Rawr Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I began The Shining yesterday and am now a few chapters in. This is the first I have read any of Stephen King's work and so far I am really enjoying his writing style. I've seen the movie and loved it, hopefully I will the book too. *Edits to book list* I have seen the Kubrick adaptation countless times, i could waffle on about it for hours and bore people to death about it's brilliance and the novel is one of my favourites also, happy reading! Salem's Lot is great too. I liked hearing about your experience of Dante too as i hope to read that myself eventually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 When you do read Dante, make sure to have a book in modern English going at the same time. I find it helps to absorb it better if you don't read the old stuff straight, but that's probably just me because I'm weird Stephen King is very unique. I like his writing style but wish he wouldn't beat around the bush so much. Then again I'm only a few chapters into The Shining so I probably shouldn't judge so early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I shall take that under advisement How so do you mean beat around the bush? I think i understand what you are getting at, but i would be interested as to what particular moments you are pointing out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 For example, the first few pages of the book where Jack was interviewing with Ullman. I was a bit confused because he just kept muttering "Officious little prick". It was pages before it was explained why Ullman was a prick. Sorry, brain is a bit foggy due to lack of sleep at the moment. Like I said, I'm only a couple chapters in, it's probably just getting used to a new author and a new style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 The Shining was probably my introduction to King also, well, my real connection for want of a better description. I had read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon at around fifteen and then began Nightmares and Dreamscapes, the short story collection, but did not 'get' King's style. Then i realised he had written The Shining, so definitely headed over to buy that. When i read the opening i was like man, this dude is strange to open a novel like that Obviously over time i learned that he doesn't really do things by numbers, and although a little odd and off throwing to start by giving that opening and seemingly pointless rant about Ullman, it does show insights into the two characters which is kind of ongoing through sections of the novel, so i suppose it makes sense. It's definitely a heck of an opening though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 28, 2009 Author Share Posted December 28, 2009 The Shining was probably my introduction to King also, well, my real connection for want of a better description. I had read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon at around fifteen and then began Nightmares and Dreamscapes, the short story collection, but did not 'get' King's style. Then i realised he had written The Shining, so definitely headed over to buy that. When i read the opening i was like man, this dude is strange to open a novel like that Obviously over time i learned that he doesn't really do things by numbers, and although a little odd and off throwing to start by giving that opening and seemingly pointless rant about Ullman, it does show insights into the two characters which is kind of ongoing through sections of the novel, so i suppose it makes sense. It's definitely a heck of an opening though That it is! He knows how to keep one curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I think that is King's greatest attribute, he grabs the reader by their curiosity and pulls them along until the mystery is finally revealed, sometimes he has disappointed me, which i suppose is natural in writing, you can't win them all, but more often than not, it is effectively done and well worth the ride Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted December 28, 2009 Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'll be interested to see if you enjoy The Shining CaliLily, it's on my wishlist so I'm looking forward to see what you think of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 29, 2009 Author Share Posted December 29, 2009 I broke out the old Alfred Lord Tennyson poetry book today for a bit of happy reading. Between The Inferno, The Shining and dealing with my evil little devil of a boss I've had enough 'serious' for the time being. Tennyson's works are so beautiful and enchanting that I can fall into them and get lost in thought for hours on end. The one today that I have been really comtenplating is one of his early works (dated 1830) called The Sleeping Beauty. 1 Year after year unto her feet, She lying on her couch alone, Across the purpled coverlet, The maiden's jet-black hair has grown, On either side her tranced form Forth streaming from a braid of pearl: The slumbrous light is rich and warm, And moves not on the rounded curl. 2 The silk star-broider'd coverlid Unto her limbs itself doth mould Languidly ever; and, amid Her full black ringlets downward roll'd, Glows forth each softly-shadow'd arm, With bracelets of the diamond bright: Her constant beauty doth inform Stillness with love, and day with light. 