ATAR Notes: Forum
General Discussion => General Discussion Boards => Lifestyle and Entertainment => Topic started by: lanvins on November 14, 2008, 01:15:40 am
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...any sugguestions?
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Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged
Voted the 2nd most influential book (after the Bible).
Edit: Don't take the above for a fact, in case I remembered wrong. (Check on wikipedia if you want).
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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
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Roald Dahl - Collected Short Stories
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little red riding hood, its a classic
but seriously, catcher in the rye? is good
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http://lists.angusrobertson.com.au/top-100-list
Have a look through a list of some popular books.
(Though in my opinion, not all of them are -ridiculously- great ;D)
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What do you like, lanvins? and are you looking for light or challenging reading?
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are you into good fantasy series?
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Jodi Picoult- My Sister's Keeper (saddest book in the whole world, everyone in my family read it and cried...even my dad) OR Nineteen Minutes.
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read 1984 if you didnt alreday this year
or spring awakening
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Option Strategies for Directionless Markets by Saliba, Johnson and Corona
http://www.ordering1.us/bloombergbooks/show_all.php?cid=1
:)
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The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger (best novel I read all year)
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kafka on the shore by haruki murakami.
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are you into good fantasy series?
Yes plz. Been looking for a good fantasy series for a while now.
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are you into good fantasy series?
Yes plz. Been looking for a good fantasy series for a while now.
yeh same here!!
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if you haven't already, check out the his dark materials trilogy by phillip pullman.
and the 'wind on fire' trilogy by william nicholson is worth looking in to as well. i've only read the first one but i thought it was pretty good.
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anything by george orwell :P
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I thought 'The Hobbit' was a fantastic read, prob my favourite fantasy novel
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I have an odd request here.
What are good books that don't use a lot of descriptive language?
Ie I have great difficulty in understanding something like: (indeed, if I read it 10 times and used a dictionary on all the unfamiliar words I still wouldn't understand it completely)
Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five
daughters, could ask on the subject, was sufficient to draw from her
husband any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley. They attacked
him in various ways—with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions,
and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all, and
they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence of their
neighbour, Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William
had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome,
extremely agreeable, and, to crown the whole, he meant to be at
the next assembly with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful!
To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love;
and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.
I'm an odd person. I would say 1984 is much more easier to read then something like Harry Potter. HP tested the boundaries of my patience with reading :P
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7 ancient wonders- Matthew Reilly
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Harlan Coben - Tell No-one. Fantastic crime thriller.
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What are good books that don't use a lot of descriptive language?
I have a request too, but the opposite to caramel's.
Does anyone know a compilation of extremely well written short stories? Short stories that cram all the detail in making reading a short but sweet experience? I'm looking for something that can greatly improve one's vocabulary.
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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Wonderland Avenue: Tales of Glamour and Excess -Danny Sugarman
Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend - Stephen Davis
Marching Powder - Rusty Young
There'd have to be something in there which you'd enjoy. Other books by the same authors would be worth a look. BTW, highly recommend Rusty Young's Marching Powder; awesome true story.
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If you really want to disturb yourself, i recommend American Psycho. You might have trouble finding it as most copies are banned in Australia.
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If you really want to disturb yourself, i recommend American Psycho. You might have trouble finding it as most copies are banned in Australia.
I bought it from Borders, no problems at all. I think these days it's only banned in QLD.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
Animal Farm - George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-four - George Orwell
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Wonderland Avenue: Tales of Glamour and Excess -Danny Sugarman
Scar Tissue - Anthony Kiedis
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend - Stephen Davis
Marching Powder - Rusty Young
That's a great list you've got there. I'm a huge Palahniuk fan myself.
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What are good books that don't use a lot of descriptive language?
I have a request too, but the opposite to caramel's.
Does anyone know a compilation of extremely well written short stories? Short stories that cram all the detail in making reading a short but sweet experience? I'm looking for something that can greatly improve one's vocabulary.
Try Island, by Alastair MacLeod. Used it for The Imaginative Landscape (english context) this year, great short stories. Really sad, but great descriptions etc.
