Last Book You Read

[Millennium]

I said in my previous post some weeks ago that I was gonna start Douglas Adams's saga. Well, forget about that, I started Restaurant at the end of the universe only yesterday.

Aaaand in that time, I've finished the whole A song of ice and fire saga. Sooner than I thought.

 

 

Dang it, Martin! Jon Snow killed?!

 

Edited April 3, 2016 by El-P

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

The Story of Sinbad the Voyager.

 

Unlike some other books I've started, this one is keeping my interest. Probably because of how low-detail it is and so I can drop it whenever I need to and immediately get back into it. So, not the best literature and prose, but a fun adventure.

 

Oh, and you all know how I previously praised Harun al-Rashid Abbas, original author of this book and 5th ruler of the mighty Abbasid Caliphate? Well, he can still be praised for his love of literature and the sciences (much of the math came form his victories in India along Sindh though), but i take back the part on him being a cool guy.

Some research into him showed that he betrayed courtly allies and massacred families, and often times had the executioners executed so he wouldn't have a direct reminder of the slain. He also is why the region of Syria is currently Muslim, forcing conversions and destroying churches and temples in the region, all in a way to make it more difficult for the Roman Empire to get it's land back. His reign was only a Golden Age for the rich, as everyone else suffered under the tight grip of autocracy, which is why after Harun's death the mighty empire began to crumble in rebellions and civil wars until it's conquest by a roused 'guardianship' by the brothers Tughril and Chaghri Seljuk and they created the Great Seljuk Empire. Really, Harun was only a cool guy if you were a rich Muslim (as many somewhat did in this time period) and you didn't even look like a threat.

 

[Erasmus Graves]

Started reading William Goldman's classic thriller Marathon Man on top of Johnny Got His Gun.. Yes, that is the same William Goldman who wrote novel The Princess Bride (and the screenplay to its movie) as well as the screenplay to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

 

UPDATE: (5/04/16) Finished Johnny Got His Gun. Tragic tale of the repercussions of war upon your average guy.

Currently reading Chester Himes's crime noir/dark comedy novel Real Cool Killers. It tells a tale of savage murder, street gangs and simmering racial tension against the backdrop of '50s Harlem. Think Hieronymous Bosch meets Miles Davis in a Harlem night alongside a very different talent in crime fiction. Update: 5/04/16: Finished Real Cool Killers. It was a pretty short book, so one day was enough.

UPDATE: 6/04/16. Finished Marathon Man.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[JAG18]

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" - William L. Shirer

 

It's the worst story ever told or at least that's the phrase that first introduced this book to me maybe two years ago?  I picked up my 1960 copy at a garage sale in the summer of 2013 and after a short lived first attempt to read it the book sat on my shelf for years.  Until exactly three months ago today when I was determined to read (and finish) this historical classic. 

 

Overall, I did like this book very much and found it very informative and interesting although I was a bit surprised that this is more a political history of The Third Reich and not a military one. Not that this is a bad thing necessarily, but only half of the book is devoted to Hitler's War and even then battles and campaigns are only told in brief, but I suppose they're other books for that.

 

The book begins on January 31, 1933 when Hitler and his Nazi Party rise to power and then goes back in time to Hitler's ancestry; Hitler's early life is sketched out, the Nazi Party is formed, and it's transformation post-Beer Hall Putsch is detailed ultimately leading back to when Hitler become Chancellor.  The major events of the Third Reich are told, The Reichstag Fire, The Night of the Long Knives, and so on and then one of the most interesting parts of the book, for me, was when the author describes what life was like in the Third Reich in the pre-war years.  After that, Hitler sets Germany on the road to war with the entire Munich affair taking way too much space and time and being, IMO, the book's low point.  Then came a war, and as I've said not too much is said about the battles, although to be honest the summaries of all the major military events of the war are still very good and taught me a lot about parts of the war that I didn't know a ton about before. 