3 She sleeps: her breathings are not heard In palace chambers far apart. The fragrant tresses are not stirr'd That lie upon her charmed heart. She sleeps: on either hand upswells The gold-fringed pillow lightly prest: She sleeps, nor dreams, but ever dwells A perfect form in perfect rest. Maybe it's just my inner little girl who was spoiled with Disney movies, but this poem always makes me smile. It reminds me of the beauty of love and how something as simple as watching one's love sleep can become a treasured stolen moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 30, 2009 Author Share Posted December 30, 2009 I found my old copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales tonight while packing up one of my bookcases and couldn't resist cracking it open. The stories are rather short so I am planning on reading Cinderella before bed. You can never be too old for fairy tales (at least that is what I keep telling myself.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 30, 2009 Author Share Posted December 30, 2009 I finished chapter three in The Shining today and am eagerly waiting to begin four. The torture Jack felt for what he had done to his son really stood out to me and made me connect with him as a character. I love that moment when you are reading and one of the characters touches you in a way that moves them from a complex figment of the author's imagination and transforms them into a real person who you can relate to or sympathize with. So far, definately enjoying the book more than I did the movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 Yes, i had a huge ramble about this over on another board, about the character of Jack, i would be interested as to your thoughts after you have finished the book Very complex and difficult character to place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted December 31, 2009 Author Share Posted December 31, 2009 Definitely. He reminds me of another character from another story but I can't quite figure out who... Seeing as I am only half way through The Inferno and a few chapters into The Shining I have decided to move my Jane Austen challenge to February so that I can finish both of these before beginning such a big undertaking. I love Austen's work and want to give it the attention and focus it deserves. So, reading goals for January are: 1. Finish The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri 2. Finish The Shining by Stephen King 3. Read Bitten by Kelly Armstrong 4. Read Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) Updated Reading List for 2010 TBR: 1. Phantom of the Opera- Gaston Leroux 2. The Glass Lake- Maeve Binchy 3. Little Women- Louisa May Alcott 4. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox- Maggie O' Farrell 5. The Historian- Elizabeth Kostova 6. Essays and Poems- Ralph Waldo Emerson 7. The Divine Comedy- Dante Alighieri 8. The House of the Seven Gables- Nathaniel Hawthorne Yet To Obtain: 1. Bitten (The Women of the Underworld Series)- Kelly Armstrong 2. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (series) - Lauren Willig 3. The Shopaholic Series- Jane Kinsella 4. The Help- Kathryn Stockett 5. The Inkheart Trilogy- Cornelia Funk 6. Salem's Lot- Stephen King 7. The Divinci Code- Dan Brown 8. Interview with the Vampire- Ann Rice 9. Mr. Darcey's Daughters- Elizabeth Aston 10. The Last Witchfinder- James Morrow 11. The Witches of Eastwick- John Updike 12. Of Mice and Men- John Steinback 13. Mysteries of the Benjamin Society- Trenton Lee Stewart 14. Witch and Wizard- James Patterson 15. Her Fearful Symmetry- Audrey Niffenegger 16. Burned- P.C. and Kristen Cast (to be released in 2010) 17. The Break-up Club- Melissa Senate 18. Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens 19. Nicholas Nickleby- Charles Dickens 20. A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens 21. David Copperfield- Charles Dickens 22. A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens 23. Great Expectations- Charles Dickens 24. Running With Scissors- Augusten Burroughs 25. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series- Rick Riordan (borrowed from a friend) 25. The Shack- William P. Young 26. Fallen- Lauren Kate 27. Complete works of Edgar Allan Poe 28. Breathless- Dean Koontz 29. The Last Lecture- Randy Pausch 30. The White Queen- Philippa Gregory 31. Breakfast At Tiffany's- Truman Capote 32. Othello- William Shakespeare 33. Romeo and Juliette- William Shakespeare 34. Brave New World- Aldous Huxley 35. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou 36. Sundays at Tiffany's- James Patterson 37. The Shining- Stephen King 38. The Keeper- Natasha Mostert 39. Philippa Gregory - The Constant Princess 40. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Barnes and Noble Classics Edition) To Re-Read 1. A Child Called It- David Pezer 2. The entire works of Jane Austen 3. Harry Potter 1-7- J.K. Rowling 4. P.S. I Love You- Cecelia Ahren 5. The Time Traveler's Wife- Audrey Niffenegger 6. The entire Sookie Stackhouse Series- Charlene Harris 7. The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare 8. Wicked- Gregory Maguire 9. The Stephanie Plum Series- Janet Evanovich 10. The Complete Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning 11. Mr. B. Gone- Clive Barker 12. Where the Red Fern Grows- Wilson Rawls (Titles highlighted in red are books I have purchaced since making this list) Edited January 8, 2010 by CaliLily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Ugh, this weekend has not been a good one for reading. I think I managed a whopping two paragraphs in The Shining before my eyes started to cross. I had planned to have it finished by the end of the day today so I could get back to focusing on The Divine Comedy, but that is definately not going to happen. Hopefully I will have The Shining finished by the end of the week. On an even more less productive side I managed to purchace a new copy of The Divine Comedy and am now reading that instead of the copy I had. I guess when nothing else interests you in the store, buy the same books you already own, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 