View Full Version : Books' Corner
Giovanni
16-12-2004, 17:59
Is there anyone who loves reading books, novels, essays?
What are you currently reading ?
What would you recommend to read ?
What have you planned to read in time to come?
Currently i'm reading
The Godfather_ by Mario Puzo :gun:
Top class book! The storyline is pretty well known by everybody, btw i recommend it, it's damn catching..i've an exam but i cannot resist to read a few chapters every day!
Then i will watch the mvies, never seen them..it's incredible
I also recommend :
1) The Name of the Rose_ Umberto Eco
It's a more refined Da Vinci Code, written by one of the best phylosophy professors in Europe, and underneath the thriller story based in Middle Age, in a Abbey of the Northern Italy , and the weird homicides which happen there ( the monks fear an evil presence because of the making of them, seeking some strange rituals linked to the Apocalipse and the Gospels), there's a erudite kernel full of feedbacks of phylosophy, hystory and religion whcih are priceless..you may catch them or just read a good thriller story..btw it's a multilevel book suitable for everyone.
Very well written.
many more to recommend for ex. The Lord of the Rings, Ken Follet's _The Pillars of the Earth , and many more
Btw it's late and i will write about them in few days time
Opinions, reviews, recommended choices?
ACMILAN1983
16-12-2004, 18:15
Well, currently I'm reading Essential Spider-man volume 1. Essential Spider-man has all the original Spider-man comics in them and is good for Spidey fans
Books I recommend are Book of Five Rings. Its written by a Japanese Samurai and explains methods of fighting, strategies and philosophy. Its been heavily used in the world of business, but can be applied to many aspects of life.
Another book to recommend is the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Its a book of "poems" about life or more accurately, the way. VERY deep and an excellent read for those who are interested (I have a feeling you might be Gio).
I'm planning to read 1984, The Path to Wing Chun (a book by my sifu/master) and more essential Spider-man soon. On top of this I also read manga quite regularly
Giovanni
16-12-2004, 18:28
I have some oriental phylosophical aforism books..they are very nice and still lively
I also recommend one of my fav books which is pretty unknown :
Henry Charriere's_ Papillon
It's the story of 40 years into the worst prisons of the old French colonies and spanish such as La Cayenna, the Devil's Isle, the prisons in Guyana.
This is the true story of the writer, and it's full of rocambolesque tries to escape from these prisons.
The desciption of the hard life inside the worst prisons of the world (the story is based in the fisrt half of 1900) is very lively and written in easy style, therefore it seems to actually be there.
Strongly recommended, a good reader can burn it in few days despite the 700 pages.
I generally consume bad spy novels, but once a year for my birthday my wife buys me a piece of work by whoever won the Nobel Prize for Literature that year. It is an interesting way to be exposed to quality literature. :)
Right now I am reading "The Piano Teacher" by Elfride Jelinek (this years winner of the prize). Of resent winners VS Naipaul is easy and worthwhile to read. Jose Saramago is fantastic but very difficult to read (kind of like eating whole grain bread without anything on it).
I love to read.I`ve read mario puzo`s godfather as well and i absoloutely love it and i love the movie itself.Currently reading his book `Family`(but at the moment also reading Hamlet for the 100th time,since i study english i have to know what type of panties hamlet was wearing when he killed polonius:rollani: ) And also the 3rd book i`m reading at the moment is James Morton`s `Gangland.Mafia and other Mobsters`.Anyway i highly reccomend already mentioned `The Name of The Rose` ,any of five or six Mario Puzo`s novels,G.G.Marques `100 years of solitude`.I also like Stephen King,Sherlock Holmes stories.etc etc
If u want to have a good laugh read any of the 2 `Bridget Jones`s diary`,they`re indeed hilarious.
I forgot to mention masterpiece `The Picture of Dorian Gray`.
And i`ve read Pierluigi Collina`s `My Rules of The Game`...quite interesting :p286:
oh and yes...Alber Camus `The Stranger`.
P.S.
well done gio,i love the book corner :gonova:
I do not like reading books. The last book i read was an itailan, its name is 'Inter? No Grazie!' (Inter? No thankyou) by Davide Grassi. A must book for all those rosso neri and especially for those ilke me that hate inter.
Stezagud
17-12-2004, 13:16
As its that time of year i was planning on reading A Christmas Carol but i'll probably just watch it on TV instead, they bring a new version out every year :rolleyes:
I read everything I can put my hands on.
I love history
I love philosophy
I love arts
Most of the time I read several books, it goes like this: I buy a book about Milan for example. "Milan is a city in northern Italy." ( let me get a map....) "In the centre of Milan is the famous white duomo" ( do I have a book with some picture?...)
"In another church ÿou can find da Vinci's famous "Last Supper". ( Who is da Vinci? I need to go to the library....). And so on and so on.
Sometimes there are so many open books everywhere in the house that my husband get's crazy.
But at the moment I'm very busy and the only book I'm reading now is Machiavelli"s - The Prince. Tough stuff....lol
Giovanni
17-12-2004, 15:09
great! Il Principe_Machiavelli !
Did you read it too, Gio ?
Giovanni
17-12-2004, 15:48
Did you read it too, Gio ?
some parts
btw i like Plato dialogues..
they are so lively and real still now
i suggest you all to read the Plato dialogues about the ancient phylosophers chatting on the issues of ancient phylosophy and problems such as the contrasts between appearence and essence or about the start of the universe or how must the political power be like
to be labelled right
it seems annoying stuffbut it isn't
btw i wanna ask if someone has read THE DA VINCI CODE and what are the opinions about it?
i enjoy reading too but have not much time lately to read. i like thrillers. authors i like are james patterson, john sandford, nelson demille. I read Angels & Demond by Dan Brown in september by the pool over in holidays in majorca was good and the Da Vinci Code also by Dan Brown is a book I must read too. Ill get it after my exams in January.
btw i wanna ask if someone has read THE DA VINCI CODE and what are the opinions about it?[/QUOTE]
Yes, I did.
Dan Brown took some historical facts, some myths, a man and a woman and made a story full of ancient conspiracy and a modern murder of it. There is even some romance.
Something like Agatha Christie writing about Miss Marple discovers the murder of the king of Atlantis, after reading Plato....lol
acmilan89
18-12-2004, 04:06
Is there anyone who loves reading books, novels, essays?
What are you currently reading ?
What would you recommend to read ?
What have you planned to read in time to come?
Opinions, reviews, recommended choices?
I love reading novels very much. The only unfortunate thing is that I've been reading more academic books (a.k.a. anthropology) lately because of my ongoing research, and I have three novels lying on the floor that are halfway read.
Currently, I am reading Gabriel Marquez's "Storm Leaf", Jhumpa Lahiri's "Namesake" and a book consisting of Rudyard Kipling's short stories called "Stories from India". Just finished Umberto Eco's "Travels in Hyperreality" and Pramoedya Ananta Toer's biography.
The type of novels I usually enjoy reading is philosophical but not the too-serious stuff. More like the postcolonial philosohpy sprinkled with elements of humor.
One of the best books, and a bit surreal, I've read was Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude", and I'd recommend to those who loves literature that defies reality of time, space and character. Another book is Jose Saramago's "All The Names" -- read this one and tell me what you find "ah-hah" strange about this book. :)
Giovanni
18-12-2004, 04:30
Has anyone ever read something of Soren Kierkegaard?
great! Il Principe_Machiavelli !
I have read it all this spring [remember my signature :D]... ya know I study politix etc. so it was neccesary...
currently reading some boox [some of them pending] ... well I do not recall exact title in english of in orginal language... so I'll post later...
btw, now I am readinf Isaac Asimov ''Foundation'' second part... but my exams bothers to read it ....
Has anyone ever read something of Soren Kierkegaard?
WOW, Gio...you are surprising me!
I read his diaries a year or so ago....
Giovanni
18-12-2004, 17:55
WOW, Gio...you are surprising me!
I read his diaries a year or so ago....
_________ :D
Angel_Cic
18-12-2004, 18:53
i'm currently reading..."A Long Days Journey Into Night" a play by Eugene O'Neill...apparantly it's about a disfunctional family on vacation...although i'm not even through act 1 (out of 3 acts)...so I haven't got to the disfunctional part yet :tong:
Has anyone ever read something of Soren Kierkegaard?
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
Of course, I've read fragments of his work, hardly surprising since I'm Danish and took philosophy lessons in high school.
I read quite a lot, about 2 novels a week, don't know where to begin but one author that still means a lot to me is Dostojevskij.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."
Of course, I've read fragments of his work, hardly surprising since I'm Danish and took philosophy lessons in high school.
I read quite a lot, about 2 novels a week, don't know where to begin but one author that still means a lot to me is Dostojevskij.
Great! Me too! That's why I called my son Dimitri.....
And about Kierkegaard. What I remember most is this : "I'm a writer for writers. I don't want the applause of the public, I want to inspire other writers." These are not exactly his own words, please forgive me...
i'm surprised by the amount of philisophical football fans. i like to dabble from time to time aswell, I quite like nietzsche (a bit predictable), kierkegaard as someone else said, and barthes. i also really really like reading jung who even though a psychologist its reall philosophy-ish.
but anyway my fave books are Portnoys Complaint by roth for being hilarious. Lolita for being unbelievably beautiful and sinister at the same time. David Boring which is a comic and the second long story of the guy who did ghost world, daniel clowes. and pahalanuik or however you spell it for being hilarious and sick and insightful.
right now i'm reading Dorian by Will Self, the re-telling of the portrait of dorian gray by oscar wilde as an 80s yuppie.
