Search results

Yes, I read this about a year ago. It's very fascinating, that entire word-of-mouth concept. Great insight!

First of all, forget about a "colour-blind" society. That's not going to happen, people will always be prejudiced in one way or another. Secondly, don't be so marxist in your literary view; don't judge yesterday's books by today's moral standards. Thirdly, are you saying you only wish to...

Igideon, Discovering Saul Bellow is like discovering an entire new form of literature. I recently did so myself, in fact. I don't know if The Actual is the right place to start, as it is one of his last novels. I started off with his second novel The Victim and a couple of short stories. I've...

Kenny Shovel, if you'd read more thoroughly my post you'd have noticed that I am in fact going to buy his plays and put myself in a position from where I'm entitled to judge him. Perhaps you, too, should read carefully before you pass judgment? What I dislike about his politics from what I've...

I'm afraid that the Swedish Academy has made a serious mistake once again. In the near future I'm going to buy some of his plays just to see what he's like, but I sincerely doubt that he's better than Ian McEwan, Amos Oz, Salman Rushdie, Mario Vargas Llosa, Paul Auster, Martin Amis, Umberto Eco...

Probably anything that doesn't have the author smiling on the cover which reads "10 steps to a better life" or any such crap. Life is more complex than many of these alleged psychologists make out. But as long as it's simple, like a food recipe, people buy it and believe it. How endlessly...

In that case I hope you reminded yourself that the novel was written in 1854, so using it against capitalism would be unfair. We've come a long way since 1854.

The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevskiy. That book is such a masterpiece, and the three brothers each brilliantly represent different moral, philosophical and religious standpoints. It's touching, exciting, psychologically intriguing and philosophically unrivalled. The speech in the end is...

It's tough, but one of my favorites is this one: "If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog." Herzog by Saul Bellow

I have mixed feelings about Mr.Coelho. On one hand, both The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage were somewhat enjoyable books. If I was a little more into spirits and Arabic legends I assume I would've enjoyed them more, but they weren't bad. But then he also writes books seemingly only to earn...

I met Amos Oz in May, he was absolutely amazing. He spoke of his family saga A Tale of Love and Darkness in a perfect balance of wit and sorrow. I took notes during the entire lecture and afterwards he signed my book. He seemed quite at ease, confident and relaxed. There are many writers I'd...

Has anyone read his early short stories? In Between Sheets and First Love, Last Rites. It's really a very different McEwan than the one we know from Atonement, Enduring Love or Saturday, but I really enjoyed reading them. Even then his insight into the complexities and absurdities of the human...

I do sometimes read two books at once, but I never read two novels at the same time. If I'm reading a novel, I might read a philosophical work or a poetry collection. Never two novels at once.

Ian McEwan, I think, is amongst the 5 greatest writers of our time. And his genius seems increase each time he crafts a novel. McEwan's portrayal of Henry Perowne, his character descriptions in general, I think, are unrivalled today. In Saturday he brings the reader underneath the skin of...

I read this a few years ago and I didn't like it at all. The first half or so was fine, but then it seemed to adopt a serious case of hyperbole in the development of its plot... Perhaps I'll give it another chance some day.

Ever since I began reading Miller I've realized how underrated he is. Although most known for his plays Death of a Salesmen and The Crucible, he's written beautiful stories that explore the depths of human beings, however degraded their existence may seem (as in the case of "Fitter's Night"). In...

Borges is so refreshingly original and imaginative to read. His wisdom and knowledge knows no boundaries! I've read several of his short stories (my favorite one is "The Other") and his poetry as well. You know when you've read him that you'll never read anything similar to it again, ever. And...

Steinbeck is underrated. Undeservingly so. I'd strongly recommend you read The Winter of our Discontent, it's a remarkable portrayal of a man, a very humorous and sympathetic man, who is the only person in his community, and most importantly his family, quite content with being relatively poor...

Dubliners is a masterpiece, an eternal classic. His portrayal of the many dilemmas human beings face is unrivalled. The theme of pursuing your own dreams versus not being able to break free from family, society, backgrounds etc runs through in a few of them. What is most beautiful about this...

I'd recommend some of Ian McEwan's short stories. In a couple of them he does touch upon subjects of adolescence, sexuality and so forth.