Who's reading what,when & the experience

machadinha · May 1st, 2008, 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by sannna

Strange translation of the title: why use the definite De (The) instead of the indefinite Een (A). I read it in English, loved it, but the translation of the title alone makes me a bit afraid of what the rest of the Dutch translation will be like..

Nah, probably just some editor's decision, thinking the definite article would be more catchy or so. Those translators have a good reputation, don't let it put you off. Stranger things have happened to titles in translation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderwomanusa

Migosh, it must run 2500 pages in Dutch! (I remember when Shogun was published in Dutch and they put it out in two volumes)

When I checked, funny enough it seemed to be about of equal length I think (Dutch translations tend to take on about 10% extra compared to English, so less is better, another thing that speaks for the translators). Shogun: Yeah, maybe another of those marketing moves. Big books put people off I guess, and besides why not let them pay twice

Scandojazzbuff · May 1st, 2008, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by SFtoBLR

Well I just found this thread, and, well, WOW - I'm impressed w/the list & recommendations, you're all a lot smarter than I thought

. I found a list of the "100 best book ever written" somewhere and have been working through it - some new discoveries, and rediscoveries. It's amazing how different those books we HAD to read in school are now, as an adult.

I took a break to read the new Vonnegut (fabtastic collection of short stories) and the new one from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series - I highly recommend these BTW, quick and easy, but still very good reads.

Also plowing through a huge stack of travel and history books on India and SE Asia.

Just saw the Anthony Minghella directed movie of 'The #1 Ladies Detective Agency'. Excellent film. The lead is played by American R&B singer Jill Scott who does a bangup job.

Scandojazzbuff · May 1st, 2008, 09:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by sannna

Having read every single novel in the house library I had no options left over anymore. And I did not want to go to a bookshop. So there I went: I started in Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. And, to my surprise, I find it pretty entertaining so far. I am getting a bit tired of and bored the fact that it seems to be written for people who do not know anything about Bombay/ India (the lenghty descriptions of paan preperations and chewing, on the lunch distribution etc) but apart from that I find myself being curious what will happen next. So we'll see how far I'll get.

Being in prison for 13 years, you have a lot of time to explain the details of everything! His first 2 manuscripts were taken from him by his prison guards and destroyed. It's a remarkable book any way you look at it. Long, but, memorable.

Sama · May 6th, 2008, 00:05

I just finished reading Enlightenment for Idiots (http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-...0008182&sr=8-1) by Anne Cushman.

It's a funny book (this is Anne's first novel -- her first book, From Here to Nirvana, is a Lonely Planet type of book for ashrams and other spiritual "schools" in India) about an aspiring yoga teacher who also writes "for idiots" books -- her publisher sends her to India to write an "enlightenment for idiots" book.

an amusing story on one woman's quest for truth that manages to respect the journey while skewering some of the western spiritual seekers (and their gurus) in India.

Anne's descriptions of India and her desription of the spiritual elitists are right on -- and some of her characters are thinly disguised portraits of Amma, Patahbi Jois, and Sai Baba.

a fun read, fast read, and good summer reading

hyderabad_ki_sher · May 10th, 2008, 20:37

finished baited hook of Stanley gardner....was kewl.....gets a bit boring in the later parts...but worth reading!!!!

Nw reading his horrified heirs

machadinha · May 11th, 2008, 07:50

Funny, the Capt.'s current signature "The cynic must remember that he is a spy" by Epictetus led me to look up its context -- leading to half a night of web reading on the Cynics and the schools of Stoicism and Skepticism, fuzzy Christian schools (as some and not just the wacky seem to claim Cynicism was a major influence on both Jesus and the early Christians), assorted Christian heresies, alternate depictions or interpretations of the life of Christ which have always interested me, the influence on ancient Greek thinking of Indian schools of thought (the "gymnosophists" among them, very interesting also in a modern light), and etc. and yada yada.

How the mind wanders, eh -- and how just a word on IndiaMike can serve to inspire it

iwanttogoback · May 11th, 2008, 10:10

trixie belden novels...

madam princess and i are reading through the set again.

capt_mahajan · May 11th, 2008, 10:25

Quote:

"The cynic must remember that he is a spy" by Epictetus

Great guy. Born a slave, became a philosopher, ran away to Greece from Rome, himself wrote nothing.

And is supposed to have admirers as diverse as Emperor Aurelius and Salinger.

machadinha · May 11th, 2008, 10:33

Yes... I was presented with a photocopy of some of his writings (well, like you say, it's supposed to have been written down by a follower of his) as a young teenager. I suppose the giver thought there might be an affinity there...

Interesting stuff alright.

kristinm · May 11th, 2008, 16:26

Just finished a James Lee Bourke (I love crime fiction) and am trying to shake off all that haunting brooding Southern swampy evil by reading Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction - very funny.

machadinha · May 11th, 2008, 22:29

Burke! It's been a while, but a good read yes.

Nick-H · May 12th, 2008, 00:23

I'm still with Thursday Next.

Compared to the first book in the series, I've been finding the next two a bit of a mess, don't know if I'll carry on after this one. Might be feeling the need for literature again. Or humour, or something!

