What book are you reading at the moment?

[DylanC]

Just curious to see if anyone wants to share what book they're reading at the moment, and whether you recommend it or not. I'm currently reading The Shining by Stephen King and it's phenomenal. 

[The Blackangel]

Right now I'm reading Othello. It's a great story. The last one of Shakespeare's plays I read was MacBeth. I loved it. I'm also reading a lot of Poe. The Raven aside, The Bells is one of his best poems. And The Cask Of Amontillado is his absolute best story. The Fall Of The House Of Usher is another great.

I also read The Illiad recently. It was a great read too.

Edited March 11, 2019 by The Blackangel

[DylanC]

1 hour ago, The Blackangel said:

Right now I'm reading Othello. It's a great story. The last one of Shakespeare's plays I read was MacBeth. I loved it. I'm also reading a lot of Poe. The Raven aside, The Bells is one of his best poems. And The Cask Of Amontillado is his absolute best story. The Fall Of The House Of Usher is another great.

I also read The Illiad recently. It was a great read too.

Wow, that’s a lot of the classics right there! I read the Illiad and The Raven in University and enjoyed them. My memory of them is a little hazy, though. Macbeth is phenomenal, one of my all time favourites, for sure. Not read Othello, but I’ll put it on my to-do list. I’d like to read more Poe at some point, too. I love gothic horror and he’s arguably one of the pioneers of that sub-genre. Thanks for commenting!

[The Blackangel]

In my personal opinion, Poe is the greatest writer in American history, and also one of the best in the world. His insight into the human mind was something that hasn't been equaled before or since. Especially insanity and misery. He wrote from the darkest depths of his own soul, and created some of the greatest works ever. One of my most prized possessions is a book with all of his works. I have the same with all of Shakespeare's works. If you like sonnets, check out Shakespeare's sonnet 141. It's a great one.

[DylanC]

40 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

In my personal opinion, Poe is the greatest writer in American history, and also one of the best in the world. His insight into the human mind was something that hasn't been equaled before or since. Especially insanity and misery. He wrote from the darkest depths of his own soul, and created some of the greatest works ever. One of my most prized possessions is a book with all of his works. I have the same with all of Shakespeare's works. If you like sonnets, check out Shakespeare's sonnet 141. It's a great one.

Thanks for recommending both Poe and Shakespeare. They’re both very scholarly authors who I’d like to read more of. I think when I’ve finished with The Shining, I’ll try and segue into some Poe or Shakespeare. By chance, what do you think of Kurt Vonnegut and John Steinbeck? Both Slaughterhouse 5 and Of Mice And Men are a couple of my personal faves.

[The Blackangel]

I can't say I'm familiar with Vonnegut. Actually I've never heard the name. Steinbeck on the other hand wrote some beautiful stories. I think Of Mice And Men was probably his best. The Grapes Of Wrath was also an excellent story. He's up towards the top of the list or writers I would recommend. He's there alongside Hemingway, King, and Faulkner.

[DylanC]

18 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

I can't say I'm familiar with Vonnegut. Actually I've never heard the name. Steinbeck on the other hand wrote some beautiful stories. I think Of Mice And Men was probably his best. The Grapes Of Wrath was also an excellent story. He's up towards the top of the list or writers I would recommend. He's there alongside Hemingway, King, and Faulkner.

Yep, Steinbeck is a terrific writer. Of Mice And Men is incredible and one of my favourites. Kurt Vonnegut is another favourite author of mine. A little more contempory, but Slaughterhouse 5 is a seminal novel for me. In a nutshell, it focuses on the Dresden bombing in WW2, in which Vonnegut was one of the few remaining survivors of. If you get a chance, check it out. It’s wonderfully written.

[The Blackangel]

Two classics I recommend everyone should read are Pride & Prejudice and War And Peace. I haven't been able to find an unabridged copy in any of the book stores around here, and so far the ones I've found online have been a bit out of my price range. It's been so long since I've read either one, that I honestly don't remember much of either story. One writer I do recommend Ayn Rand. Her writings may controversial to some, but a lot of it is intellectually thought provoking.

[DylanC]

1 hour ago, The Blackangel said:

Two classics I recommend everyone should read are Pride & Prejudice and War And Peace. I haven't been able to find an unabridged copy in any of the book stores around here, and so far the ones I've found online have been a bit out of my price range. It's been so long since I've read either one, that I honestly don't remember much of either story. One writer I do recommend Ayn Rand. Her writings may controversial to some, but a lot of it is intellectually thought provoking.

Funnily enough, a long time ago, I started reading War and Peace and couldn’t get into it, though I was a lot younger then. Will try and track down a copy in a second hand bookshop. I’ll also keep an eye out for Ayn Rand - I’ve heard of her. Pretty sure her works are a big influence on Bioshock’s narrative.