vinay87 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 (edited) Main Post. This lists the books I've read or am planning to definitely read/buy+read ASAP. TBR Pile Completed : 1. Roger Stern - The Life and Death of Superman 2. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Retelling by N K Sandars; Penguin Classics version with an introduction) 3. Edward Gibbon - The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire (Abridged; The Modern Library edition) 4. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Penguin) 5. Terry Pratchett - Mort 6. Conn Iggulden - Genghis : Birth of an Empire / Conqueror : Wolf of the Plains 7. Ramachandra Guha - India After Gandhi 8. Reading : 1. Guy Gavriel Kay - Tigana 2. Carl Sagan - Cosmos Queued Reads : 1. Neil Gaiman - Coraline 2. Conn Iggulden - Genghis : Lords of the Bow 3. J. R. R. Tolkien - The Children of Hurin 4. Brandon Sanderson - The Way of Kings 5. H. P. Lovecraft - 67 Tales of Horror Dropped/Postponed : 1. Isabel Allende - Zorro (Reason : Allende can't write. At least her translators can't. She ruined a good chance for a magnificent story. I'm never buying another of her books again.) Edited August 15, 2012 by vinay87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Vinay Loved The Count of Monte Cristo .Hope you enjoy it as well . Also I haven't read Zorro, but have read House of the Spirits by Allende. It was VERY good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Namaste Vinay Happy New Year mate. You have a lot of both English and Indian classics on your TBR pile. Today I found a version of the Ramayana , it is a modernised shortened version by NK Naryan. Is it worth reading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Vinay Loved The Count of Monte Cristo .Hope you enjoy it as well . Also I haven't read Zorro, but have read House of the Spirits by Allende. It was VERY good . Thanks Julie! I'm familiar with the story of the Count of Monte Cristo, and I've even read a part of it several times before, but I've never had the chance to finish it. I have a decent 3 hour commute to work every day now so I am putting that to good use. I haven't been too curious about Allende's work but I picked up Zorro since I'm a fan of the TV show of the 90s and the movies. Allende's writing leaves a lot to be desired, and honestly it's like she doesn't feel the same awe when she writes about Zorro as everyone who grew up reading the comics or watching the TV shows would have. I doubt she had any interest in the character until the people who own the rights came to her asking her to write the book. It's sad since there's so much potential there. Namaste Vinay Happy New Year mate. You have a lot of both English and Indian classics on your TBR pile. Today I found a version of the Ramayana , it is a modernised shortened version by NK Naryan. Is it worth reading? Hello James and a very happy new year to you too! I'm guessing you mean RK Narayan's book. If so, then I'm not familiar with it. I think it's a very short version of it but sure, do go ahead since you always gain more while reading a larger version next if the story piques your interest. I know the story, but there's so much there that's obscured by the religious outlook people have maintained about it. Ashok Banker's version is supposedly very true to the original mythology and it does not contain any religious bias about it. In my opinion, the story is too overshadowed by the Mahabharatha and that should not be the case since it carries its own when read with a non-religious view of things. The story is one of my favourite, and I'm not too religious even though I'm a Hindu. I'm currently reading Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and it is a fascinating book. I was skeptical about the subject at first: why would anyone want to write about just the fall of the empire when they could have written about the rise? Now I see I'm wrong. The story of the Roman Empire is the story of its fall. Every emperor after the first Caesars was taking it towards it, in his own way. The Modern Library Classics version is apparently the only one that contains an abridged version of each and every chapter of the original text. There are no annotations and honestly, none are required for Gibbon's own narrative reads like a story of its own. I'm a quarter of the way through the 1000+ page book and it is amazing. I'm going to buy the Wordsworth edition too since it apparently contains the full text of the first few chapters. I recommend it to anyone who loves history or even a good story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I tried one by Allende a while back - Daughter of Fortune - after hearing loads of rave reviews of it. I wasn't impressed and only rated it 2/5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Was it translated from the original as well? I wonder if it's her writing itself or the translator who's doing a bad job. You know, that could make an interesting discussion. Do translators ruin books or are they already badly written? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 15, 2012 Share Posted January 15, 2012 I'm currently reading Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and it is a fascinating book. I was skeptical about the subject at first: why would anyone want to write about just the fall of the empire when they could have written about the rise? Now I see I'm wrong. The story of the Roman Empire is the story of its fall. Every emperor after the first Caesars was taking it towards it, in his own way. The Modern Library Classics version is apparently the only one that contains an abridged version of each and every chapter of the original text. There are no annotations and honestly, none are required for Gibbon's own narrative reads like a story of its own. I'm a quarter of the way through the 1000+ page book and it is amazing. I'm going to buy the Wordsworth edition too since it apparently contains the full text of the first few chapters. I recommend it to anyone who loves history or even a good story. This sounds rather fascinating, might have to add to it to the wishlist, so thanks Vinay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 This sounds rather fascinating, might have to add to it to the wishlist, so thanks Vinay. Indeed! I mean I didn't know until reading it that Rome had been auctioned off after the Caesar's own Praetorian guards killed him. And the post Christ story of Christianity is really illuminating too. One line of Gibbon's is something I'll never forget. "Jews were a nation but Christians were a sect." That is how he explains Christianity's oppression while Jews enjoyed a form of freedom in Roman times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Complete TBR Pile (Queued books not included here): Auel, Jean M. — The Earth's Children series Cervantes, Miguel de — Don Quixote Donaldson, Stephen — The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan — Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Short Stories (2 Volumes) Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan — The Lost World Mohammed — The Qur'an Unknown — The Egyptian Book of the Dead King, Stephen — Carrie King, Stephen — The Stand King, Stephen — The Eyes of the Dragon Scott, Sir Walter — Ivanhoe Scott, Sir Walter — Rob Roy Sholokhov, Mikhail — Quiet Flows The Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Got a good haul today 1. Treasury of World Masterpieces : Edgar Allan Poe : The Complete Tales of Mystery and Imagination; The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym; The Raven and Other Poems. (Around $7) 2. The Epic of Gilgamesh 3. Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations (Books 1 - 3) (Pelican/Penguin classics edition) 4. David Crystal - How Language Works I haven't finished Gibbon yet but I can't wait to begin Gilgamesh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'm in awe of you reading Decline and Fall..., Vinay. I bought it recently but it's such a daunting size (even the abridged version!) that it'll be a while before I psyche myself up to read it. This sounds rather fascinating, might have to add to it to the wishlist, so thanks Vinay. It's also on the Rory list, Ben. Richard Gilmore tells Rory he's reading it. Got a good haul today I agree - great haul! I'd love to read The Epic of Gilgamesh one day, and I have the Crystal book on my TBR pile. Poe is an awesome writer, I think. Have you read anything by him before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'm in awe of you reading Decline and Fall..., Vinay. I bought it recently but it's such a daunting size (even the abridged version!) that it'll be a while before I psyche myself up to read it. ... I agree - great haul! I'd love to read The Epic of Gilgamesh one day, and I have the Crystal book on my TBR pile. Poe is an awesome writer, I think. Have you read anything by him before? Decline is an easy read Kylie! If we have the same edition (modern library classics) then it is a really decent read! Though it's unedited to be honest. Begin it and you will not be tempted to stop midway! Gilgamesh is a tiny book, at least the Penguin classics version is. Do buy it soon! I bought the Crystal book because I'm interested in languages for my book. I've only read Poe's Raven. I was hoping to buy this edition some day, or at least the complete Penguin edition but this was so much cheaper and looked so beautiful that I could not resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 A friend of mine also said Decline and Fall... is an easy read, and I think funny in parts? I think I bought the Wordsworth edition, so it's a bit different to yours. I read a bit about The Epic of Gilgamesh in some non-fiction books I read quite a few years ago (by Zecharia Sitchen - I think his theories are similar to Erich Von Daniken's). It really piqued my interest in reading the original text. Does it look like being a difficult read (in terms of the style of writing)? That is a really nice edition of Poe. I have a paperback copy of his complete tales and poems. It's obviously quite a lengthy book, so I've since bought The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym as a standalone book (I think that might be his longest story). I'll probably buy a couple of the shorter collections as