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What are you reading ?
August 6th, 2007, 19:09
@magerette: I know poems by T. Hardy (some of them I have tried to translate to czech some years ago - question is whether it was good…), but I've read none of his novels. It was quite disaster when he lost his wife. His later works are jotted by his sad fate. But when he was eighty years old or so he wrote this beautiful poem:
Song to Aurore
We’ll not begin again to love,
It only leads to pain;
The fire we now are master of
Has seared us not in vain.
Any new step of yours I'm fain
To hear of from afar,
And even in such may find a gain
While lodged not where you are.
No: that must not be done anew
Which has been done before;
I scarce could bear to seek, or view,
Or clasp you any more!
Life is a labour, death is sore,
And lonely living wrings;
But go your courses, sweet Aurore,
Kisses are caresome things!
It's one of the most sorrowful poems I've ever read.
Song to Aurore
We’ll not begin again to love,
It only leads to pain;
The fire we now are master of
Has seared us not in vain.
Any new step of yours I'm fain
To hear of from afar,
And even in such may find a gain
While lodged not where you are.
No: that must not be done anew
Which has been done before;
I scarce could bear to seek, or view,
Or clasp you any more!
Life is a labour, death is sore,
And lonely living wrings;
But go your courses, sweet Aurore,
Kisses are caresome things!
It's one of the most sorrowful poems I've ever read.
--
"Eternal Trust Survives The Soul"
"Eternal Trust Survives The Soul"
August 6th, 2007, 20:04
Originally Posted by CorwinYeah, it is a bit wordy (and preachy) in places, but I sorta liked it anyway. More than Anna Karenina in any case… Russians say that foreigners prefer Dostoevsky while Russians prefer Tolstoy. I know that's true for me.
I fell asleep trying to read War and Peace many years ago!!
Mikhail Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" has to be among my three favorite books, though. IMO he beats the pants off all of the other great Russian novelists.
RPGCodex' Little BRO
August 6th, 2007, 23:02
Everything Tolstoy wrote is pure gold, not only the great novels but his shorter works also are not to be missed: The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Master and Man come especially recommended.
I'm reading Sapkowski's The Last Wish.
I'm reading Sapkowski's The Last Wish.
Sentinel
August 7th, 2007, 05:32
wow, i had no idea that there where other sherlock holmes books, apart from doyle's… can anyone tell me more about that? presicely, what should i read, and in what order. i've really liked doyle's holmes, and i also love the setting 
btw, i'm currently reading terry pratchet's discworld books… erik is one of the funniest books i've ever read

btw, i'm currently reading terry pratchet's discworld books… erik is one of the funniest books i've ever read
--
I feel like I could… like I could… TAKE ON THE WORLD!!!
I feel like I could… like I could… TAKE ON THE WORLD!!!
August 7th, 2007, 10:20
Originally Posted by txa1265No, I don't think so. I've read some Dostoevsky short stories and some Tolstoy short stories in the original, and I still prefer Dostoevsky. I think it's more the world-view and thematics. Bluntly put, Tolstoy writes about Russia first, the universal human condition second, while Dostoevsky writes about the universal human condition first, and Russia second.
I wonder if there is something in the "translatability" of the text? Because I know it is true for me as well.
Pushkin, OTOH, does not translate well. Chekhov is another tough one -- his writing is so full of puns and other language games that you need to be an extremely creative translator to get much of it across.
RPGCodex' Little BRO
August 7th, 2007, 12:24
Just finished stephen king: the song of susannah..Its the sixth book of Dark Tower series. I belive everyone knows this, but no harm explaining. After the wizzard and glass, the whole series has just gone downhill. Wolves of the calla was decent, but song of susannah was only boring and tedious. I felt like King didn't anymore know how to fill the book's pages, so he just wrote something and hoped the reader wouldn't notice the hoax. Too much mia-susannah inner debates which rarely served any meaning for example. Hopefully the last book is as good as the first four.
Now reading Frank herbert - the dune
I don't know why i haven't read this wonderfull book before. Either its always been missing from a local library or i have forgotten it when visiting there.
Now reading Frank herbert - the dune
I don't know why i haven't read this wonderfull book before. Either its always been missing from a local library or i have forgotten it when visiting there.
August 7th, 2007, 12:34
Originally Posted by Prime JuntaThen he must be amazing in the original … because I like his stuff in English.
Chekhov is another tough one -- his writing is so full of puns and other language games that you need to be an extremely creative translator to get much of it across.
--
-- Mike
-- Mike
SasqWatch
August 7th, 2007, 14:03
Currently reading two books..
Parallel Worlds - Michio Kaku
Bring On The Empty Horses - David Niven
Parallel Worlds - Michio Kaku
Bring On The Empty Horses - David Niven
Watchdog
August 7th, 2007, 14:19
Originally Posted by MalkThere is a ton of Holme's material not written by Doyle, but it tends to very uneven, everything from very amateurish to quite well done.
wow, i had no idea that there where other sherlock holmes books, apart from doyle's… can anyone tell me more about that? presicely, what should i read, and in what order. i've really liked doyle's holmes, and i also love the setting….
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmesedited by Richard Lancelyn Green, is a nice collection that gives a feel for the Holmesian pastiche.
The only body of work that really excells to me though, is Laurie King's excellent series beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice.She posits a marriage between Holmes and an American/Jewish Talmudic scholar that works surprisingly well. My favorite in the series is O Jerusalem, where she and Holmes undertake an undercover assignment in the Mid East for Mycroft. Though these books are told very much from Mary Russell's perspective, they have more of the feel of Holmes as a real entity than many that just use the name and conventions.
@Artran--a sad and lovely poem. Hardy's novels are even more sorrowful, and some might even say depressing. I read them during a very unhappy time in my own life, though, and they were one of the major supports that helped me through. After reading Jude the Obscure, it's very hard to feel sorry for yourself!
--
Where there's smoke, there's mirrors.
Where there's smoke, there's mirrors.
August 7th, 2007, 16:58
Originally Posted by MalkI only know the original Doyle books, but there are several of them, I also liked his short stories *very* much !
wow, i had no idea that there where other sherlock holmes books, apart from doyle's… can anyone tell me more about that? presicely, what should i read, and in what order. i've really liked doyle's holmes, and i also love the setting
btw, i'm currently reading terry pratchet's discworld books… erik is one of the funniest books i've ever read![]()

