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Offline Fortuna

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #100 on: February 18, 2015, 09:45:05 AM »
I've never come across a writer as brilliant as JK Rowling, and I've read quite a few books.

Rama Set

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #101 on: February 18, 2015, 12:02:07 PM »
I've never come across a writer as brilliant as JK Rowling, and I've read quite a few books.

He is.

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Offline Crudblud

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #102 on: February 18, 2015, 01:32:14 PM »
I dunno, I think the Potter books I've read (1-4) are okay, but I'd say Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett have written much better fantasy books for children/teenagers.

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Offline rooster

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #103 on: February 18, 2015, 03:08:54 PM »
I agree. His Dark Materials trilogy was far more exciting than Harry Potter.

Rama Set

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #104 on: February 18, 2015, 04:16:23 PM »
I agree. His Dark Materials trilogy was far more exciting than Harry Potter.

More exciting, better written and more creative a setting.  Haven't read Terry Pratchett.  I would also prefer the Chronicles of Narnia for Juvenile Fantasy Literature.  Even The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the unbeliever, but it might be considered adult literature.

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Offline rooster

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #105 on: February 18, 2015, 04:29:45 PM »
Absolutely. It was one of the more important books of my childhood. Lyra was such a strong and brave character.

I wouldn't say that Harry Potter taught me anything, in fact, by the end of the series I was tired of Harry being ungrateful and whiney.

Thork

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #106 on: February 18, 2015, 07:50:29 PM »
I dunno, I think the Potter books I've read (1-4) are okay, but I'd say Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett have written much better fantasy books for children/teenagers.
I know Phillip Pullman's brother. He used to run a major airline. He bought a plane off me a few years ago and I flew it with him from the factory in South Czech Republic up through Germany to Northern Denmark where we registered it for tax purposes, and then back down Denmark, through Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and right up the UK to his home near Manchester. Took about 4 days.

The life and times of Thork.

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Offline Fortuna

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #107 on: February 19, 2015, 09:14:05 PM »
Absolutely. It was one of the more important books of my childhood. Lyra was such a strong and brave character.

I wouldn't say that Harry Potter taught me anything, in fact, by the end of the series I was tired of Harry being ungrateful and whiney.

Harry is a little faggot, but there are plenty of other interesting characters.

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Offline rooster

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #108 on: February 19, 2015, 09:17:01 PM »
Harry is a little faggot, but there are plenty of other interesting characters.

Intersting, sure. But most of them feel a bit shallow which is fine for an independent reader level book.

Ghost of V

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #109 on: February 19, 2015, 11:19:29 PM »
Snape is the only interesting character in the Harry Potter series. He's the only reason I read the books.

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Offline Fortuna

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #110 on: February 19, 2015, 11:38:03 PM »
Harry is a little faggot, but there are plenty of other interesting characters.

Intersting, sure. But most of them feel a bit shallow which is fine for an independent reader level book.

Is that the only thing you ever do... post boring critiques of stuff?

Rama Set

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #111 on: February 20, 2015, 02:45:31 AM »
Harry is a little faggot, but there are plenty of other interesting characters.

Intersting, sure. But most of them feel a bit shallow which is fine for an independent reader level book.

Is that the only thing you ever do... post boring critiques of stuff?