A great book to read is Vanity Fair by William Thackery, while the story is interesting, his comments are simply divine@
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that's an awesome list, matt! i only recently read on the road and completely loved it. these holidays am going to try and find some other similar books, the whole beat genre fascinates me.
and another book i'd recommend is the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde, it's brilliant.
can't wait for school to hurry up and finish, i have so much reading to catch up on!
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that's an awesome list, matt! i only recently read on the road and completely loved it. these holidays am going to try and find some other similar books, the whole beat genre fascinates me.
...
can't wait for school to hurry up and finish, i have so much reading to catch up on!
Yeah, I'm really getting into the Beat generation and later counterculture of the 60s at the moment. Really some great stuff out there. Found a bookstore near to me which is filled with books of the genre and cheap as chips! So good. Need to pick up some more Beat stuff; Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kesey. Also got a biography of Dylan and one of Bob Marley to read.
One more exam to go then the real learning can begin. Mark Twain's quote would fit in well here.
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Robert Jordan- The Wheel of Time series
Terry Goodkind- The Sword of Truth series
Ian Irvine- The View from the Mirror, The Well of Echoes, The Song of the Tears
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If you want a laugh try practically anything by Douglas Adams. If you like sci-fi try Foundation Series or Ender's Game. If you like fast paced action try anything by Matthew Reilly (Ice station is quite good).
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What are good books that don't use a lot of descriptive language?
I have a request too, but the opposite to caramel's.
Does anyone know a compilation of extremely well written short stories? Short stories that cram all the detail in making reading a short but sweet experience? I'm looking for something that can greatly improve one's vocabulary.
Lol, try the 'Chicken Soup' series. I love their books, especially "Chicken Soup for the Soul". Still my favourite. :)
Also, maybe the Stephanie Meyer books which are all so strangely addictive. Thank God I got hooked after the exams. :P
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If you like fast paced action try anything by Matthew Reilly (Ice station is quite good).
Yes! His books are great; incredibly more-ish. Scarecrow is the best of his I think, but yeah, start at Ice Station and work your way up to the masterpiece.
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The one book that has had a major impact on me would be "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Amazing book, it'll change your life.
Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
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For life changing reads:
A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini.
Amazing book. Highly recommend.
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The Line - Martin and Arch Flanagan
Highly recommend this book. Got me hooked and I couldn't put it down for hours and hours.
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The Line - Martin and Arch Flanagan
Highly recommend this book. Got me hooked and I couldn't put it down for hours and hours.
Was that sarcastic?
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Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
seconded! have you read veronika decides to die? i heard it was being made into a movie, hope they don't fuck it up.
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Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
seconded! have you read veronika decides to die? i heard it was being made into a movie, hope they don't fuck it up.
I have the book! I absolutely loved it. I hope they don't mess it up either. :( I'm never very satisfied with most book movies.
My favorite by him is Eleven Minutes. All his novels are so poignant.
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The Line - Martin and Arch Flanagan
Highly recommend this book. Got me hooked and I couldn't put it down for hours and hours.
Was that sarcastic?
:P loll yes
tbh, I would only suggest reading 'The Line' if you want a good nights sleep - it'll put you to sleep after a few pages.
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Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
seconded! have you read veronika decides to die? i heard it was being made into a movie, hope they don't fuck it up.
I have the book! I absolutely loved it. I hope they don't mess it up either. :( I'm never very satisfied with most book movies.
My favorite by him is Eleven Minutes. All his novels are so poignant.
haven't read that one yet. i'll add it to my ever growing to read list.
and i've recommended him already in this thread, but you'd probably enjoy haruki murakami. his books are really amazing; surreal and really well written. check him out if you ever get the chance!
(note to self: stop saying 'really')
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The one book that has had a major impact on me would be "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Amazing book, it'll change your life.
Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
Is he the guy who wrote Artemis Fowl? Wow it's been ages since I read that
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The tales of the otori by Lian Hearn, thats an awesome adventure- personal journey of a japanese warriors epic.
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The one book that has had a major impact on me would be "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Amazing book, it'll change your life.
Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
Is he the guy who wrote Artemis Fowl? Wow it's been ages since I read that
I thought Artemis Fowl was written by Eoin Colfer.
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Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
1984 - George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
Night - Elie Wiesel
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
My aim is to read: War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
Also, maybe the Stephanie Meyer books which are all so strangely addictive. Thank God I got hooked after the exams. :P
The Twilight series is alright. I read Twilight last year, but it should have ended there. It's a draining read. The movie is out soon, though.
