Literature

[nine naked men]

I think the only book that our English class read that was frequently banned or opposed or whatever was A Day No Pigs Would Die. Urgh. Did not like it at all. ._.

 

Oh and Lord Of The Flies would count, probably.

 

On the reading front, reread Mordant's Need while waiting for my Last Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant books to arrive. Still one of my favourite book/series type things.

 

Now reading The Bachman Books, by Stephen King.

[Shiny]

Here in New Zealand, there are no banned books to teach within school. The book just has to be at the right level, with level-specific content. For example, my year 11 class isn't going to be taught American Psycho, but will be taught Lord of the Flies.

[Dupin]

Yeah, it's pretty much the same where I am. "Banned books" means it was banned somewhere far away by some Christian extremists who thought the cover art looked phallic. Of course, we have a pre-set curriculum for the teachers, so it's not like we'll suddenly be reading some scandalous novel.

[Satenza]

I'm thinking about starting Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Anyone read it?

 

I thought it was a good book. While rather long and plodding it is certainly better then the drivel most other similar (contemporary) philosophers have published.

 

Lol. To cite Ayn Rand as better than most other contemporary philosophers is insane. !

This really depends on what you count as philosophy. I've got about twenty pages left of The Stranger and it's been brilliant. Some might say that's not necessarily philosophy, if it weren't for the fact that Camus is constantly associated with absurdism.

 

Camus is pretty decent and is a philosopher, although he would not admit that. To have Ayn Rand anywhere near the top of a Contemporary Philosophers list is insane. Especially when you have people like Michel Foucault, Jacques Lacan, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas et cetera.

[Serpent Eye]

Nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

I went to Barnes and Nobles today to order my copies of The Two Towers and Return of the King. All they had in-store were the horrendous editions with pictures from the movies on the front. :thumbdown:

[Skeptical]

Get the leather-bound ones.... **drool**

[Bows]

Nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

I went to Barnes and Nobles today to order my copies of The Two Towers and Return of the King. All they had in-store were the horrendous editions with pictures from the movies on the front. :thumbdown:

J.R.R Tolkien is the [bleep]ing man.

[tripsis]

Nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

I went to Barnes and Nobles today to order my copies of The Two Towers and Return of the King. All they had in-store were the horrendous editions with pictures from the movies on the front. :thumbdown:

EEWWWWWW. I have like 3 editions of those books lol. A set from the 1970s, a hawt 50th anniversary edition, the horrendous ones.. and I feel like I have one more set but I can't think of what it is.

[Dupin]

Nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring.

 

I went to Barnes and Nobles today to order my copies of The Two Towers and Return of the King. All they had in-store were the horrendous editions with pictures from the movies on the front. :thumbdown:

EEWWWWWW. I have like 3 editions of those books lol. A set from the 1970s, a hawt 50th anniversary edition, the horrendous ones.. and I feel like I have one more set but I can't think of what it is.

What could you possibly need four sets of one series for?

[tripsis]

My parents first bought me the "horrendous" books. Later, I found the 1970s set in a "give a book take a book" thing in a house my family rented. I liked that set much better. Then a few years later, the 50th anniversary edition was released and I thought it was hawt so my parents gave it to me for my birthday. They have sentimental value and I'm a collector and a LotR junkie :P

 

I also have three versions (used to have 4) of the movies :lol:

[ThurinEthir]

My parents first bought me the "horrendous" books. Later, I found the 1970s set in a "give a book take a book" thing in a house my family rented. I liked that set much better. Then a few years later, the 50th anniversary edition was released and I thought it was hawt so my parents gave it to me for my birthday. They have sentimental value and I'm a collector and a LotR junkie :P

 

I also have three versions (used to have 4) of the movies :lol:

*high five* (me too)

My old editions of the books have been read so much that they're all bent up and stuff. So I got the "movie edition." But now that's bent up too haha. If I stacked all my LotR/Tolkien stuff, it would probably be my height lol

[Skeptical]

I honestly own not one of Tolkien's books. They've never been on sale, so I just borrow from the library, or from friends. I mean, at most I only read them once a year.

 

He's dead; I don't feel his estate is owed anything. No reason to buy there, especially after the amount of money they made with the movies.

[Shiny]

I have a LOTR set from the 70s, and the cover art is so amazing. Fellowship has this amazing watercolour scene of Rivendell, Two Towers has the place where Boromir is slain (can't recall the name to me right now), and Return of the King had a watercolour Minas Tirithwith the Witch King. I have Tree and Leaf - Contains an essay and Leaf by Niggle. Admittedly, I haven't read either, but I do plan to. I also have The Hobbit, which is part of the same set and The Silmarrillion.

