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Post by Beardy200 on Jun 6, 2011 9:53:55 GMT
Forgive me for being so dim as i don't read books but just out of interest, why are people predjudiced about Kipling?
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Post by SuperRickyFuller on Jun 6, 2011 10:00:11 GMT
Forgive me for being so dim as i don't read books but just out of interest, why are people predjudiced about Kipling? The FatCunt should be working on his cakes rather than churn out novels
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Post by Will_75 on Jun 6, 2011 10:10:30 GMT
Sorry, I meant in the context of my English degree (from a top one university Cupid ) and academic circles generally... he doesn't feature on many university period papers or reading lists, despite being one of our greatest short story writers. This, in my opinion is mainly because of his association with empire/colonialism, and the universal naffness of "If", rather than any lack of intellectual merit. He seems to be uniquely singled out in a field where many, many writers had views that we now find unacceptable, despite the fact that Kipling was far more humanitarian than say Larkin (who doesn't have the same allowances for historical context). In a nutshell.
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Post by salopstick on Jun 6, 2011 10:14:26 GMT
The Boat Rocker by Terence Mann
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Post by k on Jun 6, 2011 10:32:29 GMT
The Castle The Trial (both Kafka, probably both my absolute favourites)
Crime & Punishment
A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls (pretty much anything by Hemingway to be honest)
Dracula
Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
Our Man in Havana
The Third Man
The Dice Man
Armadillo
All Quiet on the Western Front
Fatelessness
A Passage to India
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Post by sirpineapple89 on Jun 6, 2011 10:35:13 GMT
Is Roy Keane's Autobiography classed as a novel?
Fucking hell, I feel poorly educated after seeing all of you reeling novels off. I haven't read any at all. Ever.
I feel a bit spazzy now.
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Post by superscfc on Jun 6, 2011 10:40:24 GMT
Mein Kampf
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Post by Will_75 on Jun 6, 2011 10:41:36 GMT
"A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls (pretty much anything by Hemingway to be honest)"
doof, my brain... good calls. The ending A Farewell to Arms is heartbreaking...
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Post by Cupid Stunt on Jun 6, 2011 10:55:31 GMT
As we're all educated and cultured on here, I presume we all read some cracking books. What's your favourite novel? I love Of Mice and Men but I think Animal Farm is so clever it probably beats it. Don't feel intimidated if you're not an intellectual who goes to a top 20 university like myself and haven't read novels as thought provoking as the two I have mentioned Join in anyway. Top 20 in what? As I linked to the last time you mentioned it, the tables were showing it as 28 I don't read books, never have since I was at school, where we did those when were about 13 or 14; and they keep telling us 'the exams aren't getting easier' How many times do I have to refer you to the Guardian's list?
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Post by PixiePotter on Jun 6, 2011 11:11:32 GMT
I don't read novels but I'm sure I will when I'm older and able to appreciate them more!
Can't say I 'enjoyed' studying any of the novels for GCSE or A level - I 'read'(Yorknotes really) The Great Gatsby, The Wasp Factory, The Bell Jar and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, obviously I was supposed to read Of Mice and Men like everyone else at GCSE and if the film's anything to go by I suppose the book must be half decent. I appreciated One Flew but the other three kind of flew over my head really. I'm sure in about 15 years time my take on novels will be completely different ;D I did enjoy Othello but that's a fucking play so doesn't count.
Anyone else read The Wasp Factory? That's one sick book. (In a bad way).
The book which I've been engroced in most was probably David Beckham's autobiography when I was about 10, couldn't put it down ;D Bart Simpson's guide to life also deserves an honourable mention.
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Post by Tubes on Jun 6, 2011 11:15:52 GMT
The Godfather - Mario Puzo winner! Honestly, no matter how many "classics" I read, I never enjoy any of them as much as this book. Also, love a bit of Terry Pratchett for light reading! Got War And Peace sitting in my room, waiting to be read, but keep baulking at starting it. Feel like it's something I should read, but it just feels like a bit of a chore!
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Post by foster on Jun 6, 2011 11:26:23 GMT
Any David Gemmell book... RIP
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Post by frasier45 on Jun 6, 2011 11:46:13 GMT
Basil Brush, The Desert Fox...
... Huh hahahaha bum bum
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Post by hooftastic on Jun 6, 2011 11:49:21 GMT
I'm a total geek so I'll say Dune (the original trilogy) by Frank Herbert.
Incredible books that holywood has always wanted (but struggled) to put into cinema.
In fact I think I'll finally add a picture to my profile in memory of the film version with Sting in.
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Post by blurtonboy66 on Jun 6, 2011 12:47:26 GMT
Kane and able-jeffrey archer
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 6, 2011 12:59:47 GMT
Forgive me for being so dim as i don't read books but just out of interest, why are people predjudiced about Kipling? Racism, Imperialism, near-Fascism, obsession with bullies and bullying??
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Post by Cupid Stunt on Jun 6, 2011 13:01:38 GMT
Forgive me for being so dim as i don't read books but just out of interest, why are people predjudiced about Kipling? Racism, Imperialism, near-Fascism, obsession with bullies and bullying?? And he let his son, Daniel Radcliffe, go and get killed in the Great War.
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 6, 2011 13:01:49 GMT
As for my favourite novels, it's a long long list. Tom Jones would always be right near the top, no nothing to do with Delilah!!! ;D
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Post by k on Jun 6, 2011 13:06:15 GMT
"A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls (pretty much anything by Hemingway to be honest)" doof, my brain... good calls. The ending A Farewell to Arms is heartbreaking... AFTA was the first Hemingway book I'd read, so was totally not anticipating the ending. I remember finshing it in bed around 11.30pm, and still lying there wide awake thinking about what I'd just read about 3 hours later.
