Posted May 31, 2009 Recently I have finally finished Hell's Angels and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. WITAWITAR (lol say that out loud) was better than I expected. I had no plans to buy it as I figured it was just a running...log. But its actually a mix between that, a travel diary and at times autobiographical. Not bad for £4. Haha, being a Murakami fan I recommended that to my girlfriend as she needed books to do with running for her Art course, she wasn't a fan, said he just rambled on and on... I might give it a go anyway though, I love the man. Have you any idea what the modules you're covering yet? I know that the Leeds Uni library is very good, so you've got that to look forward to. In your first year you won't have too much diversity. My course focused heavily on the origin of the novel, and the three year course pretty much covered the growth of the novel chronologically, from epistolar things like Pamela (shudder) up to the post-industial and post-ww2, post-colonial, postmodern and other post- nonsense... I'll give my 'library' an overview and try to recommend you a few good books that have stood out over the years as seminal works. Yeah not sure yet, as you say in year one there isn't much choice... Semester One modules are just a general English language one and a general prose introduction, looking at Mrs Dalloway, Great Expectations and others that I hadn't heard of but sound quite interesting like The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Then there's Poetry and Medieval lit in Semester 2. And yup the library seemed pretty amazing from what I saw on the open day ^.^ Did you do English lit as well then? Which uni did you go to? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 31, 2009 Haha, being a Murakami fan I recommended that to my girlfriend as she needed books to do with running for her Art course, she wasn't a fan, said he just rambled on and on... I might give it a go anyway though, I love the man. But the ramble is the fun. It would be kind of bland if it was "I ran this marathon on such a such day, then trained for another". I'm still undecided as to whether to take Norweigan Wood or Hard-Boiled Wonderland on holiday. I've read NW a few times and I think it might be a nice homely book (even if, ironically, it will be set in Japan) in case I'm feeling homesick. But then HBW I haven't read and probably should. Someone decide...now! :p Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2009 Yeah not sure yet, as you say in year one there isn't much choice... Semester One modules are just a general English language one and a general prose introduction, looking at Mrs Dalloway, Great Expectations and others that I hadn't heard of but sound quite interesting like The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Then there's Poetry and Medieval lit in Semester 2. And yup the library seemed pretty amazing from what I saw on the open day ^.^ Did you do English lit as well then? Which uni did you go to? Sheffield Hallam; English Studies was a mix of language, literature and creative writing. It all seems like a previous life! But the ramble is the fun. It would be kind of bland if it was "I ran this marathon on such a such day, then trained for another". I'm still undecided as to whether to take Norweigan Wood or Hard-Boiled Wonderland on holiday. I've read NW a few times and I think it might be a nice homely book (even if, ironically, it will be set in Japan) in case I'm feeling homesick. But then HBW I haven't read and probably should. Someone decide...now! :p You shouldn't read murakami over there, you'll look so silly! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 1, 2009 Other than 'They Fuck You Up' I have no new books to read and canne afford me. (and not in the mood to read a pysch book). He's popular over there. It'll look cliche but whatever. They can mock me in Japanese, I'll be none the wiser ^_^ And I'm also taking Battle Royale. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 3, 2009 wow? really.I didn't know grammatical errors really mattered in a online world filled with Lol's and Tttyl's This world is filled with titties? Awesome! Can someone point me towards them, please? Right, anywho, currently reading Foundation & Empire, the second novel on the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov and I must say it's... great, so far. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 22, 2009 I just started/finished I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. Feel like I should write up some awesome eng lit review; but I can't. Instead I'll say that it took me about 3 hours to read, and not a page felt wasted. The differences between the Will Smith movie and this source material are quite vast; I would say that in both incarnations the role of the woman 'Ruth' was maybe forced, maybe happened too fast. I laughed out loud at the unbroken glass... erm... yeah. I enjoyed it. Got Omega Man and The Last Man On Earth coming at me for comparison's sake. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 22, 2009 You shouldn't read murakami over there, you'll look so silly! Following up on this; I didn't end up reading it til my trip home but the lady on the plane seat adjacent to mine did speak to me about it. She said her husband was a big fan and I kept conversation brief (as she was Japanese herself). But umm yeah, read it all in one day nearly (had a few pages left but last ten minutes of my second flight I got a huge painful headache so had to stop). I liked it but didn't connect with it really. I get this feeling all of Murakami's protaganists are just aspects of himself but this one...meh. Did he even have a name? And Battle Royale was good. Film did a good job of adapting, the book just went a bit deeper. I think I still have the Wind Up Bird Chronicles left and They Fuck You Up. Then its either buy more books or re-read Norweigan Wood. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 23, 2009 Just read this autobiography about Howard Marks. The notorious marijuana smuggler Great book about his drug exploits with his college, the IRA, MI6, various mafias, yakuzas, smugglers, mass media, afridi marijuana cultivators, narcotics agents and high security prisons. Of course mixed in with his globe trotting adventures with his family and as the king of smoke. A great read but don't be fooled, you don't have to be a big toker to enjoy this. A great inside look at the drugs industry of the 70s and 80s. Now I'm reading I'll tell you how it turns out... