Books discussion

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Rigor
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Rigor »

finished fuji and im better at solving a couple of puzzles. how many times do a clocks hands overlap?

right now im splitting my sauron book eye to some wikipedia articles about the colonization of nouvelle france and next would be spain.
Spoiler:
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thespaceinvader
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Re: Books discussion

Post by thespaceinvader »

Been reading the Codex Alera over the past few weeks. DANG, but Jim Butcher can write. Great series, great fun, great imagination. I was expecting a lot after the Dresden Files, and he really delivered. Now reading the latest Horus Heresy, and not really quite getting on board with it. For some reason, it just doesn't quite work in present tense. 3rd person omniscienct present is a tough voice/tense combo to write in, and Dan Abnett just isn't quite good enough to get it right.
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Rigor
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Rigor »

can i read the first book as a one-shot? i am not sure if i want to get dragged in reading a lengthy series atm - but as long as the plot is rounded up at the end of the book and makes a nice ending i am very interested. im asking because the last time you recommended me a book i liked it a lot and it was a perfect example where you can either read just one part or the whole trilogy. for the record, ive been reading ...translated title: "making a fool of oneself in japan" - its a non-english book, but the level is fair and if your german is proficient, i would highly recommend this jewel, it made me laugh a lot. its about things you can do wrong in japan, and there are many: from the unknowing gaijin who enters the japanese bath house, and slips immediately in the pool without washing himself endlessly with small buckets of water and soap, to the acception of praise or misclicks on the toilet where our champion form the west ends up washing his trousers with the bidet function...its hilarious!

http://www.amazon.com/Fettn%C3%A4pfchen ... 525&sr=8-3
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thespaceinvader
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Re: Books discussion

Post by thespaceinvader »

Yes, Furies of Calderon works alone, but the series as a whole is also worth reading, and not all that long (6 books, but they're individually very quick reads).
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Turgon
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Turgon »

Limabean wrote:
Frogger5 wrote:Just got "A Game of Thrones" by George R R Martin for christmas. Boy am I exited.
that was a fun read. The rest of the series is good too, but A Game of Thrones was my favorite.

I'm most of the way through "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein. People have been recommending it to me for years. I'm not all that impressed at this point. It is a decent book, but It doesn't strike me as the masterpiece that everyone makes it out to be.
The very best book series ever. Even though I used to be a big Tolkien fan (and actually I still am a fan of him), I have to admit that there is nothing comparable in the world. Currently I'm reading a Feast for Crows (in English). It's an awesome way of practising English for it has the most sophisticated language I've ever seen in a modern novel, if truth be told.^^
Which are your favorite characters? I like Tyrion, Littlefinger, Varys, Ser Barristan Selmy and Roose Bolton a lot. ;)
Looking for feedback for my dramatic campaign "A story of three villages", a late-age men vs. undead story going to include vampires and werewolves: http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36193
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Rigor
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Rigor »

my fav is tyrion, how can it not be him? struck my fate, he always manages to make the best of his situation. a cunning character with flaws, but at least he is perfectly aware of them! i must agree that it was a fascinating read until book 3, then the pace slowed down wiht the introduction of the sandvipers which for me did not really fit into the whole setup, only topped in lameness by either the city-states where only gore leads the story or the country of the fencer tutor, where really nothing happens.

soon you will realize that the first parts of the book were inspiring, awesome pieces of contemporary masterful sstory-telling, that slowly degrades into "one more book means more cash" tactics.

i read about 20% of the furies, but they failed to convince me - i must confess that the john doe beginning was too much for me.
Daravel
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Daravel »

I'm just getting to the end of "A clash for kings" and getting seriously fed up of all the white rabbits being pulled out of hats. The author likes to prolong the tension and sense of danger so the moment it looks like things are going well for certain characters (I don't want to spoil anything) then suddenly, out of nowhere, something happens that was a) completely unforeseen by anyone and b) Not very likely or logical considering the people involved.

