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Facial Fracture posted:Singer of Tales is a good book and it's got a lot of interesting stuff on oral tradition and the epic. It connects that with the medieval era through the similarities between Homeric oral epic and the medieval bard tradition. But it doesn't focus on how the Homeric stories passed, through time, into the hands of people in later times. Its aim isn't to explain how particular stories were transmitted--through oral tradition, recording, conservation, etc.--over centuries. That is the aim of Scribes and Scholars (which isn't about translating or reading anything in its original language) and it's the only "general text" on the subject that's cited on that wikipedia page. I misinterpreted the amazon page then, I thought it was a textbook for people who were interested in the original texts. Both that and Singer of Tales sound interesting, I'll see if my local library can dig up a copy of either. Thanks!
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Oct 16, 2010 03:10
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Most people read Metamorphosis and The Trial, and then go on if they want to to everything else (the parables are great). All right, sounds like a plan. Much obliged.
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Oct 16, 2010 14:54
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Just finished Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here are there any other satirical looks at American politics during the first half of the 20th century in a similar vain? Or should I just go strait to Babbitt ?
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Oct 17, 2010 11:59
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I'm looking for something accessible about the soviet union and its satellite states. The thing I'm most interested in learning about is the collapse of the soviet union and basically why it failed.
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Oct 19, 2010 19:24
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Erfsom posted:why it failed. Apparently because Reagan told Gorbachev to tear
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Oct 19, 2010 22:00
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Can anyone recommend some supernatural style books similar to the Pine Deep Trilogy? I really like the clash of supernatural and the mundane real world. I'm looking for books where the supernatural aren't commonly known or an accepted by society, like True Blood. Something where normal people come up against some sort of supernatural entity. Thanks!
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Oct 20, 2010 05:29
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Erfsom posted:I'm looking for something accessible about the soviet union and its satellite states. You might want to try Lenin's Tomb, I have not read it myself so I don't know how objective the author is but it covers everything you are looking for.
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Oct 20, 2010 22:06
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Any recommendations for books or short stories about Hell? I'm fascinated with the idea of Hell as a place. I've already read Dante's Inferno and God's Demon, which give two remarkably different takes on Hell, and I'm looking for more. I've heard Paradise Lost has some good descriptions, but I'd like to see if there are any other sources I look to before I tackle that. Any suggestions?
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Oct 23, 2010 00:05
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Monocular posted:Any recommendations for books or short stories about Hell? I'm fascinated with the idea of Hell as a place. I've already read Dante's Inferno and God's Demon, which give two remarkably different takes on Hell, and I'm looking for more. I've heard Paradise Lost has some good descriptions, but I'd like to see if there are any other sources I look to before I tackle that. Any suggestions? To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust is a good take on the creation of heaven and hell, but doesn't truly explore what hell is supposed to be. It's not really based on the actual bible, but is a re imagining of the circumstances. If you're close minded and religious, you might be offended by some of the ideas, but if you're open minded, you'll be alright, I think. I'm not religious, and found it very entertaining. My in-laws, who are evangelical young earth creationists would have flipped out at some of the ways that things are re imagined and the way that some of the characters are portrayed. I found it very intellectually stimulating and exciting.
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Oct 23, 2010 01:12
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Day Man posted:To Reign in Hell by Steven Brust is a good take on the creation of heaven and hell, but doesn't truly explore what hell is supposed to be. It's not really based on the actual bible, but is a re imagining of the circumstances. If you're close minded and religious, you might be offended by some of the ideas, but if you're open minded, you'll be alright, I think. I'm not religious, and found it very entertaining. My in-laws, who are evangelical young earth creationists would have flipped out at some of the ways that things are re imagined and the way that some of the characters are portrayed. I found it very intellectually stimulating and exciting. Actually, the liberties taken with original Biblical figures was one of the reasons I loved God's Demon. I'll definitely be checking out your recommendation, thank you so much! Any other suggestions?
