03-11-2011, 01:22 PM | #1996 |
Slattern of the Swail
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I just read a SS by David Foster Wallace and now I want to kill myself.
What?
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In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum |
03-11-2011, 01:33 PM | #1997 |
Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya?
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I've gotten through all the Lionel Shriver books I've found. Some I really like, some are just OK. The last one was interesting, about population control in Africa, Game Control.
There are still some I haven't read but I didn't see them at my library.
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03-30-2011, 10:54 AM | #1998 |
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
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I'm reading House Rules, by Jodi Picoult, on the strong recommendation of several friends. The main character is high-functioning autistic.
She did a fantastic job of capturing his voice (a lot of it is first person from his perspective) and portrays the conflicting emotions of his mother and brother excellently as well. The underlying plot is pretty good so far too. It's a little pedantic at first, assuming the reader has absolutely no experience with the disease, but it gets past that quickly. This book is my new recommendation for friends and relatives who want to get it, but don't yet. |
03-30-2011, 11:02 AM | #1999 |
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Oh wow. I JUST finished that book, Clod. (I've been on a reading marathon, about 2-3 books a week lately.)
I was going to ask you what you thought of it or if you'd read it, but it slipped my mind. I liked it, but of course your perspective is something else entirely. I thought about you a lot as I read it. |
03-30-2011, 11:16 AM | #2000 |
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I'm about halfway through Room, a book written from the point of view of a kid born to a woman kept captive in a sound proof shed. The kid is 5 years old and has never known anything outside of Room. He only knows Ma, and the captor. There's a TV, but he doesn't understand that the TV is showing the real world. It's really well written from the kid's perspective and is quite a page turner. Easy read and riveting.
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03-30-2011, 12:54 PM | #2001 |
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I'm going to look for that at the 'brary. I think I'd like it. Thanks.
I have, somewhere, a VHS tape of a Nova show called "Secrets of the Wild Child" a true story about a kid who was chained up for years (by her elderly parents) before she was discovered. It went into the whole nature/nurture argument. It was fascinating, though no real conclusions were drawn. The story, and the girl, mesmerized me. So sad. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcr...112gchild.html |
03-30-2011, 01:49 PM | #2002 |
polaroid of perfection
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Glatt - that book was the talk of the staffroom yesterday. In fact I came here directly from Amazon, looking to see if I could snag a second hand copy (the teachers reading it already have their books promised elsewhere).
They say it's really sad. |
03-30-2011, 02:23 PM | #2003 |
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I haven't finished it yet, so I don't know if it's a happy ending or a sad ending, but the overall book has some serious ups and downs. Certainly some very sad parts. But also some amazing parts.
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03-30-2011, 02:25 PM | #2004 |
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I'm going to stop reading this thread, I'm skeered of spoilers.
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03-30-2011, 03:12 PM | #2005 |
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I won't spoil anything.
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03-30-2011, 05:27 PM | #2006 | |
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
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Quote:
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03-30-2011, 05:52 PM | #2007 | |
We have to go back, Kate!
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Currently I am reading:
Una McCormack, Doctor Who: The King's Dragon. Not bad, not great. Edward Coss, All for the King's Shilling: The British Soldier Under Wellington, 1808-1814. Brilliant. Just brilliant. One of the most important new works in my field. John S. Cooper, Fusilier Cooper: Experiences in the 7th(Royal) Fusiliers during the Penninsular Campaign of the Napoleonic Wars and the American Campaign to New Orleans. Fascinating, and very readable.
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03-31-2011, 08:32 AM | #2008 |
Professor
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Just finished "Land of the painted caves" by Jean M. Auel
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03-31-2011, 08:37 AM | #2009 |
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When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton
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03-31-2011, 12:34 PM | #2010 |
I think this line's mostly filler.
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Annotated Grimm's Fairy Tales. I'm not impressed with the annotations; I'm probably spoiled by The Annotated Alice.
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