Ilov80s
Footballguy
Sure does, I need to find that
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The FBG Top 300 Books of All Time (fiction edition) | #13 Moby Dìck by Herman Melville | Running list in posts #3 and #4 (17 Viewers)
- Thread starter kupcho1
- Start date
Ilov80s
Footballguy
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
I would recommend this to fans of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s my #4 book. Carson wrote this when she was only 23. Like all her work, it’s set in the south and shines a light on the forgotten members of society. It centers around a deaf mute and five people who find comfort in his quiet companionship: a fellow mute with mental health issues, a poor young girl who dreams of being a musician, a kind but unhappy cafe owner, a proud Black doctor who feels alienated from his family and Black community because of his education and a town drunk socialist revolutionary.
It ultimately explores loneliness, our human need for connection and belonging in the world. It’s just a beautiful humanistic work.
I want - I want - I want - was all that she could think about - but just what this real want was she did not know.
I would recommend this to fans of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s my #4 book. Carson wrote this when she was only 23. Like all her work, it’s set in the south and shines a light on the forgotten members of society. It centers around a deaf mute and five people who find comfort in his quiet companionship: a fellow mute with mental health issues, a poor young girl who dreams of being a musician, a kind but unhappy cafe owner, a proud Black doctor who feels alienated from his family and Black community because of his education and a town drunk socialist revolutionary.
It ultimately explores loneliness, our human need for connection and belonging in the world. It’s just a beautiful humanistic work.
I want - I want - I want - was all that she could think about - but just what this real want was she did not know.
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rockaction
Footballguy
A Wrinkle In Time - Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
I'm in a giving mood today. Psychopav is quite knowledgeable in a learned Catholic way about Christianity, so I'm going to let him explore the themes in the book. It's a young adult book, but the themes discussed in the book are very religious. L'Engle was an Episcopalian and was the writer-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, so she's on sure but slightly controversial Christian footing (she believed in universal salvation, i.e., that we will all be saved when we die) with her discussions of good and evil in the book, which was a rarity for a children's book at the time. And that's all I'll say and I'll turn it over to Psychopav.
Tenth of December - George Saunders (2013)
I'm going to defer to k4 and OH and Don with the Saunders pick, too. I will say briefly that the first story of the collection with the teenage ballerina and her parent-pecked neighbor is a masterclass in how to tell a compelling short story. The scene where Saunders has the ballerina practicing her ballet down the stairs while interspersing her movements with her thoughts is just brilliant. It's a brilliance that isn't strained but is apparent and noticeable. I don't know why, but I put the book down for a second to sort of compose myself a bit before I read further. If that sounds melodramatic, well, I can get that way when somebody is at the height their powers and it's apparent that they are.
I'm in a giving mood today. Psychopav is quite knowledgeable in a learned Catholic way about Christianity, so I'm going to let him explore the themes in the book. It's a young adult book, but the themes discussed in the book are very religious. L'Engle was an Episcopalian and was the writer-in-residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, so she's on sure but slightly controversial Christian footing (she believed in universal salvation, i.e., that we will all be saved when we die) with her discussions of good and evil in the book, which was a rarity for a children's book at the time. And that's all I'll say and I'll turn it over to Psychopav.
Tenth of December - George Saunders (2013)
I'm going to defer to k4 and OH and Don with the Saunders pick, too. I will say briefly that the first story of the collection with the teenage ballerina and her parent-pecked neighbor is a masterclass in how to tell a compelling short story. The scene where Saunders has the ballerina practicing her ballet down the stairs while interspersing her movements with her thoughts is just brilliant. It's a brilliance that isn't strained but is apparent and noticeable. I don't know why, but I put the book down for a second to sort of compose myself a bit before I read further. If that sounds melodramatic, well, I can get that way when somebody is at the height their powers and it's apparent that they are.
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kupcho1
Footballguy
I'm not sure if you've noticed, but a lot of top 5 books are showing up now. Speaking of which ...
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon was my #4 pick. I'm not surprised no one else had it this high or that it wasn't even picked (there are, after all, a lot of good books), but no Chabon at all? He's pretty good.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay won the Pulitzer (2001), but that doesn't necessarily make it a must read. There are plenty of Pulitzers worth passing over; trust me, I know this. Rather, it is an incredible story with compelling characters. Here's the Pulitzer description:
I won't spoil the book for you (in hopes that you'll read it), but here's a bit of what it's about:
As far as comparisons go, in addition to Roth and DeLilo referenced above, see also: Cheever, Nabokov.
