r/books discussion

I am reading the Family by Mario Puzo. The same writer of the Godfather books.

The Family is about the Borgia Family, a powerful family during the renaissance.

What are you reading and what made you pick that book?

I didn't know The Family was about the Borgias! I always thought it was also about mob families...how is it? how is his writing?

As I've commented in other threads, I am reading a few books. The Devil in the White City is my fun read, but I only pick it up when I'm treating myself... so far I love it, and there was a thread in /r/books about it a few days ago too...

I'm listening to Warbreaker by Sanderson on disc, and man am I struggling. I think I really just don't care for his writing. People rave about his books, but I find them shallow.

I'm also reading The Poetics of Postmodernism by Hutcheon for academic purposes... dense but really thought- provoking.

I am currently reading Haints Stay by Colin Winnette. A western about two brothers, hired killers, and a mysterious boy who shows up in their camp with no memory of who he is or where he came from. I love westerns and when I heard about this one, it was a no-brainer.

Hello and welcome to our new members!

It is interesting to me, after having seen a lot of lists for 'summer' reading, that no one is reading any!

I am taking a break from the Game of Thrones series (have devoured the first three) and am reading a classic, depressing Russian novel. Crime and Punishment goes deep into the world of madness and how one man's choices drove him there. Not a bad read, fast surprising. Three quarters of the way done.

I have also recently started 'The Tale of Genji', a Japanese classic. Love the writing style. This will be another fairly quick read.

I was going to join Jennifer in a Brandon Sanderson novel, but after reading a few pages on Amazon, just couldn't get into it.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Megan, you were smart to stay away... I have a trip this weekend, and I will give my disc through that drive to redeem itself. If it doesn't get better, it will join its Sanderson kin on my "never-finished" shelf.

Shallow is the perfect word that describes how I feel about Sanderson. I always find myself wanting more and it's just not there. His world-building is fairly interesting, though. I will give him that much.

I'm currently reading I, Claudius. It was recommended to me after I insisted a friend read A Game of Thrones. He remarked that the characters and machinations were very similar to I, Claudius. I'm not very far in, but I can already see the parallels.

Jennifer, have a good and safe trip!

From the comments, I think I will forego Sanderson for quite awhile. I have so many books that I haven't read yet, that I am trying to go on a buying diet!

Jennifer, I was surprise too that the book was by the Borgias but in a pleasant way due to the fact that I watched their BBC canal series a few months ago and enjoyed it.

I also read the Devil in the White City and I did like it. Did you know there's a goodreads quiz on it?

https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...

I randomly picked up my Kobo last Friday when I was stuck on transit without my headphones - I had started reading The Circle by Dave Eggers last year (barely started even) and decided to finish it off. I am about 90% of the way through already!

It's a quick and easy read, but the ideas it presents to you really make you think. Like a modern day precursor to 1984 almost (I'm not done yet, so don't judge me if it takes a twist!).

I'm about halfway through both The Double and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I picked AMSND because it's one of Shakespeare's most popular that I haven't read yet...and yeah, because it's the middle of summer. It's pretty fun to read with all the rhymes. I enjoy Shakespeare usually.

Started The Double because I was interested in the concept and had never read anything by Dostoevsky before. I'm finding it a little hard to get through just because the writing style is all long, fifty-comma sentences that every Russian I've read seems to employ lol. Not sure if it's how they wrote at the time in general or just a Russian thing. In any case, I'm looking forward to Demons more.

''In Cold Blood'' by Truman Capote:

In Cold Blood to speak of a detective novel is a completely wrong approach looks really and all interested readers, where the story may seem like a thriller, should remember that Truman Capote posed no fictional work together. Rather, his book is a portrait of those murders represent a drawing of what has probably happened in that house, on that November 15, 1959. This Capote decided not to portray the murder first in detail and leaves later the confession of the two perpetrators, to bring light into the darkness; whether it really is the true sequence of events is still unclear. After all, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith who until recently accused each other and insists on their own respective stories. But the author captures in his 330 pages still more than the psyche of the perpetrators who so impenetrable also appears at the end as at the beginning; Rather, he draws a portrait of the small town of Holcomb, who was shaken over 45 years ago by a so atrocious crime that residents looked even years later another insidious and long time were of the opinion that someone from the immediate vicinity of the perpetrators should have been. And the family Clutter, Herbert, Bonnie, Kenyon and Nancy are presented and characterized making itself only incomprehensible crime in the end. The fact that the senior investigator, Alvin Dewey, very short takes, is tragic that the other investigators Nye, Church and Duntz be it so well not at all presented as incomprehensible. It is thus with the precise reconstruction Capote about the actions of the two perpetrators for their crimes very soon becomes clear, where his main focus. Now it is up to the reader itself, whether one wants to get involved in this excursion into the mind of a serial offender.

