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

Kakapo sounds like what you use to house-train a cat.

Interstingly enough...they're almost extinct because of the introduction of cats to New Zealand (also stoats, possume, rats). They're a large, stupid, flightless parrot with a sub-sonic mating call. There's about 86 or so left. http://www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/001~Plants-and-Animals/001~Native-Animals/Kakapo.asp

...and of course A11815148 !

What with all the bruhaha surrounding the release of a certain movie - I'm considering reading...not *that* book but Umberto Eco's treatment of much the same thing "The Name of The Rose."

I'm reading in tandem at the moment a collection of Sherlock Holmes mysteries and delving back into "If on a Winters Night a Traveller" by Italo Calvino.

I gather Name of the Rose is on similar to "Q" for the historical novel, religious wars, heretical movements and murders etc and since that was my last real page turner thematically I should enjoy it.

After that depending on if I can cope with Eco's writing I think Foucault's Pendulum looks an interesting read too.

Foucault's Pendulum is, I think, probably a bit more the book which shall not be named. Certainly having read both the *** didn't contain *that* much I wasn't kinda familiar with.

Got exams at the mo, so going to start reading all sorts in about a week.

Maybe I got the titles mixed up. Well in any event one or other in some order possibly.

Umberto Eco is emminently readable.

I Capture the Castle arrived this morning, can't really put it down yet....

Q is excellent and the earler Umbero Eco novels were too
Just a personal opinion though

"Foucault's Pendulum is, I think, probably a bit more the book which shall not be named."
That's certainly the one I would compare it with. Not a bad book at all. As someone who has read the various 'serious' books on this conspiracy, Eco comes very close both in 'facts' and in spirit. Somethings that DB does not.

However, I then tried 'The Island of the day before' which is alternately interesting and just completely odd. Not the story(ies) but the way it is told.
Haven't tried Nameof the Rose yet.

Currently about to try out " The Philosophy of Kant" modern library edition, translated to english.

I may not get very far

I like Eco too - he has a lovely style. I haven't yet opened my (ancient ) copy of the Island of the Day Before but I'll add it to my pile.

The Name of the Rose is an excellent read, Focault's Pendulum is a bit more challenging but equally worth the time(unlike The Book That Shall Not Be Named)

However Baudolino remains the only book I have abandoned 20 pages before the end. It started so well and then went right off the boil for about the last third.

Finished Genesis II - wow, the writing is not what I would call good but it's a brave end, I hoped he would do it, and he did. But I still can't remember the author's name.

Now off to start The Tyranny of Numbers.

out of interest, how many of the people on here that have read Umberto Eco have read the original works and how many have read english translations?
The ones I have read have been translations and I was idly wondering if anyone has been able to compare the english and original versions for style and content?

Just translations for me. So really I have to praise the skill of the translator as much as Eco. (they have read incredibly well - William Weaver has done a good job)

That's who translated my copy too.

Translation for me too, but I don't know what translated it. Don't think I'll bother reading it in Italian, somehow.

Actually, a discussion about translations wouldn't be bad... anyone up for it?

Clive James was very scathing about Primo Levi's translator...but about the translation of the German words amongst the main, Italian text.

And Günther Grass has bought back the rights to his books and plans to have the English translations re-done.

(Note to self: I really *must* get around to improving my German by reading a book and its translation in parallel. I've had Bernard Schlinl's Der Leser/ The Reader on my shelf for a couple of years now.)

Schlinl? Schlink!

translation thread, if anyone is interested

F19585?thread=3026295

Clive, what do you think of the Calvino one? I've got a few of his short stories. Haven't started that yet.

I also got Northern Lights, to see what I make of all the Pullman talk (I believe it's come up a few times here). Should I start that, or 'Flaubert's Parrot'?

Start with Flaaubert's Parrot'. Throw Northern Lights in the bin.