10 to read before the apocalypse?

turgon

bayviewclose, a lot of people do things simply to say they have done them. Damian Duffy is simply saying people may put Ulysses in their top 10 to appear smart. Nothing strange about that.

sxt

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Amended list since i last posted with some new choices.

1.Eagle in the snow by Wallace Breem (No1 Roman historic novel)

2.Swan song by Robert mcgammon (its about life after the apocalypse)

I have been meaning to get "swan song" for ages ,Have you read "the stand " by S.king by the way?

Also, Have you read "I,claudious" by robert graves (It's a roman historic novel too)..out of curiousity?,another one I have been looking for in the books shops for a while.

Paddy Samurai

sxt wrote: »

I have been meaning to get "swan song" for ages ,Have you read "the stand " by S.king by the way?

Also, Have you read "I,claudious" by robert graves (It's a roman historic novel too)..out of curiousity?,another one I have been looking for in the books shops for a while.

Yes I have read the stand,at the time I thought it was unbeatable...that was untill i read Swan Song by McCammon,it's a superior version on the same theme.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=60348035#post60348035

Have seen the series on Dvd but I have not read I Claudius.I take it you have read "Eagle in the snow"?.If not try too get your hands on it.
Its a hard book to get ,but well worth it.

sxt

Thankis. I haven't read "Eagle in the snow" but have been looking for that genre of book ,I might try easons again or buy online allthough I don't think "swan song" will fit in my letterbox

Spiritoftheseventies

turgon wrote: »

bayviewclose, a lot of people do things simply to say they have done them. Damian Duffy is simply saying people may put Ulysses in their top 10 to appear smart. Nothing strange about that.

And not because its a good book?

turgon

*sigh*

Did I say all people are like this?
Did I even say most people are like this?

No.

Spiritoftheseventies

turgon wrote: »

*sigh*

Did I say all people are like this?
Did I even say most people are like this?

No.

Fair enough. We move on.

Paddy Samurai

sxt wrote: »

Thankis. I haven't read "Eagle in the snow" but have been looking for that genre of book ,I might try easons again or buy online allthough I don't think "swan song" will fit in my letterbox

Don't think you will get them in the shops,these may help with your search

http://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Snow-Wallace-Breem/dp/1590710118/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249062773&sr=1-1


http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?an=wallace+breem&bt.x=0&bt.y=0&kn=eagle+in+the+snow&sortby=3


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=swan+song+mccammon


http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?kn=swan+song+mccammon+swan+song&sortby=3&x=17&y=4

PADRAGON

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Amended list since i last posted with some new choices.

1.Eagle in the snow by Wallace Breem (No1 Roman historic novel)

2.Swan song by Robert mcgammon (its about life after the apocalypse)

3.Legend by david Gemmell (the number one fantasy classic)

4.Shogun by James clavell (historic linked fiction)

5.Necroscope by Brian Lumley (unique vampire horror series)

6.Dune by Frank Herbert (sci fi epic novel)

7.On stranger Tides by Tim Powers (blackbeard and zombies )

8.The Religion by Tim Willocks (muslims vs christians @ siege of Malta)

9.Troy Trilogy by David Gemmel (Fantastic version of the Trojan war)

1. Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow (2005)
2. Troy: Shield of Thunder (2006)
3. Troy: Fall of Kings (2007)

10. The Ninja by Eric van lustbader (great thriller)

Hello Samurai Paddy.Great list i'll definitely be checking out Swan song and
Necroscope.Couple more that have popped into my mind.

The brotherhood of the rose - David Morrell
Night shift - Steven King
Waylander - David Gemmel

abandinhope

RandomName2 wrote: »

Not for the faint-hearted!

I heard they're making a film... which is probably not a good idea...

Any of the reviews of test screenings that I've read have said its a pretty much perfect film.

My list...

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (I actually feel sorry for anyone who hasn't read it)
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
White Noise - Don DeLillo
Soul Music - Terry Pratchett
Paradise Lost - John Milton
Things the Grandchildren Should Know - Mark Oliver Everett (Mr. E from the band Eels)
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

Paddy Samurai

PADRAGON wrote: »

Hello Samurai Paddy.Great list i'll definitely be checking out Swan song and
Necroscope.Couple more that have popped into my mind.

