Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 I also recently just finished a novel called The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie which was highly recommended by Lanista (I think??) And rightly so!! I'll go as far as to say that it's one of the best historical novels that I've ever read. I would advise any lover of Roman fiction to read this book, and the fact that it was Donna Gillespie's first ever release just makes it all the more impressive. And yet it is out of print? Hmm.... a bit new age and pretentious for me. I'm afraid she won't stand the test of time with her work. Shame - I had such high hopes. New age and pretentious?? Not sure what you mean there Augusta? I'd have thought this book would have been to your liking. The way she really brings the character's and their surroundings to life, how she goes into great detail to describe and paint the picture of what life was like back in the first century AD. This is something I'm sure you've spoke of in the past about what you look for in a book. ( I think.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 New age and pretentious?? Not sure what you mean there Augusta? I'd have thought this book would have been to your liking. The way she really brings the character's and their surroundings to life, how she goes into great detail to describe and paint the picture of what life was like back in the first century AD. This is something I'm sure you've spoke of in the past about what you look for in a book. ( I think.) It's in the prose, GPM. In parts I found this overblown and pretentious - very 'writerly'. I would agree she described things in intricate - almost painful - detail in parts, but I still found it dry and was aware that I was reading 'a-very-detailed-novel-that-the-author-had-put-an-awful-lot-of-research-into' sort of thing. Don't get me wrong, I still think it was a great achievement - just not one to stay on my shelves. And rather like Scott, she suffers from a lack of editing in places. But it's by no means the worst historical novel I've read - I just can't go overboard with it as others have done. I may try the sequel to give the author another go, and report back again. The trouble with me lately is I am reading almost everything now with my editor's hat on instead of my reader's hat. I do sometimes think it spoils the enjoyment process. I probably need to take a step or two back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaius Paulinus Maximus Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 The trouble with me lately is I am reading almost everything now with my editor's hat on instead of my reader's hat. I do sometimes think it spoils the enjoyment process. I probably need to take a step or two back. I can see what you mean Augusta, I imagine it must be pretty hard for an author to read other peoples work with a bit of nit picking and often thinking things like... " I wouldn't have put that in there " or " I'd have expanded on that a bit more" or " you've over done on that bit" etc etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladius Hispaniensis Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Just got started on "The Punic Wars" by Nigel Bagnall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caesar CXXXVII Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 (edited) Winnie-the-Pooh, 20 minutes ago, until my dearest fell asleep . Bofore that, Ben-Gurion's biography (now on book 4, page 582) . Edit : Here we called it "Pooh the bear" Edited January 16, 2009 by Caesar CXXXVII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingsoc Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Just started with the hebrew translation of Confessiones by Augustinus. Before that I have read Zvi Herman's "The Memories of Hannibal" which is the fictional autobiography of the famous Punic general (obivously the Herman stypled the book after "Memories of Hadrian" by Marguerite Yourcenar). the book has some good parts thought it's not as good as Yourcenar book and didn't really like some of Herman writing methods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Neil Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I have Amazon UK open on another window, and I am about to order our very own Sonic's Belisarius!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursus Posted January 23, 2009 Report Share Posted January 23, 2009 I just read "Dwellers in the Land," a 1991 book on the "bioregional" view of the environmental movement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimi Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Eagle in the Snow by Wallace Breem I wonder how much of Breem is in this book. It is a good read but I find it difficult to read. The mood, colour, tone are all in shades of grey, a dull grey. Any red of the empire has been streaked with grey. The death of an idea, an age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecimusCaesar Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Forgotten Voices of the Holocaust by Lyn Smith - an interesting and powerful book. I don't normally read 20th century history books, but I thought that Forgotten Voices of the Great War was good, so I brought this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladius Hispaniensis Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 "Soldier Sahibs" by Charles Allen. Good book about the men who made the North West Frontier of India during the British Raj. I wonder if anyone is interested in Indian history here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nephele Posted February 28, 2009 Report Share Posted February 28, 2009 History Is Dead Heheh. Couldn't resist the opportunity for a little publicity for my man. -- Nephele Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladius Hispaniensis Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Currently reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I'm rather new to Russian Literature so I hope I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Augusta Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 After many friends and associates recommended her to me, I finally got around to reading Lindsey Davis' The Silver Pigs, the first of her Falco novels. Absolutely gorgeous stuff! Superb characterisation, adequate Roman reconstruction (nothing's ever perfect, is it?) and I shall be buying all the series. And whaddya know - at last an author who gives us a wonderful Roman lady to admire in Helena. I was in love with Didius Falco after three paragraphs, and his flaws are as endearing as his virtues. He's a wonderful achievement. Davis writes with such wit and charm too. I drew odd glances on the bus as I chuckled out loud at many parts of this delightful little novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artimi Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 After many friends and associates recommended her to me, I finally got around to reading Lindsey Davis' The Silver Pigs, the first of her Falco novels. Absolutely gorgeous stuff! Superb characterisation, adequate Roman reconstruction (nothing's ever perfect, is it?) and I shall be buying all the series. And whaddya know - at last an author who gives us a wonderful Roman lady to admire in Helena. I was in love with Didius Falco after three paragraphs, and his flaws are as endearing as his virtues. He's a wonderful achievement. Davis writes with such wit and charm too. I drew odd glances on the bus as I chuckled out loud at many parts of this delightful little novel. I, too, have finally read the 'The Silver Pigs'. I agree wholeheartedly with you Augusta even though I have an aversion to books written in first person, but I think I will make an exception for this serious. I will spread them over months. I am now reading 'The Thirteenth Tale' by Diane Setterfield, another first person novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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