Right now I am reading "Angels & Demons" from Dan Brown. In Germany it has the Title "Illuminati"
Next book will be "The Apprentice" by Tess Gerritsen. Before I read "The Surgeon" from her.
There was a warning in that book "do not read, when you are oversensitive like a Mimosa" :haha: And believe me, that book needed a warn like that, ;)
acmilan89
20-12-2004, 03:47
right now i'm reading Dorian by Will Self, the re-telling of the portrait of dorian gray by oscar wilde as an 80s yuppie.
The only book I've read by Wil Self is "The Great Ape", and I lost the books a couple of years ago. It's no longer in the bookstores, which is a pity because I liked the book. It was weird and in some stages, you get the feeling that you're high on hallunicative pills. But the book's all about issues -- drugs, science, psychology, animal rights, social isolation, etc! -- compressed in one single story of an ape. It's the last few parts at the zoo and in the wild that amused me.
Giovanni
20-12-2004, 04:19
I'm reading also "The Great Hystory of Roma" which is quite enjoyable and interesting
Is there anyone who loves reading books, novels, essays?
What are you currently reading ?
What would you recommend to read ?
What have you planned to read in time to come?
Currently i'm reading
The Godfather_ by Mario Puzo :gun:
Top class book! The storyline is pretty well known by everybody, btw i recommend it, it's damn catching..i've an exam but i cannot resist to read a few chapters every day!
Then i will watch the mvies, never seen them..it's incredible
I also recommend :
1) The Name of the Rose_ Umberto Eco
It's a more refined Da Vinci Code, written by one of the best phylosophy professors in Europe, and underneath the thriller story based in Middle Age, in a Abbey of the Northern Italy , and the weird homicides which happen there ( the monks fear an evil presence because of the making of them, seeking some strange rituals linked to the Apocalipse and the Gospels), there's a erudite kernel full of feedbacks of phylosophy, hystory and religion whcih are priceless..you may catch them or just read a good thriller story..btw it's a multilevel book suitable for everyone.
Very well written.
many more to recommend for ex. The Lord of the Rings, Ken Follet's _The Pillars of the Earth , and many more
Btw it's late and i will write about them in few days time
Opinions, reviews, recommended choices?
Just wanted to say that The name of the rose is a beautiful story... i actually seen the movie (starring Sean Connery and christian Slater)......... beautiful......
reading now a book called the dark tower part 4 (wizard and glass for stephen king) it is a beautiful serie......
by the way........ lomg time no see guys..... it has been a while since i didnt log on...........
it is amazing to be back..........
well ... nice topic :)
Last week I bought J.r.r. Tolkiens " the silmarillion " , it's a book with old stories about middle earth like Ainulindale , valaquenta , akallabeth ( fall of the numenor) , the rings of power , etc etc ... Great book for every Tolkien fan.
Then today I bought the Hobbit , allready read it like 4 times , but I didnt had my own copie of it so i just bought it :) the hobbit is the prequel to lord of the rings where bilbo has to retrieve a big treasure of the dwarfs in the lonely mountain guarded by a dragon. ah yes , in this book he found gollum's ring and had to play a game with him to save his life , great part !Great storie !!
And I bought "Eragon" ... It's a book about the life of a young farmers son Eragon who's life changed in a second when he finds a mysterious blue stone in the forest. When the secred beholds its secret is the young Eragon witnessing the birth of a baby dragon, saphira. Between the two creates a big band . But the founding of the stone wasnt unnoticed ... ;)
I'm reading " Il pendolo di Foucault " by Umberto Eco.
The italian and the dutch version. It helps me to learn ( and to understand what sometimes is the most difficult part ) the italian language.
I finished reading "Le Rouge et le Noir" (The Rosso-Nero :tong: ) by Henry Beyle alias Stendhal and i started with "L'odore della notte" by Andrea Camilleri, a sicilian writer. I know him personally. We live in the same city, AGRIGENTO!
Does anyone red "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown? ...is ir good???
"The Da Vinci Code" has been the BEST SOLD book here for more than 3 months!
The Godfather_ by Mario Puzo :gun: The Name of the Rose_ Umberto Eco
I red them BOTH!!!
The first one is my MY ISLAND STORY! As a 100% sicilian i can't survive without my firends: Don Vito Corleone and his " 'picciotti " loooooool!
W LA SICILIA!!! :p283:
My husband is from Sicily too.
Where are you from, kaka ?
Giovanni
21-12-2004, 16:29
My husband is from Sicily too.
Where are you from, kaka ?
do you know sicilian dialect ?
KAKA' i'm from Torino but i'm terrone as well
ACMILAN1983
21-12-2004, 17:46
The only thing I really get to read at the moment are Computing reports and text books :(
Does anyone red "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown? ...is ir good???
"The Da Vinci Code" has been the BEST SOLD book here for more than 3 months!
yeah angels and demons is good
ok ... there is one Jorge Luis Borges -- Ficciones ... gra\eat book as well as writer....:mex:
The only book I've read by Wil Self is "The Great Ape", and I lost the books a couple of years ago. It's no longer in the bookstores, which is a pity because I liked the book. It was weird and in some stages, you get the feeling that you're high on hallunicative pills. But the book's all about issues -- drugs, science, psychology, animal rights, social isolation, etc! -- compressed in one single story of an ape. It's the last few parts at the zoo and in the wild that amused me.
I've seen quite a lot of his books in bookshops, he has his own shelf in borders but i couldn't sya if great ape was there. I like dorian, i love stories of debauchery and drugs and money and such things, plus i love the idea behind it. Self can be a bit wordy for me though, he shows off a lot, I've read essays by him in junk mail and it wasn't as bad as this though. I think this might be his worst one, you need to really stick with it before you enjoy it.
I am currently reading "Heir to the Empire" by Timothy Zahn, which is the first book after the original Star Wars trilogy. It's very good, i'm finding it hard to put down. This book is also part of a trilogy, so there will be plenty more reading to do :D
I just found out it's not the first book after Return of the Jedi. But still, it's a great read none-the-less.
So i finished "Heir to the Empire" .... FANTASTIC ! It's a very good read, if you like Star Wars. I wasn't sure it would be for me, but i was pleasantly surprised. However, today i went to both the main bookshops where i live to buy the 2nd book in the trilogy .. do you think either of them had it ? **** did they :mad: ... still, i need to save a bit of money for certain things, so i'll get it at some point. The downside to the Star Wars books is that there are so many of them, about 50 i think, so it's hard to know what order they go in and which are the best ones as they're all done by numerous authors. :googly:
At the moment apart from pearl scripting in unix and sql books (but they are work) i am reading 'tales from the time loop' by the man David Icke
San Siro
22-01-2005, 22:49
I'm reading 2 books right now:
The power of the subconscious mind (this book is powerful, I'd recommend it to everyone. It is leaving me simply speechless. Do not underestimate the power of your subconscious mind and imagination! :eekani: )
Minimo Moratti, I desastri di un presidente. :D :jester:
I'm also reading other books, but those would probably make you guys laugh, so I'll better not mention them...:D (it has to do with one of my fav topics, women and understanding them...;) ).
Cheers.;)
Giovanni
23-01-2005, 03:33
Minimo Moratti, I desastri di un presidente. :D :jester:
i suppose it's a very looong book then :howler:
Stezagud
23-01-2005, 09:42
I've not read a book in ages but i recently won an auction on e bay for "Red Army General" a book written by the guy who led Utds hooligans in 70s :eek:
I dont usually buy that sort of thing but the price was good and its always interesting to know about the way things were before my time..
I'm reading Gravity by Tess Gerritsen. Something on space travel.
derekhski
15-03-2005, 20:09
Currently reading "the time travelers wife" only some 30 pages in, good so far, finished "signal & Noise" last week......
I read on a daily basis, not to fast, and not to slow, but for the simple pleasure. Not a big TV fan...
sehnsucht79
15-03-2005, 21:53
I read this sometime ago, but it happens to be my fav book - "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
rossoneroid
15-03-2005, 23:05
1. "Are you afraid of the dark?" Sidney Sheldon
2. "Shevchenko the Profile" << this not a book but like a special edition magazine published by my local publishers here.
