Cant belive I forgot Thomas Harris. His triology on Hannibal Lecter is awesome. Specially The Red Dragon. Gawd!
[QUOTE=Devil Doll]
should have known Faust would beat me!
[/QUOTE]
Now, now, DD - keep it nice!
[QUOTE=starman]
Tad Williams: the books of Otherland 
2:nd time I read them now, hehe
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Yeah - I already mentioned Otherland
I started reading it the same week I started PE - got me very confused heheh
Wouldn’t it be nice if PE evolved to that state?
[QUOTE=Svetlana]
…since I found Nietzhe, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc, I haven’t looked back 
[/QUOTE]
You mention 2 of my favorite writers Nietzsche and Dostoevsky . Because I recently moved (well not that recently, but I’m a slacker) most of my books are still in boxes, but one book I dug out is Nietzsche’s Will to Power and I have been reading through that. Not his best work (that’s Thus Spake Zarathustra), just his notebooks really. but still amazing.
As for Dostoevsky, I believe Notes From Underground is my favorite and I should probably read it again soon for like the 10th time. And kids, if you haven’t read this book you should :wise: .
I mainly read non-fiction now, but the last great novel I read was Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves…has anyone read this? :eek:
[QUOTE=Helius]
I mainly read non-fiction now, but the last great novel I read was Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves…has anyone read this? :eek:
[/QUOTE]
I have! But you sort of showed me the book so…
Amazing book! Now that I think about it I want to read it again!
The thing that made me want to read it was skimming through it and looking at the pages (I’m not joking). That whole book is a crazy mess. :eek:
Maybe it’s time I read ‘Thus Spake Zarathustra’… My online name did come from that like.. 7 years ago when I picked up your copy of the book and thought “That name is insane..”.
[QUOTE=Helius]
As for Dostoevsky, I believe Notes From Underground is my favorite and I should probably read it again soon for like the 10th time. And kids, if you haven’t read this book you should :wise: .
:
[/QUOTE]
Couldn’t agree more! Notes From the Underground is powerful and concise… and for Dostoevsky he is rarely concise! Crime and Punishment, of course, should be read by every1 imho. If you’re really into reading Dostoevsky and have a lot of time, I would recommend the Brother’s Karamazov as well.
Hmmm- keep trying to think of other more modern novels I’ve read. When I was a bit younger I was a huge fan of Arthurian legend and found Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon to be a beautiful interpretation of the myth. So yes, I suppose I have read some things other than scholastic books
Svet & Helius - I’ve been wanting to read Nietzsche, but I haven’t been sure where to start. Would you offer your recommendations on getting a good start on his works?
I guess my training has affected the philosophy I read: I’ve trained in martial arts for 27 years, so I’ve tended toward things like The Art of War, A Book of Five Rings, The Prince, etc. That was one of the things I liked about being an Amazon bookseller - all the odd books I picked up at yard sales & such. That’s what got me into Ayn Rand - I found Atlas Shrugged in a box and decided “hey, that’s supposed to be a classic, I should actually read it”.
Machman - I’m currently reading The Fountainhead, and something occurred to me last night. You said that Rand’s writing was rather cold - that it lacked heart. But I think that the exact opposite is actually the truth. You see, the characters are cold, but that is because they are consumed by an all-encompassing passion that permits no room for anything else. Try re-reading her novels with that perspective, and see if you get something different from them.
I also like reading physics books - especially quantum physics. Anyone have any good recommendations on that subject?
Added: Oh, BTW, since the Hitchhiker’s TV show was mentioned - has anyone seen the trailers for the new movie?
[QUOTE=Shade]
Svet & Helius - I’ve been wanting to read Nietzsche, but I haven’t been sure where to start. Would you offer your recommendations on getting a good start on his works?
