Fiction books discussion - any favourites?

[DDeer]

As it's world bookday tomorrow here are a few of mine (Ricks work excepted).

The last days of New Paris by China Mieville
Surreal artworks come alive and stalk the City of Paris during world war two, short but probably my favourite book currently, I loved the description of the various artworks, makes me want to know more about French surrealism (I have in fact visited the Pompidou centre in Paris many moons ago) and the idea of art as a powerful force (which I guess it can be).

Tom Wolfes the Right Stuff
The magic of the early Astronauts and their Characters, I've read countless books on the subject but this takes some beating, really captures the whole scene well. (Also great name).

Dead Astronauts by Jeff Vandermeer
A deliberately vague plot but great visions of a distopian world, it also has a talking blue fox in it so what's not to like?

Anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky (particularly dogs of war and the Tiger and the Wolf). Amazing world creation, gripping plots and memorable characters, lots of shapeshifers and Cyborg Dogs

I could name many more but I'll stick with these for now.

Daunted

[Harry Johnathan]

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Dog Man by Dav PILKEY

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Body by Stephen King

The Polar Express by Chris Van-Allsburg

1984/Animal Farm (tied) by George Orwell

The Holy Bible by various

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

Lord Peter by Dorothy L. Sayers

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alleghri

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

LOTR by J.R.R Tolkien

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis

Dune by Frank Herbert

and by The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy Jane Thayer

[DDeer]

Ah yes, Dune, I liked that book, the film is definitely different (the original) and the game was great

[Vertigo Fox]

I read lots, so it'll be hard to narrow down...
Just what comes to my mind at the moment:

both Uplift trilogies by David Brin -- some of the best space opera I've ever read, with a crapload of unique aliens and other characters
There was also an anthology by the same author, Insistence of Vision, that I got for my birthday last year, with some really bizarre sorts of speculative future stuff going on
The Age of Fire series (especially the first two books in it) by E. E. Knight. It's sorta high fantasy with the twist that it's told from the perspective of dragons
And for anybody who's a fan of classic series Doctor Who, I recently finished Tom Baker's "Scratchman". It's got a really weird story which is enough in itself, but the best part is how true the main characters feel to how they were on-screen, which is something expanded universe stories don't always get quite right

[DDeer]

So I finally finished reading the English translations of Bambi and Bambi’s Children by Felix Salten.
I enjoyed both books, I especially liked the way that the animals behaved as you would expect, it was not sugar coated in any way. There is a quite lot of suffering as you would anticipate in nature and it is not what you would now typically expect from a so called children’s story (I think it is more than that in any case). It was interesting that although Bambi is the main focus of the story he tends to disappear in and out of it quite a bit, both he and his father appear as remote, stern fatherly types, cropping up to give words of advice and guidance to their offspring, I wonder if Felix or his father were like this in any way and if Felix was for or against this style of parenting, it’s hard to know.

There are lots of themes covered, isolation, power, social groups, the passage of time, growing up. The part in the second book where the Squirrel explains how their communal nut storing works is quite an interesting look into Felix’s own philosophical viewpoints I feel. There are some strong characters in the books, Faline I found particularly intriguing, she is by no means perfect and has her own failings and fallings out. The role of humans in the book is also not as black and white as you would expect, I wonder if this comes from the fact Felix himself was a hunter. The way the Deer visualise man’s creations and technology in ways they understand is quite well done (they see guns as thunder sticks and fences as odd shaped trees and vines).

All in all well worth a read and books to make you think, the description of life in a forest is very vivid as well. Guess I need to see the movies now to see what they got adapted into (I’m aware the movies are quite different).

Daunted

[MikeNelsonMythril]

Favorite books? Well, I'm currently trying to build a library of sorts but aside from religious texts (LDS Chaosgak and All) The Legend Of Zelda Series of manga by Akira Himekawa, Localized by Viz Media.

I am also a fan of Charlie & The Choclate Factory by Roal Dahl. In spite of any fetishes the man invented through his childrens books, this book shows that bad parenting will ultimately screw both the offsprings, the parents and society should the likes of these parents continue to be the wrong parenting advice heed. (Kids need discipline in order to be like Charlie, And not like the other Golden Ticket weiners.)

I guess i need more Books, but a important holiday is Banned Books Week. (though it should apply to everything both Media And Real Life.)

