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Post by matt on Feb 28, 2021 16:38:20 GMT -5
Just a book I was recalling earlier but The Endurance Expedition by Ernest Shackleton is epic. It's aptly titled too, the demonstration of resolve and human endurance in the most punishing circumstances is unbelievably and awe-inspiring. To summarise, it's an account of the fateful arctic expedition when Shackleton and his crew went missing and became stranded in Antartica for a couple of years. Whatever people think of the Arctic expeditions - and legitimately seen in many cases as massive folly and waste of money (especially as this one took place during the first world war), what occurred on the fateful Endurance expedition says more about the human condition than anything I've read. It's hard to believe it actually happened. I just borrowed this book at the library yesterday for my father after reading a glowing review, I intend to read it as well. Must admit I struggled in the first couple of chapters when he's describing the initial part of the journey. But when they get trapped in ice, it becomes so fascinating. It's worth reading up about it on wikipedia too to give you an idea of everything too, certainly helped in visualising it for me.
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Post by ibex1251 on Feb 17, 2022 9:10:42 GMT -5
Two decent fiction reads recently...
Aravind Adiga - Amnesty
Graeme Armstrong - The Young Team
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Post by Day Tripper on May 25, 2022 4:12:35 GMT -5
Not read yet but bought these ones yesterday! Unfortunately I have to wait for a delivery till next week Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari - Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia Soren Kierkegaard - Either / Or Soren Kierkegaard - Fear and Trembling
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Post by matt on Jun 23, 2022 8:43:31 GMT -5
Currently reading Klara & The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I recall discussing The Remains of the Day mimmihopps a few months back. Got round to his latest one, it is so far fantastic and I cannot put it down.
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Post by jeffrey on Jun 23, 2022 9:24:03 GMT -5
I’d Like To Play Alone, Please by Tom Segura
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Post by Elie De Beaufour on Jun 23, 2022 10:44:29 GMT -5
Let's go play at the Adams
Definitely got that end torture from Baron Blood, next!
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Post by mimmihopps on Jun 24, 2022 12:50:35 GMT -5
Currently reading Klara & The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I recall discussing The Remains of the Day mimmihopps a few months back. Got round to his latest one, it is so far fantastic and I cannot put it down. I haven't read his latest novel yet, but will pick it up very soon. I absolute love his style and his language fascinates me.
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 3, 2022 6:18:59 GMT -5
matt, I finally finished "The Remains of The Day" and re-started to read "The Buried Giants" again. I'm ordering "Klara and The Sun" as I type. It's not easy to read and to understand in-depth for a non-native English tongue, but I love his language and it helps me to improve my language skill. You'll get my review of his latest book somewhere this year.
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Post by yeahyeahyeahyeah on Jul 3, 2022 7:31:34 GMT -5
the man who fell to earth by walter trevis. the original book of the nick roeg/david bowie film. it's very good, probably even better if you haven't seen the film (which is also very good). Even better considering it was written at the start of the 60's.
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Post by matt on Jul 3, 2022 16:12:55 GMT -5
matt, I finally finished "The Remains of The Day" and re-started to read "The Buried Giants" again. I'm ordering "Klara and The Sun" as I type. It's not easy to read and to understand in-depth for a non-native English tongue, but I love his language and it helps me to improve my language skill. You'll get my review of his latest book somewhere this year. Ah I'll need to read The Buried Giants. He's definitely a writer that rewards repeated readings. Still absolutely loving Klara & The Sun (alongside a Paul McCartney biography).
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 4, 2022 4:25:12 GMT -5
matt, I finally finished "The Remains of The Day" and re-started to read "The Buried Giants" again. I'm ordering "Klara and The Sun" as I type. It's not easy to read and to understand in-depth for a non-native English tongue, but I love his language and it helps me to improve my language skill. You'll get my review of his latest book somewhere this year. Ah I'll need to read The Buried Giants. He's definitely a writer that rewards repeated readings. Still absolutely loving Klara & The Sun (alongside a Paul McCartney biography). I've finished the chapter 1 from "The Buried Giant" yesterday. It's challenge to read, but now for the second time reading, I do understand the story better.
