Some Assistance Please

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 3:49 pm

The Man who Folded himself is a good book. Hitchhikers guide (The full thing, not just the Hitch hikers guide). Anything by Jack whyte (The Skystone, Singing Sword, Saxon Shores, Eagle's Brood) Thats about all I can think off

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 3:57 pm

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole is also a noteworthy book. You'll find plenty to write about in this off the wall satire.

A Prayer for Owen Meany, a great book also although I'm not sure what you'd get out it for a class; guess I'd need to know a little more about your assignment.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:08 pm

as far as my examining board goes, a confederacy of dunces would be a little too unhinged. a book that has some sort of serious subject or social/historical themes are the easiest to write about and get good marks for at AS level.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:16 pm

Are you saying the 'crusade for moorish dignity' lacks a serious matter and/or social/historical themes.

The entire sequence as a hot dog salesman is an enigma within itself.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 4:21 pm

yep, and if you're willing to send an analysis of those sequences to be moderated, then i would understand if you didn't study english literature

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 6:18 pm

Originally posted by Nippy
@ C Elegans, we are doing poetry as part of another module, we will be studying Seamus Henlen or something and Chaucer, Milton or another bloke who I can't remember!

OK, so it's novels from 1900 and onwards...

Does the author have to be from the UK or the US? There are many really classy and interesting works by English speaking authors from other continents.

What about Indian author Vikram Seth, "A suitable boy"? An epic masterpiece, also very well receieved by critics around the world.

Or perhaps last years Nobel laureate, Trinidad born VS Naipaul? "A house for mr Biswas" or "A bend in the river".

Or another Nobel laureate, South African N Gordimer?

Personally, I love to broaden my reading experience with some cultural education as well

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 8:32 pm

@Nippy yeah, how come you get to choose your own books? No fair!!!

If not Animal Farm, what about Orwell's 1984? That's a classic A-level text.

I'd recommend A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. It has plenty of themes to discuss. Same goes for Lord of the Flies, but that tends to be a GCSE text.

@CE my brother had to study July's People by Nadine Gordimer for his GSCE English Lit., and absolutely hated it

(I haven't read anything of hers...)

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 8:35 pm

Originally posted by Georgi
@CE my brother had to study July's People by Nadine Gordimer for his GSCE English Lit., and absolutely hated it (I haven't read anything of hers...)

¨

I read one book several years ago, I don't remember which one but truly, it bored me to sleep, (that's probably why I don't even remember the title). However, I have several friends who absolutely love her works, so I thought maybe Nippy would like it, most people don't seem to share my taste in literature anyway...

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Wed Mar 20, 2002 11:22 pm

From American writing, I'd recommend mainly the southern writers:
William Faulkner, The Sound & The Fury
Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood (excellent book)

Canadian:
Margaret Atwood, Surfacing

It's so hard to choose! They don't care what era or what country it's from?

Nippy · Post by **Nippy** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 12:48 am

Originally posted by VoodooDali
From American writing, I'd recommend mainly the southern writers:
William Faulkner, The Sound & The Fury
Flannery O'Connor, Wise Blood (excellent book)

Canadian:
Margaret Atwood, Surfacing

It's so hard to choose! They don't care what era or what country it's from?

Our teacher wasn't incredibly specific. I will be speaking to him soon about our options and see what he actually wants as a guideline. When I find out I'll tell y'all and you can give further guidance.

@ Georgi, don't get me started on Orwell! Animal Farm rules. but it's too simplistic apparently and I'm not sure about 1984. I want to do something different to everyone else...

Maharlika · Post by **Maharlika** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 1:01 am

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriela Garcia Marquez

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 5:33 am

What about a James Ellroy novel?

Nippy · Post by **Nippy** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 8:30 am

Originally posted by Mr Sleep
What about a James Ellroy novel?

What are his books are like? An what are they?

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 8:46 am

Originally posted by Nippy

What are his books are like? An what are they?

Most of them are crime novels, they can be quite gory and it isn't exactly the most literary of styles. However books like American Tabloid (semi fictional) are very good. Not to be read on a full stomach though

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 9:19 am

Originally posted by Maharlika
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriela Garcia Marquez

Thats actually a really good book. One of my teachers in Grade 10 lent it to me, and I had a good time reading it.

frogus · Post by **frogus** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 10:34 am

Catcher in the Rye, Kes and To Kill a Mockingbird are all bloody bloody painfully awful. They are all appalingly bad books. Don't let them anywhere near you.

phew...anyway @sleep I just read the Black Dhalia...it was angry and brutal, but simple and a little thuggish (although not in a charming gonzo way). It was alright but not great.

Anyway of course I recomend HST, although opinions vary over whether F&L in Las V is fiction

um..aprt from that, why not Tom Wolfe? ElectricKoolAidAcidTest?
William Boroughs?
Martin Amis?
Trainspotting?

and yes of course Catch 22.

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 12:53 pm

Originally posted by frogus
phew...anyway @sleep I just read the Black Dhalia...it was angry and brutal, but simple and a little thuggish (although not in a charming gonzo way). It was alright but not great.

Not his best work, my favourite is LA Noir, but damn if it isn't hard reading. @Frogus Your 14 right? You are reading a very advanced level for a 14 year old, no offence intended, but Ellroy is a little brutal for any age.

William Boroughs?
Martin Amis?

William Burroughs is over rated and a bigoted. Martin Amis however is great IMO, anything by him would be good

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Thu Mar 21, 2002 9:38 pm

Originally posted by frogus
I just read the Black Dhalia...it was angry and brutal, but simple and a little thuggish (although not in a charming gonzo way). It was alright but not great.

I agree with Sleep that it's certainly not his best, my personal favorite is no2 is the LA tetralogy, (Black Dahlia is no1), The big nowhere.

Yes, Ellroy is brutal and somewhat sluggish, it's like a wordy version of the hard-boiled genre. I like him even though I think he's a bit wordy. In the thriller genre, I think Raymond Chandler's "The long goodbye" is a masterpiece, especially stylistically. IMO Chandler would have been more praised than Hemingway if he had not written in the then lowly and in academic circles unacceptable genre of thriller.