Forums

Topic: Favorite Novels? What are you reading now?

Posts 1 to 20 of 64

PolarBeer

I'm a really huge fan of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, and The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I'm reading I, Claudius by Robert Graves right now.

Any one else?

"I'm making electricity, and you look like an ***hole." - Nikola Tesla to Thomas Edison

On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. 'Tis a very silly place.

Adam

Lacking anything better to read, I recently started on a fantasy kick. Read the High Druid of Shannara trilogy because I loved the Shannara books in high school. These were so bad they were funny at parts (despite being magical fantasy, they basically invent a laser in all but name and there is a scene evoking embarrassing parallels to the Death Star run at the end of A New Hope), but not completely without merit. Nice light reading.

I just got started on A Game of Thrones this morning, which a friend has assured me will redeem the epic fantasy genre in my eyes when I'm done with it. It's off to a good start at least after the first chapter. But it'll take a lot to make me think much of this kind of fantasy. I think my memories of Shannara are ruined, and I always thought Lord of the Rings terribly dull and poorly paced.

Favorite books include several books by Kobo Abe and Cormac McCarthy. But rather than list a bazillion favorites, I'll just link to my (no longer updated) Librarything, which is basically the Backloggery of books (in other words, a book catalogging / reviewing / networking site).

Come on, friends,
To the bear arcades again.

irken004

I'm reading the Marvel Civil War series. It's a Graphic Novel.

turtlelink

I read all my books many times so i really want to go to the book store.

TurtleLink's backloggery
Brawl FC: 4425-1340-4519
The Sister Complex Kingpin of Steel!

longtimegamer

Just recently read Spiderman NOIR. Also finished Stephen Kings Cell. Didn't like how he chose to end it.
Got some thing called The Helm (Some comic like thing) and Stephen King's: Just after Sunset, from the library.
Before the cell I read Stephen King's Under the Dome Over a thousand pages o.O) I don't seem to like Stephen King very much, do I?

Edited on by longtimegamer

3ds fc: 1247-0003-1095
MK Fc: 2793- 3370-8506
Wii Fc: 7382-7314-0404-2194
Fiance Wendy's MK FC:(Same system) 4854-9224-0913
Uno FC: 1849-3080-8612
Overturn FC: 3266-3672-0977
Animal Crossing CF FC: 3094-5964-6068 Name: LTGamer, town: Wiitopia.

"NO SOU...

SMEXIZELDAMAN

One of my favourite novels Is The Way of Shadows by Brent A. Weeks
In school we are reading My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
For a school reading out of class we are reading Socrates Cafe by Christopher Phillips and it isn't as bad as I thought it'd be

Check out SUBLIME GAMER, my YouTube Channel
God loves you

Philip_J_Reed

I, Claudius bored me. I need to give it another shot when I'm in a better frame of mine.

I'm re-reading Mason & Dixon, which is one of my least favorite books by my favorite author. It's still brilliant. It's the fourth or fifth time I'm reading it...it's so full of great little vignettes that I want to read again and again...but I always want to read them in context, so I end up blowing through the entire 800 pages over and over.

But to answer your other question, regarding favorites...here are the books I'm going to be buried with.

  • Ulysses, James Joyce
  • Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
  • Catch-22, Joseph Heller
  • The Good Soldier, Ford Madox Ford
  • The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy Gentleman, Lawrence Sterne

Not a wasted sentence in the lot.

Philip_J_Reed

Twitter:

Bankai

I just got started on A Game of Thrones this morning, which a friend has assured me will redeem the epic fantasy genre in my eyes when I'm done with it. It's off to a good start at least after the first chapter. But it'll take a lot to make me think much of this kind of fantasy. I think my memories of Shannara are ruined, and I always thought Lord of the Rings terribly dull and poorly paced.

It's the poorest epic fantasy series I've read. Still readable, I'm halfway through Clash of Kings, but it's riddled with juvenile sections, completely unnecessary within the context of the book, and all the characters are so unlikable that it's hard to feel any sympathy. It's also too big. Martin has so many plot strands going on that he stuggles to bring any of them to any kind of conclusion.

Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice is a far superior contempary fantasy novel, if you haven't read it yet. Or Usula Le Guin's Earthsea trillogy.

As for me, I'm reading Clash of Kings right now, and between it I'm reading Raymond Chandler's old detective fiction novels. They're great, love them.

As for favourites of all time - I like Shakespeare and H.P Lovecraft.

Edited on by Bankai

RandomWiiPlayer

I just finished read the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. Was a bore the whole way through.

The Game.

Is it after 9PM EST? You should probably ignore the above post.

Ravage

If you want a good fantasy series, and are up for a bit of a challenge, check out The Book Of The New Sun. Its 4 books, but you might only be able to get the addition where they put the first two into one book and same with the second half. Plus there is a fifth sequel, plus two more series that are sort of based upon the same universe, but from what I've read of the Long Sun books, they don't share much in common. The New Sun follows an exiled executioner apprentice and it will be different from anything you've read before (Disclaimer: this may not be true). Some may find it a little too confusing or slow, but I thought it was extremely well done. Best book I've ever read. Extremely well done characters. Anyway, they are by Gene Wolfe.

