MobileRead June 2011 Mobile Read Book Club Vote

[jbcohen]

Don't care, won't pay more that $8 for anything no matter how good. Although that collection is interesting. Can you please give me the ISBN for that.

[Asawi]

Singapore library has the Maltese Falcon. Currently not available, but when I checked nobody was on the wait list.
Edit: At this moment it actually IS available, but that could of course change as I'm writing.

[Mike L]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Although that collection is interesting. Can you please give me the ISBN for that.

Sure. It's 0330268503.

On reflection, I think I bought it from Amazon in the UK. It is called "Dashiell Hammett - The Four Great Novels", It has a British publisher (Picador).

I see Amazon.co.uk has it listed for £3.68, which is about US$5.80 - plus postage costs, of course.

[jbcohen]

Its $4 now including shipping. If I don't get it from the library I will definitely get this edition, great tip - don't mind that cost at all.

Drats, even Asa's library has a better selection then mine does, grr need to write the county about there lowsy book selection. The library's moto should be "Waht every you want we don't have it, what ever you don't want we have it."

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I would have asked if you wanted a buddy read of that one because I was thinking of reading that in June until I realised that I can't get it at Amazon.

Geographical restrictions suck big time!

caleb, isn't it available as a print book, cheap, in Australia? It's almost forty years old!

[JSWolf]

If the book is not available as an eBook in your preferred format where you live, don't vote for it even if it's what you want to read most.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

caleb, isn't it available as a print book, cheap, in Australia? It's almost forty years old!

No print books for me. It's e only.

[jbcohen]

Picked up a copy of Maltese Falcon and its starting of well. I would imagine that younger readers would have a hard time with some of the references, I can see my son saying to me "Dad, what's a type writer?" or "What's a telegram?" Ok, the telegram is a little too old for me, wikipedia has filled me in on the telegram and why it is not used any more. I agree Caleb but I am still not willing to pay more than $8 for a book no matter what it is or who wrote it.

[mcrow24]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Picked up a copy of Maltese Falcon and its starting of well. I would imagine that younger readers would have a hard time with some of the references, I can see my son saying to me "Dad, what's a type writer?" or "What's a telegram?" Ok, the telegram is a little too old for me, wikipedia has filled me in on the telegram and why it is not used any more. I agree Caleb but I am still not willing to pay more than $8 for a book no matter what it is or who wrote it.

'You're making me feel old. Telegram! Boy, you must be a young'un.

I picked up a copy as well. So far, so good.

[Prestidigitweeze]

I won't vote until I better understand the priorities of your members, and unless people who are unlikely to read the final selection should refrain.

One question: Is this poll meant to cater to veteran mystery and espionage readers or less specialized readers in general? I ask because mystery criteria are different from those of standard book club selections. Ordinarily, the idea is to read something truly great and/or rewarding no matter how familiar it might be. Mystery readers, however, can be so indiscriminately voracious that, often, they'd rather read something new and decent than familiar and unquestionably great.

My feeling is that books should be chosen first on their merits and then on their possible over-familiarity. I'd rather read a great book thrice than a mediocre one once.

My personal picks:

1. The Maltese Falcon. I know writers who read the book and watch the Huston flick about three times per decade. Hammett's the first of his kind, in a way, and that book's a watershed in history and arguably his best novel (though I know people who have written dissertations on the wordplay in Red Harvest). The descriptions are visual in ways that remind me of modernist paintings, and recall passages by writers like Eliot and Pound. The sense of playful anarchy in Hammett doesn't really return to the genre he practically invented until Charles Willeford.

2. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Again, I know famous authors who learned to write by reading Carré. William Gibson, for one, who wrote long letters to a mutual friend about modeling Neuromancer after Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (which I prefer to Cold, but even so). In those letters, which I've read, Gibson also despaired of ever becoming a tenth as good as Carré.

One of the things that amazes other well-known writers I've spoken with is Carré's ability to make library research fascinating to the average reader. Two entirely different writers have mentioned that to me.

112. Writers like John Grisham can't possibly be recommended in the same breath as Hammett and John le Carré. I like Grisham as a persona, presence and benefactor; I even like his politics. But as a writer, he's a hack as surely as Henry VIII was a questionable spouse.

==========================

That said, your list contains about three books I can't comment on at all, which means my vote would be uninformed.

I reserve judgment on those few unfamiliar authors and titles until I do a bit of research and actually read excerpts.

[jbcohen]

I don't read best sellers either bob simply beacuse they cost too much. I have seen a concerted effort on the part of publishers, over the past few years, to raise book prices and I have chosen not to partake. Instead I have elected to go with Amazon becuase they make available new writting tallent at very low prices. I got my most recent book, The Eden Project, for approximatly $1.50, great price.

[benham]

Presti, living in the good ole US of A you know you do not need to be informed to render an opinion. Vote or don't vote, it is up to you, but I think that everyone that does vote should read whatever is selected and anyone that does not vote is still welcome to read the selection and participate. I am in a book review club on a crime author's forum. In that one we take turns choosing a selection. No voting. The last two have been totally off genre. Driving me nuts!

[JSWolf]

I grabbed The Maltese Falcon from the library last night since it seems it's going to win. So I'll be able to read it.

[jbcohen]

Having a real hard time with Dashall Hammet's wrtting style he seems to be very heavy on dialog with little idea of what his characters are actually up to.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

My feeling is that books should be chosen first on their merits and then on their possible over-familiarity. I'd rather read a great book thrice than a mediocre one once.

you may use any criteria you wish when selecting with ebook to vote for.

If you want "so called" quality over a good, fun read, you might try the Literature book club.

BOb