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The one book that has had a major impact on me would be "The Little Prince" by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. Amazing book, it'll change your life.
Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
Is he the guy who wrote Artemis Fowl? Wow it's been ages since I read that
I thought Artemis Fowl was written by Eoin Colfer.
Oops, yep. The werid vowel combinations are what screwed me up. But yeh, I remember reading a book by Paul Coelho, the Alchemist.
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Dan Brown - Da Vinci Code, Angles and Demons (Da Vinci code movie was crap!! book is gun tho)
Steven King - The Green Mile, Shawshank Redpemtion (both the movie adaptations r also good)
J. D Salinger - Catcher in the Rye
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Or anything by Paulo Coelho.
seconded! have you read veronika decides to die? i heard it was being made into a movie, hope they don't fuck it up.
I have the book! I absolutely loved it. I hope they don't mess it up either. :( I'm never very satisfied with most book movies.
My favorite by him is Eleven Minutes. All his novels are so poignant.
haven't read that one yet. i'll add it to my ever growing to read list.
and i've recommended him already in this thread, but you'd probably enjoy haruki murakami. his books are really amazing; surreal and really well written. check him out if you ever get the chance!
(note to self: stop saying 'really')
I LOVE Haruki Murakami. I have Kafka By The Shore! Have you read Amelie Nothomb - Fear and Trembling? Similar style of writing.
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I'm halfway through Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and really enjoying it so far.
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I LOVE Haruki Murakami. I have Kafka By The Shore! Have you read Amelie Nothomb - Fear and Trembling? Similar style of writing.
awesome, he's one of my favourite authors! kafka on the shore was the first book i read of his and i completely fell in love with it. i haven't read fear and trembling but i'll def get to it once school finishes!
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The Line - Martin and Arch Flanagan
Highly recommend this book. Got me hooked and I couldn't put it down for hours and hours.
Was that sarcastic?
:P loll yes
tbh, I would only suggest reading 'The Line' if you want a good nights sleep - it'll put you to sleep after a few pages.
:O
I really enjoyed reading The Line. Out of all our books it was by far my favourite. Its insightful, especially the stuff about Weary Dunlop.
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Speaking of insightful, has anyone read the Dalai Lama books - The Art of Happiness? They're lovely.
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I'm halfway through Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and really enjoying it so far.
Ah, one of my favourite books; have you read any of his other ones? I quite like 'The Eternal Husband'.
Anyone else here a fan of Robin Hobb? I can't get enough of her writing - its fairly light, but still retains the crucial depth required in a high fantasy novel.
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In the lake of the woods.
Romulus my father
The catcher in the rye.
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the catcher i the rye
heart of darkness
crime and punishment
the importance ofbeing ernest
on the road
and basicly anything else by jack kerouac or fyodor dostoevsky
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THE LITTLE BLACK SCHOOL BOOK
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THE LITTLE BLACK SCHOOL BOOK
INDEED
it seems so intriguing :D :D i want it!!
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are any of these good?
citizen kane
The crucible miller
Don't start me talking: lyrics 1984-2004
the secret river - grenville
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'Don't Start Me Talking' is just an anthology of Paul Kelly's lyrics. Get some of his cds, 'Songs from the South' should just about cover you really, and listen to them. It's a better way of picking up his lyrics, and therefore quotes for essays, whilst actually reading the book is a much better method for understanding the meaning of songs and being able to tie them to certain themes. If you like his music then you should enjoy doing 'Don't Start Me Talking'.
I know that The Crucible is now part of context, and I've only studied it in Year 11 so can't say whether or not it's a good book for how it's studied at Year 12 but it's not too bad. Gets into some decent stuff with historic links, such as McCarthyism. I'd do some background research over the summer about the Salem trials to better understand the book.
They studied Citizen Cane at school last year but scrapped it for this year because not too many guys were pleased with studying, I believe. Haven't seen it myself so can't make a judgement call on it.
