What book(s) are you reading?

[zelezo vlk]

Finally finished "Demons" by Dostoyevsky. Took a long time to get to the premise, as described by the back of the book, but the ending was superb. Not terribly unrelated to our own time either.

I've just started Romano Guardini's "Lettera from Lake Como", which is about the harm that the modern world has done to culture. I suspect I may be posting some excerpts in the Culture thread.

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[zelezo vlk]

I can't read the Guardini book constantly, so I've picked up Gene Wolfe's Shadow & Claw, the first half of The Book of the New Sun

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[zelezo vlk]

I've finished the first book, The Shadow of the Torturer, after about 2.5 days. It's only 200 pages in my edition, so it really flew by. I enjoy it so far, but also get the feeling that since Gene Wolfe leaves so much unsaid, that I'm missing quite a bit. Anyways, I'm about ready to pull the trigger on the second half of the tetralogy just so I can get started immediately after finishing Book 2.

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

Dune Messiah. Still hate that they delayed the movie release...2020.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Finished Claw of the Conciliator. Will start on the second half of The Book of the New Sun tomorrow

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Finished Claw of the Conciliator. Will start on the second half of The Book of the New Sun tomorrow

Thoughts?

 

[zelezo vlk]

Thoughts?

I believe I liked Shadow more than Claw. Gene Wolfe's writing style definitely doesn't help my tiny brain understand. I thought that I was doing better with Claw than Shadow, but after reading some stuff online, it turns out that I'm missing sooooooo many things that are there.

Overall I love the prose, and the story is engaging. My plan wasn't to include The Urth of the New Sun after this, but looks like I should.

When do you suggest I do a reread? Immediately? Or let it sit for a bit?

 

[zelezo vlk]

Just about finished with The Sword of the Lictor, Book 3 of 4.

I've been supplementing my reading with a podcast, Alzabo Soup, to help unpack some things. Clearly many things went over my head my first time through.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I believe I liked Shadow more than Claw. Gene Wolfe's writing style definitely doesn't help my tiny brain understand. I thought that I was doing better with Claw than Shadow, but after reading some stuff online, it turns out that I'm missing sooooooo many things that are there.

My first read-through as an undergrad was similar.

Overall I love the prose, and the story is engaging. My plan wasn't to include The Urth of the New Sun after this, but looks like I should.

When do you suggest I do a reread? Immediately? Or let it sit for a bit?

My first reread came 15 years afterward, so I can't comment on what it would be like to immediately dive back in. But since you've been supplementing with stuff like Alzabo Soup, might as well go for it. It's one of the few novels I've read with enough depth to reward many close readings.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I finished The Citadel of the Autarch and decided to switch to something else. 50 pages into The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco so far and enjoying it. I fully expect to miss 99% of the literary/medieval references.

 

[Irish YJ]

I finished The Citadel of the Autarch and decided to switch to something else. 50 pages into The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco so far and enjoying it. I fully expect to miss 99% of the literary/medieval references.

Read that in the late 80s, 87ish IIRC. So much better than the movie and latest TV mini series. I was stoked about the RAI series, but didn't do it for me.

I've heard really good things about his book The Prague Cemetery. Been on my list for a while.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I've also heard good things about The Prague Cemetery. If I end up liking The Name of the Rose, I may go that way

 

[Irish YJ]

I've also heard good things about The Prague Cemetery. If I end up liking The Name of the Rose, I may go that way

You'll like it. Did you see the movie or the TV series?

 

[zelezo vlk]

I watched the movie 10 years ago or so, but didn't really love it. I had heard that the book was much better, and different. Didn't know at all that RAI made a miniseries

 

[Irish YJ]

I watched the movie 10 years ago or so, but didn't really love it. I had heard that the book was much better, and different. Didn't know at all that RAI made a miniseries

The book vs the movie, to me was like comparing Anne Rice's Interview With a Vampire book to the movie. I liked the movie, but the detail and mood of the book was lost. I'm glad I saw the movie before reading the book. I would have been very disappointed in the movie.

The RAI series is decent. Turtorro, Evert, and Koch were good. The young actors good as well. Didn't really care for Emerson as the Abbot. Still, just so much lost from the book.

 

[Irish du Nord]

I finished The Citadel of the Autarch and decided to switch to something else. 50 pages into The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco so far and enjoying it. I fully expect to miss 99% of the literary/medieval references.

I read Foucault's Pendulum the summer before I went to ND and I really loved it. Eco's writing is fantastic.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I read Foucault's Pendulum the summer before I went to ND and I really loved it. Eco's writing is fantastic.