The brotherhood of the rose - David Morrell
Night shift - Steven King
Waylander - David Gemmel

Hi paragon,i have read all of gemmels books,loved them all but one.
I have read brotherhood of the rose along with a few more of morrell's books and i have enjoyed them all.I think a lot of people slag him off because of Rambo,but he still wrote some very good books ,i loved the mortalis trilogy of books.
I have not read Night shift ,but will but it on my list.LOL ........it's a very long list.

Spiritoftheseventies

add to list
Michael Collins-Tim Pat Coogan
King of the World-David Remnick
Dracula-Bram Stoker.

Roisinbunny

bayviewclose wrote: »

add to list
Michael Collins-Tim Pat Coogan

+1. Excellent book. Might be seen as a bit biased by some, but I loved it

Spiritoftheseventies

Roisinbunny wrote: »

+1. Excellent book. Might be seen as a bit biased by some, but I loved it

Yes a terrific read. Coogan was very thorough.

PADRAGON

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Hi paragon,i have read all of gemmels books,loved them all but one.
I have read brotherhood of the rose along with a few more of morrell's books and i have enjoyed them all.I think a lot of people slag him off because of Rambo,but he still wrote some very good books ,i loved the mortalis trilogy of books.
I have not read Night shift ,but will but it on my list.LOL ........it's a very long list.

Hey Paddy Samurai.Have to ask,which Gemmel book did'nt cut the mustard?
While on the subject of slating books i could'nt get my head around Morrells
Totem,and Stephen King lost me some time ago,the books got fat in more ways than one.
Night Shift is short stories,at least four have been made into films
of varying quality.
Bump it up that list of yours.


"the thing under my bed is'nt real,i know that,and i also know if i'm careful
and keep my feet under the covers,it'll never be able to grab my ankle..."

quincyk

The Drowned World- JG Ballard
Kafka on the Shore - Murakami
Satanic Verses - Rushdie
Tender is the Night - Fitzgerald
Girlfriend in a Coma - Coupland
Fight Club - Palahniuk
1984 - Orwell
Our man in Havana - Greene
The Vanishing - Krabbe
Of mice and Men - Steinbeck

Spiritoftheseventies

PADRAGON wrote: »

Hey Paddy Samurai.Have to ask,which Gemmel book did'nt cut the mustard?
While on the subject of slating books i could'nt get my head around Morrells
Totem,and Stephen King lost me some time ago,the books got fat in more ways than one.
Night Shift is short stories,at least four have been made into films
of varying quality.
Bump it up that list of yours.


"the thing under my bed is'nt real,i know that,and i also know if i'm careful
and keep my feet under the covers,it'll never be able to grab my ankle..."

Re Stephen King I think his best collection was Different seasons, a collection of short stories from which both the Shawshank Redemption and Stand By me were adapted from. Read most of his books in my youth. Particularly liked his collaboration with Peter Straub "the Talisman"

KonFusion

Not sure what order to put them in, so I wont

Nineteen Eighty Four- George Orwell
Shogun- James Clavell
Childe Harolds Journey- Lord Byron
On The Road- Jack Keraouc (makes me happy every time I read it)
Notes From Undergroud- Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Because you'll find yourself smoking and drinking (more) by the end :rolleyes:)
The Tale Of Genji- Shikibu Murasaki (many translations are available.)
Treasure Island- Robert Stevenson (yo ho, yo ho....)
The Count Of Monte Cristo- Alexander Dumas (sweet revenge...)
The Strange Case Of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde- Robert Stevenson
Lolita- Vladamir Nabokov


Alice In Wonderland is also amazing....and any books by Alan Watts....

I'm forcing myself to stop typing :)

PADRAGON

bayviewclose wrote: »

Re Stephen King I think his best collection was Different seasons, a collection of short stories from which both the Shawshank Redemption and Stand By me were adapted from. Read most of his books in my youth. Particularly liked his collaboration with Peter Straub "the Talisman"

Hey Bay
havent read Talisman is it the King of old?
I loved shining-dead zone-carrie-firestarter-stand etc.
Also the Bachman books.
Just thought he went off the boil in the last few.
Maybe Christine did more harm than he thought.

