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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #465 on: 22:57:53, 19-09-2008 » |
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Can anyone recommend any other books by Michael Chabon that I should be looking for?
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'is this all we can do?' anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965) http://www.myspace.com/itensemble |
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MrY
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« Reply #466 on: 11:22:49, 20-09-2008 » |
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Can anyone recommend any other books by Michael Chabon that I should be looking for?
By chance, I read one Chabon novel, 'Wonder Boys', which I found very entertaining. It has also been made into a film, which is equally entertaining, starring Michael Douglas and Robert Downey Jr. Favourite quote: "I don’t mean to make a big dial out of sobriety. Of all the modes of human consciousness available to the modern consumer I consider it to be the most overrated." |
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #467 on: 22:53:28, 26-09-2008 » |
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I've just begun "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. Most unusual:
Eg.
"This novel is narrated by Death,
it's a small story, about a girl, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter and quite a lot of thievery.
Another thing you should know,
Death will visit the Book Thief three times".
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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thompson1780
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« Reply #468 on: 22:59:07, 26-09-2008 » |
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 Just brilliant. Very moving, very well written, and very thought provoking. Tommo Milly, it's great. I hope you love it. Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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Ted Ryder
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« Reply #470 on: 19:48:18, 29-09-2008 » |
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Afraid I gave up on "The Book Thief" around page 250. I could not really believe in Liesel or empathize with the characters but mainly I found the style, with its knowing sub-titles, very annoying.
I have just started Nicholas Mosley's "Hopeful Monsters" which promises to be a thought-provoking novel involving many of the 20th century's key moments. It seems to have been very well received. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
On his "Holiday" thread Don Basilio comments favourably on the atmosphere of the Harry Potter novels which reminds me to ask if any one else finds the the stories of Ellis Peters' "Cadfael" as disturbing as I do. As "whodunnits" they are the least testing detective stories I have ever read but they convey in very simple language such a powerfully sense of good and evil, of justice and retribution, that having read one of them you set it aside, sit and contemplate as you would if your had just finished a major novel. Well I did anyway.
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I've got to get down to Sidcup.
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #471 on: 10:23:11, 03-10-2008 » |
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I'm really enjoying "The Book Thief". The small sub-headings make it easy to dip into. Very sad though and meaningful when also reading the Trunk thread.
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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A
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« Reply #472 on: 13:17:18, 05-10-2008 » |
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Afraid I gave up on "The Book Thief" around page 250. I could not really believe in Liesel or empathize with the characters but mainly I found the style, with its knowing sub-titles, very annoying.
I have just started Nicholas Mosley's "Hopeful Monsters" which promises to be a thought-provoking novel involving many of the 20th century's key moments. It seems to have been very well received. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
On his "Holiday" thread Don Basilio comments favourably on the atmosphere of the Harry Potter novels which reminds me to ask if any one else finds the the stories of Ellis Peters' "Cadfael" as disturbing as I do. As "whodunnits" they are the least testing detective stories I have ever read but they convey in very simple language such a powerfully sense of good and evil, of justice and retribution, that having read one of them you set it aside, sit and contemplate as you would if your had just finished a major novel. Well I did anyway.
Interesting Ted, I have only watched them on tv... I usually read the book first but not in this case. I must give them a try. Interesting observations  A |
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Well, there you are.
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SusanDoris
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« Reply #473 on: 19:14:06, 05-10-2008 » |
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I have read all of those books except the last and Dawkins has not convinced me into atheism. I'm still an agnostic. Yes, I am that eternal optimist!  I too am an incurable optimist and I can absolutely assure you that there is no need at all to lose any of that being an atheist!! On the contrary, I think you will feel more so. |
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SusanDoris
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« Reply #474 on: 19:24:39, 05-10-2008 » |
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George, you should read the Hofstadter. In that case I'm going to read Jane Eyre first  . But thanks for that, Tommo. I keep meaning to read the new not so new Hofstadter and you have prompted me to nudge it up several rungs on the ever-expanding list. On a recommendation, I have recently finished The Eyre Affair] by Jasper Fforde which I enjoyed very much. It is really quite funny and original andis, I hear, the first of a series. It was an audio book and very well read which helps a lot. |
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #475 on: 20:33:08, 05-10-2008 » |
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I too am an incurable optimist and I can absolutely assure you that there is no need at all to lose any of that being an atheist!! On the contrary, I think you will feel more so.
It may well be because I am basically a depressive that I am desperate to believe in God. There are no logical answers, but sometimes when I pray or I have put myself out to be kind to other people, it makes sense. Life is worth living, but there is no logical proof of that at all. There is a wonder even in the terror. Those of you who are better balanced than I, should give thanks upon your knees. I don't understand how someone can say they are an optimist in this world and not accept the idea of faith. |
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #476 on: 20:35:40, 05-10-2008 » |
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Those of you who are better balanced than I, should give thanks upon your knees. I don't understand how someone can say they are an optimist in this world and not accept the idea of faith. Neither can I. What's optimistic about coming to a completely final end? Especially the way some poor people end up doing it. There has to be a reckoning and there has to be something else. That's what I'm timidly optimistic about. |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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richard barrett
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« Reply #477 on: 12:03:46, 06-10-2008 » |
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Last week I was mostly reading Paul Auster's most recent novel Man in the Dark, which tended to confirm my feeling that he doesn't have very much to say any more but keeps on saying it anyway. More seriously, though, I did not at all like the fact that a central theme in this book is America post-11 September and the Iraq war, and Auster fails really to engage with these things except anecdotally, ie. in terms of their personal effect on his fictional characters. Is it not some kind of shirking of responsibility, especially for an intelligent American writer in the 21st century, given that it's a principal focus of the book, not to come out with any view on the whole situation? I came out with the feeling that it is.
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #478 on: 15:20:18, 06-10-2008 » |
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Perhaps this is a bit too heavy for this place, but that is not exactly what I meant, Milly.
I hope I respect Susandoris and her beliefs as she would respect mine. I am very pleased she posts here, and glad to hear what she has to say. If she says she is an atheist and an optimist, then I accept that.
The point I was making was that to hold any sort of optimistic belief is an act of faith, to use religious terminology, which seems to me appropriate in this case.
Faith is not so much holding various propositions to be scientifically true, which after all most of us are not in a position to judge, but an attitude accepting various values: other people are to be respected as much as ourselves, life is worth giving thanks for, and so forth.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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richard barrett
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« Reply #479 on: 15:41:25, 06-10-2008 » |
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Of course "scientifically true" is a bit of a contradiction in terms, since science does not concern itself with truth but, if you go along with Dr Popper, with falsifiability, which is what makes it different from religion. I would also say that having an optimistic view of things doesn't necessarily involve "belief" or "faith" at all, just a wish to make life as bearable as possible for oneself and others. I would like to think we can "evolve" to a state where religion is no longer needed. I'm inclined to think that the terror of extinguishment is actually mostly a fear of unfilfilment in "this life". That doesn't stop it from keeping me awake at night though.
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