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Brian's Reading List - 2015


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An Illustrated History of the Gestapo by Rupert Butler

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Synopsis
The Gestapo. For twelve years, Hitler's Secret State Police - the GEheime STAats POlizei, better known as the Gestapo - spread a reign of fear and terror over Europe. Spoken of in whispers, a law unto themselves, the Gestapo was the power behind the power. Torture, betrayal, execution, utter ruthlessness, were the stepping stones by which the Gestap under Goring, Himmler, and Heydrich climbed to the top of the Nazi bureaucratic pile.

As Nazi power spread, so did the evil reputation of the Gestapo, spying into every compartment of the individual's life, backed by concentration camps and the State-sanctioned right to extract confessions under torture. As the War ended, the Gestapo tried to eradicate all traces of its crimes. In this, it failed. It left photographs; it left witnesses; it left records. From these it is possible for us to be eyewitnesses to the Gestapo in its grisly heyday.
(taken from the book jacket.)


My Thoughts

I borrowed this book from a colleague of mine who knows that I like war history, especially if it involves espionage, secret police or the Cold War. Prior to reading the book I had a good knowledge of the Gestapo and some of the more famous main players but nothing more in depth than that. This is the first book by Rupert Butler that I have read and looking at his page on Goodreads it appears that he is a prolific World War II history writer.

 

The book is divided into chapters which starts with the birth of the Gestapo all the way through to the Gestapo today. Along the way some of the main protagonists like Heydrich and Himmler have a whole chapter dedicated to them. The other members involved are covered in some depth, albeit not an entire chapter and some of the main resistance fighters are also featured. Due to the layout of the book the timeline is a little shaky in places. This isn't a major issue but I do prefer to read a sequential record of events. The writing is very good and there is a lot detail covered throughout the book. There are also plenty of archive pictures along the way.

 

This is a very good book and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Gestapo.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Octopussy & the Living Daylights by Ian Fleming

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Synopsis

Whether it is tracking down a wayward major who has taken a deadly secret with him to the Caribbean or identifying a top Russian agent secretly bidding for a Fabergé egg in a Sotheby’s auction room, Bond always closes the case—with extreme prejudice.

This new Penguin edition comprises four stories, including  Fleming’s little-known story “007 in New York,” showcasing Bond’s taste for Manhattan’s special pleasures—from martinis at the Plaza and dinner at the Grand Central Oyster Bar to the perfect anonymity of the Central Park Zoo for a secret rendezvous.

(taken from Goodreads.)


My Thoughts

It would seem that the book jar of destiny has decided that I need to read short stories as it has selected another collection. I had no idea that this was a collection of four short stories but I sat down to read with some anticipation as I have enjoyed the other Ian Fleming Bond books. This is number 14 in the series according to Goodreads and this meant that I would be jumping from 7. I didn't think this would be an issue as all the Bond books can be read in any order and I was correct in this assumption.

 

There are four stories in this book, Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York. In truth, 007 in New York is only about 5 pages long and was published in a magazine so I wouldn't call it a short story really. 007 in New York is more of an aside and lets the book down a little bit as there is no tension built up. It's more like a bit of rant about why Fleming doesn't like New York.

 

The other three stories are great pieces of writing with The Property of a Lady being a particular favourite of mine. I think Fleming is at his best when writing about the Cold War and he slowly ratchets the tension up in this story. We also get to see the slightly softer side of Bond which is often overlooked, especially in the movies. I really enjoyed this collection of stories and it was ideal for a Sunday afternoon.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Dark Spring by Unica Zurn

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Synopsis
DARK SPRING is an autobiographical coming-of-age novel that reads more like an exorcism than a memoir. In it author Unica Zurn traces the roots to her obsessions: the exotic father she idealized, the impure mother she detested, the masochistic fantasies and onanistic rituals which she said described the erotic life of a little girl based on my own childhood.
(taken from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I first came across this book on a strange list of novellas that had been compiled by an unknown person. Quite a few of the books on the list are dark in nature and this appeals to me. Some of them however are very hard to come by and as a result it took some time before I got my hands on a copy of this book at a price that was outrageous.