[NHWestoN]

So I finally finished reading the English translations of Bambi and Bambi’s Children by Felix Salten.
I enjoyed both books, I especially liked the way that the animals behaved as you would expect, it was not sugar coated in any way. There is a quite lot of suffering as you would anticipate in nature and it is not what you would now typically expect from a so called children’s story (I think it is more than that in any case). It was interesting that although Bambi is the main focus of the story he tends to disappear in and out of it quite a bit, both he and his father appear as remote, stern fatherly types, cropping up to give words of advice and guidance to their offspring, I wonder if Felix or his father were like this in any way and if Felix was for or against this style of parenting, it’s hard to know.

There are lots of themes covered, isolation, power, social groups, the passage of time, growing up. The part in the second book where the Squirrel explains how their communal nut storing works is quite an interesting look into Felix’s own philosophical viewpoints I feel. There are some strong characters in the books, Faline I found particularly intriguing, she is by no means perfect and has her own failings and fallings out. The role of humans in the book is also not as black and white as you would expect, I wonder if this comes from the fact Felix himself was a hunter. The way the Deer visualise man’s creations and technology in ways they understand is quite well done (they see guns as thunder sticks and fences as odd shaped trees and vines).

All in all well worth a read and books to make you think, the description of life in a forest is very vivid as well. Guess I need to see the movies now to see what they got adapted into (I’m aware the movies are quite different).

Daunted

I'm glad you enjoyed them, DD. The Disney version has its charms but it is Disney. I have not seen any of the Release-to-DVD-Not-for-Theatre versions but assume they wander far from Salten's canon (Ronno, for example, was never Bambi's playmate or ---- like Reggie in the Archie Comics --- his "rival").
And you're very right about how Faline develops in Bambi's Children - she emerges as very complex and yet deeply compassionate (adopting two orphan bucks, Nello and Membo, that Bambi late embraces).


... and, just a little further, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass ... since you were kind enough to ask.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Back when I had the time to read books when I was in school I quite liked the Eragon series myself. I still kick myself for abandoning the last book as I was reading it but life got in the way.

[DDeer]

I'm glad you enjoyed them, DD. The Disney version has its charms but it is Disney. I have not seen any of the Release-to-DVD-Not-for-Theatre versions but assume they wander far from Salten's canon (Ronno, for example, was never Bambi's playmate or ---- like Reggie in the Archie Comics --- his "rival").
And you're very right about how Faline develops in Bambi's Children - she emerges as very complex and yet deeply compassionate (adopting two orphan bucks, Nello and Membo, that Bambi late embraces).


... and, just a little further, Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass ... since you were kind enough to ask.

Ah Lewis Caroll, a classic, I have to admit I have never read the books but have seen the various animations and films. Characters everyone seems to know regardless of if they have read it, the mad hatter, the queen and the white rabbit. Next up to read for me is the Hound of Florence, I understand the English translation differs significantly from the original German text (and has a happier ending) but my German is poor so it'll have to do.

I take it you know where some of the inspiration for the mad hatter is believed to have come from (i.e. the use of mercury in hat making) ?

Daunted

[NHWestoN]

Indeed, the Mad Hatter was supposably based on a neighborhood hat-maker who was regarded as more than a little eccentric - and the role of mercury in causing brain damage is well documented.

Since Through the Looking Glass takes place during a chess game in which pawn Alice is marching forward to become a Queen herself (and succeeds - sort of), several scholars have tried to determine the play of the game on an actual board. There's also debate along this line about which characters stand in for actual chess pieces and what those pieces might be.

[Harry Johnathan]

My favorite Alice adaptation is the 1989 Jan Svankmajer's version. It's so... out there.

[NHWestoN]

My favorite Alice adaptation is the 1989 Jan Svankmajer's version. It's so... out there.

True !!

[DDeer]

That does indeed look very different, not familiar with that version, probably more in the spirit of the original books I feel.

[NHWestoN]

Another work well worth your time is Wind in the Willows, a favorite of C.S. Lewis and J.R.Tolkien.

[Amazee Dayzee]

One of these days I want to get the novel that is the script of the play to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. That actually looks like it could be interesting and fun to read.

[Harry Johnathan]

One of these days I want to get the novel that is the script of the play to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. That actually looks like it could be interesting and fun to read.

It does a lot of damage to the original book's canon. But considering Rowling is a massive bigot in real life, I could care less about a play that ruins the original books.

[Amazee Dayzee]

How do you feel that it ruins the canon of the original books if I might ask?

