Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[Scepticalscribe]

Just started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.


Image

masterpiece.

One of my all time favourite books (of either fiction or of fact) of all time, and, as DP has already noted, a true masterpiece. The first book in particular is one of the most original, hysterically funny, classy, clever, intelligent, subtle, wittiest and brilliant pieces of literature I have read in my (entire) life to date.

Actually, I first read it as an undergrad in my first year at university and cried with laughter; worse, I was one of those who (effortlessly) memorised several set-pieces (the entry on the Babel fish, I recall, was one, that I especially loved, and could, and did - and still can - recall it in word perfect detail; the section on Vogon poetry was another…..)

I hope you love it as much as I did…...

 

[Don't panic]

One of my all time favourite books (of either fiction or of fact) of all time, and, as DP has already noted, a true masterpiece. The first book in particular is one of the most original, hysterically funny, classy, clever, intelligent, subtle, wittiest and brilliant pieces of literature I have read in my (entire) life to date.

Actually, I first read it as an undergrad in my first year at university and cried with laughter; worse, I was one of those who (effortlessly) memorised several set-pieces (the entry on the Babel fish, I recall, was one, that I especially loved, and could, and did - and still can - recall it in word perfect detail; the section on Vogon poetry was another…..)

I hope you love it as much as I did…...

i remember i was visiting a friend somewhere in the manchester area and it was on a shelf on the guest room. i picked it up and couldn't put it down. i was mesmerized. humor was just up my alley.
first thing i did when i got home was going into a bookstore and buying the trilogy (of four) in a much cherished pocket edition (the four book covers combined in different images depending on the arrangement, and the apparently random dots on the spines formed the image '42' if the books where properly aligned.
i lost count on how many time i read it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

i remember i was visiting a friend somewhere in the manchester area and it was on a shelf on the guest room. i picked it up and couldn't put it down. i was mesmerized. humor was just up my alley.
first thing i did when i got home was going into a bookstore and buying the trilogy (of four) in a much cherished pocket edition (the four book covers combined in different images depending on the arrangement, and the apparently random dots on the spines formed the image '42' if the books where properly aligned.
i lost count on how many time i read it.

I, too, must confess that I have read it several times. Cover to cover.

And I was very upset to learn of the untimely death of Douglas Adams…

….and like you, I, too, have the 'trilogy in four parts' (a type of writing not entirely unknown in the UK; the excellent historian Eric Hobsbawn ended up publishing - over a period of the best part of thirty years - another 'trilogy in four parts' in his excellent 'Age of….' series of first rate history books……)

Indeed, I remember the original British TV series, which I watched, entranced, in the early 1980s, (great acting, limited budget) but hilarious and brilliant. And yes, I also have a double album (in glorious antique vinyl, no less) of the radio series which gave rise to both the (first) book and the subsequent TV series (which featured the same cast as the radio series had done…..)

 

[aaronvan]

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

That is a great book and one that is forgotten today.

I think Shirley Jackson's "The Summer People" is one of the creepiest short story's I have ever read.

 

[vpro]

Neuromancer!

currently finishing up Neuromancer by William Gibson then next on deck is The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy ^_

Some great reads on here thank you!!

I love you ALL!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

currently finishing up Neuromancer by William Gibson then next on deck is The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy ^_

Some great reads on here thank you!!

I love you ALL!

I haven't read 'Neuromancer' but I must say that I did like Arundhati Roy's book 'The God Of Small Things'.

 

[cebseb]

Rereading Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss for the 3rd time. Such a good novel!

 

[cdcastillo]

So I've been told. This is my first time reading it.

Oh boy, you're in for a treat!

 

[LadyX]

Finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a few hours ago. It's a smart and fun book. Very funny too, but some people claim that it's the funniest book ever written; a bit of an overstatement, in my opinion. Some of the scenes and remarks in the book did make me laugh but I still think it's an overstatement.

The story itself is very creative and imaginative. The characters were very interesting; Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Veet Voojagig, etc. but we don't get to know a lot about them which I would've liked. I really loved the scenes with the paranoid robot Marvin. He is extremely funny but oh so severely depressed! He's my favorite character in the book.


Some hilarious quotes by Marvin

"Life; loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it."

Arthur: Look, robot, the stars are coming out."
Marvin: I know. Wretched, isn't it?"

Arthur: But that sunset! I've never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams ... the two suns! It was like mountains of fire boiling into space.
Marvin: I've seen it. It's rubbish.

Arthur: I came from a planet called Earth.
Marvin: I know. You keep going on about it. It sounds awful.
Arthur: Ah, no, it was a beautiful place.
Marvin: Did it have oceans?
Arthur: Oh yes, great wide rolling blue oceans ...
Marvin: Can't bear oceans.

