Athena Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Although I haven't read either of the Murakami yet I would definitely read 1984 sooner rather than later as it's one of my favourite books. I started with Norwegian Wood, a book I didn't expect to particularly like but I ended up falling in love with. After that I read a lot of his smaller books, both fiction and non-fiction and really enjoyed all of them so I don't think you can go wrong no matter where you start. Thanks for this post, both your comment on 1984 and your comment on Murakami's books, are very encouraging . I have 1984 on my TBR, I read Animal Farm a few months ago and really liked it, so I look forward to see what this book is like. I liked the George Orwell's writing style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Hi Brian long time no see! Your books are as interesting as ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 The Murakami looks very interesting, great review! I've only read a few of his, including 1Q84, well worth it Brian!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 23, 2014 Author Share Posted November 23, 2014 Empire of the Sun by J.G. BallardSynopsisBased on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai - a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in own time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged.(taken from Goodreads)My Thoughts I've had this book on my radar for a while. In part this is because I know the movie is meant to be excellent and also because it appears in my edition of the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die. While I was dropping off some books at my local Oxfam book shop I spied a copy on the shelf, parted with £1 and it was mine. I thought that it may sit on the TBR pile for a while but it kept calling me from the bookcase so yesterday morning I decided to give it a go. As someone who was educated in the UK I don't know a great deal about WWII in south east Asia as most of our history lessons about the war are about the politics and the European theatre of war. I do know a little about the old colonial history of Great Britain and while it helped a little with this book it certainly isn't a prerequisite. One of the things that really stands out with the book is that there are no real heroes in the traditional sense. There is very little focus on the combatants of war and the lines of friends and enemies become very blurred. Even though he is a child in a very difficult situation I couldn't help but question some of his decisions. Knowing that parts of the book are borrowed from Ballard's own childhood makes the tale even more harrowing. Although this is a work of fiction, due to the size of the war the things in this book are likely to have happened to someone somewhere. There is certainly no glorification of war and no nation comes off well. People will do whatever necessary to survive at times of need, even if it involves pushing others aside. This is a basic truth of the human condition and it makes the human rare seem very uncaring when faced with our past. I whizzed through this book in no time at all and I just couldn't put it down. It has been a while since a book has done this to me and I can see why it won awards and why it has stood the test of time. 5/5 (It was amazing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 (edited) Synopsis Based on J. G. Ballard's own childhood, this is the extraordinary account of a boy's life in Japanese-occupied wartime Shanghai - a mesmerising, hypnotically compelling novel of war, of starvation and survival, of internment camps and death marches. It blends searing honesty with an almost hallucinatory vision of a world thrown utterly out of joint. Rooted as it is in the author's own disturbing experience of war in own time, it is one of a handful of novels by which the twentieth century will be not only remembered but judged. (taken from Goodreads) 5/5 (It was amazing). Interesting, I will definitely try this out next year, perhaps even sooner- thanks for the review! I do not know much about that part of WW2 either. Most of my WWII lessons were on the holocaust. edit- I have Crash on my list for next year as well. Edited November 23, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Another for the wishlist, thanks for the great review Brian Like you, most of my World War II knowledge is of the European theatre and the Holocaust. Sounds interesting to look at it from another perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Empire of the sun is sitting on my TBR pile. Definitely pushing it up the list now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Looks like I got a bit carried away in the bookstore today. I swear this will be the last batch of books I buy for a while. In case the photo isn't very clear For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway The Boy In the Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury The Elephant Vanishes - Haruki Murakami Island - Aldous Huxley The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald The Samurai Inheritance - James Douglas (Part of a series but looks like it should be ok as a stand alone) Ham on Rye - Charles Bukowski Burmese Days - George Orwell Delta of Venus - Anais Nin A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I