Is anyone interested in a great books thread?

[AndyWan Kenobi]

I read Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" a couple of months ago, and I must say I liked it very much. Large in scope, yet intimate, funny, sad... A big American Epic kind of novel set against the backdrop of the comic book industry of the early-to-mid twentieth-century. A really well-written novel, and I think a lot of people on this board would like it.

 

[Beebers]

I said this elsewhere somewhere in the forum but Cold Mountain, read this book. I do not say this because of the movie. I'm so blown away by the book that I will not see the film. The pictures/thoughts in my mind from reading the book would only be compromised, no matter the quality of the film. I read Cold Mountain years ago before anybody knew it existed, and have re-
read it several times since. It's a masterpiece.
You guys have probably all done this already, but read O. Henry if you haven't. The master of the very short story/character sketch and the master of the story twist at the very end.
An interesting postscript to Cold Mountain, you can't just kick out a masterpiece every day. The author has a contract with a 7 million dollar advance for another masterpiece and as of October had understandably not written a chapter, that's too much pressure, some of the greatest writers produce(d) only one phenomenal book in their lifetimes. I'm happy for having the one, it's life-enhancing and better than none.

Cool thread, by the way.

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

I read "The Lovely Bones" last summer. One of the best books I'd read in quite a while. I also recently read "The Green Mile," after I saw the movie. Another great book...
Erin

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

You guys have probably all done this already, but read O. Henry if you haven't. The master of the very short story/character sketch and the master of the story twist at the very end.

We had a short story unit in my eighth grade class, and our teacher read us her favorite story: "The Ransom of Red Chief." Then, in ninth grade, my acting teacher and his wife presented the school with a performance of "Gift of the Magi." That O. Henry pops up everywhere!
Erin

 

[Beebers]

Well, he does, and that's a good thing! He had a terrible time of things and most of his stories were cranked out under duress when he was at or past deadline and usually inebriated. He was mostly writing for little commissions/fees for weekly or monthly periodicals of the day. He never made any money to speak of, all the income came after his death. But he was a Dickens in his observations of his world. The short-story quick-sketch Dickens.

I'm never quite sure, you're all a lot younger than I am, but if you're reading stuff like Lovely Bones, can I recommend a current novelist, Anita Shreve? Most notably The Pilot's Wife, but all her books are excellent.

 

[Whatever]

I am reading Harry Potter in German- everyone has read Harry Potter in English, including me, so I have to spice it up a bit! Plus brushing up on my language skills.

 

[Beebers]

I'm impressed. Seriously, that's most cool. I'm curious, does it tell the same story?? Meaning, do you find it loses/gains anything in editing/translation? Or is it exact?

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

I started to read "Fellowship of the Ring" in French but didn't manage to finish it...
Erin

 

[Whatever]

Well, it's the same story, but some of the words have a slightly different connotation or whatever, I think I could translate it better in places. But Joanne Rawling did so many world plays and things like that, some jokes get lost in translation. I AM impressed by the translation of the song the Sorting Hat sings. It's not exactly the same thing, but they got it to rhyme.

 

[Jennifer12]

I started to read "Fellowship of the Ring" in French but didn't manage to finish it...
Erin

I had a hard time finishing it in English!

Jen