Now reading (post your critics)
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Original post
Posted by Sekhmet, 17.05.2006 - 21:11
I'll just copy-paste my old first post so you get an idea of the point of this thread :
Here you'll be able to present to other metalstormers the book(s) you're reading at the moment. I don't want this to become a junkyard thread like "now playing" or whatever!
It's different from the "favourite book" thread. The aim is to provide other readers with a good presentation of the book (without telling the story with every detail :
), what you think about it : in a word, a critic. this could be interesting IMO! I'll start with Baudolino by Umberto Eco. I've just finished reading it.
I guess you know Umberto Eco is the author of The Name of the Rose (maybe better known by the movie with Sean Connery) or Foucault's Pendulum. Those were the only books by him I had read before starting Baudolino. In this book you can find the usual historical background, kinda mysterious.
Here you follow Baudolino through his tale. He was Barbarossa's man, a tricky character, liar, mischievous. But his lies, to some extent, always come true... you follow him wandering, looking for a semi-mythical realm (Priest Johannes' Kingdom) in order to protect and increase his emperor Barbarossa's fame and power. Fake relics, Barbarossa's murder, politics and myths...
I found this book very enjoyable, as much interesting as Eco's other books I had read, and kinda more comic, light-hearted. Baudolino tells his story to a Greek historian, it'a all between confession and tale, he claims to be a liar so you never know if he's being sincere or not! the beginnig may be a bit long to get into, but the whole book (666 pages
) is definitely worth reading!
| Don Martin le fu- Posts: 424  |
Maybe some of you may know it better by the film but I've finished reading Stephen King's "The Mist" a few days ago. Very enjoyable book Great for all Sci-Fi/Horror freaks here on MS.Stephen King undoubtedly is my favourite writer, great stories and ideas. Next book I'll be reading is one of those old pockets of Edgar Allan Poe me and my dad bought in a dollarstore (eurostore here in europe ).
---- What a tackastrophe!
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| BitterCOld The Ancient One Admin Posts: 15251  |
Written by Clintagräm on 16.02.2010 at 21:35 i re-read that about once a year. have since a friend first loaned me a copy back in 1984. each time i still find myself laughing.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772  |
Written by BitterCOld on 20.02.2010 at 01:27 Yeah I really liked it. I look forward to reading the others but I have some other books lined up before then. I had seen the movie before and it seemed like it was pretty true to the book, minus a few things here and there. Overall, very unique. Lies, Inc. by Philip K. Dick Previously published at The Unteleported Man in 1964, this is the expanded and revised version Dick worked on before his death. I've only read the first twenty five pages or so, but I like it so far. The premise it pretty cool. It's 2014 and a new Germany has basically taken over the world (just another face/name for the totalitarian state so common in futuristic novels) and an extrasolar colony called Whale's Mouth exists for people who are fed up with overpopulation can go to start a better life. You get there by teleportation, only thing is, you can't come back. Now one man finds out the promotional films of happy people from Whale's Mouth are faked and he decides to take the eighteen year journey by ship to see if anyone wants to come back, or is alive to do so. Kind of a Year Zero campaign type deal. Pretty interesting. Dick is one of the best.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| whatsacow Posts: 2075  |
I'm reading the lost symbol - dan brown. His books to me before this one were very formulaic and bland, but this one is a shitload darker, with human sacrifices, decapitations and shit.
---- When God made up the golden rule, do you think he noticed that it condones rape?
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| nana.MD Star-Queen Posts: 2052  |
El Evangelio según Jesucristo -Jose Saramago... I'm about to finish this book, hopefully tonight...I know maybe the title isn't quite interestant for many and honestly it wasn't for me either but i heard a lot of good things about this book so i decided to give it a try...Im really into it, putting aside the fact that Saramago is a great writer the story is quite interesting...it's not a holy story sorrounding religion & jesus, it's a different point of view about how a man can influence ppl and make a change...analizing and telling the story of jesus as a human being, not a god and a miracle maker is what makes it interesting...going through mistakes, pain, tears and happines...i highly recommend it
---- Live how you want just don't feed on me, if you doubt what I say I will make you believe...
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| Vathek Posts: 42  |
PETER F HAMILTON - One of the most overrated and Boring writers in SCIFI Seriously, I don't know why people get into his stuff. Sure he has great ideas, but most of the time they're so badly presented, he doesn't know how to write a character, and his books take so long to go nowhere.
---- "Nothing is Real. Everything is Permitted."
