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Post by bookaddict on Oct 15, 2006 20:00:14 GMT -5
Which book did you recently finish, who wrote it, and what did you think about it?
I recently finished "The Marrow of Tradition" by Charles Chesnutt. I really enjoyed the novel. I really liked the language, and it shows a very interesting side of the emancipation of slaves. It represents a white class of people who feared "black domination." Chesnutt also shows the reader about the difference between the young black generation and the old generation who disapproved of the young black generation. The book kept me intrigued throughout. I also liked the language, the book was fast paced and not too many rambling details.
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Isa
Administrator
Posts: 6,995
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Post by Isa on Oct 16, 2006 7:33:30 GMT -5
"The Backwoods of Canada" by Catharine Parr Traill (1836). I've mixed feelings about it. Some parts were very interesting, like her first impressions of life in Canada, but when she went on and on about the birds and insects and flowers and trees of Canada, I got really, really bored. I think it's probably a good book to analyze within the context of a 19th century Canadian lit course, but when you read it on its own it's not that great.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Oct 16, 2006 11:31:47 GMT -5
Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad. Finally, it took me ages! It was definitely worth the work. The book could be compared to Billy Budd sailor but heart of darkness is a more psychological read. The story´s major theme is the nature of good and evil and civilized and primitive. It is set in Africa, the Congo, in the 1890s and draws on Conrad´s own experiences. What I missed was a real female character which, quite typical for a male writer of that time, is basically non-existend.
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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 Oct 19, 2006 17:40:07 GMT -5
O man, I finished The Lovely Bones the other day. I really really liked this book. I really like the way heaven was portrayed in the book...the way there are different heavens for different people. The way heaven is pictured in this book just made me think heaven won't be so bad when I finally have to go there. It seemed to make death less scary to me. But in the past few years, about 7-8 people I at least sort of knew have died and it made me happy to think about them in a place like Susie's heaven. At first it was a little weird thinking that everyone I know that has died could be watching me all the time and seeing everything I do, naughty or nice. But I'm over it. Have any of you read this book?
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Post by bookaddict on Oct 19, 2006 20:35:55 GMT -5
I read the Lovely Bones, but for some reason I didn't really like it. I thought it was over-rated, and not as great as everyone said it was. I'm not sure why I didn't like it...it was awhile ago, but something about it I didn't like. I should read it again sometime to figure out what it was I didn't like. Maybe my expectations were too high.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Oct 20, 2006 8:53:17 GMT -5
I read it some time ago and I really liked it. I´m kind of thankful that I somehow missed the big hype about it so I read the back of the cover and I liked the picture on the front. So I bought it and I didn´t regret it.
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katiaisme
Collection of short stories published by an independent editor
Posts: 960
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Post by katiaisme on Oct 20, 2006 19:35:07 GMT -5
Of Mice and men by John Steinbeck, it was good but felt somewhat incomplet when I was done.
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Post by bookaddict on Oct 20, 2006 20:25:21 GMT -5
I really like Of Mice and Men. I think George had no choice, and he did what was best for Lenny.
I just finished "Passing" by Larsen and it was great. The ending was completely unexpected. Highly recommended.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Oct 21, 2006 8:17:21 GMT -5
I trust your recommendations but that means my tbr list is exploding, it´s growing so fast Of mice and men was great but the moon is down is my favorite Steinbeck.
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Post by bookaddict on Oct 21, 2006 9:48:44 GMT -5
I know my wishlist online is growing fast too....I never read that Steinbeck. I'll add it to my list, i've read a lot of Steinbeck.
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Oct 22, 2006 7:47:46 GMT -5
I finished ten thousand sorrows today and I have mixed feelings about it. It would have been a good work of fiction but as a biography it kind of sucks. There were things that didn´t match and I had the feeling it wasn´t real. So I googled it to make sure it really is a true story and apparently there´s a big discussion about the authenticity of the book.
I´m reading N.P. next and though it is a dark book about suicide and incest it´s fiction
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Bina
First novel published
Posts: 2,472
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Post by Bina on Oct 23, 2006 12:10:48 GMT -5
Oh man, me again!
Finished N.P. today and loved it. What a great book! I´ll definitely read more of this author.
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purplestar
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 7
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Post by purplestar on Oct 23, 2006 23:43:08 GMT -5
I just finished a GREAT BOOK called The Raw Scent of Vanilla by Emilia Bresciani. It was so beautifully written - a memoir although it reads like a myth. It is about the mythology and mysticism of Peru and the Amazon and also about immigrating to Australia and finding love and meaning in your own life - learning to balance your history, your ancestry and your own personal dreams. It is sad but very inspiring and uplifting!
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Post by littlerhody9 on Oct 24, 2006 0:53:20 GMT -5
I just finished reading "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving which although was not as good as his "Prayer for Owen Meany," it comes in a close second. He creates characters who you simply fall in love with and although it took me awhile to get into it, I definitely recommend it as a must-read.
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jen4219
First poem written for Mother’s Day
Posts: 31
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Post by jen4219 on Oct 24, 2006 13:54:16 GMT -5
I most recently finished reading Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. Every time I finish a novel I always get sad because I feel so invested in it, especially when it's written in first-person narration. I always have to give myself day to recoup before I can begin another novel. It was, as all Picoult's novels, an amazing read.
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