Has anybody else read these books by James Clavell? A little over a decade ago, a friend recommended I read Shogun, saying that it was the japanese equivalent to Gone with the Wind. If you haven't read the book, it basically chronicles the involvement of an English pilot in the intrigues that lead to the Toranaga shogunate. As a westerner, Clavell cleverly uses the pilot's culture shock to explain to us why the Japanese characters behave in a way that might be seemingly odd.
Tai-pan, a novel about the founding of Hong Kong, delivers this mechanic by contrasting the protagonist's understanding of Chinese society with the relative ignorance of his European peers. Both books are excellent.
Anyways, I was wondering if there are any other fans of these books and am especially interested in what others think of the later books in the series.
I've only read the first 3 of the series (Shogun, Taipan, and Gaijin), so I can't comment on Clavell's later additions. But if you've yet to read Gaijin, I would recommend doing so. It restores the feel of Shogun.
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:
Necromancer, stopped 40 pages in because I couldn't understand a single fucking word anyone was saying. And it wasn't kawaii enough
>>33
Hah yeah, Heretics of Dune. It was weird though. While I was reading the book and in the world inside the book, the book was interesting and exciting. But when I take a break and later think about the book, it seems boring and inconsiquential.
The memory keeper's daughter
chapter 4
Durrrr i am a nurse and i stole a kid with downs. durr life is so hard. durr durrrrr woman in 1960.
At the Mountains of Madness
probably about 50 pages in.
Fucking boring. I thoroughly enjoyed Lovecraft's short stories. I just couldn't get into it. I think there was too much description, not enough advancement.
I can somewhat attest to this. I tried to read it a few years back and just couldn't get into it. Like you, probably, I got bogged down in the specifics of the universe and just couldn't continue.
Still, I gave it another shot somewhat recently (was it last year, or the year before that?) and was finally able to appreciate it.
Really, the book is just about the author slinging together a bunch of semi-practical science fiction concepts, and trying to figure out how they would effect societies.
As for the book that I had to put down:
Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson,
I made it close to halfway through.
I don't know why I dropped this one, to be honest. It's cyberpunk! It's got AIs! It's got secret organizations! It even has a little girl! All the makings of interesting science fiction, and yet...
I just had to return it.
Maybe it was the whiny rich woman? Maybe I felt like it wasn't going anywhere? I can't say. Maybe I'll give it another shot, one day.
Did you read the first two books in the trilogy, >>34? I loved the sprawl trilogy, and right now I'm starting Idoru in the bridge trilogy (already read Virtual Light). I think knowing the values of potentially hidden characters and the relationships between others who had already been exposed helped make the book a lot more interesting to get into. The little girl in Count Zero is a lot cooler, too.
The Iliad. I even had to get a notebook to keep with the names and the plot. I know it's supposed to be a epic poem, but god it was hard to read. Hell, it was not meant to be read! Besides, you need to be really adept at ancient greek culture to be able to just understand who is doing what. I dropped it around half of the book, and never, ever, touched to damn book again.
There are other books that are very famous and extensively read around here (Latin America), like Coehlo's books, and Cuatehmoc's books, but they are utter literary shit for depressed and easily influenced people.
Doors of Perception. Just boring beyond belief.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2828044/1/
feel free to mock this author
>we sound like a cross between GC, Slipknot and MCR
I don't even want to think about what that would sound like.
Eek I am a longtime fan of the epic "My Immortal", but when I went to read it again I found that it is no more?? Does anyone know where I can find it, or has anyone saved it? I might have to go listen to MCR and slit my wrists whilst dressed like Amy Lee if not.
Fear not, it is here!
>>77
I see no fanfic, except for http://4-ch.net/book/kareha.pl/1154120458/ which is epic.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/985384/1/The_Legend_of_Zelda_The_Three_Heroes_of_Time
I wrote this back when I was 12... >_<
But at least being 12 makes it a valid excuse...
Hopefully.
To see how far I've come...
http://community.livejournal.com/rocket100/tag/giovannixseren%27s+fics
I found My Immortal yesterday and decided - after an extreme lapse in intelligence - that it couldn't be as bad as everyone thought, so I launched my own investigation.
Turns out, I was right...it's worse.
34 chapters in and I wish I had blown my brains out 33 chapters ago.
By the time you get towards the end, the first chapter actually seems well written...
O my fuckin god!
ITT, we discuss this (epic?) book.
>>3
that joke is not funny I suspect you write scripts for the television sitcom According To Jim because the pain I experience behind my eyes from watching that train wreck is the same pain I got from reading your internet posting
Been a while since I've read it, but I remember loving it. I'll see if I can find my old copy so you won't be alone in your appreciation. :D
AHAHA.
DICK.
SPERM.
GET IT?
I, in fact, do get it. It directs us to the connexion between a penis and sperm. A penis, lady and gentlemen, has the ability to produce sperm. The purpose of which sperm is reproduction. I invite you to discuss the connexion between reproduction and the plight of the main character.
