The Good Books Thread/ATARnotes Book Club!

[ninwa]

Has anyone read House of Leaves? Can't decide if it's a horror story or a love story, messed with my head.

I bought it like 2 years ago and never got around to it because I was so obsessed with my Kindle

Might dive into it after exams. Recommend or no?

[alondouek]

I bought it like 2 years ago and never got around to it because I was so obsessed with my Kindle

Might dive into it after exams. Recommend or no?

It's very... Different. The format is pretty unconventional, and it's very footnote-dense which I found a bit distracting. But, the story itself was very engaging and that more than made up for any other complaints I had.

Recommended!

[charmanderp]

Much yes to The God Of Small Things, overflowing with richness.

Can I just say early Ian McEwan (First Love/Last Rites, Amsterdam, Black Dogs), the man grabs you by the throat. His most recent, Sweet Tooth, isn't my favourite though, too cold and calculated. Anyone else read it?

Ian McEwan is a genius! Have you read Enduring Love? Spine tingling novel. I liked Sweet Tooth. Apparently a lot of it is 'true' or based on his own personal experiences.

Anyone here read Murakami?

[Vermilliona]

Ian McEwan is a genius! Have you read Enduring Love? Spine tingling novel. I liked Sweet Tooth. Apparently a lot of it is 'true' or based on his own personal experiences.

Anyone hear read Murakami?

I haven't (but will once exams are over), Sweet Tooth was the last one I read and it put me off too much... It didn't feel like the end lived up to the story, a bit gimmicky. My favourite Murakami is Sputnik Sweetheart, didn't even finish 1Q84 though - very intriguing for quite some time, but it ran out of steam halfway (or maybe I just didn't have the patience to follow through with the complex storyline :/). Been meaning to read Kafka on the Shore for ages, I think Murakami is one of the most careful and precise crafters of stories out there, but maybe 1Q84 was a bit too ambitious? Have you read it/what did you think of it?

[ninwa]

1Q84 was my first taste of Murakami and it turned me off him. It just felt like he was writing for the sake of writing and half the time nothing was happening (he sat on the slide. She sat in the house. Everyone brooded excessively) But judging from reviews from Murakami lovers, it probably wasn't his best work?

[--whiteskies]

1Q84 was my first taste of Murakami and it turned me off him. It just felt like he was writing for the sake of writing and half the time nothing was happening (he sat on the slide. She sat in the house. Everyone brooded excessively) But judging from reviews from Murakami lovers, it probably wasn't his best work?

i've read only one by murakami and my god, it was so good. it was norwegian wood, i think.

has anyone read 'let the right one in' - it's a translated swedish horror but i'm pretty sure no one has.
guess only i go to readings at state and pick the first novel i see.

[charmanderp]

1Q84 was my first taste of Murakami and it turned me off him. It just felt like he was writing for the sake of writing and half the time nothing was happening (he sat on the slide. She sat in the house. Everyone brooded excessively) But judging from reviews from Murakami lovers, it probably wasn't his best work?

Yeah that is really the Murakami style, almost clinical exposition. I think the translation also affects this. Norwegian Wood is pretty great, as is after the quake. The latter is pretty short and pretty interesting/disturbing, so I'd give it a go if you find the time. Only 6 short stories that are about 20 pages each.

[JellyDonut]

everyone brooding excessively sounds like my dream book

has anyone read 'let the right one in' - it's a translated swedish horror but i'm pretty sure no one has.

watch tha movie

[--whiteskies]

watch tha movie

i google imaged it and omg no way i'll have nightmares for two weeks.

[jeanweasley]

I know most of the books here are fiction but since the thread title doesn't specify that, I'd recommend reading 'How to Win Friends & Influence People' by Dale Carnegie. It's a light read and the examples are enjoyable. Carnegie also seems like a really nice guy.

[charmanderp]

I know most of the books here are fiction but since the thread title doesn't specify that, I'd recommend reading 'How to Win Friends & Influence People' by Dale Carnegie. It's a light read and the examples are enjoyable. Carnegie also seems like a really nice guy.

I only read this because my uncle suggested it to me, and I felt like most of the things in there are things any decent human being would do already. I guess it does sort of reinforce them, or at least make you more self-aware in a good way. A good one to go through with a pencil or some tabs though, in case there's something you like.

But yeah I totally know what you mean, you feel like you know him really well after having read it haha.

[achre]

Can anybody recommend some very dense and/or challenging books to read? I'm stocking up for the summer and I need to get out of the science-y headspace and into the pretentious art student headspace..

Has anyone read House of Leaves? Can't decide if it's a horror story or a love story, messed with my head.

It's both and neither. I didn't find it that scary, honestly, the creepy and mysterious elements felt a lot more like modern fantasy.

Anyone here read Murakami?

Had to read after the quake for lit this year, collection of short stories by Murakami. I think a lot of people underestimate the skill it takes to be really expressive with simple language, and he's got that in spades.

[brenden]

Translated works bother me. I wish I read 234 different languages. Particularly German, so I could read Kafka without stupid translators sticking their beak in. Looking at different variations of Metamorphosis made me realise how much they could change the original meaning of the story, even unintentionally.

[alondouek]

Translated works bother me. I wish I read 234 different languages. Particularly German, so I could read Kafka without stupid translators sticking their beak in. Looking at different variations of Metamorphosis made me realise how much they could change the original meaning of the story, even unintentionally.

The upside is that you get so many different variations on a theme. For example, i own a copy of the art of war where the translator has a huge rip on another one hahahahaha, but they both have very different interpretations.

Well worth reading different translations, even if the translators are misconstruing the original point; it often speaks volumes about the texts relevance in the period in which the translator lives.

[JellyDonut]

Translated works bother me. I wish I read 234 different languages. Particularly German, so I could read Kafka without stupid translators sticking their beak in. Looking at different variations of Metamorphosis made me realise how much they could change the original meaning of the story, even unintentionally.

hes a big beetle

translated novels arent even that big of a problem its only prose/poetry where each individual word actually matters. theres bigger problems at hand. kafka writes comedy and i still havent found out how!!!~!