ACMILAN1983
16-03-2005, 06:07
This thread was already created by Gio before ;)
I'm reading Arkham Asylum
I'm reading
Oostende: Vermaerde, Gheweldighe, Lanckduyrighe, ende Bloedighe Belegheringhe, Bestorminghe ende stoute Aenvallen: Mitsgaders de Manlijgke, Cloegke ende Dappere teghenweer ende Defensie by den Belegerde meer dan drie volle jaren langh Cloeckmoedelijcken ghedaen in de iaren 1601. 1602. 1603. ende 1604. by FLEMING, Phillipe
translated its somthing like ostend: notorious, violent, longduring, and bloody siege, assault and evil attacks: nevertheless the manly robust and brave defence of the defenders more than 3 full long years and the bravely done in the years 1601, 1602, 1603 and 1604. (I know some things doesn't make sense but even in modern dutch some parts aren't correct)
its a chronicle of 600 pages written and published in the seventeenth century...
oskarius
16-03-2005, 09:52
I read this sometime ago, but it happens to be my fav book - "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Mine too.. :lala:
Currently, the book that occupies me - Surgery.. :D
Christopher
16-03-2005, 10:06
Gods and Demons I think it is called . . . follow up to Davinci Code . . I am listening to it on tape . . I don't read :)
sehnsucht79
16-03-2005, 10:09
ANGELS and demons to be specific :D
Really oskarius ? Whos your fav character ? Im gonna name my son Rodion :)
oskarius
16-03-2005, 10:40
Noone really..I just can't forget one sciene with some people beating horse to the death.. :sigh: The horse couldn't drag the wagon filled with wood and a man was so pissed about it, he was beating him till horse was dead.. :(
Remeber that??
sehnsucht79
16-03-2005, 10:45
YES. Not only am I very sensitive about animal rights, so that part literally made me cry. Skipped that page because I was too upset :D I loved Rodion's relationship with Sonia...
Baltazar and Blimunda by Nobel Loreate Jose Saramago. Fantastic book, but almost impossible to read. It is kind of like eating a really rich dark piece of bread without any butter on it ;)
A book by Dan Brown, the guy who wrote The DaVinci Code. It's called Digital Fortress and I'm finding it hard to put it down!
Angel_Cic
16-03-2005, 15:52
The Glass House by Nino Ricci. It's part of his Lives of the Saints trilogy. I fell in love with the first book and the movie, so I have to read the other two :)
From last time I posted here I have read a pile of boox :D The most impressive to me were so masterpieces of Erich Maria Remarque, just like Drei Kameraden [Three Mates], Black Obelisk [Der Schwarze Obelisk]. In first one I have read the most heart - cathcing [if it can be said] love story ever. It is so romantic and tragic that even I felt a bit confused and heartbroken...
The other boox were form fantasy sphere... currently reading Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny.
:cool: :star:
heidi azalea
17-03-2005, 07:49
:27rr:
My exams have finished today... and I can go ahead to read a book sent by a friend of mine : Robert Pires-Footballeur ( English version ). When I looked through of it abit, I found out it's a nice book abt Robert Pires.;)
killiegradge
27-03-2005, 15:21
Just finished "A Season with Verona" by Tim Parks and also recently read "The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro" by Joe Mcguiness.Both excellent reads which give a good insight to Italian football and life in general.Can anyone suggest any other football books(in English)?
Tha Name of The Rose was a classic but that type of writing is a little too heavy for me these days.
Ensaio sobre a cegueira Blindness by José Saramago
it's... something else realy :u31:
La región más transparente by Carlos Fuentes
Gabrielle
11-04-2005, 05:46
Just finished "A Season with Verona" by Tim Parks and also recently read "The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro" by Joe Mcguiness.Both excellent reads which give a good insight to Italian football and life in general.
I've read A Season With Verona before...reminded me of Milan's bad season at that time! :r7: A good read though, good insights of the footbal culture and life in Italy generally, Verona especially.
Am currently reading Tony Parsons' Man and Wife. When I went for a holiday to my cousin' place in Indonesia, I had nothing to do so I 'picked up' "Man and Boy" from the book shelf and read it. Enjoyed the book so I bought the sequel when I got back :sagrin:
Unifinshed Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien ... :D
killiegradge
12-04-2005, 17:41
Currently reading "Dynamo" by Andy Dougan.A book about football in worn torn Ukraine.I dont just read footie books-can anyone suggest a book on modern (20th century) Czech history?I visited Prague last week and thought I should find out a little more about its history.
Unifinshed Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien ... :D
Unfinished, i'd say that wont take long!!!
Right now I'm reading "The Monk who Sold his Ferrari" by Robin.S.Sharma. very spititual, helps cultivate self discipline.
It's over 600 pages iregk, so it'll take a little while. Plus i'm always looking up the names of places and people to try and understand it all a bit better. Fantastic fantasy stuff though :D
Unifinshed Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien ... :D
It's over 600 pages iregk, so it'll take a little while. Plus i'm always looking up the names of places and people to try and understand it all a bit better. Fantastic fantasy stuff though :D :star: :v408: I was only 4 when my dad read Hobit to me :D
Currently Cien Ańos de Soledad by Gabriel García Márquez .
Currently reading The Da Vinci Code and next on my list is Demons and Angels. I love it when I find an author whose works I can't wait to devour!
The Hobbit is ace, i might read it again soon.
I ordered the 2nd book of a trilogy a while back and it was supposed to be available for me to collect today, except that they told me that the book was in reprint ... so it's not available anywhere :eek: I'll have to scour the bookstores in case an odd copy appears.
I ordered the 2nd book of a trilogy a while back and it was supposed to be available for me to collect today, except that they told me that the book was in reprint ... so it's not available anywhere :eek: I'll have to scour the bookstores in case an odd copy appears.ha.. where have you been before? :rollani: :grinser:
My father is a maniac of books so he knows almost all recent news of book market in our country. However many intersting books are not translated into lithuanian due to comercial affairs :(
One day I wish to read all books about hobits in orginal language - english ;)
killiegradge
31-05-2005, 06:08
I have decided to read "Parma A year in Serie A".To try to get a bit of an insight into the mind of Ancelotti as he was the manaegr at the time.
Just reading "Japanese Rules" - abook about footie in Japan.
Angel_Cic
31-05-2005, 15:38
i'm reading The Captain's Verses by Pablo Neruda :proud:
my favourite poem so far is The Question (obviously they all sound much nicer in Spanish)
heidi azalea
31-05-2005, 21:42
A book by Dr HM Tuah Iskandar, a famous motivation expert in Malaysia...
Title : Jangan Tidak-tidak... ( never say no ! )
Reading:
Stardust - Neil Gaiman
into The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Anne Bashares....
Graeme C
10-06-2005, 14:09
proziac nation by liz Wortzel is very good, i wana get that Don't Eat This Book - Morgan Spurlock, that Super Size me was nuts. finally i have time to read things other than boring Papers.
Angel_Cic
10-06-2005, 14:16
into The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Anne Bashares....
i loved that movie~!!!! *tear* it was so beautiful...i highly recommend it :) (haven't read the book though)
I am just wondering, can you, guys, help me a little bit. I want to know if there is any forums about books and literature etc. This thought came to my head because I desperately need a book written in espanol. I do not study spanish at the moment, thus I need to sustain my knowledge reading something in spanish. Anything! In Lithuania it is very difficult to finad anything valuable, especially written in spanish. All my efforts were in vain. So I thought that internet is my saviour. However everywhere I go everyone needs money. But I do not have so much. I can not afford to pay 30 euro when I get from my parents only 100 a month. So anybody can suggest me where should I go to get some books for free. Please, help me :sweeteye:
I would suggest "The book of Poems" by noted laureate Garcia Lorca. I think that would be a treasure trove for your Spanish interest.
I would suggest "The book of Poems" by noted laureate Garcia Lorca. I think that would be a treasure trove for your Spanish interest.Thanx mate, my spanish teacher, who is espanol by orgin, has just gave me a list of authors of various periods. I can tell you some of them. For instance Borges, Gracia Marquez, Vargas Llosa, Fuentes, Cortazar, Paz, Cervates, Clarin, Lavra, Gongora, Quevedo etc. etc. ect.
But actually I intended to be enlightened for some free access to get a book in internet. :tong:
Rae if you tell me an exact title and author that you need, I will check here, I am sure I could find just about anything. I don't mind sending it to you if it's for school.
Okey then. For instance yu can check for any king of novels [cuentos] by Jorge Luis Borges. I am also interested in El laberinto de la soledad by Octavio Paz. You can also look for Gabriel Garcia Marquez books.
I really appreciate your efforts, Staci :tong:
Dr Milano
28-09-2005, 11:15
I Dislike books magazines are the best full stop plus i only read them when im abt to sleep
I Dislike books magazines are the best full stop plus i only read them when im abt to sleepThis is exactly what I expected form you... :lazy:
Giovanni
30-09-2005, 03:02
Just love Irvine Welsh's novels and tales. Reading "Acid House" currently and i find these short tales great! Irvine changes writing style according to his characters, and has already used the stream of consciousness technique, inspired from masters such as Joyce, but also Sterne for the experimental writing techniques, to describe the feelings of junkies under drugs. I think he's a very gifted writer. Maybe this comparison is a bit blasphemous but in some ways i think it may fit into it.
So i finished "Heir to the Empire" .... FANTASTIC ! It's a very good read, if you like Star Wars. I wasn't sure it would be for me, but i was pleasantly surprised. However, today i went to both the main bookshops where i live to buy the 2nd book in the trilogy .. do you think either of them had it ? **** did they :mad: ... still, i need to save a bit of money for certain things, so i'll get it at some point. The downside to the Star Wars books is that there are so many of them, about 50 i think, so it's hard to know what order they go in and which are the best ones as they're all done by numerous authors. :googly:
The Zahn books and another triology by someone with a family name that began on "A" was very good IMO. Most of the rest Star wars books I read was not as good. but that is just my opinion, the worst though is the comic "Dark empire", I really didn't like them.
I haven't read that many books recently, but I have been thinking about writing one :)
Rae apparently it is not as easy as I thought...lol I'll check at a Chapters or Coles when I'm in the city next week.
