What Are You Reading? Options

[whiskeyonesix]

I love 'On The Beach' - it's one of the most depressing books ever! laugh.gif

I'll start reading it tonight!

I remember my Dad telling me about the book and the film when he was driving me to the Airport when I came over - as I recall he said it was depressing as well.

Ah well, there's always H.P. Lovecrafts biography to fall back on - Having read some of Lovecrafts work ( He was either on some very odd drugs when he wrote his books or had a very tidy mind - I can't decide which!!) it should be a fairly entertaining read.....

I'll let you know how I get on with both of them...

[Tonyblack]

Don't be put off by the depressing nature of On The Beach - it really is an excellent book. Very thought provoking. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Lts3]

Years ago, I read On The Beach and yes, it is depressing but fortunately it hasn't come to pass at least not yet. There is another lesser known book by Neville Shute, In The Wet which is a futuristic portrayal of Britain in the 1980's. It must have been written in the 1950's or earlier. Boy, was he wrong on that one!

[whiskeyonesix]

Having read the first few pages, it's interesting to see how the people have adapted - mainly to not having any oil or fuel for transport. Interesting to see if the book was updated to todays standards how we'd react....
There's no sense of impending doom... people just seem to be getting on with things...... so far - although I'm sure awful awful misery isn't far off (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

That said, it's very well-written.

Actually as well as the 1950's film, a TV miniseries was made in 2000 starring Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward - I'll see if I can track it down...

[Tonyblack]

Nevil Shute was never happy with the Hollywood movie for some reason. I'm not sure why though as, apart from some questionable casting, it follows the book fairly closely. I guess he just had his own ideas of what the movie should look like. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[swreader]

Have finished Jean Rhys book Wide Sargasso Sea--reading it more quickly than I'd have liked because our book club is discussing it this month and there are 4 holds left on it.

Basically this connects with Jane Eyre in that it's an account of how Rochester met and married the mad wife who eventually burns the place down and dies in the process. Rhys takes the hints that she is from the Caribbean, and makes her a beautiful Creole. The book covers her whole life, though parts of it are written from Rochester's point of view. In this book Rochester marries her for her money and her "brother" Mason doesn't insist on a settlement of what portion of her funds remain hers. She is thus totally in his control. Rhys creates a hot, frightening semi-jungle where slave rebellions happen and the jungle is both incredibly beautiful and at the same time frightening in ways that are almost hallucinogenic, It becomes quite hard to tell who is mad, and who is simply brutally cruel to his/her lover. The book ends with Antoinette confined in a tower room at Rochester's English estate which he ironically inherited. He now does not need her money as he did when he married her. The last scenes are from her point of view in England--and she is quite clearly insane--whether from "bad blood" or Rochester's treatment of her.

Has anyone else read this? If so would love to hear comments.

[Lts3]

Have finished Jean Rhys book Wide Sargasso Sea--reading it more quickly than I'd have liked because our book club is discussing it this month and there are 4 holds left on it.

Basically this connects with Jane Eyre in that it's an account of how Rochester met and married the mad wife who eventually burns the place down and dies in the process. Rhys takes the hints that she is from the Caribbean, and makes her a beautiful Creole. The book covers her whole life, though parts of it are written from Rochester's point of view. In this book Rochester marries her for her money and her "brother" Mason doesn't insist on a settlement of what portion of her funds remain hers. She is thus totally in his control. Rhys creates a hot, frightening semi-jungle where slave rebellions happen and the jungle is both incredibly beautiful and at the same time frightening in ways that are almost hallucinogenic, It becomes quite hard to tell who is mad, and who is simply brutally cruel to his/her lover. The book ends with Antoinette confined in a tower room at Rochester's English estate which he ironically inherited. He now does not need her money as he did when he married her. The last scenes are from her point of view in England--and she is quite clearly insane--whether from "bad blood" or Rochester's treatment of her.

Has anyone else read this? If so would love to hear comments.

I haven't read it but I would like to. Jane Eyre was for many years my favorite novel. I love anything by the dark and gloomy Bronte sisters. Their lives were very brief and troubled. Women's lives, even talented and brilliant ones were challenging. Present day is at least an improvement.