I couldn't chose one book from the seven epic ones of Harry Potter,so I planned to tell you readers why it was so hard.Talking about Harry Potter in front of a bunch of adults usually raises a couple of eyebrows, if not worse… Some even call you insane and make you feel like a complete idiot. After all, Harry Potter is just for kids. It's not even real! And everything is just blown up for the money! Yet I absolutely love it! And so do many others, and I'm not just talking about the kids… The statements those muggle smake must be incorrect.
First of all, it's not just for kids. The few adults that have picked up the book have been reported to like it as much as their offspring. After all, the book may start with eleven-year olds, they do grow up. In the seventh book, Harry Potter and his friends will be eighteen, so it won't really be about kids anymore.
Kids' books can be amusing to read, but they often lack depth. Usually they just tell stories, and sometimes they deal with a theme like love, family or death. Harry Potter must be an exception because JK Rowling writes about a zillion interesting themes that not even "adult" writers dare to deal with. Death is in fact the most important theme throughout the seven books and Rowling shamelessly deals with this theme in "a children's book". What makes a person good or bad? How do you deal with idolatry on one hand and jealousy on the other hand? Whose right is it to take vengeance on a person? Rowling doesn't always answer the questions, but at least she's got the guts to ask them.
Something that makes the book even more interesting to read is the intrigue between the characters. And I don't just mean between the teens, but also between the professors and between the parents. There are too many conflicts to name! Some of the most interesting are the conflicts between Voldemort and Harry's parents (why did Voldemort kill them? This question is still unanswered after four books) or the conflict between Hagrid and Dumbledore (why did headmaster Dumbledore keep Hagrid as gamekeeper when Hagrid got expelled ago? They deal with that in book 2.) And there are also the ones between Ron and Hermione (do they love to hate each other or hate to love each other, because they're always arguing or having a fight) and the one between Black and Snape (Why can't they just get a long? Black only almost killed Snape…). I could continue with this list for another ten pages at least, but I won't.
Then there are also those people that simply refuse to read the books 'because it is not real'. I always find that the lamest excuse of them all. Movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones weren't real either. Nor is the book The Lord of the Rings, yet everyone seems to respect those. It didn't seem to bother anyone that those stories were unreal.
The conflicts and emotions in the Harry Potter novels are as real as can be and it's for those intrigues that people keep reading the books. They are very appealing and discuss-worthy. The magic just brings the story into a more pleasant and interesting atmosphere and adds more humour to the story.
The Harry Potter universe is not that farfetched. The story starts from our 'muggle' world and the reader slowly gets introduced to this hidden magical world that us 'muggles' just can't see because we're no wizards. In the books, the magical world exists right next to our own! It makes the reader believe we actually could be living in a universe like that.
You might say that I live in a fantasy world. Yes, it's called the world of Harry Potter, where there is no limit in believing, where my heart belongs. The world where dragons and elves run around... And if you haven't, you should visit it, your imagination is feeling neglected.

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Offline Roundy

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #112 on: February 20, 2015, 03:01:23 AM »
Harry Potter is really just a cheap carbon copy of DC Comics' Tim Hunter.
Dr. Frank is a physicist. He says it's impossible. So it's impossible.
My friends, please remember Tom said this the next time you fall into the trap of engaging him, and thank you. :)

Ghost of V

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #113 on: February 20, 2015, 03:02:33 AM »
Rama Set, are you drubk?

Cause I am. Good critique doh

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Offline Crudblud

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #114 on: February 20, 2015, 03:24:48 AM »
Roberto Bolaño - The Savage Detectives

Saddam Hussein

Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #115 on: February 20, 2015, 04:13:39 AM »
Harry Potter is really just a cheap carbon copy of DC Comics' Tim Hunter.

No way, it was all stolen from Nancy Stouffer:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/01/style/author_stouffer032801.htm

My favorite part:

Quote
For example "Neville" is another name in the books I have trademarked.

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Offline Roundy

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #116 on: February 20, 2015, 07:40:59 AM »
Harry Potter is really just a cheap carbon copy of DC Comics' Tim Hunter.

No way, it was all stolen from Nancy Stouffer:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/01/style/author_stouffer032801.htm

My favorite part:

Quote
For example "Neville" is another name in the books I have trademarked.

I remember her.  Looney tunes!

"There are other similarities. Castle with mirrored lake. Receiving room and wooden doors."

O-kay.
Dr. Frank is a physicist. He says it's impossible. So it's impossible.
My friends, please remember Tom said this the next time you fall into the trap of engaging him, and thank you. :)

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Offline Ghost Spaghetti

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #117 on: February 20, 2015, 09:51:03 AM »
I just finished Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke about an invasion of sufficiently advanced aliens who use their technology to bring peace, prosperity and wealth to the people of the Earth, whilst maintaining an enigmatic ulterior agenda.

