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

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is one of my favorite books, and one of the funniest I've ever read, too. I hope you'll enjoy it.

"'A Confederacy of Dunces' is one of my favorite books ..."

I second the motion, the protagonist (a modern Don Quixote per Wikipedia) is one of the most memorable characters I can ... uhh, remember. I have an audio version that I think adds to the whole farce via good voice acting. I have heard that New Orleanians are not too happy about the image, but I wonder if that's true.

"I dust a bit...in addition, I am at the moment writing a lengthy indictment against our century. When my brain begins to reel from my literary labors, I make an occasional cheese dip."

~ Ignatius J. Reilly in Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Oof, PC. That hadn't occurred to me. But read on. There's a twist at the end...

No worries, Ed. Without giving anything away and spoiling it for anyone else who wants to read it... I've met Bella by now and see Baxter's medical ethics in a whole different light.

I'm enjoying the story! Now I'll look forward to that twist at the end.

Jsut finished 'Pegasus Descending' by James Lee Burke. Typical of the Robicheaux novels, really. Excellent, very violent, a study in rage, violence, and evil. I never think of them as detective novels..

Thoroughly enjoyed the light relief of Terry Pratchett's Making Money. Perfect holiday reading (not that I actually read very much while we were on holiday).
Some travel writing next I think, 'Oracle Bones' by Peter Hessler. I liked his previous book describing his experiences teaching in China, hoping this one will be as interesting.

I just finshed to sail beyond the sunset and started the Algabraist

I'm reading one of the books we inherited - A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines, which was filmed as 'Kes'. It's not a book I would have bought for myself, and I don't think I'll keep it, but the descriptive writing is very good.

Ooh! Barry Hines used to stop by the student CND stall I used to run at lunchtimes.

Thats cool. I'm reading the algebraist

Finished 'Kes' and, no, I won't keep it. I've started Animal Farm by George Orwell. I'm already nearly half-way through. This copy is too tatty to keep, so I'll replace it at some time.

I love animal farm and havent read it for ages. I just generally love orwell

I'd forgotten how good Animal Farm is! I'm two-thirds of the way through, now, and I'll have finished it by tonight. Next on the list is Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

the old "homage to catalonia" has to be his best work in my book



seriously i think it shoudl be in classes at school and not for stuffy academic types in pubs that told me to go and get it

it did make me REALLY love Barcelona...wondered if anyone had thoughts about it being historically biased as this month's copy of World Soccer magazine says the Madrid/Barcelona Fascist/Red split wasn't as prominent as it makes out in Orwell's book

i mean even if you don't really care, what d'you think?

Haven't read that one. I loved "Down and Out in Paris and London" and "Keep the Aspidistra Flying". But the "Homage to Catalonia" sounds great... so it goes onto my list. Hope the library near my house has it- I'm off work next week and it sounds like a great summer read.

I loved Animal Farm and am writting a guide entery on Brave New World

Brave New World has joined the list of books to be replaced. I may even invest in Brave New World Revisited.

I read both Brave New World and Animal Farm years ago. I think my sister was doing them at school for some reason (not English Lit. O Level), and I borrowed her copies. That was more years ago than I like to think about. I was probably a bit young for them at the time, particularly for Brave New World. I've found that with other books, though. I didn't enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird, partly because we picked it apart for English Lit. I also didn't enjoy Anna Karenina when I read it when I was about 20 years old. I've read both books more recently, having matured a good bit, and I certainly got more out of them.

what is anna karenina all about then?

is it like pride and prejudice?

>>what is anna karenina all about then?

The opening sentence:
'All happy families are alike. Each unhappy family is unique in its own misery'

Basically, flighty bird leaves husband and goes off with dashing bloke. Throws herself under train.


Woody Allen:
'I've just taken a speed-reading course. Last night I managed to complete War and Peace in under three hours. It's about some Russians.'

Oh...and Orwell:
Burmese Days.

He had tribal tattoos on his hands. Didn't go down well in the Imperial Constabulary.