sirinrob

...recount a past...

If my memory doesn't fail me, didn't I really once....

Raymond Chandler

Though I haven't read The Alchemist yet, I have read Brida, one of his later books. Like Brida has mentioned he writes in a deliberately simplified style. I found it engaging, and conveyed his points well. From the various comments alreay made, he is an author you like or hate; I like his work.

Norman Mailer

Can a person really say what they have done or....

I'm about halfway through the first section of 'Your Face tomorrow: Fever and spear' by Marais. This is engrossing writing, as well as being thought provoking. Also ordered my copy of 'Heresy' by S J Parris. So just hope those nice people at amazon send it my way soon;)

Welcome Brian!

One book that went unfinished into the recycle bin was 'Winkie' Clifford Chase - the writing is dire. Rare for me but to me this was unreadable tosh. ETA this is the only book I have recycled as I wouldn't inflict it on anybody else. Books I do dislike normally go to charity shops.

I don't really have a problem remembering plots of books I have read, but for some that I read 30 years ago the memory is a little fuzzy

I agree with what Bookjumper has said. I'm relatively inexperienced as a writer, but I have noticed that my style has improved as I've progressed further with my current writing project. I reread the first chapter last night. Whilst it captures what I want to say, it will need extensive revision to bring into line with later chapters and the overall style I have established. I've mentioned this on another thread but mapping out the concept of what you want to write is a useful technique. Happy writing!

welcome! I'll leave the question of writing guides to others, but if the name Javier Marais is not on your list then I would add it.

Now I've read P&P, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northhanger Abbey and Emma, I'm in a better position to comment. I like her style, characterization and eye for detail. The only one I wouldn't read again is Emma as I found it tedious and the character of Emma herself annoying. So I do enjoy Austen

Just started 'Your Face Tomorrow 1: Spear and Fever' by Javier Mar

Well thats the stance I take, tried to read some awful books occasionally only to dispatch them to the recycle bin.

I sympathise with that Kell. It is annoying and shouldn't happen , but as you know it does. I'm a little more lenient on translations, but some are so bad they are unreadable. I've found that the more obscure in terms of market presence, the better the proofreading/ editorship tends to be. As a society we seem to be putting quantity shipped ( read profit) above quality.

In the case of books with mass appeal publishers seem to have the idea that they can push anything out the door so long as they make a profit. Sadly many of the target audience for such books, don't seem to spot the errors or simply don't care. They have the latest coolest book around and it earns them brag rights. BCF members are less tolerant of this trend, but I would suggest we are a minority in the face of the mass marketing publishing world.

Have to agree on the lack of proofreading/ editing. I may be inexperienced as a writer, but I do proofread my own work. Continuity errors are a bane of a writer's life, but with due care they can be eliminated. Some books I've read or more correctly tried to read were so poorly edited, they were in the recycle bin without being finished. Fortunately that's rare as I'm picky on what i read

Read 'Best European Fiction 2010' today. This a collection of short stories selected by Aleksander Hemon. It's an eclectic mixture drawn from 35 countries. Helped make a good dent into my World challenge - Liechtenstein amongst others

I've downloaded the Lite version of the 2010 spreadsheet today. Quick scan through and I've notched up 83 books, sure with a more detailed look I could bump that up a tad. Sticking with this one. Mulling over the possibility of turning this into a database, could extend the functionality quite easily ... hmmm

some new authors I enjoyed this month: Marcio Antonio Flores, Naguib Mahfouz and Samuel Beckett William Heinsen proved to be a slight disappointment

Interesting to note that FWA makes ref to 'Independent People' by Hallodor Laxness in regard to this list. I've searched high and low through the Arukiyomi spreadsheet, but no luck. I have read the book, so a tick in the box be nice lol. Anyone spotted this one?

'Great Expectations' is one of Dickens better books imo. As a journalist he spun his narrative out and to some extent sensationalist it. This is enjoyable.

About a quarter of the way through 'Train to Trieste' by Dominica Radulescu, gritty but interesting.

In my review I only mentioned the main points that were made in the book, but there were many other social issues highlighted. I'll read it again at some point.