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| Vathek Posts: 42 |
RICHARD MORGAN - Awesome, awesome, awesome breakneck action packed, priest killing, future sci-fi set between 26-30th century. 1. Altered Carbon 2. Broken Angels 3. Woken Furies It's my 6th rereading of the series, and I still get chills from it. The lead character "Takeshi Kovacs" is a sort of psychopathic warrior monk, ex-special forces (Envoy) turned crim... "So dangerous that they are banned from holding any political or financial offices on all worlds". This is a future where everyone's "souls" are backed up in a "Cortical Stack" in their spines, and resleeving your body is part of humanity's bid to live forever. Richard Morgan has a very keen eye for politics and weaves a complex and believable political arena and future world of Imperialist control, where Corporations rule... Don't think it's a dry book though, far from it, these political metaphors are often thrown about just before or during a bloody torture scene or firefight. Takeshi is just so lovable as a lead character to me, following his own bloody moral code as he cuts a swathe through the future. Awesome sex scenes, fight scenes, action scenes, dialogue, existential moments as he meets himself, touched with very black humour. I did laugh out loud a number of times. If you liked Neuromancer or William Gibson, you'll love this. Very passionate and intelligent sci fi. I would say the best sci-fi I've read ever.
---- "Nothing is Real. Everything is Permitted."
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Elite Posts: 11835  |
I finished reading "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, so now I'm reading Sarah Waters' "The Night Watch". I read her previous book "Affinity" too and I like the dark elements and her storeytelling technique. Also, the characters are always interesting.
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| Abattoir Staff Posts: 3631  |
Well currently I am in the middle of reading an Exquisite Corpse by the writer Poppy Z. Brite. It's a horror book with quite interesting and tempting story, with some unpleasent sick parts, but that's how it goes usually in horror stories
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| Vathek Posts: 42 |
Written by Abattoir on 28.03.2010 at 23:05 Yes! I fucking love that book! So messed up... awesome sex scenes and carnage...
---- "Nothing is Real. Everything is Permitted."
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| whatsacow Posts: 2075 |
I just started Cormac McCarthy's "the road". It's very dark and depressing. Not entirely sure how they could fit some of the content into a film but oh well. I haven't read much, but it looks rather promising.
---- When God made up the golden rule, do you think he noticed that it condones rape?
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| Abattoir Staff Posts: 3631 |
Written by Vathek on 30.03.2010 at 03:48 I especially like the main character's way of misleading and killing afterwards...so detailed to his way of perfection.
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772 |
At the Mountains of Madness Less than twenty pages from finishing this short story but I thought I'd post it since I know we have some Lovecraft fans out there. What can be said? Slow, brooding, mad horror of a bygone age. Classic.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| ylside Staff Posts: 4727  |
Going through Rene Daumal's Le Mont Analogue (Mount Analogue: A Novel of Symbolically Authentic Non-Euclidean Adventures in Mountain Climbing). And thinking what to read next... either Catch 22, The Gunslinger (dark Tower volume 1), or The Last Wish (The novel that inspired The Witcher videogame).
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Elite Posts: 2747  |
Written by ylside on 02.04.2010 at 23:14 The Gunslinger is a bit slow, but it holds a place in my heart for actually getting through it and moving on to the better novels in that series. Right now I am reading King's Under The Dome and enjoying it so far: intriguingly simple story on the horrors of human behavior. It reminds me of the Simpsons Movie for some reason, I don't know why... EDIT: Finally finished the book, a bit anticlimactic, but enjoyed it nevertheless. Made for a nice break in reading all this Clifford Pickover...
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| TormentoЯ? Account deleted |
TormentoЯ?
Account deleted Written by ylside on 02.04.2010 at 23:14 I'm reading that one at the moment I started reading it yesterday and I'm on the 6th chapter now so can't really tell how will I feel about it. But, I'm sure many people have heard of this book and since it's so famous I doubt it will disappoint.
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772 |
The Shadow Over Innsmouth A little more than half way through with this little short story. Been kind of on a Lovecraft kick lately. I read The Shadow Out of Time after I finsished AtMoM. I recently recieved a book from the library called The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen, who is cited as a big influence on both Lovecraft and Horror by H.P. himself, so I'll read that next.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| ylside Staff Posts: 4727 |
I bought an overpriced Shadow Over Innsmouth back in Morocco, it was a compilation with it and other short stories made by other authors. I remember it was rather good. I'll definitely read Call of Cthulu later on, I mean, I cannot not read it, with all the metal music around it... : haha
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772 |
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe I was looking for a book to take with me to the park earlier and stumbled upon some Poe. I had finished the other Lovecraft tales I had started and wanted for some more of this type. Obviously, Poe is a perfect choice for gothic fiction. This book is a little different from his usual works (so far) however. So far, it's pretty good but digresses sometimes as many older novels are apt to do. It's a tale of the title character aboard a ship that is overtaken by mutineers and thus bad things ensue. I'm on page 75/189; so far, so good. Makes me want to read other sea stories, which I may just do.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| Urs Blank Posts: 319  |
Written by Clintagräm on 11.04.2010 at 05:42 If you're looking for old school fantasy/horror literature, I recommend you to read some Arthur Machen, if it's not already done. His books The Great God Pan and The Three Impostors are really good, especially considering that they were written in the 1890's
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| Urs Blank Posts: 319 |
I finally finished reading O Livro do Desassossego (The Book of Disquiet) by Fernando Pessoa (written under the semi-heteronym Bernardo Soares). Not much to say about it, except that it's unmistakably one of the best book I've read in a long time! It is quite hard to describe, maybe a kind of philosophic diary of Pessoa's kaleideoscopic personality. But in fact it's so much more, so depressive, so disturbing... so disquieting. Definitely not easy to read, but it's a reference book for all those who dare to seek in the deepness of a disturbed mind.
