Ben's Reading 2012

[willoyd]

I absolutely adore all three of those texts. I'm not sure Pride and Prejudice would make it into my top five but it certainly wouldn't be far away at all. F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby would have to be there without a doubt. I think I'll have a better idea when I've managed to follow my intention to tackle a few more classics, though.

 

I've just given up on Catch-22 for the third time - I really can't get into it (and I'm completely mystified as to what is funny - completely passes me by!). Having read your review, though, I'll give it one more shot come the summer holidays, when I can give it much more concentrated attention.

 

[Have to say that P&P is exactly the opposite - although whether it would get in in front of To Kill A Mockingbird is very debatable (and amongst the Austens, I prefer S&S).. The latter is one we definitely agree on! No such issues with Great Gatsby - I studied it for A-level, and was very glad to leave it behind at the end of the course.]

Edited June 8, 2012 by willoyd

[Kylie]

I'm nervous about the adaptation of The Great Gatsby. I mean, I have a lot of faith in Leo as Gatsby (I can see how that works), but I'm not so sure about Tobey Maguire for Nick. I think I'm perhaps most sceptical only because the book is one of my favourites and thus I'm not entirely confident about whether they can pull it off. I did think though, that aside from the awful use of the Kanye West/Jay-Z song at the start (which I'm hoping won't be in the film and was just for trailer purposes), that the trailer showed great promise.

 

I'm a bit nervous for it, too, but I'll try not to have high expectations. Given that Baz Luhrman's directing, I'd say there's a good chance some more modern music will be in it. I like his unorthodox style.

 

I've just given up on Catch-22 for the third time - I really can't get into it (and I'm completely mystified as to what is funny - completely passes me by!). Having read your review, though, I'll give it one more shot come the summer holidays, when I can give it much more concentrated attention.

 

How much have you read of Catch-22? I have to say, I'm mystified as to why you don't find it funny! I mean, it's not laugh-out-loud hilarious, but the black humour is terrific and I'm sure I guffawed more than once while reading it. I could give endless examples, but maybe it only suits a certain type of humour, which I think is why some people hate it whereas others can't get enough.

[Ben]

I've just given up on Catch-22 for the third time - I really can't get into it (and I'm completely mystified as to what is funny - completely passes me by!). Having read your review, though, I'll give it one more shot come the summer holidays, when I can give it much more concentrated attention.

 

I think if the funny moments don't jump out immediately (like Kylie said, I could list endless examples of witty, funny dialogue, descriptions), then it's probably not your type of humour. I can see how people wouldn't get into the novel, I was just one of those in the opposite camp. I'm glad you've decided to give it another go, though, I think it does require close concentration.

 

[Have to say that P&P is exactly the opposite - although whether it would get in in front of To Kill A Mockingbird is very debatable (and amongst the Austens, I prefer S&S).. The latter is one we definitely agree on! No such issues with Great Gatsby - I studied it for A-level, and was very glad to leave it behind at the end of the course.]

 

Oh don't get me wrong, I did find Pride and Prejudice funny, it's a great novel. I only meant that it may not get into my top ten because of other favourites like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Picture of Dorian Gray. As for The Great Gatsby I think it's one of my most-read books of all time and I absolutely love it. Just shows how we all have different tastes - it would be boring otherwise.

 

I'm a bit nervous for it, too, but I'll try not to have high expectations. Given that Baz Luhrman's directing, I'd say there's a good chance some more modern music will be in it. I like his unorthodox style.

 

Yep, that would make sense. I think I'm going to go into the cinema expecting a good, solid film and nothing amazing. If he pulls that off I'll be pleased, if he does better than my expectations then all the better.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Ben

[Weave]

Great review of 'Catch 22' Ben, I have a copy but I have never got round to reading it.

[willoyd]

How much have you read of Catch-22? I have to say, I'm mystified as to why you don't find it funny! I mean, it's not laugh-out-loud hilarious, but the black humour is terrific and I'm sure I guffawed more than once while reading it. I could give endless examples, but maybe it only suits a certain type of humour, which I think is why some people hate it whereas others can't get enough.

 

About a hundred pages. And narry a guffaw, not even a titter, I'm afraid. As far as I got, it basically felt to be just one character description after another, and I just gradually lost interest. As you say, must be a certain type of humour. One of my best friends loves it too, and can't understand me either - but we do laugh a lot about similar things! (I do remember enjoying the film, when I saw it many years ago).

 

But sometimes these things do take time.....

 

I agree about Ben's review by the way - great one - that's why I'm encouraged to read again.

