Books: Why do they all sound so shit?

[Lee909]

The Godfather

Omerta

The Sicillian

The Last Don

 

All Mario Puzo,easy reads and fantastic

[RedKnight]

Yep, thanks to the Ape I got right in to the Charlie Parker books. Absolutely devoured them and enjoyed them despite him using the phrase "a copse of trees" in every freakin' book.

 

The Passage was absolutely gangbusters too.

[Spy Bee]

Sorry for your shit. If you are in a bit of a dark place, I think a really uplifting book just reads like an overly positive friend and you'll just want to tell it to fuck off. So go for something dark, have a read of something by Chuck Palaniuk. He's a right sick fuck, but the boy can write! I can't remember what I have read apart from Diary and Fightclub... in fact, I'm going to get me a book of his! wanna play bookclub?

[Guest Numero Veinticinco]

Yep, thanks to the Ape I got right in to the Charlie Parker books. Absolutely devoured them and enjoyed them despite him using the phrase "a copse of trees" in every freakin' book.

 

The Passage was absolutely gangbusters too.

Ape knows his stuff, to be fair. He has gotten me into a load of things on here. Seriously, I has a shave the way he recommended, the stuck on an episode of Archer on TV. He's taking over.

[Adebisi]

Oh totally. My arl fella passed away just before Christmas, so that's defo having an effect on how shit everything sounds.

Sorry to hear that mate. I've gone through the same and it took awhile before I got enjoyment out of things again (used to comfort-watch Buffy the vampire slayer for Christ sake) Hope things pick up soon, chief. 

[VladimirIlyich]

Due to recommendations I am just starting to download this

 

http://kasssto.come.in/john-connolly-bibliography-epub-retail-t7811284.html

[Red Phoenix]

Sorry to read about your Dad Chris, know what it feels like, and hope you find some decent fiction soon. I find that most of it is at least generic (that's being kind really.) as well nowadays, but maybe always remember that there's a lot of good stuff out there too if you look around enough.

[Champ]

Sounds to me like you're in a negative state of mind. Are you depressed? 

  

 

 

Oh totally. My arl fella passed away just before Christmas, so that's defo having an effect on how shit everything sounds.

 

Has your loss of interest in reading happened since your Dad died?

 

'Just before Christmas' is no time at all. Why have you set yourself this challenge to read more now?

 

I was never an avid reader but always had a book on the go until I developed depression. I just lost all interest. That was more than 2 years ago. I've read one book since then. And that was when we were on holiday last year.

I've never played any music since then either

[Anubis]

Ignore them all, Chris. You have had an epiphany. Divest yourself of all possessions save a bare mattress. Draw your curtains. Sit in the dark. Contemplate the futility of the daily struggle for life which must always cede to death and nothingness.

 

Enjoy.

[A_S]

Stephen King

Jeffrey Archer

George Orwell. 

[Jairzinho]

Ignore them all, Chris. You have had an epiphany. Divest yourself of all possessions save a bare mattress. Draw your curtains. Sit in the dark. Contemplate the futility of the daily struggle for life which must always cede to death and nothingness.

 

Enjoy.

 

I would do this, but then go through the entire works of Dostoevsky.

[Spy Bee]

I started a book last night (inspired by this thread, but with no Chuck) called Perfect by Rachel Joyce. I'm only about 50 pages in, but I like it. Very easy to read, but quite poignant and funny at times too.

[Elmyn Noos]

I can never choose a book just by reading the what's it about bit as I agree they all make the book sound shit, whether you've recently lost a relative or not. I read books recommended to me by people on a similar wavelength and once I find an author I like, stick with them til I've read all their stuff. I'm currently reading William Boyd whom I would never have chosen from book reviews, but was recommended and I'm liking very much. Not very dark, though, or coming of age, and the towns featured are quite big, so maybe not for you.

 

To pick up on Section's point, reading doesn't make you intelligent, but it does make you well-read, which can't be a bad thing. Reading also helps with vocabulary, spelling and grammar which is essential if we are not to descend into a nation of text-speaking smiley-faced wankers. A good book will beat a good film or TV show hands down every time simply because you will always get more depth in a good book than you can possibly get across on screen. I think a lot of people leave books once they leave full-time education as they associate reading with hard graft, but rediscover them once they grow out of video-games. I refuse to accept that there isn't a book out there for everyone to get into - the choice is just so vast you might have to flick through a lot of "Entertainment" channels before you find The Wire.

 

For the record, it is a fact that if you've not grown out of video-gaming by the age of 30, at the latest, then a book is only going to be of use to you as perhaps a foodstuff, or something to throw at your mum when she asks you to clean your room.

[Bjornebye]

Order Papillon

 

Best book of all time.

[Rick Sanchez C-137]

Reedinz 4 dummyz why wd ya rd whn ya can watch jezzza laaaaa

[Chairman Meow]

A good book will beat a good film or TV show hands down every time simply because you will always get more depth in a good book than you can possibly get across on screen. I think a lot of people leave books once they leave full-time education as they associate reading with hard graft, but rediscover them once they grow out of video-games. I refuse to accept that there isn't a book out there for everyone to get into - the choice is just so vast you might have to flick through a lot of "Entertainment" channels before you find The Wire.

 

It's pretty much always a bad idea to watch a film of a book you particularly like. I can't stand the Shutter Island film as it misses so much of the depth the book has. As said it's no sign of intelligence to read though. I'd actually say it's probably considered more odd if you do these days, if you tell people you read a lot they tend to look at you as if you've just told them you fuck kids. 

 

I find I can lose myself in a book more, a lot of the time now I barely watch a film or tv show fully, I'm glancing onto here, checking emails and doing other stuff mostly.

