Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[KaiFiMacFan]

Not so much reading it as savouring every page…

How the greatest 20th C poem (or writing bar none) came into being.

The Waste Land — A Biography of a Poem
Matthew Hollis

Edit:
Aaargh! 20th C not 21st C. 🤣

Nice! This one is on my TBR. I read The Waste Land in my AP Lit class in high school. It inspired me to do my year-end project on T.S. Eliot.

 

[pippox0]

Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice .

Never read before ... , but well written

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice .

Never read before ... , but well written

Actually, it is an excellent book, a timeless work, and is one that grows on you and repays re-reading.

 

[ovbacon]

Everyone in the USA should read this one.... always good to know your own history.

 

[KaliYoni]

Everyone in the USA should read this one.... always good to know your own history.

View attachment 2241566

A related book that I enjoyed (and the source for a Michael Mann/Johnny Depp movie):

Public Enemies by Bryan Burrough: 9780143035374 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

In Public Enemies, bestselling author Bryan Burrough strips away the thick layer of myths put out by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI to tell the full story—for the first time—of the most spectacular...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

 

[C0ncreteBl0nde]

"Masters of Deception - The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace"

Old school telephone system hacking by a group of teenagers in 1989. I find how they managed to do this fascinating.

 

[Crowbot]

"Masters of Deception - The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace"

Old school telephone system hacking by a group of teenagers in 1989. I find how they managed to do this fascinating.

Wozniak and Jobs were selling Blue Boxes in the 70's.

 

[MagicHAM]

I just started reading Spare by Prince Harry it giggles some good indication about how he was coping after his mum passed away and even before then. So far i think it’s very candid and interesting and as I am listening to the audio book as well I can feel some emotional raw in his voice when he talks about his experiences.

 

[ovbacon]

Stephen king was right....

 

[pachyderm]

Anyone one of you lot read this?

 

[scubachap]

Anyone one of you lot read this?

Yes, a long time ago, (early 90's?) along with the Wasp Factory. I can't remember too much other than that I think it was more of an 'experience' than a plot (similar to Irvine Welsh in that Scottish way). If you haven't read it certainly worth a go. AFAIK, he's now pretty much switched to SciFi as Iain M Banks...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"Packing for Mars - (The Curious Science of Life in Space)" - Mary Roach.

A really excellent, interesting, funny, thought-provoking, well-researched, and well-written work.

Well worth reading.

 

[pachyderm]

"Packing for Mars - (The Curious Science of Life in Space)" - Mary Roach.

A really excellent, interesting, funny, thought-provoking, well-researched, and well-written work.

Well worth reading.

I've about 50 pages to go...

Agreed.

Next:

 

[rhett7660]

Taking a short break from the Warhammer Horus Heresy series and currently reading an older book by Dean Koontz called "House of Thunder". Just over halfway through it and it is pretty darn good! It is keeping me guessing...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"Rise Of The Rocket Girls - (The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles To The Moon To Mars)"- Nathalia Holt.

An absolutely fascinating read.

Among other fascinating footnotes, it explains that the word - the noun - "computers", originally described people who computed, people who made mathematical and numerical calculations, (many of whom were women with an aptitude for, facility with, passion for - and often degrees in - maths) rather than the machines or devices which the term also came to describe, and, eventually, evolved into a situation where the noun, or word, or term, "computer" became solely the preserve of calculating machines, machines that could compute.

 

[Crowbot]

"Rise Of The Rocket Girls - (The Women Who Propelled Us, From Missiles To The Moon To Mars)"- Nathalia Holt.

An absolutely fascinating read.

Among other fascinating footnotes, it that the word - the noun - "computers", originally described people who computed, people who made numerical calculations, who computed, numerical calculations, (many of whom were women with an aptitude for, facility with, passion for - and often degrees in - maths) rather than the machines or devices which the term also came to describe, and, eventually, evolved into a situation where the noun, or word, or term, "computer" became solely the preserve of calculating machines, machines that could compute.