hope you enjoy your new books ! There are a lot of famous ones in there. I haven't read any of them but I have some on my TBR and some on my wishlist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Wow- you have some great taste Some of my favorites are The Bell Jar and Grapes of Wrath. For Whom the Bell Tolls is one of my top 3 books of all time. I have The Martian Chronicles, The Great Gatsby, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas and Burmese Days all on my TBR! Nice purchases (if I do say so myself ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Totally agree with Anna. You have awesome taste! I've read and loved a few of them (Boyne, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and Plath), and I have most of the rest on my TBR pile or wish list. Looks like you have lots of great reading ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 I hope you enjoy your new books ! There are a lot of famous ones in there. I haven't read any of them but I have some on my TBR and some on my wishlist. Thanks, I'm sure I will enjoy all of them. Wow- you have some great taste Some of my favorites are The Bell Jar and Grapes of Wrath. For Whom the Bell Tolls is one of my top 3 books of all time. I have The Martian Chronicles, The Great Gatsby, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas and Burmese Days all on my TBR! Nice purchases (if I do say so myself ). I've only heard good things about The Bell Jar and it appears in many 'greatest' lists so I just had get it. I confess that I know nothing else about the book but I really like it that way with my books. Totally agree with Anna. You have awesome taste! I've read and loved a few of them (Boyne, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck and Plath), and I have most of the rest on my TBR pile or wish list. Looks like you have lots of great reading ahead. Most of them are off of my wishlist and that is based mainly on the '1001 Books' list and the reviews etc by people on this forum. I can't wait to get stuck into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Homage to Catalonia by George OrwellSynopsis'Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism as I understand it.' Thus wrote Orwell following his experiences as a militiaman in the Spanish Civil War, chronicled in Homage To Catalonia. Here he brings to bear all the force of his humanity, passion and clarity, describing with bitter intensity the bright hopes and cynical betrayals of that chaotic episode.(taken from Goodreads)My Thoughts Recently I have been thinking a lot about who my favourite authors are. It's very easy for me to answer the question, 'What are your favourite books?' but the question of authors causes me some difficulty. I think this is down to the fact that I have dipped into a lot of authors but aside from some of the crime writers I haven't covered a lot of individual writers' work. While thinking about this I came to the realisation that I have really liked what I have read of Orwell and want to 'complete' his work. During this period I came across a battered copy of Homage to Catalonia in a charity shop which I considered to be a stroke of luck. Having read 1984 and Animal Farm I was unsure how I would feel about reading a piece of non-fiction writing by Orwell. In fact, I needn't have worried as his easy reading style remained the same. My copy of the book is a version which contains the editions requested by Orwell after the book had been in print for a while. This boils down to two removed chapters in which the nitty gritty of the political make up of the different militia groups is explained. These are included as two appendices so once I had read the main edited text I also read these. I think Orwell was correct in his request at the editions and had they been included I think they would have interrupted the great flow of the book. I didn't know a huge amount about the Spanish civil war and I learned a lot by reading this short book. The apprendices contain a lot of detail which can be a little tricky to get to grips with at times. There was a huge amount of different agendas and groups involved in the opposition to Franco so there is a lot to cover. I am glad that these chapters are included though as they do explain some key points which just add further depth to what Orwell and many others experienced at the time. I really enjoyed it and it has only made me look forward to reading more from Orwell. 4/5 (I really liked it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 You should definitely read Down and Out in Paris and London. I'm not a fan of his novels, but I really enjoy his non-fiction, and I've read Homage to Catalonia and thought it was good, but think DAOIPAL was even better. I read it over 20 years ago, and I still rate it as one of my great all time reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 You should definitely read Down and Out in Paris and London. I'm not a fan of his novels, but I really enjoy his non-fiction, and I've read Homage to Catalonia and thought it was good, but think DAOIPAL was even better. I read it over 20 years ago, and I still rate it as one of my great all time reads. It's on my wishlist and I'm sure I snag a copy of it sooner to later. I picked up Burmese Days yesterday at the