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Expanding my book collection...

#41
Thanks Pilgrim, appreciate the nice compliment!

Glory Road is a great book, I always wanted to travel
that road. Especially with Star, you know who she really
is.

I put a lot of thought and work into that post, took me all
afternoon. But, I got many good books posted, and if a
few people pick up some of those books, we have spread
some knowledge, wisdom and karma.

Good books are the fruits of the labors of many prolific
writers, much effort went in to the works.

Keep in mind many of those authors used typewriters, carbon
copies, mimeograph machines, Many did not have copiers or
PC's, but the work prevailed,

RAH "Front" (from Stranger in a Strange Land). "Boss your
story sucks, "Yeah I know, send it off, that's the pap they
want - Jubal Harshaw"

Jubal Harshaw: The pivotal supporting character. The member
of the Inner Circle. The one who Groks. Without removing
his clothes. Many, many viewpoints there.
 
#42
Regarding that list, I've read quite a number of those books and can't see how some of them they could be included. An example is Zuleika Dobson which I found unremarkable, even run of the mill. Another is the Alexandria Quartet which is a bit on the boring side However "A House for Mr. Biswas" is excellent. The Magus is pretty good too.
 
#43
Thor said:
...

Edgar Allan Poe – well worth revisiting.

...
Click to expand...

Thanks for that great list Thor.


Oh yeah, I have the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe on order too.


warwick.hoy said:
I'm noticing a serious lack of Chuck Palahniuk in this thread. Not that you've said anything that would lead me to believe that you would like Palahniuk,...but he is a cleaver and witty author. Perhaps you are familiar with the film Fight Club. The film was based heavily on Palahniuks book of the same name. He is a very subversive sometimes crude and abrasive but a least vivid in his portrayals of characters, plot and scenery.

A lot of his protagonists have problems. One book has a sex addict,...another protagonist has rabies and is only referred to anecdotally in the book. Some characters have duel personalities. Either way his characters always elicit a response. In most cases you are rooting for his heroes,...in some case you loathe the protagonist,..which in my opinion is just as good (identifying and rooting for the hero is so formulaic and expected).
Click to expand...

You're wrong James. :)
Actually that sounds right up my alley.

You know how to sell it.
I'll look into Palahniuk.

Thank you for that suggestion.


Nappa said:
Just take a look at this list.
Click to expand...


Thank you. Great list.




And thank you all for the suggestions. This is all a bit more than I can chew. :)

I'm glad I asked for recommendations. I knew there was a big gap in my knowledge of literature... that got confirmed. :)

Well, I never claim to be a literature expert. It's just a hobby to expand my horizon. (Like I am going to revisit philosophy, got Plato's complete works coming to start with.)



I almost finished "In Europe", non-fictional historic (about the 20th century).
Glad I read it. It's worth reading but a warning... it can be very boring.
Someone who really is into history should check it out.
If you read for pleasure... this might not be a good book.


I might think of some suggestions of great Dutch literature that is barely known outside the Dutch speaking world.
In case someone is interested.
It would just be what I know of and like.
I'm definitely not an authority.


The first books I'm going to consume would be "The Great Gatsby" and "Le Phantome de l'Opera".
That should be about a week or two for each book.
Yeah... I'm not a fast reader. :)
Looking forward to it.
Switching back and forward between Dutch, English and French keeps me sharp.
Not that I am gifted when it comes to languages... matter of fact in shool I was among the worst students in language classes. Being in Belgium, and due to my career, I have to pick up other languages.
 
#44
Not a reading recommendation: Use your local library. I am an avid reader to -- for that matter, for a living -- and when I was younger I was devoted to building my personal library at home. Now I'm thousands of dollars poorer in books with boxes and boxes and boxes of them to pack up every time we move, which is still fairly often. Some of them I go back to again and again but many I don't. Get a book at the library first and only buy it when you decide it's worth re-reading. Much more cost- and space-effective way to explore literature.
 
