Literature Thread

Post » Sun May 13, 2012 10:43 am

After reading for about 4 days I'm 3 books into the Inheritance Cycle and I'm around 100 pages from starting Inheritance.
I hated book 3, it was just horrible. After that I gave up.

I did buy the mabinogion. Its a collection of celtic stuff. Maybe its becuase I havent got far enough, but its not that great... I also despise how often people say "between me and god". Also dissapointed with one of the characters in particular. Greeks stll have the best mythology I have read. Need to find a good book about Norse stuff, wouldnt mind seeing Asian stuff too. Would be interesting to see what thier myths are.
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Damien Mulvenna
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 2:59 pm

I used to think Alfred, Lord Tennyson was my favorite poet.

Then I actually read some of his poems! :rofl:

It's a funny story. Way back in high school I had to compare two poets, selected for me by the teacher. One was Tennyson, and another Edna St. Vincent Millay. I had no idea who Edna St. Vincent Millay was. Why, the nerve that I would have to read some no-name's poems. It was an example of the worst institutionalized schooling had to offer, forcing upon us things we didn't want to read! It was an outrage!

Anyways you get the point.

Well I checked out a book of her poems in the library and took it home. There I started to read. And read. And read. And read. Before I knew it I had the entire book read cover to cover and then went back to re-read at least 10 of my favorites one more time. I loved it. They were colorful, full of life, easy to read, and made me think. Tennyson on the other hand wrote...well...In Memoriam A.H.H. If you've ever read that "poem" you'll understand.

I ended up reading everything about and by Millay I could find and ended up liking her for her life as much as for her poems. Still like to have a pass through a collection of Millay's poems now and again.

Can't say I've ever read a line of Tennyson since.

Here's one of her more famous (and short) poems: First Fig.

http://theotherpages.org/poems/millay02.html#1
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Caroline flitcroft
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 6:48 am

My all time favourite author is without a doubt Sir Terry Pratchett.
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Laura Simmonds
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 2:23 pm

if you all want an interesting read try the compound
http://www.amazon.com/Compound-S-Bodeen/dp/0312578601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327760077&sr=8-1 its very interesting
also ive read 1984 and i thought was "North Korea?"
Man, I have been wanting to read that one for so long...
I am reading a book called "the Way of the Shadows" by Brent Weeks, and it is a good book. Also, it is the only book standing in between me and Inheritance and i am determined to read that one next.
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Zualett
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 6:21 pm

As it is I'm reading a Song of Ice and Fire + the story of Elminster by Ed Greenwood. Just some lightweight fantasy for now to pass the time until I get time to focus on something really great.

I have a Song of Ice and Fire to read. I'll probably start it when I'm finished with my current fantasy.

But it appears as if you guys are discussing poetry, so I might as well post my favorite piece, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Tyler Coleridge.

http://www.online-literature.com/coleridge/646/

I love that poem. It's probably not my favourite, but I did like it.
The Wasteland by T.S. Eliot is a contender for my favourite, however it's just pipped to the post by The Owl and the pvssycat by Edward Lear. I can recite that poem from memory.

Man, I have been wanting to read that one for so long...
I am reading a book called "the Way of the Shadows" by Brent Weeks, and it is a good book. Also, it is the only book standing in between me and Inheritance and i am determined to read that one next.

I've read that. Pretty good book, quite gripping.
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Alisha Clarke
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 2:20 pm

i just finish the bartimaeus series, absolutely great
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Kira! :)))
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 7:11 am

I envy anyone who can write decent poetry.

Same here. I absolutely svck unfortunatley :(
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tegan fiamengo
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 11:49 am

I just read "The Black company" and 'Shadows Linger" by Glen Cook.

My favorite piece of literature is "The Shadow over Insmouth" By H.p Lovecraft.
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Nuno Castro
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 11:19 am

Andy McNab has wrote some good books, he is my favourite author.
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courtnay
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 10:36 am

Same here. I absolutely svck unfortunatley :(

My most favorite book for poetry and inspiration: Rommel Drives On Deep Into Egypt, by Richard Brautigan.

Best described as simple and witty.
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Haley Merkley
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 5:47 am

After reading for about 4 days I'm 3 books into the Inheritance Cycle and I'm around 100 pages from starting Inheritance.


That book pissed me off.
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Charlie Sarson
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 11:52 am

That book pissed me off.
Its good for YOUNG advlts.
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Emma Louise Adams
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 3:06 pm

Is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as good as the hype suggests?
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Eileen Collinson
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 2:47 pm

reading american gods, i think it influenced tes slightly. The whole gods need belief badly thing is sorta cool. I bought a kindle and i think it was the favorite thing i bought last year
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Prisca Lacour
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 5:31 am

Try reading Homer's Iliad and Odyssey in Greek. That's hardcoe! :read:
All in a day's work as a Classics major. :P
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yermom
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 2:10 pm

the hunger games is good modern literature
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megan gleeson
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 5:22 am

Just read Emma and am about to start The Wide Sargasso Sea for school.
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Czar Kahchi
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 3:13 am

reading american gods, i think it influenced tes slightly. The whole gods need belief badly thing is sorta cool. I bought a kindle and i think it was the favorite thing i bought last year
It is a fantastic book. It's possible that TES was influenced by it, but I think that American Gods was influenced, at least the part you mentioned, by the Terry Pratchett novel Small Gods. It'd make sense also because Neil Gaiman's first novel, Good Omens, was co-written with Pratchett.
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Sarah Kim
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 8:48 am

Death of Ivan Illych. I absolutely love Tolstoy.
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Suzie Dalziel
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 4:08 pm

I just read "The Black company" and 'Shadows Linger" by Glen Cook.

My favorite piece of literature is "The Shadow over Insmouth" By H.p Lovecraft.
That makes me wonder... Is there any news on the proposed latest two The Black Company (tried to abbreviate, but that didn't look well) novels? I'm really hoping Cook is writing them or will write them soon, because I fear he might not... I just finished his Books of the South. That means I recommend you to read on. The second section left an even deeper impression and you still haven't gotten to the climix of the first section. There's some good times ahead for you.
Also a fan of Lovecraft. I have a beautiful, thick omnibus in my book closet.
Is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo as good as the hype suggests?
To be honest first I saw the original Swedish miniseries. Was good. Then read the books. More stuff that didn't get explained in the miniseries, but also more of Stieg Larsson's political agenda that gets pushed down your throat. At a certain point while reading the second novel I started to skip entire chapters until I couldn't handle the nausea anymore and I just stopped reading altogether. Not so recommended.

All you people who like mythology and epic literature should read the Poetic Edda and the Norse sagas at some point if you weren't aware of it.

Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky was brilliant. And of course The Witcher and anything related by Andrzej Sapkowski. I should read more works by Slavic authors. The culture intrigues me.
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Inol Wakhid
 
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Post » Sun May 13, 2012 10:03 am

I was thinking about getting Stephen King's The Stand: the Complete and Uncut Edition. Is it any good? Is it part of a series that I need to read anything before it, or does the "Complete and Uncut" part pretty much make it stand alone?
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Brad Johnson
 
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