Book Nerd’s Comments (group member since Dec 20, 2018)

Book Nerd’s comments from the Never too Late to Read Classics group.

The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang


321 pages

Total to Date:39,765
(hopefully I got it right this time!)

Liane wrote: "Did anyone read Sphere by Michael Crichton? It's been decades, but this reminded me of that since that also had a psychotherapist as the MC. I wondered why Kris didn't seem to have better control over his own feelings/ reactions given his occupation."
I reread Sphere recently and I definitely saw a lot of similarities. As well as to a lot of other sci-fi I've read. This book was obviously influential.
I guess psychologists are as crazy as the rest of us. :)

I have these and I'd like to read them in order. Hopefully I can start in February.

I've read The Martian Chronicles and a couple of his other books. I'll read some more of these this year.

Samantha wrote: "Oops, Book Nerd. Math error.

Group total to date: 19,287"
Oh, I was looking at the wrong page.

I haven't read any Shakespeare in forever but I read Twelfth Night tonight and enjoyed it. Hopefully I'll read more this year.
What are everybody's favorite comedies?

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare


76 pages

Total to date: 9,666

Karin wrote: "I have given up on The Tale of Genji. I find it utterly boring and after a couple of chapters decided that life is too short when there are so many other classics left to read."
It was kind of a slog but it was interesting to see that period of history and for being the first novel.

This artist does huge, fully illustrated versions of Lovecraft stories. Now I want to read At the Mountains of Madness again.

Solaris by Stanisław Lem

204 pages

Total to date: 9794

I read the Kilmartin/Cox translation. I don't know what I was missing but it was perfectly readable. There was a lot of imaginary science some people would find tedious but I don't mind that.

Armin wrote: "We are used to see aliens in popular culture as similar entities to humans. So, who's to say that they should have physical bodies like humans, and why can't they exist in different forms, shapes, and communicate on different levels?"
I love some nonhuman aliens.
Interestingly, I think I read about a theory similar to this. That before actual cells evolved the ocean was a sort of "prebiological" soup.

Did anybody else think (view spoiler)[he was going to jump into the ocean in the end? (hide spoiler)]

I'll start this in a week or two.

A Mysterious Visitor was really annoying with the constant misunderstandings but I enjoyed this book overall. The stories weren't terrifying but they were probably pretty creepy to Victorians.

It's a little melodramatic that it ruined her whole life.

Samantha wrote: "Book Nerd, I see your thinking. Do you prefer science fiction, historical fiction, at-history and those sort of books as opposed to nonfiction?"
Usually I prefer fiction. Nonfiction has to be a subject I'm interested in and be readable(not a text book). I think the only nonfiction I've read this year was a book on African history.
One classic I want to read eventually is On the Origin of Species.

Wasn't sure if I could cram this in before the end of the year but I'll try. I've only read The Tapestried Chamber so far and part of The Old Nurse's Tale.

I'm not much of a nonfiction fan. When I read it I like science and history so I don't think the classics are good for that because new things are always being learned.

Piyangie wrote: "I'm a little shy of these genres but would like to make an effort next year. :) I'll mark April, August and September."

Lesle wrote: "Me too but picking a few for next year!"

It's funny, I'm always wary of books about regular people living regular lives, though I know there are lots of good ones. No space ships? No magic? Sounds too much like my boring life!

I especially want to read The Crystal Cave. And I've been meaning to read Watership Down since high school.

Mike wrote: "I read the Dumas version over the weekend. I think leaving only a week between them may have done Dumas a disservice. I still enjoyed it but didn't find it quite as captivating. More family friendly and gone is the disorientation I so enjoyed in Hoffmann."
Agreed. Rewriting it with slight changes seemed pointless and the disorienting dreamlike quality was mostly lost.

I guess I'll take a look at the ballet soon.

I finished the Hoffman version. Really sets a nice Christmas mood. A lot of what I've read this year has a really fairy tale quality to it.

Mike wrote: "I finished Hoffmann earlier and really enjoyed it. I liked the abrupt and somewhat disorienting transitions between the layers of narrative"
It makes it very dreamlike. Makes you wonder is Drosselmeyer feeding her fantasies or is it real?