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Original poster

If my ideal novel is...what shall I read this summer?

129 replies

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 18:02

Okay. Going on holiday for a week soon. I read VERY quickly and I am VERY fussy (and I have read lots and lots and lots already).

If my ideal novel would be Persuasion, mixed with The Stand, mixed with A Town Like Alice and with a soupcon of Lolita thrown in, what the heck will I enjoy next? Ideally it will be BIG. Non-fiction okay too, providing it is history-related and ideally a bit quirky.

Please help!

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Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 22:27

"Like, hands up who realised that the dystopian Sonmi story was a near-perfect allegory of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"? Who knew that the Latin phrase Frobisher ends his last letter with is from Virgil's The Aeneid, and that Sonmi's password much later is its English translation?"

Don't - because you're just provoking me to write 'who cares?' and then you'll be cross! :)

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CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 22:25

I recently read the Wool books. Have you heard about them?

CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 22:25

You probably wouldn't hate Water For Elephants but you would find it a bit of a waste of time, although it's fairly quick to read.

CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 22:23

I took seven pages of notes while reading Cloud Atlas, detailing all the references & themes, and I'm almost tempted to write it all down for (admittedly few) MNers who say that it's not a good book.

Like, hands up who realised that the dystopian Sonmi story was a near-perfect allegory of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"? Who knew that the Latin phrase Frobisher ends his last letter with is from Virgil's The Aeneid, and that Sonmi's password much later is its English translation?

Books like that don't come out often enough, and Remus I won't believe the woman who recommended This Thing Of Darkness to me can't read it Smile

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 22:15

I suspect I'd hate Water For Elephants tbh.

Louis de B - quite like captain C apart from the stupid ending and the ranty bits. Not sure I liked it enough to read anything else by him.

I gave up on Jonathon Strange because I was bored by it - do I have to try that again too?

I usually give a book 30 pages, sometimes 50. I've now given 'The Pursuit Of happiness' 35 pages - I can't give it anymore: it's got horribly stilted dialogue and the main character is prissy and irritating.

I have a very low threshold for bad writing, I think. Or rather, I don't so much mind bad writing if it's not thinking that it's good.

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CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 22:12

I downloaded Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell on my Kindle and will start it next. I'm glad to see that someone thinks it's the best book ever.

CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 22:11

Don't go around asking for post-apocalyptic and dystopian recommendations again, then. What can I say? Smile

Want to read Water For Elephants instead?

NellyBluth · 06/07/2012 22:10

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Best book ever written. Probably doesn't meet any of your criteria but still - 'tis awesome.

Herrena · 06/07/2012 22:06

Anything by Louis de Bernieres.... moves from funny to heart-breaking in a second and very very readable.

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 21:51

Room - liked the first half and hated the second half.
Wolf Hall - okay but didn't like it enough to read the sequel. As an idea, I liked it. I liked Cromwell - but I found her writing style v annoying.
Rose Tremain - think I've read all of hers. Okay but not brilliant.
Woman In White excellent.
The Passage - I really enjoyed it.
HATED The Tenderness Of Wolves.

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Stonefield · 06/07/2012 21:42

I would strongly recommend 'The Passage' by Justin Cronin, Dune is also excellent though not sure it's what you're looking for.
My OH recommends 'The Tenderness of Wolves' by Stef Penney, and 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins.
We're both booksellers by trade. Please don't read Cloud Atlas it's not his best, try Black Swan Green instead.

jkklpu · 06/07/2012 21:35

Hurrah - someone else who hated Cloud Atlas. I loved Wolf Hall and am looking firward to getting my hands on Bringing up the Bodies. I loved Rose Tremain's Music and Silence.

busyboysmum · 06/07/2012 21:32

I just read Water for Elephants and loved it, also Room was good.

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 21:30

No - I didn't get much further than I got last time. Don't tell me to try again - I just CAN'T get on with it!

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CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 21:14

Did you get to the two dystopian & post-apocalyptic stories of Cloud Atlas?

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 21:11

buy

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Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 21:11

I tried Cloud Atlas again - I still hated it. :)

The library hasn't had Dune in - and, as I said, I refuse to by fiction because so much of it is so dreadful! Am going to the Oxfam bookshop tomorrow though, so if they've got it I'll buy it.

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CoteDAzur · 06/07/2012 20:00

You read "VERY quickly" but haven't managed to read Dune and Cloud Atlas yet, have you? Wink

Thank you for another thread, Remus. I always get some great recommendations from your threads.

BikeRunSki · 06/07/2012 19:18

Viva - you are me! We agree on everything on other peoples' threads. I have a feeling you live quite near me too.

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 19:10

Have read it, Elkie! I love books about the polar regions, but prefer them to be historical - and have read most of them now, I think.

For discriminating, read damned awkward!

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elkiedee · 06/07/2012 18:49

I'm scared to make suggestions to you as you're so discriminating, but I loved The Magnetic North by Sara Wheeler, about travelling in the Arctic, but also about the history of travel in the region.

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 18:42

Ta. Will give it a few more pages!

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VivaLeBeaver · 06/07/2012 18:32

I thought it was well written. Really enjoyed it.

Original poster
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/07/2012 18:25

Coincidentally, I started 'Pursuit Of Happiness' this week and have given up on it. I'm finding it horribly boringly written. Does it get better?

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BikeRunSki · 06/07/2012 18:18

You might also like pretty much anything by Bruce Chatwin.