 

After the Nazi military tide crests and is halted by the Russian winter the author gives what he admits is a brief account of one of the darkest chapters in both this history and all of history; The Holocaust.  The next part of the book tells the fall of the Third Reich as the military situation only grows worse and worse after Stalingrad; the July 20 Plot is told in-depth, which I liked since I'm a big Stauffenberg fan.  Finally, with the "Nazi Miracle" weapons (missiles, jets, robots) that I've enjoyed reading about online all my life having failed and the Allies closing in on all sides, the books ends with it's last twenty or so pages (it felt like too many to me) with HItler in a bunker commanding imaginary armies and ranting and raving about everyone and everything (basically the "Hitler Rages" meme, but for real.)

 

One finally note, I knew this going in to the book, but this is very much the standard telling of the war in Europe and Nazi Germany and thus is in some ways kind of out of date.  I'm not talking about just the events that occurred after the book was published (for instance, while the book does have a note about how Adolf Eichmann was kidnapped by Israeli commandos and put on trial in Jerusalem as the book hit the presses, it could not mention the 1987 death of Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess in prison) I'm talking about how so much of our understanding of the history surrounding Nazi Germany and World War 2 have changed (as they always do in history) in the five decades since Shirer wrote this book.  Still that doesn't really detract from this book, which again, I enjoyed very much.

[Erasmus Graves]

All Shot Up by Chester Hines, Wolverine (the original Claremont/Miller run). Currently reading Kafka's The Trial, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns (purge my mind of Batman v. Superman) and the giant biography Norman Mailer: A Double Life.

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Finished Sinbad the Voyager. A small book, mainly because it is an excerpt of the Sinbad stories from the legend collection 1001 Arabian Nights. It was a nice tale and got my imagination working; I especially liked the wording. I now want to read the other tales.

 

Next book, I'm going back to Beowulf and see how far I can get before I need another break. Last I left off, the eponymous hero had slain the witch mother of Grendel in her underwater lair and was chatting with King Hrothgar about some stuff. From what I remember, it sounded like Hrothgar was going to make the mighty hero Beowulf his heir since the prince was slain by the reptilian witch.

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished The Dark Knight Returns. First-class graphic novel, really enjoyed it - though I found the Supes versus Bats punch-up a little unrealistic psychologically, though artistically good and quite moving (and disturbing, in its own way). Also finished Kafka's The Trial. I'm not sure if it's an incomplete novel - it seems to have reached its conclusion by the end, but leaves an odd feeling of dissatisfaction. It's like Camus said: "It is the fate and perhaps the greatness of the work that it offers everything and confirms nothing".

Currently reading: True Grit by Charles Portis (go read it. Go read it NOW.), As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, The Heat's On by Chester Himes and Norman Mailer: A Double Life.  

 

Next book, I'm going back to Beowulf and see how far I can get before I need another break. Last I left off, the eponymous hero had slain the witch mother of Grendel in her underwater lair and was chatting with King Hrothgar about some stuff. From what I remember, it sounded like Hrothgar was going to make the mighty hero Beowulf his heir since the prince was slain by the reptilian witch.

 

Based on my memory, I don't think Hrothgar's heirs are slain by Grendel's mother. His best bud was killed, yes, but his two teenage sons weren't. *SPOILERS*Beowulf eventually becomes king of Geatland, his home, inheriting from Heardred, Hygelac's son, after a war *SPOILERS*  Hrothgar's an interesting fellow. He pops up in around eight different sagas, poems and chronicles, as a sort of linking element.  

Edited April 21, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Finished The Dark Knight Returns. First-class graphic novel, really enjoyed it - though I found the Supes versus Bats punch-up a little unrealistic psychologically, though artistically good and quite moving (and disturbing, in its own way). Also finished Kafka's The Trial. I'm not sure if it's an incomplete novel - it seems to have reached its conclusion by the end, but leaves an odd feeling of dissatisfaction. It's like Camus said: "It is the fate and perhaps the greatness of the work that it offers everything and confirms nothing".