Actually I do not get where are you looking for it? In internet? Do you have an account of some digital library or smth? Basically I try to find some forum about books and ask people there if they could help me. Anyway, thanx for efforts :)
Having no spanish literature I do not give up books :D Even though it is compicated period in my studies [I have to read many articles about politics, most of them are in foreign languages. So it is very trying :moan:] I am reading a book which is not an obligatory one. It was written by Pascal Bruckner - The Divine Child: A Novel of Prenatal Rebellion. By the way I have finished another book recently by the same author - Eternal Euphoria. To be honest I do not know the real name of that book how it sounds in English because the title is in French.
That book is based on one problem - do we really live in a paradise? Is it obligatory to feel yourself lucky and satiesfied in this world?
Such problems are very urgent in nowadays life where people think they are the axle of world, and they are who can rule it. However reality says something different. So then people fell into depression that their dreams and fantasies do not match to the reality. In my opinion it is the main problem of modern western civilisation.
A bit...more than a bit off-topic...but when I saw this topic was being posted in again, I thought of something to share. For those of us who love books, this is also somewhat of a comfort.
One project I've already started this school year is to weed my library's collection. (In case you've never heard that term, it means I'm going thru the shelves looking at the older books and checking to see IF they were ever shecked out and when the last check out actually was. Anything that's sat for 7-10 years since the last sign out is being pulled from the shelves) My interns are removing the cards from the books and marking them as discards and removing any plastic covers. Then we're placing them on a couple small tables in the library and I've let teachers know of the process and that there's free books for them to come look at and take.
Yesterday a couple kids in the Student Tech Team homeroom saw the sign I'd placed on the books and came running up to me--"can we look at those books, can we have some of them?" I told them go ahead and take anything they wanted. One girl took 15 books. Several others found 4 or 5. After school, those kids brought in friends, some of whom took huge piles of books. This morning more kids came in and more books were carried out.
Why is this a comfort to a librarian? B/c we hear so often and so much how today's youth is so computer oriented (Hmmm, I have a couple kids in XP class who sure aren't!) that they don't read books. We have to force them to read 2...just TWO books over the summer for the Summer Reading Program. On top of that, the first round of books I had on the tables were old, old history books for the most part, and a scattering of out-dated computer books and texts Chuck and I pulled off of our office shelves. Some of these books had been on the shelves since this building opened, and I'd hung onto them for the IB program. To see students come racing into the library and scour over 2 tables full of OLD books and walk out with ARMFULS should make anyone realize that no, kids today haven't turned their backs on books! I'm willing to bet a few of those kids who have taken books will end up using info in them for some sort of advanced essay or research paper this year!
sehnsucht79
30-09-2005, 21:49
since everyone's up reading something serious, I decided to treat meself to a hilarious book: The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy ;)
Finally, I found something. But I do not know if it is good collection of books and authors here. anyone can enighten me. Because most of them are not heard to me.
Here is a link (http://www.formarse.com.ar/libros_gratis/libros_gratis.htm).
I don`t know if anyone has mentioned these books before (or maybe even i have) but,in case you`re interested in reading something at the same time light but also `enlightening` in the terms of language and emotions used i strongly reccommend:
*Oriana Fallaci- Una lettera a bambino mai nato (Letter to a Child Never Born),amazing touching story by the most famous Italian journalist.What are we willing to sacrifice in life and to what extent?And how does it come back on us....
*classic- Umberto Eco-Il nome della rosa (The name of the Rose)
For those of you who study Italian,i suggest reading them in Italian since you`ll definitely improve your knowledge of the language and since it isn`t difficult to understand. :)
Dr Milano
06-10-2005, 11:52
This is exactly what I expected form you... :lazy:
ok ok so what do u like i bet u read them urself u are so hypocritical
I don`t know if anyone has mentioned these books before (or maybe even i have) but,in case you`re interested in reading something at the same time light but also `enlightening` in the terms of language and emotions used i strongly reccommend:
*Oriana Fallaci- Una lettera a bambino mai nato (Letter to a Child Never Born),amazing touching story by the most famous Italian journalist.What are we willing to sacrifice in life and to what extent?And how does it come back on us....
*classic- Umberto Eco-Il nome della rosa (The name of the Rose)
For those of you who study Italian,i suggest reading them in Italian since you`ll definitely improve your knowledge of the language and since it isn`t difficult to understand. :)Gio has read that book [Umberto Eco] earlier and told about it to us. Actually I have read it too, but it is an translation to lithuanian. At the moment I am still not able to read books in italian, cuz I know that language too littel and it would be too hard challange for me. So I stick with spanish :grinser:
At the moemnt I am reading a book which does a big impression to me. It is written by Robert Kagan and the title is Of Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order.
I have read alomst a half of it and I can not a fact to deny. It is supreme phenomenon. That guy really knows what he is writing.
The book is based on deteriorating relations between US and European countries[mainly western], why it is happening, what were the core issues to make it happen and what would be a future of both continents.
Europe is dead.
I have just finished that book. :star: It is fantastic one. If you really want to know what is wrong between US and Europe, with all argumentation and explaination you should take it. Worderful stuff there. Kagan is very wise man. I have not find a fact that I can deny. Enjoy. :tong:
Dr Milano
16-10-2005, 16:30
I Know kind of think books are boring
Giovanni
04-11-2005, 04:00
i?ve just finished The name of the rose again and understood it better after i read it at school 6 years ago.I didn't catch many of the theological issues about the poverty of Christ and many of the phylosophical debates. Being interested in the middle age hystory, art and esp phylosophy which has been brilliant despite many people think it's just a dark age now i've got much more from the book. Probably one of the most sure criteria to establish the goodness of a book is to read it several times and get something new each time.
I wouldn't recommend it to the fans of Dan brown though. Currently reading Angels and Demons and i like it, it's a light reading compared to the Name of the Rose.
I've heard of the hype around Dan Brown and i wanted to check what he was like as a novelist. I must say his best credit so far is to have awaken a sort of interest around cultural subjects. He's a good writer but not a great writer.
Despite being a phylosopher, Umberto Eco is a better writer, by far. Dan brown is in the stream of the modern authors who catch the attention of the reader, but whose pages are a bit too "light". I mean, you read them just for the pleasure to read something entertaining but these books don't leave you much more.
Anyway so far Dan Brown is ok, the idea of his novel is interesting but he is a mainstream writer, not a writer of future classics.
Probably i'm wrong, because modern classics 200 years ago were mainstream just as Dan brown is today, but what i mean is that passing from Eco or even Puzo to Dan Brown, the last authors i've read, you feel the difference.
I like Irvine Welsh though, despite the subjects are light, because he's so gifted.
Anyway, i think reading must be entertainment first, then cultural committment and formation.
So, push your children to read, but let them choose what they like. First they must get in love with reading, then they will get in love with classics. If a teenager gets too bored with difficult books, his interest in reading can be wasted all life long.
I'm reading Dune! what a dork I am ( i have been on a total sci-fi kick), it's really good.
i just finished readin ghost soldiers by hampton sides. it is absolutely shocking. i never knew about what the japanese did in WWII...
it shows you the value of reading. I read Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut a few weeks ago. Unbelievable. I was almost totally unaware of the Dresden raid that killed more people than Hiroshima right at the end of the war.
Giovanni
25-11-2005, 08:43
Last week i finished Angels and Demons. What can i say? Bad is an euphemism.
The first part of the book was interestingly developed with an intriguing plot, but the spectacular solutions chosen in the final part of the book are at least ridiculous: a man jumps from an elicopter with a towel used as paraglider and doesn't die, the Vatican full of insane cardinals, a woman enters into the Conclave in shorties..
i cannot resume the sensationalist bollocks invented by Brown but sometimes i didn't know wheter laugh my arse off or cry to have wasted 1 week in reading this book.
Brown meanwhile is having a laugh looking at his bank account; if i think this guy has sold more than 30 millions of books around the world then i have a chance as well.
To get a partial consolation i'm reading
Virginia Woolf's "MRS. DALLOWAY"..finally literature.
Stream of consciousness novel......if you are already into it i reccommend James Joyce`s `A portrait of an artist as a young man`.`Ulysses` is an incisive omage to Odysseus but not as interesting as Portrait,and also it`s way too long knowing it`s after all stream of consciousness novel.The plot takes place in only one day(like Mrs Dalloway),yet Joyce needed 600 pages to describe it.However,if you really are interested in reading it,first read Portrait,then Ulysses and then Finnegan`s wake.(in order to get to know Joyce`s psyche better and to complete your opinion on the main character ,Stephen Dedalus)
P.S.
Another beautiful piece that i reccommend...`SETA` (Silk)by Alessandro Baricco,Giovanni`s neighbour ;)
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts is one of the best I've ever read - it's close to 1,000 pages tho, so not for those looking for a quickie. :)
Hard to describe....based on a true story of an escapee heroin addict in Australia who winds up in Bombay, lives in the slums, opens a free-clinic, gets mixed up with gun-runners and almost dies in Afghanistan. Of course there is a love story there as well.