Im sad to see Ishmael is getting no love.
It was a great book, and has GREAT discussion potential.
Good Afternoon, Anonimous! Wonderful, that you know what literature is but...Oh Great Anonimous! What do you know about literature? Actually, I don't care, whether you like it or not.
In Brief - Do you know RUSSIAN literature? Of course, you can send me somewhere far-far away, but really? Sure, you've already read Dostoevskiy or, maybe, Tolstoy - BUT! - Why don't you know know such wonderful authors as Averchenko or Chehov? What's wrong with your eyes and ears, oh my great Friend, if you still have not read (or heard - let it be audiobooks) a single word(or novel) written by Beliaev or Shishkin? Where did you spend time all this life so that you don't know "Slovo o polku Igoreve"? A. Alexin, V. Panova, Gogol, Leskov - just think about this Anonimous! Or you are going to spend all your life on games and spells? Then sorry, but, I hope, someone will like at least ONE of the names I told you. Bye-bye, I am ready to help you, if you want!
P.S. Of course, I know, I can f*ck myself. But I am not interested =)) See ya later! If you want, my big Harsh Friend, I'll give you some links - just ask!
З.Ы. Sorry Anonimous, I am Russian, so, I am sure, you'll find many mistakes in this mesage.
While I am sure Russian literature has much to offer, I lack the cultural context that may influence my ability to appreciate it's subtleties. In addition, not knowing a word of Russian means I must rely on a translator to reconstruct the work in my mother tongue, a process which always leaves much to be desired in accurately relating the style and substance intended by the author.
For the above reasons, I gave up on reading Crime and Punishment and have never reattempted a second perusal.
However, if you wish to recommend to me the works of one Russian poet, I would very much like to study a small sample. And perhaps move on from there.
We was a pretty good book. Felt like a prelude to Brave New World
http://4-ch.net/games/kareha.pl/1206548566/
This is a nice thread. Let's have a book edition.
I just read my first book by Haruki Murakami, "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle". Murakami gets a lot of praise in these parts, and after reading this book, I can confirm that it isn't unfounded. The book to me felt a bit weaker towards the end, but I really liked hearing the stories of Nomonhan, Siberia, and such.
"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C.S. Lewis.
I got it when I was a kid, but I still love it.
Flight of the Dragon Kyn
and
Dragons Milk
Both by Susan Fletcher
Both amazing childrens books..
I just finished "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham. Probably one of the most insightful, sentimental novels in our post-modern era. If you're into modern-day life and complex emotions, then I highly recommend you read it. Very poetic. =)
"The Stranger" By Albert Camus.
A little slow, but epic in my opinion.
It's one of those books that brings you into the experience of the character, and it's not always fun, but when you've read it, you find that it's fulfilling. Hard to explain... I guess you have to read it to get what I mean, but anyway, it's a great book, very much worth a read.
>>15 here. I'm a slow reader. I just finished Drawing of the Three but currently don't have access to The Waste Lands at the moment. I should be able to get it by the end of the week.
So far, I'm digging the Dark Tower series. Its a lot different than the other Stephen King books I've read. Its kind of a conglomerate of genres. Very interesting. I'm not gonna recommend reading it yet, as I haven't finished the series, but its really good thus far.
"The Hobbit"
Never read anything by Tolkien before, it was good. I like the manners and pleasantries especially (lol, I know the book is about an epic adventure, but I've seen/read so many they hardly phase me-not to say the main plot was lacking: it was excellent).
It's so comfy.
I wish people were like that these days. Especially on the internet! I'm tired of people being assholes to each other!
"The Woman in the Dunes" by Kobo Abe
has anyone else read wicked? i just finished it yesterday and I have to say it's one of the best books I've ever read. The story was pretty good but what made this book awesome was the main character. you just end up loving her so much and reading the book is more about spending time with her than reading about what happens to her. wonderful read! highly recommended!
who is the author and tell a little more about the story plz.
>>1
are you psychic? are you trying to infuriate me??
I felt that the author was trying too hard. The story failed for me sometime during the school part, when Glenda suddenly went out-of-character and became responsible.
sorry, thought i posted the link to the wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_%28novel%29
as for Glinda going out of character, I don't think she did so at all. she started to change after Dillamond died but after Elphaba's influence left her she started reverting back to her old self as you find out later in the novel. That seems plausible enough.
"Son of a Witch" is a nice sequel.
>>4
thank you for the link it was interesting to read.
the musical is awesome!!
>>7
sorry, i can't take anyone seriously after they say something like that :P
I love the book and the musical! I thought the book was PERFECT! I couldn't stop reading it! The musical was very funny but Nessarose is ARMLESS and they made her unabled to walk and was in a wheelchair? I liked how they made Fiyero and Boq the scarecrow and tin-man.