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Post by skyfire on Mar 5, 2009 12:07:57 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, who here has read any classics over the past few months?
I recently finished "Starship Troopers" and went through both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution late last year; I'm about to start on the Federalist Papers.
edit - Almost forgot that I finished up "The Peter Principle" late last month.
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Post by Death on Mar 5, 2009 12:14:16 GMT -5
Reread Mansfield Park recently. Interesting sub text on the abolition movement, hypocrisy and following one's conscience.
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Post by disgruntledcolonel on Mar 5, 2009 12:54:17 GMT -5
Recently got through reading the Tain and King Harald's Saga, both brilliant pieces of post-Roman literature. On a more recent Classic front, I've also recently read Dracula and Hound of the Baskervilles - Dracula in particular is an interesting read for the narrative style, and I've got Crime and Punishment sitting in my bookcase daring me to read it.
Oh and happy world book day y'all.
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Post by antichrist on Mar 5, 2009 14:39:42 GMT -5
Jane Eyre a while back. It's one of my faves
I've got Basketball Diaries sitting on the sidelines. If I ever have kids I want them to read that book, as a warning to what drugs can really do to you.
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Pookie
Junior Member
Posts: 55
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Post by Pookie on Mar 5, 2009 15:37:11 GMT -5
Classic is a pretty broad term. Are we talking old old old books like 1984 or does something like Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? count as well?
Lately I haven't read as much as I normally would because my class schedule is a nightmare, but I think I've knocked out The Gods Themselves and DADOES and am 25 pages from finishing A Scanner Darkly, at which point I'll pick up I, Robot and Robot Dreams.
I'm curious though about what to pick up after I've finished those. At the moment I'm vacillating between Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.
Suggestions (even ones different from the above) are appreciated. I need to expand my library.
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Post by antichrist on Mar 5, 2009 15:59:14 GMT -5
Heart of Darkness was good, it's deep though.
I never found the darkness in "Brave new World" in fact I found it to be a fairly logical solution to societies woes.
If you read "Beyond Brave New World" it's an interesting read as it's his take on where society is(was) heading. He's probably rolling over in his grave.
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Post by DarkfireTaimatsu on Mar 5, 2009 16:04:16 GMT -5
I've tried to get through Journey to the West and The Call of Cthulhu so far this year, but I keep getting distracted. I blame the old-style writings in 'em.
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Post by Bojangles on Mar 5, 2009 16:10:44 GMT -5
I reread Jude the Obscure recently. And for the second time, it made me all morose. Although I knew it was depressing I didn't remember just how depressing it really was.
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Post by skyfire on Mar 5, 2009 16:54:47 GMT -5
I'm curious though about what to pick up after I've finished those. At the moment I'm vacillating between Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Suggestions (even ones different from the above) are appreciated. I need to expand my library. I had to read Brave New World back in high school. I'd actually recommend skipping it, as it's a rather boring read. The little bit of social commentary that's worthwhile in there can be found in other such works. If you are going for sci-fi fare, however, I'd suggest tracking down a copy of Philip K. Dick's "Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. " For regular fare, try locating Walker Percey's "The Moviegoer."
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Dan
Full Member
Posts: 228
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Post by Dan on Mar 6, 2009 13:46:38 GMT -5
Sky, I think you need to explain what you mean by "classics." Does post-WWII sci-fi really count?
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Post by Death on Mar 6, 2009 14:15:58 GMT -5
I've tried to get through Journey to the West and The Call of Cthulhu so far this year, but I keep getting distracted. I blame the old-style writings in 'em. Do you have the four volume edition of Journey To The West? It really doesn't make much difference if you read the two hundred page preface, it's mainly on toaism and a bit of history. Thing I found with the books, I've read all four twice over, is that as they get closer to journey's end the lessons are harder to understand. I'm stuck at about chapter 47 . lol That said, it is a wonderful work and one of the few that discusses intelligence and the weaknesses and pitfalls it brings. There is none of the christian false modesty either which is a change.
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Post by Death on Mar 6, 2009 14:18:38 GMT -5
Sky, I think you need to explain what you mean by "classics." Does post-WWII sci-fi really count? I don't see why not. In that classification I would include Fahrenheit 451 Stranger in a Strangeland Brave New World and 1984 Slaughterhouse 5 etc
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Post by malicious_bloke on Mar 6, 2009 14:40:37 GMT -5
I have Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto around here somewhere
Funny how complete loons can be so perceptive and yet totally misunderstand how humans respond to social conditioning.
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Post by skyfire on Mar 6, 2009 15:41:35 GMT -5
I have Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto around here somewhere Funny how complete loons can be so perceptive and yet totally misunderstand how humans respond to social conditioning. I personally can see where Marx was coming from, but in real life the rise of the labor union largely knocked the legs out from beneath his main argument.
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Post by Sandafluffoid on Mar 6, 2009 15:50:45 GMT -5
Last classic books I've read were Alice's adventures in wonderland, which with the benefit of a more analytical mind this time round found it to be one of the most intriguing and believable books I've ever read. I also read War and Peace a while back, the version with all of tolstoy's ramblings exactly where he left them, I enjoyed the epic-sized plot and the wide range of characters but frankly I didn't think it had the depth of Alice.
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