Posted by IsoM on January 23, 2002, at 14:20:43
In reply to bloody iris murdoch!, posted by ELA on January 23, 2002, at 12:29:30
I love it when someone wants books recommended. I warn you though, although I love fine English literature, I also love to read "lighter" writings, especially when I do need a pick-up. I don't want my brain always taxed to the limit. I've read all the depressing Russian novelists & some great Japanese novels (translated, of course) when younger, plus W. Somerset Maughn (still one of my favourites). Now I need books that won't depress me reading them.
I'm only recommending 4 different authors/books as I am very choosy. Too many works are just factory-churned out now.Best Light Material is definitely -
1. Gerald Durrell's stories of his childhood & family.
Gerald Durrell wrote a series of books about his early days from the age of 10 to 15 years old of his life in Corfu, a Greek island. (You may be familiar with his much more famous brother Lawrence Durrell.) The stories of his family & his adolescence are priceless. When sitting in public & reading these books (doctor's offices etc), I break out in laughter & have people look at me strangely. It is impossible not to laugh aloud when reading his books. And curled up in winter reading them, I could feel the warm Mediterranean sun on my shoulders & almost hear the sea.Unfortuanetely, in lending out my books, I no longer have those so I can't tell you what book is first in the series, but no matter, it's not vitally important to read them in order. They are My Family & Other Animals, "Garden of the Gods", and "Birds, Beasts, & Relatives". He has other books he's written about his days as an animal collector for zoos which are quite good too but not nearly as funny.
2. How about science-fiction? One of the funniest & still the best humourous sci-fi is Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy : A Trilogy (To give you an idea- there's actually 5 books in his 'trilogy'). BBC made a mini-series from it.
3. "Alamut" by Judith Tarr (my recommemded books are getting a little weightier now). She holds degrees in ancient & medieval history & her novels are historically accurate. They're classified as fantasy as she blends fiction & fact together very well, but with her it's clear what is what. I think Alamut to be her best book, but any of her historical fantasies are good. The're not 'love' stories but the telling of historical events embellished.
4. The Faded Sun by C.J.Cherryh.
She's considered a sci-fi and/or fantasy novelist but she's one of the best. She doesn't churn them out like some do. This story tells about the extinction of a unique race of people (only two left, a brother & sister - he a warrior & she a priestess) & a former adversay, human, & his efforts to save these two & join them to others of their kind elsewhere in the galaxy. It is my all-time favourite book & isn't really light reading. It has many levels in its writings & is one of those rare books I've reread & will reread again. You don't get a lot of science in this but human/mri interactions instead. Here's a few comments from other reviewers about it below."The book is crafted, written, and paced very deliberately, which might frustrate an impatient reader."
"This for me is a book of moral attitudes for each race described in this book is driven by the ideologies and ethics inherent to them; even in spite of survival. It is a book of strange heroism from all parts but heroism nonetheless."
"Cherryh is not big on high tech, but tremendous on human (and non-human) dimensions. This is not space opera, but rather psychological thriller."
poster:IsoM
thread:17108
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020112/msgs/17114.html