 

I knew nothing about the book or author going in and the start of the book contains an introduction. This introduction covers the author and the story, but since I did not want to spoil the book I skipped this and read it once I was finished with the story itself. From the outset, I should make it clear that this isn't a book suitable for minors or those who are of a more delicate disposition. There is a sexual assault among other things that makes this a hard read at times and I'm not easily put off.

 

The writing is very stripped down and sparse and I was left feeling as though I was a voyeur looking in on something horrible. The ending was fairly harrowing and it was made worse after reading what happened to Zurn not long after it was written. Despite all this I enjoyed reading this book as it stirred emotion and got a visceral reaction from me.

 

3/5 (I liked it).

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Great review of Gone Girl, Brian! I know what you mean about wanting to abandon the book at an early stage, I almost did so myself.

The one thing that annoyed me was how the female protagonist wrote her diary, and it was really getting to me but then I complained about it in the Book Activity thread and pontalba, without spoiling anything for me, told me that it might make sense sooner or later. I kept on going and was really glad I did because yes, there was a point to it all :) I didn't see it coming, though!


 
 

However, I have some reservations about the book which are spoilers.
 


Shortening the name Margo down to Go was very distracting.

 


 I was initially not too happy to have gotten a Finnish copy, but now I'm actually glad, because Go didn't bother me when I was reading the Finnish version :shrug: You should've read the Finnish version, too! :P 

 

 

 


I felt the ending was a huge cop out. It needed to end in a definite manner and I felt cheated by the ending. It almost felt as is the author didn't know which direction to go it and so decided not to take one.
 
Finally, and this is the biggest gripe for me, the book read like she had spewed up a thesaurus. This feeling struck me quite early on and got no better as the book continued. I don't get on particularly well with wordy books but I get on less well with them when it feels forced, and this felt forced. It actually reminded me of the scene in Friends where Joey uses a thesaurus to write a reference for Monica and Chandler.

 

 
 I know what you mean about the ending,

I felt the same way but then again, I thought that at least it wasn't the predictable ending (even though most of the readers were probably wishing for it. The kind where the bad gets punished.)

 

 

Haha, a great Friends reference :D 

 

I think you would most likely enjoy Flynn's Dark Place a whole lot more. 

 

That's interesting that you give a book 100 pages before you consider abandoning Brian .. this was something I was wondering .. how long to give a book to catch fire (as I'm new to this abandoning lark .. I haven't really done it yet :D) I wouldn't want to be hasty. Gone Girl is one of my jar books .. not sure if I'll be pleased to see it come out now or not but I'll try and give it a bit longer than the 100 pages if I find I'm not getting on with it. 

 

I won't promise it's your sort of book, but I will say that some things might stop annoying you after the 100 pages (or a bit less or more). 

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I would need to learn Finnish first and given my previous attempts at learning German and Spanish I would probably never manage to read it. The jar of destiny had decided that it's time for me to indulge in some more Russian literature, this time Fathers & Sons by Ivan Turgenev.

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The Career Break Book by Charlotte Hindle etc

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Synopsis
Stop daydreaming at your desk, ditch the nine to five, say ciao to the rat race – take life by the scruff of the neck and give it a shake!

Whether you want to pen a novel, gawp at migrating wildebeest, row the Atlantic or relax on a Goan beach, The Career Break Book is the guide for you.

Questions you’ll ask – answered
What should I do with my house, mortgage, finances, pension, pets, car etc?
How can I ask my employer for time off?
What happens if I take my children out of school?
How will future employers view my career break?
What if I decide not to come back?

