Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:45 pm Post subject: What are you reading now?
I think it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to what we are currently reading, with short commentaries.
I have just finished "Our history - 20 years of free Poland 1989-2009" by Witold Bereś & Krzysztof Burnetko
On June 4th this year we celebrated the symbolic date of the end of communism in Poland. Two Polish journalists bring back the memories of the past 20 years - major events year by year and people who shaped the post-communist Poland.
Currently I am reading "Discovering America" by Mariusz Max Kolonko.
Mariusz Max Kolonko is a journalist and TV correspondent who emigrated to the USA at the end of 80s, 20 dollars in his pocket, and he is a perfect example of how the American dream can come true.
The book is a collection of stories that he wrote during his frequent trips across America, visiting famous places.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: What are you reading now?
KSa wrote:
I think it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to what we are currently reading, with short commentaries.
I have just finished "Our history - 20 years of free Poland 1989-2009" by Witold Bereś & Krzysztof Burnetko
On June 4th this year we celebrated the symbolic date of the end of communism in Poland. Two Polish journalists bring back the memories of the past 20 years - major events year by year and people who shaped the post-communist Poland.
Currently I am reading "Discovering America" by Mariusz Max Kolonko.
Mariusz Max Kolonko is a journalist and TV correspondent who emigrated to the USA at the end of 80s, 20 dollars in his pocket, and he is a perfect example of how the American dream can come true.
The book is a collection of stories that he wrote during his frequent trips across America, visiting famous places.
I'm still waiting for that piece from you on what it was liking living under communism, and experiencing the end of it! I'd love to read that book, comparing it to our own experiences here. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Currently on a sci-fi kick -- something I liked as a kid but got out of for many years. I'm just finishing up my 50th+ re-reading of John Varley's Demon, which concludes his wild saga about the adventures and machinations of assorted characters in a world that is itself an intelligent and craftily senile alien artifact who has watched way too many Earth movies and television broadcasts. And now wants to act them out.
I have also recently finished a slew of books by Scottish sci-fi novelist Charles Stross. Halting State was great speculative fiction about how our current entertainment technology might evolve in the near future and The Atrocity Archives was an attempt to meld sci-fi and fantasy and Kafkaesque -- or, worse -- Dilbertian bureaucratic insanity. But while entertaining, neither of them held a candle to his Accelerando, which was practically at the level of William Gibson's Neuromancer -- absolutely visionary! And had downloaded lobsters in it, no less. _________________ An apple a day....
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 7:56 pm Post subject: Re: What are you reading now?
André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
KSa wrote:
I think it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to what we are currently reading, with short commentaries.
I have just finished "Our history - 20 years of free Poland 1989-2009" by Witold Bereś & Krzysztof Burnetko
On June 4th this year we celebrated the symbolic date of the end of communism in Poland. Two Polish journalists bring back the memories of the past 20 years - major events year by year and people who shaped the post-communist Poland.
Currently I am reading "Discovering America" by Mariusz Max Kolonko.
Mariusz Max Kolonko is a journalist and TV correspondent who emigrated to the USA at the end of 80s, 20 dollars in his pocket, and he is a perfect example of how the American dream can come true.
The book is a collection of stories that he wrote during his frequent trips across America, visiting famous places.
I'm still waiting for that piece from you on what it was liking living under communism, and experiencing the end of it! I'd love to read that book, comparing it to our own experiences here.
I think I expressed that, somewhat awkwardly, here:
Currently on a sci-fi kick -- something I liked as a kid but got out of for many years. I'm just finishing up my 50th+ re-reading of John Varley's Demon, which concludes his wild saga about the adventures and machinations of assorted characters in a world that is itself an intelligent and craftily senile alien artifact who has watched way too many Earth movies and television broadcasts. And now wants to act them out.
I have also recently finished a slew of books by Scottish sci-fi novelist Charles Stross. Halting State was great speculative fiction about how our current entertainment technology might evolve in the near future and The Atrocity Archives was an attempt to meld sci-fi and fantasy and Kafkaesque -- or, worse -- Dilbertian bureaucratic insanity. But while entertaining, neither of them held a candle to his Accelerando, which was practically at the level of William Gibson's Neuromancer -- absolutely visionary! And had downloaded lobsters in it, no less.