Edited June 9, 2012 by willoyd

[Kidsmum]

Great review Ben I think it's really difficult to put into words what's so good about Catch-22 but you've summed it up really well

 

Willoyd if you haven't got into it after reading 100 pages I don't think its your kind of book

[Ben]

Great review Ben I think it's really difficult to put into words what's so good about Catch-22 but you've summed it up really well

 

Thank you! I agree it certainly was difficult to write about, but I had to give it a go and I'm glad people enjoyed the review.

 

But sometimes these things do take time.....

 

I agree about Ben's review by the way - great one - that's why I'm encouraged to read again.

 

It's true that sometimes it takes time and I'm delighted that you're going to give it another go based on my review (thank you by the way), but I think I'd be inclined to agree with what Kidsmum said above. It may just be that this just isn't your kind of novel at all.

 

Great review of 'Catch 22' Ben, I have a copy but I have never got round to reading it.

 

Thanks Paula, I hope you do get a chance to read it at some stage. Let me know if you ever do.

[Ben]

Slow reading period at the moment, lost my mojo somewhere and Crime and Punishment isn't the best book to be reading when going through a rough patch. Against my better judgement I've decided to read Marked by P.C and Kristin Cast. I've read it before so it won't contribute to my TBR pile going down and it's veering from my 'classics' challenge, but I need some light-hearted reading for the moment.

 

Synopsis:

When sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird gets Marked as a fledgling vampire she must join the House of Night school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change. But Zoe is no ordinary fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the Goddess Nyx and discovers her amazing new power to conjure the elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit. When Zoey discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look within herself to embrace her destiny - with a little help from her new vampire friends.

[~Andrea~]

Fantastic review of Catch-22 Ben, one of my all time favourite books. Oddly enough I tried to re-read it a few years ago and couldn't get into it at all. When I first read it I think I was feeling a bit dark myself at teh time which is perhaps why the dark humour and absurdity really appealed to me. I can understand why some people don't get it though. I think you need to be in the right (or perhaps that should be wrong?) frame of mind.

[Ben]

Thanks Andrea. I think you're probably right that you have to be in a certain mood for it in all fairness. It also takes a lot of concentration to read in my opinion, so I can completely understand why some people just wouldn't 'get' it. I definitely think you need to give it a fair chance, though; the writing takes a bit of getting used to. It was certainly a rewarding read for me in the end.

[Ben]

Well, last night I finished Marked by P.C & Kristin Cast.

 

Thoughts:

I didn't go into Marked with high expectations, just with the idea that I'd have a nice, light-hearted read to ease me back into reading again after a couple of weeks where my mojo has wavered. After reading many classics in the last couple of months, I realised that this would be a step down in writing standard, but in the end I have to say I enjoyed it. The characters may be awfully one-dimensional, the writing may not ooze quality, and you may often find yourself cringing at some of the dialogue or decisions the characters make; but if you want light-hearted release it does the job. I'm sure I'm not the only person that's needed a 'break' for something easier occasionally. Despite this easy-reading, however, sometimes the language can be coarse and vulgar and I wouldn't recommend this to younger readers at all; a shame because I think this would be an enjoyable read for those in the lower age bracket if it wasn't littered with words and descriptions unsuitable for them. All in all then a decent read, and I'll most likely have a go at the second in the series entitled Betrayed.

 

3/5.

[Ben]

So I've decided to give the second House of Night novel a shot - Betrayed by P.C & Kristin Cast.

 

Synopsis:

All any of us could talk about was Chris's disappearance and how bizarre it was that he had last been seen so close to the House of Night. I didn't want to believe it. But everything inside me said that the kid would be found, but he'd be found dead... Things seem to be going pretty well for Zoey Redbird. She's settled in at the House of Night finishing school and is coming to terms with her incredible new powers. It all seems too good to be true. And guess what? Someone has begun murdering human teenagers, and all evidence points to the vampyres at Zoey's school. Sigh. And she thought her boyfriends (yes: plural) were going to be her biggest problem this year...

 

Started this last night and so far it's holding my attention. I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series after this as I've got review books waiting for me and it's about time I made a real crack at Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, but we'll see.

[Ben]

Finished Betrayed by P.C & Kristin Cast last night. I won't bother with my thoughts as it'll be almost impossible to keep it spoiler-free for those that haven't read the first one, Marked, as of yet. It was enjoyable though, and marginally better than the first in my opinion. Still with just enough to hold my attention and make me consider reading the next book in the series.

 

3/5.

[Ben]

Making a start on The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura, a review book from Corsair. It looks absolutely fantastic.

