Some books seem promising then you start reading and just can't read it because you either don't like the style, it's boring, it's crap.... etc.
Name of book:
How far you got:
Why you stopped reading:
>>15
Ha, i understand you (lack of) pain. I had to read it for a grade here in college, and honestly i preferred to get a horrible mark instead of ending the damn book.
>>14
I had to read P&P for English class, and I rather liked it. It took me a while to get used to the English Austen used, but after that it wasn't bad at all. Took too long for stuff to happen, though.
Jack Kerouac. On the road and Dharma Bums.
Got about 50 pages into each. Stopped because I couldn't effing follow them and I was confused. And yet, I can't help but find beauty in the writing.
Some crap book called "Like Dandelion Dust"... was so freaking BORING. I read for several chapters hoping it would pick up and something interesting would happen. but it just went on and on like that, boring as hell.
Sad thing is, the woman who wrote it is like a best-selling author or something. Just think of all the true artists who hardly have room for their rejection letters, and some hideous waste of precious paper like that is published and on the shelves in bulk. Makes me want to cry.
Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Everything is divided in little random stories about nothing. It's not terrible, but not really enjoyable. Also i guess i read about 1/3 of the book.
Tracking Time by Leslie Glass.
Actually, I haven't stopped trying. It's been over a year since I started reading and I'm up to chapter 23. I just can't seem to get into it... It's a translated version, too, so that makes it worse. I like reading books in the language they were originally written in (if possible).
Is a history textbook from school cited under "book" or "encyclopedia"?
sorry if this is the wrong place to put a thread, but I didn't see where else :D
DN: Another Note.. read three chapters or something..
maybe it's because I read it after Murakami but it seemed for me to be amateurishly written..
Nineteen Eighty-Four, I'm afraid. I read a couple chapters, but just couldn't get into it.
What are some good ones? So far I've read:
Evolution's Darling
Kansas, She says, is the Name of the Star (story in july 2006 issue of F&SF)
Cereus Blooms at Night.
Crazy woman - check
gay man - check
sexualized young girl - check
lesbians - check
rape - check
dad raping daughter - check
yeah well here you go.
Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds had topics dealing with child sexual abuse.
>>6
is this really SF? I can't tell how so from the amazon blurb.
"Repent : how to diagnose yourself and signs that you are crazy"
-_- Really, guys? SF loli?
IIRC, L. Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth books contain loli, lesbians, necrophilia, rape, bestiality, etc.
I think he wrote it specifically to convert 4chan's /d/ board to Scientology.
I'll start off with:
13. It promotes creepy, possessive, unhealthy relationships. Kinda goes along with >>9.
Bella: "Okay, Edward, you can totally sit outside my window and watch me while I sleep and prevent me from talking to a close friend of mine that I've known a hell of a lot longer than you just because he happens to be a werewolf and you can force me to go to prom and have a ginormous birthday party and marry you just because it's what you want, even though I want nothing to do with it and don't say anything because I'm a spineless character with no personality whatsoever!"
Excuse me while I vomit.
LOOK ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE DOUBLE NIGGERS OK?
14. Aside from the author's choice of religion, she puts down paganism but is writing about VAMPIRES. I mean, seriously.
>>14
I did read them, except the last one. I thought they were okay the first time I read them, then I re-read part of one of them and got a massive migraine from the immaturity of the writing. I'm not slamming Meyer as an author (I thought The Host wasn't bad at all, except the ending), it's just that the Twilight series is treated as a literary masterpiece surpassing frickin' Shakespeare and Tolkien combined when it's really just fanfiction-quality.
Speaking of which, my friend that reads Twilight fanfiction tells me that Meyer basically wrote the same thing as all of the fanfic authors and passed it off as Breaking Dawn. Haven't checked myself because I value my brain cells, but something to keep in mind.
Irrelevant: my captcha is boyzz. Thought you guys might find that a bit amusing...
She should have chosen Jacob. He was a truly sweet guy. But it's like, noooo, I'll choose the over-protective, controlling, manipulative psychopath who stalks me. Yeeeeaaaaah....
16. Don't go near me, I could hurt you.
Don't go near me, I could hurt you.
Don't go near me, I could hurt you.
Don't go near me, I could hurt you.
I think it's been mentioned already that the main character is completely dull and is really nothing more than a Jane Doe save for her unhealthy infatuation with abusive relationships.
Yeah all that is worth mentioning AGAIN.
Hey, as the title of the thread says i need some book recommendations. First, I find it hard to read books, don't ask me why. The las book I read complete was "The Game" by Neil Strauss (I find it fascinating). Currently I'm reading "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" by Haruki Murakami and I like it.
I like anime, manga, learning (different cultures for example) comics, music, among many other things. Maybe you can recommend me some books that I'll find interesting.
Thank you!!
