Books - What are you reading?

I'm bored of hearing about Dickens... But admit to never had read him at all.. So. Where to start? Suggestions please.

just finished the balloonist and did not find it particularly inspiring but have just started the detection manual which appears strange but good so far

In English or German?

The English doesn't do Death in Venice any justice, and you miss any amount of symbolism.

In English I'm afraid.
I tend to miss symbolism regardless.

I'm bored of hearing about Dickens... But admit to never had read him at all.. So. Where to start? Suggestions please.

Oh for fuck's sake people knock Dickens for being a massively successful yesteryear storyteller yet applaud Shakespeare for the same.

Check out 'Great Expectations'.

Which is why I want to read him..

Thanks VU

My copy of The Hungry Mouth finally arrived, so I am cracking on with that.

yet applaud Shakespeare for the same.

I don't think people applaud Shakespeare for being a storyteller.

Was given Boris' book about London for my bday. Pleasant litlte night-time read, easy going and full of interesting info about London.

Re-read this for the umpteenth time the other day.

Can't think of any other book that makes me guffaw quite as much.

Still wading through:

Thoroughly enjoying it though. Hopefully will have it cracked in a week or so...

Re-read this for the umpteenth time the other day.

Can't think of any other book that makes me guffaw quite as much.

special book - i was given this by a spanish girl i lived with - for some reason i've forgotten she thought it would suit me, and it did.

Confederacy of Dunces added meaning to my life.

I'm bored of hearing about Dickens... But admit to never had read him at all.. So. Where to start? Suggestions please.

That's what I thought, so decided to get Bleak House. I'm a bit daunted, as it's a fucking huge book, but I've actually had the odd chuckle out of it so far, and the characters are weird and quite fun.

Just talk to my thousand year old landlord to hear Dickension stories.
Books yeah good shout.
On "I and I, the natural mystics" Colin Grant. About the original wailers and their journeys from obscurity to global stars.
Essential dreadhead reading

I loved Great Expectations, partly because most of it is set in a collection of villages that surround London- like Walworth. Obv. everyone knows that London used to be villages that got absorbed by urban sprawl, but it's quite a different perspective to read something that was written when that was the reality, not from the point of view of looking back on it.
Just finished Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks. Loved every darn page- he's got better and better at what he does, has sorted out his issues with pace.

Me and two friends are working our way through the BBC list of 100 books that supposedly everyone should have read but on average everyone's read 6, or something. We've divided up the ones none of us have read and I have to start with The Bible as I refused anything by Thomas Hardy. But His Dark Materials (Pullman) is up next.

I've never read Beckett. A good starter?^

hmm... not sure if they're great to start with, pretty tricky stuff if you aren't that familiar with his style.
I'd start with reading the plays if you haven't read them already. some might find it weird to read plays though.
the shorter texts are also great. 'the lost ones' ought to be in various different collections.
let us know what you think though!

Went to the Dickens exhibition at the Museum of London on Saturday and enjoyed it. Best exhibit was a map of London from 1860s. The city was so small then.

I'm reading Seven Years in Tibet - it is very good.

hmm... not sure if they're great to start with, pretty tricky stuff if you aren't that familiar with his style.
I'd start with reading the plays if you haven't read them already. some might find it weird to read plays though.
the shorter texts are also great. 'the lost ones' ought to be in various different collections.
let us know what you think though!

I'll keep you posted.

I'm loving Bleak House. Dickens is a page turner! Who'd have thunk it??

Just finished the Song Of Ice And Fire books, fucking epic endeavour, I wasn't even enjoying it by the end. I checked how long they are (read 'em on the kindle so hard to guage) and it turns out that even without the last (as yet unwritten) book, they're the length of three Lord Of The Rings put together. Epic. I'm going to read The Old Man And The Sea as a palate cleanser.

I'll keep you posted.

I'm loving Bleak House. Dickens is a page turner! Who'd have thunk it??

Ha got started on Dickens last year and was smit by a third of the way through The Pickwick Papers. Am working though the entire catalogue in order now.

Still lovin' your work Lucifer btw. Me and the lady sat and read a few random entries the other day puntuated with apalled laughter. I got a bit hysterical recalling the story about the compulsive liar claiming to have given directions to a passing airliner.

We've divided up the ones none of us have read and I have to start with The Bible

Don't expect any cohesiveness; it kind of rambles.
Apparently the word of God, an unfocused, abusive, fickle dude.
See Terry Pratchett.

Reading fooled by randomness and How we decide.

After these is The decisive moment

The Decisive Moment: Amazon.co.uk: Jonah Lehrer: Books
and
then incognito
Incognito: The Secret Lives of The Brain: Amazon.co.uk: David Eagleman: 9781847679383: Books

in terms of fiction I'm thinking of going through some Camus.

guy de monpassant
assorted short stories

excellent read for those rainy mornings on the tube

those rainy mornings on the tube

htfu

no shower at work
i was a 365 days per year fluoro nodder once upon a time
i've aged and matured like a fine wine / cheese