well, just for ease of reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) A friend of mine also said Decline and Fall... is an easy read, and I think funny in parts? I think I bought the Wordsworth edition, so it's a bit different to yours. I read a bit about The Epic of Gilgamesh in some non-fiction books I read quite a few years ago (by Zecharia Sitchen - I think his theories are similar to Erich Von Daniken's). It really piqued my interest in reading the original text. Does it look like being a difficult read (in terms of the style of writing)? That is a really nice edition of Poe. I have a paperback copy of his complete tales and poems. It's obviously quite a lengthy book, so I've since bought The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym as a standalone book (I think that might be his longest story). I'll probably buy a couple of the shorter collections as well, just for ease of reading. Ouch, the Wordsworth edition supposedly lacks all the chapters. That's why this is a difficult book to purchase. The Modern Library Classics edition is the only one with all of the chapters. And it's the only one which focusses on the religious part and not the wars. I want to buy the Wordsworth edition too. Decline is worth at least 2 reads from different editions I can't stop ogling at the Poe book I hope I get to open it before it is drenched in drool. The edition of Gilgamesh I purchased is a very short version, and apparently frowned upon since the entire thing is only 130 pages long and more than half of that is the introduction. I think a book like this is best for the first read. The language is really good, very easy and sounds like a fairy tale. It's from penguin and more of a retelling than a translation by N K Sandars. I like the book, despite the reviews since I'm not Assyrian and do not want to spend my time with footnotes and outdated references to dead kings. My reason for buying Gilgamesh is to hear a good story, which is why the poem must've been composed in the first place. Also, this is a prose retelling by the way. Edited January 22, 2012 by vinay87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ooshie Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'm currently reading Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and it is a fascinating book. I was skeptical about the subject at first: why would anyone want to write about just the fall of the empire when they could have written about the rise? Now I see I'm wrong. The story of the Roman Empire is the story of its fall. Every emperor after the first Caesars was taking it towards it, in his own way. The Modern Library Classics version is apparently the only one that contains an abridged version of each and every chapter of the original text. There are no annotations and honestly, none are required for Gibbon's own narrative reads like a story of its own. I'm a quarter of the way through the 1000+ page book and it is amazing. I'm going to buy the Wordsworth edition too since it apparently contains the full text of the first few chapters. I recommend it to anyone who loves history or even a good story. Hi Vinay My son was recently saying that he would like to know more about Rome in its decline, which reminded me that I have Decline and Fall on the shelf, so I have been looking at it over the last few weeks. My Dad, who gave it to me, highly recommended it and said that the use of language is very enjoyable as well as the subject matter being very interesting. The edition he gave me was the Folio Society edition, which is two sets of four books each, which means that each individual book is only 300 pages or so long, which makes it seem much more manageable! Thanks for your comments, they have helped make up my mind to start on it some time this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted January 23, 2012 Author Share Posted January 23, 2012 Hi Vinay My son was recently saying that he would like to know more about Rome in its decline, which reminded me that I have Decline and Fall on the shelf, so I have been looking at it over the last few weeks. My Dad, who gave it to me, highly recommended it and said that the use of language is very enjoyable as well as the subject matter being very interesting. The edition he gave me was the Folio Society edition, which is two sets of four books each, which means that each individual book is only 300 pages or so long, which makes it seem much more manageable! Thanks for your comments, they have helped make up my mind to start on it some time this year! Folio Society Edition?! I'm really envious of you right now! But I'd recommend getting an abridged version still, it's heavy duty enough as it is. Yes, Decline is definitely enjoyable. I just finished the second part and now I'm on to the third (will begin tomorrow en route to work) I started reading Gilgamesh, skipped the introduction and went right to the text. Only 20 pages left to go — which isn't saying much, the main story is just 60 pages long mind you. I'll add a "review" of sorts as soon as I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Finished The Epic of Gilgamesh, this translation read