(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a few years now and I'm not entirely sure when or where I bought it. Once thing I can be relatively sure of is that I must have picked it up while daydreaming of a life of adventure, Recently I have been wondering if I could do it. Can I leave my comfortable job and go traveling for a year or more? I still don't know the answer to this question but I hoped this book would give me some idea of the things I need to consider should it be possible.

 

The book is broken down into several chapters which includes, tying up loose ends, practical plans, regrets, going traveling, volunteering & conservation, living & working abroad, studying and coming home. Most of the chapters had a lot of value and there is a lot of information to take in. The only chapter that I felt was a little bit weak was the final one, coming home. All the comments from people who had gone through a career break came from people who found it very easy to find work once they had returned. Many of the people worked in the media industry and I would liked to have seen some input from people with everyday jobs.

 

This is a very informative book even if it is a little old now.

 

4/5 (I really liked it).

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Gap Years - The Essential Guide by Emma Jayne Jones

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Synopsis
Gap years are almost a rite of passage these days but they do need careful thought and planning. With so much to sort out, how do you know where to start? This step-by-step guide takes you through the whole process - from planning your trip and funding your travel to organising volunteering programmes and sightseeing. No stone is left unturned as there are even sections highlighting what you should pack and how you can settle back down at home when you return. It is likely that parents and family members will worry about you when you are away. There are chapters dedicated to your health and safety so you can look after your wellbeing when you're off travelling - useful for you and reassuring for those you leave behind. Small enough to fit in your backpack but big on information, this guide will arm you with the essential information needed to enjoy a fun-packed adventure safely and on a budget!
(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I reserved this book at my local library based on the title alone and I had no idea what it would be like. The initial blurb in the front of the book said that the book would be good for traditional gap year travelers and those who have decided to take a trip later in life. Obviously, I would fit into the later category so I hoped that I would find something of use and add to my knowledge gained reading the previous book mentioned above.

 

Having finished the book I think it would be more suited to someone taking a gap year prior to university and only as an introduction to the subject. There is very little in the way of information or content and I burned through the book in no time at all. There was nothing of value to anyone who doesn't fall into the traditional gap year traveler so personally I found this book a let down. Taking a more measured look I can see that the book would be of value to certain readers, just not me. For someone with no idea where to start this could serve as a primer on the subject but that is about all.

 

2/5 (It was OK).

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I'm glad you enjoyed the first book, but it's a shame the second book was a bit of a letdown.

 

Personally, I took a forced break in between my studying, because of health problems. I was too tired to do anything. I was unable to study for my last three exams, so I didn't. I decided to 'what the hell' go make them anyway, and I passed. I had agreed with myself, if I fail them all, I'm seriously going to think about stopping my study (MSc), but if I pass one or two I might want to continue. But I passed all three. Then I took a year off to recover from everything and get medication and help. I found it difficult to start again after that.

 

I can imagine though the situation is totally different if one actually wants to take a fun break, rather than having to stop due to health problems (I don't remember much of that year.. I think I laid in bed a lot, I don't remember much of what I did otherwise). Traveling can be quite fun :).

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I'm glad you enjoyed the first book, but it's a shame the second book was a bit of a letdown.

 

Personally, I took a forced break in between my studying, because of health problems. I was too tired to do anything. I was unable to study for my last three exams, so I didn't. I decided to 'what the hell' go make them anyway, and I passed. I had agreed with myself, if I fail them all, I'm seriously going to think about stopping my study (MSc), but if I pass one or two I might want to continue. But I passed all three. Then I took a year off to recover from everything and get medication and help. I found it difficult to start again after that.

 

I can imagine though the situation is totally different if one actually wants to take a fun break, rather than having to stop due to health problems (I don't remember much of that year.. I think I laid in bed a lot, I don't remember much of what I did otherwise). Traveling can be quite fun :).

