bastet
First piece published in the school’s newspaper
Posts: 61
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Post by bastet on Jan 21, 2007 3:51:27 GMT -5
I hated the da Vinci Code. I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. I think the story got lamer and lamer, it was full of errors (has the guy *ever* been to London and Paris???) and I don't like that Dan Brown sells fiction for facts. I've never managed to finish Lord of the Rings. The songs in the books bore me to death. I bought the 3 books when I was 15 (in English, so maybe that contributed to me not finishing them) and in the past 15 years I always got stuck with Tom Bombadil, couldn't read any further. I know Tolkien was a genius, one has tot give him credit for creating such an elaborate world and language, I just don't think his books are thrilling. I also din't like Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. I bought the first book and was so disappointed after all the hype about it. I thought that Pullman shouldn't write about a little girl as a main character if he has no idea what being a little girl is like and I felt the whole plot was totally "artifiicial". Throughout the whole story it was as if I could watch him designing and developing the plot, sometimes thinking of totally illogical scenes (fire practice on the pole in a prison??!?!) because he couldn't find a better way of resolving certain situations to get the story going. Normally I am captivated by a story and don't think about the author's work of constructing a story. With this book it was as if the thought process of the author was louder than the story itself. But what really confuses me is that Christians are supposed to worship God and God alone, so what's that saying when you worship mortal humans? I just don't get it lol And I don't get what the hype about Mary is other than she was a virgin mother. Well, you have to see the context of how Christianity developed. Here in Europe it replaced polydeism. What's the easiest way of converting people? Incorporate their old beliefs into the new one- so minor goddesses or nature spirits were simply replaced by saints, heathen holidays turned into Christian ones, heathen customs survived, they were just given some sort of Christian adaptation. Every polydeistic religion also has some major female goddess- so that's where Mary comes into play. In Austria Roman Catholicism is the state religion. Most people were baptised and grew up with this religion, but I think for most of us here Catholicism has turned into a set of customs (that are often older than Catholicism itself) and is less of a religion. So I think Catholicism has a different significance here than it has for example in the States, where only a small part of the population is Catholic and people are more centred on the belief than on customs.
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Post by Dominique on Jan 21, 2007 7:58:27 GMT -5
Well, you have to see the context of how Christianity developed. Here in Europe it replaced polydeism. What's the easiest way of converting people? Incorporate their old beliefs into the new one- so minor goddesses or nature spirits were simply replaced by saints, heathen holidays turned into Christian ones, heathen customs survived, they were just given some sort of Christian adaptation. Every polydeistic religion also has some major female goddess- so that's where Mary comes into play. In Austria Roman Catholicism is the state religion. Most people were baptised and grew up with this religion, but I think for most of us here Catholicism has turned into a set of customs (that are often older than Catholicism itself) and is less of a religion. So I think Catholicism has a different significance here than it has for example in the States, where only a small part of the population is Catholic and people are more centred on the belief than on customs. That makes sense what you're saying about Mary as the female goddess, I've seen a few documentaries that say the same thing. There are a lot of catholic customs in Europe isn't there? I've noticed there seem to be a lot of saints holidays and celebrations and things. What are the kind of traditions they practice in Austria? (apart from going to mass, christmas, easter and ash wednesday)
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
ancora imparo
Posts: 1,948
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on Jan 21, 2007 9:32:01 GMT -5
I read Prep last year, and I thought it was okay, but different/weird. I read Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld too and I really didn't enjoy that book. It was even worse than Prep I also read PREP this year, and I also find that it was really weird. I don't really know if I liked the book now, or not. I read Prep too. I enjoyed it ok at the time.....I liked the way she wrote. However I have no idea why it got as much praise as it did. It got compared to Catcher in the Rye! They gave Curtis nothing but the highest praise and said she was the voice of our generation. I found that incredibly annoying and unlikely. I did not read Man of My Dreams because I thought it didn't look very good at all.
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whitemouse
First short story featured in regional newspaper
Posts: 113
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Post by whitemouse on Jan 21, 2007 10:49:06 GMT -5
I also din't like Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy. I bought the first book and was so disappointed after all the hype about it. I thought that Pullman shouldn't write about a little girl as a main character if he has no idea what being a little girl is like and I felt the whole plot was totally "artifiicial". Throughout the whole story it was as if I could watch him designing and developing the plot, sometimes thinking of totally illogical scenes (fire practice on the pole in a prison??!?!) because he couldn't find a better way of resolving certain situations to get the story going. Normally I am captivated by a story and don't think about the author's work of constructing a story. With this book it was as if the thought process of the author was louder than the story itself. I have the same opinion,but realized it later,when I started reading the third one.The first and second book were still readable,but the third one was a complete nonsence, seemed like author has no idea what to do with the story and how to end it.
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sagedautumn
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
You Might Need This!
Posts: 1,509
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Post by sagedautumn on Jan 22, 2007 16:00:24 GMT -5
My worst book would probably have to be Huckleberry Finn. I hated the way Twain tried to talk "Negro TALK"(no offense) because i could not understand one bit of it. Other authors have also tried to show this form of regionalism while actually getting the point across i.e Zora Neale Hurston Another worst book would DEFINATELY have to be The Scarlett Letter, in fact anything by Nathanial Hawthorne. I loved the concept but the way it was executed was just so overdone. I wanted to shoot myself. What was worse was the fact that it was required reading I HATED IT
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Paige
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
Posts: 1,787
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Post by Paige on Jan 22, 2007 18:48:51 GMT -5
sagedautumn...african american talk is very difficult to understand at times! my first assigned reading for my lit class was african american folktales. they were really fun to read, but it did take me awhile to get into the swing of things. i ended up reading them outloud which helped me to understand better.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
"If a book is well written, I always find it too short."
