finished Wolf of the Plains on Weekend, and made sure I had a copy of Lords of the Bow on hand, glad I picked them up great reading! 
 
Have you watched the Movie Mongols?[/QUOTE]Not yet dude . The earthquake closed my local Blockbuster , Haven't gotten around to joining somewhere else .

taniwharugby

I found it conflicting, despite both claiming to be based on historical facts, they are quite different, though still a good film (subtitled) 
 
Also started on Clash of Kings, slotted seamlessly alongside GOT, seems a fair few new characters to get to know as well.

Tim

Am reading Vernor Vinge's[I] A fire upon the deep[/I]. It's a pretty interesting sci-fi book with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Should suit some posters here.

The Silver Fern

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