Spoiler for specific points - Books 1-2
Spoiler:
Perhaps I'm just being picky, but these are just the standout points, there are other smaller ones too.
It just seems to me that he puts certain characters into winning positions then others into losing positions and realises if that one wins over the other then the war is over. So he has to come up with some lame, weak plot points that make no logical sense in order to continue the story.
Turgon
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Turgon »

I have been seriously searching for different reviews on ASoIaF in the last days, because I haven't seen many bad reviews before. However, now I feel spoiled, because I always had an uneasy feeling that the whole character of the books changes slowly in A Storm of Swords and the whole focus on the story has changed until A Feast for Crows. Nevertheless I think GRRM has written a defenitely awesome fantasy series which is defenitely not unlogical, but implements consequences and actions that would appear in reality but not in most fictional works. This may lead us to thinking that actually realistic things are unlogical.
Spoiler:
My answers to your spoilers (because I think differently about some of them...)
Spoiler:
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Daravel
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Daravel »

For reference on my points, I have just started the third book.
I don't think the people do act in a logical way they would in the real world.
Spoiler:
There are other cases of people acting in ways that make no sense and only serve to bring more danger, prolong the war etc
Spoiler:
I just can't shake the feeling that GRRM wants certain characters and houses to survive so he shapes events to fit that design (of course, he is the author) but it feels so unnatural. So many plans go wrong, so many last-minute events happen, it's once catastrophy after another for some characters.

Not to mention the worst offender:
Spoiler:
Maybe I am now just seeing problems because I expect them to be there? But seriously, ever few chapters I just put the book down in wonder at 'where the hell did that come from?'

I do really like the books in general and the writing, style and feel is great. But it really bugs me.
At the end of the day, this is what GRRM is doing
Spoiler:
Turgon
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Turgon »

Daravel wrote:For reference on my points, I have just started the third book.
I don't think the people do act in a logical way they would in the real world.
Spoiler:
There are other cases of people acting in ways that make no sense and only serve to bring more danger, prolong the war etc
Spoiler:
I just can't shake the feeling that GRRM wants certain characters and houses to survive so he shapes events to fit that design (of course, he is the author) but it feels so unnatural. So many plans go wrong, so many last-minute events happen, it's once catastrophy after another for some characters.

Not to mention the worst offender:
Spoiler:
Maybe I am now just seeing problems because I expect them to be there? But seriously, ever few chapters I just put the book down in wonder at 'where the hell did that come from?'

I do really like the books in general and the writing, style and feel is great. But it really bugs me.
At the end of the day, this is what GRRM is doing
Spoiler:
Okay, I see your points. And I defenitely won't be the last person on earth defending GRRM's weird story ways. Actually, the only thing that bothers me, is that there are so many differences between the book and season 2 of the TV show, after season 1 stuck so closely to the first book. Anyway, as long as Varys and Littlefinger survive and get great dialogues as usual, I will keep on reading. ;-)

Concerning your points:
Spoiler:
Looking for feedback for my dramatic campaign "A story of three villages", a late-age men vs. undead story going to include vampires and werewolves: http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36193
Daravel
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Daravel »

You are right, I am probably being overly critical. I am still reading and determined to finish it. Like I say, I do really like it. I think part of my problem is that I don't like harm coming to characters I like (good or evil) and there is so much of it.

Interesting, you said they "won't get away that easily" - I thought things were pretty bad already for them.

On point number 1:
Spoiler:
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Crow_T
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Crow_T »

Anybody read the classics? Some recent books I've read, Lord of the Flies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Catcher in the Rye. All great summer reading, plus it's good to revisit them when you get older because you see them in a different light. I also read Tropic of Cancer quite a bit, as in I open it to a random section and read a few pages, but it's a bit of an adult book ;) Some interesting non-fiction reading are Dick Proenneke's Alaska journals, kind of a modern day Walden thing happening.
Turgon
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Turgon »

Interesting, I read Lord of the Flies when my local library sorted it out so I bought it there. Nice reading, defenitely...
I read Catcher in the Rye, too, when Salinger died and all newspapers wrote about him. My parents showed me some of his books, I didn't know we had...

@ Daravel: please tell me what you think of Storm of Swords when you are finished. It's going to be really interesting and I am interested in anyone's opinion on it
Looking for feedback for my dramatic campaign "A story of three villages", a late-age men vs. undead story going to include vampires and werewolves: http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=36193
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Rigor
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Re: Books discussion

Post by Rigor »

ill tune in again. so you are at book 3 yes? im so, so, so sorry to tell you the book is at its peak now, and super exiciting and amazing and great - from here onwards, it will get only worse, and if the book was unlogical for you before, i really pity your determination to keep going. b4 i started reading i also could not in my wildest dreams imagine i would think little of the series when im at the last volume, but it happened. so far, only mild inconsistencies took place,and the political charades are really the cream of the crop. at the end of book 3 you will have to brace yourself as Turgon already pointed out.

and now the really unpleasant part without giving you details:
Spoiler:
HomerJ
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Re: Books discussion

Post by HomerJ »

Crow_T wrote:Anybody read the classics?
Does Mary Shellie's Frankenstein, Treasure Island, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray count for that? Still got Bram Stocker' Dracula, Around the World in 80 days on the todo list...


Greetz
HomerJ
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