like a bedtime story and was quite entertaining. It has definitely piqued my interest enough to want to buy an expanded translation some day. The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest epics to have been found, predating the Homeric epics by at least a thousand years. The story is of a king called Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third man, in Uruk who is oppressing the people into tutelage. The Gods make a wild man called Enkidu and the story unfolds to reveal how Enkidu is "tamed" by a prostitute's vices and how he comes to meet Gilgamesh, fighting him until he loses. Gilgamesh befriends Enkidu and together, they attack Humbaba, the god of a vast forest. Enkidu warns Gilgamesh against this but he doesn't listen to his friend's advice. The story contains a lot of Assyrian mythology, and I haven't encountered any of these names before, so it was very interesting to read. I think a complete reread will let me enjoy the story further, when I have time for it. At least only when I'm through with Gibbon, as for which I'm only about two-thirds of the way through it. It gets too tedious now, it's hard to keep track of all the Caesars who've ruled for barely a month or two. I will not stop though, this book is one of the best on history I've ever read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Gibbon's still going on, haven't read much in the last month or so I'm afraid. Bought a few new books, hopefully will be the last books I buy for sake of wanting to save money so I can move to another town for my next job. 1. The Nibelungenlied 2. The Song of Roland 3. Alexandre Dumas - Louise de la Valliere (Pocket hardcover! Cannot believe I found this!) 4. Alexandre Dumas - The Man in the Iron Mask (Bought a pocket hardcover!) 5. Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre (Read it before, bought it for the sweet gold embossed leather binding. Reserving it as a gift for my best friend though!) I plan on finishing Gibbon within this week and beginning the D'Artagnan Romances immediately. I was waiting to get all the books and now that I have most of them, excepting the Vicomte de Bragellone, I can begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Completed The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. I salute the man for writing this, and I hope I can read the entire collection some time before I die. I'll try rereading this book before the year ends, it's a good month's read and I haven't really paid much attention for the last one-third of the book. The information density increases as the book ends and he jumps back and forth a lot. But it's still readable and this really could bethe greatest book on history ever written or even attempted. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the Roman Empire. Next up are the D'Artagnan Romances! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 Put the D'Artagnan Romances up for hold while I read through India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha. It's an awesome read about India post 1947 which anyone remotely interested in the current situation in India should read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Hello there fellow Indian I've seen your posts around the forum, and just popped in to say a quick hello. Whereabouts are you from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted July 5, 2012 Author Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hello there fellow Indian I've seen your posts around the forum, and just popped in to say a quick hello. Whereabouts are you from? Yikes I'm late for this one. Heya, I'm from Bangalore. Where are you from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Hi Vinay congrats on finishing your book. Is that the one I read an extract of a couple of years back or something completely different? What are you going to do with it now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bree Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Yikes I'm late for this one. Heya, I'm from Bangalore. Where are you from? Ah, nammururavaru! Nice! I guessed Karnataka seeing your name I'm no longer there though - left a few years ago - and now hardly recognise the place when I go back to visit my mum. It has changed so much hasn't it? I sometimes get quite homesick for the gentle Bangalore I grew up in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinay87 Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi Vinay congrats on finishing your book. Is that the one I read an extract of a couple of years back or something completely different? What are you going to do with it now? what you read is the prologue I guess. It's 230000 words long now and completely unrecognizable. It's also different from any fantasy I've come across and falls more along the lines of mythology now. You still abstain from reading fantasy? If you or your friends want to read a different take on it, let me know. I didn't 'advertise' it here because I'm not a regular as such and I'm not sure what the rules regarding that are right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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