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Oct 23, 2010 04:36
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Monocular posted:Any recommendations for books or short stories about Hell? I'm fascinated with the idea of Hell as a place. I've already read Dante's Inferno and God's Demon, which give two remarkably different takes on Hell, and I'm looking for more. I've heard Paradise Lost has some good descriptions, but I'd like to see if there are any other sources I look to before I tackle that. Any suggestions? William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell will change your life.
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Oct 23, 2010 11:26
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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Monocular posted:Any recommendations for books or short stories about Hell? I'm fascinated with the idea of Hell as a place. I've already read Dante's Inferno and God's Demon, which give two remarkably different takes on Hell, and I'm looking for more. I've heard Paradise Lost has some good descriptions, but I'd like to see if there are any other sources I look to before I tackle that. Any suggestions? Go pick up "SandMan Slim" by Richard Kadrey right now. It's about a guy who gets dragged to hell, and ends up becoming a gladiator in Hell. Eventually he becomes an assassin for Hell's Generals, but escapes back to Los Angeles to get revenge on the people who sent to hell in the first place. It's got insanely awesome Hell chapters, good Heaven characters and lots of good backstory. If you like "Hell" books I can't reccomend "SandMan Slim" enough.
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Oct 24, 2010 04:52
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Looking for non-fiction regarding apocalyptic scenarios: ice age, meteor strike, nuclear war, etc. A look at the likelihoods, survival rates, etc. I would prefer speculation with scientific basis to "this is what we will do if zombies attack."
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Oct 24, 2010 12:57
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Patrovsky posted:Looking for non-fiction regarding apocalyptic scenarios: ice age, meteor strike, nuclear war, etc. A look at the likelihoods, survival rates, etc. I would prefer speculation with scientific basis to "this is what we will do if zombies attack." On The Beach by Nevil Shute is good for this. I found it to be very powerful and moving, though quite sad.
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Oct 24, 2010 17:00
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Patrovsky posted:Looking for non-fiction regarding apocalyptic scenarios: ice age, meteor strike, nuclear war, etc. A look at the likelihoods, survival rates, etc. I would prefer speculation with scientific basis to "this is what we will do if zombies attack." Death from the Skies! by Phil Plait is all about ways things in space can destroy the Earth, should be right what you're looking for.
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Oct 24, 2010 20:30
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Looking for books about what 'the good life' is or how to find meaning in life, in the guise of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance or The Really Hard Problem.
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Oct 24, 2010 21:38
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I'm interested in finding some medicine related non-fiction; I've read a few Atul Gawande books, and How Doctors Think by Groopman. I'm looking for something probably a little closer to the latter. I enjoy the case studies more so than the opinions, but I'm not necessarily looking for straight medical journals, either. Also, unrelated, I read House of Leaves a while back, and really enjoyed the Navidson record aspect; not so much the rest. Anything like that would also be something I'd be interested in. Thanks in advance.
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Oct 25, 2010 01:08
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FakePoet posted:Also, unrelated, I read House of Leaves a while back, and really enjoyed the Navidson record aspect; not so much the rest. Anything like that would also be something I'd be interested in. Voluntary Committal by Joe Hill. It's a novella, part of his collection 20th Century Ghosts. It's about a teenage boy, whose brother has Asperger's or something similar. The brother is obsessed with building mazes out of cardboard boxes in the basement of their house, and the mazes get more and more complex and freaky sounds start coming from within and, well, bad things happen when people go into them. It's chilling as gently caress.
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Oct 25, 2010 01:28
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FakePoet posted:I'm interested in finding some medicine related non-fiction; I've read a few Atul Gawande books, and How Doctors Think by Groopman. I'm looking for something probably a little closer to the latter. I enjoy the case studies more so than the opinions, but I'm not necessarily looking for straight medical journals, either. I've had Berton Roueche's Medical Detectives on my to-read for a while and from what I know about it, it sounds kind of up your alley (although I haven't read it yet myself). It's a collection of his New Yorker articles about people with various rare diseases and how doctors scrambled to figure out what the patient was suffering from and to treat them. For what it's worth, House draws pretty heavily from Roueche's writings.
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Oct 25, 2010 01:58
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Awesome, thanks for the (very quick) replies. I'll check them both out. 