Giovanni
28-11-2005, 03:40
Stream of consciousness novel......if you are already into it i reccommend James Joyce`s `A portrait of an artist as a young man`.`Ulysses` is an incisive omage to Odysseus but not as interesting as Portrait,and also it`s way too long knowing it`s after all stream of consciousness novel.The plot takes place in only one day(like Mrs Dalloway),yet Joyce needed 600 pages to describe it.However,if you really are interested in reading it,first read Portrait,then Ulysses and then Finnegan`s wake.(in order to get to know Joyce`s psyche better and to complete your opinion on the main character ,Stephen Dedalus)
P.S.
Another beautiful piece that i reccommend...`SETA` (Silk)by Alessandro Baricco,Giovanni`s neighbour ;)
Thank you dra :star: :star: :star: :star: Joyce is one of the authors i'm interested the most, but cannot have really a definitive view now, cause i'm getting into that period and have to read a lot more.
Ulysses fascinates me for its symbolism. The concept of an Odyssey "au reverse", which celebrates the antiheroism of the modern man compared to the heroism of the ancient characters. It has been named as the greatest book of the twentieth century, probably for the fact it revolutionised the modern writing.
Funny how different things get related sometimes:I wanted to make a banner for Kakà PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN, but it was too cultural and esp too long, it would have taken half Curva Sud :D
Another author i was to explore is Proust, with La Recherche. But right now i lack the time to face all these great writers properly.
Giovanni
08-05-2006, 02:34
I'm reading
Stephen King's "The shining" as i'm a big fan of the movie
This book is absolutely brilliant, in 2 days i red 250 pages.. I recommend it, it's very well written as well, something not very usual with mainstream bestsellers
King is one of my favourite authors, i always liked his style, even though he was disregarded by many critics. If you want to read something really good by him i suggest DREAMCATCHER and BAG OF BONES.
I finally got round to reading George Orwell`s 1984 (Nineteen eighty-four), and i`m absolutely engulfed in it.It`s amazing how well he describes the totalitarian regime(satirically of course), and btw this was the book which was the trigger for the entire Big Brother idea.
His Animal Farm is also amazing. If you guys haven`t read these books yet, i suggest you read them soon, you`ll like them.
I'm re-reading The DaVinci Code before I see the movie, and I've made reading it "homework" for my roomie so she can understand the movie as well.
I also got a head-start on buying up some summer reading. :sun: I just got Dan Brown's Deception Point which looks like another technological thriller, and then I got a nonfiction book called Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers (it's gotten some good reviews) and another novel called Tall, Dead and Handsome, which look slike a fast read. Must also find the 3rd installment of the Summer of the Traveling Pants, since I blew thru the second installment very quickly.
NestaIsKing
08-05-2006, 17:03
All time Favourite book = Lord Of The Rings! just awesome stuff, awesome writing, awesome character realizations, good read overall.
So many good books out there.
Anybody read Ann Rice? Her books are amazing, lots have been made into movies which suck, but the books are still good.
I've read the Da Vinci Code a couple times, it was impressive. So yah thats also something to read if you haven't.
Dean Koontz is another good author if you like those suspense type books.
rahul.acm
08-05-2006, 17:07
i didn't know tht this thread existed. ne 1 fan of mario puzo????? i have read the last don and liked it... ur reviews on the book. to the dummies: mario puzo is the guy who wrote the godfather trilogy.
NestaIsKing
08-05-2006, 17:12
Love the godfather trilogy!!! That is one movie based on a book that I actually liked. All the other movies from books were not so good.
But Puzo is a pretty good author. :)
This is my first post in this thread, im glad it excist. Try reading something form Broges, right now im reading " history of eternaty " ( dont know how to spell it right in english...). Things like that are interesting, something with what you can develop yourself more.
ukrainian_CA
08-05-2006, 22:55
This is my first post in this thread, im glad it excist. Try reading something form Broges, right now im reading " history of eternaty " ( dont know how to spell it right in english...). Things like that are interesting, something with what you can develop yourself more.
I noticed many people here like Dostoevsky. I just re-read "Idiot", quiet confusing stuff, the modern movie seemed better. However, "Crime and punishment" was one of the most powerful books I have ever read. Do you guys know that Fedor. Dostoevsky wrote it while being on the death row? His execustion was abandoned for some reasons I cannot remember.
Has any of you ever read "Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov?
Giovanni
09-05-2006, 03:08
I like Puzo too, only red The godfather but it's enough to understand he was a great writer and novelist. Every single line is a mark, every single line can be a cool phrase said by greatly developed character.
It's booked gave birth to legendary phrases like "an offer that can't be refused" ..
On another note, i have to disappoint many Dan Brown fans, but i don't like him. I think his books are greatly overrated and full of mistakes and manipulations. There wouldn't be nothing wrong if he sold it as FICTION, but the lad seems to believe that all the stuff he writes is proved by historical facts and it's real..i mean, it's ridiculous.
If we talk about Dan Brown , the writer of thrillers and hystorical puzzles, i think he must be recognised as a good inventive author, although i think his writing style is nothing special (i red "Angel and Demons"). If we talk about Dan Brown, the hystorical researcher and the scolar, i think his work has no real basis.
He takes a few historical controverse facts and gives a surreal explanation of it, technically interesting as a mistery, but frankly poor as serious research.
I blame him for these reasons: he is a good writer, credit for his interesting theories and puzzles, but frankly he's too arrogant. He claims to have discovered the Mistery of Christian religion after 2 thousand years and he does that with a few absurd theories ...who does he think he is?
On another note, i have to disappoint many Dan Brown fans, but i don't like him. I think his books are greatly overrated and full of mistakes and manipulations. There wouldn't be nothing wrong if he sold it as FICTION, but the lad seems to believe that all the stuff he writes is proved by historical facts and it's real..i mean, it's ridiculous.
If we talk about Dan Brown , the writer of thrillers and hystorical puzzles, i think he must be recognised as a good inventive author, although i think his writing style is nothing special (i red "Angel and Demons"). If we talk about Dan Brown, the hystorical researcher and the scolar, i think his work has no real basis.
He takes a few historical controverse facts and gives a surreal explanation of it, technically interesting as a mistery, but frankly poor as serious research.
I haven't done alot of research on Dan Brown himself, but his books ARE fiction, they are novels, they arenot sold in the non-fiction section. Alot of peeps don't like The DaVinci Code, for whatever reason, and the reasons are numerous I'm sure. I like it, I like his style. It slams you thru the book, it doesn't just pull you thru it, but it send you on a whirlwind. I have Demons and Gods yet to read, maybe I'll tackle that one this summer.
If you don't like his religiously based books, then try his tech thrillers. I'd suggest Digital Fortress. It was the first book of his that I read--yes, this was during and after everyone in my school was raving about DaVinci Code, I instead went with the tech stuff and LOVED it. I don't really care if there are inaccuracies, the point is he's taken the time to talk to people (do read his acknowledments in Digital Fortress)and do some amount of research so that he's not just making up fantastic stuff. I haven't bothered to check the accuracy of DF and everything he was getting his characters into, all I can say is the last 100 pages were a blur b/c I was so caught up in what was happening. At least he used a real agency...and let's just say, for works of fiction, they're doing their job--making us wonder "what if..." and askign what all goes on that we don't know about.
Next Brown book I'll be tackling is Deception Point, which is NASA based and that's definitely a point of interest for me!
Well Dan Brown keeps this notion that his books are indeed historically accurate. See I dont like his claims and then his disclaimers all in the same breath. What's dangerous about this book is the perception of nonbelievers of christianity vs that of the believers of conventional christianity. Already you've divided people in a negative way. The nonbeliever will use this book and his "accuracy" claim as a fact that the belief in Christianity is bogus. Those of the faith will most likely make an opinion out of the novel without ever reading it. The end result leaves in most cases both the nonbeliever and the believer in a state of ignorance. Say if in fact CHristianity is a big lie, you'll hardly be able to prove any point if the other side is full of lies as well and the quest for truth comes to no avail. It is always good to question the validity of one's own belief, that can only be done if the supposed answers out there isnt/aren't invented out of thin air. I makes us less "fulfilled". I cant make a judgement of the book and I also choose not to pick it up in my reading.
NestaIsKing
10-05-2006, 12:34
haha Hate to admit this, but I've recently gotten hooked on the "Charmed" series novels. Very addicting. I read like 2 of them a day and I think I only have like 5 more to go. They are rather childish stories, but cool anyways :)
Giovanni
11-05-2006, 03:06
I want to explain my thoughts about Dan Brown and Da Vinci Code:
He's definitely a successful writer, nobody sells 30.000.000 copies without talent.
He catches the reader's attetion quite easily and his storylines are always interesting. He made lot of people discover or re-discover the passion for forgotten subjects like History, Arts, Religion etc..
He must have amazing marketing agents.
That said, i think people is taking too seriously his books. People think they uncover the secrets of history, that the Vatican is a bunch of criminals and the same applies to Opus Dei. Dan Brown sees secret lobbies everywhere. I think it can be acceptable as FICTION, but not as a serious study. Unluckily many people think these books uncover true facts. I think his story about real entities like Opus Dei are close to the borders of a possible charge of Libel; if this doesn't happen, it's because a legal action would just bring more hype and interest on the book.
From the author point of view, this is a piece of great marketing skills. Religion issues always cause thousand of controverse debates worldwide----> the debates put the book into the spotlight----> million of copies sold everywhere. I give my plause to the writer and his agents.