Marvin: That ship hated me.
Ford: That ship? What happened to it? Do you know?
Marvin: It hated me because I talked to it.
Ford: You talked to it? What do you mean you talked to it?
Marvin: Simple. I got very bored and depressed, so I went and plugged myself into its external computer feed. I talked to the computer at great length and explained my view of the Universe to it.
Ford: And what happened?
Marvin: It committed suicide.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy a few hours ago. It's a smart and fun book. Very funny too, but some people claim that it's the funniest book ever written; a bit of an overstatement, in my opinion. Some of the scenes and remarks in the book did make me laugh but I still think it's an overstatement.

The story itself is very creative and imaginative. The characters were very interesting; Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Veet Voojagig, etc. but we don't get to know a lot about them which I would've liked. I really loved the scenes with the paranoid robot Marvin. He is extremely funny but oh so severely depressed! He's my favorite character in the book.


Some hilarious quotes by Marvin

"Life; loathe it or ignore it, you can't like it."

Arthur: Look, robot, the stars are coming out."
Marvin: I know. Wretched, isn't it?"

Arthur: But that sunset! I've never seen anything like it in my wildest dreams ... the two suns! It was like mountains of fire boiling into space.
Marvin: I've seen it. It's rubbish.

Arthur: I came from a planet called Earth.
Marvin: I know. You keep going on about it. It sounds awful.
Arthur: Ah, no, it was a beautiful place.
Marvin: Did it have oceans?
Arthur: Oh yes, great wide rolling blue oceans ...
Marvin: Can't bear oceans.

Marvin: That ship hated me.
Ford: That ship? What happened to it? Do you know?
Marvin: It hated me because I talked to it.
Ford: You talked to it? What do you mean you talked to it?
Marvin: Simple. I got very bored and depressed, so I went and plugged myself into its external computer feed. I talked to the computer at great length and explained my view of the Universe to it.
Ford: And what happened?
Marvin: It committed suicide.

Ah, a very interesting take on this book and thank you for posting your thoughts on the book.

Actually, I suspect that - for those of us who loved the book - it might be a generational thing. I came across this in my first year at university, in the early 1980s, and I rather imagine that DP is of a similar vintage.

I loved the whole concept of the book, the marriage of science fiction, space travel, and social, economic, political (and - above all - theological) satire, and must say that I roared with laughter at the sharp and clever asides (especially those attributed to the best selling theological writer, Oolon Colluphid).

For someone raised in that world, more specifically, for someone raised at that time, this was a hilarious and wildly original book. However, I can well imagine that such wit does not always fully translate in other cultures and times.

 

[LadyX]

Ah, a very interesting take on this book and thank you for posting your thoughts on the book.

Actually, I suspect that - for those of us who loved the book - it might be a generational thing. I came across this in my first year at university, in the early 1980s, and I rather imagine that DP is of a similar vintage.

I loved the whole concept of the book, the marriage of science fiction, space travel, and social, economic, political (and - above all - theological) satire, and must say that I roared with laughter at the sharp and clever asides (especially those attributed to the best selling theological writer, Oolon Colluphid).

For someone raised in that world, more specifically, for someone raised at that time, this was a hilarious and wildly original book. However, I can well imagine that such wit does not always fully translate in other cultures and times.

I can see how this book was original at the time, it’s very outlandish and weird. And I think I got some of the satirical references, not all. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it.

 

[Don't panic]

I can see how this book was original at the time, it’s very outlandish and weird. And I think I got some of the satirical references, not all. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it.

you might want to read also the other three books of the original series. some of the best bits are in those. and some of the story arcs extends through all the books.

i found an image of my paperback edition covers, here arranged to show The Towel™

the others are the Babel Fish, the Heart of Gold and a (Mac-made!) self portrait of Douglas Adams

 

[LadyX]

you might want to read also the other three books of the original series. some of the best bits are in those. and some of the story arcs extends through all the books.



i found an image of my paperback edition covers, here arranged to show The Towel

Image

the others are the Babel Fish, the Heart of Gold and a (Mac-made!) self portrait of Douglas Adams

I'm going to check them out some time soon. Love the paperback edition you own! Pretty cool.

 

[AppleDApp]

Just wrapped up Freakonomics.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm going to check them out some time soon. Love the paperback edition you own! Pretty cool.

Well, I think you'll enjoy them, as I did.

However, I will readily concede (a concession also echoed by Douglas Adams himself, in an interview the whereabouts of which I cannot recall just now) that - in common with many male authors - he found it quite difficult to convey a thinking woman authentically, on paper.

That caveat aside, I loved the books, but suspect - in the light of what you have posted - that their greatest appeal may be to those of us who grew up in that version of earth that he portrayed with such sardonic insight.