Spiritoftheseventies

PADRAGON wrote: »

Hey Bay
havent read Talisman is it the King of old?
I loved shining-dead zone-carrie-firestarter-stand etc.
Also the Bachman books.
Just thought he went off the boil in the last few.
Maybe Christine did more harm than he thought.

Its a joint collaboration with Peter Straub. Sort of an Odyssey very much in the mode of the Stand. But very magical as well. Was definitely one of my favourite books growing up and the last of the books I think i read. Like i said the four short stories from Different seasons i thought were really excellent and a nice departure for him.

PADRAGON

bayviewclose wrote: »

Its a joint collaboration with Peter Straub. Sort of an Odyssey very much in the mode of the Stand. But very magical as well. Was definitely one of my favourite books growing up and the last of the books I think i read. Like i said the four short stories from Different seasons i thought were really excellent and a nice departure for him.

Cant argue with Shawshank and Stand By Me.
I'll give talisman a go.
Cheers

turgon

Added to my list is Slaughterhause 5 by Kurt Vonnegut.

Spiritoftheseventies

PADRAGON wrote: »

Cant argue with Shawshank and Stand By Me.
I'll give talisman a go.
Cheers

No problem. Read it quite awhile ago but don't know how it translates day particularly with an older generation. But enjoyed it immensely.

Paddy Samurai

PADRAGON wrote: »

Hey Paddy Samurai.Have to ask,which Gemmel book did'nt cut the mustard?

Echoes of the Great Song was the one i always felt was'nt up to his usual standard.Always intended to give it a second read,but with so many books to read never got a chance.

Spiritoftheseventies

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

Echoes of the Great Song was the one i always felt was'nt up to his usual standard.Always intended to give it a second read,but with so many books to read never got a chance.

On the same vein, do you feel any readers feel books they read in their youths have dated a bit on second readings?

Paddy Samurai

bayviewclose wrote: »

On the same vein, do you feel any readers feel books they read in their youths have dated a bit on second readings?

Apart from gemmels "legend" i have never read a book twice.Just never have the time ..too many new books to read.I have 40+ books lined up for future reading.
However i do know that there are books I thought were brilliant at the time ,that i would love to read again with a view to including them on my top 10 list.One that i read over 10 years ago and is still stuck in my head is Bernard King's Trilogy" Chronicles of the Keeper".
Because i have'nt read it in years i am reluctant to include it as i have no idea how well it has dated.
But it is one trilogy that i will never forget,i remember checking the shadows and under the bed while reading them LOL.
Alot of the reviews i see say it has'nt dated well.

minusorange

In no particular order.

The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Matamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Collected Poems 1947-1997 - Allen Ginsberg
Post Office - Charles Bukowski
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer - Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin
Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
Why I am not a Christian - Bertrand Russell
If This is a Man - Primo Levi

Spiritoftheseventies

minusorange wrote: »

The Brother Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Matamorphosis - Franz Kafka
Collected Poems 1947-1997 - Allen Ginsberg
Post Office - Charles Bukowski
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer - Kai Bird and martin J. Sherwin
Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
Why I am not a Christian - Bertrand Russell
If This is a Man - Primo Levi

Yes an interesting selection there. read a bit of that Post office book by Bukowski. Some strange stuff in there.

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

Yes an interesting selection there. read a bit of that Post office book by Bukowski. Some strange stuff in there.

It's just a really raw but ultimately refreshing read.

I read Factotum last week, his second novel. No particular structure, no story as such, 87 'chapters' in a 163 page large print book. Largely autobiographical. The dreaded 'anti-novel'.

Love him or hate him there is a truth to Bukowski that is untouchable.

Spiritoftheseventies

minusorange wrote: »

It's just a really raw but ultimately refreshing read.

I read Factotum last week, his second novel. No particular structure, no story as such, 87 'chapters' in a 163 page large print book. Largely autobiographical. The dreaded 'anti-novel'.

Love him or hate him there is a truth to Bukowski that is untouchable.

Wasnt he a civil servant. Saying this because I know Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan) worked there too. Maybe its a good way for cultivating your imagination.

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

Wasnt he a civil servant. Saying this because I know Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan) worked there too. Maybe its a good way for cultivating your imagination.

