Kidsmum Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi Ben lots of lovely books on your lists i'll be watching out for your reviews as i have quite a few of them on my TBR pile as well Happy reading in 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Hi Ben lots of lovely books on your lists i'll be watching out for your reviews as i have quite a few of them on my TBR pile as well Happy reading in 2014 Hi Kidsmum, thanks a lot - I do hope they're worth watching out for, and that you enjoy the books on your TBR. Happy reading to you too, I hope 2014 is a great twelve months for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) Decided on Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje as my next read. Synopsis Anil’s Ghost transports us to Sri Lanka, a country steeped in centuries of tradition, now forced into the late twentieth century by the ravages of civil war. Into this maelstrom steps Anil Tissera, a young woman born in Sri Lanka, educated in England and America, who returns to her homeland as a forensic anthropologist sent by an international human rights group to discover the source of the organized campaigns of murder engulfing the island. What follows is a story about love, about family, about identity, about the unknown enemy, about the quest to unlock the hidden past - a story propelled by a riveting mystery. ~ ~ ~ This is for one my modules this semester and I think it looks great. Anyone familiar with Ondaatje's work? I've read both The English Patient and In the Skin of a Lion, for classes, and enjoyed them both immensely. Fingers crossed this is another top effort.. Edited January 7, 2014 by Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Decided on Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje as my next read. Synopsis Anil’s Ghost transports us to Sri Lanka, a country steeped in centuries of tradition, now forced into the late twentieth century by the ravages of civil war. Into this maelstrom steps Anil Tissera, a young woman born in Sri Lanka, educated in England and America, who returns to her homeland as a forensic anthropologist sent by an international human rights group to discover the source of the organized campaigns of murder engulfing the island. What follows is a story about love, about family, about identity, about the unknown enemy, about the quest to unlock the hidden past - a story propelled by a riveting mystery. ~ ~ ~ This is for one my modules this semester and I think it looks great. Anyone familiar with Ondaatje's work? I've read both The English Patient and In the Skin of a Lion, for classes, and enjoyed them both immensely. Fingers crossed this is another top effort.. I've read The English Patient and Divisadero, so far, and enjoyed both. I have Anil's Ghost on the shelf, looking forward to your review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 I've read The English Patient and Divisadero, so far, and enjoyed both. I have Anil's Ghost on the shelf, looking forward to your review. I loved The English Patient - may have to put Divisadero on the wish-list. Thanks, it seems very typically Ondaatje so far.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Reserved for review of Michael Ondaatje's Anil's Ghost - what I will say is that even though he retains that effortless, poetic style of his, I don't think it's as good as his other works that I've read (The English Patient and In the Skin of a Lion). Internet has been a bit funny last few days (think it's the weather) so I'll review this properly soon.. ★★★☆☆ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Still reading, just struggling to post because my internet works in fits and starts (and keeps making me delete posts I've already written *grumbles*). In any case, I'm currently reading Funny Boy by Shayam Selvadurai. Synopsis In the world of his large family, affluent Tamils living in Colombo, Arjie is an oddity, a 'funny boy' who prefers dressing as a girl to playing cricket with his brother. In Funny Boy we follow the life of the family through Arjie's eyes, as he comes to terms both with his own homo-sexuality and with the racism of the society in which he lives. In the north of Sri Lanka there is a war going on between the army and the Tamil Tigers, and gradually it begins to encroach on the family's comfortable life. Sporadic acts of violence flare into full scale riots and lead, ultimately, to tragedy. This is another for class, and very good so far. A wonderfully well-written coming-of-age narrative set in Sri Lanka - interested to see where it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Another reserved topic for a review (I'll get to them soon, I promise.) This time it's for Funny Boy by Shayam Selvadurai. I really enjoyed this one. It's a fantastic coming-of-age tale set in and amongst domestic tension and political unrest. An absolutely fascinating look at the 60s and 70s in Sri Lanka, and the violence and tensions that were ever-present. Definitely looking forward to studying it further in class. ★★★★☆ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 *checks reading list for final semester* Okay, it looks like it's Wuthering Heights time. I'm not sure why I've never got around to Emily Bronte's text - I've always meant to, just for some reason it's always stayed on the to-be-read pile. Doing a 'Victorian literature' module this time around, so no excuses. Synopsis Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, situated on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before; of the intense relationship between the gypsy foundling Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw; and how Catherine, forced to choose between passionate, tortured Heathcliff and gentle, well-bred Edgar Linton, surrendered to the expectations of her class. As Heathcliff's bitterness and vengeance at his betrayal is visited upon the next generation, their innocent heirs must struggle to escape the legacy of the past. ~ ~ ~ I took my time getting around to this one, here's hoping it's worth the wait. *crosses fingers* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I loooooooove Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite novels... but a lot of people don't like it. Hope you get on alright with it, at least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I loooooooove Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite novels... but a lot of people don't like it. Hope you get on alright with it, at least! Promising! You do hear a lot of mixed reactions about it, so I guess it's just going to be one of those where I'm in one camp or the either. Thanks though, haven't touched any classics for a short while so taking my time to get used to the language again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I loved Wuthering Heights when I read it last year! I didnt think I would like it but I ended up loving it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 I loved Wuthering Heights when I read it last year! I didnt think I would like it but I ended up loving it. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did Thanks Laura, really enjoying it so far actually. Interested to see the character developments as I actually incredibly don't know much about the story at all. Poor excuse for an English student, me.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 One thing worth bearing in mind - do not think of it as a love story. Common mistake. Theres hatred and passion and wretchedness and desperate necessity - but not a lot in the way of love. If you're prepared for that, it's quite harrowing and compelling, I think. Plus it has some beautiful quotes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraloves Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Thanks Laura, really enjoying it so far actually. Interested to see the character developments as I actually incredibly don't know much about the story at all. Poor excuse for an English student, me.. Yay so pleased your enjoying it I hadnt really heard much about the actual plot when I read it (and it was on the recommended reading list at 6th Form for my A Level English ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Very late in checking out your new reading list, I'm afraid, but all the best for the rest of the year, Ben. As usual, you have loads of great books there. I can't believe you've nearly finished at uni already. It seems like just yesterday that you were starting! (Although it probably doesn't feel that way to you.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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