Kevin's Watch

Avatar wrote:Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind.

--A

I intend on reading that some day, but the movie was amazing.

The GF saw the movie and said it was good. Enjoyed the book, well translated. Ending was a little weak I thought.

--A

My wife has trouble remembering the name of the movie/book, and often refers to it as "Scent of a Woman," which is a much more apt title.

Hahaha, very appropriate.

--A

Cagliostro wrote:My wife has trouble remembering the name of the movie/book, and often refers to it as "Scent of a Woman," which is a much more apt title.

oddly enough i am reading -

the Science and Art of Perfumery - edward sagarin

Hmmm, just read Paul Goldings The Abomination, (meh) and Tony Fitzjohn's Born Wild about George Adamson's life and death and the rehabilitation of lions for release, and his work in Tanzania, which was very good.

--A

Apocalypse Not by John Michael Greer, which I am really enjoying. He traces the apocalyptic meme through history, starting with Zarathustra (the original, not our guy ). And he's funny. I may post a review in the Close after I'm done reading it.

I have to start reading David Copperfield soon, I have to start my term paper on it Monday. I should've started last week, but there are more important things in life, like football and procrastinating doing my term paper

Hahaha, not exactly my favourite Dickens.

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Oh, minor synchronicity, I love it. I am about to read what there is of dickens "the mystery of edwin drood" in preparation for reading Dan Simmons novel "Drood." I have high hopes, I think Simmons is great.

Just finished Stuart Chase's "The Proper Study of Mankind", an exploration of the social sciences which gives an interesting look into how the world must have looked to people in the 50s who were looking into that mysterious, ephemeral thing known as tikkun olam (IIRC reparing the world). Essentially argues quite properly that social science, like all science, is properly conducted with conclusions coming after accumulation of evidence. Definitely sticks to the national level, perhaps very clearly cognizant of the fact that the national level is best maintained for those who come back from wartime intact.

Stonemaybe wrote:Finished Cloud Atlas. I can't exactly say why I thought it, but I did think it was superb.

Jumps about in time all over the place, with hugely varying storylines but with good linking. Kind of like a dystopian fairytale with hints (just hints) of a happy ending.

I just finished it. Distinctly disappointing, I thought. The reasons are lengthy and detailed. The (too) short version is: the Sonmi/Zachry pair of stories felt like the real Cloud Atlas, and all the others seemed like unrelated short stories that Mitchell had lying around and shoved in just to pad it out to a publishable length. I found the Sonmi/Zachry chapters fascinating and engrossing, and if that had been the full extent of the book I'd have nothing but praise for it. As it stands, most of the book is irrelevant filler, hence the disappointment.

Cj! Is it just me, or have you been scarce lately? Nice to see you around.

--A

Halfway through Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, because it was light (actual weight, not literary weight) and I was on a plane. Ok so far, and certainly much quicker to read than Gene Wolfe! I've never read any Ann Patchett before.

And in response to the Perfume comments above, (or Scent of a Woman as I shall now be calling it ), it was a while ago that I read it, but I remember really enjoying it and also being surprised at the quality of the movie version. Great cinematography from memory.

ETA:

Ok so far

Finished now and it was better than 'Ok'. Made me want to go to the opera. (Only been once and that was as a teenager in Germany. The opera was in Italian and the subtitles in German!) Anyway time to go again me thinks.

Yeah, the GF said the movie was really good.

I'm reading London by Edward Rutherford. Sorta historical fiction, huge sprawling novel that runs from 54BC to 1997.

It's about London if you hadn't guessed.

--A

just finished



and will probably move on to her next book. she's irish. soul of a poet.
pretty good.

Avatar wrote:I'm reading London by Edward Rutherford. Sorta historical fiction, huge sprawling novel that runs from 54BC to 1997.

It's about London if you hadn't guessed.

--A

I liked that book. Rutherford is pretty good, in general, I think; he does that kind of historical fiction better than Ken Follett, imho. After I read Sarum, I was all gung-ho to see Salisbury Cathedral -- alas, haven't been there yet.

Yeah, I've read it before, but none of his others. Prefer PotE myself, but this is certainly ambitious. Just some of the story-lines are a bit boring.

--A

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.

--A