But i do think it's still an overhyped book. Quality-wise, he's a average writer, nothing more than many others. Good writer, but like Dan Brown there are hundreds.
Let me point out that i agree with debs, reading a book is not necessarely an intellectual act, reading a light book for his catching storyline or just to relax is perfectly legitimate, who doesn't do that? So credit to Dan Brown, the fiction author. But historically wise , this book is getting too much attention, IMO. Historians, cardinals, philosophers and whatever pop up in tv discussing about an absurd theory. That's what i call the power of the media and a good marketing office.
I want to explain my thoughts about Dan Brown and Da Vinci Code:
He's definitely a successful writer, nobody sells 30.000.000 copies without talent.
He catches the reader's attetion quite easily and his storylines are always interesting. He made lot of people discover or re-discover the passion for forgotten subjects like History, Arts, Religion etc..
He must have amazing marketing agents.
Succesful yet very irresponsible. Actually let me go further. I think he was caught red handed with his claim as a historian. His initial claim was that his research uncovered truthful and factual evidence. Credit to historians and the hobby invesitigators, Brown's was exposed as a inept historian. He also IMO is a plagarist. I think he got most of his inspiration from other people's hard work and research. Some of these "other" writers are questionable too as their claims about Christ, the Catholic Church, Freemasonry, and faith are way out there in the twilight zone.
That said, i think people is taking too seriously his books. People think they uncover the secrets of history, that the Vatican is a bunch of criminals and the same applies to Opus Dei. Dan Brown sees secret lobbies everywhere. I think it can be acceptable as FICTION, but not as a serious study. Unluckily many people think these books uncover true facts. I think his story about real entities like Opus Dei are close to the borders of a possible charge of Libel; if this doesn't happen, it's because a legal action would just bring more hype and interest on the book.
I think if there is anything worse than an irresponsible writer, it is an irresponsible reader/audience. We should be all disturbed that the supposed facts of works like "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion", "Mein Kampf", "Dyanetics", and even "Farenheit 911" are accepted at face value as truth. To be fair, I will even say works like the Bible and the Koran. Such audiences come in many forms. The uninformed kind, the gullible, the reinforced biased type, and the downright stupid. Now all these works offer some type of belief system orthodox or alternative. We should be responsible by questioning all works and belief systems, including that of our own.
But i do think it's still an overhyped book. Quality-wise, he's a average writer, nothing more than many others. Good writer, but like Dan Brown there are hundreds.
Let me point out that i agree with debs, reading a book is not necessarely an intellectual act, reading a light book for his catching storyline or just to relax is perfectly legitimate, who doesn't do that? So credit to Dan Brown, the fiction author. But historically wise , this book is getting too much attention, IMO. Historians, cardinals, philosophers and whatever pop up in tv discussing about an absurd theory. That's what i call the power of the media and a good marketing office.
Yes it is an overhyped book. The question is to ask why? Part of it is marketing. The other part of it is that we as people are still looking out there for certain truths that perhaps was not found in places we hoped it would be. Perhaps this can be a wake up call for not only the Catholic Church but for all churches out there. What must we as a faith organization do to improve the empty void that so many people have in their lives? If we fail to improve on that, many will seek the truth out there somewhere else and accept Dan Brown's or any others' assertions as truth and we will have failed.
Yes it is an overhyped book. The question is to ask why? Part of it is marketing. The other part of it is that we as people are still looking out there for certain truths that perhaps was not found in places we hoped it would be. Perhaps this can be a wake up call for not only the Catholic Church but for all churches out there. What must we as a faith organization do to improve the empty void that so many people have in their lives? If we fail to improve on that, many will seek the truth out there somewhere else and accept Dan Brown's or any others' assertions as truth and we will have failed.
Frankly, I think there has been alot of OVER-reaction to what The DaVinci Code, work of FICTION, actually proposes. And frankly that ends up making me wonder what people are afraid of and how much of the truth has actually been hinted at or scratched by the book. You know the old "me thinkst the man doth protesteth too much...", or at least that's what pops into my head when I see "The Church" protesting and carrying on about a work of FICTION. Just tell me what people are afraid of!
And can we possibly explain what fiction is, at least in this case? Yes, Brown did some research, found out certain things and then wrote a novel loosely based on the stuff he researched. Alot of people do that, so to this point no one has been able to explain to me why this particular title has drawn such ire. I'm not Catholic, I don't have to trust what "The Church" tells its followers or forces its followers to believe, so maybe that's why I so enjoyed (and am currently re-enjoying) this title. Then there's Opus Dei demanding some sort of disclaimer...and a report I saw on TV showing us what Opus Dei members do. Over-reaction, I'm sorry.
And may I ask, why is it an absurd theory that Jesus was in fact a real man, and a jewish man, and was married? BTW, anyother question I've long held, where in the Bible does it say priests have to be celibate? that's something about "The Church" that I've always wondered about.
It is because Dan Brown has insisted that what he researched was an actual fact.
And frankly that ends up making me wonder what people are afraid of and how much of the truth has actually been hinted at or scratched by the book.
Wondering if what you said IS FICTION might be truth huh??? Well what is it than? Fiction or truth??
It's obviously a work of fiction that has enough element of truth to it that it's bothering people who either fear what the truth may be or....??? I don't know, you tell me why people fear and despise this novel, that's what I've been trying to figure out since the first time friends of mine spoke of it and I started to read about it on the Web. If it's just a novel with all made up "stuff" in it, why the uproar? Why do I go to the bookstore to The DaVinci Code display--which I've been doing b/c I'm reading up on it as much as I can before the movie comes out--and find as many books trying to debunk it as there are books supporting it. What are people so afraid of? :1whis: So now you tell me...simply a work of fiction loosely based on some research, or it there too much of the truth being revealed in a simple novel and people are disturbed by that?
It is because Dan Brown has insisted that what he researched was an actual fact.
And why can't it be? Where is the real history of this man and this time period? The Bible is a piece of literature with its chapters coming from many sources, which, if I may go so far as to say, all had a vested interest in being heard.
And may I ask, why is it an absurd theory that Jesus was in fact a real man, and a jewish man, and was married? BTW, anyother question I've long held, where in the Bible does it say priests have to be celibate? that's something about "The Church" that I've always wondered about.
There is nothing in the bible that says priests must be celibate. That too is something that I have come to question myself. From what I gather there have been many reasons for this. The Catholic Church has taken a position that celibacy are both thelogical and practical. I'm Protestant so I'm am critical about a few factors of clerical celibacy. There was at one time when priests could get married. Such unions came into direct conflict with the Church until Pope Gregory VI put an end to this. Apparently men of the cloth had ignored the interests of the parrishes and dioceses because of their second loyalty to a spouse. There were occasions dealing with property in which spouse inherited land titles of the parrish which the priest had served.
With biblical references, perhaps you might want to look in the Gospels (Luke 18:28-30, Matthew 19:27-30; Mark 10:20-21). It has implied that clergy should be married to the church. It can be interpreted in many ways. You may find the writings of Paul interesting I Corinthians 7:7-8;32-35.
Now you can come to your own conclusions at what these passages might be saying. All I'm saying is that this is the position of the Catholic Church for whatever reasons why.
I've also already mentioned that books including the bible and koran should be scrutinized as I think these two books have had their heyday of hype and do so til this day. That doesnt mean we dismiss these works as absolute truth or absolute lies. We humans are pretty good at lying and even better at believing lies. If the bible is a lie why would I be equally foolish to then believe that the Da Vince code as truth? I think we believe only what we want to and everything else is considered a lie. Gee I guess we're all friggin liars than!
It's obviously a work of fiction that has enough element of truth to it that it's bothering people who either fear what the truth may be or....??? I don't know, you tell me why people fear and despise this novel, that's what I've been trying to figure out since the first time friends of mine spoke of it and I started to read about it on the Web. If it's just a novel with all made up "stuff" in it, why the uproar? Why do I go to the bookstore to The DaVinci Code display--which I've been doing b/c I'm reading up on it as much as I can before the movie comes out--and find as many books trying to debunk it as there are books supporting it. What are people so afraid of? :1whis: So now you tell me...simply a work of fiction loosely based on some research, or it there too much of the truth being revealed in a simple novel and people are disturbed by that?
Let me try to put this in context. I think we agree and share some points and perhaps disagree on others.
Say my mother who I grew up with is IMO a virtuos person from my personal point of view. I would have the belief that she was a good person who could do no wrong. Then someone with questionable research practices like Dan Brown comes bringing all that I believed in my mother crashing down on my head with "elements of the truth" that she was licentious and what not. Better yet write a book and make a movie about it. Gee how would I feel? :rolleyes: Even if it was actually true I think any person wouldn't appreciate this. It would be hard for me to believe Dan Brown's assertion over that of my own view of my mother. If it was false... yes I could perhaps ignore the work. In most cases people react instead. You see org like Opus Dei may view such an accusation from Dan Brown's book in the same context as I have made with this example. True or not Opus Dei didnt appreciate this. Of course more attention and interest has been brought forward because of Opus Dei's challenge to Dan Brown's book. Can you balme them in light of this context that I've brought forward??
Perhaps it is in my own Lutheran upbringing that I distrust and/or disagree with alot of what "The Church" tells its congregants they must do...and believe. Little or no free thought in alot of it.
