Author Topic: Another step in the wrong direction...  (Read 1710 times)

Redundant

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Another step in the wrong direction...
« on: April 03, 2012, 11:21:38 PM »
...cos it's what I do best I suspect.   I set myself what I thought was a simple task, five books; all of which I must have read more than once [several times being optimal] and which had "something other" than just being a good read.   The first bit was easy, I have the memory of...anyway the second bit caused all sorts of problems, I had to reject Lord of the Rings for example, great book, read it maybe four or five times but...no "something other", at least for me.   So finally, here is the list, in no particular order:

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell - I've been a Socialist, or at least tried to be, for most of my life, and this book keeps me as honest as I can be, not an easy read given the style and period of writing, but well worth the effort.

Shadow Falls by Simon R Green - To add to my faults I'm an Atheist, but if I had to have any faith at all, or had to simply accept without proof, Simon Green creates just the kind of place I could cope with, and even have a little faith in.

Legend by David Gemmell - Let's be honest, probably any book by the late David Gemmell, he created characters like no other author I have ever read, dragged you into their lives and made you actually care what happened to them, and always left you feeling a little bit friendlier towards the human race as a whole, if only for a little while.

HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean - Although it's been quite a while, technically I think I have read this one the most often, well past a dozen, this book played a minor role in my deciding to join the Royal Navy when I was 16, as part of my escape plan at the time from the Isle of Man, and given that it wasn't too bad a decision, I remain grateful to it.

And last but certainly not least Skallagrigg by William Horwood - If I was going to tell anyone to read anything, this would be the one.   This book presses every emotional button you might think you own to, and probably several more you might be unaware of.   If this book doesn't shock your world, clinically you're dead.   This book was, and remains the most difficult-to-read book I know of, even after reading it several times.   I confess my younger sister suffered a similar condition to some of the characters in the book which could be my "something other" but it isn't, this book does it all on it's own merits.   

Your turn, if you can be bothered, just play it by the rules above.   Incidentally "The Ragged Trousered Philantropists" is freely available from Project Gutenberg [in various formats] here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3608

Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #1 on: April 04, 2012, 12:51:40 AM »
I only read Hello Candada
People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad

Redundant

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #2 on: April 04, 2012, 02:06:19 AM »
I only read Hello Candada

Does that one have the painting by numbers thingie?  I love that, and Dennis as I recall likes Crosswords [he likes to colour in the white squares I think].   I checked on-line and apparently Hello Canada, or Candada as it is more popularly known, is actually ghost written, which is clever.

Malc

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #3 on: April 04, 2012, 05:17:42 AM »
My brother's ex father-in-law, Archie Hind, adapted The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists for the stage. I went to see it performed by the 7:84 theatre group at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.

It was rubbish.

I saw Skallagrigg on the Telly. The ending seemed to be centred around the fact that one troubled soul had mispronounced the word "Scallywag" since he was a child, hence "Skallagrigg".

I know these aren't the same as actually reading the books, but I never seem to have time.

Redundant

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2012, 10:10:49 AM »
My brother's ex father-in-law, Archie Hind, adapted The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists for the stage. I went to see it performed by the 7:84 theatre group at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.

It was rubbish.

I actually remembered the name Archie Hind, and his book of course.   His childhood background was similar to my own, probably why I remember.

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I saw Skallagrigg on the Telly. The ending seemed to be centred around the fact that one troubled soul had mispronounced the word "Scallywag" since he was a child, hence "Skallagrigg".

In a former life were you by any chance a critic?   Your summary of the central theme, or at least the ending of the story is...  You are also braver than me, I have had the television series of Skallagrigg stored on my computer for about a year, haven't had the bottle to watch it yet, mainly because of the books profound effect on me already.

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I know these aren't the same as actually reading the books, but I never seem to have time.

Technically I was looking for your list of five books of a similar ilk to my own, but I guess in this example we could settle on "Beau Beep books One to Five"?

Offline The Peepmaster

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2012, 04:05:35 PM »
Advice to Mince... You're only allowed to nominate 5 books you've actually read, or in your case, finished colouring-in.
Nostalgia is not what it used to be. 😟

Malc

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2012, 10:13:45 AM »
Cider With Rosie
Catcher In The Rye
A Study In Scarlet
The Hobbit
The Cat In The Hat

Offline Diane CBPFC

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Re: Another step in the wrong direction...
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2012, 05:29:51 PM »
This is an interesting Beau Peep/book reading connection. Due to Peeps telling us about the micro-loan group Kiva on the Beau Peep forums and me then joining a book club team within Kiva, I have read the following books that have to do with human rights and poverty and making the world better.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Beauty of Humanity Movement by Camilla Gibb
King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman
Damned Nations by Samantha Nutt
Currently reading: Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

It is interesting how one thing leads to another – nice to have a friend like Nige who helps people grow in a positive direction.
People will come from strange lands to hear me speak my words of wisdom. They will ask me the secret of life and I will tell them. Then maybe I'll finish off with a song. The Nomad