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Books
May 8, 2019 1:25:15 GMT
Post by stokieinaus on May 8, 2019 1:25:15 GMT
In recent times I have read a number of books, some of which start off really good but fall away dramatically at the end. This issue raised a thought, do books have to be in excess of 200 pages for people to buy? My point being, some books could be half the size without the added drivel but would you pay the same amount of money for a book half the size?
I for one would but I’m sure there are plenty who would suggest otherwise.
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Books
May 8, 2019 2:04:40 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 8, 2019 2:04:40 GMT
In recent times I have read a number of books, some of which start off really good but fall away dramatically at the end. This issue raised a thought, do books have to be in excess of 200 pages for people to buy? My point being, some books could be half the size without the added drivel but would you pay the same amount of money for a book half the size? I for one would but I’m sure there are plenty who would suggest otherwise. Collection of short stories then , I personally prefer at least 350 pages 750 even better . Although one or two of the American authors pad out there're books with less words per page and waste. 1/2 pages at the beginnings and end of lots of small chapters .
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Post by cheeesfreeex on May 8, 2019 5:15:08 GMT
Size don't matter to me, there are plenty of short and snappy classics. Orwell, Burgess, Steinbeck, Wilde, Irvine Walsh, Reyes, Brett Easton Ellis, Swift, Joyce, Donleavy etc etc... Punchy and contained, sometimes in literature less is more imo.
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Books
May 8, 2019 5:35:40 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 8, 2019 5:35:40 GMT
Size don't matter to me, there are plenty of short and snappy classics. Orwell, Burgess, Steinbeck, Wilde, Irvine Walsh, Reyes, Brett Easton Ellis, Swift, Joyce, Donleavy etc etc... Punchy and contained, sometimes in literature less is more imo. Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ?
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Post by bathstoke on May 8, 2019 6:37:04 GMT
Who is the catcher in the rye field...
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Post by cerebralstokie on May 8, 2019 7:51:23 GMT
If you want short stories, try Saki (pen name). They are very funny and include biting observations on the behaviour of the upper classes.
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Post by cheeesfreeex on May 8, 2019 8:30:16 GMT
Size don't matter to me, there are plenty of short and snappy classics. Orwell, Burgess, Steinbeck, Wilde, Irvine Walsh, Reyes, Brett Easton Ellis, Swift, Joyce, Donleavy etc etc... Punchy and contained, sometimes in literature less is more imo. Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ? Yeah. I've read theories about what it represents. I read it because it was one of them 'on the list' but never fully got it. Teenage rites of passage and associated hormonal challenges/breakdowns wasn't it? I also read the shorts 'Franny & Zooey' 'Raise the Roof beams'.. all decades ago and never felt the urge to return to them. Enigmatic bollox perhaps. Similar vein I loved Kerouac's 'Doctor Sax' and stuff. Never really got into sci-fi novels I've had Asimov's Foundation Trilogy staring at me (in a smart presentation box) since Xmas 77 perhaps. Might get around to that. And recently been given Ray Brad's 'Illustrated Man' that's a short 'un too.
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Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 10:17:30 GMT
Size don't matter to me, there are plenty of short and snappy classics. Orwell, Burgess, Steinbeck, Wilde, Irvine Walsh, Reyes, Brett Easton Ellis, Swift, Joyce, Donleavy etc etc... Punchy and contained, sometimes in literature less is more imo. Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ? That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text.
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Post by telfordstoke on May 8, 2019 10:27:53 GMT
Funny how me being anti school and the teachers not exactly engaging us (personal experience, so talking solely for myself) meant I never bought into a lot of so called classics at the time. Since leaving school, I love Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare etc and have come to love some of the books. And agree, length of book is unimportant. Some of the padding on 7-800pagers is diabolical.
I still read some fantasy and scifi stuff, internet age is odd, there’s people like Pat Rothfus who write belters but get harassed constantly on forums etc with “ when’s the nex5 book out, you twat” etc, jeez leave the man alone and he’ll produce it in his own time!
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Books
May 8, 2019 10:39:24 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 10:39:24 GMT
In recent times I have read a number of books, some of which start off really good but fall away dramatically at the end. This issue raised a thought, do books have to be in excess of 200 pages for people to buy? My point being, some books could be half the size without the added drivel but would you pay the same amount of money for a book half the size? I for one would but I’m sure there are plenty who would suggest otherwise. Collection of short stories then , I personally prefer at least 350 pages 750 even better . Although one or two of the American authors pad out there're books with less words per page and waste. 1/2 pages at the beginnings and end of lots of small chapters .