Remember I teach in a Catholic school, so while I am Lutheran, the Church teachings, writings, decrees come my way, even to the point where the preseident of the school, a Sister of Mercy, sent us an email with an attachment that was their stance in the immigration controversy. The tone I got from it was "this is how you should think as well." The local diocese, of which this school is and yet is not affiliated (we are NOT a Diocesan school) has what I consider to be some outlandish disqualifications in a health insurance plan we're now taking part in. One thing that has been cut is...well, considerign it's "The Church" that's involved why was I surprised...birth control pills. And yet there are Sisters who take them and have been taking them for years b/c of medical problems.
I'm probably just babbling now, Kui-ster, b/c I feel we do agree on points and disagree on others as we always do, but I'm also trying to get across some of the roots of my questioning of "The Church" and its wealth, power and teachings. Uneducated heretic that I am, yet the Theology classes come to me for information and guidance. :diablo:
Did The DaVinci Code shake any of my beliefs or teachings that had been passed on to me? Actually...no. Do I take any of it as truth? No, I take it as a premise to be considered, and I take that stance b/c there is so much in "the Church's" past that I as the uneducated heretic find oddly veiled. I don't judge, I just absorb--ask my roomie b/c I drive her crazy with my insistance about watching various documentaries on the Discover Channel and elsewhere, anything that digs into the curiosities and dilemmas in history, I'll watch it.
You see org nice Opus Dei may view such an accusation from Dan Brown's book in the same context as I have made with this example. True or not Opus Dei didnt appreciate this. Of course more attention and interest has been brought forward because of Opus Dei's challenge to Dan Brown's book. Can you balme them in light of this context that I've brought forward??
Well, again, considering Opus Dei's strange history and secrecy, I can't blame them.
But just like the authors...or 2 of the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail (which oddly enough is on my library shelf in NON-fiction, in fact in the French history section) who suddenly 3 months before the DVC movie was to open decided that now was the time to say their work had been plagiarised, my actual view of Opus Dei's demand for a disclaimer is that they are riding on the coattails of the movie. Why didn't Baigent and Leigh come forward as soon as DVC hit the book racks? That's what would have made sense to me. And I am going to try to read Holy Blood, Holy Grail this summer, just to satisfy my own curiosity. :dconf:
Perhaps it is in my own Lutheran upbringing that I distrust and/or disagree with alot of what "The Church" tells its congregants they must do...and believe. Little or no free thought in alot of it.
Uneducated heretic that I am, yet the Theology classes come to me for information and guidance. :diablo:
You the heretic? I'm the Latter Day Saint and us mormons are the heretics Dont be stealing any of our titles now now. LOL! You can be my second wife sometime. If not maybe your daughter at 12! :1d31: LOL! :cpuke:
Did The DaVinci Code shake any of my beliefs or teachings that had been passed on to me? Actually...no. Do I take any of it as truth? No, I take it as a premise to be considered, and I take that stance b/c there is so much in "the Church's" past that I as the uneducated heretic find oddly veiled. I don't judge, I just absorb--ask my roomie b/c I drive her crazy with my insistance about watching various documentaries on the Discover Channel and elsewhere, anything that digs into the curiosities and dilemmas in history, I'll watch it.
At which I totally agree what I had highlighted in this quote. "Considered" yes but for all of us to think of it as truth, we all should do a little more research as well. Is Dan Brown telling the truth? I dont know. It is poor for any of us to read Dan Brown and yet fail to read and/or understand the other side (bible or koran or other) and vice-versa. I'll agree with that. Like I said, it should be a wakeup call to the churches and for they to do a better job at being consistent in their preaching and to actually explain what the heck it is they're supposed to do a bit better. No wonder Dan Brown's book is a blockbuster and a hit.
You the heretic? I'm the Latter Day Saint and us mormons are the heretics Dont be stealing any of our titles now now. LOL! You can be my second wife sometime.
You're "one of them"???? You gonna come knocking on my door?? My standard answer is "i'm a Lutheran who teahces in a Catholic school, do you really want to discuss religion with me?"
Giovanni
11-05-2006, 10:25
And why can't it be? Where is the real history of this man and this time period? The Bible is a piece of literature with its chapters coming from many sources, which, if I may go so far as to say, all had a vested interest in being heard.
there are many historical documents and studies of a man called Joshua as the man who lived under Pontius Pilatus dominion of Palestine, under the emperor Tiberius.
If the Christian religion was a certainty, where would be the difference between believers and non believers?
Plus, it's not that people has a particular interest in Dan Brown, please, let's not give up to the conspiracy scenario, to the secret masonry everywhere. it's just that issues about religion , and christian religion among the others, cause enormous debate. it happened for several movies, it will always happen.
But Dan Brown's work is not accurate. One of the living persons mentioned inside the novel, an italian engeneer who worked at some da Vinci's paintings with x ray, said that the use of his study by Dan Brown has been totally manipulated and it's full of inaccuracies. He said in a tv show few weeks ago that Dan Brown didn't even bother to contact him directly, just took an article and used it for the novel. The real aim of DB was to show that Da Vinci painted something totally different under the final painting, somthing related to the mistery in the novel, while the italian engeneer showed with some others art hystorians that the iconography hidden under the final painting was not different from any other Da Vinci's work.. Just a glimpse of the few accuracy used to write this novel
You're "one of them"???? You gonna come knocking on my door?? My standard answer is "i'm a Lutheran who teahces in a Catholic school, do you really want to discuss religion with me?"
No we're just after your youngins to marry! Dont you know Jesus after dead and buried went to the Americas to teach the injuns bout god? Em Injuns be known as Lamanites and us Jaredites went and smote them cause they lost their christian tradition. This all happen in like the 1840's when the descendants of Jared came across the blue atlantic and through the purple mountin majesty to claim the blessed land of zion we call YOUTAAHH! LOL!
. The real aim of DB was to show that Da Vinci painted something totally different under the final painting, somthing related to the mistery in the novel, while the italian engeneer showed with some others art hystorians that the iconography hidden under the final painting was not different from any other Da Vinci's work.. Just a glimpse of the few accuracy used to write this novel [/B]
Which seems to me to be the difference between those who write fiction and those who write nonfiction. Novelists, unless I'm misunderstanding their purpose for existing, are at liberty to twist facts, if they even pretend to base their work on facts. They don't have to, they write fiction. Brown took an actual report and said "Hmmm, someone has actually tried this technique, now what if we take it one step further? What if....?" and off you go writing a novel. If we're going to start pointing fingers at every novelist who makes up a street name as a location in an actual city, we're going to take the joy out of reading a book for pleasure.
I guess the point we're coming to here is that some people enjoy Brown's style and his books--I do--and some don't. Berate him for sloppy research or for taking his research and then doing a "what if" with it, the book we're talking about has sold 40 million copies, so it has been successful for some reason. Someone decided it was good enough to make a movie out of it. If "The Church" decides to boycott it, oh goodie, another close minded act as far as I, a heretic, am concerned!!! :dstup:
Giovanni
12-05-2006, 02:36
Debs, i was the first to award DB of his credits.
But we must understand that religion isn't a subject like all the others, and there must be a little more respect, even though everyone is entitled to write fictions.
For ex. if you write the Pope is a burglar, you are free to do it, even though there are some borders over which you can be charged of libel. But guarantee you'll offend many people.
You speak about the Church as the symbol of intolerance, but watch how the Muslims coped with the cartoons on Mohammed. The evil Church tolerates things that many others won't tolerate. Nobody wants to burn books, far from it. I'll always be a defendant of the freedom in all ways. But we have the right to criticise, which is the other side of the same freedom.
Plus, i think it's very cheap to blame the Evil Chruch with the usual arguments. The Church, with his flaws, has managed to preserve some principles through 2000 years. I don't agree with all of them, but they are some basic values, that our modern society ignores.It has nonetheless evolved through the years, slower than civil society, but it has. Other religions still hold the same principles of 1000 years ago.
Coming back to Da vinci Code, you write a controversial book, about one of the most important characters of human history. It's natural that it will attract criticism. I don't think DB is unhappy with this. The more they talk and talk about his book, the more he sells copies.
I don't think the " he sold 40 mill copies, he must be good for some reason" logic is really strong and argumentative..How many did Mein Kampf sell? How much tv share do some crappy tv shows? How many albums do some plastic pop artists sell, compared to masters from the past? Quality must be estimated individually, even though this book's success can't be ignored.
To end my post, i don't hold a grudge with Dan Brown, i think he's a good writer. But i also think he's a very sharp person, him and his agents, and for some reasons i think he tries to fool the audience, playing an unfair game. He goes along the edge between a fictitious story and a serious study. In the second hypotesis, i think he deserves all the criticism possible, because his studies are very close to fantasy.
I don't think the " he sold 40 mill copies, he must be good for some reason"
Not at all what I said nor what I meant. The BOOK has sold 40 million, so something about the book is appealing therefore lending to its success. Could be subject matter, could be the author's style, who knows? Pop culture can be difficult to fully understand.
Well historically Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code is nothing new. There have been a variety of books that take on such a genre. Now remember how I had mentioned that a certain responsibility and accountability both the Author and reader must take a burden upon??? You see what disturbs me about of work of DB, is that it has the eerie odorous, more sinister and manipulative similarity of works created at the turn of the 19th century and well into the 20th. While I doubt DB has any serious conspiracy going on, he as an author needs to be more aware of the damages such a book as his has done to humanity in the past. To this I get serious.