Oooh 'The Shack'! I read that, it's not my kind of book at all but I wanted to know what it would say about the subject matter. It's quite an interesting read, though it offers no new insights and the back features shameless pleas for customer promotion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Its sad really that you can't buy a book these days without some form of advertising on them. This was a bestseller when I worked at Barnes and Noble last Christmas time and it has been on my TBR list since working there and seeing how much everyone loved it. It is a very interesting subject matter, hopefully it will be a good read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 1. Phantom of the Opera- Gaston Leroux 5. The Historian- Elizabeth Kostova Bitten (The Women of the Underworld Series)- Kelly Armstrong 11. The Witches of Eastwick- John Updike 18. Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens 19. Nicholas Nickleby- Charles Dickens 20. A Christmas Carol- Charles Dickens 21. David Copperfield- Charles Dickens 23. Great Expectations- Charles Dickens 25. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series- Rick Riordan 31. Breakfast At Tiffany's- Truman Capote 32. Othello- William Shakespeare 33. Romeo and Juliette- William Shakespeare 34. Brave New World- Aldous Huxley 35. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou Wow, we have a lot of books in common when it comes to TBR/wishlist, I'll be following your blog closely to see when you'll be reading these and what you think about them 22. A Tale of Two Cities- Charles Dickens 24. Running With Scissors- Augusten Burroughs I really hope you enjoy these two, A Tale of Two Cities is one of my most favorite reads ever! The first 100 pages or so seemed to drag on a bit for me at least but when you get past that, things start to happen and the going gets good Running with Scissors is also an excellent read, I love Augusten Burroughs's novels! I think this novel has been a Reading Circle book on here at some point so if you're interested just search the forum and you'll find a thread about it. Burroughs has a real talent to write about delicate and disturbing subject matters in a way that one can't help but laugh (if one enjoys dark humour) and only afterwards one may realise that the actual thing is not funny and it's not supposed to be so. Burroughs has written other novels as well and if you enjoy this one I'd definitely recommend you read the other as well Happy reading in 2010 CaliLily! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 3, 2010 Author Share Posted January 3, 2010 Wow, we have a lot of books in common when it comes to TBR/wishlist, I'll be following your blog closely to see when you'll be reading these and what you think about them Burroughs has written other novels as well and if you enjoy this one I'd definitely recommend you read the other as well I'll be following you as well! This year will be an excellent one for literature! I have a friend who is a huge Burrows fan and has been trying for years to get me to read his stuff but I've just been putting it off. The other one she recommended from him is Sellevision. She said it is hillarious, have you read it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 3, 2010 Share Posted January 3, 2010 I have a friend who is a huge Burrows fan and has been trying for years to get me to read his stuff but I've just been putting it off. The other one she recommended from him is Sellevision. She said it is hillarious, have you read it? I haven't read Sellevision yet, it's a fictional novel so I'm not that keen on it, I'm more into Burroughs's memoirs and autobiographical stuff. Running with Scissors is definitely the most hilarious one (it's about his childhood and teenage years), Dry is also funny but a bit more on the serious side occasionally (it's about his early adulthood and his first years in the business world), and Wolf at the Table is not funny at all, it's really dark and gloomy (that one's about his relationship with his father). I've also got Positive Side Effects but I haven't read that one, I think it's a collection of his autobiographical short stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 Positive Side Effects is going on the extended list too. Thanks Frankie! I can't wait to dig into his work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawr Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I've come across Running With Scissors before, but for now, am well advised to avoid adding to my reading mountain until i have scaled a little more of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 I've come across Running With Scissors before, but for now, am well advised to avoid adding to my reading mountain until i have scaled a little more of it Why Rawr, why! Your TBR/wishlist isn't that long... Just this one, tiny little book? It's a really tasty and quick read, you wouldn't regret it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbielleRose Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 I second Frankie, Rawr! Put it on the list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 CaliLily, just in case you miss Kell's post about The Eyre Affair on my reading list, I'd like to give you a heads up: You should definitely read Jane Eyre before reading The Eyre Affair, if you haven't already done so. The Eyre Affair will be so much funnier if you are familiar with the plot of Jane Eyre, otherwise you will miss quite a lot of 'inside jokes' of literary nature. Jane Eyre is a fine book in it's own right as well, so it shouldn't be much of a chore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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