|
Epiphyte posted:I'm looking for a good historical overview of the Pacific Campaign in WW2. There are a lot of great memoirs that focus specigfically on battles like Iwo or Guadacanal, but I'd like a broader perspective of the entire Pacific theater. The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945, by John Toland is a great overview, with the added novelty bonus of it being told from the Japanese perspective.
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2009 04:59
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 11:30 |
|
|
I have recently read Oryx and Crake and Never Let Me Go by Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro, respectively, enjoyed both immensely. Any other good sugestions of well written sci-fi books by generally non sci-fi authors such as the two above?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2009 05:03
|
|
|
Archyduke posted:Edit: Oh and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, "Infinite Jest". Lots of interesting near-future stuff to chew on if that's your thing. I've purchased a ebook version of Infinite Jest for my Sony reader and started on it. That first chapter, with the kid being interviewed regarding a tennis scholarship is so well written, funny and bizarre...really compelling reading. Let's see how I go with the other 2000 pages.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2009 01:08
|
|
|
Femur posted:I would like to read an adventure(fantasy/sci-fi/whatever) type book with a hero who has almost no limits. Violence, prostitutes, fair maidens, everything is fair game. I would like the hero to be extremely clever, almost godlike cleverness. Grand conspiracies or mysteries would probably be the ideal setting, but whatever is works. I like only one primary character, no teams or constant switching of PoV. Clever dialogue would be nice. He can also not be clever, might just be incredibly lucky or unlucky, but just involved in some kind of grand conspiracy. Also, the sex part is unimportant overall, I wouldn't mind if it wasn't there. I'd recommend you two books by Roger Zelazny: Lord of Light The protagonist is a god, sort of, and is in a grand scheme to topple the other god-humans from 'heaven', using a new religion, murder and trickery. There is some sex in it too. One of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy books. Chronicles of Amber The protagonist in this is also almost a god, in a way, and has the power to alter reality. He schemes against some of his brothers, and there is a sense of grand-conspiracy. Some sex in this as well. Read the first series of books (five in all), they are quite short. Both of these are told from the POV of one character, and have sci-fi and fantasy elements.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 9, 2009 06:28
|
|
|
Anus Dei posted:To those looking for literary horror/dark fantasy/fiction that gives you the existential willies: Thanks, have read two of his short stories since your recomendation, and really liked his writing. Will look for more of his work.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 15, 2009 02:12
|
|
|
Eight Is Legend posted:Any books in the vein of Vernon God Little that you guys can recommend? Also, what are some good books taking place in Japan (pretty broad, but I dunno what I'm looking for, maybe some horror or whatever)? We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - It concerns a fictional school massacre. It is written from the perspective of the killer's mother, Eva Khatchadourian, and documents her attempt to come to terms with her son Kevin and the murders he committed. The novel won the 2005 Orange Prize, a UK-based prize for female authors of any nationality writing in English. A very compelling read, one you start and can't put down. Recommend this to generally anyone - also a very chilling read, you could loosely say it is a horror novel as well.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 23, 2009 02:09
|
|
|
feedmyleg posted:I've found myself in a mood of deliberately paced, depressing drama with a slight science fiction twist after reading Let the Right One In and The Road. Does anyone have anything along these lines they'd recommend? Oryx and Crake and Never Let Me Go.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2009 13:41
|
|
|
Bozart posted:Coming back here for more recommendations: this time, anything like A Short History of Nearly Everything - preferably focused on mathematics (and not a Brief History of Time) or anything with a similar tone and breadth in a different subject? If you are even slightly interested in mathematics, I can't recommend Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh enough. It is a history of mathematics, of sorts, how it all evolved to Fermat, and the further attempts in solving his famous last theorem. Not a hard book to read, and highly enjoyable.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2009 01:19
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 11:30 |
|
|
My favourite author is Ian McEwan. I enjoy his novels for their focus on the human element - the complex characters, the way their personalities are revealed by their actions rather than description, and the author's insights on human nature through them. It also helps he writes beautifully. Amsterdam and On Chesil Beach are books which I can read again and again. Similarly, I also greatly appreciate his compatriot Kazuo Ishiguro, for their similar styles - novels which are first and foremost psychological. Unreliable narrators, and the changes that his characters go through due to events in the narrative, and their slow revelation of these to the reader. Ishiguro is also of course a master of the english language. I'd seen some comparisons between Ian McEwan and Philip Roth, and proceeded to read American Pastoral. While I really enjoyed some of his insights, and he also writes well, I couldn't really get into it as Jewish culture and recent American history are somewhat alien to me, and had no part in my upbringing and little impact on my culture. Any recommendations on other books by similar authors, or even something else by Roth that might have more of a personal appeal - that is, is focused more on the people and not so much about politics or their particular culture? Epée fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Oct 19, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2011 03:27
|
|