Currently reading: True Grit by Charles Portis (go read it. Go read it NOW.), As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner, The Heat's On by Chester Himes and Norman Mailer: A Double Life.  

 

Next book, I'm going back to Beowulf and see how far I can get before I need another break. Last I left off, the eponymous hero had slain the witch mother of Grendel in her underwater lair and was chatting with King Hrothgar about some stuff. From what I remember, it sounded like Hrothgar was going to make the mighty hero Beowulf his heir since the prince was slain by the reptilian witch.

 

Based on my memory, I don't think Hrothgar's heirs are slain by Grendel's mother. His best bud was killed, yes, but his two teenage sons weren't. *SPOILERS*

Beowulf eventually becomes king of Geatland, his home, inheriting from Heardred, Hygelac's son, after a war

*SPOILERS*  Hrothgar's an interesting fellow. He pops up in around eight different sagas, poems and chronicles, as a sort of linking element.

 

Well thanks dude. It not like I wanted to read it myself.  

 

In the future, please wrap up spoilers in spoiler tags, such as the following:

[spoiler] [/spoiler]

It creates something like this:

 

 

Look at me! I'm a spoilah! Tee-hee!

 

[Kopekemaster]

I dunno if there can really be crucial "spoilers" for a story that's been around for over a millennium, haha.

(Besides, from what I remember of the story, those spoilers don't really ruin much besides confirming what you'd predict to happen anyway.)

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

I dunno if there can really be crucial "spoilers" for a story that's been around for over a millennium, haha.

(Besides, from what I remember of the story, those spoilers don't really ruin much besides confirming what you'd predict to happen anyway.)

I know I know, it was more for future reference.   But just because a million people have read it since the Aengles moved from Jutland to Britain to form Aengland doesn't mean everyone has. Like, I know Beowulf becomes king and fights a dragon, but not king of what, or when and where the fight with the dragon occurs, and I would like to read the source material to get the answers. But Erasmus did clear up some confusion about the other top-shot guy not being Hrothgar's heir, the way the story was worded it sounded like he was prince of the danes. Thanks dude.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Iaredios the Hip Historian

[Millennium]

I recently completed Life, the Universe and Everything and So long, and thanks for all the fish by Adams.

 

I really appreciated the change of tone in the first of the two, a little more serious than the previous books, with the Krikkit robots and all (which I fell in love with, they are just so ominously, coldly evil), without taking the overall comical randomness away. Also, Trillian finally gets to do something. She was...just there, previously. Too bad we don't get to see her in So long, and thanks for all the fish (though Fenchurch is definetely a better character than her). This latter one, so far, is the installment I appreciated the most.

 

 

Marvin's death is strangely touching

.

[Kopekemaster]

OH NO I OPENED THAT SPOILER BY ACCIDENT

 

Marvin was introduced pretty recently where I am in the first book.

 

I gotta stop my auto-spoiler-open reflex.

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished The Heat's On.

25/04/16: Finished True Grit. Loved it. It's a Great American Novel and one of the best westerns of all time. Now to watch the Coen brothers movie of it.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Millennium]

I completed Mostly harmless and, with that, the whole Hitchhikers saga (spin-offs aside).

And...wait, what?

 

What kind of ending is that?! It took me some time to realize what has actually happened and...so, everyone dies, huh? Unexpected to say the least...and I'm not sure if I like it or not. I did not like how Adams just got rid of Fenchurch in the first place, then this...

 

It was fun, anyway.

 

Next up, The cursed tomb by Christian Jacq. I saw it at the mall's book corner, and it struck me (since I'm writing an historical novel of sorts, I thought it might be a good idea), though I also plan on re-reading Lovecraft's At the mountains of madness for...no particular reason. 

[(Daedalus)]

Just finished Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich by David Kenyon Webster. I've always had an interest in World War II history, and being familiar with Band of Brothers, I thought this would be an interesting read, if only to see how different his account is from the HBO mini series (I've never read Stephen Ambrose's book, though from what little I've gathered, it has a few inaccuracies). I was not disappointed. It is fascinating to read an account from the common soldier, to see the boring day-to-day life of being a soldier in wartime, and I found some of Webster's observations and musings on the purpose and meaning of the war. He was certainly a thoughtful man, which is even more noticeable in his letters home (some of which are included in the back of the book).

