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Originally Posted by ZootHornRollo
Yes, I listen occasionally, but still miss the 'Saturday slot', with the features like his Northern Soul records
I'm not a big fan of the genre, but with him being a Wigan-ite, they fit right in (ie; Wigan Casino)
Yep, corkin' book that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lola
Currently reading The Od Patagonian Express by Paul Theroux. *Sort of* a travel book covering his journey, by train from Massachusetts to Patagonia (I s'pose, he hasn't quite got there yet...) in the late 70's, I think.
Recommended.
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Just finished Ian Mcewans' The cement garden, a strange story if ever there was one anybody else read this
Very claustrophobic. I think it was his first novel - and seemed designed to shock. Reminded me of Ian Banks' The Wasp Factory in its insularity.Quote:
Originally Posted by N-dubya
Claustrophobic is a great way of describing it FNSTEIN
ive not read Life of Pi title sounds familiar, give us a synopsis
Anyone read "the end of mr y"
I think what has become so much better in books in my adult lifetime has been serious-but-readable non-fiction: whether it's history or science or philosophy, whatever.
The genre has spawned a lot of crap imitators - and a lot of stuff pretending to be rigorous that is actually a bit sloppy. But there's been some superb stuff published in the last ten years that must've broadened lots of minds.
Totally agree there, Cloud spotters guide, A short history of nearly everything, universe in a nutshell (I almost understand what wave function is):DQuote:
Originally Posted by ZootHornRollo
I've just finished Nine Lives, by William Dalrymple.
He is a brilliant writer. Anyone else read any of his books?
Southern Softie, I have had the hard book version of Birds Without Wings, under my bed for ages. I've just started it and it's great so far.
For Seb Faulks readers the most recent one I've read is Engleby which is fascinating. Couldn't put it down.
I thought you only read maps swift :p
yeah he's very good - read a couple of his travel / reportage books on India and central Asia.Quote:
Originally Posted by swift
Came back to this cos I listened to an enthralling documentary last night on R4 about this bloke called George Ewart Evans, who spent his life recording and documenting the life stories of Suffolk villagers, just after the war:
Ask the Fellows that Cut the Hay
Horse-whispering, changing social and sexual rules, harvest traditions and superstitions, music and shepherding lore, the squire-farmer-tenant system, the blacksmiths' trade - amazing stuff all told first-hand by people born into the last decades of the 19th Century and the first couple of the 20th.
Anyone who's read Akenfield by Ronald Blythe will recognise the similarities - but Ewart Evans came earlier and apparently strongly disapproved of Blythe's fictions and his success.
But anyone who's interested in the oral history of this country - a history that's rapidly disappearing - should listen to this prog.
Well I've just finished reading the Iliad by Homer - I actually take the odd book to work with me to read at lunchtime and the Iliad has sure as hell brought more than a few odd looks from work colleagues..... and comments like 'what are you reading that turgid crap for' :)
But I mean how often is it that you can read a story first written down what 2,700 years ago about an epic battle between the ancient world's super heroes 500 years before that with all sorts of twists of fate, brutal fighting and tragedy thrown in. And what's not to like about Alexander the Greats favourite book :D
good on you Stoll, must've taken a fair few lunchtimes to get through that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
Am reading a cracking book at the moment:
A Radical History of Britain by Ed Vallance
Only one chapter in - which is about King John and the Magna Carta - but it's really gripped me. The book takes in the Levellers, Diggers, Chartists etc and tries to see if there is a defining characteristic of English radicalism, but it looks like it's just going to be a really good history of post-Norman England.
I completely agree. I was very impressed with this book.Quote:
Originally Posted by William Clough
Currently reading Stay Fit After Fifty by Rozalind Graham.*
*unfortunately I don't find it riveting, some of the exercises look as if they'd wreck your kneecaps
But Stolly, did you read it in Latin; as we had to at LRGS in the 60's?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stolly
Nope fortunately; it wasn't in ancient greek either.Quote:
Originally Posted by wheezing donkey
Achilles, who tends to get quite a lot of good press nowadays, comes out as a bit of a sod overall I think. Firstly he sulks because Agamemnon steals his slave girl (that he won fair and square by capturing an enemy town and taking as a spoil of war) and refuses to fight which almost leads to complete defeat of the greeks. Then when Hector kills Patroclus, Achilles goes mental, slaughters a shed load of trojans, chases down Hector, kills him, wants Hector's body to become fly infested, eaten by maggots and the innards eaten by the dogs and, at Patrocluses funeral pyre, he then kills two of Patrocluses dogs, a couple of his horses and executes 12 captured trojans all to be burnt at the same time as Patroclus. That sure knew how to have a good time in those days :D
Mike Cudahy's Wild trails to far horizons has got to be the bedtime book of choice for any aspiring fell runner. Especially a 1st edition copy. A proper fell running book by a proper fell runner (:D...apologies to those engaged in erm..."warmer" discussions on other threads!!)
Wonder if I can get one of those somewhere...I know, I'll have a look on the sales and wants section of the forum...;)
Top marks for shameless advertising Stick ;-)Quote:
Originally Posted by Stick
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Originally Posted by merrylegs
:D who...me...??? :D
(said in a scooby-doo accent which is quite difficult online !)
I've almost read this through a couple of times, but never got round to reading the final chapter. The first chapter is good, where the characters live in the martello tower on the beach at Dublin and also the chapter where they are hanging around the newspaper office and the pub and betting on horses. The rest of it you can take or leave. It has its high points. And also its low ones too. Variable I'd say. Depends on your taste. If you do read it you'll be moving on to Finnegans Wake. Now that's impossible to read. Although I did read it once. It helps if you've a copious supply Guinness :cool:, read it aloud, and have some knowledge of languages like German and places like Triest and Zürich. I've reviewed 'the Wake' in some depth on my blog http://poet-in-residence.blogspot.com but unfortunately not Ulysses. Prompted by your post I may try to read Ulysses again this winter and get to the end of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by William Clough
Good luck with it William.Quote:
Originally Posted by William Clough
I'm just about to start on Chris Rose's much acclaimed "1 Dead in Attic" (Simon & Schuster 2007).
It's about Hurricane Katrina and aftermath written by a journalist who lives in New Orleans.
FRA calendar
Are you having to re-read the rules Stagger , the problem we will have in the future is that they can always be improved and now that the sport has been hi- jacked by the health & safety brigade you will find there is no way of the slippery descent into ever more draconian measures being taken for "our safety" because we are no longer deemed by the FRA (not race organisers) responsible for our own safety....no turning back ...��Quote:
Originally Posted by Stagger