Recommendation: Read it; I think you'll enjoy it.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon was my #4 pick. I'm not surprised no one else had it this high or that it wasn't even picked (there are, after all, a lot of good books), but no Chabon at all? He's pretty good.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay won the Pulitzer (2001), but that doesn't necessarily make it a must read. There are plenty of Pulitzers worth passing over; trust me, I know this. Rather, it is an incredible story with compelling characters. Here's the Pulitzer description:
I won't spoil the book for you (in hopes that you'll read it), but here's a bit of what it's about:
As far as comparisons go, in addition to Roth and DeLilo referenced above, see also: Cheever, Nabokov.
Recommendation: Read it; I think you'll enjoy it.
Night Shift by Stephen King
Since I will be breaking down collections into their individual parts in the dedicated King countdown and this won't have an individual entry, I guess I can say something about it here. This was the third book by King I ever read, and the one that hooked me to be a dedicated fan (or as he would put it, Constant Reader). It contains many of his biggest name short stories like "Children of the Corn," as well as a prequel and sequel to 'Salem's Lot. The stories are shorter and simpler than some of his later short story collections, but I also think they are a lot scarier and better from a pure horror standpoint. At least a couple will end up in my top 10 overall when I do the big countdown, and possibly a third.
Since I will be breaking down collections into their individual parts in the dedicated King countdown and this won't have an individual entry, I guess I can say something about it here. This was the third book by King I ever read, and the one that hooked me to be a dedicated fan (or as he would put it, Constant Reader). It contains many of his biggest name short stories like "Children of the Corn," as well as a prequel and sequel to 'Salem's Lot. The stories are shorter and simpler than some of his later short story collections, but I also think they are a lot scarier and better from a pure horror standpoint. At least a couple will end up in my top 10 overall when I do the big countdown, and possibly a third.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I may need to try it again, as still have my copy somewhere. It was a DNF for me when I tried it 15-20 years ago. It wasn’t really grabbing me then, but have liked some other Chabon stuff that have read.
krista4
Footballguy
this.
krista4
Footballguy
I think he's great. I considered Telegraph Avenue for my list, but it didn't make it in part because I've never read Kavalier and Clay and felt like if I were to have a Chabon, that would probably be the one I should choose. Which is a dumb reason not to select him. Kavalier and Clay sits on our bookshelves, so I think OH has read it. I should pick it up, because his writing style is outstanding.
Eephus
Footballguy
I found things a little too fast yesterday but that's probably more because I was busy and had a number of books to write up.
I doubt I'll owe many write-ups in the top 100
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Oof you've thrown quite a gauntlet on a book (series) that I read 30-40 years ago! I'll do my best but I should caveat that I didn't even see the movie that came out a few years back.
As I recall, I read this in my middle school years and then revisited these in my late teens after my real religious "reversion". At that time, I was devouring everything I could to shape my personal theological vision. That involved a lot of apologetics, catechism, and C.S. Lewis. I consider the Madeleine L'Engle and other fictional Christian (/pseudo-Christian?) works to be very important in that endeavor, because they exposed me to alternative perspectives in a way that really honed my abilities to empathize with those whose circumstances and backgrounds are different than mine. In my opinion, real life is the most important teacher in that regard, but for me personally fiction and reading in general comes a close second. This notion of empathy extends beyond religious differences, naturally, and the decidedly female perspective of L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time series is a good example of that.
Regarding A Wrinkle in Time in particular, I remember it being a great story. I was always into fantasy and when it combined with spirituality it touched a chord with me. It is interesting how few fantasy stories actually intersect with Christian theology. You would think it would be a central pillar of the genre, especially considering the indelible spirituality (dare I say, Catholicity) of the Lord of the Rings, but I have found that while fantasy touches on the same universal themes, rarely does it borrow directly from actual Western Christian mythos (Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality is another notable exception). So on a purely superficial level, that familiarity alone drew me in to the L'Engle series I found it thought provoking and enlightening - I still remember the cover of A Wind in the Door which, if I'm honest, still pretty directly informs my conception of angels to this day. I tend to think of them much more akin to the winged and eyed illustration adorning that book (something right out of Ezekiel if memory serves) than the trumpet-toting, blond androgynes* of traditional stained-glass iconography.