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'Don't Start Me Talking' is just an anthology of Paul Kelly's lyrics. Get some of his cds, 'Songs from the South' should just about cover you really, and listen to them. It's a better way of picking up his lyrics, and therefore quotes for essays, whilst actually reading the book is a much better method for understanding the meaning of songs and being able to tie them to certain themes. If you like his music then you should enjoy doing 'Don't Start Me Talking'.
I know that The Crucible is now part of context, and I've only studied it in Year 11 so can't say whether or not it's a good book for how it's studied at Year 12 but it's not too bad. Gets into some decent stuff with historic links, such as McCarthyism. I'd do some background research over the summer about the Salem trials to better understand the book.
They studied Citizen Cane at school last year but scrapped it for this year because not too many guys were pleased with studying, I believe. Haven't seen it myself so can't make a judgement call on it.
ahkai thanks, seems like a boring line-up
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tuesdays with morrie . 5 people you meet in heaven- mitch albom
white oleander-janet fitch
the lovely bones-alice sebold
havent read for a while. i miss it. will start again these hols after tomoros exam is done
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I'm halfway through Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, and really enjoying it so far.
Ah, one of my favourite books; have you read any of his other ones? I quite like 'The Eternal Husband'.
I just bought The Brothers Karamazov, so I'll be tackling that soon.
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How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young
it's approximately 6.3 times better than the film, which is pretty good itself
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lol that must be a parody of the other book how to win friends and influence people
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are any of these good?
citizen kane
The crucible miller
Don't start me talking: lyrics 1984-2004
the secret river - grenville
i liked the secret river, i didnt find it boring at all, which is a shock to me, but i enjoyed all of the texts i studied for english this yr
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Option Strategies for Directionless Markets by Saliba, Johnson and Corona
http://www.ordering1.us/bloombergbooks/show_all.php?cid=1
:)
No.
On the other hand, this post is for ninwa, polky and any other curious folk who are silently interested in learning more about economics. These are light reads for people who have never studied economics at university.
David Friedman shows how day-to-day life uses economics, and is great at introducing the system of economic thought to ordinary individuals who are virgins to economic thought. He has never studied economics at a university, yet he has taught it. I haven't read it, but from what I've read of his writings, I can tell it should be good. I did flick through it, and it could be biased (he is an anarcho-capitalist or similarly inclined), but it should nevertheless be a good read.
The book is: Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David Friedman
Try books from Tim Harford (Logic of Life, The Undercover Economist) and of course, Freakonomics (the most widely heard of pop economics book out there). These books are not biased.
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Jodi Picoult- My Sister's Keeper (saddest book in the whole world, everyone in my family read it and cried...even my dad) OR Nineteen Minutes.
I swear, anything by her is a tear-jerker! :P
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dan brown! all 4 books even though i havnt read all of them but they sound good
lols
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Option Strategies for Directionless Markets by Saliba, Johnson and Corona
http://www.ordering1.us/bloombergbooks/show_all.php?cid=1
:)
No.
On the other hand, this post is for ninwa, polky and any other curious folk who are silently interested in learning more about economics. These are light reads for people who have never studied economics at university.
David Friedman shows how day-to-day life uses economics, and is great at introducing the system of economic thought to ordinary individuals who are virgins to economic thought. He has never studied economics at a university, yet he has taught it. I haven't read it, but from what I've read of his writings, I can tell it should be good. I did flick through it, and it could be biased (he is an anarcho-capitalist or similarly inclined), but it should nevertheless be a good read.
The book is: Hidden Order: The Economics of Everyday Life by David Friedman
Try books from Tim Harford (Logic of Life, The Undercover Economist) and of course, Freakonomics (the most widely heard of pop economics book out there). These books are not biased.
Also, The Armchair Economist - Steven Landsburg, is recommended
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lol that must be a parody of the other book how to win friends and influence people
nah, teh only connection there is the name
it's journalist [one of my favourites] Toby Young's [http://www.tobyyoung.co.uk/] memoir of his epic phailiure ridden stint at Vanity Fair magazine in New York
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anyone read matthew reilly?
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This is also a great book for social purposes.
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/ba/f9/69847220eca0489514065010.L.jpg)
It really helped me out in highschool.
(It's a real book by the way.)
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anyone read matthew reilly?
Yes. They used to come free with herald sun or something at news agents a few years back didnt they?
CS lewis
Lian Hearn
And look for the book called "windsinger", cant remember the author.