 

Re the bold part, I think a lot of that is down to a combination of the material and some shitty teaching. I absolutely detest Shakespeare, I don't like it, don't see the humour in the comedies and just generally don't see what all the fuss is about. If something more contemporary and relevant was used I am sure more people would appreciate and enjoy it.

 

For my GCSE English Literature we did 1st World War poetry, 1984, To Kill A Mockingbird and Macbeth. I'm hugely interested in the 1st World War and from what I read before High School and do now everything tells me I should have enjoyed 1984 and To Kill A Mockingbird. 

 

The teacher we had could not have sucked the life out of it anymore than she did if she had been trying to on purpose. Even now I still can't bring myself to try and read either of 1984 or To Kill A Mockingbird. I know they are considered classics and valuable, but even now I just think "they're shit". No rationale behind it, I just remember reading them as being a thoroughly miserable existence. 

 

We lived less than a hundred yards from the local library and I used to go more or less every night and get books out and when I wasn't allowed anymore to be taken out used to sit in there and read them. 

 

By the time I left High School I had my enthusiasm for it so wiped out it wasn't until I was into my first job after uni that I started reading again. 

 

A High School Teacher killed my love of reading. A High School Caretaker rekindled it by introducing me to Every Dark Thing, Dark Hollow, Joe Lansdale, George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane. 

 

Once I was back into it I was then back into hunting things out and reading all sorts just by chance. 

 

A good or bad teacher can make a huge difference. 

[Rotpeter]

Chevettehs, don't think of books and films as being in competition. Films are for the most part, just another interpretation, a slightly different perspective, and I always find, another layer to my understanding and appreciation of the book. It's like the other day, I was looking at some wood cuts of Munch's Scream and while they aren't a patch on the canvas. They still resonate, just in a slightly different, starker way.

[Section_31]

I imagine my enjoyment of books is hampered by me being dyslexic. Although I can read, I have to concentrate to do it, I can never grasp what it feels like to 'get lost' in a book because I am always conscious of the actual act of reading.

[Jairzinho]

I read quite a lot but reckon I've probably only been "lost in a book" six or seven times. Certainly no more than a dozen times.

 

Most books, like most everything else, are shite. Quite a lot of reading is unfortunately ploughing through the first 60/70 pages of a book as you "give it a chance", then finally giving up and starting the process again.

[Chairman Meow]

 

Chevettehs, don't think of books and films as being in competition. Films are for the most part, just another interpretation, a slightly different perspective, and I always find, another layer to my understanding and appreciation of the book. It's like the other day, I was looking at some wood cuts of Munch's Scream and while they aren't a patch on the canvas. They still resonate, just in a slightly different, starker way.

 

 

I don't see them as competition as such. I just think especially in the case of Shutter Island because so much of the narrative was internal the film didn't really feel like it had a plot. As a standalone film I wouldn't consider it very good as it didn't really make things clear (to me at least) I honestly think if I hadn't read the book before seeing it I wouldn't have fully understood what happened. 

 

Shutter Island, American Pyscho and Complicity for me just didn't work at all because so much of the book is in the characters head. 

 

I think Mystic River was extremely well done as a film and as a stand alone film and for instance liked Trainspotting as a film but didn't like the book. 

 

There are loads of things I'd love to see put into film or TV from books I've read, The Flashman books would make a fantastic long term series, there is probably 12 series of storyline in there, if cast right it could be epic. The Hap and Leonard books by Joe Lansdale could make a brilliant series or set of films, I already picture them as Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson from reading the books anyway. 

 

Amazon are making a series based on the Harry Bosch books which based on the pilot could be good. They are very obviously using the books as a basis and switching the stories up a little which Michael Connelly has spoken about already. 

 

I am however hugely worried about the Mortdecai film with Johnny Depp, the Mortdecai books by Kyril Bonfiglioli are probably my favourite books over everything else I've ever read, like a mix of Wodehouse, Fleming and Chandler (again a well done series of Phillip Marlowe books could make great TV) but the trailer looks dreadful.  

[Chairman Meow]

I imagine my enjoyment of books is hampered by me being dyslexic. Although I can read, I have to concentrate to do it, I can never grasp what it feels like to 'get lost' in a book because I am always conscious of the actual act of reading.

 

Do you find it easier to write than read? Given your day job. 

[Section_31]

Do you fine it easier to write than read? Given your day job.

Yeah deffo, people can write without looking though so I suppose it's different skills to an extent. I think then my fingers work, when I read I have to read the word/sentence then think.

[Chairman Meow]

Yeah deffo, people can write without looking though so I suppose it's different skills to an extent. I think then my fingers work, when I read I have to read the word/sentence then think.

 

The brain and human body is a weird thing. Obviously not being dyslexic it's difficult to grasp what it would be like, as you say must use different skills or parts of the brain to write compared to reading.

[Rotpeter]

I don't see them as competition as such. I just think especially in the case of Shutter Island because so much of the narrative was internal the film didn't really feel like it had a plot. As a standalone film I wouldn't consider it very good as it didn't really make things clear (to me at least) I honestly think if I hadn't read the book before seeing it I wouldn't have fully understood what happened. 

 

Shutter Island, American Pyscho and Complicity for me just didn't work at all because so much of the book is in the characters head.

I know what you mean. But see for me my whole experience of "American Psycho" was enhanced by having the picture in my head of Christian Bale nailing that bird. The whole being greater than the sum of the parts and all that. Films of that type can't really standalone, can they.

[Rotpeter]

I read quite a lot but reckon I've probably only been "lost in a book" six or seven times. Certainly no more than a dozen times.

 

Most books, like most everything else, are shite. Quite a lot of reading is unfortunately ploughing through the first 60/70 pages of a book as you "give it a chance", then finally giving up and starting the process again.

You're a victim of your promiscuity by the sounds of it!