What are you reading right now?

[danielpholt]

Fire and Blood: For those of you who don't know, it's a prequel book in George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It covers the first half (ish) of the Targaryen dynasty. The new House of the Dragon tv show is based upon this this work. 

 

The book itself is a real page turner, which i'll be honest, surprised me a little. The reviews are pretty positive, but there's definitely a group of people who struggled with the nature of the book itself. It's written as a sort of...history book. Written by an in-universe historian who's collating accounts of the previous 150 years into one book. As such you end up with accounts that may be incorrect, overblown or just flat out falsified; the writer also adds his own opinion into the mix.

 

All in all I can firmly say it stands up as another strong entry into this series. Truth be told, it's likely one of the more readable ones (I'm looking squarely at you A Feast for Crows).

 

A Party With Socialists In It:

 

I'm a Union member, a Labour Party member and a 'politico' so it only makes sense I should educate myself on the history of the Left inside the Labour Party. I'm roughly half way through, and whilst there's certainly a lot to take in (names, so many names), I'm finding it a very interesting read indeed. 

 

Nye Bevan seemed alright. Ernest Bevin less so. 

 

 

[Mister Jack]

I just finished Don Quixote, both parts, which I had started because I'm spending a ton of time in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals for long periods of time so I needed something good and long to occupy the hours. I was not expecting to like this as much as I did, because classic literature usually struggles to grab me and I gave up on it entirely for a long time after suffering through Moby Dick. This one, though. Damn was it funny. I kind of thought that humor from the 1600s wouldn't hold up as well in the 21st century, but this story of a guy who reads too many chivalry books and decides to put on some armor and pretend he's a knight got quite a few laugh out loud moments from me. Near the end of the first book Cervantes took a weird detour that takes the focus off of Don for a long time to focus on side characters and an in-universe novel that they're reading instead of, you know, the actual protagonist, but other than that I think I'd consider this my new favorite example of classic literature. 

 

Something that gets funnier if you know the context is that after the first book was written, some other guy wrote a fanfic sequel and sold it, which clearly had Cervantes coping and seething for years because in the actual part 2 he wrote (which I think is better than part 1) there are many moments where Don or Sancho or some other character references the fake sequel, which also exists within the story, as a piece of shit that everyone loathes. One character even describes a vision where she goes to hell and demons find the plagiarized sequel and are so disgusted by it that they order it thrown into the deepest pit of the underworld. You'd think that the author inserting his personal grudge into the narrative like this so many times would make it worse but I just found it too funny to be bothered by it. My only real complaint with the story, aside from that part in the first book where the author forgets Don Quixote himself exists for far too long, is that the ending feels a little bit forced.

 

Spoiler

Don gets sick and dies at home, but shortly before he does he suddenly and miraculously regains his sanity and denounces all the books of chivalry that made him delusional in the first place. Just seemed a little weird to me that a guy who completely convinced himself beyond all doubt that he was a slayer of giants and a knight of Dulcinea would suddenly turn his back on all of that, even if he's dying. 

 

Still, minor gripes aside, I can see why this is considered the best novel ever written by many authors and professors. I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but I can certainly understand why someone would feel that way.

Edited March 15, 2023 by Mister Jack

[Thursday Next]

9 hours ago, Mister Jack said:

I just finished Don Quixote

 

I love how random DQ references pop up sometimes...

 

[deanb]

Currently listening to Dune. Got some free Audible credits in the Prime Day thing, so figured I'd make use of them. I tried reading Dune a while ago but couldn't get too far into it but a "free" audio version sort of hit my method for the moment and given I'm halfway through (I'm in "Part 2" and coming up to where the first film ends. Also 11hrs left of 21hr audio book).

As an audio book it's pretty good - got a broad range of VAs*, and done various sound effects for environmental elements and each of the chapter starts with the various scriptures of Prince Irulan.

Bookwise quite enjoying it, and interesting to see where the film has removed a couple things (though really not much) and added in a few bits ahead of time, or things from other peoples viewpoints. There's a lot of internal monologue though, especially Paul and Jessica, that are somewhat missing from the film though - but that's always a difficulty. Certainly is a source of a lot of common tropes, in the same way LotR is for fantasy.