 

Sorry for the late reply, I somehow missed this post while reading the new content posted on the forum. I am lucky that I am able to consider the idea of taking a voluntary break instead of having to take one due to illness, injury or redundancy. I'm still not sure what I want to do but if I keep working on the plan slowly then if the times comes and I want to do it I'll have everything in place to do so.

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Father & Sons by Ivan Turgenev

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Synopsis
This new translation by Richard Freeborn makes Turgenev's masterpiece about the conflict between generations seem as fresh, outspoken, and exciting as it was to those readers who first encountered its famous hero. The controversial portrayal of Bazarov, the 'nihilist' or 'new man', shocked Russian society when the novel was published in 1862. The image of humanity liberated by science from age-old conformities and prejudices is one that can threaten establishments of any political or religious persuasion, and is especially potent at the present time. Richard Freeborn is the first translator to have had access to Turgenev's working manuscript. An appendix contains the first English translation of some of Turgenev's preparatory sketches for the novel.
(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

When this book came out of my TBR jar I was unsure how I felt about it. I do quite enjoy Russian literature even though I find it a little hard going at times but I was hoping for a lighter book to emerge from the jar. Looking through what I have read so far this year I noticed that I have a lot of 2 or 3 star reviews and I was hoping for something that I would be able to give a 5 star rating. I also felt a little apprehensive about reading a Wordsworth edition as the translations can be a bit hit and miss.

 

The book focuses on two main characters, Bazarov and Arkady, both young men, who are nihilists. Bazarov is the effective leader of the pair with Arkady being somewhat in awe of him. The book follows a very simple plot in which they visit Arkady's parents and another of his relatives. Along the way at the house of an independent woman called Anna who becomes a love interest to both men. The journey is a largely unremarkable one with the main focus of the book being the interaction between the two men and the older generational characters.

 

The main focus and theme in the book is the striking difference and tension between the younger nihilists and the older traditional generation (and traditional Russian values and the new emerging culture). The tension isn't huge but a duel does happen along the way which felt a little out of place and absurd. On reflection, the duel seems absurd to me, a modern reader, but may well have seemed normal to traditionalist readers who read it when it was published. I can see why the book caused some consternation when it was published but it is hard to image the shock the Bazarov character caused. I can see why this is considered an important book in Russian literature and also why it was well received by western readers.

 

I found the book hard going a lot of the time and in places harder than I found Crime & Punishment by Dostoyesky. I think this is in part down to the translation. It is mentioned that the translation wasn't appreciated initially but grew on the writer of the introduction. The translation didn't grow on me and that is why I feel that I have to give the book 2 out of 5. Perhaps one of the other translations would have sat better with me.

 

2/5 (It was OK).

Edited by Brian.
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Sorry for the late reply, I somehow missed this post while reading the new content posted on the forum. I am lucky that I am able to consider the idea of taking a voluntary break instead of having to take one due to illness, injury or redundancy. I'm still not sure what I want to do but if I keep working on the plan slowly then if the times comes and I want to do it I'll have everything in place to do so.

I hope you will be able to have this break some time in your life, by choice, and that you will enjoy it :).

 

Nice review, it's a shame you didn't enjoy the book so much :(. I hope your next read will be better!

 

Have you read a lot of Wordsworth editions that are bad translations? Are the editions of English books allright to read? I have quite a lot of Wordsworth editions of classics compared with other editions, because the book fair mainly sells the Wordsworth ones (so if I want any other ones, I'll have to order them online which normally costs a lot more. When I bought them at the time I didn't know there were different translations available, I thought all of the books of a title contained the exact same text.). I've only read a couple of Wordsworth editions so far, but I think they were all originally English books, except The Little Prince which I found very readable. Of course, one could argue that instead of reading English translations of foreign books (ie. French and Russian), I could opt for a Dutch translation if it exists, but unless the library has them (which I could check), Dutch-translated books are usually quite expensive.