 

[vulcanvillalta]

Just finished a short story, "Harrison" per the request of a friend, and then last night picked up an old book called, "The Hands of Esau" by Hiram Haydn. I like the Haydn book so far- and I've discovered that it is part of a trilogy. (stated in the "thanks" part of the book) but I don't know what books are the next two, since there is no wikipedia page about it, nor anything on amazon. Does anyone know where I could look such a thing up?

 

[AppleDApp]

Just finished a short story, "Harrison" per the request of a friend, and then last night picked up an old book called, "The Hands of Esau" by Hiram Haydn. I like the Haydn book so far- and I've discovered that it is part of a trilogy. (stated in the "thanks" part of the book) but I don't know what books are the next two, since there is no wikipedia page about it, nor anything on amazon. Does anyone know where I could look such a thing up?

Here are some other books I found by the other perhaps this will help

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Two nice, fat books arrived yesterday and I am about to greet them; well, one is pleasingly fat - a solid hard-back which has been recently published; it is called "The Establishment - And How They Get Away With It" and is written by Owen Jones, a writer with (the British liberal leaning) newspaper The Guardian newspaper.

A few weeks ago, I had read a review praising it, (written - also as it happens - in the Guardian stable, which includes the Sunday publication, The Observer).

The second is less chunky, and is a paperback, also recently published (as in 2014); a positive review (in the excellent periodical Afghan Analysts Network) prompted this purchase. Written by a Dutch writer named Bette Dam, the book is called "A Man and A Motorcycle - How Hamid Karzai Came To Power."

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Tonight, I thought to read the sort of history book that delights and wears its learning lightly, offering writing leavened with easy wit and grace, rather than a book which informs (or, occasionally infuriates).

Therefore, tonight's choice is the book "Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town" written by the wonderfully erudite and classy British historian and classicist, Mary Beard. It is an absolute joy to read, clever, witty, learned, and written with charm and wit, and an effervescent enthusiasm for its subject that never ceases to delight.

 

[VI™]

No good books here right now.

I really need to find some time to read something I want to, but with studying for my Network + certification exam (and reading what's basically a technical manual is not exactly fun), doing school work and reading for gen studies classes, and all the photography work I've been doing lately, there's hardly time for it.

 

[dianestory2]

Just finished a short story, "Harrison" per the request of a friend, and then last night picked up an old book called, "The Hands of Esau" by Hiram Haydn. I like the Haydn book so far- and I've discovered that it is part of a trilogy. (stated in the "thanks" part of the book) but I don't know what books are the next two, since there is no wikipedia page about it, nor anything on amazon. Does anyone know where I could look such a thing up?

Is there nothing in your library that can help research that?

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Normally, I read books which are about history and politics and related stuff, with fantasy a reliable source of relaxation.

I have long been a fan of the wonderful writing of Scott Lynch (who is writing - has written - a number of books in the 'Gentlemen Bastard' series). Erudite, extremely articulate, witty, subtle, and well able to create worlds, credible characters, and compellingly complex narratives, Lynch writes intelligent and interesting books which are never less than excellent.

Between books, Scott Lynch has written several short stories which have appeared in a number of fantasy anthologies (which usually come with further offerings from several other excellent writers in the field).

Two recent books which I ordered - and which were awaiting me on my return from my travels were the wonderfully lively (some terrific - seriously badass, to use that lovely American term - female characters, I am delighted to report) book 'Tales of the Far West' which describes itself as a cross between 'steampunk' (brilliant stuff) and 'wuxia' genres, a sort of homage to both. Lynch's own short story in this anthology is the excellent 'He Built The Wall To Knock It Down'.

Another anthology of short stories which awaited me was the more standard (and more predictably named) fantasy 'Swords & Dark Magic' . Again, Lynch's story - 'In The Stacks' was one of the highlights of the book.

More serious reading at the moment includes a door-stopper of a book, from OUP, 'The Oxford Handbook of The Economics of Peace and Conflict,' which proved surprisingly difficult to order, although it now sits beside me, here, as I write.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Two nice, interesting books arrived today, which I ordered as the Scottish referendum was brewing (and my sense is that this story had not yet reached its coda), as some additional reading seemed to be in order.

So, two books then, both by the same author, and both on related topics. The first is called 'Acts Of Union And Disunion - What Has Held The UK Together And What Is Dividing It'? and and second is: 'Britons - Forging The Nation 1707-1837' both by Linda Colley.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I just started reading The Three Musketeers on my Kindle.

 

[LadyX]

What Book Are You Reading?

I just started reading The Three Musketeers on my Kindle.

A very enjoyable book!

I also recommend Dumas' other novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. My favorite novel of all-time.