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772 |
Written by Urs Blank on 11.04.2010 at 12:34 Actually the book I finished just before this was Machen's The Great God Pan. I would definitely like to read some more of his stuff. I'll read The Three Imposters in good time. I've got a Clark Ashton Smith book coming in through the university library collecting all this Hyperborean Cycle stories so I'm pretty excited.
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| Entropic Silence Posts: 251  |
Written by Clintagräm on 24.02.2010 at 07:16 Dick is the man. Finished Ubik not too long ago and really enjoyed it. it's one of those books where there are several realities coinciding at the same time, and it can take two or three reads to figure it out. Next one I'm going to do is A Scanner Darkly. Right now I'm reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (apologies for lack of accents) and I'm loving it. It reminds me of The Pillars of the Earth in some ways, except it's set in South America, and it's on a smaller scale. Thirteen dollars (NZD) means it's both cheap and amazing, although clocking in at ~430 pages means it's a decent read. Chronicle of a Death Fortold is his other 'famous' work, and is slightly shorter. Also planning on going to the bookstore on monday (once I've finished Marquez) and picking up something by H. P. Lovecraft for 30% off. A collection of short stories or something, I don't know. In any case, if anyone has any recommendations then I'm all ears (eyes), I'm not familiar with his work as I can't seem to find it even in libraries, although i'm sure this place will have it. I'm rambling. That's my bit. One Hundred Years of Solitude. It's seriously good.
---- VICTORY!!!!! (They love it in France)
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| Clintagräm Shrinebuilder Posts: 5772 |
Written by Entropic Silence on 16.04.2010 at 10:39 Well, it really depends on what you're looking for. Lovecraft's work is kind of broken into three phases or eras. His first were his more macabre, Poe-inspired stories such as The Outsider and The Music of Erich Zann. The second block of writing was his dream cycle writings inspired by authors like Lord Dunsany and include stories such as The Doom That Came to Sarnath and The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath. Then there are the Cthulhu Mythos which are his most famous works inspired by the likes of Arthur Machen (The Great God Pan) and include such classics as The Shadow Out of Time, At the Mountains of Madness and the forever classic The Call of Cthulhu. I enjoy his Cthulhu Mythos the most, but that is just because I have been exposed to more of those stories. I would suggest getting a book that has a mix of all three eras. Enjoy!
---- The force will be with you, always.
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| Don Martin le fu- Posts: 424 |
Written by Clintagräm on 16.04.2010 at 19:54 Well, I got a book two christmasses ago with ALL the stories (878 pages!). It's pretty good, but it's in English. Since I'm Belgian and I only speak Dutch and half-fluent english it is very difficult to read for me. Lovecraft's English is sooo... advanced. I can only read the stories I read before in a book a friend of my dad gave, those are written in Dutch. Now I'm reading The Green Mile by Stephen King (again). Marvelous book. Next thing I'll read is maybe some Kafka or something by Malcolm Lowry
---- What a tackastrophe!
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| Entropic Silence Posts: 251 |
Written by Don Martin on 16.04.2010 at 23:28 Kafka is great. If you've read The Trial then you might find this amusing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56JhJsWFvx8&feature=related
---- VICTORY!!!!! (They love it in France)
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| Don Martin le fu- Posts: 424 |
Written by Entropic Silence on 17.04.2010 at 02:39 I haven't read anything by Kafka yet, but my dad recommended it. He has this huge omnibus with everything he has written, ever. It's approximately 1000 pages thick. Which book would you recommend to begin with?
---- What a tackastrophe!
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| Entropic Silence Posts: 251 |
Written by Don Martin on 17.04.2010 at 16:17 Well, the two that I've read so far are The Trial and Metamorphosis. I'd go with The Trial. I think it's a better portrayal of Kafka's ideas, but I bow to the superior wisdom of those who think otherwise. Once you've read those two, mate, knock yourself out. Check Wikipedia if you REALLY need inspiration, that's my first port of call when I'm looking at a completely new author. By the way, just finished One Hundred Years of Solitude and it truly is the most amazing book I've read all year. Read it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll change your life. And if you need any change, go to the place that you live, and... await my instructions!
---- VICTORY!!!!! (They love it in France)
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| Don Martin le fu- Posts: 424 |
Written by Entropic Silence on 18.04.2010 at 03:50 Alright, will do. Thanks mate
---- What a tackastrophe!
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Has anyone read The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker? I just read the first 60 pages (part one) at work and I think it's pretty retarded. Does it get better or should I read something else?
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