The novel starts well, framing the 'invasion' through the eyes of the leader of the UN who becomes the human face of the 'overlords.' The early chapters involve his efforts to balance the demands of the overlords against the wishes of the human subjects, managing protests and dealing with violent rebel groups. The novel then skips ahead fifty years and it's this part of the book which is the weakest and yet occupies the greatest volume of the book. The overlords have revealed themselves, humanity is settling into a peaceful yet dull golden age and there is no real mystery or challenge to drive the plot forwards until we reach the final fifth of the book.

On one hand, the ending comes too quickly without enough buildup but the last few chapters are what cements this book in the SF canon.  The bland utopia novel you thought you were reading suddenly leaves you feeling small, insignificant, and faintly depressed as the real purpose of the overlord's invasion becomes clear and mankind changes beyond all recognition in a swirl of beautiful prose.

In conclusion, I'd give the opening chapters a 4/5, the middle a low 3/5 and a full 5/5 to the final chapters. Overall 4/5 - Definitely worth reading but you'll have to struggle through the bland middle section to get the most out of it.

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Offline Roundy

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #118 on: February 20, 2015, 10:38:40 AM »
I just finished Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke about an invasion of sufficiently advanced aliens who use their technology to bring peace, prosperity and wealth to the people of the Earth, whilst maintaining an enigmatic ulterior agenda.

The novel starts well, framing the 'invasion' through the eyes of the leader of the UN who becomes the human face of the 'overlords.' The early chapters involve his efforts to balance the demands of the overlords against the wishes of the human subjects, managing protests and dealing with violent rebel groups. The novel then skips ahead fifty years and it's this part of the book which is the weakest and yet occupies the greatest volume of the book. The overlords have revealed themselves, humanity is settling into a peaceful yet dull golden age and there is no real mystery or challenge to drive the plot forwards until we reach the final fifth of the book.

On one hand, the ending comes too quickly without enough buildup but the last few chapters are what cements this book in the SF canon.  The bland utopia novel you thought you were reading suddenly leaves you feeling small, insignificant, and faintly depressed as the real purpose of the overlord's invasion becomes clear and mankind changes beyond all recognition in a swirl of beautiful prose.

In conclusion, I'd give the opening chapters a 4/5, the middle a low 3/5 and a full 5/5 to the final chapters. Overall 4/5 - Definitely worth reading but you'll have to struggle through the bland middle section to get the most out of it.

I read that book for school.  I thought it was pretty good.  I've always liked Arthur C Clarke; he wrote really thoughtful, edgy, and plausible science-fiction.  Even as a kid I had a short story collection of his called The Nine Billion Names of God that I loved.

When I read Childhood's End for school I was assigned a really dumb project where we had to create a mock newspaper that takes place in the world of the novel.  I did mine as a Weekly World News-style tabloid.  I put a picture of a very happy and very pregnant woman smiling and holding her belly with the original caption "I'm excited and frightened" attached to it, and the headline "I'm Having Karellan's Baby!"  I can't remember what the actual story was, but it was Weekly World News so the bitch may very well have been having the devil's baby.  Anyway I thought it was pretty funny but I was disappointed because I only got a C for it.  That teacher (Mrs Posatko, I also had her for Latin) never appreciated my creativity.  :(
Dr. Frank is a physicist. He says it's impossible. So it's impossible.
My friends, please remember Tom said this the next time you fall into the trap of engaging him, and thank you. :)

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Offline rooster

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Re: FES Book Club
« Reply #119 on: February 20, 2015, 05:49:55 PM »
That sounds awesome, I always liked Weekly World News.

I never read Arthur C Clarke in school, but we did read a lot of Isaac Asimov's short stories. Nightfall was my favorite. But there was this short that I really loved but can't remember too well. Something about a lonely woman who kept a defunct robot who made light sculptures and a man tried to buy it from her. Does this sound familiar to anyone cause I can't figure out what it was called.