 

Who here loved The Silmarrillion?

[Skull]

I have a LOTR set from the 70s, and the cover art is so amazing. Fellowship has this amazing watercolour scene of Rivendell, Two Towers has the place where Boromir is slain (can't recall the name to me right now), and Return of the King had a watercolour Minas Tirithwith the Witch King. I have Tree and Leaf - Contains an essay and Leaf by Niggle. Admittedly, I haven't read either, but I do plan to. I also have The Hobbit, which is part of the same set and The Silmarrillion.

 

Who here loved The Silmarrillion?

I haven't managed to finish it in any of my attempts. I think I got to page 150 on my last one, but I would have to start at the beginning again since I don't remember it.

[ThurinEthir]

Who here loved The Silmarrillion?

Me!

I really need to read it again though. The only thing I didn't like about it was how all the names were so similar...Feanor, Fingolfin, Finrod, Fingon...and then you have like Celebrimbor and the other C's.

It's not 100% authentic J.R.R. Tolkien, but I also have The Children of Hurin. :thumbup:

And I love how this whole page has been about Tolkien so far. :)

 

Edit: And Amon Hen. That's where Boromir was slain.

[Serpent Eye]

Book shopping today. :twss:

 

Bought:

 

• The Two Towers
  
• The Return of the King
  
• Betrayal at Falador (!!!) and
  
• The Lost Hero

I really am enjoying the LotR, but I think I may read The Lost Hero before I start The Two Towers. So excited to go back into the world of Percy Jackson. :D

[unkn0wnwarrior]

I haven't read any Tolkien since I was in school... I finished school in early '07. I should buy the LotR series, + The Hobbit.

 

I read 1984 last week... It was... just... :shock:

[Skeptical]

Brave New World was a better book, no doubt.

 

I would say he was a superior author, Brave New World the masterpiece of an "amused Pyrrhonic aesthete".

 

Hitchens:

For some decades after this review was written, many people might have been inclined to say that Orwell was right, and that the "true" threat was one of jackboots, tanks, bombs, and bullies. Nonetheless, Huxley never went out of style. Something about his work seemed to tug at our consciousness.

[nine naked men]

Finished Deadeye [bleep], by Kurt Vonnegut.

 

Starting on Slaughterhouse-Five. Deadeye [bleep] was pretty sadface. Enjoying his stuff. :3

 

Also reading a fantasy book called Black Prism, by Brent Weeks. It's interesting. Nothing groundbreaking or spectacular or anything, but it's readable.

[tripsis]

Lol SerpentEye I bought Betrayal at Falador and The Lost Hero too! I hope The Lost Hero is good! I have high hopes :P

 

I also have a Nikki Heat book I haven't finished LOL (Castle - anyone?)

[All_Is_Great]

I have a LOTR set from the 70s, and the cover art is so amazing. Fellowship has this amazing watercolour scene of Rivendell, Two Towers has the place where Boromir is slain (can't recall the name to me right now), and Return of the King had a watercolour Minas Tirithwith the Witch King. I have Tree and Leaf - Contains an essay and Leaf by Niggle. Admittedly, I haven't read either, but I do plan to. I also have The Hobbit, which is part of the same set and The Silmarrillion.

 

Who here loved The Silmarrillion?

I haven't managed to finish it in any of my attempts. I think I got to page 150 on my last one, but I would have to start at the beginning again since I don't remember it.

 

Same. I get started on it and just seem to get lost in all the lore...

 

I really want to finish it though.

[sees_all1]

Need suggestions for a political book. Read "Pinheads and Patriots" by Bill O'Reilly, reading "Arguing with Idiots" by Glenn Beck. Doesn't have to be conservative, just worthy of my time and money.... thought provoking.

[Shiny]

Animal Farm > 1984. Just sayin'.

[Alg]

To go back to Tolkien, any recommendations for similar fantasy books? Planning to finish up the LOTR trilogy first, but after that will be more or less out of books that interest me.

 

Reading fast sucks :cry:

[sees_all1]

To go back to Tolkien, any recommendations for similar fantasy books? Planning to finish up the LOTR trilogy first, but after that will be more or less out of books that interest me.

 

Reading fast sucks :cry:

 

Try any in the redwall series? Might be aimed at kiddies in the 4th grade, but its fantasy, and there's a lot of them.