Shooting The Cheese  

Go Back   Shooting The Cheese > Relax in The Pub Lounge > Our Lives in Switzerland


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 10:46
BigD's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Disgusted from Tunbrücke Quellen
Posts: 3,702
Thanks: 195
Thanked 633 Times in 451 Posts
Groans: 12
Groaned at 10 Times in 10 Posts
BigD is on a distinguished road
Default In The Library

As the Swiss Conspirators are folks of intellectual depth , here is a special thread devoted to anything book-related. Book recommendations, reviews, or just a chat about the printed words: fiction, fact, memoir or travel !

BigD
__________________
You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 10:48
BigD's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Disgusted from Tunbrücke Quellen
Posts: 3,702
Thanks: 195
Thanked 633 Times in 451 Posts
Groans: 12
Groaned at 10 Times in 10 Posts
BigD is on a distinguished road
Default

I was sorting through my stuff last night and found a book that I thought I had lost. After reading through a few passages, I was unable to contain my mirth. It is a highly recommended account of time spent working for Amazon called 21 Dog Years, by Mike Daisy. You can read the initial chapter on the link.

Get it.
BigD
__________________
You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 10:51
BigD's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Disgusted from Tunbrücke Quellen
Posts: 3,702
Thanks: 195
Thanked 633 Times in 451 Posts
Groans: 12
Groaned at 10 Times in 10 Posts
BigD is on a distinguished road
Default

Has anyone read any of the Ian McEwan books, specifically "The Innocents" or "Comfort of Strangers" ? I'd be interested to hear what you thought of these odd little accounts. They always seem to me to be character studies rather than plots, and take some adjustment to really appreciate...

BigD
__________________
You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 10:53
Epicurist
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Antwerp now.
Posts: 1,675
Thanks: 314
Thanked 168 Times in 128 Posts
Groans: 11
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
lesley is on a distinguished road
Default

The last good book I read was Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. She has a way of writing exceptionally good literature that is easy to read. Mr lesley is reading it at the moment, he thought it was a girls book because of the cover but is enjoying it.
__________________
One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 10:55
swissflygirl's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Zürisee
Posts: 2,383
Thanks: 140
Thanked 299 Times in 215 Posts
Groans: 2
Groaned at 2 Times in 1 Post
swissflygirl is on a distinguished road
Default

Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nigh-time....read part of it here...a wonderfully fresh approach to telling a story, through the eyes of an autistic child, it's very well done.
__________________
Bring on Summer!
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 11:00
swissflygirl's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Zürisee
Posts: 2,383
Thanks: 140
Thanked 299 Times in 215 Posts
Groans: 2
Groaned at 2 Times in 1 Post
swissflygirl is on a distinguished road
Default

Read 'Atonement' and found it quite a good read. Must admit that it doesn't have a lot of character studies in it, is rather a good tale.

Quote:
Originally Posted by BigD View Post
Has anyone read any of the Ian McEwan books, specifically "The Innocents" or "Comfort of Strangers" ? I'd be interested to hear what you thought of these odd little accounts. They always seem to me to be character studies rather than plots, and take some adjustment to really appreciate...

BigD
__________________
Bring on Summer!
Reply With Quote
  #7 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 12:01
BigD's Avatar
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Disgusted from Tunbrücke Quellen
Posts: 3,702
Thanks: 195
Thanked 633 Times in 451 Posts
Groans: 12
Groaned at 10 Times in 10 Posts
BigD is on a distinguished road
Default

In fact "Atonement" and "On Chesil Beach" are two that I haven't read. "Amsterdam" is a one of his best, but I really can't say anything much about it without giving away the plot. It narrates the lives and relationship of two professional classical musicians. I recommend it, and I'll see if I can find a spare copy...

BigD

Quote:
Originally Posted by swissflygirl View Post
Read 'Atonement' and found it quite a good read. Must admit that it doesn't have a lot of character studies in it, is rather a good tale.
__________________
You make your own luck.

www.shootingthecheese.ch
The place for fun and chat in Switzerland.
Reply With Quote
  #8 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 12:29
Epicurist
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Antwerp now.
Posts: 1,675
Thanks: 314
Thanked 168 Times in 128 Posts
Groans: 11
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
lesley is on a distinguished road
Default

I read but did not enjoy the cement garden. It was around 16 years ago though, so maybe I would appreciate it better now.
__________________
One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.
Reply With Quote
  #9 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 13:25
Gastronomic Savoury
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Zürich
Posts: 869
Thanks: 203
Thanked 56 Times in 45 Posts
Groans: 4
Groaned at 2 Times in 2 Posts
red*light*special is on a distinguished road
Default

Has any one read anything from the Nobel prize winner, Knut Hamsun. I read Hunger, by him and quite enjoyed it. It was written about 100 years ago, but as their are hungry people in the world today, it's still quite current.

Has anyone read a book called Madness, by an english author whose name eludes me - I did Google it but you can imagine how many hits came up! Anyhoo, it's a very good book and seeing as there are mad people in the world today, it is still quite current.
__________________
Old MacDonald had tourettes. EE II EE II bollox fcuk sh1t
Reply With Quote
  #10 (permalink)  
Old 04-11-2008, 15:34
Epicurist
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Antwerp now.
Posts: 1,675
Thanks: 314
Thanked 168 Times in 128 Posts
Groans: 11
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
lesley is on a distinguished road
Default

A thousand splendid suns and the kite runner both by the same author are stunning and we need to talk about Kevin is very clever. Second and third recommendations are about five years old though.
__________________
One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
authors, basel, bern, book recommendations, books, bookshops switzerland, buying books, english books, geneva, good books, luzern, reading, switzerland, zurich

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:25.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0
STC style © shootingthecheese.ch