 

*I've also had Guards Guards! from the recent releases (the original audiobooks - back when they were more for blind people) was by Tony Robinson (Baldrick in Blackadder if you watch that). Whereas the new one is by John Culshaw, a British impressionist (and "Footnotes" voiced by Bill Nighty, and Death by Peter Serafinowicz - who I don't particularly rate as a good Death tbh). Culshaw does most of the voices; putting on different voices for each of the characters. I think I like Dunes more play style, though I can see where that might be difficult/expensive to pull together. I know there was an audio play done of Sandman, with a pretty solid cast (I think some made it into the TV series) that might be worth a listen, though I'm not sure how well the medium of comic would translate to audiobook.

 

I actually got Neil Gaimans Norse Mythology from my local library (worth checking if they have an audio book service - mine has two, the services also do ebooks and magazines too. Though both are quite shallow except for Mills & Boon types and biographies). It was read by Neil Gaiman in full and was really quite good - sort of felt like he was reading you various bedtime stories. Also meant I got this joke too. 

 

(the lyrics are from a Panic at the Disco song, in case you're more familiar wit the myth).

 

Got one last credit - thinking of picking up Three Body Problem, though the synopsis didn't wow me. Though it has been recommended in various channels, and there is the show out soon-ish. (I do have it on Kindle actually from one of their many 99p sales).

 

If there's any audiobooks any of you have really enjoyed happy to take suggestions (might not utilise them though)

[TheFlyingGerbil]

If you liked Norse Mythology, maybe Mythos by Stephen Fry about Greek gods?

[Thursday Next]

You mean Meyoothos?

[deanb]

On 8/31/2023 at 9:25 PM, TheFlyingGerbil said:

If you liked Norse Mythology, maybe Mythos by Stephen Fry about Greek gods?

Picked up and enjoyed. I prefer Norse Mythology for it's "like being read bed time stories" kind of feel, and at times Fry gets a smidge academic with citations and such. Used to be into Greek myth as a kid so brought back some memories. (and tbf they're pretty pervasive in society too)

Also completed the Dune trilogy too. I bet Jason Mamoa would be happy if Villeneuve was to make a full trilogy (Thought it'd be 6 films I guess based on length of just Dune). Now on "Three Body Problem".

[TheFlyingGerbil]

how are you getting on with audiobooks in general? I find I lose concentration a bit sometimes and it seems to make more difference on books than podcasts. I returned a couple of books that I'd got quite a bit into but had absolutely no idea what was happening in them

[deanb]

I find them quite easy to get through, I listen to a fair few podcasts and they're a great companion when walking or doing house work. Audio books, for me, have been much the same way (and from a chore point quite good in that I'll activelly find a reason to do stuff so I can listen to a few chapters)

There's a few minor quirks; there's been a part in "Three Body Problem" where the chapter is a redacted report ████ ██ and it doesn't really translate well in spoken word. Also in Dune trilogy there's (I think) a few voice actors but there's a few points where who they voice (or if they're doing the exposition) that throws you for a moment.

 

Minor mid point edit: check your local library's website. Mine has access to Libby and Borrow ox, both have apps with ebooks, magazines and audio books. It's a freeway to check if you'd find audio books suitable. It's how I read Norse Mythology. However one issue is my local library seems to be mainly biographies and I don't much care for those. They currently have 5 sci-fi audio books, one is a David Walliams (well known for his sci-fi ) and another is, stupidly, the second book in the Three Body Problem trilogy... 

Also I think Spotify just put some as part of their premium subscription, if you have that. 

End mid point edit. 

 

 

Three Body Problem wise I'm quite enjoying it - it is a bit weird to start with (it starts during the Cultural Revolution) and my general unfamiliarity with chinese names did make it a bit hard at the start to remember who was who, but it's parseable now. There's some bits I'm quite interested to see how they'll work it for the Netflix show.

[deanb]

 

 

Turns out there's already a teaser. And gosh I imagine this would look weird without context for some bits.

Spoiler

I'm rather hoping the bit at 0:50 isn't a Trisolaran. It's neat the book leaves it much to the imagination. 

 

Kinda hoping that it doesn't white wash roles, though it shows the struggle session/cultural revolution so not totally leaving it's Chinese roots. (in the book there's like 2 Americans, only one is really a character and the other a general. Rest are Chinese.