What Are You Reading?

[Alum Wrench]

Out of immense curiosity...I'm now waiting on a brand new hardcover copy of James Clavell's
(1312pg) 'Shōgun'.

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"Some books leave us free and some makes us free". Ralph Waldo Emerson

I bought this used back in '96 or '97, and devoured it in one week. Clavelle's writing style is hypnotic, and the story is engrossing from the ISBN to the finis. The novel sparked a fascinated curiosity about Japan back when anime was still strictly for nerds ( no offense, I've come to enjoy anime too!) The exploits of the protagonist, Anjin San ( which is what the Japanese called the Englishman, Blackthorne -- in the novel, at least. I haven't seen either of the film versions) were gripping.

A few years afterward I was living in Japan, courtesy of Uncle Sam. I had an apartment that was three train stations away from the Navy base (train stations being my rough guide for navigation at first). And so for a year I would pass by the intervening 2 stations without giving them much thought.

One day, out of sudden curiosity, I decided to explore new territory, and alighted at the Anjinzuka station. I had passed it hundreds of times, heedless, but why not see how it compared to my own neighborhood? It was only 3 miles away from my apartment as the crow flies, but Japan is brimming with small, hidden treasures lurking in the most nondescript places, so it was well worth checking out.

I walked randomly, with no goal in mind, and wandered into a small, neat, well-kept park with a compact memorial at the center. Idly, I examined the plaque-- it was in English! And it was dedicated to... The Anjin san! Anjin san....Anjinzuka....of course! All this time I had been living within walking distance of Anjin san's stomping grounds!

The character of Blackthorne is based on a real person, an Englishman named Will Adams. The plot of Shogun is largely fictitious, but Adams really did shipwreck in Japan, and eventually gave the Japanese enough nautical instruction to build a war fleet if their own. Adams is buried in Yohkohama, a 15 minute ride north on the train line that took me to work. There is a book about Adams' life called The Needle Watcher. It's available on Amazon, if anyone should be interested.

20 years later and I still recall the shock of that discovery with great clarity. You will love Shogun if you have a pulse!

 

[Alum Wrench]

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Finished this after watching Dune Part 2. It's not what I was expecting, and for me moved pretty slow to start with. I am intrigued regarding the potential film adaptation due to the way Dune Part 2 ended. On to Children of Dune.

Children of Dune may be the best of the sequels. IMO none of Herbert's novels are good material for film fodder, but alas! We live in an a-literate age.

 

[ByMyBeard]

Children of Dune may be the best of the sequels. IMO none of Herbert's novels are good material for film fodder, but alas! We live in an a-literate age.

I'm almost done with it, and I've enjoyed it much more than Messiah. Messiah is almost like an extended epilogue to Dune (or prologue to Children?). I plan to read God Emperor soon, but may take a break away from Arrakis for a bit first.

 

[Alum Wrench]

Exactly! Messiah seems to be a further commentary on Herbert's themes on the exercise of power and the dangers of credulity. Children is very much another sci fi novel, though of course with that inimitable Herbert flavor.

I don't want to spoil the remaining books in any way, but I will say God Emperor of Dune is a radical departure from the previous books, setting the stage for the direction FH ultimately took the series.

I'm almost done with it, and I've enjoyed it much more than Messiah. Messiah is almost like an extended epilogue to Dune (or prologue to Children?). I plan to read God Emperor soon, but may take a break away from Arrakis for a bit first.

 

[The Knize]

James by Percival Everett. Reviews are right. Probably easily book of the year. By the author of American Fiction.

 

[ByMyBeard]

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Will be interesting to see where he goes in God Emperor. Though I still plan a brief vacation from Arrakis before returning.

 

[garyg]

James by Percival Everett. Reviews are right. Probably easily book of the year. By the author of American Fiction.

Good to hear - coincidentally my library just emailed that my hold on James is ready for pick-up!

 

[coolcanuc]

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow: About the Book - Amor Towles

“Who will save Rostov from the intrusions of state if not the seamstresses, chefs, bartenders and doormen? In the end, Towles’s greatest narrative effect is not the moments of wonder and synchronicity but the generous transformation of these peripheral workers, over the course of decades, into...

www.amortowles.com

 

[Mr5x5]

"The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" by Jeremiah Burroughs. First published in 1648 so it has stood the test of time.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Gentleman in Moscow: About the Book - Amor Towles

“Who will save Rostov from the intrusions of state if not the seamstresses, chefs, bartenders and doormen? In the end, Towles’s greatest narrative effect is not the moments of wonder and synchronicity but the generous transformation of these peripheral workers, over the course of decades, into...

www.amortowles.com

Enjoy! As a number of others in this thread have stated, it's a very enjoyable book. I became distracted and set it down for a few weeks, but picked it back up last week, and will be finishing it this evening.

 

[ByMyBeard]

4* Recommend the audio as well. The female narrator especially does a great job at capturing Alex’s joy throughout the book. I'd definitely recommend this for anyone who has daughters, or anyone who wants to support young girls.

 

[Jmp63]

Just finished book three of the Space Trilogy, That Hideous Strength. C. S. Lewis is great. This is the longest and best of the three!

Trying to figure out what to read next.

 

[coolcanuc]

Enjoy! As a number of others in this thread have stated, it's a very enjoyable book. I became distracted and set it down for a few weeks, but picked it back up last week, and will be finishing it this evening.

Thank you. I am enjoying it. I will say that this is written in a style that I am not accustomed to as it reads very much like a diary. I might read the other three that the author has penned.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

The first of Émile Zola's Rougon-Macquart series, The Fortune of the Rougons.

 

[beginish]

Just finished book three of the Space Trilogy, That Hideous Strength. C. S. Lewis is great. This is the longest and best of the three! View attachment 1842232
Trying to figure out what to read next.