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 23, 2009 My annual summer holiday books are secured: finish the Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy compilation I got at christmas (yes, I haven't read H2G2 yet...shameful, I know). Then, some light reading with "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking and "Finding Schroedingers Cat" by John Gribbin. Hopefully, reading these two will either motivate me further to pursue a future in Physics, as I am currently planning, or scare me away now so that I can choose an alternative Uni course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 Just read this autobiography about Howard Marks. The notorious marijuana smuggler Great book about his drug exploits with his college, the IRA, MI6, various mafias, yakuzas, smugglers, mass media, afridi marijuana cultivators, narcotics agents and high security prisons. Of course mixed in with his globe trotting adventures with his family and as the king of smoke. A great read but don't be fooled, you don't have to be a big toker to enjoy this. A great inside look at the drugs industry of the 70s and 80s. Funnily enough, I've been reading this for a while. Got about 80 pages left; it's his second book, I believe, and someone else wrote his biography, too. I do think the tales are slightly stretched, and his spells in Brighton are just, clearly, not long enough for my liking :P For some reason, I want to recomment to you A Million Little Pieces, by James Someone. The book is sold under the "true story" type genre, but in actuality he fabricated most of it, got a slot on Oprah because of his lies... but it has a few scenes you'll never forget, and a nice, touching ultimatum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 So I bought bought another dozen or so books off Amazon again (I think bulk buying is the way to go) and finished The Islamist a couple of days ago (I felt the need to buy a book while waiting for my other books to come). It was really good and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in this type of stuff. Can anyone suggest a factual (while keeping the narrative sense) book on Islam? It was hugely interesting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 Was just given this by a friend. I quoted it in my Cold Comfort Essay (might b my Hamlet essay) in my exams, so will be nice to read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 I started reading this a couple weeks ago. Turns out it is on my reading list for next year, which is nice. I got half way through this before university got in the way last year. Back on it now. It's amazing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 is that the fatty hardback of all his letters? I found that in Oxfam for a fiver a while ago. I need to start reading it again. Thankfully, it's the kind of book where simply having a copy to dip in to from time to time is a good read. It's about a million pages long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 It's the massive one...and it is the first of three books. I don't think the third one is out yet. My copy isn't hard back. Yeah, it's perfect to dip into, maybe read a letter or two. It's good to have on the go with another book. It's amazing having so much access to someone's life, especially someone as remarkable as HST. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 24, 2009 But umm yeah, read it all in one day nearly (had a few pages left but last ten minutes of my second flight I got a huge painful headache so had to stop). I liked it but didn't connect with it really. I get this feeling all of Murakami's protaganists are just aspects of himself but this one...meh. Did he even have a name? A lot of Murakami's protagonists are called "boku", which is Japanese for "I, me". So when translated it's just translated as that. Bought Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World today too, can't wait to start it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 25, 2009 Bought Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World today too, can't wait to start it. It's his best. That and Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 25, 2009 2001: A Space Odyssey Finally got trough it and all in all it is a very good read. I was not really sure what to expect when I read it but it lived up to my expectations. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted June 29, 2009 Finished Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. I read it in 4 days (I'm a slow reader). I've never read anything like it. I like how even without any names it's easy to get attached to characters, I miss the chubby girl already. I still have one question about the story though, anyone have any ideas? How come in Hard-Boiled Wonderland the skull lit up when the narrator was with the librarian, supposedly at the same time when in The End of the World the narrator was with the Librarian and the skulls there lit up as well? I thought the skull the professor gave him was a fake? So if it isn't, and this is a skull from a Beast, how the hell did it get into the real world?? I need to check out more of his "magical realism" stuff. Norwegian Wood was amazing, but I like it even more when weird shit is going on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted December 1, 2009 I just read Giovanni's Room. Really emotive. The end cuts me so deep with its blonde curls. It just annoys me when people don't express what they really feel. It's obvious he loves Giovanni with all his heart, but for some reason leaves him for an American girl. And there's so much opportunity for him to admit to her that he loves another man, but he just doesn't. I can't cope with people feeling regret either; I tossed, turned and bawled at the misery of their lives at the end of the book. It's really audacious as a book too, and I can imagine it would have been really controversial at the time of publishing. Probably really important in terms of LGBT history too. It demands to be made into an Atonement-esque movie. 9/10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