Uriel, have you heard of the Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem?
His most famous book is "Solaris" and as far as I know many of his books were translated into dozens of languages including English, of course.
Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject: Re: What are you reading now?
KSa wrote:
André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
KSa wrote:
I think it would be nice to have a thread dedicated to what we are currently reading, with short commentaries.
I have just finished "Our history - 20 years of free Poland 1989-2009" by Witold Bereś & Krzysztof Burnetko
On June 4th this year we celebrated the symbolic date of the end of communism in Poland. Two Polish journalists bring back the memories of the past 20 years - major events year by year and people who shaped the post-communist Poland.
Currently I am reading "Discovering America" by Mariusz Max Kolonko.
Mariusz Max Kolonko is a journalist and TV correspondent who emigrated to the USA at the end of 80s, 20 dollars in his pocket, and he is a perfect example of how the American dream can come true.
The book is a collection of stories that he wrote during his frequent trips across America, visiting famous places.
I'm still waiting for that piece from you on what it was liking living under communism, and experiencing the end of it! I'd love to read that book, comparing it to our own experiences here.
I think I expressed that, somewhat awkwardly, here:
I will happy to supplement this account if you have any questions.
Forgot about that! Reread it now, and I'm glad to say I'm a lot more positive about my own country than I was back then! _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
Currently on a sci-fi kick -- something I liked as a kid but got out of for many years. I'm just finishing up my 50th+ re-reading of John Varley's Demon, which concludes his wild saga about the adventures and machinations of assorted characters in a world that is itself an intelligent and craftily senile alien artifact who has watched way too many Earth movies and television broadcasts. And now wants to act them out.
I have also recently finished a slew of books by Scottish sci-fi novelist Charles Stross. Halting State was great speculative fiction about how our current entertainment technology might evolve in the near future and The Atrocity Archives was an attempt to meld sci-fi and fantasy and Kafkaesque -- or, worse -- Dilbertian bureaucratic insanity. But while entertaining, neither of them held a candle to his Accelerando, which was practically at the level of William Gibson's Neuromancer -- absolutely visionary! And had downloaded lobsters in it, no less.
Uriel, have you heard of the Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem?
His most famous book is "Solaris" and as far as I know many of his books were translated into dozens of languages including English, of course.
No, but it's funny you mention that -- i almost rented Solaris yesterday! The George Clooney version, not the original, which I think is in Russian. I will have to check the book out one day. _________________ An apple a day....
André, but how is Zimbabwe doing? The whole of Europe was talking about the miserable economic and political situation of this country some 1-2 years ago but I haven't heard too much about the current condition since then.
No, but it's funny you mention that -- i almost rented Solaris yesterday! The George Clooney version, not the original, which I think is in Russian. I will have to check the book out one day.
Generally the book's main topic is the futile attempt to communicate with an alien form of life in the universe.
Yes, the original movie version was directed by Andrei Tarkovski in the 1972. But you'd better try the Clooney's version (directed by S. Soderbergh). It's more entertainment-oriented, the soviet version is much more, I'd say, "philosophically overdone".
André, but how is Zimbabwe doing? The whole of Europe was talking about the miserable economic and political situation of this country some 1-2 years ago but I haven't heard too much about the current condition since then.
They have a coalition government there now between Mugabe's party and the opposition. Not much has improved yet, but at least it's not worsening either. Zimbabweans are no longer streaming over the border to SA, but those who are already here, are not returning yet. There will only be real progress when Mugabe goes. _________________ Toe ek jonk was, het ek al die antwoorde geken. Nou verstaan ek nie eens die vrae nie.
I'm reading "Also sprach Zaratustra" by Nietzsche.. Sometimes "Human anatomy" when I'm done with philosophy . Last times I've also tried Goethe's "Faust" but fast left it as I had not too much time to think about it (definitely it's not an easy book.. ) _________________ "- Med tid og tålmodighet, blir morbærbladet silke.
- Mit Zeit und Geduld, wird das Maulbeerblatt Seide
- With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes silk"
Great books for anyone who likes Detective Books. All these books are set in the world of, or related to, Horse racing. Any who likes Horses and Detective Books will like these books.
