Cloud Atlas struck me in the way an encyclopedia of wonders enthralls a kid. It's full of marvellous literary moments and manages somehow to rise above being merely a compendium of different genre tales to being utterly unlike anything I've ever read. A novel like this requires ability to find the moment of crisis in a story, and then structure and edit the story so it feeds a completely different story, both backwards and forwards. Not as easy as it sounds. It's just so rich in character and imagination, but never self-indulgent. I do like it better than BSG. It achieves its chorus of voices better than BSG i think. Some characters in BSG, like the Headmaster were a little one-dimensional compared to the portraits in Cloud Atlas. That said, BSG is a novel of youth to rank with the best.

Cool. I've still in a mortal struggle with Against the Day, by Pynchon, and am part of the way through Absurdistan by Shteyngart. I also just started The Emperor's Children by somebody. But once I plow through some of these, Cloud Atlas will be my next.

I will read Against the Day when it comes to paperback. My circumstances at the moment don't encourage buying expensive hardbacks. But Im on A Million Little Pieces by James Frey, which has a nice rhythm and energy, but has not a lot beyond that I find. Also Im re-reading the complete Sherlock Holmes stories, King Lear and Conrad's Almayers Folly. Can never read just one thing at once!

Thank goodness I just finished Against the Day today! I'm still digesting it a bit. I'm afraid that after all of that commitment, I'm not sure that I think it was worth the trouble. I liked some of the characters, and thought that some of the story threads were interesting enough...
Still, it didn't rock my world. Anyone else out there read it? Any thoughts?

I finally finished Tag Gallagher's massive -- too massive -- bio of Italian film director Roberto Rossellini. I think Gallagher couldn't see the forest through the trees as the bio was too detailed.

I'm about to start jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's autobiography. I decided to read it becaue jazz singer/pianist Diana Krall in an interview mentioned she was reading it. If it is good enough for Diana, it is good enough for me.

I just read Dawkins "The God Delusion" cover to cover today. A break from my usual fiction reading. I LOVED it. What a compelling work. I recommend it to all thinking people out there. Now back to "Absurdistan" by Gary Shteyngart

quote:

Originally posted by crazed:
I'll be hunting through some used bookstores soon, hoping to find Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" and more sc-fi fantasy. Til then, I'm reading another Charles de Lint novel, Mulengro, which deals with the world of Gypsies. Hopefully I'll find more de Lint as well in the used bookstores, he's definately one of my top favorite authors.

Dude, Amazon has it used for 50 cents.

Finished Absurdistan last night and started "The Book of Lost Things." So far I'm enjoying it.
Crazed, I'll be interested in your thoughts re: Foucault's Pendulum. I really liked it, but my experience has been that many people start it, and few people finish it.

Re: "Foucault's Pendulum.
I read the whole thing years ago when it came out in paperback and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I didn't quite get a lot of the references. Over my head some of it went. I intend to read it again one day when my wordly knowledge catches up a little.
That said, it's nowhere near as successful as "Name of the Rose" or his essay collections.
Reading now: RichardDawkins.net. An old hero of mine.
I will read the God Delusion sometime this yr, unless I am smited first...

I started John Irving's last novel, "Until I Find You." Its 815 pages has proved to be off-putting so, when it comes to books, or in this case tomes, size does matter.

quote:

Originally posted by Ishmaelscoffin:
Re: "Foucault's Pendulum.
I read the whole thing years ago when it came out in paperback and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I didn't quite get a lot of the references. Over my head some of it went. I intend to read it again one day when my wordly knowledge catches up a little.
That said, it's nowhere near as successful as "Name of the Rose" or his essay collections.
Reading now: RichardDawkins.net. An old hero of mine.
I will read the God Delusion sometime this yr, unless I am smited first...

Ishmael, you are going to be my new best friend. The Name of the Rose is definitely one of my top five books of all time. I love how the whole thing turns on the laughter of Jesus. That said, God Delusion is one of the most compelling books I've read over the last year or two. I read it in tandem with Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation, and I feel that the two books have energized/radicalized me. The last time a book did that for me was Les Miserables, when I was in, like, seventh grade.
Big ups to the book The Book of Lost Places by John Conolly. I finished it last night, and almost felt ready to sob. I think it's best for dads with adolescent or near adolescent children. (Parenthetically, I am a MAN, dammit. I don't sob. Except maybe a little bit at the end of the movie "Field of Dreams." Or at the end of "Brian's Song." But that's it!)

quote:

Over my head some of it went.

Yoda?

Wow kendocubano, thanks for extending the hand of friendship. Nice to be able to discuss great books and ideas with you.
I cry all the bloody time...I'm a sensitive soul ha ha. But I dont know this John Conolly guy or the Book of Lost Places, so I'll keep an eye out.
Dawkins (I often jokingly declare to my christian friends) is part of the great anti-Trinity triple D's in my life. There are Dawkins, Dennett and Diamond. Three terrific minds making a clear lane of intellectual clarity for the rest of us.
Currently reading : I'm finishing "Almayer's Folly" by Joseph Conrad. I adore Conrad, but this is definitely an apprentice work, and I wouldn't really bother recommending it, unless you are mad for Conrad.
Still working through a few Sherlock Holmes tales. But these need to be alternated with other works, or they tend to blend.
By the way, Im extremely impressed you tackled Les Mis in the SEVENTH grade!!! Mein Gott!! I love Hugo also. I especially love the recent Oxford Classics translation of "Hunchback". later will I catch you, mmmm.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kulturtrager,

I've just started Cloud Atlas. The beginning is quite promising.

The whole nautical thing reminds me a bit of Conrad, who, also, was one of my favorite writers as a young man. Heart of Darkness, of course, is one of the greatest works ever written, but my fav. was always Lord Jim.

If you're interested in a review of The Book of Lost Places, the Onion's AVClub has a good one. Not on metacritic yet.

I just bought Dave Eggers' What is the What, and Vikram Chandra's Sacred Games. Anyone read either book?

I envy you reading Cloud Atlas for the first time.
The beginning also reminds me of William Golding's Rites of Passage. Great sea-faring stuff.
Have started to re-read The Odyssey for the 4th time....then maybe I'll try Atonement.

Oh, I loved Atonement. But I loved Amsterdam even more. The one I did not especially like was Saturday. I picked up a signed edition on my last trip to London a few years ago, and was really excited to read it. Unfortunately, I'm a bit afraid to fly, and, of course, I was flying back home, and, of course, the whole thing begins with an airliner crash. Ugh. Plus, the whole book seemed implausible. In an irritating way.

I haven't read a McEwan novel for yrs, since The Comfort of Strangers. I tried Enduring Love, but cldnt get into it. But having started Atonement, I'm finding it nowhere near as arch or mannered as Enduring.
His writing seems to breathe more in Atonement, and I am finding the subject more interesting.
But I can't quite fall in love with his work as I do with a lot of other contemporary writers.
Writers become great loves or great dislikes with me for the most part.
And McEwan is occupying a middle ground, which is unusual for me ha ha

Re-reading Jack Herer's amazing book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes."

I'm reading The Age of Innocence, a book I never got to in school.

I have given up on Atonement; giving up on a novel is something I rarely do...I can't get a flow with mcEwan...sorry kendo...

Now I'm onto The Idiot....good for the cold rainy days here...