yeah! i forgot about that part. hee. sorry about getting so specific....i still like your list though, didn't mean for criticism to be the main point of my last comment...
i like your distinction between "terrrible terrible" and "fun terrible." that's a good one to keep in mind. yes it was one of his early books...i don't know all of his books so i'm not sure what's been made into a movie and what hasn't...are any of them good? i liked jurassic park....didn't see sphere or congo but heard they were pretty poor...your u.s. law comment is funny :)
I like your list better. That other list of first lines seems mostly designed to quiz indentification skills rather than identify truly interesting first lines.
Excellent! While I'm not a big horror fan (at least not of the slasher movies), there are a handful that I like. I keep thinking about doing some genre lists. I'll let you know when/if I get a horror list up. Someday . . .
A short FYI . . . If you click the "login first" link, after you login it will bring you back to the screen you were on so that you can post your comment (in case not wanting to navigate back to where you were is why you don't bother logging in).
Yeah, ultimately I decided on fiction for The Iliad because of all the divine intervention (as I recall). I'll let you know if I change my mind after I read them.
In reading the Amazon reviews, nobody seems to like the ending (or the Snow Crash ending, for that matter), but nobody really says why. May I ask what about it (either book, actually) bugged you?
Cool list! A minor technical note . . . As you can see, The Listology automatically bullets each line. Your list will be more attractive if you use <BR> tags instead of carraige returns in some cases. For example, I think if you typed:
<B>Action/Adventure</B><BR>Air Force One<BR>Die Hard
I think that would look better than it does now, with one entry on each line.
One of these days I'm going to write up a bunch of "power user" tips for The Listology, post them, and link to them from the help.
I too have heard that the movie is terrible, but from the previews it looks like it might be "fun terrible" instead of "terrible terrible." And I think Eaters of the Dead was actually one of his early books (not sure if it was before or after Andromeda Strain). If I recall correctly, the book was mediocre. But it's now U.S. law that all Michael Crichton books be adapted into movies. Actually, come to think of it, are there any Crichton books that haven't been made into movies?
actually antihero, i think one of my friends suggested that one...but i'd never heard it so i didn't feel like it put it on....yeah this list is sort of all breakup songs...however you may interpret it...that was a good question though and i'm happy that you used "whilst." hmmm, like my friend, jenhowel, i too am curious why you have no lists....:)
I can hear you chuckling and rubbing your hands together every time I make a wrong guess. "Look at silly bertie adding to my comment score" you think, "I'll soon catch up to him." Well I've got other plans...I...OH HELL!...WHAT AM I DOING?
I don't remember disliking the Snow Crash one nearly as much as The Diamond Age ending. I just thought it was sudden and had only became the ending because he needed to finish the book and couldn't think of anything better. I really did like the book though, mind you.
Okay, folks, I refuse to give any more hints on number 6, because you already know the author (who I can hear quietly weeping - the only thing he ever does quietly).
The author of number 8 is Brian Aldiss.
Number 10 is a gift to anyone who cares to use the TL functions Jim has provided. But let me re-state the essential hints: it's in a TL list - I've commented on it - it's Chinese.
Number 31 has been called 'the first anti-novel'. It's a fictional autobiography.
I totally agree with your assessment of "Shakespeare in Love" and have my own Gwyneth-related reasons for disliking it as well.
I also agree that there are flaws in "Schindler's List" as I rewatched it about 12 times in order to write a paper on it for a class called Visual Culture and the Holocaust. Of course, when you set out to make a definitive educational film on the Holocaust, flaws are hard to avoid.
I also agree w. Vertigo and I also saw "Spellbound" lately (WHAT COMPLETE DRECK!)
But I disagree on "Grease". I am an admitted huge fan of Olivia Newton-John and her singing. I also really dig John Travolta's 70's roles. And Stockard Channing is great.
Thank you much!
Totally wild guesses: Is #1 The Apostle? Leap of Faith? The 10 Commandments? How 'bout a hint?
yeah! i forgot about that part. hee. sorry about getting so specific....i still like your list though, didn't mean for criticism to be the main point of my last comment...
i like your distinction between "terrrible terrible" and "fun terrible." that's a good one to keep in mind. yes it was one of his early books...i don't know all of his books so i'm not sure what's been made into a movie and what hasn't...are any of them good? i liked jurassic park....didn't see sphere or congo but heard they were pretty poor...your u.s. law comment is funny :)
"stomach virus" would by my "other story." :)
I like your list better. That other list of first lines seems mostly designed to quiz indentification skills rather than identify truly interesting first lines.
you really should do that, jim--for inept folks like me! can't wait to be more HTML-savvy. let me know when it's up!
