read any good books lately... - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Alitare wrote:

The Truth wrote:

Alitare wrote:

Yeah, his poetry sucks, but his short stories really caught me.

Ever read any Harlan Ellison, Truthy?

I thought about picking some up at the bookstore today but was really pulled into something else entirely. I bought Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin on a whim because I vaguely remember it being mentioned somewhere in my memory banks. I really hope it's good, I have this strange feeling I'm going to like it even though I just picked it up and knew I had to have. Strange day at B&N.

Also, really sad to hear about Bradbury. Weird thing is, just two days ago my brother asked me what book he should read and I told him Fahrenheit 451 would be good. Cry

Damn shame, indeed. Always loved his short stories. The Veldt especially stuck in my mind.

If you get a chance, definitely read some of Ellison's material. His I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream is currently my favorite short story.

Will do, titles alone sound interesting. LOL

All I know of is Azimov's Science and the alternative Analog science fiction and fact magazine - I know them because they don't accept short stories unless they have lots of alien races, laser beams, robots and big space ships.

The kind of people that would praise Rendezvous with Rama over The Giver. Doesn't that sound pleasing?

That's pretty frightening.

I have many notable novels in my collection that I haven't read.

Which do you think I should read next?

-Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck

-For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway

-Absalom, Absalom!, Faulkner

-Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky

-Jude the Obscure, Hardy

Which Dostoevsky is your favorite? I've only read Underground. I liked it enough to finish it, that is all.

-Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck

-For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway

i think these two would probably be the best in line with your tastes (I've not read the Hardy book, tho', and have been way off in recommendations before).
A lot of people have found Crime and Punishment a good entry point (after his shorter works) into Dostoyevsky's longer works. The first novel I read by him was The Idiot, which remains my favourite due to nostalgic reasons. But I have a bias towards him as a writer; I was introduced to his works while in St Petersburg (where Crime and Punishment is set) and in that way it was a more hands on experience (at a formative time of life), kind of like reading Sartre in Paris and visiting all the cafes.
The most devastating for me from an emotional perspective was The Demon (aka The Possessed; different publications have different titles), it was one of those novel where you spend the next hour siting in the same said chair thinking simple thinks like 'f**k' or 'damn' having yet to find a footing for the emotions you'd like to grasp more concretely.