What are you reading in general?

Post by **Loredoctor** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:41 pm

Reading a biography on Wilfred Owen.

Post by **Cheval** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:36 pm

Just started Dean Koontz - Winter Moon
Haven't gotten to Chapter 3 yet.

Post by **Encryptic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:29 pm

onewyteduck wrote:
Encryptic wrote:I'm working on "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco. One of those classics that I've been meaning to read for a while, but never got around to it. Just happened to see it on the shelf at the library while looking for something else and decided to check it out.

I'm enjoying it so far, although it certainly isn't light reading by any means.
Best of luck to you! It's one of my all time favorite movies (just bought it the other day, as a matter of fact) but was never able to get into the book. I've made 3 attempts so far. But, perhaps, some day?

I bought the movie a couple of weeks ago at Wal-Mart, of all places. Great movie (Sean Connery is excellent as always). Perhaps not as faithful to the book as it could be, but still one of the better book to movie adaptations I've seen.

Spoiler

I'm glad they were faithful to the book and didn't Hollywoodize the plot. The tagline on the DVD case sounded cheesy ("They believed in God but traded with the Devil"), so I was wondering if they would keep the original plot.

The depiction of the labyrinth was interesting, if not 100% faithful to the book. (Were there stairs in the labyrinth?) Not to mention, I could have sworn William died at the end of the book, instead of escaping the fire. I also believe Bernardo didn't die, or at least not in the rather graphic fashion depicted in the movie.

Finally....I'm still wondering about this: What does the title of the book/movie refer to?

I had thought it might refer to the Holy Grail (sometimes called the Mystic Rose, from what I'm given to understand), but after reading the book, that doesn't seem to hold water.

At the end of the movie, Adso says something about never knowing the name of the girl, so I had guessed it might be referring to that.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 3:16 am

Spoiler

The boy thought William died, but he reappeared out of the smoke.

That is, if my 21 year old memory of the book serves me.

Post by **Encryptic** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 6:39 pm

Dragonlily wrote:
Spoiler
The boy thought William died, but he reappeared out of the smoke.
That is, if my 21 year old memory of the book serves me.

Heh. I just read it a couple weeks ago and I can't remember either.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:19 am

I've read it four or five times, and I can't remember either.

--A

Post by **Dragonlily** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:38 pm

Well, somebody look it up and find out!

I would say the suspense is killing me, except it's not bad enough to make me wedge myself in behind my desk and dig around until I find the book.

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 9:06 am

OK, I'll check when I get home, (If I remember) and post the answer tomorrow. Maybe we should have a Gen Lit Trivia thread?

--A

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:48 am

*shame* Totally slipped my mind, so now chances are that I'll only be able to post it on tuesday, 'cause I doubt that I'll remember any better over the weekend. Sorry.

--A

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 1:42 pm

A very strange, 1930s copy of a short-story collection entitled The Haunted Jester by a man named Donald Corley. Has anyone read this book? I can't find it anywhere online.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:56 am

A mystery called MAISIE DOBBS. Elegance of image, elegance of writing, and elegance of soul. It is beautiful, moving, and down-to-earth all at once. I'm at Chapter 7 and not stopping.

Post by **Cybrweez** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:31 pm

I'm finishing up Robots of Dawn, by Asimov. I read the Foundation series long ago, and its like Star Wars now, I'm finding out how it all came to be. It is a pretty good series tho.

Post by **Lord Mhoram** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:39 pm

Julian by Gore Vidal, about the life of Julian the Apostate, Emperor of Rome.

Excellent novel.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:34 pm

Excellent novel indeed! I reread that one every now and then.

Post by **duke** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:42 am

Just started Joyce's 'A portrait of the artist as a young man'. I'll see how I go...

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:45 am

I finished Jacqueline Winspear's PARDONABLE LIES, and I don't know what I'm going to feel like when I start reading tomorrow. It might be Alexander McCall Smith's THE NO. 1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY, or Michael Curtis Ford's GODS AND LEGIONS about Emperor Julian mentioned above. Or something else, who knows?

Post by **duchess of malfi** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:20 pm

I love that mystery series by Smith.

Wonderful, down to earth, practical, intelligent warm hearted main character in the fascinating setting of Botswana.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:30 pm

That's what it's going to be next, then.

Post by **Ainulindale** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:11 pm

Reading the ridiculously gifted Yukio Mishima, finsihed his Confession's of a Mask, and now working on The Golden Pavillion.

Post by **Dragonlily** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:09 pm

I'm reading EMILIE'S VOICE, set in Louis XIV's Paris and Versaille. If you, like me, have a special love of music gloriously described in prose, this is for you. It is about the way a young singer gets sucked into the cut throat political maneuvering of the king's mistresses.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

What are you reading in general?