Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[Trebro]

Originally Posted by BenG

I'm about halfway through "The Pale Blue Eye" by Louis Bayard. Great book so far. It's about a gruesome murder at West Point in the early 19th century. The detective is assisted by a young cadet named Edgar Allen Poe.

I read that book 4 years ago, when two Poe-related books came out at the same time. This was the good one; you made a nice choice!

[recluse]

I am reading "Down River" by John Hart. I am going through horror novel withdrawal. I'm going on the "Vent and Rant" thread to express my sadness.

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by columbus

Without giving any spoilers, the novel whilst entertaining was lightweight with a low page count. it seemed to me that it had been stretched for purely commercial reasons to provide material for two books. The sequel being already heavily advertised.

Agree! I got the impression he wrote a 600 page novel then divided it in two to get twice the revenue. And, sure enough, the last page after the end of the book contains an ad for the next book (i.e., episode) coming out in October. I get teh impression Child wants me to pay twice the price for a single book.

[Bluesman7]

Just finished What I Was by Meg Rosoff. It was okay but nothing very special by my lights.

Now I'll agonize for a while over what comes next...


EDITED:

Okay, I've been wondering about Lethem's The Fortress of Solitude for a while so I guess I'll give that one a shot next (being an old Brooklyn boy myself).

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by cassidym

Agree! I got the impression he wrote a 600 page novel then divided it in two to get twice the revenue. And, sure enough, the last page after the end of the book contains an ad for the next book (i.e., episode) coming out in October. I get teh impression Child wants me to pay twice the price for a single book.

That's exactly what I got from Hyperion by Dan Simmons.....pissed me off so bad I've not read any of his work since.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by thinkpadx

Have you read it as an ebook? Can't find it on Amazon in Kindle version, only in paperback.

Unfortunately no.. They're available on the Darknet, but I purchased used paper copies from my local bookstore, Powell's.

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by Bluesman7

Okay, I've been wondering about Lethem's The Fortress of Solitude for a while so I guess I'll give that one a shot next (being an old Brooklyn boy myself).

A very good book, but not an easy read. I don't know if it's just me, but I found it difficult to bear at times.

[Bluesman7]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

A very good book, but not an easy read. I don't know if it's just me, but I found it difficult to bear at times.

I've only just started the book (and I'm a little older than the protagonists) but so far the description of the environment, street games and paraphernalia rings true. (Spaldeens, skelly caps, "off the wall" (wallball), stoop ball, stickball etc...)

Be interesting to see how it progresses.

[MelC]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

I was hooked initially on them - but by about book 5 I had grown aware of and tired of the repetitions in dialogue & plot lines ("Fuego" I snarled, somehow still sticks with me). I may try them again.

Had to share with you this paragraph from the last book "Changes" because it hilariously ties in with your comment.

"Fuego!" shouted someone on the walls - and for a second I was hit with a little sting of insult. Someone was shouting "fuego" and it wasn't me.

Seems like Jim Butcher isn't unaware of his tendency to rely on familiar patterns.

Mel

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by MelC

Had to share with you this paragraph from the last book "Changes" because it hilariously ties in with your comment.

"Fuego!" shouted someone on the walls - and for a second I was hit with a little sting of insult. Someone was shouting "fuego" and it wasn't me.

Seems like Jim Butcher isn't unaware of his tendency to rely on familiar patterns.

Mel

That's exactly what I meant!

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's exactly what I got from Hyperion by Dan Simmons.....pissed me off so bad I've not read any of his work since.

I think I've mentioned this before, so sorry if it seems like I'm repeating myself to you, Kenny, but I initially read Hyperion as a standalone novel, and still feel that way about it. But then, I would still happily have left The Gunslinger (Stephen King), and also Neverness (David Zindell) as standalones (technically, I think this last is standalone, but it has that same open-endedness about many things that the others have, and thus, the sequels). I think I have a thing for open-endedness (perhaps it coincides with my living mental state ).

This is not to say I am not empathetic with your frustration. Honestly, I understand it, and I'm just showing my reactions and subjective preferences.

Cheers,
Marc

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I think I've mentioned this before, so sorry if it seems like I'm repeating myself to you, Kenny, but I initially read Hyperion as a standalone novel, and still feel that way about it. But then, I would still happily have left The Gunslinger (Stephen King), and also Neverness (David Zindell) as standalones (technically, I think this last is standalone, but it has that same open-endedness about many things that the others have, and thus, the sequels). I think I have a thing for open-endedness (perhaps it coincides with my living mental state ).

This is not to say I am not empathetic with your frustration. Honestly, I understand it, and I'm just showing my reactions and subjective preferences.

Cheers,
Marc

I've said that about Hyperion before too. It just really bugged me....

[Trebro]

Originally Posted by kennyc

That's exactly what I got from Hyperion by Dan Simmons.....pissed me off so bad I've not read any of his work since.

Really? See, I just felt like it was a normal sci fi plot that was set over two books. Had it been split into three, that would be a different story.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by kennyc

I've said that about Hyperion before too. It just really bugged me....

I totally empathise. I am certain it has happened to me before too. I think that "one novel cut into two" was how I felt about Simmons' Ilium/Olympos books (which I wasn't all that fond of, except for the bits with the "moravec" robots, Mahnmut and Orphu).

Cheers,
Marc

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Trebro

Really? See, I just felt like it was a normal sci fi plot that was set over two books. Had it been split into three, that would be a different story.

That's what I mean the first book just stopped....it was continued in the second. But that first book was marked as a stand-alone novel and it wasn't, not really.