Reading List Thread

[Misanthrope]

I just got my xmass money and i bought Exalted, im reading that right now. Im probably getting Dark Ages: Inquisition next and read that too.

[hyena]

@italians: i just finished reading pasolini's "ragazzi di vita". this novel, both for the use of language and the type of charcters, is the closest to irvine welsh i could find from a national writer; of course there's a difference in historical setting, but if you liked trainspotting, you're going to love this book.

h (off to buy the rest)

[Rei Toei]

@vulture: i read stephenson's cryptonomicon about two years ago, it took me almost a month fascinating book, absolutely. still, if i had to recommend a book by stephenson to a newbie, i'd choose "snow crash", which is his masterpiece and a must in cyberpunk literature.

[FatherVic]

do you have to have a binary A painted in your leather jacket to be a cyberpunk?

fathervic (worst joke of the day)

[hoyn]

Originally posted by On the Edge of Forever
Joseph Heller - Catch 22

Which, as most of you will know, is a classic satire set in the second world war about a man in the US air force determined to escape the war. It's an excellent parody...

"I said to him, sir, that you couldn't find me guilty of the offense with which I am charged and still be faithful to the cause of . . ."
"Of what? You're mumbling."
"Stop mumbling."
"Yes, sir."
"And mumble 'sir' when you do."
"Metcalf, you bastard!"
"Yes, sir," mumbled Clevinger. "Of justice, sir. That you couldn't find--"
"Justice?" The colonel was astounded. "What is justice?"
"Justice, sir--"
"That's not what justice is," the colonel jeered, and began pounding the table again with his big fat hand. "That's what Karl Marx is. I'll tell you what justice is. Justice is a knee in the gut from the floor on the chin at night sneaky with a knife brought up down on the magazine of a battleship sandbagged underhanded in the dark without a word of warning. Garroting. That's what justice is whan we've all got to be tough enough and rough enough to fight Billy Petrolle. From the hip. Get it?"
"No, sir."
"Don't sir me!"
"Yes, sir."
"And say 'sir' when you don't," ordered Major Metcalf. Clevinger was guilty, of course, or he would not have been accused, and since the only way to prove it was to find him guilty, it was their patriotic duty to do so.

That is one of the best and funniest books I've read.
How was it Milo was able to sell eggs to himself and earn money on it?

[hoyn]

"Catch-22 did not exist, he was positive of that, but it made no difference. What did matter was that everyone thought it existed, and that was much worse, for there was no object or text to ridicule or refute, to accuse, criticize, attack, amend, hate, revile, spit at, rip to shreads, trample upon or burn up."

"This time Milo had gone too far. Bombing his own planes and men was more than even the most phlegmatic observer could stomach . . . Not one voice was raised in his defense. Decent people everywhere were affronted, and Milo was all washed up until he opened his books to the public and disclosed the tremendous profit he had made. "

[hyena]

john fante. a pakistani friend of mine pointed me to "ask the dust" and i'm terribly, terribly hooked. americans of italian background might find it particularly attractive, but it's all around tops. life and tales of a young wannabe wop writer, arturo bandini, in los angeles. tops, i tell ya.

h

[Fathomless]

Mason & Dixon - Thomas Pynchon.

[Malaclypse]

ugh
i am currently reading illuminatus! - the eye in the pyramid
well if you ever wondered what could be wrong with the world deep within, and if you ever thought that there might be something terrible hardly anyone knows of, dont read this book. damn i never ever read a thing as paranoid as this. if you are awed by the "smoker" in the x-files, dont read this book

[Siren]

@Mel: I'm interested in finding english versions of some Pratchett books, do you know if i can find them in a bookshop in Athens?


Edit: My favourite book is George Orwell's "1984".

[Sunjammer]

Either I read very poorly or no one has suggested David Eddings yet. I'm a big fan of his. For those who don't know of Eddings' work, it's fantasy and very well-written fantasy I might add. It's got mostly everything; humour in heaps, foul creatures, evil sorcerers, valiant knights, fair women, wise wizards and an enormous amount of details making the stories vivid and believable. For those of you who are into fastasy, I strongly recommend that you pick up one of his books. Just my two cents...