I just can't explain the magic I experienced reading these books.

Edited on by Ravage

Sean Aaron ~ "The secret is out: I'm really an American cat-girl."
Q: How many physicists does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Two, one to hold the light bulb, the other to rotate the universe.

mrchillz

wow polar bear, you have good taste in literature. I, Claudius is a real tight read. You know there is a BBC miniseries on it. A few reccomendations from over here, Steinbeck's To a God Unknown, One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest (although I read that in 6th grade, great book, which reminds of another book i read in middle school Flowers for Algernon), The temple of the Golden Pavillion, and my favorite is a Confederacy of Dunces

mrchillz

Adam

All recommendations noted, Waltz and Ravage. Thanks!

And I don't doubt you're right about Song of Fire and Ice, Waltz. I tend to avoid lengthy books in the first place for that very fear, but a friend of mine raved about it and I had nothing else to read. I'm only one chapter in and already I have perhaps too many questions.

Come on, friends,
To the bear arcades again.

longtimegamer

@mrchilz: Flowers for Algernon. I think I read that once. What was it about again?

3ds fc: 1247-0003-1095
MK Fc: 2793- 3370-8506
Wii Fc: 7382-7314-0404-2194
Fiance Wendy's MK FC:(Same system) 4854-9224-0913
Uno FC: 1849-3080-8612
Overturn FC: 3266-3672-0977
Animal Crossing CF FC: 3094-5964-6068 Name: LTGamer, town: Wiitopia.

"NO SOU...

NintenFreak

well i just finished "brave story" i can remember the auther, it was some japanese guy and i cant remember the name of the guy that translated it but it was an amazing book, probably my favorite and it is the longest book i read (820 pages)

Edited on by NintenFreak

Nintenfreak

Philip_J_Reed

mrchillz wrote:

One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest

Yes. One of my favorites. Also, my personal poster-child for how to do a novel-to-film adaptation in such a way that each complements the other, while both standing up as great works of art individually. Can't think of many--if any--others that have done that as well.

Philip_J_Reed

Twitter:

PolarBeer

mrchillz wrote:

wow polar bear, you have good taste in literature. I, Claudius is a real tight read. You know there is a BBC miniseries on it.

I absolutely loved that miniseries(I saw it before I began reading the book). I would suggest the miniseries to any one. It's just fantastic. Yes, the book is lengthy and wordy, but it fits the idea of the novel so well, so I think it works.

After I finished I, Claudius some time next week, I hope to either begin Rubicon by Tom Holland, which describes the last years of the Roman Republic(to tie in with I, Claudius), or a relatively new fantasy series called The Iron Elves series. The first book is called A Darkness Forged in Fire, and it's by Chris Evans. I'm interested to see if it will be good or not.

Also, to other people who enjoy fantasy, I would suggest R.A. Salvatore's The Legend of Drizzt series. I read it for a long time, but stopped at book X(it's a commitment) to persue other literary endeavors. H.P. Lovecraft is also extremely enjoyable.

"I'm making electricity, and you look like an ***hole." - Nikola Tesla to Thomas Edison

On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. 'Tis a very silly place.

SMEXIZELDAMAN

Flowers for Algernon was about a dude named Charlie who wasn't smart and he then medically had his intelligance enhanced but then something happened. His friend was a mouse named algernon

Check out SUBLIME GAMER, my YouTube Channel
God loves you

longtimegamer

@Chicken Brutus: Never read the book, but I saw the movie. Didn't like what happened to him in the end.
Also, F4A reminds me of "of Mice and Men". Been a long time since I read that (I believe I read it. It was THAT long ago. ) I don't recall all that it was about except I think it had a mentally disabled (I guess) man in it. could have been just a little slow. Don't recall for sure.

Edited on by longtimegamer

3ds fc: 1247-0003-1095
MK Fc: 2793- 3370-8506
Wii Fc: 7382-7314-0404-2194
Fiance Wendy's MK FC:(Same system) 4854-9224-0913
Uno FC: 1849-3080-8612
Overturn FC: 3266-3672-0977
Animal Crossing CF FC: 3094-5964-6068 Name: LTGamer, town: Wiitopia.

"NO SOU...

longtimegamer

Superzeldaman: OH yea! Been soo long (probably a couple of decades). Should read it again sometime. I wonder if I was mixing this up with "Of Mice and Men"? Thanks.

Edited on by longtimegamer

3ds fc: 1247-0003-1095
MK Fc: 2793- 3370-8506
Wii Fc: 7382-7314-0404-2194
Fiance Wendy's MK FC:(Same system) 4854-9224-0913
Uno FC: 1849-3080-8612
Overturn FC: 3266-3672-0977
Animal Crossing CF FC: 3094-5964-6068 Name: LTGamer, town: Wiitopia.

"NO SOU...

This topic has been archived, no further posts can be added.