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BookJumper

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  1. BookJumper
    I don't think this 'one book at a time' malarkey is working for me; once a book polygamist, always a book polygamist I fear *goes back to bad old ways*!
  2. BookJumper
    Kidsmum - it's fascinating how the same words can arouse such different feelings in people ! Although I'm both jealous and insecure, I've never sympathised with Othello (that saint of his wife never gave him a reason to doubt her, so it was his own fault he allowed Iago's words to get to him, IMHO), whereas I never fail to cry at Lear loss of daughters, status and sanity, selfishly obtuse though he can be. Fruska - you love Shakespeare? Looks like we have something in common, then ! Hehe isn't Sir Ian marvellous *builds shrine*?
  3. BookJumper
    Now - I don't know whether the book itself is worth much, but considering that uncorrected proof / advance reading copies are rarer hence more valuable than the first editions you find in bookstores, I would expect a legit pre-publication printout to be even rarer hence even more valuable. The value we're talking here might not be anything major though, considering the book's quite recent and all.
  4. BookJumper
    Admittedly, it's not the quickest starter and some bits (particularly the dialogue of the Fool, Edgar as Poor Tom and Lear's ramblings right before the end) are quite difficult to understand; this isn't one I fell in love with overnight like I did with Antony and Cleopatra, which I read in three hours flat barely glancing at the notes. BUT, there's so much of worth in this play for those willing to soldier on! Elements such the touchingly misplaced fatherly affection of Lear & Gloucester and Edmund's superb villainy - he's an even better baddie than Iago, in my opinion, his 'Why b*stard, wherefore base?' speech is pure genius - alone justifying getting to the end with tears streaming down one's face *sob*. ETA: Andrea, I heartily recommend the RSC DVD to you. Ian McKellen can bring the instructions for changing a flat tire to life (and here, from 2.10' onwards, is to back up this claim), so just imagine what he can do to Shakespeare!
  5. BookJumper
    Sorry to hear that, Kidsmum any particular reason you didn't like it?
  6. BookJumper
    That all depends on your definition of scary are you looking for psychological horror, a nice gorefest or something in between?
  7. BookJumper
    One of my favourite of Billie's, this 'un so much so that, mad as I am, I chose to do a scholarly edition of the last 60 lines for a 'Working with Early Modern Texts' essay last year. Not one of the easiest plays IMHO - so you can be proud of yourself, Janet - but definitely one of the most rewarding. I remember our Global/Local Shakespeares professor showed us the RSC version with Ian McKellen at the end of the term, it's funny 'cos she intended to demonstrate just how dogmatic the RSC is when compared to funky interpretations influenced by postcolonial theory... except, the postcolonial interpretations had been all funkily dire and we ended up almost crying with joy upon hearing McKellen's majestic voice speaking the lines properly . Have a nice theatre trip, do let us know whether it was any good !
  8. BookJumper
    The philosopher in me is attracted by the conceits of science fiction, though I would like to point out that if one thinks fantasy isn't about Ideas too, one simply hasn't been reading the right kind of fantasy. But the poet, the storyteller, the scholar and the dreamer in me - which beat the philosopher 4 to 1 - are primarily fantasy readers. Sure there can be clich
  9. BookJumper
    My Mum, Dad and older sister are all avid readers, so the way I've turned out is hardly surprising my Mum in particular always read to me (way after the socially acceptable age I'm happy to say, down with propriety and go quality time) and took me and my sis on regular outings to the library - going to the bookstore to browse for hours was the biggest treat ever, it's still something we still do as a family when the occasion arises in fact, synchronising watches and all .
  10. BookJumper
    Amen Pixie I've spent so much time, energy and money sending back mis-described books that any saving I might have made in the first place vanished entirely up its own rabbit hole...!
  11. BookJumper
    Marvellous in which case, may I heartily recommend for starters: - Keith Miller, The Book of Flying, about a librarian of books only he reads who goes on a journey to acquire wings so that he may win the heart of a winged girl - Carl-Johan Vallgren, The Horrific Sufferings of Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot, His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred (the plot's in the title ) If you're looking for heart-wrenching stories where beauty and horror are spoken of in stunning language, these are for you.
  12. BookJumper
    A question before I start suggesting half a million titles - as long as they feature emotional, heartbreaking journeys, can the books be speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy & science fiction) or do you like your books more or less realistic?
  13. BookJumper
    Indeed it does Chrissy, indeed it does .
  14. BookJumper
    Emilio Salgari is your man. Most of his series (including my favourite, The Black Corsair) have sadly not been entirely translated into English, however you should be able to find all of his Sandokan books on Amazon - they tell of noble, swashbuckling pirates vs. imperialism in India, all with such luscious, feel-like-you're-there description you'd never believe poor Emilio never set a foot out of Italy.
  15. BookJumper
    My sis is an architect - she asks whether anyone knows of any good Science Fiction or Fantasy with her kind in it? She thanks you all in advance for your fabolous suggestions !
  16. BookJumper

