Milan Kundera's 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'. It's a very flight-footed read about troubled characters, though often the men try not to show it and bury themselves in affairs (I don't know if I've come across a Kundera male who *doesn't* have affairs! There certainly aren't many!) I sometimes find his humor a little prickily, but he will then catch you off-guard with a remarkable insight of real delicacy and beauty, which offsets the misanthropy. Interestingly, despite being the most well known modern Czech writer, his characters are not often in the country and the concerns are broad and existential, rather than nationalist... I think the same could be said of Kafka. There is a rich seam of Czech writing about local environments and characters, but the writers who tend to be known abroad are much more internalised and focused on the inner-drives and anxieties of their characters! Anyway, if you've never read anything from the Czech Republic, here's your place to start!!
My friend bought me the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy a long time ago, Gina, and I really enjoyed it, so I went and bought the second book in that series, but it's been awhle since I've read either of them. I haven't read the third book yet, though, but I think I' am going to have to go back and read the first two again before I read the third beacuse it's been so long since I've read the first two that I' am going to have to read them again in order to refresh my memory of them. Right now, though, I' am reading The Magician King by Lev Grossman, and you might like it if your into the whole fantasy thing, like I' am. It's like an adult Harry Potter mixed in with some Narnia.
-- Edited by Quazie89 on Wednesday 15th of February 2012 01:38:55 PM
-- Edited by Quazie89 on Wednesday 15th of February 2012 01:40:31 PM
Funeral of the Muslims (the title is cathy and self-explanatory), 'tis a family saga,which is mainly set in 20th-century Beijing(Beijing & London in fact),tells the story about three generations of a Muslim family. As Cornelia Funke once said, 'Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.' I have come to realise that this novel is not only a tear jerker for women, and I am into it all over again... In mainland China, there is a famous press holds the copyright on the complete works of Milan Kundera, Italo Calvino, and Murakami Haruki, etc...I was going to buy the Calvino ones which were planned to launched in Feb. Sadly, neither the books nor GR:SOV have been available so far.
I am revisiting my childhood with a favourite book, The Children of GreenKnowe, a beautful and gentle story about a little boy and his great-grandmother who live in a centuries old castle in England, where they have ghostly visitors from the past. It is a magical book for children and adults. I love these books by Lucy M. Boston and have wanted to visit the original manor she based the books in in Canbridgeshire for a long time. For a North American the idea of a house built in the 1130's that is still intact and functional is simply wonderful.
One Night In Firenze(Florence) by Xu Zhimo, who has published four poetry anthology throughout his short life, for my money,this is the most melanchoNIC and romanNIC one
My friend bought me the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy a long time ago, Gina, and I really enjoyed it, so I went and bought the second book in that series, but it's been awhle since I've read either of them. I haven't read the third book yet, though, but I think I' am going to have to go back and read the first two again before I read the third beacuse it's been so long since I've read the first two that I' am going to have to read them again in order to refresh my memory of them. Right now, though, I' am reading The Magician King by Lev Grossman, and you might like it if your into the whole fantasy thing, like I' am. It's like an adult Harry Potter mixed in with some Narnia.
Quazie89!!! I'm definitely going to add "The Magician King" to my book wish list. And, you're right, it's definitely best to go back and read the first two Bartimaeus books. It will definitely give you the back history of the characters!! Good reading!
Lady T, Tues_, Sprocket and Flo.... Nice reads... I'll definitely have to add these books to my wish list.
I must say, the Funeral of the Muslims book, definitely sounds intriguing and Lady T, I absolutely love children's books. They really capture your inner childhood and always takes you to a happy place.
Flo, I didn't know the Eragon movie was based on a book series!!! Excellent!
I am reading a book, but I don't know if I will be able to finish it but it is a nice book, called trough the kings eyes. It is about a forgotten place somewhere further than people know, and some children survived, and they are in war on earth. One day the leading person, one of the children, finds a book with empty pages, but the next day there is text in it about stories from their forgotten kingdom..
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My brain only works on one power... The power of Nicolas Cage!
I highly recommend Shi Tiesheng, the greatest novelist in chinese contemporary lit. it has been a blessing for me to know him at one of the thin time of my life and I have been his huge fan about 10 years, here is a lyric prose from him called The Temple of Earth and I (translated by Karen Gernant and Chen Zeping) if you want to find healing from a philosopher's soul, check this out: http://turnrow.ulm.edu/view.php?i=91&setcat=prose] I'd suggest you guys to go to your local bookstore or Amazon to get your copy. Thanks
Thank you Eva, I only start to read when I was 8 a little late but i loved reading since then . He was more like a close friend of mine. I've had a desire to go to Beijing to meet him, hard to believe he have left more than 15 months.
Thank you Eva, it's NICe of you to say this. Existence is a totally a serious issue I guess. Although he has left his family & friends & fans, but he will continue dwelling in my memory & living in my heart. In my personal opinion, Beijing is not the very city for travelling Eva, I would love to go to Xi'an or Nanjing for a visit.
Hi Gina! I take it you have took a look at this one, haven't you?(not all people enjoy his theme of writing like death n suffering i m afraid) The Templeof Earth and I Sadly no, neither in Chinese nor English to my knowledge. i have a great collection of his works, it took me alot of time and energy to do though.