Yeah, I'm not far into The Name of the Rose, but I definitely love his prose. Sometimes you can get 20 pages in and know you love how a guy writes, or the opposite.

 

[Trait Expectations]

Mindfulness: A practical guide to awakening

In an effort to be more present in each passing moment and less attached to my future plans, I've been reading this book and I've really enjoyed it. Only a quarter of the way into this one.

 

[zelezo vlk]

So what I've been reading recently: Death Come for the Archbishop by Willa Cather. Wonderful piece of fiction about the earliest years of the Santa Fe missionary diocese.

Also, I've started the Aubrey/Maturin series, finishing Master & Commander a few weeks back, and am roughly halfway through Post-Captain. Great fun stories, yet still well-written. It's nice to always have a book ready to go once I've finished one.

 

[Irish#1]

Just finished up Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II. Written by Adam Makos.

Very well done. Details the lives of the crew and their battles on their way to Germany.

Makos spent a lot of time not only researching these guys, but interviewed them and followed them overseas to document the meeting between them and their German counterpart for the tank battle that occurred between them in the streets.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I'm finishing Book 4 of the Aubrey/Maturin series today, The Mauritius Command. I like that these aren't all the same types of swashbuckling novels. O'Brian did an excellent job with varying between the stories. After this though, I'll be on Jane Austen's Persuasion after a recommendation.

 

[ACamp1900]

Been reading up on the crusades and the templars lately,... think I’ll finish it all off with the Greatest Knight about Wilhelm Marshal

 

[greyhammer90]

I'm finishing Book 4 of the Aubrey/Maturin series today, The Mauritius Command. I like that these aren't all the same types of swashbuckling novels. O'Brian did an excellent job with varying between the stories. After this though, I'll be on Jane Austen's Persuasion after a recommendation.

Obviously you've enjoyed it if you've read 4 of them, but I was always wary of starting to read those (despite loving the entire tone of the movie and swashbuckling in general) because I was told it was extremely dense with nautical terminology that makes reading a grind. Do you think that's at all accurate or is that an unfair assessment?

 

[zelezo vlk]

Obviously you've enjoyed it if you've read 4 of them, but I was always wary of starting to read those (despite loving the entire tone of the movie and swashbuckling in general) because I was told it was extremely dense with nautical terminology that makes reading a grind. Do you think that's at all accurate or is that an unfair assessment?

It helps that Dr Maturin is a landlubber, sp they're constantly explaining things to him. Some of the finer points like 2 points off the wind or reefing the topsails etc can just be ignored and still you'll have great time reading the series. Be warned: it's not all swashbuckling. The first third of book 2 is practically Jane Austen, but there's always a naval battle or two and O'Brian writes remarkably clear action scenes.

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[Irish#1]

Reading Pearl Harbor by Craig Nelson. I'm about half way through. Details Japan's aggression prior to the bombing and contains thoughts from the soldiers and sailors that were at Pearl Harbor and Hickman Field while under attack. Brutal what they went through.

Many Japanese did not want to go to war with the U.S. because they knew they couldn't win the war even with a sneak attack.

 

[zelezo vlk]

I'm finishing Book 4 of the Aubrey/Maturin series today, The Mauritius Command. I like that these aren't all the same types of swashbuckling novels. O'Brian did an excellent job with varying between the stories. After this though, I'll be on Jane Austen's Persuasion after a recommendation.

Nearly finished with Book 6, The Fortune of War. On an absolute tear with these right now.

And like I had mentioned, I even took a break after book 4 to read some Jane Austen. Persuasion was great.

 

[Irishize]

Just finished “Fearless” which I hope gets made into a movie. Adam Brown went from all-American kid next door to drug addict to Navy Seal hero (as well as loving husband & father). He was on Seal Team 6 but died before the bin Laden assassination. Check out a preview in the attached YouTube clip.

https://youtu.be/B_L8ca7AKEA

 

[ACamp1900]

The Greatest Knight about Wilhelm Marshal

This has been super enjoyable thus far… I just started it a few days ago and I’m speeding right through it. Very good read

 

[Irish#1]

Reading Pearl Harbor by Craig Nelson. I'm about half way through. Details Japan's aggression prior to the bombing and contains thoughts from the soldiers and sailors that were at Pearl Harbor and Hickman Field while under attack. Brutal what they went through.

Many Japanese did not want to go to war with the U.S. because they knew they couldn't win the war even with a sneak attack.

Just finished it. Definitely recommend if you're interested in WWII.

 

[BrownerandFry]

Just finished "The Brothers" by Stephen Kinzer. Patrice Lumumba is now on my list of heroes. Next up is Haffner on Hitler.