Posts: 7,214
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Post by Kristie on Jan 22, 2007 20:33:38 GMT -5
Ebonics is hard to read when it's in written form. When an author writes in dialogue it's always more difficult to understand. I'd agree with pixiedust87 that the idea of reading out loud really is the best way to understand it. I had to do that when I read Their Eyes Were Watching God. But even if it's harder to understand, it makes it seem more real.
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bookworm148
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
"Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of a sky of a tree called life."
Posts: 671
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Post by bookworm148 on Jan 31, 2007 11:19:48 GMT -5
1984
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Post by gilmoreren on Jan 31, 2007 15:58:40 GMT -5
Interesting. you know, the first time I read it I hated it because it just didn't work for me and it didn't make sense, especially the ending After getting into politics a bit, I returned to it and read the appendices first. Then I found that I could see why people raved about it so much and why it was so powerful. But that's my experience. I know other people who have read it time and time again and still hate it. -- My all time hated book? ROBINSON CRUSOE Aaaagh. HATE IT. Now I know some people who cry out at that and say how amazing it is and how exciting etc. They're not thinking of the book but all the adaptations and series loosely based on it. The novel itself is the direst load of tripe ever written, so dry and staid. i actually had to listen to tapes to get me into it in the first place. Apparently Dickens says that it is the only classic that never made anyone laugh or cry? Well, actually it is funny. - Because of how long it takes Robinson 'thicky' Crusoe to realise it is eating turtles eggs that is nearly killing him - The months it takes him to build a raft then realise it's too far from the sea - The time he strips naked, swims to a shipwreck and then fills his pockets with biscuits. What pockets? The worst part is the coming home, 'i might as well take a wife' nonsense. Ha. Sorry, as you can see i hate it with a passion.
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Lu
Administrator
Posts: 5,469
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Post by Lu on Jan 31, 2007 16:16:29 GMT -5
I've read 1984 and I really liked it, maybe one of my favourite books. I also know people who didn't like it because they think that it doesn't make any sense. I agree with you, gilmoreren, probably getting into politics can help to understand and appreciate 1984. Instead, I've never read Robinson Crusoe but I've never been interested on reading it and I'm still not interested. But maybe I'm wrong!
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Post by gilmoreren on Jan 31, 2007 16:31:27 GMT -5
I've read 1984 and I really liked it, maybe one of my favourite books. I also know people who didn't like it because they think that it doesn't make any sense. I agree with you, gilmoreren, probably getting into politics can help to understand and appreciate 1984. Instead, I've never read Robinson Crusoe but I've never been interested on reading it and I'm still not interested. But maybe I'm wrong! I'm glad you agree lu. I also think that 1984 is an amazing book and one of my favourites. It's also a powerful lesson in how the manipulation of language can enslave people. I wouldn't recommend reading Robinson Crusoe unless you're told to. To get the same effect you could find some 17th century diaries and run up and down an ice block with bare feet whilst reading them.
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Post by gilmoreren on Jan 31, 2007 16:33:35 GMT -5
I also read PREP this year, and I also find that it was really weird. I don't really know if I liked the book now, or not. I read Prep too. I enjoyed it ok at the time.....I liked the way she wrote. However I have no idea why it got as much praise as it did. It got compared to Catcher in the Rye! They gave Curtis nothing but the highest praise and said she was the voice of our generation. I found that incredibly annoying and unlikely. I did not read Man of My Dreams because I thought it didn't look very good at all. I thought prep was quite good, but Catcher it ain't. It evoked the kind of numb awkward angst that lonely girls can feel in school but some of the scenes seemed quite awkward.
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Post by Dominique on Jan 31, 2007 23:51:28 GMT -5
I loved 1984 and knew I would because of how much I've enjoyed other dystopic politcal books. It's definately a fave of mine. The book is more about ideas than beautiful writing or anything like that though. The actual writing is quite plain and simplistic.
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Post by gilmoreren on Feb 1, 2007 14:34:15 GMT -5
I loved 1984 and knew I would because of how much I've enjoyed other dystopic politcal books. It's definately a fave of mine. The book is more about ideas than beautiful writing or anything like that though. The actual writing is quite plain and simplistic. True, and that's it power really, that in plain terms, the power of language can be exposed. Winston's inevitable destruction by Big Brother takes on a whole new light when you think of it in terms of language of power - throughout the novel Winston is leading a story of rebellion and in the end his acceptance of Big Brother destroys not only himself but ends the novel - there is nowhere left for it to go. It, as a narrative of rebellion, implodes.
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rosemint
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
Posts: 879
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Post by rosemint on Apr 5, 2007 12:35:12 GMT -5
Zilver by Adriaan van Dis (a dutch writer): The book goes only about the fantasy (read:seksual) of a young boy and how mutch he would want to make love with a girl. Yak! It was disgusting: too detailed!!!
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