If you haven't already, watch "Hidden Figures". It tells the personal stories of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space program. Great story.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If you haven't already, watch "Hidden Figures". It tells the personal stories of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space program. Great story.

Sounds absolutely fascinating; thanks for the reference, I must look it up and see if I can find it (and watch it).

 

[Mousse]

From left to right: Lui Pei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei

Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Lou Guanzhong. One of the oldest known novel and the writing style shows it.😑 I'm only a quarter of the way through.

The events describe, the philosophy discussed is entrancing, but the writing style is super bland.😪 With a good imagination, the events comes to life. If you lack imagination, it reads like an after action report--bland as bread and water.

This book has as much influence on Eastern culture as Shakespeare has on Western culture. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Lui Pei brotherhood oath has been copied/referenced in numerous shows.

The characters are caricatures of historical figures. Lui Pei is the ideal ruler, when he became Emperor--Lawful Good in D&D parlance. Tsao Tsao (or Cao Cao) is a self serving jerk who got a lot of his men killed--Lawful Evil. Lu Pu is as loyal as a stray cat; he changes leaders as often as Guan Yu changes underwear--Chaotic Neutral. Guan Yu, loyal as a dog, honest as the day is long, kicks all manner of butts--Neutral Good.

 

[KaliYoni]

One of the oldest known novel and the writing style shows it
[...]
The events describe, the philosophy discussed is entrancing, but the writing style is super bland

Are you reading the book in translation? If so, maybe there's a better or more modern edition available.

For anybody interested in a fascinating insight into the work and artistry that goes into a good translation, this is a great collection of essays from a highly respected translator:

Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles

Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles

www.amazon.com

 

[Mousse]

Are you reading the book in translation? If so, maybe there's a better or more modern edition available.

For anybody interested in a fascinating insight into the work and artistry that goes into a good translation, this is a great collection of essays from a highly respected translator:

Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles

Essays Two: On Proust, Translation, Foreign Languages, and the City of Arles

www.amazon.com

I'd rather stick with the current translation. Other translators would translate the name differently. I've seen Cao Cao translated as Ts'ao Ts'ao, Lu Pu as Lu Bu, Lui Pei as Lui Bei, Dong Zhou as Tung Cho and so on. As the book spands at least a century, I have a hard enough time keeping the huge cast of characters straight as some have similar names or share a surname.

I've watched a lot of period pieces so I'm imagining the epic fight scenes between rival generals, complete with wire work flying and midair combat.😉 In my mind, the 3 on 1 battle of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Lui Pei vs Lu Pu is awesome as the Jade Fox fight in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

If you haven't already, watch "Hidden Figures". It tells the personal stories of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space program. Great story.

Actually, I think that the book (precisely because it includes the personal stories - based on an incredible number of personal interviews - of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space programme) - covers much of this material.

However, I found it absolutely fascinating, and strongly recommend it.

 

[Crowbot]

Actually, I think that the book (precisely because it includes the personal stories - based on an incredible number of personal interviews - of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space programme) - covers much of this material.

However, I found it absolutely fascinating, and strongly recommend it.

It didn't occur to me that there was a book. I'll go look.

 

[KaliYoni]

Actually, I think that the book (precisely because it includes the personal stories - based on an incredible number of personal interviews - of the women "computers" at the beginning of the US space programme) - covers much of this material.

It didn't occur to me that there was a book

Hidden Figures is a fine book. A good next read for anybody who also enjoyed it is:

A Game of Birds and Wolves

A Game of Birds and Wolves

www.amazon.com

 

[halledise]

I've about 50 pages to go...

Agreed.

Next:

not 'the artist harry formerly known as prince' i trust 🤨

 

[Expos of 1969]

A novel from 1996.

"Darkly comical thrillers are what we look forward to from the writers of the former USSR, and Ukrainian Kurkov conjures up both Gogol and Dostoevsky in a conspiracy laden plot." (Scotsman)