What are you reading at the moment?

[footy68]

The Diceman is a pretty messed up book. If you are into Biography reading, do not read 'Pretty Boy' from Roy Shaw. The Story goes 'he showned no respect so I gave him a slap'.

[Ackey]

I loved it, my favourite of HST's books I've read. Although all i could think of when I was reading it was: how fit must Chenault be.

 

It is being/has been made into a film set for release late September with Johnny Depp as the main man again. But you probably were already aware of that.

Yeh, it's been in development hell for about 5 years, delighted it's finally seeing the light of day, especially in the hands of Depp who I trust implicitly with any of HST's work.

[leeslover]

30. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy – JRR Tolkien

 

A classic, and has Mr Tulsehill sporting an unseemly bulge every time it is on

33. Moby-Dick – Herman Melville

Very good, but it's a long investment for the return

39. The Prince – Niccolo Machiavelli

The really interesting pick of the bunch. If you are a Political Philosophy geek like me, which narrows the pool down. Generally seen as the ultimate guide to how to achieve power regardless of morality, it is actually just a study of how it's done, but behind the scenes it is an appeal to the people of Italy to overthrow their numerous tosspot governments and unite. He's not saying that sawing people in half and leaving them in the town square is a good thing, he is saying that it is effective. His boss at the time was not a nice man.

 

[leeslover]

Us purists prefer to call it Euroboy rather than using the text speaks Euroby which is commonly touted by the new breed of inexperienced inspectors of classic male literature.

Sorry. Typing left handed on and Arabic language keyboard is a bit tricky when the blood is up, so to speak

[Stevie_J]

I've read about 20 of those books. Ken Kesey's Cuckoo's Nest is standout. As is High Fidelity and Stephen Kings' Different Seasons - however I preferred his short story books like Skeleton Crew, and Night Shift than his novels. He could ramble a bit. I'll get around to Hemingway's A Call To Arms soon, I'm about 50 pages into For Whom The Bell Tolls now...

Indeed, ...Cuckoo's Nest is great and the hugely overrated film is an insult to the book.

[leeslover]

Indeed, ...Cuckoo's Nest is great and the hugely overrated film is an insult to the book.

I might give that a look then, as I think it's a great film. Will try and think of good recently read books soon when I am not frazzled from work and/or drunk

[opinions4u]

Wilbur Smith - The Seventh Scroll.

 

Superb.

[klow1]

4. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

 

Read this book after recommendation from library assistant. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[BigfinLatic]

1. American Psycho – Brett Easton Ellis

 

.....

 

50. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union – Michael Chabon

 

Having spent three years of my life 'supposedly' doing an English lit degree, I think I have read most of these (well, the ones published before 2001 anyway...)

 

Some are utter bollocks, it has to be said - Wind up bird chronicles for example, and lets be fair LOTR and (be really honest) American Psycho have become almost a patronising nod to fashionable fiction. I mean really - have you read American Psycho... really? Number 1. Bugger off. Anyone who can read that book and actually enjoy it is lying.

 

There are some brilliant books on this list - Atomised , just sensational. (However, i have to say - Platform by Houellebecq for me is the better novel - just amazing, if you can get past the sex, like). Underworld by Don Delillo is brilliant too, as are most of his novels. The Wasp Factory is probably the most haunting book I have ever read - with the most disturbing scene I have ever read in print. Those who have read it will know what I mean.

 

The Great Gatsby and Brighton Rock are just brillaint books.

 

What am I reading at the moment - well mainly Science-Fiction. As always. Sod proper novels, rather read about someones head being cut off with a chainsword, or about bounty hunters in the Culture.

 

[Roger Ritchie]

American Psycho have become almost a patronising nod to fashionable fiction. I mean really - have you read American Psycho... really? Number 1. Bugger off. Anyone who can read that book and actually enjoy it is lying.

 

I had this argument with someone recently. American Psycho isn't a very good book. Three pages describing what someone is wearing every four pages doesn't make for good reading.

 

The argument I was having was based on the notion that American Psycho is part of a rare category where the film is actually better than the book.

 

The film is tops though.

 

The person I was having this debate didn't agree with me and retorted with something similar to 'Nah maaaan it's an all time classic' at which point I pulled out my chainsword and chopped off the hippies head. True story.

[Stevie_J]

I had this argument with someone recently. American Psycho isn't a very good book. Three pages describing what someone is wearing every four pages doesn't make for good reading.

 

The argument I was having was based on the notion that American Psycho is part of a rare category where the film is actually better than the book.

 

The film is tops though.

 

The person I was having this debate didn't agree with me and retorted with something similar to 'Nah maaaan it's an all time classic' at which point I pulled out my chainsword and chopped off the hippies head. True story.

After reading the first sentence of this post, I was going to reply to say that this is a rare instance where the film beats the book, but you went on to say just that. So I won't bother.