#45
hrodbert696 said:
Not a reading recommendation: Use your local library. I am an avid reader to -- for that matter, for a living -- and when I was younger I was devoted to building my personal library at home. Now I'm thousands of dollars poorer in books with boxes and boxes and boxes of them to pack up every time we move, which is still fairly often. Some of them I go back to again and again but many I don't. Get a book at the library first and only buy it when you decide it's worth re-reading. Much more cost- and space-effective way to explore literature.
Click to expand...

Trouble is, most Flemish libraries have a very limited English literature collection.
 
#46
hrodbert696 said:
Not a reading recommendation: Use your local library. I am an avid reader to -- for that matter, for a living -- and when I was younger I was devoted to building my personal library at home. Now I'm thousands of dollars poorer in books with boxes and boxes and boxes of them to pack up every time we move, which is still fairly often. Some of them I go back to again and again but many I don't. Get a book at the library first and only buy it when you decide it's worth re-reading. Much more cost- and space-effective way to explore literature.
Click to expand...

I get what you are saying. But...

The local libraries around here are slim pickings.
I borrowed a lot of books from libraries in my lifetime, which mostly are "mainstream" books by Dutch and Belgian writers.
Off course, in our libraries you'll find a massive amount of books from the well known writers from all over the world. Translated into Dutch off course.
So that's why I started this thread, I want some books in English and French.

Also, sometimes I read a book over a couple of months to maybe up to a year. (The very long novels obviously.) So no pressure on my reading pace... I have my own business and some weeks it's so hectic I can't get any reading done.
So then it is nice to own the book you are reading.

You are right about owning books you don't want to reread.
Then I give it away to someone who wants to read it. And vice versa, I have gotten books from friends and family they read once. So that's also a nice exchange system.

Yes, too big a personal collection can have drawbacks.
My collection isn't that big at the moment, I just going for an small to medium well filled bookcase in the living room. With books you are glad (and can be smug about) that you own.
 
#47
René_Julien;8934782 said:
You're wrong James. :)
Actually that sounds right up my alley.

You know how to sell it.
I'll look into Palahniuk.

Thank you for that suggestion.
Click to expand...

I haven't read all of them but I've liked all the ones that I've read. I recommend Choke (That's the sex addict one) for a first timer. That one got turned into a movie too. I liked both; but the book was better.
 
#48
French:
Tribaliques -Henri Lopes
Les Fâcheux-Moliere
La Dame de cœur-Maria Le Hardouin
Le mystere de la Chambre jaune (le Parfum de la dame en noir)-<detective
Dolce agonia-Nancy Huston
Dix petits negres <-not really detective but maybe a bit, more like a thriller if you ask me, a morbid one.
Les Mandarins-Simone de Beauvoir
Le Pari-Ramon Fernandez
Les Égarés-Frédérick Tristan
Pour L'Enfer-René Belletto


I could keep going for some time but honestly, just look at the book who won the Femina, goncourt, Grand prix littéraire d'Afrique noire, and etc
 
#50
Heck, someone had to do it :)

oh and if I may add, skip the detective one, it's written in old french kind of, might be hard to understand and since you don't like the type, you'll prolly hate it on every facets :p
 
#51
Oh and yet I felt bad about leaving a few out.

Ces enfants d'ailleurs- Arlette Cousture <-totally awesome
Les filles de Caleb - Arlette Cousture <-she produces awesomeness :)
Le petit prince (call me stupid but this is a must read at least once in your life)
Le tour du monde en 80 jours-Jules Verne
Notre-Dame-de-Paris - Victor hugo
Drakkar, le roman des Vikings-Paul Ohl
 
#52
Thanks for the suggestions.


Off course, how could I have forgotten Jules Verne when I'm looking for French books.

I embarressed to admit that have never read anything by Verne. While I love science fiction and science fiction subgenres.


I'll search on Arlette Cousture.

And Victor Hugo... got to get some of his works.
 

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