Books: What are you reading tonight?

[maltaille]

Finished Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis a few days ago. First read Tevis because I'd liked The Hustler, and found he wrote the book it was based on. Surprised to find that despite it being one of my favourite films, the book was better. Proceeded to read The Man Who Fell To Earth (basis of a bizarre Nicolas Roeg film), didn't enjoy it nearly as much, and concluded he was good, but perhaps a bit of a one-hit-wonder. [censored] was I wrong.

Queen Gambit is probably one of the ten best books I've ever read. It blows The Hustler away. It blows me away.

The central character, a female chess prodigy with issues, is a work of art. The tone used suits the character and the story perfectly. The tension created, purely because you care so much whether she wins or loses (and not just at chess) is incredible. Far greater than most thrillers that rely purely on tension. At one point I put it down, because I thought I knew what was coming and wasn't in the mood for that sort of scene - turns out I guessed wrong, and I just couldn't see that the way he wrote it was inevitable given the characters. The reversals and outcomes are credible, no deus ex machina. The ending is spot on.

It shares certain similarities with The Hustler, but whereas The Hustler was a really good book, Queen's Gambit is a great book. In another 25 years it will be on its 40th reprinting, someone will pick it up, and they'll be just as blown away by it as I was.

[Enrique]

That review really makes me want to get the book. Good thing it is in the university library. I'll check it out for some winter reading.

[colgin]

I am finishing up the last hundred pages of Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle". I really enjoy it but very strange. Sort of like reading a David Lynch movie.

[AJW]

Well I finished Dune the other night and I feel a little disappointed.
It started well but towards the end there was a definite drop in quality it almost seemed as if Herbert was trying to finish the book within an arbitrary word limit. I felt it needed to take its time a little more and come to a more natural end rather then confronting the Guild the Emperor and the Harkonnen in the last chapter.
I was also left wondering whether this would be a hit if it was released for the first time today. It’s clearly heavily influenced by the life of Mohamed. The hero is a mystical leader who leads his people in bloody rebellion against an empire that enslaves the planet because it is reliant on a substance only found under the sands of Dune. I'm not sure how that would play with middle America or whether Muslims would be happy to see a thinly veiled analogy of Mohamed with no strong religious sense using his followers religious beliefs to make them wage war against his enemies and bring him to power.

[Blarg]

I found it very pretentious and turgid. I was disappointed earlier than you.

I liked that it was often pretty imaginative though. But it struck me as too full of posturing to finish.

[Zutroy]

I read both "The Master and Margarita" and "The Catcher in the Rye" on this thread's recommendation and I found both to be great. Good calls on both. "The Catcher in the Rye" had me depressed for a few days after finishing it though.

I just recently finished "As I Lay Dying" by William Faulkner and I loved it. I don't want to spoil the story too much, because figuring out what the hell is going on is half the fun, but it's about a rural southern family and a dying wish. Much like all of Faulkner's work, the language is pretty complicated but it's not too bad if you stick with it and realize early on that some passages aren't going to make sense until later. I didn't manage to "get" all the imagery and symbolism used but I enjoyed what I did. Overall I would recommend it to someone with too much time who is looking for something different.

I am currently reading "Ulysses" by Joyce but am very likely in over my head.

[Blarg]

I'm too egotistical to be put in my place by Ulysses. I'll probably be humble enough to read it by the time I no longer have even close to the mental capacity to make any sense of it at all.

[oe39]

[ QUOTE ]
I am finishing up the last hundred pages of Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle". I really enjoy it but very strange. Sort of like reading a David Lynch movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm about a third through this, feel about the same.

also reading david foster wallace - oblivion and other stories. the wikipedia entry on this is pretty accurate... i like it, but it's hard to recommend to someone without knowing them.

[diebitter]

I'm currently reading 'Claudius the God' by Robert Graves for the third or fourth time - thoroughly enjoyable.

Also reading 'Bigger Deal' by Anthony Holden, the sequel to 'Big Deal'. Big Deal was great, this is okay so far, but not outstanding.

Also reading 'Hitler - My Part in his Downfall' by Spike Milligan, very funny.

[DerrtySlime]

I'm reading "Catch 22" right now. Only done 2 chapters but it's clever and funny so far. I heard it was very love/hate.