Books

[stearl]

Thanks guys.

They're pretty good readers FWIW (and also fairly hooked on video games if left to their own devices - excuse the pun  ). I promised I'd read it to them after reading the Hobbit a year or two ago.

The masterplan is to finish the book by December and then watch the Peter Jackson films over Christmas.

[Don Gately]

Good stuff. I am also an advocate for kids reading... I schedule 3 reading nights a week where we all plonk on my bed at around 8pm and read for 30 minutes. Any other reading the kids do (9and 14 years) is fine too but great to have a bit of time put aside.
 I bought 2 copies of the Stand so myself and the 14 year old are reading it simultaneously. While also getting an arm workout

[mishima]

Still on American Prometheus, cos it's massive.
Oppenheimer 2 will be out before I'm done with it.

I have a few more added to the list that I have to get my hands on for when that's done.

I also got a couple of photography books with Japan as the subject. Really nice to look through them every now and then.

[Mooncat]

Currently reading Nineties by Chuck Klosterman. Nice fast read and a nostalgic walk through 90s pop culture. Insightful commentary too, I always enjoy his take on things, even when I don't agree with him.

Trying to get through Blood Meridian. My second attempt at it but I just struggle to get through. At times it's spectacular, but it's also bogged down by page after page of endless landscape descriptions (I get the landscape is supposed to be a main character), and real overuse of esoteric language really specific to central American landscapes/life so you're either constantly running to the dictionary, or just letting it go over your head. Perhaps this is intentional, to make you feel like a fish out of water like The Kid, but it still makes it a frustrating slog at times.

[open face surgery]

Yep, it's tough going but it's very rewarding.

[CorkonianHunger]

A rewarding slog, in that sense very much like Moby Dick. Two masterpieces though.

[CorkonianHunger]

I'm about two thirds through The Exorcist. The film is probably one of my favourites so was looking forward to the novel. Its more or less the same as Blatty did the screenplay and was heavily involved with Friedkin. Easy read too.

Its not as though it is strong with language as it is with atmosphere and the characters are as strong as the film. If anything his strength is the research gone into the sections of medical/mental examinations.

It is interesting how Blatty came from a comedy writing background to this. Theres a great hour long commentary on YouTube of him talking about it from one of the DVD releases. Anyways looking forward to the climactic chapters.

[open face surgery]

Read it a few years ago and loved it. Coincidentally I think it was as a bit of fluff after Blood Meridian. IFI are showing it on the 29th so gonna def head to that.

[CorkonianHunger]

Exorcist was mint. Really picked up at the end. Would say its on par with the film. Some seriously great scenes and inner character dialogue stuff. I like the hopeful ending that Blatty wanted in the film but Friedkin wanted it less on the nose. Suppose it works for each.

[CorkonianHunger]

Anyone here read any of the Garth Marenghi books? I loved Darkplace but never thought about reading the stuff.

[open face surgery]

I went straight back and watched the movie after reading The Exorcist. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Don Gately]

Finished All the Pretty Horses, it's a great read and like the Road, very accessible.

[mishima]

Started Ring - Koji Suzuki the other night.
Saw the (Japanese) film about 20 years ago and loved it. So far, this is fairly decent.
'Tis interesting to see the changes that were made for the film version.

[Eoin McLove]

I picked up The Wren, The Wren, the new Anne Enright novel, yesterday and I'm getting stuck in. I found her last one, Actress, a bit dull by comparison with the other novels of hers I had read, but this new one is really good so far.

[StoutAndAle]

Anyone here read any of the Garth Marenghi books? I loved Darkplace but never thought about reading the stuff.

Is the Garth Marenghi book not a faux-autobiography like the Alan Partridge ones? I haven't read it. I really liked the "Darkplace" TV series and Holness' other stuff like "Man To Man with Dean Lerner" but I don't think I could hack reading actual Marengi novels.



On a similar note - still reading Stephen King's "It". It's good so far but it's taking me an age.