Oh, well, we disagree a bit there, 'Arry, because I absolutely love lots of small chapters! Typical example: James Patterson / Alex Cross books. A perfect format IMO! Got all the Val McDermid / Tony Hill books - (NB: her last one was worse than kr*p & she should be jailed for fleecing the public with such utter bilge + the publishing house should be closed down) - but her chapters are so incredibly long they make life hell - I keep having to flip forward to check how many pages there are until the next chapter break & always find there are tons and think 'oh, bluuuuuuddy 'ell……'
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Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 10:46:58 GMT
Funny how me being anti school and the teachers not exactly engaging us (personal experience, so talking solely for myself) meant I never bought into a lot of so called classics at the time. Since leaving school, I love Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare etc and have come to love some of the books. And agree, length of book is unimportant. Some of the padding on 7-800pagers is diabolical. I still read some fantasy and scifi stuff, internet age is odd, there’s people like Pat Rothfus who write belters but get harassed constantly on forums etc with “ when’s the nex5 book out, you twat” etc, jeez leave the man alone and he’ll produce it in his own time! You've just said the magic word, Tel! Old Will has got quite a few fans on here!
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Books
May 8, 2019 11:38:15 GMT
Post by thequietman on May 8, 2019 11:38:15 GMT
Ultimately it's the writing style for me. I can ditch even a short book very quickly if the style doesn't grip me. If it does, I'll happily read 600+ pages even if little is actually happening in it.
I tend to have a few books on the go at the same time to dip into depending on what mood I'm feeling in. Maybe a long classic to broaden the mind and experience (currently Solzhenitysin - August 1914), probably a shorter sci-fi (Colin Kapp - Unorthodox Engineers), and an autobiography or two (Ant Middleton - First Man In: Leading From The Front and Jason Fox - Battle Scars: A Story Of War And All That Follows). All excellent in their own way.
I can't be doing with fantasy collections that go on for 800 pages with 10 new characters on every page. The exceptions being Ursula K Le Guin's Earthsea books, and C J Cherryh's Morgaine Cycle and Faded Sun trilogy. A bit slow, a bit rambling but gripping nonetheless. They're both great at writing about human misery.
I especially conna be doing with victorian novels. 400 pages and suddenly ... nothing happens.
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Books
May 8, 2019 11:56:06 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 11:56:06 GMT
All of this lot should be in the 'What are you reading right now?' thread.
I wonder if Admin could transfer it and merge them, please?
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Post by stokieinaus on May 8, 2019 12:04:11 GMT
All of this lot should be in the 'What are you reading right now?' thread. I wonder if Admin could transfer it and merge them, please? My apologies, didn’t realise
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Books
May 8, 2019 12:04:38 GMT
via mobile
Post by harryburrows on May 8, 2019 12:04:38 GMT
Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ? Yeah. I've read theories about what it represents. I read it because it was one of them 'on the list' but never fully got it. Teenage rites of passage and associated hormonal challenges/breakdowns wasn't it? I also read the shorts 'Franny & Zooey' 'Raise the Roof beams'.. all decades ago and never felt the urge to return to them. Enigmatic bollox perhaps. Similar vein I loved Kerouac's 'Doctor Sax' and stuff. Never really got into sci-fi novels I've had Asimov's Foundation Trilogy staring at me (in a smart presentation box) since Xmas 77 perhaps. Might get around to that. And recently been given Ray Brad's 'Illustrated Man' that's a short 'un too. Read all the Dune series back in the 70 s although not generally a sci - fantasy enthusiast. Lord of the rings trilogy was a high point for me . It's a bit old hat now but back in the 70s it was very different from anything that had gone before , Tolkiens son was the parish priest at Hartshill Catholic Church . I attended many times
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Books
May 8, 2019 12:08:39 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 12:08:39 GMT
All of this lot should be in the 'What are you reading right now?' thread. I wonder if Admin could transfer it and merge them, please? My apologies, didn’t realise Oh, I'm sorry, stokie...... I didn't say it in a cross way....... I was more thinking out loud in writing! xxx
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Post by bathstoke on May 8, 2019 12:10:01 GMT
All of this lot should be in the 'What are you reading right now?' thread. I wonder if Admin could transfer it and merge them, please? Admin don’t venture into the underworld, unless a complaint has been made. Funnily enough, we haven’t had many banning order/suspensions for a while...