 

Synopsis:

The thief is a seasoned pickpocket. Anonymous in his tailored suit, he weaves through Tokyo's crowds so smoothly sometimes he doesn't even remember the snatch. Most people are a blur to him, the nameless faces of his victims. He has no family, friends, or connections. But he does have a past, which catches up with him when Ishikawa, his first partner, reappears and offers him a job he can't refuse. It is an easy job: tie up an old, rich man, steal the contents of the safe. No one gets hurt. Only the day after the job does he learn that the old man was a prominent politician, and that he was brutally killed after the robbery. And now the Thief is caught in a tangle from which even he might not be able to escape.

[vodkafan]

The Thief sounds OK. Of course he went straight to the police to explain the ghastly mistake, right?

Edited June 16, 2012 by vodkafan

[Ben]

The Thief sounds OK. Of course he went straight to the police to explain the ghastly mistake, right?

 

Well I haven't got to that bit yet but I'm going to guess no.

[Ben]

Finished The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura, there was something that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but for the most part it was an enjoyable, well-written read. I'll get around to writing a review tomorrow seen as though it's for the reviews blog.

 

4/5.

[Ben]

Review overdue and coming shortly, I've not been in the mood for reading or writing reviews as of late. I do, however, have reading news. My university finally sent me my reading list for the 2012/13 year. I'll post the first semester books below if anyone's interested:

ENG216 Materialist Americas

 

Rebecca Harding Davis, ‘Life in the Iron Mills’.

Herman Melville, ‘Bartleby and Benito Cereno’.

Tillie Olsen, ‘Yonnondio’.

Sloan Wilson, ‘The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit’.

Douglass Coupland, ‘Microserfs’.

 

ENG217 Post/Colonial Novel

 

Rhys, Jean (1966; 2001)

The Wide Sargasso Sea

Coetzee, J.M. (1986; 1987)

Foe

Rushdie, Salman (1983; 1998)

Shame

Ondaatje, Michael (1992; 2004)

The English Patient

Dangarembga, Tsitsi (1988; 2004)

Nervous Conditions

 

ENG220 The Victorian Novel

 

Gaskell, E. (1848; 2008),

Mary Barton

Braddon, M. (1862; 2008)

Lady Audley’s Secret

Eliot, G. (1866; 2006),

Felix Holt, the Radical

Hardy, T. (1891; 2008)

Tess of the D’Urbervilles

 

ENG211: Gothic Fictions

Walpole, Horace (1764)

The Castle of Otranto

Radcliffe, Ann (1791)

A Sicilian Romance

Lewis, Matthew (1796)

The Monk

Dacre, Charlotte (1806)

Zofloya, or The Moor

Shelley, Mary (1818)

Frankenstein

Williams, Anne (ed.) (2002)

Three Vampire Tales

 

Some cracking looking modules, including many books and authors I've never heard of. I better get cracking with ordering these.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Ben

[Brian.]

I apolgise in advance and I have said this before.

 

Hardy, T. (1891; 2008) Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Kill with fire.

[~Andrea~]

I apolgise in advance and I have said this before.

 

Hardy, T. (1891; 2008) Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Kill with fire.

 

Noooo Tess is a fine book! Frankenstein on the other hand: Kill with fire.

 

[frankie]

I apolgise in advance and I have said this before.

 

Hardy, T. (1891; 2008) Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Kill with fire.

 

I apologise in advance because I have said this before, too: AGREEEEED!!

[chesilbeach]

Rhys, Jean (1966; 2001) The Wide Sargasso Sea:

 

Loved, loved, loved this - more than Jane Eyre itself!

[Ben]

Why on earth are we talking about killing books with fire you meanies.

 

Haha, so that's two not so very enthusiastic responses to Tess of the D'Urbervilles and one defence, hmmph! Will get back to you. As for Frankenstein, however, I absolutely loved that book when I studied it at A Level, so I have nothing to worry about with that one.

 

Rhys, Jean (1966; 2001) The Wide Sargasso Sea:

 

Loved, loved, loved this - more than Jane Eyre itself!

 

This is one of the one's I'm most looking forward to, I've heard it's fantastic.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Ben

[~Andrea~]

*Quickly douses fire*

 

I'll definitely be interested in your review of Tess Ben seeing as some people seemed to have hated it so much.

[Ben]

I'll definitely be interested in your review of Tess Ben seeing as some people seemed to have hated it so much.

 

I'll probably get around to it quite soon seen as though I can have it as part of my classics challenge while at the same time getting some early reading done for next semester.