    ... you misunderestimate yourself; you have done far more than what you term 'enough'. Your friend and fellow Ffinkling is acutely aware of your presence, and you are mistaken if you think that awareness doesn't provide her with comfort :friends0: for as she has said elsewhere, nothing helps quite like knowing that someone, somewhere, cares, and believe me she knows that you care. Trouble is, she's not opening to anyone right now, least of all herself, for the words going around in her head are the type that only get worse and more oppressive and inescapable if spoken out loud. Tell you what though, she hereby makes you a promise. Should she feel like she cannot hold the painful words in any longer, it is in your ear she'll utter them.

     

    Howzat? xxxxxxx

  17. BookJumper
    I'm a bit of a hoarder of everything and anything, but my main pusuits are signed & dedicated first and / or limited edition books and Beatles merch I used to be a pretty avid coin collector as a child, I still have a folderful thereof gathering dust in a drawer at my parents' house !
  18. BookJumper
    Oooh King Lear is one of my favourite of Bill's Janet, it's so so so good!
  19. BookJumper

    You poor thing...! How about now, any better? Gonna keep asking until you do, hopefully that should get the poorliness sprinting for the front door. You take care xxx

  20. BookJumper

    Thank you for the birthday wishfulness my dear. I'm quite all over the place again if I'm honest though, barely keeping together thanks to coffee, editorial sense of duty, and not wanting to worry the family. I'm trying hard to chill but it's, well, hard. Oh well, still. It must get better, and so must things for you - I hope you're doing even betterer than you were when I heard last. Huggles xxxxxxx

  21. BookJumper

    Yay, huggles :friends0: can really use them right now, I'm not in the best of places, you sound like you could do with a few two hunni so here they are :friends0: turns out I'm a silly and my inbox was full after all, heh *looks around sheepishly*:lurker: you take care sweetheart, and no letting the silly narrowminded people get you down oki? xxxxxx

  22. BookJumper
    There are stickers that don't rip covers or leave residue, they're not cheap but I am quite willing to pay the difference because rub as I may, pencilled prices never disappear entirely from the front page !
  23. BookJumper
    For the time being, here's a Top3: 1. Not having a job in a bookshop by now, though I spend most of my free time automatically re-shelving books in shops and gently informing vacant-eyed booksellers that book x has been mis-categorized and really shouldn't be in the Children's / Science Fiction / Whatever section. 2. While I object to book vandalism in all its forms (corner-folding, spike breaking, coaster-replacement, lack-of-preparatory-ablutions etc.), the one that gets me the most is when dealers pencil prices into second-hand books. Stickers may be expensive, but I for one would happily pay my second-hand books more if it meant getting them unspoilt. Inscriptions of the dedicatory variety add charm, which is why I ask people who give me books as presents to write something in them, but there's not much charm in '
  24. BookJumper
    I wasn't a fan of Baricco's Oceano Mare RW, but who knows, it might improve upon translation ! As for suggestions, the best descriptions - full stop, including a whole lot of oceans as he tended to write mainly about piratey types from around the globe - are in my humble opinion those of Emilio Salgari, who never stepped out of Italy in his life and yet could make you believe he must have sailed the seven seas personally, surely. His best series by far is that of The Back Corsair, although sadly only the first book of five of the same name has ever been translated into English - a project for me, methinks. The Sandokan series however, is eleven books long, pretty much all of which have been translated into English I think. It starts with The Mystery of the Black Jungle. You're welcome .
  25. BookJumper

    Aw :) I had a nice chilled day with strawberry cake and everything, thank you. Hope you're feeling better now xxx

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