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Post by girllikeabomb on Jul 4, 2022 4:52:19 GMT -5
Ah I'll need to read The Buried Giants. He's definitely a writer that rewards repeated readings. Still absolutely loving Klara & The Sun (alongside a Paul McCartney biography). I've finished the chapter 1 from "The Buried Giant" yesterday. It's challenge to read, but now for the second time reading, I do understand the story better.
Think you may find Klara a little easier going in a second language. There is a really beautiful simplicity to the writing.
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 4, 2022 5:42:31 GMT -5
I've finished the chapter 1 from "The Buried Giant" yesterday. It's challenge to read, but now for the second time reading, I do understand the story better. Think you may find Klara a little easier going in a second language. There is a really beautiful simplicity to the writing.
Compared to The Buried Giant, The Remains of The Day was quite easy to read. Can't wait to read the new one!
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 9, 2022 7:19:33 GMT -5
matt and girllikeabomb, I've compelted reading Klara and The Sun in 4 days time. I just couldn't stop reading. It's beautiful, sad, warm, sometimes cruel and love which never asks anything in return. I've cried while reading the last few pages. As girllikeabomb said, it was much easier to read than The Buried Giant for the non-native English speakers like me. Next ones to read are "Never Let Me Go" and his first novel "A Pale View Of The Hills".
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Post by matt on Jul 9, 2022 15:39:34 GMT -5
matt and girllikeabomb, I've compelted reading Klara and The Sun in 4 days time. I just couldn't stop reading. It's beautiful, sad, warm, sometimes cruel and love which never asks anything in return. I've cried while reading the last few pages. As girllikeabomb said, it was much easier to read than The Buried Giant for the non-native English speakers like me. Next ones to read are "Never Let Me Go" and his first novel "A Pale View Of The Hills". I know it's his newest so I'll await judgement in a few years time, but I think Klara may be his magnum opus. I thought you couldn't beat The Remains of the Day but this one just might. Let's see how I feel further down the line and if it stays with me the same way. Stunningly beautiful novels.
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Post by girllikeabomb on Jul 9, 2022 17:59:10 GMT -5
matt and girllikeabomb , I've compelted reading Klara and The Sun in 4 days time. I just couldn't stop reading. It's beautiful, sad, warm, sometimes cruel and love which never asks anything in return. I've cried while reading the last few pages. As girllikeabomb said, it was much easier to read than The Buried Giant for the non-native English speakers like me. Next ones to read are "Never Let Me Go" and his first novel "A Pale View Of The Hills".
Beautifully put, mimmihopps. It may be at once his most accessible novel and his most profound, which is quite a combo, and it seems in many ways to summarize his whole career in one short piece. (By the way, the film rights were already sold before the book was published, though I think the script is still in development.) I’ve not read “A Pale View of the Hills.” “Never Let Me Go” is also written in a very plain voice, though there are secrets involved so it may be a little trickier, but also very haunting.
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 11, 2022 4:05:50 GMT -5
matt, girllikeabomb, I don't think I would ever forget Klara as this book made a quite big impact on me. I can't remember when I cried reading book for the last time. I do cry while watching a film occacionally though. Some people might say Klara was too naive, but there's something deep in her what we're avoiding to see. How Ishiguro put all pieces together is nothing, but beautiful. If they ever make a film of it, it'll be a big big challenge, but I'm curious for sure. I'm starting to read Never Let Me Go today.
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Post by The Escapist on Jul 11, 2022 4:56:46 GMT -5
Dracula would only be thirty pages long if Van Helsing could get to the damned point.