[/QUOTE]
Oooh goodie! A person who is interested in Ayn Rand will certainly understand Nietzsche! His views are seen as quite pessimistic by some, but I must admit I find truth in much of what he writes… and if anything, it will get you thinking. You can google him of course and get dissertations and online encyclopedia info on him, so I won’t get much into his theory. But fundamentally, he believe that the failure to act in one’s own self-interest was a perversion of life itself. Personally I need to re-read Neitzsche b/c it’s been a while, and b/c I adore Dostoevsky (and many ppl claim that Crime and Punishment was a direct rebuttal of Nietzsche)…
ok, now i’m rambling…
As Hel suggested, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is his predominant work that most ppl go to. Personally, i read The Birth of Tragedy and found it most thought-provoking, but that’s my op
K- my :twocents:
“The perfect woman is a higher type of human than the perfect man, and also something much more rare.” Frederich Nietzsche
[QUOTE=Essi]
J.R.R.Tolkien: Silmarillion
- read it again (then I went and bought Unfinished Tales but I havent even started it yet)
Oh yes… I like reading diaries and erotica too
[/QUOTE]
I say the words ‘Luthien Tinuviel’ to myself at least three times a day.
No really, its my mantra.
That and the Litany of Fear. (of Atreides fame)
and I’ve even read some anias nin. ;
[edit: oops. what am i reading now? ‘survivor’ by chuck palahniuk.. author of fight club.. i never read fight club, but i think i will now. i love ‘survivor’ and his writing style. before this .. umm, i was reading kids books the ‘artemis fowl’ trilogy by eoin colfer.. i swear it will be the next harry potter. guarenteed.]
[QUOTE=Svetlana]
Oooh goodie! A person who is interested in Ayn Rand will certainly understand Nietzsche! His views are seen as quite pessimistic by some, but I must admit I find truth in much of what he writes… and if anything, it will get you thinking. You can google him of course and get dissertations and online encyclopedia info on him, so I won’t get much into his theory. But fundamentally, he believe that the failure to act in one’s own self-interest was a perversion of life itself.
[/QUOTE]
Sounds a lot like Rand, actually. I’ll check out the books you recommended, then. Thanx!
[QUOTE=FireW0lf]
And one book I demand that ALL pe-ers read, is “Otherland” by Tad Williams.
That book is what PE is evolving into. Read it and you’ll understand
[/QUOTE]
Hmm.. have not read it yet.. but I’ll pick it up.. you made me think of something
‘Destiny’s Road’ by Larry Niven .. (or any books by Larry Niven for that matter. he’s won lots of Hugo’s and Nebula’s for you sci-fi nuts =) .. THIS book totally made me think of PE .. even the pack-animals they use.. Read the book, and tell me what PE animal you pictured the ‘chugs’ being.. =)) It’s a precise description.. =)
also i saw RainMan and possibly others mentioning chuck palahniuk earlier in the thread, now i feel foolish. =( why do i always reply after reading the originating post instead of the whole thread. ahwell.
hmms yes, now i should make long list of ie. Tolstoi and Dostojevski here etc, so that i would look sophisticated and intellectuel, sadly i cannot…
fact is i havent read a proper book slash novel since my teen years, call me a slacker, yes it would be nice to read, who knows after reading this thread, i might pay a visit to library
1 Like
I´m reading Terry Pretchet and his “discworld” series. Gives me a good laugh before bed.
[QUOTE=Muppis]
I´m reading Terry Pretchet and his “discworld” series. Gives me a good laugh before bed.
[/QUOTE]
hehe I love Discworld! :thumbup: just that now Im starting to using backpacks instead of suitcases, just in case it find out it wants to eat me!
I want a camera like they had! :laugh:
I´m reading the Hitchhiker´s guide to the galaxy (again).. Can´t get enough of that book :silly2:
Arrgh… almost finished James Herbert’s ‘The Fog’ 
That’s a good read! Pretty graphic violence in it. I love it :tongue2:
Next up for reading is going to be ‘The Rats’ (yet another Herbert)
Reading books? Never seem to have enough time for that, but when I do it’s almost everytime something by Dean R. Koontz… I’m totally into thrillers and scary stuff 
I started reading Joyce McDougall’s Theatres of the Mind. It seems really interesting but maybe slightly too Freudian for my taste. But I would suggest it to anyone who is interested in abnormalities of human mind