He sure was. Post Office is actually his account of this period in his life if you haven't already read it.

The civil servant/clerk pops up quiet a bit as a character actually.

You'll find him in Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground as the unnamed narrator.

In Dostoyevsky's The Double as Yakov Petrovich Golyadkin.

In Orwell's 1984 as Winston Smith.

In Kafka's The Trial as Josef K.

He's the subject of Harvey Pekar's autobiographical comic strip American Splendor.

In Dickens' A Christmas Carol as Bob Cratchit

And I bet there are loads more....

Spiritoftheseventies

Some more to add to this list
Schindlers Ark-Thomas Keneally (infinitely better than the film from which it was adapted from)
The Dark-John McGahern
The Assasin-Liam O'Flaherty
Animal Farm-George Orwell

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

Some more to add to this list
Schindlers Ark-Thomas Keneally (infinitely better than the film from which it was adapted from)
The Dark-John McGahern
The Assasin-Liam O'Flaherty
Animal Farm-George Orwell

To my shame I haven read enough Irish fiction. The Dark sounds great. Thanks for the tip.

banshee_bones

in no particular order...


Siddartha - Hesse
The Alchemist - Coelho
Shantaram - Gregory D Roberts
A Walk in The Woods - Bryson
At Swim-Two-Birds - O Brien
L.O.T.R Trilogy - Tolkien
Harry Potter Series - rowling
The Butcher Boy - Mc Cabe
His Dark Materials - Pullman

minusorange

banshee_bones wrote: »

in no particular order...


Siddartha - Hesse
The Alchemist - Coelho
Shantaram - Gregory D Roberts
A Walk in The Woods - Bryson
At Swim-Two-Birds - O Brien
L.O.T.R Trilogy - Tolkien
Harry Potter Series - rowling
The Butcher Boy - Mc Cabe
His Dark Materials - Pullman

Jesus I think The Alchemist is so over-rated. What do you get from it? I don't mean to sound rude.

Shantaram is pure magic. I read on the web he said it was the first of three books but I haven't heard anything about the second..

banshee_bones

minusorange wrote: »

Jesus I think The Alchemist is so over-rated. What do you get from it? I don't mean to sound rude.

Shantaram is pure magic. I read on the web he said it was the first of three books but I haven't heard anything about the second..

No your not being rude your grand, well i dunno I guess it just spoke to me on a personal level!not to sound corny!
I could say the same about catcher in the rye? if there was something to "get" i didnt "get" it, i think its a pretencious book that people like to put in their top 10, i myself didnt get anything from it.

Shantaram is being made into a film i hear.... really really hope they dont bastardize it...which i think they may have done is johnny depp is being cast as Lin... so not how i had him pictured!

Spiritoftheseventies

banshee_bones wrote: »

No your not being rude your grand, well i dunno I guess it just spoke to me on a personal level!not to sound corny!
I could say the same about catcher in the rye? if there was something to "get" i didnt "get" it, i think its a pretencious book that people like to put in their top 10, i myself didnt get anything from it.

Shantaram is being made into a film i hear.... really really hope they dont bastardize it...which i think they may have done is johnny depp is being cast as Lin... so not how i had him pictured!

Re Shantaram that film has "been in development" for ages now. Yes interested to hear he is considering a follow up to it. Liked the book but thought it was a bit long. Maybe could have done with a small bit of editing. But very engaging for the most part.

minusorange

banshee_bones wrote: »

No your not being rude your grand, well i dunno I guess it just spoke to me on a personal level!not to sound corny!
I could say the same about catcher in the rye? if there was something to "get" i didnt "get" it, i think its a pretencious book that people like to put in their top 10, i myself didnt get anything from it.

Shantaram is being made into a film i hear.... really really hope they dont bastardize it...which i think they may have done is johnny depp is being cast as Lin... so not how i had him pictured!

Yeah that's not how I pictured him either. I took him for being much more rugged. More Australian really. But I suppose if having a big name like Depp helps the thing finally get made then I'm all for it. But I've been hearing about it for ages and still haven't heard or seen anything substantial.

minusorange

banshee_bones wrote: »

No your not being rude your grand, well i dunno I guess it just spoke to me on a personal level!not to sound corny!
I could say the same about catcher in the rye? if there was something to "get" i didnt "get" it, i think its a pretencious book that people like to put in their top 10, i myself didnt get anything from it.

