Book Group
131 watchers
May 2019
6:25pm, 28 May 2019
4,271 posts
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quimby
I have ordered The Overstory. Best get cracking with Achilles. Perversely, I have gone for the physical book with The Overstory. Doesn't feel like such an achievement if you read a Kindle book of that length.
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May 2019
8:09pm, 28 May 2019
18,029 posts
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Columba
I didn't like Cloud Atlas. I liked the first two or three stories but then I got annoyed as I thought the author was just trying to be clever: Look at me, how many different styles/genres I can write in. Hope I don't have the same response to The Overstory. Still reading The Iliad. May put it on ice if the Overstory comes quickly. Already have Vol II of Karamazov on ice. |
May 2019
8:18pm, 28 May 2019
39,732 posts
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McGoohan
I'm a bit like that with David Mitchell, Columba - though actually I think I've only read two, Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten both of which do that multi-narrator thing with massive jumps in time and place. I liked them both but reading them was a bit of a rollercoaster of like and dislike.
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May 2019
8:19pm, 28 May 2019
39,733 posts
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McGoohan
(Should be 'I liked them both *in the end*')
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May 2019
8:32pm, 28 May 2019
36,984 posts
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Diogenes
I really liked those two, I also enjoyed Slade House
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May 2019
8:45pm, 28 May 2019
39,734 posts
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McGoohan
Forgot about that ... it was a Christmas present to me from me. A signed edition no less. But I'm going to have to say it again... I thought Slade House was *terrible*. A top writer slumming it, IMHO. And the quality of writing goes downhill the further it goes.
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May 2019
9:03pm, 28 May 2019
14,753 posts
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Chrisull
Columba - no the Overstory has a very different structure to Cloud Atlas,, and while I liked Cloud Atlas, it isn't as contrived as Cloud Atlas - here some stories meet up, but some of the stories are alluded to in other stories but the paths never cross. There aren't "pastiche" stories either, each is written in the same style, and there's no stylistic tics (or modernist innovations) aka the Luminaries, where each chapter is shorter than the one before. I chose something too that hopefully won't elicit the same response as Deborah Levy did in McG. It's lyrically written, there is a tasteful hint of magic realism (so if one story has you going, "I'm not buying this", hang in there) I learned plenty of new things in the Overstory and it has changed the way I see the world, permanently, and I hope others get the same pleasure. |
May 2019
9:58pm, 28 May 2019
9,407 posts
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Little Nemo
I loved Slade House! I may have to take umbrage with anyone who doesn't think it's brilliant!!!  I'm going to look for The Overstory at the library on Saturday. |
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May 2019
10:41pm, 28 May 2019
18,033 posts
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Columba
email from the library - The Overstory is already in and waiting for me! Quite looking forward, after Chrisull's recommendation above.
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May 2019
7:23pm, 30 May 2019
14,642 posts
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Bazoaxe
This is very sad theguardian.com Having said that I contribute to the issue as I am about 90% kindle now and the only actual books I buy are usually supermarket bought for reading when in the bath as I dont want to risk breaking the kindle. |
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