In no particular order:
East of Eden, by JS (OK, I really read 1/2 of it in December of 2006, and 1/2 in January of 2007)
- I think I'll be writing up East in a day or ten (when I get the time). This was one of my most pleasant reading experiences in a long time (and I really liked Fountainhead, Don Q., and P&P, so that says a lot)
Don Quixote, by MC (A summer to re(ad)member - terrible joke! A lot has been written already about this novel, so I'll just say that I'm very glad to have read it, and I definitely enjoyed Part 2 more than Part 1.)
The Fountainhead and Anthem, by AR (I still like Atlas the most! The character of Howard Rourke is one of the best I've read, in any novel. I also liked Gail Wynand, and Toohey. While I enjoyed Dominique's character very much, I didn't like a lot of her choices - the marriage to Peter Keating above all else-, and I liked Dagny Taggart in Atlas much more. I also didn't care for the breakup of Rourke's friendship with Gail, but I "get it". There were a BUNCH of great moments in the novel: most of them involving scenes where we see Rourke's genius in action. I would read Fountainhead again in 10 years, but Anthem was nothing special to me.).
Portnoy's Complaint, by PR (I get why the book is so famous. The sheer audacity of the writer -to say taboo things that everyone knows to be the truth, and share experiences that many people have had - is impressive! Especially the scene with the mother standing at the sink, and the blooddrop on the floor! Still, I laughed aloud a lot, but I couldn't wait for the novel to end. There was nothing about the main character that I liked, and the narration got old, fast. )
The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, by DB (Fun stuff! Easy to read (both books took a total of four days). Great art/history lesson. Why does the guy always ruin his stories in the end? These books were a great way to share a reading experience with my wife - who would rather not read heavy novels like Don Q.-, and for that I'm grateful. They also reminded me of my days in Europe. Again, that was nice. Still, I got very mad when the real bad guy was revealed in both novels. I though Brown's need to be clever - and unpredictable - hurt the stories. In Angels, I think everything after they take off in the helicopter was awful. I almost threw the novel away. DaVinci is a much better novel, in my humble opinion.)
Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol, by CD (Not happy with OT, but I loved Carol. I have to say that I was surprised that I didn't like Twist more. I know Fagin is a recommend character - and he was great-, but I didn't think The Artful Dodger lived up to his billing at all. Oliver was ok, but he didn't suffer nearly as much as I expected. The old man who liked to read - and who saved Oliver - was a great, kindly character, as was the girl/prostitute who also helped. All in all, I much prefer Great Expectations. A Christmas Carol was outstanding, and I'm very glad to have read it. I wonder which Dickens novel I should read next?)
Heart of Darkness, by JC (I wasn't a fan of this novel. Ford loves it, but it didn't do it for me)
Slaughterhouse Five, by KV (I liked this more than I expected. Glad to have read a novel of his)
Pride and Prejudice and Emma, by JA (Loved P&P! Emma was only ok. The characters in P&P were much better)
The Jungle, by US (Great start, dull end. I got the message UP.)
Frankenstien, by MS (Too many complaints to mention. Is it a great novel? Yes. Did I like it? Not really)
- Suck it Ford!
1 comment:
Yes, but did you understand them?
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