[Harry Johnathan]

How do you feel that it ruins the canon of the original books if I might ask?

Let's see --- Voldemort having a daughter, Harry becoming a massive jerk as an adult, the Trolley Woman becoming a troll-like monster and much more.

Also this thread could become a place to talk about books in general.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Who was the poor unfortunate soul that Voldemort ended up forcing to mother his child?

[DDeer]

I read the script book a while back but I honestly can't remember

The thread changing to a general book thread seems a good idea to me, I can change the title to reflect that ( I think ?!) if people want?

Daunted

[MikeNelsonMythril]

Yeah, Changing the title of the thread would be a good idea in this case Daunted.

[DDeer]

Done

[Harry Johnathan]

Done

Congrats, You have completed a great game. Now go and rest our hero.

business-people-clapping-C93RE1.jpg (125.68 KiB) Viewed 9086 times

[DDeer]

Sure I've seen that photo somewhere else recently

[Tinnier]

I love Richard Adams' Watership Down very much. I read the book three times, twice in my childhood (although the book is not necessarily something for children because it is a bit brutal in some places, but my mom probably hadn't read the foldout text at the time and probably just thought, "great, cute Rabbits ") and again two years ago. I have never forgotten these rabbits since I first read this book. It was one of the best stories I've ever read, it's a really fascinating adventure novel.

[NHWestoN]

I love Richard Adams' Watership Down very much. I read the book three times, twice in my childhood (although the book is not necessarily something for children because it is a bit brutal in some places, but my mom probably hadn't read the foldout text at the time and probably just thought, "great, cute Rabbits ") and again two years ago. I have never forgotten these rabbits since I first read this book. It was one of the best stories I've ever read, it's a really fascinating adventure novel.

I enjoyed Watership Down enormously. Read it at a time we had house-broken rabbits (which are a lot of fun but know what you're getting into!). Like the Felix Salten books, it's not really intended for children but my daughter's both enjoyed it, too. (Son not so much - sensitive kid.)

[Tinnier]

I love Richard Adams' Watership Down very much. I read the book three times, twice in my childhood (although the book is not necessarily something for children because it is a bit brutal in some places, but my mom probably hadn't read the foldout text at the time and probably just thought, "great, cute Rabbits ") and again two years ago. I have never forgotten these rabbits since I first read this book. It was one of the best stories I've ever read, it's a really fascinating adventure novel.

I enjoyed Watership Down enormously. Read it at a time we had house-broken rabbits (which are a lot of fun but know what you're getting into!). Like the Felix Salten books, it's not really intended for children but my daughter's both enjoyed it, too. (Son not so much - sensitive kid.)

Right, in my opinion it is not necessarily something for children now (especially the part with Bigwig in Efrafa and the end with the dog from Nuthanger Farm). The film from the 70s, I think, definitely visualized this a little too well. Well, the film is a little different from the book, but it wasn't bad either, but the book was better.

[Harry Johnathan]

I love Richard Adams' Watership Down very much. I read the book three times, twice in my childhood (although the book is not necessarily something for children because it is a bit brutal in some places, but my mom probably hadn't read the foldout text at the time and probably just thought, "great, cute Rabbits ") and again two years ago. I have never forgotten these rabbits since I first read this book. It was one of the best stories I've ever read, it's a really fascinating adventure novel.

I enjoyed Watership Down enormously. Read it at a time we had house-broken rabbits (which are a lot of fun but know what you're getting into!). Like the Felix Salten books, it's not really intended for children but my daughter's both enjoyed it, too. (Son not so much - sensitive kid.)

Right, in my opinion it is not necessarily something for children now (especially the part with Bigwig in Efrafa and the end with the dog from Nuthanger Farm). The film from the 70s, I think, definitely visualized this a little too well. Well, the film is a little different from the book, but it wasn't bad either, but the book was better.

If you think about it, film is technically a better medium. It is much easier to communicate ideas with visuals, and mixed with sound and writing it becomes quite possibly the most complex art form ever.

[DDeer]

I suppose film has more levers you can pull so to speak to deliver a story or emotional feel, interesting how hard it often appears to convert a book to film, I guess one of the main challenges are the time frame available to a film and how much detail you can cram into a frame. I've read lord of the Rings and have to say I thought the films did a decent job and stuck fairly faithfully to the scripts, never read Watership down, it sounds good but would probably get to me knowing me, the song from the animation is a tearjerker as it is (Art Garfunkel I think). I suppose in a book you can explicitly state what a character is feeling or thinking, film you tend to have to be more subtle.