Excellent! While I'm not a big horror fan (at least not of the slasher movies), there are a handful that I like. I keep thinking about doing some genre lists. I'll let you know when/if I get a horror list up. Someday . . .
A short FYI . . . If you click the "login first" link, after you login it will bring you back to the screen you were on so that you can post your comment (in case not wanting to navigate back to where you were is why you don't bother logging in).
Thanks for the recommendations - I will try to check them out. The only true crime I've read is Homicide, which was excellent.
Yeah, ultimately I decided on fiction for The Iliad because of all the divine intervention (as I recall). I'll let you know if I change my mind after I read them.
Ooo. Michael Shermer. Very cool. He wrote Why People Believe Weird Things, which is on my forthcoming "To Read, But Not Yet in my Possession" list.
In reading the Amazon reviews, nobody seems to like the ending (or the Snow Crash ending, for that matter), but nobody really says why. May I ask what about it (either book, actually) bugged you?
Dang. I couldn't find my copy (why I keep misplacing my Dostoevsky, I have no idea).
Agreed. You're doing all the work, so it only seems fair that you have a share of the fun.
yes, and then he lights his own cigarette from her hand. so i suppose i should've written "lighter" instead of ashtray... you know what i mean.
Cool list! A minor technical note . . . As you can see, The Listology automatically bullets each line. Your list will be more attractive if you use <BR> tags instead of carraige returns in some cases. For example, I think if you typed:
<B>Action/Adventure</B><BR>Air Force One<BR>Die Hard
I think that would look better than it does now, with one entry on each line.
One of these days I'm going to write up a bunch of "power user" tips for The Listology, post them, and link to them from the help.
I too have heard that the movie is terrible, but from the previews it looks like it might be "fun terrible" instead of "terrible terrible." And I think Eaters of the Dead was actually one of his early books (not sure if it was before or after Andromeda Strain). If I recall correctly, the book was mediocre. But it's now U.S. law that all Michael Crichton books be adapted into movies. Actually, come to think of it, are there any Crichton books that haven't been made into movies?
actually antihero, i think one of my friends suggested that one...but i'd never heard it so i didn't feel like it put it on....yeah this list is sort of all breakup songs...however you may interpret it...that was a good question though and i'm happy that you used "whilst." hmmm, like my friend, jenhowel, i too am curious why you have no lists....:)
I can hear you chuckling and rubbing your hands together every time I make a wrong guess. "Look at silly bertie adding to my comment score" you think, "I'll soon catch up to him." Well I've got other plans...I...OH HELL!...WHAT AM I DOING?
hint time: 17 & 18 are both by British writers.
I don't remember disliking the Snow Crash one nearly as much as The Diamond Age ending. I just thought it was sudden and had only became the ending because he needed to finish the book and couldn't think of anything better. I really did like the book though, mind you.
Okay, folks, I refuse to give any more hints on number 6, because you already know the author (who I can hear quietly weeping - the only thing he ever does quietly).
The author of number 8 is Brian Aldiss.
Number 10 is a gift to anyone who cares to use the TL functions Jim has provided. But let me re-state the essential hints: it's in a TL list - I've commented on it - it's Chinese.
Number 31 has been called 'the first anti-novel'. It's a fictional autobiography.
yes, thank you. Very nice. AWIT is a great tale...I think that the sequels (esp. A Wind in the Door) are weaker but still intreging.
dude, antihero? How come you don't have any lists up?
I totally agree with your assessment of "Shakespeare in Love" and have my own Gwyneth-related reasons for disliking it as well.
I also agree that there are flaws in "Schindler's List" as I rewatched it about 12 times in order to write a paper on it for a class called Visual Culture and the Holocaust. Of course, when you set out to make a definitive educational film on the Holocaust, flaws are hard to avoid.
I also agree w. Vertigo and I also saw "Spellbound" lately (WHAT COMPLETE DRECK!)
But I disagree on "Grease". I am an admitted huge fan of Olivia Newton-John and her singing. I also really dig John Travolta's 70's roles. And Stockard Channing is great.