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Oct 25, 2010 02:31
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Grand Fromage posted:Death from the Skies! by Phil Plait is all about ways things in space can destroy the Earth, should be right what you're looking for. I just now saw that you said "non-fiction". For some reason, I thought you meant fiction that was science-based. "On The Beach" is definitely fiction, though very good. Death from the Skies is very good non-fiction, though, and I would second that recommendation.
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Oct 25, 2010 04:19
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Can someone recommend me a good fantasy book along the same lines as Garth Nix's "Sabriel"? Something with magic or necromancy that isn't too dark and isn't all about swordfights and horseback riding would be greatly appreciated. I forget to add, no dragons.
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Oct 26, 2010 09:42
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Tin Miss posted:Can someone recommend me a good fantasy book along the same lines as Garth Nix's "Sabriel"? The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells is pretty good from what I recall.
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Oct 26, 2010 18:47
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Just finished a bunch of urban fantasy and am craving more. I have Joe Ambercrombie on the way and some Brandon Sanderson, what else would I like in the "urban fantasy" category. The two authors I just finished were Brent Weeks and Karen Miller, I am at a pace of 1 book per week so I need to stock up.
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Oct 27, 2010 03:38
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Jim Butcher and China Mieville are the two authors you really want to look in to if you're interested in urban fantasy. Abercrombie really isn't an urban fantasy writer, though.
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Oct 28, 2010 19:30
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I'd like a recommendation, please. It's a week until Halloween, and I want the absolute scariest, most nightmare-inducing novel there is. I'm already familiar with Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Dan Simmons, et al - whatever. I don't want that, I want the most disturbing horror novel ever written. Help me out!
Popular Human fucked around with this message at 20:35 on Oct 29, 2010 |
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Oct 29, 2010 20:01
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My last few reads have been Murder City by Charles Bowden, Sweetness and Blood by Michael Scott Moore, The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett, The Lost City of Z & The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann. If any of you have any recommendations similar to any of those above, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks goons!
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Oct 30, 2010 00:36
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Popular Human posted:I'd like a recommendation, please. It's a week until Halloween, and I want the absolute scariest, most nightmare-inducing novel there is. I'm already familiar with Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Dan Simmons, et al - whatever. I don't want that, I want the most disturbing horror novel ever written. Help me out! Have you read any Clive Barker? His more recent stuff tends towards a blend of horror and fantasy, but his early stuff: The Damnation Game and The Books of Blood (short story collections) are pretty hosed up. Possibly more gruesome than scary, but definitely disturbing.
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Oct 30, 2010 18:21
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Popular Human posted:I'd like a recommendation, please. It's a week until Halloween, and I want the absolute scariest, most nightmare-inducing novel there is. I'm already familiar with Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Dan Simmons, et al - whatever. I don't want that, I want the most disturbing horror novel ever written. Help me out! American Psycho is among the three most disturbing novels I've read, the other two being the uncensored 120 Days of Sodom and Blood Meridian, but those other two aren't horror. Well, maybe 120 Days is of a sort.
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Nov 1, 2010 22:49
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Drinking With Nixon posted:Just finished Sinclair Lewis' It Can't Happen Here are there any other satirical looks at American politics during the first half of the 20th century in a similar vain? Or should I just go strait to Babbitt ? It Can't Happen Here is actually late period Sinclair Lewis and, IMHO, not really representative of his work as a whole. If your like his style (as well you should, he is very underrated) I would just read his major stuff in chronological order- Main Street, Babbit, Arrowsmith, and Elmer Gantry. I've also heard H.L. Mencken is very good for exactly what you're after, but I can't speak to his quality personally (I have an anthology of his works on my desk that I'm planning on starting tomorrow.) Question for the thread! I'm starting school again in January and while I've taken literature classes I've never taken any classes on straight up theory. As such, I'm woefully ignorant on the subject as a whole. Are there any books out there that give an overview of major movements in theory in layman's terms? I'm not adverse to digging into the depths of academia, but I'd like to have a jumping off point first.
