Mac
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Posts posted by Mac
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Thanks for this review, Lucybird. On the strength of this, I think I'll get the book. I'm one of these guys that, once everybody is telling me to go and see something, I dig my heals in and scream 'Nooooooooooooooooooo!', but I'll make a concession and read the book...he heh he
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Giving this one another shot
I thought this was one of the best books I've ever read. Do give it another go. Good luck!
Jack Reacher ordered espresso, double, no peel, no cube, foam cup, no china, and before it arrived at his table he saw a man's life change forever.
The Hard Way by Lee Child
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Yes indeed, do. You won't be disappointed. Enjoy it
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Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
When he hears her favourite Beatles song, Toru Watanabe recalls his first love Naoko, the girlfriend of his best friend Kizuki. Immediately he is transported back almost twenty years to his student days in Tokyo, adrift in a world of uneasy friendships, casual sex, passion, loss and desire - to a time when an impetuous young woman called Midori marches into his life and he has to choose between the future and the past.
This is the first real time I've ever tried to put my thoughts about a book down in words. Along with everyone else, I'm sure, I find certain books striking a chord within me and therefore feel them to be more personal. This is one of those times. Being a private sort of chap, I'm experiencing difficulty in saying how and why this book affected me so, but here goes. Apologies if I'm rubbish at it.
The protagonist, Watanabe, focusses heavily on the past, on death and on the conflicts he finds between social situations and his own core beliefs. The skillful way Murakami (as usual) deals with this is extraordinarily thought provoking and made me wander off into my own world on more than one occasion. Obviously, because paralells can be drawn between Watanabe's past and my own, it is bound to have at least some effect upon me.
Interestingly, I went out late last night, after I had finished the book, to pick up my girlfriend from a night out in town. Increasingly, over the last few years, I have really struggled with town night life, preferring a quiet one in my local pub, or even a bottle of wine at home. Driving through the town to the arranged pick-up point, I was watching the behaviours of the...shall we say lubricated?...revellers and feeling all sorts of anxieties (nothing unusual here, really) which made me want to remain in the safe confines of my car.
The novel hightened these feelings, I'm sure. I connected with the prose, which is very gentle, evocative and beautiful. Do you know what I mean if I say it sang to me? Despite some of the content, I find Murakami's writing lullaby-like. Does that sound weird?
Also, what I found curious is that, again - like Kafka On The Shore - the sex in the novel seemed to be detached, clinical, almost as if he was describing how to make a smoothie or the actions required to set up a PA system. In other words, I wouldn't have a problem recommending this to my mum, because it's so matter-of-fact.
All in all, I loved the book. It's a novel that will stay within me. As chrysalis_stage says:- Read Haruki Murakami :eek2:
10/10 definitely
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and hello to you Bookologist. I wish I'd thought of that name, dammit. My imagination limited me to what people call me. Sad, isn't it?
Have fun here. It's great.
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I'm often lumped in with cheese...I wonder what that says about me...?
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I don't even know what Corn Bread is, except Tom Hanks' wife made it real nice in the Green Mile.
I love all foods Italian. I love a good curry. I love fresh, fresh, fresh Chinese food. I love bacon sandwiches with cheese and tomatoes.
I love food. I love real ale. I love good, red wine. I love single malts from the western Isle's of Scotland.
I hate Olives.
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Ah-ha! I thought it could possibly be him. Is he your top choice for the guy, then?
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Who is he? I can't even tell. My dad reckons that chap David Morse should play him.
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OMG the wasp factory! i had forgot all bout, just thinking about bits of it makes me cringe. Has anyone read Skallagrig(sp) by william horwood i think?, been that long since i read it!. Its about people with pysichal and learning disabilities living in an institution. i am a nurse for people with learning disabilities and some of the content in the book made me glad that i wasnt part of it back then! A brilliant book i loved it but the abuse scenes very uncomfortable reading.
I work with learning disabilities and found the book Weathercock by Glen Duncan most disturbing, probably more so because of my job. The Wasp Factory I thought was marvellous. Can't get enough of Iain Banks. What a dude!
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Hey there. I'm impressed that you stuck with the novel (although, if you have to justify hating something in front of a panel, it's often good to have the big picture, I guess). I just can't seem to do this. If I am reading something that doesn't keep me ensnared, I get fidgety and chuck the book away. It's a bad habit that I could do with breaking, because some novels are possibly slow burners.
