Book Suggestion Thread

[Lil Red]

I stopped reading King years ago. He is a great story teller, but often loses direction in verbosity.

 

I do like his books, but I haven't bought/read almost any of his newer books. They tend to be a bit….bloated. (They all float down here) 
 

[chrysostom]

Tried to find this in the local library but they didn't have it. :angry:

Sounds great. 

When was it published?
 

 

In Parenthesis was first published in 1937. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Parenthesis-New-York-Review-Books/dp/1590170369 here is a link to the version that I own.  It's not too expensive thankfully.

 

You sort of have to read straight through, once, with perhaps a few references to David Jones' notes explaining some of the occasional Cockney English and Welsh.  That helps you to set yourself in place for a second, slower reading with more extensive looking up of Jones' notes.  Then you might want to do it a third time, looking up what Jones references in his own notes.  Or something.

 

It's utterly beautiful and devastating, but the modern reader often lacks a context for reading it.  He has not always read Morte D'Arthur, Y Gododdin, the Bible, the history of Britain and ancient Rome, the medieval romances, he does not always know Catholic theology and hagiography.  Even at the time David Jones was trying to make present again that which his modern culture had already lost.  The complexity and depth of his work isn't there to show off his wit.  It's there to remember, to teach, to make sense of the war he experienced, to do for modern man what the old war laments did for the Welsh and the Romans and all the others. 

 

David Jones in his own introduction says,

 

"This writing has to do with some things I saw, felt, & was part of."

 

And as well:

 

 

I did not intend this as a "War Book" - it happens to be concerned with war.  I should prefer it to be about a good kind of peace - but as Mandeville says, "Of Paradys ne can I not speken propurly I was not there; it was fer beyonde and that for thinketh me. And also I was not worthi." We find ourselves privates in foot regiments. We search how we may see formal goodness in a life singularly inimical, hateful, to us.

 

And among the dedications in the book we find

 

AND TO THE ENEMY
FRONT-FIGHTERS WHO SHARED OUR

PAINS AGAINST WHOM WE FOUND
OURSELVES BY MISADVENTURE

 

So yes, I find it to be a singularly important book and yet utterly overlooked.

 

Finally, you may want to know that David Jones intended for this to be read aloud.  A radio version was made in WWII but postponed till later.  I should like to hear it if possible but I fear it is only in some archive in London.

[fides' Jack]

He's also quite crass, which I can't stand - especially in fiction.

 

 

I can't recommend any good books, 'cause I haven't read any lately.  But what I can recommend is that you stay away from the satanic witchcraft that is Harry Potter.  And I haven't read those, either.

 

Hm...  No bites??

 

Too obvious?   :evil:

[CrossCuT]

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

Classic/Adventure/Super Hero

Short description of story (no spoilers): Takes place during the French Revolution. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a masked hero who saves the French from death! He has many rouses but always leaves a slip of paper behind with a scarlet pimpernel on it so people knew he was there. 

 

Personal recommendation / reasons to read it: One of my favorites! Its a precursor to some of our masked super heroes like Zorro and Batman!

 

 

 

[CrossCuT]

Bump for more books!

[Seven77]

 

Innocence by Dean Koontz

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

 

I just finished reading this book. it's about an underground city dweller whose appearance is repelling, so disturbing that when people see him face-to-face they want to kill him. in one of his trips above ground at night, he meets an equally mysterious girl with social anxiety. While she can't be touched and he can be seen (he wears a ski mask and can't make eye contact) they form a friendship and set out to solve a murder that puts both of their lives in danger.  it's kind of creepy at times and has elements of the supernatural, but there's a lot for everybody. It's a pretty intense page turner. The story gives a lot of food for thought too. I really liked it and I think it's one of the best fiction books I've ever read.

[John Ryan]

 

Mistborn is a pretty incredible book. It really nice to read a high fantasy where the hero is a female. It is expertly crafted, with a perfect mix of action, intrigue, touching moments and romance. I haven't read the last two books of the trilogy, so I have no idea if the rest of the trilogy lives up to the expectations of the first book.

[CrossCuT]

 

Innocence by Dean Koontz

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

 

I just finished reading this book. it's about an underground city dweller whose appearance is repelling, so disturbing that when people see him face-to-face they want to kill him. in one of his trips above ground at night, he meets an equally mysterious girl with social anxiety. While she can't be touched and he can be seen (he wears a ski mask and can't make eye contact) they form a friendship and set out to solve a murder that puts both of their lives in danger.  it's kind of creepy at times and has elements of the supernatural, but there's a lot for everybody. It's a pretty intense page turner. The story gives a lot of food for thought too. I really liked it and I think it's one of the best fiction books I've ever read.

That sounds like Phantom of the opera murder mystery style! haha

 

 

Mistborn is a pretty incredible book. It really nice to read a high fantasy where the hero is a female. It is expertly crafted, with a perfect mix of action, intrigue, touching moments and romance. I haven't read the last two books of the trilogy, so I have no idea if the rest of the trilogy lives up to the expectations of the first book.

Female heroine is a plus!