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Author Topic: Rate the last book you read.  (Read 194328 times)

verbALs

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #900 on: February 15, 2012, 01:57:32 PM »
I've read his Battle of Normandy and Berlin books. Fantastic detail and soldier's eye views, pretty well written. If you get to Barcelona, the Museum of Catalunya has a lot of fascinating Civil War detail and a bar on the roof overlooking the harbour (I give myself away every time).
I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore. - Banksy

smirnoff

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #901 on: February 15, 2012, 06:48:39 PM »
Next Heinlein is The Puppetmasters which just predates Invasion of the Bodysnatchers on a similar theme. Then maybe Starship Troopers which I can't imagine is the same as the film.

It's truly a bizarre adaptation! With Starship Troopers, possibly more than any other book, it could be said that Heinlein wrote the story to have an outlet for his politics and philosophies. Every chapter is another lesson. This did not bother me in the least, as I find him fascinating, but I also never shook that feeling. I believe he's also written books at the opposite end of the spectrum than are more "good story" than "good politics". At his best I think he balances the two.

Anyways, along comes Edward Neumeier to write the screenplay for Verhoeven (the Robocop dream team together again).  Weirdly, instead of taking the political and philosophical meat from the book they take the fat. They lift scenes which are really only there to provide structure to Heinlein's essay. It's like robber's breaking into the Louvre and stealing all the frames and leaving the art!

So when you watch the film there IS something surprising similar! The structure, it's all laid out just as it was. The attention to detail is actually quite remarkable. Even some of the most trivial details are accurate to what Heinlein wrote! And yet the movie is missing the reason the story existed in the first place.

It's just weird that way, like they took the weakest part and decided THAT was what they'd make a movie with. Such an odd place to find inspiration. And the craziest thing of all, the movie actually turned out good! As a sci-fi action adventure it's great fun.  ;D

The concept, the characters, the wonderfully imaginative ideas about what would exist in the future and how it would operate, all those great bits turn up in the film. Is Verhoeven there making a subtle mockery of it all? Eh, maybe. Depends how much credit you want to give him. I like it straight up.



Star Beast sounds great!

I've never heard of that guy you mentioned. Prounelle.

verbALs

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #902 on: February 16, 2012, 03:11:19 AM »
My thought is that the enemy in Starship Troopers and in Ender's Game, is so similar. At least it will look that way, when it gets onto the big screen. The subtle differences are going to get lost and people will shout rip-off! Also the amount of straight-up child abuse in Ender's Game, will be very hard to soften. It could get a very ugly reaction. Imagine families going to see Ender's Game, on the basis that it looks like a kids' film!! I'm also not sure the guy who directed Wolverine is going to get it right, since he is doing the screenplay as well. However, Ben Kingsley as Rackham is a juicy piece of casting.
I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore. - Banksy

pixote

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #903 on: February 16, 2012, 03:19:34 AM »
Homage To Catalonia (George Orwell) Rating

It's one I have been meaning to read for years.

Me too. That and Robert Graves' Good-Bye to All That.

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AAAutin

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #904 on: February 16, 2012, 09:47:27 PM »
That and Robert Graves' Good-Bye to All That.

Wait, the same Robert Graves of I, CLAUDIUS fame? Is it historical fiction, too?

Jared

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #905 on: February 19, 2012, 02:42:47 AM »
Been reading quite a few shorts lately. Added links to 3 of the 4 if anyones interested (20-30 minutes each)

The Swimmer by John Cheever

A bizarre little story with a lot of interesting surrealism as it proceeds along. After reading it I immediately went to check out the Burt Lancaster movie, which doesnt even come close to doing it justice. I guess I was hoping for something a little bit more Blue Velvet-y.
Ned Merrill decides he is going to "swim" home from a friends residence by going house to house and swimming a length of each persons pool. Things might not be as they seem though, and it really makes for a powerful story.
http://shortstoryclassics.50megs.com/cheeverswimmer.html

Rich Man, Poor Man by Adam Carolla
Kind of an unpopular opinion around here, but Im a big Carolla fan. This was a "support the podcast" purchase really, and I wouldnt really recommend this one unless you want to do the same. Frequently, he does a segment on his podcast wherein he talks about common things between the very rich and very poor (ie an outdoor shower). Really Carolla's talent is being quicker on his feet than just about any funny man out there, and the book isnt really the best meedium for him.

To Build a Fire by Jack London
Survival story about a man and his dog trekking on foot through the 50 below weather in the Yukon. A very "Meek's Cutoff" type feel, where every single action, while simplistic sounding, is life or death. Very well done, probably my favorite of this bunch.
http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html

The Shades, a Phantasy by Vladimir Korolenko
Took me back to reading Plato in my 200 level philosphy class. This story starts out with a bit of back story surrounding Socrates' execution, but then eventually gets along to a "classic" Socratic arguement. a character observes the ghost of Socrates in debate about the alleged greateness of the gods with another ghost. Really a lot of fun to watch Socrates break down one arguement or claim after another.
http://www.classicreader.com/book/2151/1/

Bondo

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #906 on: February 19, 2012, 08:46:31 AM »
To Build a Fire by Jack London
Survival story about a man and his dog trekking on foot through the 50 below weather in the Yukon. A very "Meek's Cutoff" type feel, where every single action, while simplistic sounding, is life or death. Very well done, probably my favorite of this bunch.

Read this one in HS. I remember it being a really tense read. That isn't something I can say about Meek's Cutoff. ;)

oldkid

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #907 on: February 19, 2012, 06:02:09 PM »
To Build a Fire by Jack London
Survival story about a man and his dog trekking on foot through the 50 below weather in the Yukon. A very "Meek's Cutoff" type feel, where every single action, while simplistic sounding, is life or death. Very well done, probably my favorite of this bunch.

Read this one in HS. I remember it being a really tense read. That isn't something I can say about Meek's Cutoff. ;)

I got way more out of MC than TBaF.   Of course, it's been 30 years since I read the London story.
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

verbALs

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #908 on: February 20, 2012, 08:18:50 AM »
The Puppetmasters- Robert Heinlein

I don't think this worked too well. Nothing to do with the unoriginality of invading creatures with mind control powers, all that paranoia and suspicion, are cool dark themes. Heinlein walks a fine line between Bodysnatchers and Zombies, which sounds a fine mix. I thought this would push him into more action, but those scenes with more fights and flights, aren't that great, just OK. The politics and espionage, actually seem as if they are in development here, and Heinlein feels like he is noodling around the sort of themes that really firm up in later stories. The hilarious bit of true Heinlein, was his fascination with a plot device, that leaves everybody having to wear less and less. He thinks the English would be in denial even in the face of extinction, refusing to take off the "waistcoat old boy". He really is a hippy before hippiedom; probably too much time on campus, but his main character sees public nudity as a step forward, cool man!

The book dragged under the weight of sitting around talking about the problem. That this mind control storyline most reminded me of the EE Doc Smith "Lensman' stories hurts it. The Lensman stories are golden age space hero books, and are stuffed full of lightning speed action set-pieces. Despite their old fashioned scientific ideas, they are wonderfully kinetic, written seemingly before anyone had invented cynicism. The Puppetmasters is an example of Heinlein being a bridge between early century sci-fi and the hard and political types of sci-fi, that he is rightly acknowledged as a father of. This is one where he falls between the banks and into the water; ending up a bit wet.

Starship Troopers next!
« Last Edit: February 20, 2012, 12:45:47 PM by verbALs »
I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore. - Banksy

oneaprilday

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #909 on: February 20, 2012, 11:49:12 AM »
The Swimmer by John Cheever
A great one!

 

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