[Crusoe]

I thought the book of American Psycho was very good. Overrated, sure, it doesn't belong in any top 20 book list, but still very good. The excessively detailed descriptions and the banal cataloging and namedropping of musicians, products, restaurants just highlighted how vacuous and pointless Patrick Bateman's existence is.

 

Since you're never sure if he ever committed any of the crimes, and the book strongly hints that he didn't, I thought it was a brilliant way to communicate just how desperately empty that 1980s high capitalist Wall Street lifestyle was, that otherwise intelligent people resort to vile fantasies just to make themselves feel like there's meaing in their lives.

 

[Yard Dog]

Razzle.

[oafc0000]

Just finished: Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster

 

Before that: From Here to Paternity: The Diary of a Pregnant Man

 

Both fantastic

[BigfinLatic]

I had this argument with someone recently. American Psycho isn't a very good book. Three pages describing what someone is wearing every four pages doesn't make for good reading.

 

The argument I was having was based on the notion that American Psycho is part of a rare category where the film is actually better than the book.

 

The film is tops though.

 

The person I was having this debate didn't agree with me and retorted with something similar to 'Nah maaaan it's an all time classic' at which point I pulled out my chainsword and chopped off the hippies head. True story.

 

 

I have to say, unfortunately, saying the fim is better than the book isnt much of a compliment - as the film was a bit crap, unfortunately totally affected by the fact that the best and most disturbing bits of the book (the violence) can never be filmed. For instance - changing a scene when he puts a ravenous rat inside a woman and chainsaws her in half, to a scene where he just drops a chainsaw down some stairs. For me, the book would have been a great short story, that ended up a very monotonous book - some brilliant passages (the Phil Collins bit, business cards, violence, the ending) however you simply cant enjoy it in totality.

 

 

[rudemedic]

 

I have to say, unfortunately, saying the fim is better than the book isnt much of a compliment - as the film was a bit crap, unfortunately totally affected by the fact that the best and most disturbing bits of the book (the violence) can never be filmed. For instance - changing a scene when he puts a ravenous rat inside a woman and chainsaws her in half, to a scene where he just drops a chainsaw down some stairs. For me, the book would have been a great short story, that ended up a very monotonous book - some brilliant passages (the Phil Collins bit, business cards, violence, the ending) however you simply cant enjoy it in totality.

 

The film is good (I've definately seen worse but I've also seen better) which is made that way because Christian Bale was cast so well. The book is quite good (I've definately read better in the same sort of genre- in fact possibly by the same author). It has sort of captured the Zeitgeist of the excesses of City boy lifestyles, which is obviously very pertinent at the moment. The fact that the author spends a decent amount of time describing what people are wearing in minute detail and where they are eating in minute detail is a bit annoying and can be conveyed much better in film.

 

I would however point out IMHO that trainspotting is also a much better film than a book (which reads like a screenplay for the majority) as while I appreciate the use of local language I don't want to have to sound it out in a Scottish accent so I can understand what's being said.

[Ackey]

Seeing as we've drifted towards film... I'm now reading this months Empire magazine.

[Roger Ritchie]

I would however point out IMHO that trainspotting is also a much better film than a book (which reads like a screenplay for the majority) as while I appreciate the use of local language I don't want to have to sound it out in a Scottish accent so I can understand what's being said.

 

I can't agree with that. Although I'm a huge fan of Welsh. Glue and Filth are tremendous.

 

The film Trainspotting is a classic though because they stuck so close to the book.

 

Although they missed the wonderfully awful 'Bad Blood' chapters out of the film.

 

On the point of New York high flying self absorbed coke fiends - Bright Lights, Big City (also on the list) is a good read although a bit short and a bit of a whizz through.

[BigfinLatic]

Seeing as we've drifted towards film... I'm now reading this months Empire magazine.

 

I've just noticed that the guy who wrote the Iron Man 2 review was in my english lit class at Uni! Git, he now obviously gets paid to watch films!

 

Films and books combine again.

[rudemedic]

I can't agree with that. Although I'm a huge fan of Welsh. Glue and Filth are tremendous.

 

The film Trainspotting is a classic though because they stuck so close to the book.

 

Although they missed the wonderfully awful 'Bad Blood' chapters out of the film.

 

On the point of New York high flying self absorbed coke fiends - Bright Lights, Big City (also on the list) is a good read although a bit short and a bit of a whizz through.

 

I'm a big fan of Welsh too although I must admit my favourite one of his is porno (which is kind of like Trainspotting II). My recommendation for New York financiers gone wrong is Liar's Poker but I will have a cheeky look for that one if I remember next time I'm in a book shop.

[OldhamSheridan]

So does no one read DBC Pierre?

 

Vernon God Little was a work of art.

[Zorrro]

I've read Vernon God Little. It's brilliant.