I enjoy being able to dip in and out of books at my leisure, I'm no good at sitting still (I'm a skittish type).

Daunted

[Tinnier]

I enjoyed Watership Down enormously. Read it at a time we had house-broken rabbits (which are a lot of fun but know what you're getting into!). Like the Felix Salten books, it's not really intended for children but my daughter's both enjoyed it, too. (Son not so much - sensitive kid.)

Right, in my opinion it is not necessarily something for children now (especially the part with Bigwig in Efrafa and the end with the dog from Nuthanger Farm). The film from the 70s, I think, definitely visualized this a little too well. Well, the film is a little different from the book, but it wasn't bad either, but the book was better.

If you think about it, film is technically a better medium. It is much easier to communicate ideas with visuals, and mixed with sound and writing it becomes quite possibly the most complex art form ever.

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that films are better media than books, not necessarily for me ... e.g. I've read a lot of books where I definitely liked the book a lot better than the film. E.g. Pet Sematary or The Neverending Story.

I have a very lively imagination and can just imagine some things better and more vividly while reading than when I get them reproduced in a film. This is probably also due to the fact that in my own imagination I can put things together the way I would like them to.

[Harry Johnathan]

Right, in my opinion it is not necessarily something for children now (especially the part with Bigwig in Efrafa and the end with the dog from Nuthanger Farm). The film from the 70s, I think, definitely visualized this a little too well. Well, the film is a little different from the book, but it wasn't bad either, but the book was better.

If you think about it, film is technically a better medium. It is much easier to communicate ideas with visuals, and mixed with sound and writing it becomes quite possibly the most complex art form ever.

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that films are better media than books.

While, for me at least film will always be better than any other art form. I sit in awe at great movies. I've watched so many films, from silents to weird arthouse stuff from the 70s, to blockbusters, from animated films to indie films. I understand why you'd prefer books, but for me film will always be MY art form.

[Tinnier]

If you think about it, film is technically a better medium. It is much easier to communicate ideas with visuals, and mixed with sound and writing it becomes quite possibly the most complex art form ever.

Well, I wouldn't go as far as to say that films are better media than books.

While, for me at least film will always be better than any other art form. I sit in awe at great movies. I've watched so many films, from silents to weird arthouse stuff from the 70s, to blockbusters, from animated films to indie films. I understand why you'd prefer books, but for me film will always be MY art form.

Yes, of course that's perfectly fine. Everyone should do what they prefer.

[NHWestoN]

Another part of the debate about movies/visuals over books is the question of the artists' vision. You can throw stage drama vs film into the mix as well. There is an intinacy about a theatrical performance that a thousand movie close-ups just cannot convey. On the other hand, movies can add so much context - as well as slam-bang destruction, relentless intensity, jaw-dropping special effects, that the stage can only hint at. Oh, and popcorn. You usually can't eat popcorn during a stage performance.

One does hate to be repetitive, but again I often use Salten's Bambi contrasted with Disney's Bambi to illustrate how clashing visions can appear. See, I was nine when I read Bambi and didn't see the full-length feature cartoon until a year later. I had already fallen in love with the book and drove our librarians crazy trying to get other Salten books (which are obscure and hard to find).

Even today, I watch the movie with a whirlwind of extreme reactions. The backgrounds are luxurient, the music transporting and enchanting (with a couple of cloying, gooppy exceptions), and the animation of the deer powerfully real and lifelike. For contrast, see how Disney depicts deer in Snow White. But I was deeply annoyed at the Owl character who is nothing like the Salten Owl. Flower and Thumper left me aghast and genuinely disgusted - Salten has nothing like them in the book. For God's sake, why not Chip n' Dale, Walt? Disney wrestled with variations of many of the most powerful scenes in the book, only to toss them out at the end. The result is a very damaged and rather unsatisfactory rendition of what Salten had produced.

To my knowledge, Salten never spoke publicly about his feelings towards the Disney production - there's also some debate as to whether he ever saw the movie.

So, the debate continues. My advice i always the same - if there's a book, read that first. After all, if it inspired a movie, it must have something to commend it ....

[DDeer]

Working my way through the Hound of Florence, surprised to see it was written around the same time as Bambi, much more disjointed, a very different book, Bambi seems more polished to me and more vivid story telling.