Aishah · May 12th, 2008, 07:53

The Adrian Mole, Kristin is a newish one in the series? Haven't heard of this (I loved the others) but then I've been 'out of it' for a long time in India, so it may not be so new! Will look out for it... I've two books on the go at the moment - an Elizabeth George (detective one) for reading at night in bed, and Marilynne Robinson's Gilead while I do knitting in the day - it stays open better than the first one! Enjoying both.

kristinm · May 12th, 2008, 13:34

You can have mine when I finish.

capt_mahajan · May 12th, 2008, 22:58

Animal's People, by Indira Sinha.

A fictional story based on the 80's Union Carbide methyl isocyanate leak in Bhopal which killed thousands, and which kills even today.

As a book, bawdy, and it has it's moments. The use of Indian pronounciation-eg, james bond becomes jamispond. And 'apocalypse' becomes 'apokalis', leading to one of my favourite lines from the book

"We are the people of the Apokalis. Tomorrow there will be more of us."

PS: Yeah, I know its wiki, but it's chilling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

May 6th, 2008, 00:05	#1264
Sama aka Chakra Khan Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the India inside my heart Posts: 4,885	Enlightenment for Idiots I just finished reading Enlightenment for Idiots (http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-...0008182&sr=8-1) by Anne Cushman. It's a funny book (this is Anne's first novel -- her first book, From Here to Nirvana, is a Lonely Planet type of book for ashrams and other spiritual "schools" in India) about an aspiring yoga teacher who also writes "for idiots" books -- her publisher sends her to India to write an "enlightenment for idiots" book. an amusing story on one woman's quest for truth that manages to respect the journey while skewering some of the western spiritual seekers (and their gurus) in India. Anne's descriptions of India and her desription of the spiritual elitists are right on -- and some of her characters are thinly disguised portraits of Amma, Patahbi Jois, and Sai Baba. a fun read, fast read, and good summer reading __________________ My India, 2005-2008 "a clear conscience is the sign of a bad memory" Last edited by Sama : May 6th, 2008 at 02:40.

May 12th, 2008, 00:23	#1272
Nick-H Loud-mouthed, Noisy Bird Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chennai, India Posts: 23,120	I'm still with Thursday Next. Compared to the first book in the series, I've been finding the next two a bit of a mess, don't know if I'll carry on after this one. Might be feeling the need for literature again. Or humour, or something! __________________ . IndiaMike Mod Team (The Grumpy One)

May 12th, 2008, 07:53	#1273
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 3,514	The Adrian Mole, Kristin is a newish one in the series? Haven't heard of this (I loved the others) but then I've been 'out of it' for a long time in India, so it may not be so new! Will look out for it... I've two books on the go at the moment - an Elizabeth George (detective one) for reading at night in bed, and Marilynne Robinson's Gilead while I do knitting in the day - it stays open better than the first one! Enjoying both. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

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May 10th, 2008, 20:37	#1265
hyderabad_ki_sher Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: hyderabad Posts: 92	finished baited hook of Stanley gardner....was kewl.....gets a bit boring in the later parts...but worth reading!!!! Nw reading his horrified heirs

May 11th, 2008, 07:50	#1266
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 8,615	Funny, the Capt.'s current signature "The cynic must remember that he is a spy" by Epictetus led me to look up its context -- leading to half a night of web reading on the Cynics and the schools of Stoicism and Skepticism, fuzzy Christian schools (as some and not just the wacky seem to claim Cynicism was a major influence on both Jesus and the early Christians), assorted Christian heresies, alternate depictions or interpretations of the life of Christ which have always interested me, the influence on ancient Greek thinking of Indian schools of thought (the "gymnosophists" among them, very interesting also in a modern light), and etc. and yada yada. How the mind wanders, eh -- and how just a word on IndiaMike can serve to inspire it

May 11th, 2008, 10:10	#1267
iwanttogoback is sorry Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: perth Posts: 1,493	trixie belden novels... madam princess and i are reading through the set again.

May 11th, 2008, 10:33	#1269
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 8,615	Yes... I was presented with a photocopy of some of his writings (well, like you say, it's supposed to have been written down by a follower of his) as a young teenager. I suppose the giver thought there might be an affinity there... Interesting stuff alright.

May 11th, 2008, 16:26	#1270
kristinm Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beautiful Bondi (not Bundi!) Posts: 1,130	Just finished a James Lee Bourke (I love crime fiction) and am trying to shake off all that haunting brooding Southern swampy evil by reading Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction - very funny.

May 11th, 2008, 22:29	#1271
machadinha Not Your Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 8,615	Burke! It's been a while, but a good read yes.

May 12th, 2008, 13:34	#1274
kristinm Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Beautiful Bondi (not Bundi!) Posts: 1,130	You can have mine when I finish.

May 12th, 2008, 22:58	#1275
capt_mahajan Reproof of life Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: India Posts: 7,894	Animal's People, by Indira Sinha. A fictional story based on the 80's Union Carbide methyl isocyanate leak in Bhopal which killed thousands, and which kills even today. As a book, bawdy, and it has it's moments. The use of Indian pronounciation-eg, james bond becomes jamispond. And 'apocalypse' becomes 'apokalis', leading to one of my favourite lines from the book "We are the people of the Apokalis. Tomorrow there will be more of us." PS: Yeah, I know its wiki, but it's chilling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster

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