BTW - i think CATCHER IS CRAP!!
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This is also a great book for social purposes.
(http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/ba/f9/69847220eca0489514065010.L.jpg)
It really helped me out in highschool.
(It's a real book by the way.)
lol
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Jodi Picoult- My Sister's Keeper (saddest book in the whole world, everyone in my family read it and cried...even my dad) OR Nineteen Minutes.
I swear, anything by her is a tear-jerker! :P
But they're so good! And the forensic science in them is so fascinating. And the court cases; reading them made my sister want to be a lawyer.
Dave Pelzer's autobiographies are also good tear-jerkers, particularly A Child Called It.
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Tim Harford (Logic of Life)
That is a fantastic book, a very interesting and enjoyable read.
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The Armchair Economist - Steven Landsburg is definitely recommended.
I love how his columns on slate.id are often so deliberately contrary to popular opinion to stir discussion. Here is a video of him during an interview on Fox News pwning the presenter: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=6hd8eUzwmqY
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The Catcher in the Rye
a bit depressing though
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The Catcher in the Rye
a bit depressing though
You mean just for enjoyment? No way! Its the biggest waste of time ever!
I would only read that if a school forced me (which it did).
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I liked A Man for All Seasons (even though we had to read it, it was still enjoyable. :))
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The Catcher in the Rye
a bit depressing though
You mean just for enjoyment? No way! Its the biggest waste of time ever!
I would only read that if a school forced me (which it did).
Philistine. Catcher is an awesome novel.
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Murder on the Orient express. The ending will literally blow your mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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How bout 'Then There Were None'? Best Agatha Christie novel ever, and one of my favourite books...very clever!
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My personal favourite when I was in Pre-school; Spot Goes on Holidays. :) (Only when you feel lost for energy to sit down and get emotionally involved in a novel. :P)
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The Catcher in the Rye
a bit depressing though
You mean just for enjoyment? No way! Its the biggest waste of time ever!
I would only read that if a school forced me (which it did).
Philistine. Catcher is an awesome novel.
It seems to be lionized in America, wheras it doesn't recieve nearly as much popular acclaim here or in the UK. I'm with you though, humph :)
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Anything by Craig Clevenger. The man is a genius.
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Homage to Catolina- George Orwell
His best work, it is utterly amazing.
The outsider- Abert Camus
This book changed my life, it proved something ood can come from a frenchman
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^ I have to read Homage to Catalonia. The only Orwell's I've read so far are 1984, Animal Farm and Burmese Days.
If you're looking for non-fiction I really enjoyed How Language Works and The Adventure of English. As for fiction, do you want summery light-hearted stuff or literary? If the latter, my favourites are:
1984, The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, A Brave New World, A Clockwork Orange, Orlando, The Bell Jar, Catch-22, Jane Eyre, and Life of Pi.
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The Andromeda Strain is an awesome novel if you like sci fi.
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If you're looking for non-fiction I really enjoyed How Language Works and The Adventure of English.
How Language Works is great. I referred to it in my English Language exam :D
The TV series of The Adventure of English is also very good (it's been on SBS)
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Has anyone read Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I remember my year 8 english teacher reading this to us, it was kind of sad.
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I always seem delighted to read any compilation of short stories. The thought of finishing one and going back to read the next one later makes me feel relieved that I hadn't missed anything important, or having an interrupted interpretation of the book.
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Haruki Murakami: On seeing the 100% perfect girl one beautiful April morning
"One beautiful April morning, on a narrow side street in Tokyo's fashionable Harujuku neighborhood, I walked past the 100% perfect girl.
Tell you the truth, she's not that good-looking. She doesn't stand out in any way. Her clothes are nothing special. The back of her hair is still bent out of shape from sleep. She isn't young, either - must be near thirty, not even close to a "girl," properly speaking. But still, I know from fifty yards away: She's the 100% perfect girl for me. The moment I see her, there's a rumbling in my chest, and my mouth is as dry as a desert.
Maybe you have your own particular favorite type of girl - one with slim ankles, say, or big eyes, or graceful fingers, or you're drawn for no good reason to girls who take their time with every meal. I have my own preferences, of course. Sometimes in a restaurant I'll catch myself staring at the girl at the next table to mine because I like the shape of her nose.