book store, I wanted DAOIPAL but they didn't have it in stock but I'm sure my library will have a copy I can borrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 lol all 3 of these are on my "long- short list" for 2015! I guess I will be getting to know Orwell as well I tasted Animal Farm this year but only got a few pages, it kinda threw me off. However, I have wanted to get to Down and Out..., Burmese Days and Homage to Catalonia for awhile now. Good review, thank you I was a tad worried about his non fiction as you, but glad to hear it went well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 I'm sure you will enjoy them Anna. My next book is......... Complete with a cup of tea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWittSynopsisIt is 1851,for gold has swept the American frontier. Two brother - the notorious Eli and Charlie Sisters - are on the road to California, following the trail of an elusive prospector, Hermann Kermit Warm. On this odyssey Eli and his brother cross paths with a remarkable cast of characters - losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of - and Eli begins to question what he does for a living, and whom he does it for.(taken from Goodreads)My Thoughts This book has been on my TBR for a while and since my reading mojo seems to be at a real high at the moment it felt like the right time to read it. I have to confess that the main reason I bought it when I did was that the cover is really eye catching. I noticed on Goodreads that some of the people from BCF who I follow on there had read it and all gave it positive ratings. This would be the first western that I had read so it was something entirely new to me. I really enjoyed the story in this book, it was simple and yet had enough to keep me interested throughout. There are plenty of characters but the story is focused around only few which meant there was no confusion during the reading. There are parts filled with action and parts of quiet contemplation, parts of humour and parts of real emotion. It is well paced and the frequent short chapters work really well throughout the book. I can't decide why I liked the book so much, but I did and it was a very enjoyable read. I was planning on giving it 4/5 but that didn't feel quite right. Since I reserve 5/5 for books that either moved me or really grabbed my attention and this falls firmly into the later category I just had to give it a solid 5. 5/5 (It was amazing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Love your new Avatar! I'm glad you liked The Sisters Brothers, I had never heard of it before. You are a fast reader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 27, 2014 Author Share Posted November 27, 2014 Love your new Avatar! I'm glad you liked The Sisters Brothers, I had never heard of it before. You are a fast reader! I would love to say it is a creation of mine but it's a sketch I found on deviatantart. I have a tattoo in a similar style because I really like Mexican day of the dead art. I can be a fast reader but only when the mood is right and the right book comes along. My reading mojo has been all over the place this year but it finally seems to be coming back to me properly. How is House of the Dead so far? I have read a few Dostoyevsky books but I haven't heard of that one before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Excellent selection on the previous page Brian, practically all the books you picked up are novels that I've been meaning to read. I'd definitely recommend pushing The Bell Jar up the list, though. I read it last year - year before? Ah, who knows with these things - and absolutely loved it. It's a wonderful book. Glad to hear you're finding your mojo a bit towards the back end up the year, especially with such promising selections ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) I would love to say it is a creation of mine but it's a sketch I found on deviatantart. I have a tattoo in a similar style because I really like Mexican day of the dead art. I can be a fast reader but only when the mood is right and the right book comes along. My reading mojo has been all over the place this year but it finally seems to be coming back to me properly. How is House of the Dead so far? I have read a few Dostoyevsky books but I haven't heard of that one before. The House of the Dead I think, was also published as Prison Life in Siberia, the version I have was free on Amazon and seems like an ok edition. I don't know if I'd recommend it, maybe to you though, but not on a whole, as it is written in a very basic form. It isn't as emotional as Solzhenitsyn. It is more basic. But still a memoir, it is another strange piece I am reading I still have The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov to go before I am done with him! A Day of the Dead tat is what I'd most like next. My body just hasn't picked a place yet Edited November 27, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Excellent selection on the previous page Brian, practically all the books you picked up are novels that I've been meaning to read. I'd definitely recommend pushing The Bell Jar up the list, though. I read it last year - year before? Ah, who knows with these things - and absolutely loved it. It's a wonderful book. Glad to hear you're