 

I don't know that I'll ever read it again, but I certainly don't regret reading it once.

[Erasmus Graves]

Started Sven Hassel's March Battalion. There aren't that many first-hand informed novels from the German POV on WWII's Russian Front, so this is pretty interesting.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Somewhat off-topic but on the topic of books: I am curious about a history-friendly telling of King Arthur, and I saw The Winter King at a local book store. Would this fulfill that curiosity, or are their glaring inaccuracies? And equally important, is it a good book?

 

I tend to not get too in-depth with English history as that is what everyone does when it comes to Medieval times. It may be 'hipsterish', but thats just how it is. Because of this I don't know a whole lot about King Arthur other then son of some guy named Pendragon, gets sword of power, becomes king, fights Saxons, Lancelot fiasco, fights son Mordred and dies, allowing Saxons to invade and create Ængland. Bare bones stuff, and I would like to change that.

[Erasmus Graves]

Somewhat off-topic but on the topic of books: I am curious about a history-friendly telling of King Arthur, and I saw The Winter King at a local book store. Would this fulfill that curiosity, or are their glaring inaccuracies? And equally important, is it a good book?

 

READ IT. READ IT NOW.

 

Bernard Cornwell's one of my favourite authors, and The Winter King - his whole Arthur trilogy (The Warlord Chronicles), in fact - is simply phenomenal. They're probably the closest thing you'll ever find to a historically accurate telling of King Arthur. I can't really criticise that trilogy at all - it's so close to perfect. Cornwell has a lot of characters from the original tellings in major roles, and quite a few of Malory's major characters take backseats to the action. The narrator is old Derfel Cadarn - one Arthur's warriors, known as Saint Derfel in Wales - a pagan turned monk writing down his life's story. It's a first-class historical novel, and most inaccuracies are minor or easy to miss.

Great characters, great action, a bit of everything that makes a good novel - what more to ask? Oh, and Mordred is Arthur's nephew in the novels - he is, in fact, the titular winter king and the true heir to the throne (you'll find most of this out in the opening chapter, so it's not really a spoiler).

Cornwell also presents Christian/Pagan conflict, and though Derfel presents a pro-pagan bias in his early life, he eventually wisens up and treats each side fairly. 

 

Cornwell also wrote a series of first-class Napoleonic Wars novel about an English rifleman named Richard Sharpe - a character so "badbottom" yet eminently believable that he survived being played by Sean Bean in the movies SIXTEEN whole times.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Kopekemaster]

Finally finished the first in the Hitchhiker series. I loved it, it had a great blend of comedy, satire, philosophy, and genuinely pretty awesome stuff. I've started the second already, and am looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out.

 

I'm also still making my way, slowly but surely, through Crime and Punishment. I mostly just listen to the audiobook when I'm taking a shower, so it will probably be a long while before I finish it (seeing as how each tape is about 90+ minutes long and there are 14 tapes). Enjoying the way that story is going as well, and I really like Dostoyevsky's writing style.

[Erasmus Graves]

Reading Charles Portis's Norwood and Rober Graves's Claudius the God on top of March Battalion.

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

A sample of a book called 'Wall of Skies, Wall of Eyes' on my Nook. Very strange, about an economic practice where you freeze your body and if you go to Heck you can be temporarily resurrected for a fee if that spouse is a bread winner to the family, so he earns a lot of money in working then goes back. So the main character keeps going back between Earth and Heck, and while he is not on Earth his body becomes like a soulless zombie, functioning only on the biological parts of the body and not powered by the energies of the soul. sounded interesting until you get a glimpse of what the book's version of Heck is: a waiting room and a witch comes to get you and assign you to your torture. Once that popped up, I decided I sated my interest long enough and went to bed.