On content, there is not much to complain about, Capote even tries to keep his story very interesting due to the change of perspective, the slow build-up and the presentation of the figures for the reader, which he understandably adheres to the facts and the book therefore in history has virtually no tension or drama. Yet the pace draws from the center, and especially in the last third noticeably, which is also due to that one instead Hickock and Smith only to accompany them can finally stand literally opposite, one with their decisions and their patterns of behavior in the face of their capture confronted looks and ultimately must realize that only one of them would not ansich been able to commit the murders but together they brought an unmotivated, atrocious crime existence that has been symptomatic of many following. Very clearly that aspect is just as well later, when the two prisoners similar serial offenders encounter in prison. The structure of the book is not always chronologically but jumps between different time levels, which although may seem surprising at first glance a little, but ultimately contributes to the structured content.

As long as Truman Capote has been dealing with the perpetrators and victims, we noticed especially on the figures, which are provided with so many details, anecdotes and characteristics that they are brought to life in the mind's eye of the reader. From outer coatings to mention, the author captures the mood, the personality of the characters so skillfully, as you would expect only in a biography. Even that is why it is so difficult to accept the crime that was committed against the family clutter. Starting with Herbert Clutter, a respected and reputable farmer, who was also known across the state borders and was known for his humanity and hospitality also towards its workers, about his wife Bonnie, who suffered from depression since the birth of their children, up to young Nancy and Kenyon, Capote used a lot of time to introduce the characters authentic. This care is even further increased when Richard Hickock and Perry Smith and one notices a reader formally how much Capote tried to find in her past, her childhood and her experiences an explanation for their behavior but at the same time also comes to expression, which impression the two perpetrators must have made on the innocent bystanders in the process, on the guards, journalists and the police probably. As they have with their charming appearance, her eloquent phraseology and Smith woozy people with his artistic talent and herself but did not recognize it. The dynamic between the two offenders is a core element of the book and to observe how they have influenced each other, wanted to put their audacity demonstrated and buried the last vestiges of their humanity, is fascinating in a disturbing manner. The fact that the police and the bereaved families of the Clutter family be lit only at the edge, however, is unfortunate, even if Alvin Dewey undoubtedly get to the train. A more appropriate characterization of the featured people but you can not expect.

In linguistic terms Truman Capote convinces with its detailed description of the rural characteristics of the inhabitants, even the slang is even included in the pronunciation and spelling, grammatical errors excellent, so you can be the voices of the characters visualize. As he is not uncommon in the literature then changes in key moments of the past tense-narrative form into the present, what will happen several times that he did not choose this in the few pages of execution described, in turn, is incomprehensible at first glance. Also in the English original, the book reads relatively easy, word choice and sentence structure are adjusted to the scene in Kansas and therefore not really difficult or demanding. Some rural expressions and technical terms are included understandable, but this should not prevent the original edition of the handle willed reader.

Become aware of In Cold Blood I'm (I must confess) only through the television adaptation from 1996. But so lifelike, the two perpetrators have been then also played by the exceptional performers, compared to Truman Capote's characterization, the filmmakers have only scratched on the surface. Once we have read in the novel, the first 50 pages long met the clutter to find out in retrospect increasingly details of their lives, shocked the murder of this understanding and good-natured family. But what even more worried is the fact that the two perpetrators have not committed the four murders out of revenge or greed, but from the sheer motive because they were capable of doing. As Alvin Dewey and later also the author Capote sees itself as a reader the abysses of the human character opposite and gets here the prototype of the serial killer increasingly frequent presents. But if it is of the opinion that one can here safely look into the abyss, you are wrong. It may be that a book will not affect to commit such acts, but this fascinating and disturbing look into the mind of the perpetrator has a knock-on effect from which indicate the parties for a long time could not solve. For those interested In Cold Blood is thus required reading, even if it starts rather slowly and is anything but easy to digest. But who thought it a thriller with elements of drama, has not understood the intent of the author the book is hidden behind the study of a cruel crime and responsible for it, and affected persons.

I recently watched Phillip Hoffman's portrayal of Capote, man was that scary. Both from the perspective that Hoffman had recently passed and that he was able to capture every little gesture and speak pattern of Capote's perfectly and remembering a few taped interviews of Truman Capote's.

I am reading 'Paris' be Edward Rutherfurd, a historical novelist, whose long books are normally quite accurate. This one so far, (about 120 pages into it) is no exception, however, he has made reading this very slow going. We start off in 1875 then go to 1883, then go backwards to 1261, then jump forward to 1885 then 1887 then 1307, etc. As the chapters are fairly short, 25 pages, considering this is a 800 page book, it makes it hard to know where you are.

His other books, 'The Princes of Ireland', 'Sarum', 'Russka', 'London', we're all written in a linear pattern, some chapters jumping hundreds of years but that was easier to follow. I will continue though as he brings a normally dry and boring subject to the reader in relatable fashion. He tells us the story of both common man and aristocrat through their daily lives.

I'm currently reading The Kingdom of Gods by NK Jemisin, which is a bit of a departure for me - I don't usually read a lot of fantasy, but I was in a mood and got hooked on this trilogy based on a coworker's recommendation. This is the last of the series, and while I probably won't be running out to research the rest of Jemisin's bibliography, I'll definitely keep her in mind for the next time I'm in a sci-fi/fantasy mood!