Hi Tom. Welcome to the forum! Thanks for the Heinlein recommendation.Tom Eaves wrote:Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. An excellent book about revolution. Highly recommend!
Last book(s) you read?
Re: Last book(s) you read?
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”
- sauvin
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
Gots ya "recommendation" for ya right here, pal: anything Heinlein, especially his earlier works.
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- gattoparde59
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace. The Netflix version is pretty faithful to the original. Grace tells her story, sometimes to herself. In the book version I got quite a bit more from the point of view of Dr. Jordan, Grace's interlocutor.
I'll break open the story and tell you what is there. Then, like the others that have fallen out onto the sand, I will finish with it, and the wind will take it away.
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
My last book was Fingersmith by Sarah Waters: in Victorian England, a girl is hired to cheat another girl out of her inheritance, but ends up falling in love with her. Twisty, moving, and something of an unlikely LtROI similarity.
Edit: It wasn't Fingersmith, that was next to last. It was The Golden Compass, but I forgot about that one because the former was much more memorable and enjoyable.
The most memorable characters were the two main villains, who were genuinely menacing in a quirky way, and helped keep the book from taking itself too seriously. The hero saving the girl seemed to signal that the relationship would be developed further - even if not romantically - but unfortunately that fizzled out for the most part, and these characters pretty well paled next to the almost lovably evil antagonists. It was a disappointment because Gaiman had a great opportunity there.
Despite the flaws, I'd recommend it for the world-building, villains, and because I'm convinced it's a Stranger Things influence (assuming you watch the show) because of the similar premise. Hope you'll let us know what you think if you get around to it.
Edit: It wasn't Fingersmith, that was next to last. It was The Golden Compass, but I forgot about that one because the former was much more memorable and enjoyable.
It was definitely original: I got a bit of a magical-steampunk vibe, and the beginning bore a strong resemblance to classic children's fantasy in which the hero escapes the tedium of daily life by stumbling into another world. The prose is simple too, which adds to the effect, and also was a nice break from the usual overwritten nonsense. I was impressed that Gaiman built a vivid universe without needing ornate language.
The most memorable characters were the two main villains, who were genuinely menacing in a quirky way, and helped keep the book from taking itself too seriously. The hero saving the girl seemed to signal that the relationship would be developed further - even if not romantically - but unfortunately that fizzled out for the most part, and these characters pretty well paled next to the almost lovably evil antagonists. It was a disappointment because Gaiman had a great opportunity there.
Despite the flaws, I'd recommend it for the world-building, villains, and because I'm convinced it's a Stranger Things influence (assuming you watch the show) because of the similar premise. Hope you'll let us know what you think if you get around to it.
Last edited by Bloody Mary on Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:30 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Do not go gentle into that good night . . . Rage, rage against the dying of the light." -Dylan Thomas
Re: Last book(s) you read?
Hi Bloody Mary. Good review! And good to see your post after the hiatus.
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”
- sauvin
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
I also read Neverwhere and found it absorbing. As BloodyMary suggests, it's a captivating exercise in worlds within worlds. I'll go one step further and say that I don't remember ever being able to put down any of Gaiman's until I've finished it.
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
Shall do! That that ST might have been influenced by this makes it yet more interesting.Bloody Mary wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 6:53 pmDespite the flaws, I'd recommend it for the world-building, villains, and because I'm convinced it's a Stranger Things influence (assuming you watch the show) because of the similar premise. Hope you'll let us know what you think if you get around to it.
- sauvin
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
You are about to fall down a very long and twisty rabbit hole adorned with all kinds of delights, a few of them a bit dark.gkmoberg1 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:00 amShall do! That that ST might have been influenced by this makes it yet more interesting.Bloody Mary wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 6:53 pmDespite the flaws, I'd recommend it for the world-building, villains, and because I'm convinced it's a Stranger Things influence (assuming you watch the show) because of the similar premise. Hope you'll let us know what you think if you get around to it.
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Re: Last book(s) you read?
Lolita. The most sick and depraved waste of paper and ink I've ever finished reading.
Edit: That sounds harsh, but I was feeling slightly nauseous after finishing it. I will say that it was gorgeously written, which in a way made it worse than it would have seemed otherwise. It seemed almost to downplay the seriousness of child sexual abuse: this and the beautiful language made a hugely disappointing combination.
Edit: That sounds harsh, but I was feeling slightly nauseous after finishing it. I will say that it was gorgeously written, which in a way made it worse than it would have seemed otherwise. It seemed almost to downplay the seriousness of child sexual abuse: this and the beautiful language made a hugely disappointing combination.
Last edited by Bloody Mary on Sat Jan 06, 2018 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Do not go gentle into that good night . . . Rage, rage against the dying of the light." -Dylan Thomas
Re: Last book(s) you read?
I shall be sure to put on my rollerball pads and enjoy the tumble.sauvin wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:02 amYou are about to fall down a very long and twisty rabbit hole adorned with all kinds of delights, a few of them a bit dark.gkmoberg1 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:00 amShall do! That that ST might have been influenced by this makes it yet more interesting.Bloody Mary wrote: ↑Mon Jan 01, 2018 6:53 pmDespite the flaws, I'd recommend it for the world-building, villains, and because I'm convinced it's a Stranger Things influence (assuming you watch the show) because of the similar premise. Hope you'll let us know what you think if you get around to it.