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Wordsworth Classics editions are cheap editions of classic texts that are published with students and teachers in mind. They come with some really good notes and introductions that they suggest you read after you have finished the book. Any book originally in English will have the same text as other editions but books originally in another language have to be translated. In my experience Penguin Classics tend to use better, but more expensive translators/translations. That is not to say that Wordsworth Classics are bad, some of them are fantastic and better than more expensive editions from other publishers. On occasion though, the translations are worded in a bit of an awkward manner which is what I found with Fathers & Sons. I wouldn't worry about reading any future books from Wordsworth and I wouldn't avoid them at all. Many people have loved this translation, I just didn't get on with it particularly well.

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Have you read a lot of Wordsworth editions that are bad translations? Are the editions of English books allright to read? I have quite a lot of Wordsworth editions of classics compared with other editions, because the book fair mainly sells the Wordsworth ones (so if I want any other ones, I'll have to order them online which normally costs a lot more. When I bought them at the time I didn't know there were different translations available, I thought all of the books of a title contained the exact same text.). I've only read a couple of Wordsworth editions so far, but I think they were all originally English books, except The Little Prince which I found very readable. Of course, one could argue that instead of reading English translations of foreign books (ie. French and Russian), I could opt for a Dutch translation if it exists, but unless the library has them (which I could check), Dutch-translated books are usually quite expensive.

 

Some Wordsworth translators (the pattern seems to be translation from 19th century russian) are disliked because, as Brian said, their translations are worded in an awkward manner; some other translators are able to translate these books to current english, so there's some criticism surrounding Wordsworth. However, I think any of the main publishers (Wordsworth, Penguin, Vintage) wouldn't hand the translation of classics to incapable people, and I've been capable of reading the books just as well. I only read portuguese books in portuguese and the other books are read in english, translations included. The portuguese-translated books are also expensive here, but my motives are more that I want to learn more and adapt to english - also, as I intend to emigrate north, I want my books to remain relevant anywhere I go.

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That makes sense, Sousa. I think your English is quite good :). Which country would you like to go to?

 

Thanks, but I think I fail a lot in basic things. My mother lives in Britain for almost three years and my father lives in the Netherlands for more than ten. I really like both countries, but as I don't know dutch my option is the UK. I'd also like Germany, Denmark and other northern countries from what I've seen in screens and books, but I've never been there. I intend to study, but my future is uncertain. Sometimes I feel like grabbing the suitcase and just leave, to figure out what to do once I get to where I go.

Edited by Sousa
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Thanks, but I think I fail a lot in basic things. My mother lives in Britain for almost three years and my father lives in the Netherlands for more than ten. I really like both countries, but as I don't know dutch my option is the UK. I'd also like Germany, Denmark and other northern countries from what I've seen in screens and books, but I've never been there. I intend to study, but my future is uncertain. Sometimes I feel like grabbing the suitcase and just leave, to figure out what to do once I get to where I go.

I hope you will have a good future. Most people in the Netherlands do speak English but I agree that the UK is probably easier than the Netherlands, in terms of language. To me the idea of just packing up and going is very scary, I'm someone that really needs to plan things and know as much in advance as possible (and that sticks with the old and known and trusted). But I can imagine you feel that way. I hope you will have a nice future, it would be great if you could study a subject you'd like to study and such (is there anything in particular you'd like to study? or would that go too far off topic :P ). You could always try to go on a holiday to another country (if you have the money for it) to get a taste of it. I have been in Germany but never in Denmark nor any of the more northern countries (like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland). I quite liked it in the UK and Germany is nice too. Travel does cost money, time and energy though so it might not be an option. I didn't go on a holiday last year and the year before that we went to the UK for a week, but unfortunately I was so tired I wasn't able to do much at all. I do wish you all the best and hope you will have a nice future, living in a place where you'll be happy.

