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

I just bought Edgar Allan Poe's 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination' (Everyman) for bedtime reading. Last night I fell asleep reading the very first story, 'William Wilson'.

"American Gods", I "read" the audio version, unabridged, not sure if it was the preferred text. Quite a story, especially by a non-American author. I've seen that episode of "Cheers" several times myself ...

Maybe Gaiman's research was tax-deductible?

I've recently gotten interested in Chekhov, anybody got a suggestion for where I should start?

If it's the full text there's a bit towards the end involving a tree in Virginia.

The tree stuff isn't in the shorter version? How odd - I haven't finished it yet, but that seems fairly important.

I'm still working my way through three books - Persian Fire (just started), Greek Myths Vol. 1 (3/4 read) and Living Planet (1/3 read) - but my holiday reading has decided my next two books. William Adams, the subject of "Samurai William", was so obviously the inspiration for John Blackthorne in James Clavell's Shogun that that's one book I just have to re-read. Persian Fire has referred to Herodotus' Histories a number of times as being quite accurate on the war between Persia and Greece, so I'll be taking another look at that one, too. At the rate I'm going, though, those are at least another week away.

"An episode of Cheers began. Shadow had never really watched Cheers. He had only ever seen one episode of it - the one where Coach's daughter comes to the bar - although he had seen that several times. Shadow had noticed that you only ever catch one episode of shows that you don't watch, over and over, years apart; he thought it must be some kind of cosmic law"

It is a cosmic law. It's called "The Law of Diminishing Reruns"

I finished Will Self's Grey Area and other stories. It was enjoyable but I didn't really get where he was coming from in some of the stories. From his books that I've read, I'd say he is a consistent writer. Spent the last few days speeding through One, Two, Buckle my Shoe (Agatha Christie). Fairly standard Christie fare but I adore Poirot as a character and there were a few new touches to him in this one.

I think my next will be Enoch Powell's Medicine & Politics: 1975 and after. I've always meant to read it and it fits in nicely with my degree at this point.

I thought The Handmaid's Tale was pretty good

Now reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith

>>The tree stuff isn't in the shorter version?<<

So I was told, I read the APT that my fiancée gave to me but she read both editions and she said that was what was missing. So hands up - second hand information, but er...perhaps I should stop banging on about this now - but that is what I was told.

I've got several on the go now -- but "Brag: How to toot your own horn without blowing it", by Peggy Klaus is pretty helpful, since I've been job hunting for what seems like *forever*...and it's a different perspective to what I've always done before.

Also, "The Stroke of Midnight" by Laurell Hamilton. Probably my last of one of hers, don't think I can finish it...like the first one, but they've gotten more overwrought as the series continues.

Forgot to ask, is there a good book to start with reading Neil Gaiman?

I've only read Anansi Boys and American Gods. I don't think it really matters which one you start with. Maybe Stardust, since it's a shorter book, and the movie's out soon. He hasn't written any sequels so there's no fixed order.

I'd second that. Neverwhere is another good read, but I think the best of those to date (all mentioned above) of his that I've read is American Gods.

But I've also never read anything from The Sandman era.

Maybe I can start with the older ones, then.

I'm short of cash and good reading material, so the used book shops and Salvation Army are where I usually shop. Thanks!

The tree stuff was definitely in the audio version of "American Gods". I agree its pretty important to the story.

Well perhaps my source was wrong, I shall have to ask her when she gets back from researching in Washington.

im currently reading one flew over the cukoos nest

Re Neil Gaiman and weird coincidences ...

I have just (this lunchtime) finished reading "Fragile Things", a collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman. I then came here for the first time in weeks for inspiration on what to read next, only to find a discussion about "American Gods", which I was considering tracking down anyway, because of references to it in "Fragile Things". (The last story, "Monarch of the Glen" follows on from "American Gods").

My only previous experience of Gaiman was Neverwhere and Good Omens - I had not heard of his other books until reading "Fragile Things". I am now planning on buying "American Gods" and "Anansi Boys" to take on holiday next week (I think it would be rude not to!). I can't believe those two books are the last two discussed in this thread, which has prompted me to make sure I get the full version of American Gods. Strange.

Oh, and to top it all off, this week I ended up watching the DVD of Neverwhere, which my boyfriend recently bought from Amazon on a whim. All very, very spooky indeed.

Back to the review ...

On the whole, I enjoyed "Fragile Things". At first I found some of the stories frustrating because they weren't quite rounded enough - they didn't always have the usual neat beginning middle & end I expect in a short story, but on the other hand, the more incomplete tales made me think, or were quite haunting, which was also good. I found the more I read, the more I liked. Some stories are much better than others and there are a few which I just didn't get, but they are so short, it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. All in all it's a great collection to dip in and out of - perfect for commuting, or filling in time between books!

" ... the DVD of Neverwhere ... All very, very spooky indeed."

And funny:

[Answering the phone]
Mr. Croup: Croup and Vandemar, the Old Firm, obstacles obliterated, nuisances eradicated, bothersome limbs removed and tutelary dentistry undertaken.

...

Mr. Croup: If you cut us, do we not bleed?
Mr. Vandemaar: [pondering] No.

I meant the Neil Gaiman coincidences that keep cropping up are spooky, but I suppose it could apply to Neverwhere too!

Croup and Vandemar - very funny in a very disturbing way!