 

Finally finished the first in the Hitchhiker series. I loved it, it had a great blend of comedy, satire, philosophy, and genuinely pretty awesome stuff. I've started the second already, and am looking forward to seeing how all of this plays out.

I'm also still making my way, slowly but surely, through Crime and Punishment. I mostly just listen to the audiobook when I'm taking a shower, so it will probably be a long while before I finish it (seeing as how each tape is about 90+ minutes long and there are 14 tapes). Enjoying the way that story is going as well, and I really like Dostoyevsky's writing style.

Hitchhiker series is my Dad's favorite book series. Never read them, but if you give it such praise then maybe he has good taste.

Edited May 11, 2016 by Iaredios the Hip Historian

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished Norwood - loved it. Not as good as True Grit, but was very different in both tone and time period. Charles Portis is an Great American Author.

 

Acing through Ellroy's ​A+ novel American Tabloid - it beats up much of the hagiography of '59-'61, swings in plenty of historical figure cameos and major roles, a big spritz of dark humour, laconic, jazzlike prose, savage violence and superbly drawn characters. It takes about three quarters of the book to set all the pieces that will lead to the JFK assassination into place - and ends shortly before it takes place. It, like all of Ellroy's novels from 1987-onwards, will leave you reamed, steamed and dry-cleaned. To semi-misquote some fancy critic: "one emerges shaken, perhaps ready to change one's view of 20th century history".

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Last book I read was The Alexiad. After reading it on and off for about a year and leaving it unfinished for more than a year, I finally decided to lay down and finish it.
 
This book, chronicling the life of the Roman Emperor Alexios Komnenos (He barely wore his imperial dressings so this is more accurate) and written by his daughter Anna Komnenos back in the mid-1100's, is a dramatic narrative and has proven very enlightening to this chapter on the medieval era of the Roman Empire (_{^{oft erroneously labelled as the 'Byzantine Empire'}}) at the time of the First Crusade (_{^{stuff the Empire was concerned over would be fully realized it the catastrophic 4th Crusade}}) and the beginning of the Komnenian Restoration. When the waves of civilizations and time wore down against his home with certain unavoidable destruction, he did not let it die, he took it over by the reins and met his troubles head on, and even in defeat he proved to be victorious.

 

More

I was warned over how his daughter is biased and overly praised him, and I at first did not see it as she praised him for being a noble person and great fighter, but as the book goes on she uses increasingly unfitting comparisons to the old Greek myths and the Holy Bible, basically saying that Alexios is second only to Christ in pure character. Other sources would have to disagree with that, and saying that even losing a major battle against foreign invaders (Apulian Normans) still makes him some sort of demi-god is complete phooey. Not as bad as a crud ton of other emperors in the millennium before him, but Alexios is certainly not perfect despite his daughter's twisting of words. I do like that she references the Empire's history back to Basil II to even way-back-when with Octavian.
 

Alexios Komnenos is an astonishingly overlooked character in the history of the middle ages, I say astonished as his rule shaped history on that side of the world for centuries to come. He also enacted quite a lot of reforms on a scale I've seen only a few times, like to a lesser degree, Heraclius, Constantine, and Diocletian. His daughter may have overly praised him, but there is no debating the charisma this figure must have aroused in the hearts of his people, and the just caution that he caused in the hearts of his enemies and rivals. 

 
To anyone that wants a view of the Middle Ages that is not from Western Europe or not Catholic-based, I recommend reading The Alexiad. If you don't know places and terms, fret not, it comes with a detailed map, glossary, references and explanations. Still not satisfied, please contact me for I've researched into this extensively.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

There is a mod that puts Alexios Komnenos in Civilization V, and that tid-bit just makes me want to play that game even more.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Iaredios the Hip Historian

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished American Tabloid. For those who have drunk too deeply of the waters of JFK's Camelot, it will prove very unpleasant. For me, it doubly confirms just how dark and twisted things could get under the illusion.

Finished March Battalion and am reading Portis's The Dog of the South as well as Claudius the God.