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I hope you will have a good future. Most people in the Netherlands do speak English but I agree that the UK is probably easier than the Netherlands, in terms of language. To me the idea of just packing up and going is very scary, I'm someone that really needs to plan things and know as much in advance as possible (and that sticks with the old and known and trusted). But I can imagine you feel that way. I hope you will have a nice future, it would be great if you could study a subject you'd like to study and such (is there anything in particular you'd like to study? or would that go too far off topic :P ). You could always try to go on a holiday to another country (if you have the money for it) to get a taste of it. I have been in Germany but never in Denmark nor any of the more northern countries (like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland). I quite liked it in the UK and Germany is nice too. Travel does cost money, time and energy though so it might not be an option. I didn't go on a holiday last year and the year before that we went to the UK for a week, but unfortunately I was so tired I wasn't able to do much at all. I do wish you all the best and hope you will have a nice future, living in a place where you'll be happy.

 

I don't feel comfortable answering here, because they're personal and this is Brian's reading topic. I'll PM you.

 

Brian, you might like this news: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/markcassidycbm/news/?a=115456

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I don't feel comfortable answering here, because they're personal and this is Brian's reading topic. I'll PM you.

 

Brian, you might like this news: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/markcassidycbm/news/?a=115456

 

I just hope that if it happens it will be good and not a huge let down like Prometheus.

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The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss

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Synopsis
The 4-Hour Body is the result of an obsessive quest, spanning more than a decade, to hack the human body. It contains the collective wisdom of hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of jaw-dropping personal experimentation. From Olympic training centers to black-market laboratories, from Silicon Valley to South Africa, Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 4-Hour Workweek, fixated on one life-changing question:

For all things physical, what are the tiniest changes that produce the biggest results?

Thousands of tests later, this book contains the answers for both men and women.

From the gym to the bedroom, it’s all here, and it all works.

(taken from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I've had this kicking around on my Kindle for a few years but for some reason I had not managed to read more than a few paragraphs at most. There is no real reason behind this except for the fact that this book lends itself to dipping in and out of. It can be read in the usual fashion, cover to cover, but I tend to read the chunks that suit my mood at the time. I can't be sure that I have read every word in this book but I am confident that I must have read at least 90% of it. I have listened to some of the Tim Ferriss podcast episodes and he is always very interesting so I had hoped that this book would be more of the same.

 

This book contains a lot of information that is presented in a bit of a haphazard way. Ferriss tends to jump around a lot and edges towards the extreme with his subject at hand. He is an advocate of HGH and isn't afraid of sticking strange substances into his body to see what effect this has. He is also in the enviable position of having access to daily blood tests etc which allow him to track certain parameters and see if his experiments are working. All of this is fascinating but at times very impractical and I can't help compare it to crash dieting. Yes, it probably works, but, it doesn't lend itself to being sustainable over a long period of time. He offers solutions to all manner of biological things, a lot of which seems pretty far fetched.

 

All of this leads me to give the book 3 stars and yet I still feel as though I must be missing something as it was an international bestseller. I think that one of the reasons behind this is the fact that Tim Ferriss is an expert in self marketing. Regardless, the book is quite enjoyable.

 

 

3/5 (I liked it).

Edited by Brian.
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Wordsworth Classics editions are cheap editions of classic texts that are published with students and teachers in mind. They come with some really good notes and introductions that they suggest you read after you have finished the book. Any book originally in English will have the same text as other editions but books originally in another language have to be translated. In my experience Penguin Classics tend to use better, but more expensive translators/translations. That is not to say that Wordsworth Classics are bad, some of them are fantastic and better than more expensive editions from other publishers. On occasion though, the translations are worded in a bit of an awkward manner which is what I found with Fathers & Sons. I wouldn't worry about reading any future books from Wordsworth and I wouldn't avoid them at all. Many people have loved this translation, I just didn't get on with it particularly well.

Would you suggest Wordsworth Classics for books traditionally written in English? Cheap classics sound great to me, because although they are free for kindle often a lot of the time I prefer to actually hold the book in my hands and read it. 

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