I'm trying to write a novel, been writing one for a few years now, studied creative writing in college. Just curious who else is aspiring to be a novelist here.
>I sent a short story into a publisher, and he would of tried to get it publish
PLEASE tell me English isn't your first language.
Well, just finished my first book about half hour ago. 136,449 words, 738,573 characters.
I feel tired.
To any of you writers here, do you guys post your works on any websites? And if so, which ones?
Did any of you guys actually have good luck with a creative writing class? I took one once and it was like "Write a sixteen line poem using exactly this format and no other about this experience, that I, your instructor, not you, had. Extra credit awarded for kissing up to me and if the poem is as anti-male as every single facet of my being. By the way, all men are rapists and can just drop my class now."
Come to think of it, I probably just had a crappy instructor...
Yeah, I do. Most of the writers there aren't professional, but there was, at one point, some published British author on their, dispensing advice.
Site was looks it up in favorites TES Fiction. 'Tis a forum.
>>5
Um.This is random, sorry I'm a grammar freak... but if you intend to be an author, you should pay attention to this too.
Your "name" is "Seaking Answers". I don't know if you meant "Seeking Answers", or if you did that on purpose.
I'm not gonna rant on about punctuation and the like, because people get lazy when they write in forums and chatrooms.
but... "I sent a short story into a publisher, and he would of tried to get it publish, but he wouldn't because it was science fiction and there was too much sci fi out there."
You can't send a short story INTO a publisher... just to one... and "Would of" should be "Would have" and "publish" is "published"
Unless English isn't your first language, or you intend writing in another language, I suggest you brush up on your grammar, like >>6 said.
Yes.
>>10
I just finished my degree in English with that concentration.
LET ME GIVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE INSIDE INFORMATION, BURIED WITHIN THIS WALL OF TEXT:
Creative writing is a waste of time.
If you're interested in writing, take composition and literature courses. I learned more about writing in one course on Modernism than I did in working my way up to "English 496 Advanced Fiction Workshop." You will learn more from canonized writers who give useful insight into literary composition than you will reading some short stories or poetry and trying to imitate it.
IMPORTANT POINT: All, and I mean ALL of my creative writing courses were mainly based upon peer review. This amounted to mostly the blind leading the blind, heavily sycophantic behavior from the peers, and professors who were too afraid to give honest criticism. Good taste and a hint of genius cannot be taught, and there are far better methods of refining whatever talents you may have.
Lets talk about Gene Wolfe guys (If you don't know who this is, get the fuck out)
Many, both fans and established mainstream authors alike consider him among the best, if not the best, writers of this day. Not the best sci-fi or fantasy or genre or speculative fiction writer. The best writer, period.
Regardless of whether you think this is deserved or not (and i'm sure some of you must find him overrated in spite of his general lack of mainstream success; I myself do not), the issue at hand is whether not he is sexist as seems to have been the accusation made in the past several years.
So, there you have it. -Is- Gene Wolfe sexist, as a writer? And even he is, does it matter? Does it make his work any less good or bad than you already see it?
I myself do not think he is a sexist. I think that, no less than any other writer of any stripe, he is not free from flaws, and one is that he does not have a particular talent for writing women (The few books he has written showcasing a female POV stand in evidence of this, I feel). To compensate, I believe he tends to keep female characters as a secondary or inconsequential to the story as can be so that attention is not attracted, though this clearly doesn't always work. In the end this gives a sense of dismissal to critiquing, feminist reader one might suppose.
He is that rough wolf in Wolf's rain right? Yeah, he's exist he wears a earring,noes
>>Many, both fans and established mainstream authors alike consider him among the best, if not the best, writers of this day.
lol
Though my exposure is pretty much limited to the Book of the New Sun, I never picked up a misogynistic vibe from him; it's possible I was too overwhelmed by the sense of wonder and beautiful writing to notice. It's been said before, but blunt repetition will never be enough to hammer this home: Gene Wolfe is a beautiful writer. He could write the most misogynistic, racist, hateful tract imaginable and while I would abhor him/it for that, it would still be beautifully written and couldn't possibly tarnish his previous work.
It's probably worth mentioning that William S. Burroughs is also one of my favorite authors, who is a pretty good example for the, "It Don't Matter" crowd.
Name some!
Example: vicarious
brobdignagian
phallic
cuckold
juxtaposition
despot
dipsomaniac
tetradecagon
voluminous
expedite
philosophic
lethargic
necrophiliac
flora
fauna
Australopithecus
catatonic
fisticuffs
irate
livid
colossal
despondant
Here is a few good general emphatics. Try to replace some of your very''s, really''s, etc. with them!
startlingly
quite
truly
stupendously
does + verb
indeed
>>143
I say all of those except stupendously. I don't say startlingly often, though.
