Favorite Books/Authors

ElectricMayhem1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
233
Reaction score
67
Yeah. I heard stories of his father who climbed up that wall into France to escape from the Nazis. His mother also, lived in Hungary when the war broke out there. They never were put in a camp though but they still had horrifying stories.
Wow.......that's good that they were never put in Camps........
 

newsmanfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
2,927
Reaction score
1,663
--------------------
Personal histories are just as fascinating as fiction, IMHO. Glad yours made it through, Muppet fan 123. I was asst stage manager for a production of "Diary of Anne Frank" once and even backstage there wasn't a dry eye at the end, although we all had seen/heard it dozens of times. Powerful stuff.

--------------------
 

The Shoe Fairy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
1,598
Reaction score
28
Author-wise : Shaun Tan, Neil Gaiman, Matthew Reilly, Nick Cave, Ray Bradbury, C.S. Lewis,Michael Crichton, Maurice Sendak, Art Spiegelman

With regard to individual books, I'm a big fan of biographies/autobiographies (Stuff on artists, autism and drug addiction I find the most interesting), I really enjoyed Catcher in the Rye in retrospect, but only in intepreting it my own way and not being force fed the dirt sandwich of a meaning my English teacher thought it had - that ruined the experience of the book when I read it, I couldn't find any deeper meaning. My main issue with books as novels is that there are very few I read and immensely enjoy throughout, or find a proper meaning embedded in them (if there is). This is why I much prefer visual literature - picture books, comics, graphic novels - and actively challenge the notion that such media is aimed at children (this is where Japan got it right). Most of the stuff I read now is just because I have an obligation to do so for school and that annoys me. If anyone can reccomend me something dark/gritty but with philosophical themes, I'm all for it.
 

Sgt Floyd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Messages
27,875
Reaction score
2,542
I really enjoyed Catcher in the Rye in retrospect, but only in intepreting it my own way and not being force fed the dirt sandwich of a meaning my English teacher thought it had - that ruined the experience of the book when I read it, I couldn't find any deeper meaning.
Care to pm me what you teacher told you? I'm kind of interested in what s/he said
 

CensoredAlso

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 16, 2002
Messages
14,028
Reaction score
2,292
I really enjoyed Catcher in the Rye in retrospect, but only in intepreting it my own way and not being force fed the dirt sandwich of a meaning my English teacher thought it had - that ruined the experience of the book when I read it, I couldn't find any deeper meaning.
Care to pm me what you teacher told you? I'm kind of interested in what s/he said
Shoe Fairy, I'd also like to know what your teacher said, and what your interpretation was, because I found a lot of deeper meaning in Catcher in the Rye. Not saying it's the same as your teacher's, but like I said I'm just curious. :smile:

If anyone can reccomend me something dark/gritty but with philosophical themes, I'm all for it.
Yes, Catcher in the Rye. :wink:
 

ElectricMayhem1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Messages
233
Reaction score
67
I'm just reading Rutka's Notebook: A voice from the Holocaust By: Rutka Laskier!..it's sad........
 

newsmanfan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
2,927
Reaction score
1,663
------------------
Shoe Fairy, I would suggest, although both are "classic lit" and not illustrated: "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
"Being There" by Jerzy Kosinski

Both are dark, dreamy, and ultimately a little unsettling -- I personally found "Being There" both funny and terrifying. (The movie, with Peter Sellers, is good, but please read the book first!)

----------------------
 

Sgt Floyd

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2006
Messages
27,875
Reaction score
2,542
Aw, Flowers for Algernon was sad. I read both the short story and saw the movie. I don't usually cry over those things but Flowers for Algernon really got to me.
 

charlietheowl

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2011
Messages
2,752
Reaction score
1,809
I'm reading The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It's really sad but really good. I'm gonna have to find a movie version of it after I've finished reading it.
 
Top