Obscure books you think should be read - and why - Page 4

zelda_pinwheel · 04-29-2008, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia

Well, his How to be a Hermit has already been posted in our Book Uploads section.

(me goes immediately to download "How to be a Hermit". pff, like i need instructions.)

WillAdams · 04-29-2008, 12:48 PM

_The Brass Ring_ the autobiography of Bill Mauldin (WWII _Stars and Stripes_ cartoonist)

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?s...4&archive=true

It's the most honest portrayal of life for the generation that saved the world.

William

NatCh · 04-29-2008, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricia

Well, his How to be a Hermit has already been posted in our Book Uploads section.

Wait, I thought this thread was on obscure books, not on books on obscurity.

zelda_pinwheel · 04-29-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

Wait, I thought this thread was on obscure books, not on books on obscurity.

arg !!!

NatCh · 04-29-2008, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

arg !!!

Thank you! Thank you very much! I'm here all week.

pilotbob · 04-29-2008, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

and i won't hold you accountable, Bob, either.

Thanks, now I'll be able to sleep nights.

BOb

GreatBear · 04-30-2008, 01:02 AM

Just thought this thread might be fun if we listed favorite semi-obscure titles available freely online. (Or should this post be its own thread? Moderators?) Anyway, here's a few:

---

Two Years Before the Mast -- Richard Henry Dana's true adventure about his journey to California in the 1830s. Lots of great description of the sailing life & early California. It's available in the forums here at MR.

John Macnab -- not about spies like John Buchan's other more famous novels (The 39 Steps, anyone?) but about some bored gentlemen getting together for some betting & poaching in the Highlands. Unexpectedly enjoyable. Including this may be a cheat, as it's only available free to folks who may legally use PG Australia. But I like Australia, so I thought I'd include this tip for any Australians who may be listening!

Lone Star Ranger -- Zane Grey. I'd never read him before but I'd only really heard about his Sackett novels. Possible inspiration for TV's Lone Ranger. Available here at MR.

NatCh · 04-30-2008, 01:04 AM

What? You want a separate thread just because you're posting on the nominal topic of this one?

Nope, you've put it in exactly the right place -- don't mind the rest of us, we're just nuts.

zelda_pinwheel · 04-30-2008, 11:21 AM

i mentioned Frigyes Karinthy earlier in this thread. i found a couple of texts by him online, in english translations.

it is uncertain whether these translations are in the public domain or not so i don't know whether i can upload them here, but in the meantime, you can read them online :
Please, Sir ! description from the bibliography here :

Quote:

A novel; an extremely humorous account of a schoolboy's life, it is a perennial favorite in Hungary.

(should interest Harry, at the least !)
there is also a short story, The Circus, in this collection of Hungarian short stories.

i have not yet read either of them, but as i said the other books i read by Karinthy were eminently worthwhile.

CTH · 05-01-2008, 02:06 PM

Codex Seraphinius, not much reading but still a damn nice book, expensive like hell...
http://www.archimedes-lab.org/Serafi/C_serafini.html

hapax legomenon · 05-01-2008, 03:22 PM

Speaking of Hungarian literature, GÉZA CSÁTH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9za_Cs%C3%A1th is also a good read. Magician's Garden was published in the USA 20 years ago or so.

Zelda Pinwheel, thank you so much for those online Hungarian titles.

I agree, that Will Cuppy is a classic.

jmorton · 05-01-2008, 04:58 PM

If you like black comedy, a book that is virtually forgotten today is Limbo by Bernard Wolfe. It was written in the early fifties and posits a future in which removing limbs and replacing them with prosthetics becomes the popular thing to do. Another is The Muller-Fokker Effect, by John Sladek. This is a wickedly funny book. Sladek was a fun writer. His writing could make you laugh and grimace at the same time. At least the hilarious Tik Tok is still in print. I think Terry Pratchett must be a big fan of Sladek, judging by some of his books.

Lobolover · 05-01-2008, 06:40 PM

that one russian book published in english in 1926,"the land of sennikov" I think.You know,the one it was ILLEGAL to own in the US.

Max · 05-02-2008, 06:21 AM

Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson. And the rest of Childe Cycle they are a 1960's SF novels.

More info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorsai!

HarryT · 05-02-2008, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max

Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson. And the rest of Childe Cycle they are a 1960's SF novels.

More info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorsai!

Would you really call "Dorai" an obscure book? It's one of the all-time classics of SF!

04-30-2008, 01:02 AM	#52
GreatBear Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle, Sony Reader	Favorite semi-obscure titles in the public domain? Just thought this thread might be fun if we listed favorite semi-obscure titles available freely online. (Or should this post be its own thread? Moderators?) Anyway, here's a few: --- Two Years Before the Mast -- Richard Henry Dana's true adventure about his journey to California in the 1830s. Lots of great description of the sailing life & early California. It's available in the forums here at MR. John Macnab -- not about spies like John Buchan's other more famous novels (The 39 Steps, anyone?) but about some bored gentlemen getting together for some betting & poaching in the Highlands. Unexpectedly enjoyable. Including this may be a cheat, as it's only available free to folks who may legally use PG Australia. But I like Australia, so I thought I'd include this tip for any Australians who may be listening! Lone Star Ranger -- Zane Grey. I'd never read him before but I'd only really heard about his Sackett novels. Possible inspiration for TV's Lone Ranger. Available here at MR.

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04-29-2008, 12:48 PM	#47
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,260 Karma: 3439432 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	_The Brass Ring_ the autobiography of Bill Mauldin (WWII _Stars and Stripes_ cartoonist) http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?s...4&archive=true It's the most honest portrayal of life for the generation that saved the world. William

04-30-2008, 01:04 AM	#53
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	What? You want a separate thread just because you're posting on the nominal topic of this one? Nope, you've put it in exactly the right place -- don't mind the rest of us, we're just nuts.

05-01-2008, 02:06 PM	#55
CTH Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 1000153 Join Date: Jan 2007	Codex Seraphinius, not much reading but still a damn nice book, expensive like hell... http://www.archimedes-lab.org/Serafi/C_serafini.html

05-01-2008, 03:22 PM	#56
hapax legomenon Erotica Writer Posts: 102 Karma: 106 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Device: ipad, Sony Reader PRS 505, Cybook 3	Speaking of Hungarian literature, GÉZA CSÁTH http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9za_Cs%C3%A1th is also a good read. Magician's Garden was published in the USA 20 years ago or so. Zelda Pinwheel, thank you so much for those online Hungarian titles. I agree, that Will Cuppy is a classic.

05-01-2008, 04:58 PM	#57
jmorton Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 374 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: San Francisco Device: Sony Reader PRS-500	If you like black comedy, a book that is virtually forgotten today is Limbo by Bernard Wolfe. It was written in the early fifties and posits a future in which removing limbs and replacing them with prosthetics becomes the popular thing to do. Another is The Muller-Fokker Effect, by John Sladek. This is a wickedly funny book. Sladek was a fun writer. His writing could make you laugh and grimace at the same time. At least the hilarious Tik Tok is still in print. I think Terry Pratchett must be a big fan of Sladek, judging by some of his books.

05-01-2008, 06:40 PM	#58
Lobolover Gorosei Posts: 421 Karma: 334 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Microsoft Word	that one russian book published in english in 1926,"the land of sennikov" I think.You know,the one it was ILLEGAL to own in the US.

05-02-2008, 06:21 AM	#59
Max Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 380 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Girona, Spain Device: iLiad, DR1000s	Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson. And the rest of Childe Cycle they are a 1960's SF novels. More info. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorsai!