It just came to my mind that I will be on holidays in Greece soon. That's usually the time of the year where I really read a lot, I guess at least 6 hours a day. Well, I have to confess that I don't read much that would be considered real literature.

I enjoy laying on the beach and usually I read some Ken Follet, Ian Ranking, Dan Brown, Henning Mankel, Kathy Reichs, etc.
Pretty much mainstream thrillers, I guess.
Jean-Claude Izzo comes to my mind too, he wrote the excellent Marseille Triology... Right now I'm reading a collection of short stories from Roald Dahl, my girfriend told me to read them...and I better do it as she will want to discuss them later )

Well anyway, I'm trying to find a couple of books for my holidays this year and I wondered what you guys read and if you can recommend something!


Belgrade-Bucharest-Budapest-Brno

Breakfast in Bed
by Sandra Brown.
Yes, another B&B.

Tell Me by iorr.org

Martin Suter - Business Class

Club Dumas - Perez-Reverte
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Slander - Ann Coulter

A Pair OF Blankets War-time history in letters to the young people of the South by William H. Stewart

Just finished Robert Baer's book on terrorism...See NO Evil and about to start The Chronicles of Narnia....from one extreme to another.

been reading about a book about the 1883 Krakatoa eruption - just finished - (do you know the eruption could be heard as far as 3,000 miles away? now - that's what I call A BIGGER BANG!). Onto Phil Lesh's new autobio next...

I'm reading my copy of CROSSFIRE HURRICANE to get in the mood!!!!!

villa incognito- tom robbins
the little red sox book- bill lee w/ jim prime

in the wings..

sick puppy-carl hiassen
mr.favorite-elmore leonard
ninety two in the shade- thomas mcguane

these are the summer books...occasional referenaces to stanley booth, hunter thompson, and tom wolfe....

Soon finished with all of Dostojevskijs books.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-21 00:22 by Erik_Snow.

I've got a great idea. Read Bulgakov's Master and Margarita and give us a nice review after your holiday!

Wall Of Pain - The Biography of Phil Spector - Dave Thompson...fasinating!

ROCKMAN

I read about a book per week all year round, mainly but not exclusively fiction. Consequently, my loft is absolutely overflowing with books, and we've run out of wall space to put up any more book shelves. So, if you send me your address by private email, I shall send you a nice "student parcel" of books to take on your greek "hols"...

Johanna

Biographies:

Geronimo by Angie Debo
Memory Babe, Jack Kerouac by Gerald Nicosia

'Tommyland' by Tommy Lee of Motley Crue

It's Rude & Crude, bit like motley Crue really!

Saturday by Ian McEwan. Highly recommended!

Right now I'm finishing Umnerto Eco's "Baudolino", Eco is cool as always, can't wait for the translation of his 2004 novel into Russian.
Befor that I read a new book by Victor Pelevin. I know he's got some fine English translations. So try him, his really great.
Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" was one of my favorite books when I was in Univercite. Wonder how it feels to read him in English, how much he lost in translation.
By the way, the correct translation of book's title must be kind of "Artist and Margarita".

KillRill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Right now I'm finishing Umnerto Eco's "Baudolino",
> > Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" was one of my
> favorite books when I was in Univercite. Wonder
> how it feels to read him in English, how much he
> lost in translation.
> By the way, the correct translation of book's
> title must be kind of "Artist and Margarita".
>

That's interesting what you say about the possible problems with translation. I've read (in Finnish) the version which has done in italics the parts once quitted by Soviet sencorship - so it was very easy to pick up them. But it was very difficult to grasp why certain paragraphs or singular sentences or just words were thrown away: I didn't get any political or whatever reason to explain that. So there are references that I think only person who knows the language and the cultural climate can really understand. You know, it has a language game of its own. I can only guess how much nuances and ideas are lost in my reading of the novel.

So if Lorenz will listen Bärs and takes the book with him, maybe he might come back with a nice sketch for a song... (Well, I don't know how accurate Jagger interpretion of the devil presented in the book really is, but what a great song did that inspirate!)

- Doxa

well, every book has several levels in it, and the better novel is the more comlicated game of meanings it contains.
Bulgakov's languge is brilliant, so it can be translated to some extend of course. Those parts of the book where he mocked of the life right arter 1917 revolution are not really something typically russian. Actually I doubt that people differ much from country to country. But of couse you have to know some historical realities of those times. That is where book looses a big part of its charm. And where he talks about Man, Love, God, Devil, Good and Evil he is universal, thats for sure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-07-28 14:06 by KillRill.

I am looking forard to Eco's new book. I am not worried about translation with him: IMO he translates very well because he is not so much about style, as about content. I read his first one in Italian, before I got too rusty and then "Foucault" in Eng;lish. It was great.
Someone like Hesse e.g. you HAVE to read in German. Mother language. I hacve never understood someone reading Poe in German.
I am reading "Shantaram" by Roberts. Also have an old one by the guy who wrote "Fight Club". It's about this writer's retreat where he terrorizes them all. Whooo

Erik_Snow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Soon finished with all of Dostojevskijs books. Is
> he know in the U.S.?

Who the @#$%& is Dostojevskij?
We're only into books written by Mrs Sigrid Undset, e.g kristin Lavransdatter.

I spent some time on the beach in France two weeks ago and had great reading. But even on the beach I rather go for rock and roll if I have a choice. I read Jimi Hendrix - setting the record straight by John Mc Dermott and Eddie Kramer. Eddie Kramer was Hendrix technician for a long time. Actually the best Rock biography I have read. Gives both the history and a good analysis. Recommended!

Have a good time on the beach!

Break On Through: The Life & Death Of Jim Morrison by James Riordan.
Interesting and thoroughly researched first comes to my mind. Contains exciting accounts from various recording sessions. This book is a gem if you are into the American music scene of the 60's and of course The Doors.

It's called The Master and Margarita in english, no doubt about that.

Let's see, re-reading:
1)the great Charles Williams' "War In Heaven" (1930) a hilarious & great novel - about an English village cleric who discovers the Holy Grail in his church closet/attic, & the occult publisher/satanist who steals it for his own purposes - satire, mystery, w/ amazing hallucinatory passages - Williams was part of the Oxford Group, but far better than the other writers associated with it.
2)Gus Van Sant's "Pink - A Novel" thinly disguised, deeply felt musings on River Phoenix's death, the My Own Private Idaho milleu, etc.
3)In Touch: The Letters Of Paul Bowles
4)"My Father and Myself" (memoir) and "My Dog Tulip" (novel) by J.R. Ackerley, the latter is perhaps the greatest (not sentimental) dog novel, some may recall one of his books was made into a very good "dog / gay" (it's his own genre) film, "We Think the World Of You."
5) "American Pulp", cant think of the editors, but a group of terrific short stories from the 30s-90s, w/ an emphasis on substance over the genre's flora & fauna.
6) Sam Witt, "Everlasting Quail," (Middlebury College Press, 2001) very accomplished poetry by a friend of mine.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-07-29 03:10 by john r.

Oh, PS: A couple good rock books: "Taking Back My Name" Ike Turner, & "Jeff's Book" (Beck, that is) Christopher Hjort & Doug Hinan. Also the Peter Guralnik Elvis books and his "Sweet Soul Music" (also a great companion cd), & any by Nick Tosches.
PS a classic quite relevant to the 21st century, & 100 (101 actually) years old, Joseph Conrad's "Nostromo" & "Secret Agent"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-07-29 03:11 by john r.

I'm gonna print the whole thread and buy some of the books you guys mentioned...I'll try and read The Master and Margarita too, don't know if I shouuld buy the English or German translation?


Belgrade-Bucharest-Budapest-Brno

Penthouse. It's a shame, I actually DO read it now. Is that respectable?

Milo, NYC
She's the easiest lay on the White House Lawn

Eric-snow, good taste. I love Dostoievski, overcoat Memories from the underground and The Idiot, and of course crime and punishment. Nowadays, I read "Chevengur", by Platónov. Quite interesting lecture on the utopic socialism.
Regards.