Reading Log, 2008 (Started 4th August)
Submitted by neptune on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 11:01
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- [Loved] History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell : One of the most interesting books I've ever read, Russell is such a fantastic writer. Giving not only a history of all things philisophical, Russell also serves as a historian of culture, science and religion throughout the ages, and gives a beautiful overview of the Western Philisophical school.
- [Liked] Venus In Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch : Utterly intruiging, I mainly got this book because of the Velvet Underground's tribute to it, but I was pleasantly surprised by its well written verse and highly explosive content. Not for the light hearted.
- [Liked] Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk : More messed up than the film, but better.
- [Liked] The Divine Comedy by Dante : Finally! I have finished Dante's epic work, and it really is epic (and incredibly heavy going). Sometimes, the details are unneccesary, but it is certainly very evocative, and goes through each and every vice and virtue and what will become of you if you possess them. The fluency is at times lacking (mainly because of the translation I guess), but it still is a beautiful piece of literature. Only recommended if you are willing to spend a long time reading it.
- [Hated] The Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill (who pretends to be a professsional writer but really isn't) : EURGH. Possibly one of the worst books I have ever read.
- [Meh] Next by Michael Crichton : Some interesting facts about genetics in this book, with some valuable points being made, but the plots are pointless and annoying, with silly clichéd characters.
- [Loved] A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess [Re-read] : A personal long-time favourite of mine, A Clockwork Orange is the quintessential dystopian view of the future in my opinion, written with a whole new hybrid language [Nadsat], it is iconic, startling and original. Burgess brilliant brings out both sides to Alex, the dark and the good, reminding us that no-one is definitively good or bad, we are all just shades of grey (though I'm sure Aristotle would disagree with that statement). It also raises many moral and political ideas, and causes us to question our own beliefs. If you have not already, I recommend reading this book to anyone. Viddy Well, O My Brothers...
- [Loved] The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger : It's amazing, I'm not sure what else to write about it, but if you haven't already read it, think Taxi Driver in literary form. The subtleties are brilliant, a wonderful piece of literature.
- [Meh] Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (Re-read) : Brown writes a fast-paced thriller with silly plot lines which are somewhat far-fetched to say the least. Still, quite a fun read.
- [Hated] Ecstacy by Irvine Welsh : Oh dear. This collection of three short stories by the author of the famous Trainspotting is a tiresome attempt at cutting edge literature, but it really is just dreadful. The stories are pointless (and nonsensical, without even being funny), with characters who seemed to have about as much depth as a piece of paper. I found the constant references to rave culture unnecessary (apart from the last one which was centred around it, but that was awful anyway), as if they were merely put in there to be street-wise (Also, for all the EDM fans on this site, there were many innacurracies while doing this, such as saying jungle was a sub genre of house. WHAT?). Profanity doesn't really bother me, but when the narrator of one of the stories (who is a football hooligan) goes about his daily business, the language is just idiotic and the use of the word 'cunt' about thirty times (in about three pages) is just annoying. A truly bad piece of literature.
- [Loved] The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle : A bit heavy going to say the least, but Aristotle brilliantly lays out his hypothesis of how one should lead their life and how to set about achieving true happiness, rejecting fame, wealth and physical pleasure. A fascinating read with some important ideas, though I don't agree with all of them.
- [Loved] New Ideas From Dead Economists by Todd G. Buchholz : A nice little book written with a witty rhetoric which is both interesting and informative on the subject of Economics. Using the ideas of great economists from the past (Including Adam Smith, John Stuat Mill, David Ricardo & John Maynard Keynes), Buchholz explains both the history of the subject and some of the fundamental ideas at its core.
Cloned From:
You know, I never did get around to reading The Divine Comedy. I've heard tons of great reviews on it, and I suppose I should get to it. I do remember reading The Catcher In The Rye though, and it definitely does deserve a second read. If you enjoy this kind of stuff, I'd recommend The Count Of Monte Cristo, and amazing book that I have read many times.
The Divine Comedy is good, if a little heavy going. It took alot to get through all of it, but I did still enjoy it. Yeah, Catcher in The Rye was amazing, written like a stream of consciousness from his POV, I absolutely loved it. I shall definitely check out that novel, thanks!