Shantaram is being made into a film i hear.... really really hope they dont bastardize it...which i think they may have done is johnny depp is being cast as Lin... so not how i had him pictured!

I liked the Catcher in the Rye to be honest with you but i don't know how it always appears so high in reader polls. It's good but not that good.

As for The Alchemist, you don't sound corny at all. If books didn't speak to me on one level or another I wouldn't read so much. I think I'll give it another go actually, I still have it on the shelf. It's years since I read it. As people change, books change. Now that is corny

Spiritoftheseventies

minusorange wrote: »

I liked the Catcher in the Rye to be honest with you but i don't know how it always appears so high in reader polls. It's good but not that good.

As for The Alchemist, you don't sound corny at all. If books didn't speak to me on one level or another I wouldn't read so much. I think I'll give it another go actually, I still have it on the shelf. It's years since I read it. As people change, books change. Now that is corny

lets not turn this into a personal debate over who likes what and whether one book should make a list or not. Keep the contributions coming.

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

lets not turn this into a personal debate over who likes what and whether one book should make a list or not. Keep the contributions coming.

You seem to have mistaken the concept of having a debate with just asking a question.

I didn't realise I was sacrificing the integrity of this thread by just quickly asking someone their opinion.

You and I had a similarly innocent exchange earlier today that didn't seem to trouble anybody.

In future I'll only speak when spoken to. Sir.

Spiritoftheseventies

minusorange wrote: »

You seem to have mistaken the concept of having a debate with just asking a question.

I didn't realise I was sacrificing the integrity of this thread by just quickly asking someone their opinion.

You and I had a similarly innocent exchange earlier today that didn't seem to trouble anybody.

In future I'll only speak when spoken to. Sir.

Just making the point that whenever someone puts something on the list like Ulysses or Catcher in the Rye its assumed that people are trying to be arty. Can posters not just take a book on its merits and instead accentuate the positive

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

Just making the point that whenever someone puts something on the list like Ulysses or Catcher in the Rye its assumed that people are trying to be arty. Can posters not just take a book on its merits and instead accentuate the positive

I was a bit heavy handed last night. No excuse really. My apologies.

Your right though, let's keep the recommendations coming in and not break the flow of this thread.

cathysworld

justlurking wrote: »

Only book you need to read is Naive.Super by Erlend Loe. Genius Norweigan writer. Nuff said.

I didnt enjoy that book at all!!

Spiritoftheseventies

minusorange wrote: »

I was a bit heavy handed last night. No excuse really. My apologies.

Your right though, let's keep the recommendations coming in and not break the flow of this thread.

No worries dude. Things can get a bit heated at times on these boards!

minusorange

bayviewclose wrote: »

No worries dude. Things can get a bit heated at times on these boards!

:):)

meenmore

The Picture of Dorian Gray.

MickBeth

For the love of giddy-goat G-od!!!!


YOU MUST read Naked lunch.....it's not perverse or disgusting like is said by manny it's just.......A hint if matriarchrical mamalade on a Silenced sliced tounge.

Damian Duffy

bayviewclose wrote: »

And not because its a good book?

Not gonna keep harping on with this one, i don't want to argue with you as you seem an intelligent reader who knows what they like. I have read Ulysses and i enjoyed it, although i thought it was difficult. I was just simply suprised that so many people on here had read it. I don't think they are lying or saying they have read it just for the sake if it, obviously they are recommending it because they feel its a damn good book. But alot of people do say they have read and watched certain books and films so they can appear smarter which is what the poster above was saying.

But anyway, interesting thread and i've already made 3 or 4 purchases on the back of reading posters top tens. Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance is the most recent i've picked up and i hadn't heard of that one before i read this thread so good stuff, keep it up.

Damian Duffy

bayviewclose wrote: »

lets not turn this into a personal debate over who likes what and whether one book should make a list or not. Keep the contributions coming.

Well said.

Anyone here read alot of Faulkner? Finished Light in August recently and thought it was brilliant.