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Post by Will_75 on Jun 6, 2011 13:27:06 GMT
"Racism, Imperialism, near-Fascism, obsession with bullies and bullying??"
have you read much Kipling?
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 6, 2011 13:34:24 GMT
"Racism, Imperialism, near-Fascism, obsession with bullies and bullying??" have you read much Kipling? Yes. Almost all of it, I'm really fond of him in spite of all that. Kim is an amazing novel. But can you honestly think he's not any of those things? He's underrated by PC people though for sure.
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Post by thepremierbanksy on Jun 6, 2011 13:41:28 GMT
Lolita is Number 1.
I concur with whoever said Russel Hoban's Ridley Walker, magnificent novel.
Paul Auster - The New York Trilogy honourable mention
Donald Barthelme is my fav author but is more of a master of the short story.
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Post by winedelilah on Jun 6, 2011 13:46:20 GMT
The Godfather - Mario Puzo winner! Honestly, no matter how many "classics" I read, I never enjoy any of them as much as this book. Also, love a bit of Terry Pratchett for light reading! People rave about the Godfather film but there is no comparison to the book. Never tried Terry Pratchett though I should.. War and Peace is for fools.. ;D Got War And Peace sitting in my room, waiting to be read, but keep baulking at starting it. Feel like it's something I should read, but it just feels like a bit of a chore!
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Post by mermaidsal on Jun 6, 2011 13:48:15 GMT
I read War and Peace in hospital, after I'd got enough concentration back (couldn't even read a newspaper for the first couple of months).... honestly it's worth the trouble.
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Post by winedelilah on Jun 6, 2011 13:51:37 GMT
winner! Honestly, no matter how many "classics" I read, I never enjoy any of them as much as this book. Also, love a bit of Terry Pratchett for light reading! People rave about the Godfather film but there is no comparison to the book. Never tried Terry Pratchett though I should.. War and Peace is for fools.. ;D Got War And Peace sitting in my room, waiting to be read, but keep baulking at starting it. Feel like it's something I should read, but it just feels like a bit of a chore! Oops, put my reply in before the end of yours Tubes, apologies.. ;D
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Post by Time4aPINT on Jun 6, 2011 13:52:50 GMT
Favorite novel is a tricky one....
Like the cleverness and thought provoking of George Orwell's writing but I haven't read anything to beat 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee. Also another favorite is 'Around the World in Eighty Days' by Jules Verne, who says reading cannot be exciting?
Last book I read was Catch 22, it was decent but nowhere near as clever as it's made out to be. Glad I read it but don't think I'd want to read it again.
Of more up to date authors, I find Nick Hornby's novels a good read.
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Post by Will_75 on Jun 6, 2011 14:09:12 GMT
Phew, I'll calm down then Racist in the context of believing in British superiority, yes, but not in the modern context. His was a belief in moral responsibility which while certainly imperialist, was an ultimately philanthropic concept. Even if that is a totally discredited notion today, it is one that was hardly uncommon in the Victorian era. Trollope, Thackeray, Conan-Doyle etc etc... all arch imperialists, but none have suffered the critical panning the Kipling gets, and none of them to my knowledge have created anything as beautiful and moving as "The Gardener" or "The Eye of Allah" Fascist? No. "Spare the underdog, pull down the proud" and all that.
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Post by Stalking Horse on Jun 6, 2011 14:13:01 GMT
A Kind of Loving-Stan Barstow. The Forever War-Joe Haldemann. The Stars my Destination-Alfred Bester. Saturday Night,Sunday Morning-Alan Sillitoe. This Sporting Life-David Storey. The Big Sleep-Raymond Chandler. The Blue Max-Jack D. Hunter. Down and Out in Paris and London-George Orwell. Keep the Asphidistra Flying-George Orwell.
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Post by Northy on Jun 6, 2011 15:00:54 GMT
Top 20 in what? As I linked to the last time you mentioned it, the tables were showing it as 28 I don't read books, never have since I was at school, where we did those when were about 13 or 14; and they keep telling us 'the exams aren't getting easier' How many times do I have to refer you to the Guardian's list? Ah yes, the 'fudge it' listings Guardian's ranking uses six different criteria, each weighted between 5 and 17 per cent. Unlike other rankings the criteria do not include a measure of research output. A controversial "value-added" factor is included which compares students' degree results with their entry qualifications: "Based upon a sophisticated indexing methodology that tracks students from enrolment to graduation, qualifications upon entry are compared with the award that a student receives at the end of their studies It's 27 in The Times listings
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Post by iancransonsknees on Jun 6, 2011 15:08:45 GMT
The Castle The Trial (both Kafka, probably both my absolute favourites) Crime & Punishment A Farewell to Arms For Whom the Bell Tolls (pretty much anything by Hemingway to be honest) Dracula Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas Our Man in Havana The Third Man The Dice Man Armadillo All Quiet on the Western Front Fatelessness A Passage to India The Dice Man and Fear and Loathing are both decent. Anyone who frequents the GDB should read The Dice Man. it's sort of like what Poisoned would get up to on his day off. I went completely the other way after my english degree and got stuck into autobiographies. I'd say Hunter S thompson is my favourite, I've got pretty much everything you can get your hands on. His volumes of letters are excellent.
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