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View Poll Results: What scholastic book will we read in September? | |||
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro | 7 | 58.33% | |
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris | 5 | 41.67% | |
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll |
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08-14-2018, 08:47 AM | #16 |
o saeclum infacetum
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I've been spoilt since before this was nominated so it has nothing to do with anything said here, so I plan to read it with close attention to how its development is handled which will be rewarding in itself.
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08-15-2018, 08:11 AM | #17 |
Wizard
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I didn't vote for this book in the runoff, but the quality of the writing is remarkably good. It really does draw one in. I'm already in chapter 5, which is speed reading for me.
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08-15-2018, 08:22 AM | #18 |
Professor of Law
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If Ishiguro had won the Nobel in '05 or '06 on the strength of this book, no one would have been surprised. The only reason it was such a head scratcher when he won in '17 was that his most recent work, The Buried Giant, was poorly received. I have read all his works and I think that Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day are absolute masterpieces.
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08-15-2018, 01:10 PM | #19 |
Almost legible
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The Nobel often lags years behind the work for which it is awarded (and sometimes that work is not acknowledged in the prize award).
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08-15-2018, 01:32 PM | #20 |
Wizard
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By coincidence I have just finished reading Never Let Me Go, so I think I will join the discussions for the first time. I know what I think about it, so it will be interesting to read other people’s opinions.
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08-15-2018, 05:09 PM | #21 |
(he/him/his)
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By all means, we look forward to having you join our discussion! New participants are always welcome and new viewpoints appreciated.
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08-17-2018, 07:33 AM | #22 |
Wizard
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I feel compelled to defend The Girl With All the Gifts. Those of you who have not read it are IMHO really missing out. Whilst it is of course not without its flaws it is an exceptional book. The ideas explored are fascinating and it defies genre to some extent. It is not a traditional horror book. Dystopian Science Fiction is perhaps the best description, but not YA. Very character and idea driven, it explores some quite uncomfortable aspects of human nature. To the extent that the girl in the title (Melanie) is a monster, she is a very sympathetic one, to the point that you will likely find that your sympathies lie with her despite her real and threatening differences.
With the current prominence of arguments about race, cultural appropriation etc. it is interesting to note that the title character in the book is a blonde Caucasian girl. However, in the excellent and reasonably faithful movie based on the book the girl was black, played superbly and very believably by the talented Sennia Nannua. Sometimes I find changes between the book and the movie adaptation very jarring. For instance, I was never able to fully enjoy the award winning movie of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" because I could just not see Jack Nicholson, a superb actor, as the McMurphy of the book. Yet I found Melanie's race inconsequential, perhaps because it has little or nothing to do with the themes involved. The sequel, The Boy on the Bridge, is also an excellent read and a worthy prequel/sequel. To those who are turned off by books of the type referred to above in the Spoiler section, I can't guarantee that you are going to enjoy the book. I do, however, think that you owe it to yourself to give it a try, even if you only read a chapter or two. |
08-17-2018, 10:03 AM | #23 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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08-17-2018, 10:08 AM | #24 |
o saeclum infacetum
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OverDrive had The Girl with All the Gifts in the audiobook, so after all the raves here and even though it's not my thing I decided to give it a try as a swim-listen, when I prefer something I don't have to concentrate on. So far, so good; it's holding my attention which is the most important criterion when I'm in the water. I figured it would be a good run-up to Never Let Me Go.
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08-17-2018, 10:36 AM | #25 | ||
Wizard
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08-17-2018, 01:14 PM | #26 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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08-17-2018, 09:22 PM | #27 | |
Wizard
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Quote:
If I still felt compelled to finish a book once I started it, I would make exactly the same decision as you in this type of instance. If you do ever read it I will be very interested in your comments. |
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08-18-2018, 02:17 PM | #28 | |
Grand Sorcerer
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08-18-2018, 10:18 PM | #29 | |
Wizard
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