Getting to the actual theology of the books, because of the time of life in which I read them, I can only really comment that I tended to grab onto the things that enhanced my understanding of traditional theology (like the nature of angels for example), and that I used the concepts which were outside of traditional teaching but were fertile ground for thought provoking speculation to broaden my horizons. These books are especially good for the latter - and playing with concepts which are not addressed dogmatically by the Church (like time and dimension), are probably what they are best known for. This can turn off some believers but they are certainly in bounds for faithful Catholics. This is comparable in a way to C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength), in which he perceives of extraterrestrial life, and how that would fit into the Christian mythos or J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings theology.
Also it's just a good, fun story that's a quick read!
*eta: I had to look this word up. I had no idea what the noun-version of "androgynous" is, but I wanted it for this sentence. So if this exercise does nothing else, it has expanded my vocabulary! Kudos for that, @kupcho1
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Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Maybe just a little quick but when discussion slows down I like the next batch showing up. So I guess I would say keep on your schedule but by all means feel free to slow down or speed up if you see discussion waxing or waning.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Yeah I’m curious how many of my books keep making it. At the start I had one on every post and thought it was cool but now it may have been a sign that there wasn’t much up top. We shall see. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was my number 4 so that could be a bad sign for my other top picks, I don’t know.
I found things a little too fast yesterday but that's probably more because I was busy and had a number of books to write up.
I doubt I'll owe many write-ups in the top 100
timschochet
Footballguy
I have tried to read Kavalier and Clay at least 3-4 times now. It SHOULD be right up my alley: comic books! Jews in New York and the Holocaust! American 40s and 50s historical novel! Superheroes! Sounds perfect for me. But for whatever reason I just can’t get past the first 100 pages. I should try it again…
I don't have any issues with the pacing, however, most of my "typing time" is done earlier in the day, and well, by the time I have my thoughts rattled off, my submissions are a few pages behind.
Not sure I'll have many more books detailed as my numbers 4 & 5 have just been listed and we're not even in the top 125 yet.
I'll make a post probably tomorrow in regard to the two most recent books as I think both are really, really good (duh).
Not sure I'll have many more books detailed as my numbers 4 & 5 have just been listed and we're not even in the top 125 yet.
I'll make a post probably tomorrow in regard to the two most recent books as I think both are really, really good (duh).
Eephus
Footballguy
139t. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (1993)
A big schmaltzy WWI novel that successfully combines romance and trench warfare. It begins with a pre-war prologue that sets up the romantic subplot before flashing forward to the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and continuing through the armistice. The battle scenes are gripping especially the ones where the British tunnel under the the German trench lines. Faulks adds a framing device set in the late 70s involving a descendant of one of the main characters which reveals some additional information about the WWI characters and makes some points about recovering history and its relevance to the modern day.
A big schmaltzy WWI novel that successfully combines romance and trench warfare. It begins with a pre-war prologue that sets up the romantic subplot before flashing forward to the Battle of the Somme in 1916 and continuing through the armistice. The battle scenes are gripping especially the ones where the British tunnel under the the German trench lines. Faulks adds a framing device set in the late 70s involving a descendant of one of the main characters which reveals some additional information about the WWI characters and makes some points about recovering history and its relevance to the modern day.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I'll have to look into this one. I find it a shame that WWI has largely passed out of our shared culture other than being "the war before WWII".
We visited Verdun a few years back and it was really something to take the whole area in.
kupcho1
Footballguy
[narrator] It wasn't [/narrartor]
kupcho1
Footballguy
[narrator] He will [/narrartor]
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Is Amityville Horror in a similar category? Not that it is your selection, just piggybacking on this post and thought.
krista4
Footballguy
He's cooking! I see sweet potatoes.
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
Since OH dives in sometimes without giving background, I'll post this little synopsis first: "The New York Trilogy is a postmodern interpretation of detective and mystery fiction, exploring various philosophical themes."
OH: "I read this as a young man, and again a few years ago. It was my first encounter with meta-fiction, and I loved it then and surprisingly still love it. Paul Auster writing a couple of fictionalized Paul Austers could have blown up badly and ruined him so quickly. In the hands of lesser writer, it’s extraordinarily hacky and could be utterly embarrassing. But when you’re writing a mystery story about identity and its relationship to reality, that conceit starts to seem inevitable and actually enhanced the stories rather than betraying them. Despite the fact you can see everything working and the gears moving, there’s still a sense of mystery, and you feel ill at ease, because there’s no clear distinction between the world of this story and the world you inhabit.
These all are thematically connected, and could have taken place anywhere. He tried “selling out” by writing a straight mystery novel under the name Paul Benjamin and couldn’t get it published. That’s why he decided to write a metaphysical mystery work instead."
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
Since OH dives in sometimes without giving background, I'll post this little synopsis first: "The New York Trilogy is a postmodern interpretation of detective and mystery fiction, exploring various philosophical themes."
OH: "I read this as a young man, and again a few years ago. It was my first encounter with meta-fiction, and I loved it then and surprisingly still love it. Paul Auster writing a couple of fictionalized Paul Austers could have blown up badly and ruined him so quickly. In the hands of lesser writer, it’s extraordinarily hacky and could be utterly embarrassing. But when you’re writing a mystery story about identity and its relationship to reality, that conceit starts to seem inevitable and actually enhanced the stories rather than betraying them. Despite the fact you can see everything working and the gears moving, there’s still a sense of mystery, and you feel ill at ease, because there’s no clear distinction between the world of this story and the world you inhabit.
These all are thematically connected, and could have taken place anywhere. He tried “selling out” by writing a straight mystery novel under the name Paul Benjamin and couldn’t get it published. That’s why he decided to write a metaphysical mystery work instead."
Eephus
Footballguy
To be fair though, it's not a very good pen name
krista4
Footballguy
Mmmm, collard greens are coming.
Tenth of December by George Saunders
"This was the first George Saunders collection I read, and I really wasn’t prepared for how great it was. I’d read his non-fiction, which is very warm and funny, and he has strong opinions and is clearly brilliant, so I thought I’d be reading really well-crafted Iowa writers’ workshop stuff, but it’s so much better than that. Less Raymond Carver and more Vladimir Nabokov. There’s an impenetrable sci-fi sheen to all of these stories, like the vibe of Severance, where a lot of them take place in no place, but like Severance and unlike sci-fi, there’s so much empathy for the humans involved that every story in one way or another is utterly heartbreaking, profoundly, deeply humanist in a way that…there just aren’t other stories like this. His voice changes from story to story but is still unique. The story about the very class-conscious dad, or the story from the POV of a veteran who goes back to see his ex-wife and wants to burn down his mother’s house in a PTSD rage…it’s people doing despicable things but who still seem human, so much more than serving a plot device or puppets explicating an idea.
Also the stories are extremely dense, so loaded the way that poetry is loaded, though not particularly lyrical. Maybe they’re more like the way jokes are loaded, where if you take out a word, it doesn’t make sense or it’s not funny anymore. Every word in the stories seems vital and impossible to ignore.
I’ve since read all of his fiction, but this is his best collection by far.”
Tenth of December by George Saunders
"This was the first George Saunders collection I read, and I really wasn’t prepared for how great it was. I’d read his non-fiction, which is very warm and funny, and he has strong opinions and is clearly brilliant, so I thought I’d be reading really well-crafted Iowa writers’ workshop stuff, but it’s so much better than that. Less Raymond Carver and more Vladimir Nabokov. There’s an impenetrable sci-fi sheen to all of these stories, like the vibe of Severance, where a lot of them take place in no place, but like Severance and unlike sci-fi, there’s so much empathy for the humans involved that every story in one way or another is utterly heartbreaking, profoundly, deeply humanist in a way that…there just aren’t other stories like this. His voice changes from story to story but is still unique. The story about the very class-conscious dad, or the story from the POV of a veteran who goes back to see his ex-wife and wants to burn down his mother’s house in a PTSD rage…it’s people doing despicable things but who still seem human, so much more than serving a plot device or puppets explicating an idea.
Also the stories are extremely dense, so loaded the way that poetry is loaded, though not particularly lyrical. Maybe they’re more like the way jokes are loaded, where if you take out a word, it doesn’t make sense or it’s not funny anymore. Every word in the stories seems vital and impossible to ignore.
I’ve since read all of his fiction, but this is his best collection by far.”
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Oliver Humanzee
Footballguy
Liking all of Krista's transcription because I sound way smarter this way.
Oliver Humanzee
Footballguy
Kind of glad you were the one to do the write-ul though. Might be the next thing I read.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Sold. Local library has this one as well, so I will probably grab that tomorrow when Pynchon comes in. I've read 2 books in the last 5 days and finished the 1100 pg wonder that was The Way of Kings before because of this thread starting up. I was joking, but I have been ordering books that are under 300 pgs so I have a pile of those. First, I will decide on 1 of the 3 I have from the KristOH household. If I grab this one, I will have 3 of your suggestions at home and will decide on one of those after.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
10. What's the rush?
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Looked at the description for some of the stories. Added to my queue.