Take Donna Tartt for example. I adored The Secret History and waited most patiently for her second novel but was terribly disappointed with it and barely got half-way through the blessed thing before I said "Whoa, Tiger! Life's too short!"
I probably need to have a word with myself.
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Ayup. There is talk of Hollywood making a film featuring Lee Child's fantastic character Jack Reacher (honestly, if you haven't read this chap, you must - it's what the non-word 'unputdownable' was invented for).
Casting an actor for this role must be extraordinarily difficult. Have a go yourself.
What about Dwayne Johnson? He could be half French, couldn't he? He's certainly big enough...
Cheers!
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Hello! my first time on here but wanted to say I LOVE Lee Child! 'Killing Floor' and 'Persuader' are my favourites so far. Reacher is amazing! When will there be a film?!
There is talk of these books being made into a film, but the casting of Jack Reacher is proving to be very difficult. One element of this is that there are hundreds of thousands of men and women alike who love this guy and have a very specific idea about what he's like. How would you decide who to cast? Any ideas? The blurb on the back says; "Men want to be him. Women want to be with him." This is, at first reading, extraordinarily cheesy with extra cheese on top - it put me off reading these books for a few years! - but once you read them, it turns out to be so true! I might start a little thread here...hang on...
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Do you think that one-day-reading says something about the book?
I do. It also says that you're on holiday. The one book I read in one go was The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Started at 8.30, finished by the evening. I read Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff in two days, mind, and that was only over a weekend. I wasn't much fun as company that weekend, I can tell you...
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I'm on it! I'm on it! (Nice shiny reference, Chrissy!)
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How come you've read so many books so far this year? I must read really slowly because it takes me about a week to get through a novel, what with work and the like. God help me when I begin my degree for real at the end of the year! Very impressive, Kate.
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I really enjoy Robert Rankin's books. I started off with The Antipope and just fell in love with his eccentric characters immediately. I really enjoyed the Armageddon trilogy as well. I find him very funny.
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Hi Mia. I totally agree with you about the wondrous Joss Whedon. I think he's a genius. I haven't yet seen Firefly but really loved Serenity. I have my brother to thank for the Buffy/Angel stuff, as he sent me the complete collections a while ago on DVD, God bless his cotton socks.
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My first sci-fi book was The Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
My first fantasy book was The Hobbit by Tolkien.
My first horror book was The Shining by Stephen King.
There you are. Three good'un's certainly.
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Revommendations, anyone?
Typo's, eh? -
Hello there, Nicola. I quite agree with you on the topic of our chum Chuck. There's another author that's fairly similar called Glen Duncan. He's one of these guys where, just like you, I arrive at certain points in the middle and go "Whoa there, mister! I'm going to put you over there for a while and play with some cute kittens!" just to bring nice things back into my disturbed brain. He is quite, quite brilliant, however. I would highly recommend I, Lucifer and Weathercock by him. Ooh, and Death of an Ordinary Man. This is very good also.
I hope this finds you tickety-boo. Probe more if you require further revommendations and chat.
Pip pip and toodles for now.
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A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips, eh? :DFunnily enough, it was my brother who taught me that...
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I used to listen to Catherine Wheel a fair bit in the nineties, and I really liked the band Jellyfish, whom I had the fortune to meet whilst I was playing in LA in 1994. Which was nice...(I keep making Fast Show references today - it must be this cold I've got)...
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I can't stand platitudes, silly facts which are nowhere to be found but in the stereotyped image we've build in our heads. I tend to avoid them as the worst thing ever. But my italian brain couldn't help showing me a smoking serving of spaghetti with tomato sauce and Parmiggiano chees on top. at least is not pizza
Ah, the cultural stereotype! Worry not, my friend! I could just have easily said bangers and mash myself.
However. I really do prefer your rather excellent choice. Italian is, has been and always will be my very favourite country for food. There's so much choice! Oooh, I'd go wild...
Favourite Comfort Foods...
in Food, Cooking & Recipes
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I've just demolished an entire 100g block of Sainsbury's own Dark Chocolate with chilli. My heart might now be banging like the clappers but, by gum, it's worth it!