[swreader]

I'm currently reading one of the historical novels by Sharon Kay Penman, Falls the Shadow. I'd read a few of her medieval mystery books, and saw this one
in the library.

I think that if you like Cornwell (which I think all of us do), you'll like Penman. She's now written 4 stand alone Historicals. This one deals with the clashes between Simon de Monfort and Henry III (a really weak English king) and has a great deal to do with the attempts by Henry to subdue the Welsh. One of the things I like about her books is that she manages to have strong female characters (as well as soldiers).

Of course the Welsh (like the Irish), at that time had a culture in which women's rights were much more clearly delineated and upheld. (See what the Celts did--drat the Saxons).

Publisher's Weekly said of this book: "Penman brilliantly evokes the medieval world . . . As usual, she illuminates the events of individual lives as well as the political and cultural forces that characterized this tumultuous era, in a thorooughly engrossing book." I must say, I agree.

[Lts3]

I'm currently reading one of the historical novels by Sharon Kay Penman, Falls the Shadow. I'd read a few of her medieval mystery books, and saw this one
in the library.

I think that if you like Cornwell (which I think all of us do), you'll like Penman. She's now written 4 stand alone Historicals. This one deals with the clashes between Simon de Monfort and Henry III (a really weak English king) and has a great deal to do with the attempts by Henry to subdue the Welsh. One of the things I like about her books is that she manages to have strong female characters (as well as soldiers).

Of course the Welsh (like the Irish), at that time had a culture in which women's rights were much more clearly delineated and upheld. (See what the Celts did--drat the Saxons).

Publisher's Weekly said of this book: "Penman brilliantly evokes the medieval world . . . As usual, she illuminates the events of individual lives as well as the political and cultural forces that characterized this tumultuous era, in a thorooughly engrossing book." I must say, I agree.

I've read her mysteries and a good many of her historical novels as well. She loves the early period right after the Norman conquest. One of my favorite of her books is The Sun in Splendor which gives a flattering portrait of Richard III. I haven't read Falls the Shadow but I have read Here Be Dragons which is about John's daughter who marries the Welch King. I think she has written more than four of them but I'm not sure how many.
I think she turned to the historical books because they were a little more lucrative.

[whiskeyonesix]

Just finished reading the H.P. Lovecraft biography. It's a very interesting view of a rather tortured and conflicting man.
Lovecraft really seems to have been a man who was born perhaps 100 years too late....
For most of his life he seems to have cultivated the image of a victorian gentleman, and thus had the opinion that working for a living was beneath him and loss of face by appearing to work for money was even worse.... thus he lived in poverty for much of his life and was approaching bankruptcy by the time he died.
He earned much of his income by ghostwriting but generally accepted whatever rates his clients offered him - which was usually far below the accepted rate!
His situation wasn't helped by being cossetted and coddled by his mother from a very early age, then being dominated by a pair of rather overbearing Aunts later on - who also assumed financial control of his earnings as well.
He had a failed marriage as well. Again this issue was due to his old-fashioned values that a woman shouldn't work to support her husband - and his utter inability to face his worries and deal with them.

I know this sounds like a real fun read, but it's not that bad (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tonyblack]

I'm not actually reading anything at the moment because I'm waiting for the new Terry Pratchett book, 'I Shall Wear Midnight' to arrive in the post. It's supposed to have arrived today. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/angry.gif)

[whiskeyonesix]

It's supposed to have arrived today.

I hope you get to read it soon! It's been quite highly anticipated from what I've heard...

I'm re-reading Unseen Academicals again - couldn't quite get to grips with it the first time, It's quite nice to read something cheery (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Tonyblack]

Two copies arrived today - one for me and one to take to Sharlene in Tucson next month. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[whiskeyonesix]

Excellent!!

The Tiffany Aching books are some more of TP's work that I just can't quite "get"....

However, please do let us know how you and Sharlene get on with them, I think it's time I reappraised my views on them....

Have a great time in Tucson btw, that's rolled around quick (Although not quick enough I'm guessing!)

[Tonyblack]

You're right there! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) Sharlene is going to need knee replacement surgery shortly after I get there as her right knee has all but packed up.

[whiskeyonesix]

Oh no (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) That's not good, still at least you'll be around to help her recuperate.

Hope it goes well.