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Original poster

so what the frig am I meant to do now I've finished his dark materials trilogy? eh??? eh?????

68 replies

Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 22:23

sob.

read all three in a week. loved them.

now what?

not usually a sci-fi fantasy girl. love earthsea trilogy but not mad keen on harry potter.

like ian banks. like A L Kennedy. love a book called fugitive pieces (can't remember author). love rose tremain.

like broad, big themes. like good sex scenes. hate what I call nose picky stuff, and I class dh's favourite author in that category (peter carey).

PLEASE recommend me something....i'm bereft.

OP posts:
StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 13/08/2007 12:21

Another recommendation for Garth Nix.

juuule · 11/08/2007 22:43

How about Garth Nix Old Kingdom trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen)
I enjoyed His Dark Materials trilogy and also enjoyed the above.

Pan · 10/08/2007 23:16

Cement was just a filler.......not seen the film..the book was enough.

UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 23:14

Cement Garden... film was pretty faithful and good too.

Pan · 10/08/2007 23:11

Ian McEwan..Concrete Garden? Horribly fascinating.

Pan · 10/08/2007 23:10

Bigmouth - Enduring Love was shoite! And yes wanted to duff all of them up!!

Sophable. Read His Dark Materials again.

ThursdayNext · 10/08/2007 23:08

Have you read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to keep up the fantasy-ish theme?

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 23:07

Yes Child in time is brilliant... moving funny and poignant and i read it pre-children.

UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 23:06

I think you eventually see the point of the languid "propriety" he has set up in the opening chapters, when that letter with THAT WORD comes in and it is so much more effective because of that. I wish we hadn't taken half the book to get there, though!

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 23:05

Haven't read chesil beach - I got annoyed with Enduring Love - just could not relate to the central characters (wanted to slap them basically) - but i should give him another chance.

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 23:03

yes was slow....but when he writes that note...bang, does it begin!

really enjoyed a child in time too....thought it was lovely.

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UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 23:03

Enjoy McEwan's earlier stuff more. I got really annoyed with "Atonement". The first hundred-odd pages had me nodding off.

UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 23:02

Have to admit I have not seen the film but it does smell of straight-to-video! Don't recall it coming to cinemas in our town!

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 23:00

oh no unquiet...is it a shit film...don't even remember it being out? straight to dvd?

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bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 23:00

you know i thought you would already be familiar with McEwan

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 22:59

LOVE ian mcewan...have read most of them, particularly love atonement (god i do love that book) and i really enjoyed saturday recently and chesil beach has probably changed my life (he pins down the mundane destructiveness of digging your heels in in an argument so well....)

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bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 22:56

Well Ian McEwan can be good - haven't been so keen on recent novels - but the Cement Garden and Atonement are v good

UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 22:54

Oh, and by the way - Complicity...

UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 22:53

Found "Song of Stone" immensely hard going, so don't even try it unless you are feeling very brave. "Dead Air" is OK - a bit like his older stuff.

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 22:51

erm...think i sort of stop around whit. favourite is complicity by far (naughty book on so many levels....love it, they really should make a film if they haven't). didn't like wasp factory or canal dreams so much which dh loves. adore crow road.

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bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 22:51

Oh I love Iain Banks - The Wasp Factory was my favourite book for ages...

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 22:50

handmaids tale read ages ago.....very good.

the sci-fi/fantasy thing is a red herring....don't usually like....but do like discussion of soul/meaning of life etc

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UnquietDad · 10/08/2007 22:50

Are there any Banksy novels (without M) you haven't read? I've read them all so can recommend.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/08/2007 22:49

You could try Margaret Atwood if you haven't already (Oryx and Crake is v good, and of course the Handmaids tale), or Angela Carter (not science but fantasy/ fairytale elements) The Bloody Chamber is a book of short storys/ novella using classic fairy tales as the inspiration and is a fantastic introduction to her. hth

Original poster
Heathcliffscathy · 10/08/2007 22:46

no no hate iain m banks....no i mean his other half ian banks (i know is same man) LOVE complicity for eg.

love pat barkers ghost road trilogy

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