But no one can insist that his 100% perfect girl correspond to some preconceived type. Much as I like noses, I can't recall the shape of hers - or even if she had one. All I can remember for sure is that she was no great beauty. It's weird.
"Yesterday on the street I passed the 100% girl," I tell someone.
"Yeah?" he says. "Good-looking?"
"Not really."
"Your favorite type, then?"
"I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything about her - the shape of her eyes or the size of her breasts."
"Strange."
"Yeah. Strange."
"So anyhow," he says, already bored, "what did you do? Talk to her? Follow her?"
"Nah. Just passed her on the street."
She's walking east to west, and I west to east. It's a really nice April morning.
Wish I could talk to her. Half an hour would be plenty: just ask her about herself, tell her about myself, and - what I'd really like to do - explain to her the complexities of fate that have led to our passing each other on a side street in Harajuku on a beautiful April morning in 1981. This was something sure to be crammed full of warm secrets, like an antique clock build when peace filled the world.
After talking, we'd have lunch somewhere, maybe see a Woody Allen movie, stop by a hotel bar for cocktails. With any kind of luck, we might end up in bed.
Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.
Now the distance between us has narrowed to fifteen yards.
How can I approach her? What should I say?
"Good morning, miss. Do you think you could spare half an hour for a little conversation?"
Ridiculous. I'd sound like an insurance salesman.
"Pardon me, but would you happen to know if there is an all-night cleaners in the neighborhood?"
No, this is just as ridiculous. I'm not carrying any laundry, for one thing. Who's going to buy a line like that?
Maybe the simple truth would do. "Good morning. You are the 100% perfect girl for me."
No, she wouldn't believe it. Or even if she did, she might not want to talk to me. Sorry, she could say, I might be the 100% perfect girl for you, but you're not the 100% boy for me. It could happen. And if I found myself in that situation, I'd probably go to pieces. I'd never recover from the shock. I'm thirty-two, and that's what growing older is all about.
We pass in front of a flower shop. A small, warm air mass touches my skin. The asphalt is damp, and I catch the scent of roses. I can't bring myself to speak to her. She wears a white sweater, and in her right hand she holds a crisp white envelope lacking only a stamp. So: She's written somebody a letter, maybe spent the whole night writing, to judge from the sleepy look in her eyes. The envelope could contain every secret she's ever had.
I take a few more strides and turn: She's lost in the crowd.
Now, of course, I know exactly what I should have said to her. It would have been a long speech, though, far too long for me to have delivered it properly. The ideas I come up with are never very practical.
Oh, well. It would have started "Once upon a time" and ended "A sad story, don't you think?"
Once upon a time, there lived a boy and a girl. The boy was eighteen and the girl sixteen. He was not unusually handsome, and she was not especially beautiful. They were just an ordinary lonely boy and an ordinary lonely girl, like all the others. But they believed with their whole hearts that somewhere in the world there lived the 100% perfect boy and the 100% perfect girl for them. Yes, they believed in a miracle. And that miracle actually happened.
One day the two came upon each other on the corner of a street.
"This is amazing," he said. "I've been looking for you all my life. You may not believe this, but you're the 100% perfect girl for me."
"And you," she said to him, "are the 100% perfect boy for me, exactly as I'd pictured you in every detail. It's like a dream."
They sat on a park bench, held hands, and told each other their stories hour after hour. They were not lonely anymore. They had found and been found by their 100% perfect other. What a wonderful thing it is to find and be found by your 100% perfect other. It's a miracle, a cosmic miracle.
As they sat and talked, however, a tiny, tiny sliver of doubt took root in their hearts: Was it really all right for one's dreams to come true so easily?
And so, when there came a momentary lull in their conversation, the boy said to the girl, "Let's test ourselves - just once. If we really are each other's 100% perfect lovers, then sometime, somewhere, we will meet again without fail. And when that happens, and we know that we are the 100% perfect ones, we'll marry then and there. What do you think?"
"Yes," she said, "that is exactly what we should do."
And so they parted, she to the east, and he to the west.
The test they had agreed upon, however, was utterly unnecessary. They should never have undertaken it, because they really and truly were each other's 100% perfect lovers, and it was a miracle that they had ever met. But it was impossible for them to know this, young as they were. The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.