finding your mojo a bit towards the back end up the year, especially with such promising selections ahead. A few people have recommended pushing it up the list so once I've done with my next book (probably the next Mankell) I think it'll be time to read it. The House of the Dead I think, was also published as Prison Life in Siberia, the version I have was free on Amazon and seems like an ok edition. I don't know if I'd recommend it, maybe to you though, but not on a whole, as it is written in a very basic form. It isn't as emotional as Solzhenitsyn. It is more basic. But still a memoir, it is another strange piece I am reading I still have The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov to go before I am done with him! A Day of the Dead tat is what I'd most like next. My body just hasn't picked a place yet I still have The Idiot and The Brothers Karamazov to read as well. I plan to get to one of those next year as well as so many other books, you know how it is My tattoo covers my entire upper right arm and it was the first one I got done. I haven't had any more ink done since, but I do have a design on my bedroom wall which has been there for a few years that I hope to get done at some point. I've played around with loads of different locations for this one and I just can't decide but I think my chest is the only sensible place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 Almost Transparent Blue by Ryu MurakamiSynopsisAlmost Transparent Blue is a brutal tale of lost youth in a Japanese port town close to an American military base. Murakami's image-intensive narrative paints a portrait of a group of friends locked in a destructive cycle of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. The novel is all but plotless, but the raw and often violent prose takes us on a rollercoaster ride through reality and hallucination, highs and lows, in which the characters and their experiences come vividly to life. Trapped in passivity, they gain neither passion nor pleasure from their adventures. Yet out of the alienation, boredom and underlying rage and grief emerges a strangely quiet and almost equally shocking beauty. Ryu Murakami's first novel, Almost Transparent Blue won the coveted Akutagawa literary prize and became an instant bestseller. Representing a sharp and conscious turning away from the introspective trend of postwar Japanese literature, it polarized critics and public alike and soon attracted international attention as an alternative view of modern Japan(taken from Goodreads)My Thoughts This short novella (126 pages) has been floating around the book reading part of my head for a few years. I am not sure where I first hear about it, but I suspect it's from a list of cult books or novellas that you 'must read'. The synopsis intrigued me as I like books with a bit of an edge and books about the fringes of society. It also turns out that this book can be pretty hard to find for what I would regard as a reasonable price. Fortunately a relative saw it on my wishlist about a year or so ago and bought it for me and it has been teasing me ever since. I reached this odd state of mind where I wanted to read it but I didn't want it to be read yet (if that makes any sense). Eventually this got too much and I decided that it would be my next book come what may. I don't even know where to start with this review having finished the book, my head is swimming and I feel partially stunned and numb. I guess I should say that, number one - this book has no plot, and number two - it is very graphic. I think it would be wise to warn any potential readers that there is constant drug use, group sex (gay, straight, you name it, even including with a foot) and violence throughout the book. I don't think I have read anything so graphic since I read Justine by Marquis de Sade. I guess I was hoping for something more along the lines of Junky by William S. Burroughs and ended up getting something more akin to Bret Easton Ellis (who's books I hate). The writing is a chaotic mess and it was a book I really had to concentrate on just to get a grasp of what was going on. I was left feeling disappointed once I had finished as I had built the book up to be something which it is not. However. The chaos kind of works and i assume being left feeling disorientated is the point. I can't say that I enjoyed the book but I was left feeling as though I had just come out of haze of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll and if that was Murakami's aim, then mission accomplished. This book just wasn't for me but I can appreciate some of the merit within it and I just wouldn't feel right giving it 1/5 and for this reason I give it 2/5. 2/5 (It was ok). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I've played around with loads of different locations for this one and I just can't decide but I think my chest is the only sensible place. Ouch! I have a whole back piece of wings and the shading just about killed me- and that was on my back! All my others though, have been easy. In fact, I did my wings (7 hours of work) in 3 sessions (about 2 hours is my limit), the outline was so easy and then I went back for the shading and almost died Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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