What are you reading?

[Quark]

24 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

What book was that? I've been thinking about going to study politics - or something similar - maybe next year tbh

It's this behemoth

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/254/25400/on-politics/9780140285185.html

It's very, very dry. Double whammy is that it's so heavy if you fall asleep reading it (which I've done) you really don't want to drop it on your face otherwise you'll break your nose

I wanted to start understanding politics more, but I definitely overreached myself as a first pass!

[Gilgamesh69]

28 minutes ago, Quark said:

It's this behemoth

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/254/25400/on-politics/9780140285185.html

It's very, very dry. Double whammy is that it's so heavy if you fall asleep reading it (which I've done) you really don't want to drop it on your face otherwise you'll break your nose

 

 

 

 

I wanted to start understanding politics more, but I definitely overreached myself as a first pass!

Damn, yeah that does look like a heavy read.

Well, I haven't finished it yet myself, but  I recommend this book: "An Introduction to Political Philosophy" by Jonathan Wolff.  It doesn't go too deep but it's easy to read and covers the basic tenets of various political ideologies, the arguments for and against them, etc. Plenty of references throughout to help you find more to read, so it's a good "springboard"

 

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by Gilgamesh69

[Homer]

54 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

What book was that? I've been thinking about going to study politics - or something similar - maybe next year tbh

This is a surprisingly page-turning read if you want an 'in':

https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Out-War-Britains-Political/dp/0008215154

[Quark]

2 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Damn, yeah that does look like a heavy read.

Well, I haven't finished it yet myself, but  I recommend this book: "An Introduction to Political Philosophy" by Jonathan Wolff.  It doesn't go too deep but it's easy to read and covers the basic tenets of various political ideologies, the arguments for and against them, etc. Plenty of references throughout to help you find more to read, so it's a good "springboard"

Cheers, might give that a look.

I'll probably end up with the equivalent of Politics for Dummies!

[gigpusher]

23 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Well done! But ooof, wish I could even read half that in a year haha 😅

Hey it's more than I have read in many years myself. I am planning on trying to tackle a classic or 2 for the rest of the year as well. 

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

[Quark]

1 minute ago, gigpusher said:

Hey it's more than I have read in many years myself. I am planning on trying to tackle a classic or 2 for the rest of the year as well. 

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

Depending on what you class as a classic...

1984 every day of the week for me. Closely followed by Catch 22.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Quark

[Gilgamesh69]

5 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Hey it's more than I have read in many years myself. I am planning on trying to tackle a classic or 2 for the rest of the year as well. 

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

Read the Epic of Gilgamesh! It's believed to be the oldest extant work of literature 🤓. Where I got my username from; the book was next to me when I made this account haha.

 

 

[WestCountryGirl]

10 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Hey it's more than I have read in many years myself. I am planning on trying to tackle a classic or 2 for the rest of the year as well. 

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

Mine would be East of Eden. Or To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Quark]

Penguin Classics are pre-20th Century, so by their standard I'd say Dracula.

Avoid Moby Dick like the bloody plague

[Snerrick]

18 minutes ago, gigpusher said:

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

East of Eden or A Clockwork Orange for me. Catch-22 and 1984 are also good. Will have to read Dracula soon!

[Punksnotdead]

3 hours ago, gigpusher said:

Hey it's more than I have read in many years myself. I am planning on trying to tackle a classic or 2 for the rest of the year as well. 

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

If you're a lefty, The ragged-trousered philanthropists by Robert Tressell is great.

Pretty much anything by Dickens.

As already mentioned, Catch 22 is my favourite book but it's a marmite read, some people really hate it.

[Quark]

3 minutes ago, Punksnotdead said:

If you're a lefty, The ragged-trousered philanthropists by Robert Tressell is great.

Read that for the first time a couple of years ago.  The money trick is such a good analogy. 

[Avalon_Fields]

The books I've enjoyed the most this year are Le Carre's Agent Running In The Field, Palin's Erebus, and Stephen King's The Institute.

Currently reading Me by Elton John, enjoyable but there's only so much sex and drugs I can take...

[gigpusher]

Thanks all for the suggestion. I think for the rest of this year every 3rd book I read will be a classic. Will update you as to whether I can stick to it and whether the ones I read deserve the term classic. 

[Gilgamesh69]

Tried to start the KJ Bible but it's way too heavy, and apparently I need to read it with a commentary to understand it. So I'm gonna put that idea on the back-burner for now.

Instead I started The Mabinogion, which is a medieval collection of Welsh stories, passed down through the oral tradition. Based on Celtic mythology, Arthurian legend, etc 🤓

[Quark]

7 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Tried to start the KJ Bible but it's way too heavy, and apparently I need to read it with a commentary to understand it. So I'm gonna put that idea on the back-burner for now.

Instead I started The Mabinogion, which is a medieval collection of Welsh stories, passed down through the oral tradition. Based on Celtic mythology, Arthurian legend, etc 🤓

Spoiler: Pilate did it

[Gilgamesh69]

3 hours ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Instead I started The Mabinogion

"In Ireland no one was left alive except for five pregnant women in a cave in the wilds of Ireland. Those five women, at exactly the same time, gave birth to five sons. And they reared those five sons until they were big lads, and their thoughts turned to woman, and they lusted after them. Then each lad slept promiscuously with each other's mother(...)"

 

Think I watched a video on the internet like that once 

[eFestivals]

15 hours ago, Punksnotdead said:

If you're a lefty, The ragged-trousered philanthropists by Robert Tressell is great.

very oddly, that's John Major's favourite book.

I think he missed the point.  

[SwedgeAntilles]

20 hours ago, gigpusher said:

Does anyone have a favourite classic? 

Homage to Catalonia, just my favourite book of all time. Can't recommend it highly enough. 

[Ted Dansons Wig]

Nostromo - Joseph Conrad. 

Dont normally go for books set in hot climates as I get too sweaty and uncomfortable.

But some of the set piece scenes in this are just brilliant.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Ted Dansons Wig

[Quark]

1 hour ago, eFestivals said:

very oddly, that's John Major's favourite book.

I think he missed the point.  

Up there with Cameron's choice of Eton Rifles for DID

[gigpusher]

2 hours ago, eFestivals said:

very oddly, that's John Major's favourite book.

I think he missed the point.  

 

1 hour ago, Quark said:

Up there with Cameron's choice of Eton Rifles for DID

Always amazes me how many people do but then it's like those who say Glastonbury shouldn't be about politics  Some people are takers and only take what they want from things and deliberately miss the rest. 

[gigpusher]

Thanks for all the book suggestions as always I've added them all to my online wishlist which I preuse and purchase from regularly. 

[Gilgamesh69]

Hey look, it's literally me

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I only noticed this thread yesterday. I do wander around with my head in the clouds sometimes / most times.

Anyway, many will find it scandalous, but I haven't read a single book in the last 8 years. That this reflects the time that I have known my wife is no unusual coincidence. Anyway, I just thought I'd point out some great reads, as far as I'm concerened.

 Bridge Across My Sorrows by Christina Noble - a very powerful, moving true story, and the only book to ever make me break out into tears.

Clear Waters Rising: A Mountain Walk Across Europe by Nicholas Crane. An amazing travelogue.

And for those who are just starting to read, here's the first book that I ever read;