I love this book

 

[beginish]

After reading a few books over the last couple of months, including Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees and A Shining, a very short novella by Nobel Prize winner Jon Fosse, I am now reading a compendium of the Watchmen comic series.

I’ve also decided to tackle Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series on audio. 10 books long, I’m in the middle of a re-listen to the first book of the series.

 

[DEgeezer]

Over the Edge of the World
By Laurence Bergreen
Magellan's circumnavigation of the globe.

 

[rockviper]

I just finished reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (no, not the Hogan's Heroes, Family Feud, and Running Man guy) and it took about three weeks for me to get through it. That's a LOT longer than normal for me and it doesn't count the two weeks I was on vacation in Portugal. The writing style is different than what I expected and is more akin to the transcripts of a series of persuasive/argumentative lectures or someone trying to convince you of something at a pub over a few beers Guinness, and that's simply why my time with the book dragged on. I was hoping for a more intellectual writing style and was let down.

Just in case you have not heard of it before, it is an attempt to show how silly, misguided and damaging religion is and how a 100% scientific view of the world is much better .

That said, there are a lot of intellectual arguments being made but I found all too often that his method of proving there is no God is to try to demonstrate that things(e.g. morals) would function the same without religion and therefore, religion is not the cause and therefore, morals cannot be something attributed to God. And as such, if God isn't responsible for morals, what else is he/she not responsible for that we currently credit to a greater power? Of course, I am simplifying his argument, but the same thing keeps popping up.

In a similar note, when crediting science for something, he often goes through points a, b, c and says that there are many more such points showing scientific reasons are more valid than theological ones for such and such an item, but says to trust him that there is no need to lay out further proof.

In effect, the same way he dismisses many religious things, he uses the same "no proof" to ask for agreement in his pro-science arguments. I thought it strange that in his dismantling of religious faith, he asks for belief/faith in many of his argued but unproven points.

In my view, the book will not convert people of faith, may or may not swing some agnostics towards atheism, and will be an echo-chamber for those who already hold atheistic views.

Verdict: Hard to recommend, unless you're already leaning towards atheism.

 

[WetShaveVet]

I just finished reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (no, not the Hogan's Heroes, Family Feud, and Running Man guy) and it took about three weeks for me to get through it. That's a LOT longer than normal for me and it doesn't count the two weeks I was on vacation in Portugal. The writing style is different than what I expected and is more akin to the transcripts of a series of persuasive/argumentative lectures or someone trying to convince you of something at a pub over a few beers Guinness, and that's simply why my time with the book dragged on. I was hoping for a more intellectual writing style and was let down.

Just in case you have not heard of it before, it is an attempt to show how silly, misguided and damaging religion is and how a 100% scientific view of the world is much better .

That said, there are a lot of intellectual arguments being made but I found all too often that his method of proving there is no God is to try to demonstrate that things(e.g. morals) would function the same without religion and therefore, religion is not the cause and therefore, morals cannot be something attributed to God. And as such, if God isn't responsible for morals, what else is he/she not responsible for that we currently credit to a greater power? Of course, I am simplifying his argument, but the same thing keeps popping up.

In a similar note, when crediting science for something, he often goes through points a, b, c and says that there are many more such points showing scientific reasons are more valid than theological ones for such and such an item, but says to trust him that there is no need to lay out further proof.

In effect, the same way he dismisses many religious things, he uses the same "no proof" to ask for agreement in his pro-science arguments. I thought it strange that in his dismantling of religious faith, he asks for belief/faith in many of his argued but unproven points.

In my view, the book will not convert people of faith, may or may not swing some agnostics towards atheism, and will be an echo-chamber for those who already hold atheistic views.

Verdict: Hard to recommend, unless you're already leaning towards atheism.
View attachment 1842956

Yea, it did nothing for me.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

I just finished reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (no, not the Hogan's Heroes, Family Feud, and Running Man guy) and it took about three weeks for me to get through it. That's a LOT longer than normal for me and it doesn't count the two weeks I was on vacation in Portugal. The writing style is different than what I expected and is more akin to the transcripts of a series of persuasive/argumentative lectures or someone trying to convince you of something at a pub over a few beers Guinness, and that's simply why my time with the book dragged on. I was hoping for a more intellectual writing style and was let down.

Just in case you have not heard of it before, it is an attempt to show how silly, misguided and damaging religion is and how a 100% scientific view of the world is much better .

That said, there are a lot of intellectual arguments being made but I found all too often that his method of proving there is no God is to try to demonstrate that things(e.g. morals) would function the same without religion and therefore, religion is not the cause and therefore, morals cannot be something attributed to God. And as such, if God isn't responsible for morals, what else is he/she not responsible for that we currently credit to a greater power? Of course, I am simplifying his argument, but the same thing keeps popping up.

In a similar note, when crediting science for something, he often goes through points a, b, c and says that there are many more such points showing scientific reasons are more valid than theological ones for such and such an item, but says to trust him that there is no need to lay out further proof.

In effect, the same way he dismisses many religious things, he uses the same "no proof" to ask for agreement in his pro-science arguments. I thought it strange that in his dismantling of religious faith, he asks for belief/faith in many of his argued but unproven points.

In my view, the book will not convert people of faith, may or may not swing some agnostics towards atheism, and will be an echo-chamber for those who already hold atheistic views.

Verdict: Hard to recommend, unless you're already leaning towards atheism.
View attachment 1842956

I used to watch a lot of theoretical science debates and lectures, and he would be involved in some of them. I've never read The God Delusion, but your assessment of his ideas seems to be pretty accurate of a lot of his work. He can bring up some interesting points, and some thought-provoking ideas, but a lot of it just doesn't hold up to critical analysis.