Discworld readiiing order guides :
http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-…des/index.html
I think it would be a good idea to check this out.
www.lspace.org (with "lspace" standing for "Librarian Space") is in general a good choice for learning about the Discworld !
August 7th, 2007, 20:44
Originally Posted by DezThis is very bad news for me, Dez. I just finished the second one and I'm already really tired of Susannah. My husband is reading the last one, which is huge(~850 pages) and he says it's better, but he's a pretty uncritical guy where Stephen King is concerned.
Just finished stephen king: the song of susannah..Its the sixth book of Dark Tower series. I belive everyone knows this, but no harm explaining. After the wizzard and glass, the whole series has just gone downhill. Wolves of the calla was decent, but song of susannah was only boring and tedious. I felt like King didn't anymore know how to fill the book's pages, so he just wrote something and hoped the reader wouldn't notice the hoax. Too much mia-susannah inner debates which rarely served any meaning for example. Hopefully the last book is as good as the first four.
Now reading Frank herbert - the duneGreat book. Someday I need to read some of the many sequels but I've always been afraid they wouldn't measure up.
I don't know why i haven't read this wonderfull book before. Either its always been missing from a local library or i have forgotten it when visiting there.
--
Where there's smoke, there's mirrors.
Where there's smoke, there's mirrors.
August 8th, 2007, 01:18
They don't!! The Dune series goes downhill RAPIDLY!!
--
If God said it, then that settles it!!
Editor@RPGWatch
If God said it, then that settles it!!
Editor@RPGWatch
August 8th, 2007, 10:06
"God Emperor of Dune" will be my guide book on how to run things once I'm elected Ruler of the World. 
Right now I'm chewing my way through Picknett & Prince's "The Templar Revelation" about how sex supposedly played a far more important role in secret societies in Europe throughout the centuries than the Church would have liked. And when I'm saying chewing I really mean chewing since I only have time to read when I'm in my bed at night these days and nothing induces sleep faster than 4-5 references to source material on every page

Right now I'm chewing my way through Picknett & Prince's "The Templar Revelation" about how sex supposedly played a far more important role in secret societies in Europe throughout the centuries than the Church would have liked. And when I'm saying chewing I really mean chewing since I only have time to read when I'm in my bed at night these days and nothing induces sleep faster than 4-5 references to source material on every page
--
"Chess in particular had always annoyed him. It was the dumb way the pawns went off and slaughtered their fellow pawns while the kings lounged about doing nothing that always got to him; if only the pawns united, maybe talked the rooks around, the whole board could've been a republic in a dozen moves." - Commander Vimes in Thud! by Terry Pratchett
"Chess in particular had always annoyed him. It was the dumb way the pawns went off and slaughtered their fellow pawns while the kings lounged about doing nothing that always got to him; if only the pawns united, maybe talked the rooks around, the whole board could've been a republic in a dozen moves." - Commander Vimes in Thud! by Terry Pratchett
August 8th, 2007, 12:49
I'm with Corwin about the Dune series. I unfortunately read them all because I kept hoping that the series would pick up again. It didn't imho. I had more fun with the prequels (by Brian Herbert) although they are not the pick of the litter also. The Amber series kept more quality but that also tapered off a bit.
August 8th, 2007, 14:15
Finished the Trudi Canavan book, flew thru "Ghoul" by Brian Keene (gave me what I was looking for, but, meh), and started the final installment of the Dreamers series from David Eddings. So far, the series has been a major disappointment to me. Since Eddings is probably my favorite author, my expectations are quite high, but this series so far has been terribly anti-climactic and rather non-heroic. I could forgive that if the characters were really good, but there's too many for Eddings to really develop any of them. Maybe the conclusion will exceed the previous three volumes.
--
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
Dallas Cowboys: Can we be done with the offseason? / / Detroit Red Wings: At least we get a new coach
Sorry. No pearls of wisdom in this oyster.
Dallas Cowboys: Can we be done with the offseason? / / Detroit Red Wings: At least we get a new coach
August 8th, 2007, 21:53
I once read the original "Dune" book, but never liked it. Interesting in its ideas, but far too dark for my taste, and weird.
I had the feeling as if this book had no soul.
I had the feeling as if this book had no soul.
August 8th, 2007, 22:15
@Alrik. Well, Herbert was accused of creating a fascist undercurrent in his work. I don't know if I agree with that, I for sure didn't pick that up when I first read it. But it could be that the soullessness (is that a word?) stems from that.
August 9th, 2007, 00:55
I love the Amber series!!
--
If God said it, then that settles it!!
Editor@RPGWatch
If God said it, then that settles it!!
Editor@RPGWatch
August 9th, 2007, 07:22
"The politically incorect guide to the constitution" by Gutzman, it's time for a serious four-letter word -- the #&%@ FACT
--
"A strong president, means having the strength to resist the temptation of taking all that power isn't yours" - Ron Paul
"If you think the problems we create are bad, just wait until you see our solutions",- Government
"A strong president, means having the strength to resist the temptation of taking all that power isn't yours" - Ron Paul
"If you think the problems we create are bad, just wait until you see our solutions",- Government
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