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Post by matt on Jul 11, 2022 11:52:03 GMT -5
matt, girllikeabomb, I don't think I would ever forget Klara as this book made a quite big impact on me. I can't remember when I cried reading book for the last time. I do cry while watching a film occacionally though. Some people might say Klara was too naive, but there's something deep in her what we're avoiding to see. How Ishiguro put all pieces together is nothing, but beautiful. If they ever make a film of it, it'll be a big big challenge, but I'm curious for sure. I'm starting to read Never Let Me Go today. Without doubt a modern classic. There's an innocence and purity to Klara that seems naive in the brutal real world but on a deeper level speaks a moral truth on what it is to be human. It had parallel themes to one of my favourite films AI: Artificial Intelligence regarding what it means to love. That similarly had a big impact on me.
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Post by girllikeabomb on Jul 11, 2022 16:04:03 GMT -5
matt , girllikeabomb , I don't think I would ever forget Klara as this book made a quite big impact on me. I can't remember when I cried reading book for the last time. I do cry while watching a film occacionally though. Some people might say Klara was too naive, but there's something deep in her what we're avoiding to see. How Ishiguro put all pieces together is nothing, but beautiful. If they ever make a film of it, it'll be a big big challenge, but I'm curious for sure. I'm starting to read Never Let Me Go today. It is amazing isn’t it – that a fictional character who is herself not a “real” human can reach us so deeply? Magical.
There is already a film of Never Let Me Go, if you haven’t seen it. But if you haven’t, probably better to see it after you finish reading. For me, it had a different feeling from the book. Am very interested to hear what you think.
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 12, 2022 7:01:25 GMT -5
matt, girllikeabomb, I didn't know what AF means first to be honest. Klara made me wonder what's "artificial" and what's "real". I've known that they made a film of Never Let Me Go which I haven't seen yet, but I want to finish the book before watching the film. I'm still reading part 1 and curious how the story further develops. They did a great job by making a film of The Remains of The Day with brilliant Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, though the book didn't disappoint me at all. I tend to being a bookworm
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Post by girllikeabomb on Jul 12, 2022 18:05:13 GMT -5
matt , girllikeabomb , I didn't know what AF means first to be honest. Klara made me wonder what's "artificial" and what's "real". I've known that they made a film of Never Let Me Go which I haven't seen yet, but I want to finish the book before watching the film. I'm still reading part 1 and curious how the story further develops. They did a great job by making a film of The Remains of The Day with brilliant Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, though the book didn't disappoint me at all. I tend to being a bookworm
Remains of the Day is a glorious film, really wonderfully done. Never Let Me Go was a much tougher story to adapt, and I don't think works as well, but it's still a decent film with a strong cast, and you might find it an interesting watch after reading!
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Post by mimmihopps on Jul 19, 2022 4:01:57 GMT -5
matt , girllikeabomb , I didn't know what AF means first to be honest. Klara made me wonder what's "artificial" and what's "real". I've known that they made a film of Never Let Me Go which I haven't seen yet, but I want to finish the book before watching the film. I'm still reading part 1 and curious how the story further develops. They did a great job by making a film of The Remains of The Day with brilliant Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, though the book didn't disappoint me at all. I tend to being a bookworm Remains of the Day is a glorious film, really wonderfully done. Never Let Me Go was a much tougher story to adapt, and I don't think works as well, but it's still a decent film with a strong cast, and you might find it an interesting watch after reading!
I'm in half way of the book now (Kathy and Tommy are in their final year). I find it's a bit bizarre to be honest, that donation stuff. People say that those who like this book would will love Klara too, but I'm not so sure yet. Still I'm very curious how the story goes though.
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Post by The Escapist on Jul 19, 2022 9:01:59 GMT -5
"The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards" by Kristopher Jansma is fantastic.
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Post by Marcos on Jul 19, 2022 9:37:27 GMT -5
Almost 30 years after the movie's release, I'm finally reading Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. It's amazing and way different than Spielberg's movie.
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