[Millennium]

Completed The cursed tomb in a little more than a day some weeks ago (and I'm not really sure if I want to continue the saga; fantasy elements drawn from egyptian mythology are a little too much prominent for my liking, and I have come across two strange mistakes: Jacq talks about acacia and avocado. In Egypt. In 1200 CE. They were native to America) and I have re-read Lovecraft's At the mountains of madness. Despite not liking the ancient astronaut concept, it is a wonderful piece of horror/sci-fi literature.

 

I'm not sure what to read now. I have a few books ready, one of which is a long essay on Aztec culture. I might start that.

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished Charles Portis' The Dog of the South and J. Michael Lennon's Norman Mailer: A Double Life. The first is an American classic, and the second is not only one of the best biographies of a writer ever written, but one of the best biographies ever written.

[Millennium]

Completed Von Hagen's The Aztec: man and tribe. A truly enthusiastic immersion into a world that is no more. Von Hagen has a very particular approach to essay writing: philosophical, ironic, even touching at times. In the bookstore I bought it I also saw monographs on the Maya and Incas, also by Von Hagen...I might get the Maya one.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Electric Wizard

[Erasmus Graves]

Currently reading The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1, Charles Portis's Gringos and John Edwards Williams' Butcher's Crossing.

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

Cracked open John Tolkien's Roverandom for the first time in a really long time. Missed the little eponymous former toy, now living, flying dog and his lunar adventures. Written and told as an explanation for the disappearance of one of his kid's favorite toys, a small dog (wooden I think), this little bed-time story laid the intellectual foundations for his later Middle Earth stories, and you can see a few correlations with the later There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale. Fun story, very imaginative, and the man's prose brings stuff to life even with this posthumously published short book. Its about as thin as Machiavelli's The Prince (maybe just a tad thicker).

 

 

 

Hey, anyone have some pre-modern history books/novels to recommend me (besides The Warlord Chronicles)? I have Tolkien's Beowulf, The Alexiad, 1453 (have yet to read), Night Attila Died, and a book on Julius Caesar (only a chapter in). Would like more Roman/Byzantine stuff, some Mongol/Turkic/Steppe stuff, Chinese, Persian/Iranian, and maybe even brush up on British history. If you have anything else that doesn't go into those but is still pre-modern (would even except early-modern), please do tell me. Had my eye on a book concerning Manuel Komnenos, another on Justinian I concerning corruption, and another about Chengiz (Genghis) Khan  Temjuin Borjigin.  Wonder if there is a book on Basil I and the Makedonian Dynasty... I'll look it up later.

[Millennium]

I recently finished Jostein Gaarder's Hello? Anyone there? . It is aimed at children and it's amazing. All schools should consider having their students read it in order to understand basic evolutionary science, astronomy and to avoid the rise of weird beliefs, while at the same it stresses the importance of spirituality. It kinda reminds me of Douglas Adams works, but softer.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Electric Wizard

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

The Gods of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

 

Yep, finally reading the second book of the John Carter of Mars series. Starts off with him on the Hudson, separated from his martian wife for about 10 years, and after much praying he finds himself back on Mars. He awakes in a red forest, with a sea and a river nearby. While hiding, he discovers strange creatures, things John Carter has christened thus: the Plant Men of Mars. Really, really cool and yet strange looking creatures. Favorite part IMO are the ears for hair and the vertebrate-throat arms with mouth palms (hole in the head is a single nostril). Here is an artistic depiction.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Iaredios the Hip Historian

[Kopekemaster]

Been wrapping up some school and stuff so I've been a little busier than usual (and hey come on, Dark Souls isn't going to beat itself), but I just finished The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. I'm getting the sense Adams meant to end the series there, based on the ending. On to Life, the Universe, and Everything, now.

Still continuing Crime and Punishment, and have started listening to The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. (I'm on a bit of a break right now so I hope to get through most of that story and a good amount of Life, the Universe, and Everything.)