Happy reading _________________ Englishman living and working in Ukraine for English Russian Language TV spent 8 years living in Post Elizabeth, South Africa and loved it!
Those books are pure pleasure ;) At the moment I'm having holiday so I have time to study such literature.. Actualy, last times belestristics is out of my interest :/ Last book in prose I enjoyed really much was Dostoyevski's
"Преступление и наказание" (Crime and Punishment)...
In general I'm cogitating a lot of so-called "overman" or accepting german version of the word: Übermensch (Don't assocciate my interests with nationalism... I only mean over-average individual..)
And human anatomy? Having finished school year I've been freed from boring biology lessons. Now I can study it for my own without getting annoyed :D _________________ "- Med tid og tålmodighet, blir morbærbladet silke.
- Mit Zeit und Geduld, wird das Maulbeerblatt Seide
- With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes silk"
Gosh, I remember reading a book on human biology as a kid that talked about Ubermenschen, in so many words (was it The Reproductive Imperative? Something like that) Anyway, it was a very humorous observation that while popular logic has it that people blessed in one respect are generally balanced out by deficiencies in others -- that very smart people have no social skills, or that beautiful people are likely to have unpleasant personalities -- the statistics don't seem to bear this out. Statistically, there are a lot of people who are smart, successful, kind, popular, and disgustingly good-looking to boot, all wrapped up in one irritatingly glorious package. Instead of having some glaring fault the rest of us schmoes can gloat over, it seems like these people are in every way Just A Little Bit Better Than You. The author called these people Basic Better People, and argued that there is some evolutionary pressure to keep all these fantastic genes clustered together, which allows their owners to thrive and ultimately pass their annoying perfection on to their progeny.[/u] _________________ An apple a day....
In a nutshell - why should any justice exist? It's unfair with laws of nature...
I think this glorious package might be called "intelligence" :) When one is intelligent, he learns faster to deal with various situations.. One thing he cannot fully change is his appearance.. Apart from this, we have enormous influence what we are like.. Or maybe.. I'd just like it were truth ;) _________________ "- Med tid og tålmodighet, blir morbærbladet silke.
- Mit Zeit und Geduld, wird das Maulbeerblatt Seide
- With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes silk"
Location: El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula
Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:22 pm Post subject:
I must confess that I don't read books as often as I should. I have the toughest time concentrating and often take months to finish one book, if I finish at all. But anyway, I recently picked up this book called "The Night Counter" by Alia Yunis, about an 85-year old Lebanese woman who each night is visited by Scheherazade of "1001 Nights" and relays stories of her family and of her past. But on the 1001st night, her storytelling is supposed to end forever (i.e. death). So far it's a marvelous read and I'll let you all know months from now if it meets my seal of approval.
Well .... I guess we won't hold our breaths, but we will anticipate your review eagerly!
I read the strangest book once, and your book reminded me of it: it was something like the Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, and it was about a modern man who meets the daughter of Sinbad and then has all of Sinbad's tales recounted to him. However, it was bookended by a remembrance of the girl who was his childhood love, and also by memories of a stillborn sister who becomes his imaginary friend throughout childhood. There is lots of wild sex and sensuality in the book, but not all of it is pleasant; his childhood friend is undoubtedly being molested by her own father, and some of Sinbad's exploits are more exploitative than we would like. And it all wraps up together, the modern man from North Carolina and the medieval world of Sinbad the Sailor, in a most unexpected way. Fascinating book! I found it at the library....
I have to agree with you, Losseh, there is no justice in the natural world, and why should there be? I just thought it was funny that intelligence, popularity, AND good looks often statistically go hand in hand! Aaaaagggghhhh! _________________ An apple a day....
Two young Polish Kinga Choszcz and her partner Radosław "Chopin" Siuda went hitchhiking around the world in 1998. It took them 5 years to complete it. The book is a diary of this journey.
The fate of Kinga was terrible: in late 2005 she went on a hitchhiking journey to Africa (this time without her boyfriend). In June 2006 she died of cerebral malaria in Ghana, aged 33.
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