The 2nd "What are you reading now" thread

[WALDENPOND]

Old post. But I have this book and the crossing on tapes read by a young brad Pitt. He does it magnificently. Put in on and drive to broken hill at night for best effect.

What book was I talking about?

 

[WALDENPOND]

Old post. But I have this book and the crossing on tapes read by a young brad Pitt. He does it magnificently. Put in on and drive to broken hill at night for best effect.

Don't worry. I worked it out.

I've yet to hear any McCarthy audio books but have heard from quite a few people that if spoken well they are amazing.

 

[WALDENPOND]

After reading David Marr's book 'Patrick White :A Life' around two years ago I finally got around to starting 'Voss' by Patrick White today.

 

[DT2000]

working my way through Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels - a few brilliant standouts but some very ordinary pretty dumb action/thriller scenarios in a few of them.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

First time I've read Jean-Patrick Manchette's French existential noir. So far, so good

 

[Northworth]

The Gillard Project by Michael Cooney

nice to get the insight from her speechwriter (I love political memoirs)

 

[WALDENPOND]

Decided to read read driven by James Sallis. I've heard it's bad, but wanna give it go.

I know that Ryan Gosling plays the main character in a movie so I will always see him as the character, but I fell like a light, entertaining read so I hope it's good.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Decided to read read driven by James Sallis. I've heard it's bad, but wanna give it go.

I know that Ryan Gosling plays the main character in a movie so I will always see him as the character, but I fell like a light, entertaining read so I hope it's good.

Didn't realise he'd written a sequel, so thanks for the heads up. Drive's a great li'l crime novella (a throwback to the pulpy heist-gone-wrong revenge yarns of the 60s). If you like your crime fiction tightly written, with pared back, sparse prose you'd enjoy this. Lemme know how you find the sequel

 

[WALDENPOND]

Didn't realise he'd written a sequel, so thanks for the heads up. Drive's a great li'l crime novella (a throwback to the pulpy heist-gone-wrong revenge yarns of the 60s). If you like your crime fiction tightly written, with pared back, sparse prose you'd enjoy this. Lemme know how you find the sequel

It's only around 150 pages and I read a chunk out of it early this morning.

Yeah, I'm actually really enjoying it. As you said, it is tightly written and the prose is sparse. But it's also full on entertainment. The writer clearly knows how to give a story that isn't just formulaic to a genre. I'd recommend it.

 

[WALDENPOND]

First time I've read Jean-Patrick Manchette's French existential noir. So far, so good

Did you like it?

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Did you like it?

Indeed I did. A delicious satire that pokes fun at small town notaries, their petty greed and lusts. But alas young WALDENPOND, things ain't what they seem.

Love the main character in Fatale, a real cold-assed, femme fatale killer with a penchant for offing thiose that have done her wrong. A touch of Woolrich's "The Bride Wore Black". Another novella I'd highly recommend.

 

[Allan Shorty]

James dickey's 'deliverance'. Better than the movie. Some great scenes.

 

[WALDENPOND]

Indeed I did. A delicious satire that pokes fun at small town notaries, their petty greed and lusts. But alas young WALDENPOND, things ain't what they seem.

Love the main character in Fatale, a real cold-assed, femme fatale killer with a penchant for offing thiose that have done her wrong. A touch of Woolrich's "The Bride Wore Black". Another novella I'd highly recommend.

Didn't expect to to see Cornell Woolrich's work being brought up on here.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Didn't expect to to see Cornell Woolrich's work being brought up on here.

I'm a sucker for the greats of crime fiction, Woolrich, Hammett, Chandler, Cain and my favourite author bar none, The Dimestore Dostoyevsky Jim Thompson

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Your contribution would be appreciated here

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...uble-crosses-the-crime-fiction-thread.826389/

 

[WALDENPOND]

I'm a sucker for the greats of crime fiction, Woolrich, Hammett, Chandler, Cain and my favourite author bar none, The Dimestore Dostoyevsky Jim Thompson

Raymond Chandler is one of my favourites. I'll look into Jim Thompson. Can't say I've read anything by him.

 

[CLUBMEDhurst]

Raymond Chandler is one of my favourites. I'll look into Jim Thompson. Can't say I've read anything by him.

Be warned, 'tis a deep, dark place that he inhabits (but ultimately, bloody rewarding!)

 

[ChubbMuff]

Finished Hyperion, it was so good I'm now starting The Fall of Hyperion. Top shelf sci-fi.

 

[DT2000]

just finished this, one of the best books I have ever read:

 

[WALDENPOND]

I thought Jasper Jones was a great novel.

 

[swingdog]

After reading David Marr's book 'Patrick White :A Life' around two years ago I finally got around to starting 'Voss' by Patrick White today.

Ha! Did exactly the same thing back in 1993. Marr's biography was excellent - really felt the struggle White had in producing his books. Followed Voss with Tree of Man - get the feeling White isn't read as much these days, which is a shame as he was excellent.

 

[Allan Shorty]

Tree of man has One of the greatest last paragraphs I've read.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

Just finished The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.

It's about a time-travelling serial killer. Not exactly my normal fare, but I like to mix it up a little -- and it was very enthusiastically reviewed. The time travel puts an intriguing spin on a pretty hackneyed formula, and Beukes' obvious interest and investment in the victims gives their demise an extra jolt of poignance. There are dual protagonists, the killer, who is compellingly written, and one of his victims, who manages to survive a brutal attack and starts investigating her attack when the police -- not surprisingly -- draw blanks.

Writing was patchy, I thought. Beukes' description is accomplished: she can definitely set a scene and describe the exterior world. The chapters narrated from the killer's pov are strong, focussed, and fast. But she falters, it seems to me, when she's describing Kirby (the other protagonist) and her mentor/love interest. Their scenes seem predictable and lack the authenticity she conjures up for practically everyone else. That part of the story seems a little ho-hum and bogus.

Still, an interesting read. I'd grade it a 'B'.

I'm now moving onto McGlue, by Otessa Moshfegh...

 

[WALDENPOND]

Couple of short story books. John Cheever and Raymond Carver.

Really enjoying them so far.

 

[Palmer Stoat]

Finished McGlue. Now onto Troubles, by JG Farrell.