One winter, both the boy and the girl came down with the season's terrible inluenza, and after drifting for weeks between life and death they lost all memory of their earlier years. When they awoke, their heads were as empty as the young D. H. Lawrence's piggy bank.
They were two bright, determined young people, however, and through their unremitting efforts they were able to acquire once again the knowledge and feeling that qualified them to return as full-fledged members of society. Heaven be praised, they became truly upstanding citizens who knew how to transfer from one subway line to another, who were fully capable of sending a special-delivery letter at the post office. Indeed, they even experienced love again, sometimes as much as 75% or even 85% love.
Time passed with shocking swiftness, and soon the boy was thirty-two, the girl thirty.
One beautiful April morning, in search of a cup of coffee to start the day, the boy was walking from west to east, while the girl, intending to send a special-delivery letter, was walking from east to west, but along the same narrow street in the Harajuku neighborhood of Tokyo. They passed each other in the very center of the street. The faintest gleam of their lost memories glimmered for the briefest moment in their hearts. Each felt a rumbling in their chest. And they knew:
She is the 100% perfect girl for me.
He is the 100% perfect boy for me.
But the glow of their memories was far too weak, and their thoughts no longer had the clarity of fouteen years earlier. Without a word, they passed each other, disappearing into the crowd. Forever.
A sad story, don't you think?
Yes, that's it, that is what I should have said to her."
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i liked Enduring Love :D
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@ bubble, that sounds really good; is it just an excerpt or is there more? :) (I love reads like that :D)
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@ bubble, that sounds really good; is it just an excerpt or is there more? :) (I love reads like that :D)
that's that one in it's entirety; there are more here. or look out for him in bookshops
http://www.murakami.ch/hm/shortstories/main.html
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@ bubble, that sounds really good; is it just an excerpt or is there more? :) (I love reads like that :D)
that's that one in it's entirety; there are more here. or look out for him in bookshops
http://www.murakami.ch/hm/shortstories/main.html
Ohhh, nice. I will definitely tune into those in the following days. :)
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crap.
Im ın the wrong post agaın
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I like Twilight... But so do most others (secretly ;P)
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I like Twilight... But so do most others (secretly ;P)
I like Twilight too!! And I just purchased the book yesterday :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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I like Twilight... But so do most others (secretly ;P)
I like Twilight too!! And I just purchased the book yesterday :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Ohhh... Do you like all her other books too? :D
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I like Twilight... But so do most others (secretly ;P)
I like Twilight too!! And I just purchased the book yesterday :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Ohhh... Do you like all her other books too? :D
I haven't read them yet but my sister is planning to purchase the rest of the books by Stephanie Meyer when she has the money to do so. My sister reallly wanted to have the whole collection of books by Stephanie Meyer so she is making me sell my copy of Twilight to her after I finish reading it.. LOL.
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I like Twilight... But so do most others (secretly ;P)
I like Twilight too!! And I just purchased the book yesterday :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Ohhh... Do you like all her other books too? :D
I haven't read them yet but my sister is planning to purchase the rest of the books by Stephanie Meyer when she has the money to do so. My sister reallly wanted to have the whole collection of books by Stephanie Meyer so she is making me sell my copy of Twilight to her after I finish reading it.. LOL.
Hehe, my favourite one is where the girl is sin love with the vampire and they done everything together then at the end there was a car accident... I forgot which one it was though. XD
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Harun Yahya - If Darwin had known about DNA..
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the day the earth stood still. books better than the movie
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LOL!!!!!!!!!!
read "The Way Of Shadows!" i'm really getting into this book. Its by Brent Weeks and is book one of the night angel trilogy. Its about stealth and assassins!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (reason why i like it).
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Jodi Picoult- My Sister's Keeper (saddest book in the whole world, everyone in my family read it and cried...even my dad) OR Nineteen Minutes.
My sister's keeper was pretty overrated. Did not like her writing style at all...although the story itself wasn't too bad
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Jodi picoult, is she a good author? I bought one of her books "the Pact' for my cousin's birthday...she loves Jodi Picoult books.
right now i'm reading books by Brent Week...'the way of shadows" (AWESOME BOOK!!!)
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Harry Potter! lol:D