DB Da Vinci Code is being viewed as an expose to the inner intrigues of percieved circles of power i.e. the Vatican, Opus Dei, Freemasonry, Priory of Zion and what not. The expose is written cleverly by DB in a storied format. While many come under the impression that TDVC is similar to another work called Holy Blood, Holy Grail, what I find disturbing is that these two books take eerily "elements of truths" straight out of the most evil book anyone one could have created... The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion.
You see the Protocols has been the seed that has sown the conspiracy theories that still exists today. You have the same old characters in all these works. You know... Illuminati, Freemasonry, Priory of Zion, and THE JEWS. Certainly we would like to think all of this as innocent literature except for the fact that because of works like these Hitler got inspired to write Mein Kampf and :wallbang: GEE!...only a few million Jews, Freemasons, Clergy, and anything and anyone who was percieved through certain elements of truths were thrown into the oven. :wallbang:
Strange too that all these books dealing with "elements of truth" Debs have been exposed as frauds and or down right plagarized works or even questionable plagarized works. If my memory serves me right the Protocols was a plagarism of "satirist" Maurice Joly's work called Dialogue in Hell Between Machiavelli and Montesquieu. And there is a link to all books of this sort from the very first to the most recent. Do the research Debs. What starts off as an innocent element of truth and if you believe that history is dialogue, perhaps you may better understand why people are upset at DB's book. It has nothing to do about Opus Dei hiding anything from anyone. It has to do with the sowing of ignorance that has lead to people getting persecuted big time.
Oh by the way... all these works I have mentioned sold multi-million copies too and were a hit.
talkin about some kind of comercial sh!te like that book... nor I read it neither I talk about it... it's worthless to be discussed. Cheap and hackneyed ideas... nothin special
talkin about some kind of comercial sh!te like that book... nor I read it neither I talk about it... it's worthless to be discussed. Cheap and hackneyed ideas... nothin special
LOL! Cheney huh?? He's your hero for the week I can imagine. Wouldnt have anything to do about comments to Russia would it?? LOL!
mk18 I'll be waitin for your Fidel avatar.LOL!
Castro is tyrant who made his country suffer from poverty and which people are in torment for years. He was an ally and close friend of the fiercest ever evil empire in history of humankind. If only God exists, I have no incertitude that He will cruise Castro for all eternity.
I do not see any joke in comparing him to Richard Cheney, Vice President of a state which is the home of democracy and still remains the stronghold of liberty.
No Rae... I'm not comparing him to Cheney. I just noted he be your hero of the week. You know who mk18's hero is. That is the comparisson. Your Hero vs Mk18 Hero. That's the joke.
I do not have heros. Cheney hasnt done anything heroic, he just stated the real situation in our region. None of western Europe leaders could state that cuz they are knavish recreants who say tete-a-tete one thing but behind our back bertay and leave us alone against the imperialistic Russia. Dissemblers... :yuck:
Is no one reading over the summer (other than the latest on calciomercato.com)? ;)
Some good books I have read this summer......
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (excellent)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (another excellent book)
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist (not bad, a little trite & formulaic)
The Rebels of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd (very good, great characters interwoven with real history)
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Troost (hilarious)
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (excellent)
At the Tomb of the Inflatable *** by John Gimlette (much more dry than expected but still a good history of Paraguay)
Just bought: Troost's 2nd book Getting Stoned with Savages and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
I’m on my last chapter of The Sack of Rome by Alexander Stille. I'm not a good writer who can write reviews but I'll say what I think about it. :sweeteye:
A book about contemporary Italian political culture under Berlusconi, it's a very interesting read, a book that both "praises and ridicules" him. This guy is just everywhere in Italy - Mediaset, Newspapers, AC Milan, the Mafia (? I won't proceed further)... even extending his influence with RAI when he went into power. And shall I mention that he's filthy rich? He's an extraordinary self-made man who's done a major influence with Italian public life.
"If you combined the political might of President Bush, the star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the media holdings of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch, the money of Ross Perot and Steve Forbes and the real estate and personal arrogance of Donald Trump, ... , you would begin to get an idea..."
I wonder though what Italians would think of this book. :D
lilhippy
03-09-2006, 13:09
just finished reading flowers in da attic by v.c andrews, realli wierd buk imo, tragic and disturbing at the same tyme :yuck:
Giovanni
20-09-2006, 02:50
SHINING, Stephen King. Great writer, and the story is thrilling and well written.Even more beautiful than the movie, which is the best thriller ever made, probably.
I suggest to read Beppe Severgnini's books
"AN ITALIAN IN ENGLAND" and
"AN ITALIAN IN AMERICA" (didn't read the last but all the others were cool). He has been European journalist of the Year and first italian to write for the Economist, and obviously lived abroad most of his life. His books are very funny and full of witty comments about the cultures he visited as journalist correspondent.
Giovanni
30-12-2007, 16:39
Reading World without end by Ken Follett but it's a bit disappointing. This book follows The pillars of the Earth after almost 2 decades, but IMO the first one was far superior.
For the Dan Brown fans, consider to read Foucault's pendulum by Umberto Eco..It's much more demanding, but much more rewarding. It's everything Da Vinci Code wanted to be.
Giovanni
30-12-2007, 16:59
I’m on my last chapter of The Sack of Rome by Alexander Stille. I'm not a good writer who can write reviews but I'll say what I think about it. :sweeteye:
A book about contemporary Italian political culture under Berlusconi, it's a very interesting read, a book that both "praises and ridicules" him. This guy is just everywhere in Italy - Mediaset, Newspapers, AC Milan, the Mafia (? I won't proceed further)... even extending his influence with RAI when he went into power. And shall I mention that he's filthy rich? He's an extraordinary self-made man who's done a major influence with Italian public life.
"If you combined the political might of President Bush, the star power of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the media holdings of Ted Turner and Rupert Murdoch, the money of Ross Perot and Steve Forbes and the real estate and personal arrogance of Donald Trump, ... , you would begin to get an idea..."
I wonder though what Italians would think of this book. :D
I think somehow the foreigners seem to care much more about Italy's politics than italians themselves. The major italian problems are economy, employment and taxes pressure. But it seems the snob pretentious worldwide intellectuals consider Berlusconi italian major problem and a danger for democracy. Even his worst enemies are getting over this approach, which only enforces him, on the basis that when a person is attacked, people have sympathy for him.
These so called intellectuals are minnows. Their analisys is embarassing at least. Just read the amount of clichès written in three lines of the quote...
an example ?
- political might of Bush: since when the Italian PM has the power of the USA president?
- media holding of Rupert Murdoch: are you kidding? Murdoch's empire spreads all over the world..
This is just an example made on three lines (and i couldn't be bothered to waste my time and analise the whole opera )...these pretentious intellectuals know nothing about Italy, it's history, it's mentality or even how to write a decent essay.
They have a thesys, and go around looking for all the elements suitable to substain it, ignoring the rest (for example that it's common habit for all italian parties, even Berlusconi enemies, to occupy places in RAI and public administration).
Cicero would say: O tempora o mores. Once we had Machiavelli or Tocqueville writing about politics. Now we have such prepackaged plastic donkeys.
Just wanted to revive this thread...
Currently reading Boccacio's Decameron.
Kaka1899
15-01-2008, 04:03
currently reading a year with verona by Tim Parks. he travels around Italy with the Verona Ultras seeing what they stand for etc top read
I'm currently reading the complete chronicles of conan by Robert Howard. Fantastic stuff from the father of sword & sorcery adventures.
A little fact for you all, Robert Howard died when he was just 30 but in that time he had written over 800 short stories, poems, etc. Amazing stuff!
hany.Egypt
17-01-2008, 19:04
Where were you hidding this thread, reading is my favourite hobby, especially history books, I just cant get enough of it, we have some excellent writers here in Egypt and 2 of them has already won the nobel prize, but unfortunately not all there books are available some of them are banned!!!! some for political reasons (well our govrnment is not the most democratic govrnment in the world ) and some of them are banned for religious reasons by Al Azhar which is the biggest Islamic university&mosque in the world or by the church which is also very powerful in Egypt.
IMO banning a book is the most rediciluse thing in the world, I believe that if you disagree with something you must try to discuss it not to Bann it like what happens here, espicially if some of the banned books hasve nothing to do with offense, I bet the you will be shocked when you know that a book like'' The Davinci code '' was banned in Egypt because the church disliked it, or '' Sons of the alley'' and Egyptian Novel that won the Nobel prize in 1988 was also banned becasue Al Azhar did like what was called the unneccsairly criticism for all of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
I was lucky enough to read the two books while they were banned, of course after they cost me a lot especially '' Sons of the alley'' which cost me 100 LE which is some how huge amount for a book if we now the ordinary book usualy cost 25 or 30 LE at maximum.
I ama not reading any thing at the moment because I have exams which will be finished bu 23rd of Jan by then I will buy 2 new books one of them is abou Raspoteen(sp?) sound intresting ( I will buy one and borrow another from my girl friend who also love reading).
Capo Ultra
14-02-2008, 11:49
I'm currently reading "L'ancien régime et la Révolution" by Alexis de Tocqueville. Really captivating and fascinating.
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