King has occasionally been criticized for not doing compelling female characters well, which is wild to me given this was his first novel. I know his wife with this one, but still. I'll get into other reasons that criticism is crazy when discussing his 1990's output.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Yeah, I've never gotten that criticism either. You could make a case that he writes females better than he does males.
He's much more problematic with writing non-caucasian characters.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Nice you are stocked up and ready. Which 3 of mine are you looking at besides The Heart is…
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I might not want to say in case the Thumper rule needs to be activated.
Being Dead is what I started last night from the Krista household. I haven't decided which Chandler to read, so I think yours is between the above and Appointment in Samarra.
kupcho1
Footballguy
It's the Fiver rule in here, bub.I might not want to say in case the Thumper rule needs to be activated.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Phase 3: Books 200 - 101 continued
I'm going to stick as close as I can to 10/day until we get closer to the top of the list, but I don't want to break up books that are tied. So here's 11
We've got 7 picks that were #3s in this batch. If your #3 isn't there that's because someone else liked it. For those whose #3 book is on the list (raises hand), that means no one else liked it, they probably don't like you and you should probably go back and revisit the choices you've made along the way.
I kid, I kid.
Serious observation though: there seems to be a lot less generation angst in the book thread than the TV thread. I haven't seen any "you must be a Boomer" or "I didn't think the demographics were this skewed toward geezerdom" in here. Keep up the good work.
BTW, theThumper Fiver comment above, I wanted to stick with rabbits, but thought Watership Down's Fiver might be a more relevant choice. Unfortunately, only 2 people ranked the book so it didn't make the top 300.
I'm going to stick as close as I can to 10/day until we get closer to the top of the list, but I don't want to break up books that are tied. So here's 11
| 138 | The Sound and the Fury | William Faulkner | chaos34, Don Quixote |
| 137 | Underworld | Don DeLillo | kupcho1, Oliver Humanzee |
| 136 | Charlotte's Web | E.B. White | Dr. Octopus, Mrs.Marco |
| 135 | Exhalation | Ted Chiang | Long Ball Larry |
| The Paradise of Bachelors and the Tartarus of Maids | Herman Melville | rockaction | |
| Emma Who Saved My Life | Wilton Barnhardt | Eephus | |
| Maus | Art Spiegelman | KeithR | |
| War and Remembrance | Herman Wouk | timschochet | |
| The Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie | kupcho1 | |
| The Orphan Master's Son | Adam Johnson | Barry2 | |
| We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Shirley Jackson | ilov80s, Frostillicus |
We've got 7 picks that were #3s in this batch. If your #3 isn't there that's because someone else liked it. For those whose #3 book is on the list (raises hand), that means no one else liked it, they probably don't like you and you should probably go back and revisit the choices you've made along the way.
I kid, I kid.
Serious observation though: there seems to be a lot less generation angst in the book thread than the TV thread. I haven't seen any "you must be a Boomer" or "I didn't think the demographics were this skewed toward geezerdom" in here. Keep up the good work.
BTW, the
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
I wouldn't expect that discourse on books, since we all had to read old books in high school, and old books have always been accessible. Whether from a bookshelf at home, borrowed from a friend, to taken from the library. Not the same can be said about TV shows that aired while most of us were growing up.
kupcho1
Footballguy
I ranked The Satanic Verses (1988) by Salman Rushdie as my #3 book. I assume everyone is familiar with the uproar post publication of this book. I think it goes without saying it took Rushdie by surprise.
For those that aren't aware, the response was a little hotter. From Wiki:
So not only did they want Rushdie dead, they wanted anyone connected with the book killed. The fatwa can never be called off (given that only the person that issued it can recall it, and Khomeini died shortly after issuing it).
But what about the book?
In short, it's great. It uses magical realism and interlocking stories to illuminate the immigrant experience. There are two main characters - Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha - who miraculously survive a hijacking that culminates in a mid-air explosion) and are transformed into an angel and devil, respectively. Hijinks ensue.
The comparisons to other authors is simply a calvalcade of greatness:
So why the fatwa? Well, the dream sequences are problematic, in particular (IMHO) the first one
Apparently the Satanic verses existed in early Islam (although they were not referred to as such; the term was believed to be coined by Sir William Muir in 1858).
This wouldn't be the first time a major religion tried to walk something back. In any event, the damage (to Rushdie, certainly, and to Islam in their view as well) was done.
tl;dr This is a great book that caused a ****storm. RIYL free speech.
If only.