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Books
May 8, 2019 12:20:03 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 12:20:03 GMT
All of this lot should be in the 'What are you reading right now?' thread. I wonder if Admin could transfer it and merge them, please? Admin don’t venture into the underworld, unless a complaint has been made. Funnily enough, we haven’t had many banning order/suspensions for a while...Oh, okay, thanks for that, Bathy....... I suppose I could venture into one of the politics threads and start another fight!
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Post by bathstoke on May 8, 2019 12:53:06 GMT
Admin don’t venture into the underworld, unless a complaint has been made. Funnily enough, we haven’t had many banning order/suspensions for a while...Oh, okay, thanks for that, Bathy....... I suppose I could venture into one of the politics threads and start another fight! I’m sure there’s already one occurring...
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Post by harryburrows on May 8, 2019 14:17:13 GMT
Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ? That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text. His gulag archipelago was a remarkable work murph
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Books
May 8, 2019 15:15:33 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 8, 2019 15:15:33 GMT
Don't forget JD Salingers classic novel cheesy , I've been trying to work it out for 45 years . It always seemed unfinished to me . Did you understand it ? That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text. I thought it held the meaning of life murph 😱
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Books
May 8, 2019 21:54:02 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 21:54:02 GMT
That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text. His gulag archipelago was a remarkable work murph Apparently so - I've got it in the bookshelves on the landing! I think I got to about page 6 before thinking 'yes, well, perhaps a little later......' !
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Books
May 8, 2019 21:56:26 GMT
Post by murphthesurf on May 8, 2019 21:56:26 GMT
That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text. I thought it held the meaning of life murph 😱 Let's look on the bright side, 'Arry - I might read it and then go and shoot Donald Trump............
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Post by cheeesfreeex on May 8, 2019 23:44:26 GMT
That was one of the books we did for GCE 'O' level English Lit, 'Arry. Couldn't understand a word of it! Still got it somewhere.... might dig it out & have another go. On second thoughts, probably have more luck with a bit of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag stuff in the original text. His gulag archipelago was a remarkable work murph Went through a Solzzzhenitsyn phase whilst living in a garret in the frozen East (Hull) 'My life as Ivan Denosovich' etc... but think I was too naive and unworldly wise to glean any allegory from it. Just a drudge as I recall, getting through his stuff was like my own literary war of attrition. Had a matching overcoat at the time.
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Books
May 9, 2019 5:19:35 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 9, 2019 5:19:35 GMT
I thought it held the meaning of life murph 😱 Let's look on the bright side, 'Arry - I might read it and then go and shoot Donald Trump............ Something slower perhaps 🏏
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Books
May 9, 2019 5:23:51 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 9, 2019 5:23:51 GMT
His gulag archipelago was a remarkable work murph Went through a Solzzhenitsyn phase whilst living in a garret in the frozen East (Hull) 'My life as Ivan Denosovich' etc... but think I was too naive and unworldly wise to glean any allegory from it. Just a drudge as I recall, getting through his stuff was like my own literary war of attrition. In a similar vein to papillon I suppose mans struggle against his oppression , it was of its time though . I remember being a very keen Dennis Wheatley fan back then as well . John Wyndham also
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Books
May 11, 2019 8:01:17 GMT
Post by bathstoke on May 11, 2019 8:01:17 GMT
Donna Tartt’s The Secret History & John Fowles The Magus are both great journeys into the labyrinths of the mind...
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Books
May 16, 2019 0:39:47 GMT
Post by cooper67 on May 16, 2019 0:39:47 GMT
Edward the Elder by Harriet Harvey Wood.
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Books
May 16, 2019 4:11:27 GMT
Post by harryburrows on May 16, 2019 4:11:27 GMT
Donna Tartt’s The Secret History & John Fowles The Magus are both great journeys into the labyrinths of the mind... The magus was a great read , haven't seen it on bookstore shelves for 40 years . Shame how great books fall off the radar
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Books
May 16, 2019 6:11:55 GMT
via mobile
Post by kelw on May 16, 2019 6:11:55 GMT
Size don't matter to me, there are plenty of short and snappy classics. Orwell, Burgess, Steinbeck, Wilde, Irvine Walsh, Reyes, Brett Easton Ellis, Swift, Joyce, Donleavy etc etc... Punchy and contained, sometimes in literature less is more imo. Roger Hargreaves
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