Every known word society views as negative. Cuss words naturally included.
orthogonal
Saphic
Cunt
"evil-smellin"
Alright, guys. I need your help. I'm slowly running out of reading material, and I plan to go on a bookrun soon. Trouble is...I don't know what I should buy. My tastes run the gamut, but recently, I just want to read some good fantasy or vampire fiction. I've already finished Twilight and the second book, and I'm also a fan of the Anita Blake series, but I also love Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Any suggestions...? And thanks for the help, everyone.
China Mieville
Vampire fiction, eh?
Have you read Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian"?
It was conceived as sort of a "tribute" to Stoker's Dracula, and as such Stoker's book actually plays a role in the plot of Kostova's.
It's kind of long, but it's damn good. I highly recommend it.
Drachenfels.
The Outlander series by Diana Gabalaldon. More historic fiction than fantasy, (although they do have a bit of witchcraft and time travel is central to the plot) they're quite long individually, but I'm always sad when they end. You and I seem to have really similar taste in books, so as long as you don't mind long ones, I think you'll really like them.
The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
11 of 12 books are released so far and all anywhere from 600 to 850 pages. Should keep you busy and it's key point is that it's a GOOD series.
I know it's not sword and spell fantasy, but if you light Pratchett there's a good chance that you'll like the H2G2 series by Douglas Adams. It's basically Discworld a la space opera.
You're evil. Jordan died before he finished the series, yes it's very good but to all of us he left behind we're pretty screwed.
I love cock
try salem's lot by stephen king
Okay folks, let's get this party started.
What book(s) are you reading right now, and what do you think of it?
I'm reading mostly stuff in Spanish. Finished a book called Los Mártires del Freeway (not very good). I'm currently reading Norwegian Wood and Albina y los Hombres Perro. Crime and Punishment on hold for an indefinite time.
herodotos' histories
Some crap of Kant's. It sure is crap, and I mean that in the affectionate way.
the Thin Man one-book
classical binge
adelphi by terrence
history by herodotos
greater hippias by plato
I'm not reading anything because i can't even afford bus fare to get to the library.
>>355
Yet you're posting on the Internet.
Also, e-books. And you have two legs, why don't you use them?
im reading The Complete Works of Lewis Carol (sp) im at the start, Alice in Wonderland is good, though Alice herself is pissing me off....dumb bitch
I plan on reading Plato's Republic, and Mein Komph...
yeah..I cant spell, nor do i have good grammer....
Jonathan Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I picked it up off a sale rack outside a bookstore a couple days ago.
Yesterday, a friend read to me The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. It was a really charming story, and I realized that I hadn't ever read anything nice like that when I was young..
I'm pretty sure all I read were generic, unmemorable stories by authors no one's heard of, since I don't remember much of anything I read when I was a kid. (The only story I can remember told about a time when people could reach up to the sky, grab a bit of it, and eat it. The sky tasted really good, but the people were really inconsiderate in the amount they ate, so the sky withdrew. If anyone knows what this story is, I'd love to find it again..)
I was wondering what other children's stories I missed out on when I was a kid. Any recommendations or favorites of yours that I should read? It feels like I have a void to fill, and I hope it's not too late!
My high school French teacher loved The Little Prince. Still haven't gotten around to reading it. Also, the story you mentioned sounds familiar to me, but I think it might be mythology...? Could be mistaken :)
One of my favorite books, even outside the 'children's' genre, has always been The Phantom Tollbooth, and I highly recommend. Great fun for fans of the English language, and even for those who aren't :)
I second the recommendation for The Phantom Tollbooth! I'd forgotten all about it until just now, but it's a lot of fun.
Also A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind at the Door, by Madeline L'Engle are fantastic. Roald Dahl also wrote good children's books, although they are sometimes a bit...gruesome. I'm having a hard time remembering specific children's books, I didn't stay in that genre long >.< Although I remember reading a lot of Magic Treehouse stories. Oh! Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar.
Phantom Tollbooth is great. I also back up the Roald Dahl recommendation.
if you're still interested....
Where the Red Fern Grows. Bridge to Terabithia. Tuck Everlasting. The Giver. Maniac Mcgee (sp?). Stargirl. Dragon of the Lost Sea (series). The Black Cauldron (series). Howl's Moving Castle. The Giving Tree. Incarnations of Immortality (series). Ender's Game. Little Women. Little House on the Prairie (series).
but what age range really were you thinking of....?
Though a little out of date, I'd cast votes for The Wind in the Willows, and everything written by E. Nesbit.
I'm most of the way through the Little House series right now, myself. I skipped reading it throughout my entire childhood and finally got around to starting to read it a couple of weeks ago.
It's all horribly politically incorrect, but then, a lot of the books that were in the classroom when I was in school were by today's standards. Like The Fan Man...
the great brain
and anything by john bellairs
I like En famille. This anime aired as "ペリーヌ物語" .
Did you read abridged Odessey when you were children?