For those that aren't aware, the response was a little hotter. From Wiki:
So not only did they want Rushdie dead, they wanted anyone connected with the book killed. The fatwa can never be called off (given that only the person that issued it can recall it, and Khomeini died shortly after issuing it).
But what about the book?
In short, it's great. It uses magical realism and interlocking stories to illuminate the immigrant experience. There are two main characters - Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha - who miraculously survive a hijacking that culminates in a mid-air explosion) and are transformed into an angel and devil, respectively. Hijinks ensue.
The comparisons to other authors is simply a calvalcade of greatness:
So why the fatwa? Well, the dream sequences are problematic, in particular (IMHO) the first one
Apparently the Satanic verses existed in early Islam (although they were not referred to as such; the term was believed to be coined by Sir William Muir in 1858).
This wouldn't be the first time a major religion tried to walk something back. In any event, the damage (to Rushdie, certainly, and to Islam in their view as well) was done.
tl;dr This is a great book that caused a ****storm. RIYL free speech.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Definitely planned for the top 100, but I leave it to others to share their ranking if they'd like. I think I've done it for all of my high ranking books.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
agree and books don’t age the way visual mediums like tv and movies do. There’s no black and white or hd or sound quality to deal with. Sure there’s some changes in cultural mores and points of view and language but it’s not as jarring to read a 70 year old book as it might be to see a 70 year old movie.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
We Have Always Lived in a Castle by Shirley Jackson
It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.
My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.
Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.
A pretty sight, a lady with a book.
It’s opening paragraph is often regarded as one of the weirdest and best in modern fiction.
My name is Mary Katherine Blackwood. I am eighteen years old, and I live with my sister Constance. I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had. I dislike washing myself, and dogs, and noise. I like my sister Constance, and Richard Plantagenet, and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. Everyone else in my family is dead.
Creepy, uneasy, gothic, mysterious, odd. The whole novel is there in the first few lines by our young guide. While some might say we are lead through the story by an unreliable narrator. I would say it’s less that she’s unreliable and more that she’s unconcerned with the reader. She’s not telling her story so we can understand it. She’s simply telling what pleases her and and how it pleases her.
A pretty sight, a lady with a book.
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
John is a 75 year old widower. Instead of going on by himself he joins the military, to protect Earth's planetary colonies.
His dna is used to create a fit young body. His mind is transferred to the clone and he becomes a soldier along with other
old people. What I remember the most is the recruits are given a week to get used to their new bodies. They're free to use
whatever facility or training equipment they want. Immediately everyone grabs a partner, runs to their rooms and starts having sex.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The spaceship Envoy goes missing on a mission to Mars. 25 years later a different spaceship makes contact with Mars and learns there was a sole survivor. Someone who was born on the Envoy and raised by Martians. He's taken to earth and becomes a celebrity where he starts to study religion. He creates a Martian influenced religion.
John is a 75 year old widower. Instead of going on by himself he joins the military, to protect Earth's planetary colonies.
His dna is used to create a fit young body. His mind is transferred to the clone and he becomes a soldier along with other
old people. What I remember the most is the recruits are given a week to get used to their new bodies. They're free to use
whatever facility or training equipment they want. Immediately everyone grabs a partner, runs to their rooms and starts having sex.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
The spaceship Envoy goes missing on a mission to Mars. 25 years later a different spaceship makes contact with Mars and learns there was a sole survivor. Someone who was born on the Envoy and raised by Martians. He's taken to earth and becomes a celebrity where he starts to study religion. He creates a Martian influenced religion.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Changed color to black font in the text too.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Test, test. Clicked the eraser icon in the bottom right corner of the font color palette this time.
ETA: Looks normal to me in light mode and looks normal to me when I flipped over to dark mode. There you go.
I remember sitting cross legged while Mrs. Weitzel read this to us in grade 1.
timschochet
Footballguy
War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk
Should not be read without The Winds of War; it’s really one big novel.
This is Wouk’s magnum opus; he admitted to being heavily influenced by War and Peace and attempts to translate that to a telling of World War Two. It’s an amazing work; a vast group of fictional characters centering around the Henry family (an American naval family) interact with real life historical figures. I have read this several times in my life; the main characters seem quite real to me, like old friends.
Should not be read without The Winds of War; it’s really one big novel.
This is Wouk’s magnum opus; he admitted to being heavily influenced by War and Peace and attempts to translate that to a telling of World War Two. It’s an amazing work; a vast group of fictional characters centering around the Henry family (an American naval family) interact with real life historical figures. I have read this several times in my life; the main characters seem quite real to me, like old friends.
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