h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There you go. You've learned the Russian for 'big' and 'apple'. Just about.




(and also for 'milk')

btw there's a great empeethree of Burgess reading it knocking around on teh interwebs.

be3 nepeBoAa TOBAPNW

Classic -- we're having a rumble over "A Clockwork Orange"!

Just love this thread, especially around Christmas, as researchers get their books for the holidays.

The War Puzzle by JA Vasquez, 1993, Cambridge University Press. Claims that it will provide a scientific explanation for War. Reading the first few chapters it will restrict itself to explaining what are terms War of Rivalry - wars between political units of similar capabilities.

Ooh! Ooh! Here's what I've asked Santa for:

'23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism' - Ha-Joon Chang

http://www.amazon.com/Things-They-Dont-About-Capitalism/dp/1608191664

'A Little History of Philosophy' - Nigel Warburton

http://www.amazon.com/Little-History-Philosophy-Nigel-Warburton/dp/0300152086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323092243&sr=1-1

'Why Marx Was Right' - Terry Eagleton.

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Marx-Right-Terry-Eagleton/dp/0300169434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323092197&sr=1-1

'You Talkin' To Me?': Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama - Sam Leith

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/oct/16/talking-me-aristotle-obama-review

The new Vonnegut biog: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/03/kurt-vonnegut-biography?INTCMP=SRCH

IQ84 Books 1&2 and 3 - Haruki Murakami.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/1Q84-Books-1-Haruki-Murakami/dp/1846554071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323092512&sr=8-1

And some nice cologne that I tried in Whole Foods.

I've been very good!

Been reading some weighty fantasy tomes of late, so I kicked back for few days and read an Inspector Boring 'Death is Now my Neighbour' (not bad as Colin Dexter goes) Am back on the weighty tomes again. Scar Night by Alan Campbell. Flipping excellent it is too, and I have the others in the series so I'll be cracking on apace with those. Will have to take a small break, mind, it's my birthday on Saturday and I'm getting Snuff.

The History Boys by Alan Bennett on of my favourite films, but first time I'm reading the play.

Though still reading The Element by Ken Robinson and tried and failed to read Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett...my brain was finding his writing style difficult. I shall try again, but I think it will be one of those books which my mum and sisters breeze through and I struggle to keep the plot straight in my head.

I finished The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo a fortnight ago, and the Mrs has just finished it today.

What a strange book.

It's engaging in parts, but it's just so badly written. The best character barely features, the main character is a bit of a Mary Sue (athletic, handsome, charismatic Swedish author who can have any woman he wants? Where did you think of that, Steig?) and the first 5 and last 3 chapters seem superflous.

That said, I did enjoy it, and I'll be reading the other two.

Funny you should write that, Mr603, I've just finished the series.

I agree with you about Blomkvist. He's a good character in many ways but a bit too perfect.

Are you saying Salander is the best character? Id agree if you are! She does appear more in the 2nd and 3rd books.

The first is more of a whodunnit, while the others aren't. Not really sure how to describe them really.

I have very much enjoyed the series though.

Salander's interesting, and flawed, which always makes for a better character. She's just only in the odd chapter.

The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson. Really rather interesting to a like myself.

And just started Here on Earth by Tim Flannery. His book The Eternal Frontier (a natural history of North America) is a stunning book, and this one's shaping up pretty well too.

It did need a bit of an edit, didn't it?

'He bought coffee, milk, yoghurt, bread...'

What's wrong with 'groceries'?

You've a recitation of the Ikea catalogue to look forward to in part 2. I kid you not.

I might have to skip that particular bit, Ed.

I think that kind of detail - in the right place - makes it more interesting.

I'm a firm believer that every single line needs to advance the plot or develop character. Shopping lists do neither, unless it's something exotic.

Of course it develops the character. Why would it need to be exotic for that?

I know what you mean, Mala - that kind of thing can work. But here I felt that the detail was just lobbed in to fill up the page.

I did enjoy the books, though.

And actually, the Ikea catalogue part is specifically at odds with the character.

***MINOR SPOILER ALERT***

She buys a load of furniture in one go. She doesn't much care what it is. So why are we told?

I'm just re-reading Captain Bluebear, if you don't like lists never read Walter Moers...

I must say for these books they work. I expect lists. I think in the 2nd book was a list of one page which named all colors a bear can have. I have just reached a 3 pages list of all entertainment the city Atlantis offers on a usual Wednesday.