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Nov 2, 2010 04:57
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I wish I knew what to ask for in here. I've recently been having so much trouble finding fiction I want to read I'm beginning to just think my brain is broken. And it's not like I've got refined loving tastes, either. My favourite novel ever is Watership Down. I like Gaiman and Beagle and Tolkien and Dickens and enjoyed a good chunk (up to book IV) of the Dark Tower series. The last books not by any of those guys I read and really enjoyed were The Orphan's Tales by Catherynne M. Valente. I've also developed a mad read-on for Cormac McCarthy when previously the only straight westerny novel I'd favourited was Lonesome Dove. I've picked up some of China Mieville's stuff, but trying to get into it is like putting on iron hip-waders and going for a dip in the La Brea tar pits. Maybe now's a good time to crack open that copy of Titus Groan. Maybe I should just stick a cork in it and wait for Peter Beagle or Gaiman to write something new. Dammit. As far as recommendations go, though, The Orphan's Tales did a spectacular job of delivering unusual and ornate but-not-too-ornate fantasy lit. If you love the original Thousand and One Nights and One Night stories - and you should; if you haven't ever read them pick up the Powys Mathers translation and thank me later - or even just the concept of stories-within-stories, pick up a copy ASAP. It takes a little getting into, but once you're hooked, you're hooked. Citizen Insane fucked around with this message at 07:55 on Nov 3, 2010 |
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Nov 3, 2010 07:53
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Citizen Insane posted:I wish I knew what to ask for in here. I've recently been having so much trouble finding fiction I want to read I'm beginning to just think my brain is broken. And it's not like I've got refined loving tastes, either. My favourite novel ever is Watership Down. I like Gaiman and Beagle and Tolkien and Dickens and enjoyed a good chunk (up to book IV) of the Dark Tower series. The last books not by any of those guys I read and really enjoyed were The Orphan's Tales by Catherynne M. Valente. I've also developed a mad read-on for Cormac McCarthy when previously the only straight westerny novel I'd favourited was Lonesome Dove. Try Pratchett if you haven't. Also Dianna Wynne Jones. If you like Dickens, try Wilkie Collin's The Moonstone. If you didn't find Mieville appealing you probably won't like the Ghormenghast books either, they've got the same kind of intellectualism going on. My best standing universal recommendation is Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart. It's perfect and everyone who has read it loves it.
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Nov 3, 2010 17:09
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Try Pratchett if you haven't. Also Dianna Wynne Jones. If you like Dickens, try Wilkie Collin's The Moonstone. Pratchett's fantastic. My problem with Mieville isn't really the intellectualism (if I didn't have trouble with Blood Meridian I sure as poo poo shouldn't be having trouble with Perdido Street Station, in this regard), it's ... I don't loving know. It's not even really a problem with ANY of it, I just find it hard to crack, interest-wise. And yes, everyone should read Bridge of Birds and the sequels, especially if you like Peter Beagle or William Goldman (I almost forgot to mention how much I love The Princess Bride). I've thought about hitting up Ursula K. Le Guin for that early-to-mid-twentieth century fantasy style I seem to gravitate to (Richard Adams, Tolkien, Lewis on his less preachy days); any opinions on her?
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Nov 3, 2010 19:27
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Citizen Insane posted:Pratchett's fantastic. My problem with Mieville isn't really the intellectualism (if I didn't have trouble with Blood Meridian I sure as poo poo shouldn't be having trouble with Perdido Street Station, in this regard), it's ... I don't loving know. It's not even really a problem with ANY of it, I just find it hard to crack, interest-wise. LeGuin's great. Definitely if you like Beagle read her Earthsea trilogy. The later Earthsea books didn't do it for me, but you may like them. Have you tried, this may go without saying, but have you tried Lord Dunsany?
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Nov 3, 2010 19:47
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I've been on a bit of a Joseph Conrad kick lately, and I've longed to read a good, thorough biography of the man's life. Unfortunately, "best Joseph Conrad biography" doesn't produce much on Google, and Amazon lists 214 titles, many of which have 5 stars. I can't say I know of anyone who would have read such a thing, so any suggestions would be very welcome.
