What are you currently reading?

[Karl Henning]

'Exorcist' Author Dead

[Cato]

'Exorcist' Author Dead

Another example of the "Hitchcock Rule" that mediocre or even downright bad novels can be transmogrified      into great movies.

[Karl Henning]

[James]

Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Vol. 1
by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko
Marvel Worldwide Incorporated, 1065 pages

In 1962, in the pages of a comic book slated for cancellation, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko gave birth to one of the most enduring icons in American popular media: the one and only Amazing Spider-Man! Turning the concept of a super hero on its head, they imbued the young, guilt-ridden Peter Parker with the fantastic powers of an arachnid and the fantastic pressures of an everyday teenager. The combination was pure magic. During the course of 40 issues of web-slinging, wisecracking wonderment, Lee and Ditko built the foundation for 45 years of Spidey spectaculars -- girl trouble; bill trouble; bully trouble; the Daily Bugle; and a cast of friends, family and, of course, super villains unlike any other! Completing the entire Stan Lee/Steve Ditko Spider-Man run in one massive volume including every page, every pinup and every letters column. Not to mention unused covers, critical essays and bonuses galore! Collecting AMAZING FANTASY #15, AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1-38 and ANNUAL #1-2, STRANGE TALES ANNUAL #2 and FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #1.

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[NikF]

Tristana by Benito Perez Galdos.

[asin]1590177657[/asin]

[ludwigii]

Tonight I start reading "Sentimental education"

[NikF]

Tonight I start reading "Sentimental education"

I have a copy of that in my pile of books to read. Hope you enjoy it.

[ludwigii]

Tristana by Benito Perez Galdos.

[asin]1590177657[/asin]

Happy reading to you. There's also the film of Bunuel.

[NikF]

Happy reading to you. There's also the film of Bunuel.

Thanks! Yeah, I've seen the film featuring Deneuve. It has some lovely photography by Jose Aguayo. 

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Wilhelm Meister novels seem pretty equal in my eyes in terms of quality, now that I've read both of them. Goethe's prose style is remarkably dry, for all ingenious attributes of these works, I was still at times swearing in my mind that I never want to read the word "pleasant" ever again. It was occurring way too much. Both novels also have outrageous coincidences which makes coincidences in Dickens novels seem natural. I liked the touch of cleverness how Wilhelm found out about Mariane's "affair" in Apprenticeship as well as the foreshadowing how Felix was going to be saved from being poisoned. The characterization is one of the strengths of these works and also at times astonishing psychological insight regarding character development. Apprenticeship was after all, one of the first Bildungsroman. Character names were a bit weird, though. Journeyman years also is hardly a novel in the usual sense: more like a collection of novellas held together by loose plot threads. Also I wonder what the hell was in that casket? Why did Goethe keep it a secret?

Despite my reservations regarding Goethe's prose style I did enjoy it a lot and now I am reading "Conversations of German refugees". I have read the fairy tale "Green snake and the beautiful lily" that concludes the work, separately from "Conversations" in finnish. For a long time I had no idea whatsoever about it being part of the Conversations, thought of it as a stand-alone work. So now it is extremely fascinating to have possibly a completely different interpretation of the fairy tale, coloured by it's unity with Conversations. Also the fact that now I am reading it in english may help with the different approach.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Oh and in case I haven't made it clear: Jarno/Montan is easily the greatest character in both Wilhelm Meister novels. His wit never leaves one cold.

[NikF]

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys.

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[Drasko]

[SimonNZ]

[Crudblud]

Cormac McCarthy - The Road

[NikF]

Journey by Moonlight by Antal Szerb.

[asin]1901285502[/asin]

[Ken B]

4th time for this.

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The source for Yojimbo by the way.

Added: The only book I ever liked a lot more on a second reading.

[Ken B]

Just finished reading for the third time.

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This is Hammett's weakest book, which is still better than most stuff out there.

[Crudblud]

Philip Roth - The Human Stain

[SimonNZ]

Been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this one for the last three months.