 

Edit:

I'm still reading Life, the Universe, and Everything right now, but I think I may have come upon at least part of the reason I really like this series. The uncaring, comedic nihilism, almost edging on hedonism at some points. It's similar to my own viewpoint, actually, which is probably why I enjoy it so much. It's not so much standard nihilism as in "the world is terrible, and there's no point to it" (although I must admit, I do agree with that to some degree), but it's more like "the universe cares nothing, let's just do whatever". Rick and Morty had a somewhat similar philosophy a lot of the time, which is probably why I liked that show so much too.

 

Geez, I realize I just admitted to holding a rather bleak POV. Eh, whatever.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Kopekemaster

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished League of Extraordinary Gentleman Volume 1 last week. Also finished Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground. It's (in my opinion) his best written work, and a short, sour-mooded novel that is nothing short of genius. Finished Butcher's Crossing. Brilliant.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Vorahk1Panrahk2]

Uprooted from Naomi Novik. It was terrible. I'm hoping to have a review written for it soon, but basically the plot is too dense and the story progresses too quickly which results in unbelievable characters and plot progressions.

[Kopekemaster]

Finished The Case of Charles Dexter Ward last night. Apparently Lovecraft himself didn't like it, thought it was too "stuffy" or something like that. I personally enjoyed it a lot, though. The details were kept just vague enough to add a sort of unknown horror to what was going on, without actually detracting from how the story was presented.

Over halfway done with LtUaE, might finish it this weekend.

[The Hip Historian Iaredios]

I have been reading The Winter King, by Bernard Cornwell. Good so far, a bit strange having Arthur be a pagan but it really doesn't detract from the quality in the slightest; just different. Thanks Erasmus for recommending the book!

[Erasmus Graves]

I have been reading The Winter King, by Bernard Cornwell. Good so far, a bit strange having Arthur be a pagan but it really doesn't detract from the quality in the slightest; just different. Thanks Erasmus for recommending the book!

Pleasure. It's one of the joys in life, spreading the news about great books.

 

Finished Richard Matheson's I Am Legend and Robert Drewe's Our Sunshine. Reading PKD's The Man in the High Castle. (dangit, why is one of our greatest SF minds doomed to be that guy with the censored last name?!) and warming up for the two heavies on my shelf - an omnibus of Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. ​Considering the fact that I'm also planning to read Lonesome Dove when I get through those...

Hmmm. Heavyweight* rounds in the book arena.

 

 

*Last time I checked, a heavyweight was a book that clocked in at 500+ pages.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Kopekemaster]

Finished Life, the Universe, and Everything, The Colour out of Space, and The History of the Necronomicon (for some reason I thought that story was going to be a lot longer than it was).
The whole Krikkit saga was pretty cool, and provided a nice amount of tie-ins with the previous stories. (Agrajag, the

Heart of Gold being one of the pieces of the key

, and so on.)

[Erasmus Graves]

Finished The Man in the High Castle. One of PKD's best works, and the original (if not the original, one of the earliest) what if the Axis won WWII? works of fiction.

Also finished Claudius the God. It took me two months, but was worth it. The sad thing is that I read books longer than it on the side while reading it.  

Currently reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. It is phenomenal. I can't remember the last time I read over a hundred pages of a book in a single day. Ellison was perhaps the most talented writer of his generation. It's a pity he never completed any more novels.

Read Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by PKD on the side. Good stuff, quintessential PKD and downright strange. 

Edited June 28, 2016 by Erasmus Graves

[Erasmus Graves]

Read Silence by Rodney Hall. Good anthology by one of my favourite authors. Could have been better though--the stories of the other anthology I'm reading, (The Turning, by Tim Winton) are more satisfying and more engaging.

Still, I'm not complaining about Silence. It was a good read and beautifully written. Loved the pastiches of other authors' styles.

Still on Invisible Man. One of the best American novels of the 20th Century.

 

(please please please don't fault me for doubleposting. The topic was dying and I had to save it).

Edited July 10, 2016 by Erasmus Graves