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Nov 4, 2010 06:46
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I read Princess Bride and didn't even know it was a movie... but hey they're both pretty awesome. I always like recommending I, Lucifer, by Glen Duncan. Basic summary is God may or may not be planning the Apocalypse and he wants to give Lucifer another shot at heaven by placing him in the body of a man about to commit suicide. I personally found it hilarious, and really interesting in that it makes Lucifer into a relatable and increasingly human character. God is also portrayed as a bit of a dick. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, featuring The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate (recently joined by another book, The Ring of Solomon which I haven't gotten yet). I haven't read the series in a while, but the first time I did was during a vacation I got very little sleep on. I read all three books in about a week, and after I finished the last one I felt wowed. The ending was pulled off incredibly well, and I usually don't like that kind of ending. This series is about a djinni named Bartimaeus who's summoned by a brat named Nathaniel studying magic. One of the most entertaining aspects of this book are the footnotes by Bartimaeus. He is a sarcastic rear end. There is way too much in this series for me to summarize, but it is well worth the read.
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Nov 4, 2010 10:59
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I'm trying to expand my horizons and get a little culture in my life. I'd like to be able to say that I've read something other than stories about dragons and barbarians and hobbits. Within the past year I've tried to make an effort to read some books outside of the standard fantasy genre and I think I've done ok. Here are some I've really enjoyed: The Road, No Country for Old Men, Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions, Choke, Imperial Life In The Emerald City, Ender's Game, The Lost City of Z, 1984, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Candide, A Confederacy of Dunces, Choke, Lolita That's just grabbing an armful off my shelf. I'm trying to figure out where I should go next. I've gone through a few "books everyone should read", etc. type lists and that's where I found some of the ones in the above list, but books have stopped jumping out at me on them. I don't know if I should just pick some random ones from a list like this and just start reading or what. I don't know if I should pick an author like Vonnegut or Palahniuk and start digging deeper into their works or spread myself out and keep sampling various offerings, or something else entirely. So tell me. Also, I'm looking for some good horror novels and short story anthologies. I prefer horror that is more psychological and disturbing, fear of the unknown, rather than like... "oh no there's a monster and it's chasing us!" Think Silent Hill/Lovecraft instead of Freddy/Jason. Though I sometimes find Lovecraft's tendency to go on and on about mundane details before getting to the "good stuff" kind of tiring (see: Call of Cthulhu), "The Statement of Randolph Carter" is probably one of the scariest things I've ever read. I am probably going to pick up Skeleton Crew tonight, but other recommendations would be great.
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Nov 4, 2010 23:47
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GOONS ARE MEAN
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trying to find a good book for my SO for a present. He loves nautical fiction, and has read all the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey series and C.S. Forester's Hornblower series. I'm looking for something similar. Definitely nautical fiction, and preferably something I can find in my local B&N. I looked at Alexander Kent stuff, but the first book isn't at my local B&N (sold out). I also looked at Julian Stockwin, his stuff is sold out too. The only nautical fiction book that I could find was Dudley Pope's Ramage, but I don't know anything about it. Does it relate to the O'Brian or Forester books at all? Any suggestions would be very helpful.
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Nov 5, 2010 01:18
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I would recommend Frederick Marryat's works if your SO loved the O'Brian novels. Marryat actually served under Lord Cochrane, the Captain who inspired both Aubrey and Hornblower, and he wrote several engaging novels about naval life. My favorite was Mr. Midshipman Easy, but they are all worth looking into to. I read a few Kent and Ramage books, and remember them being fun, but they felt more like standard issue historical romances than O'Brian's more absorbing world, particularly in the dialog, which is admittedly inimical. However, it has been years since I read them, and I don't remember much about them.
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Nov 5, 2010 02:26
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gos_jim posted:So tell me. I'd be a bit wary of relying on 'greatest books' lists if only cause they tend to recycle the same books when there's virtually a limitless supply of interesting stuff out there. I'd go take a look at some of the independents that concentrate on keeping some lesser-known classics in print: Dalkey Archive (they have a holiday sale on at the moment; 10 books for $70, 20 for $125) and NYRB are two of the most prominent, but some of the university presses put out a good amount of literature too.
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Nov 5, 2010 08:24
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