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Mostly I like reading books I loved as a child again as an adult - it's that happy glow of nostalgia, and a lot of the classics are really good reads even now. But this time when I was back home I dug out my (abridged) copy of The Three Musketeers because I've been seeing the adverts for the new film and wanted to remind myself what the actual plot was.
And on rereading I've come to the unsettling conclusion that the the Musketeers and particularly d'Artagnan are total dicks. Which makes me sad, because that is not how I remembered them at all!
( Rant below - contains plot spoilers )
I expect I'll still go and see the film though - I think the versions I've seen before are usually less annoying than the book was and I do like a bit of swashbuckling. (Especially with Matthew McFadyen.)
And on rereading I've come to the unsettling conclusion that the the Musketeers and particularly d'Artagnan are total dicks. Which makes me sad, because that is not how I remembered them at all!
( Rant below - contains plot spoilers )
I expect I'll still go and see the film though - I think the versions I've seen before are usually less annoying than the book was and I do like a bit of swashbuckling. (Especially with Matthew McFadyen.)
Book meme!
Aug. 15th, 2011 09:48 pmVia ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
runpunkrun: "NPR released a list of their Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels or Comic Books also Tie-In Novels or Historical Fiction That We Accidentally Thought Was Fantasy"
And I could go for a meme. So bold the ones you've read, italicise the ones you intend to read, underline the ones you've read part of, andstrike the ones you never intend to read.
( Book meme below )
runpunkrun: "NPR released a list of their Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels or Comic Books also Tie-In Novels or Historical Fiction That We Accidentally Thought Was Fantasy"And I could go for a meme. So bold the ones you've read, italicise the ones you intend to read, underline the ones you've read part of, and
( Book meme below )
Writer's block - opening lines
Feb. 5th, 2011 11:57 amWhat is your favorite opening line of a book, and why?
"The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged; and when they died within a few weeks of each other during the annual epidemic of the influenza or Spanish Plague which occurred in her twentieth year, she was discovered to possess every art and grace save that of earning her own living."
from Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons because it shows exactly the tone and style of the book to come, light and breezy, and how could anyone not want to know what happens to Flora after that introduction?
"The education bestowed on Flora Poste by her parents had been expensive, athletic and prolonged; and when they died within a few weeks of each other during the annual epidemic of the influenza or Spanish Plague which occurred in her twentieth year, she was discovered to possess every art and grace save that of earning her own living."
from Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons because it shows exactly the tone and style of the book to come, light and breezy, and how could anyone not want to know what happens to Flora after that introduction?
second book list: BBC big read
Jun. 25th, 2008 07:54 pmSince I have been reminded of the BBC Big Read event where they got the public to vote for their favourite books and then had famous people promote the top 21 in special programmes -some of them were really interesting - I'm going to do the same thing for those books. I suspect my score will be better than on the other 100 list.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
( books of the BBC Big Read top 100 I have read )
I make that total 40.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
( books of the BBC Big Read top 100 I have read )
I make that total 40.
book list meme - the Big Read
Jun. 25th, 2008 05:52 pmfrom icarusancalion:
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
Two were taken out of the list because they were repetitive.
( here's my list )
29 total - though to be fair, a lot of those they list I don't want to read! And it is still more than 6.
icarusancalion:The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed. Well let's see.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
Two were taken out of the list because they were repetitive.
( here's my list )
29 total - though to be fair, a lot of those they list I don't want to read! And it is still more than 6.
Friday Five: character deaths
Aug. 3rd, 2007 07:28 pmFrom ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fannish5: What five character deaths affected you the most?
Just in case, don't look if you want to avoid being spoiled for:
( Good Wives (book), Robin of Sherwood (tv), The Jungle Book (book), The Fionavar Tapestry (books), The Lord of the Rings (film/book) )
*wanders off tearily*
fannish5: What five character deaths affected you the most?Just in case, don't look if you want to avoid being spoiled for:
( Good Wives (book), Robin of Sherwood (tv), The Jungle Book (book), The Fionavar Tapestry (books), The Lord of the Rings (film/book) )
*wanders off tearily*
Book review: The Hallowed Hunt
Apr. 15th, 2007 09:48 pmNot the latest book from Lois McMaster Bujold, but the latest I've read. It concerns shamanism, politics and the Five Gods familiar from The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, but is set in an unfamiliar part of that world and with new characters. Mainly Ingrey, a cast-off nobleman barred from his inheritance due to his unwilling posession of a wolf-spirit, and Ijada, a noblewomen who starts the book his prisoner due to her murder (in self-defence) of the king's younger son. Though being Lois McMaster Bujold things rapidly get much more complicated than that summary would suggest.
( cut for spoilers and first impressions )
( cut for spoilers and first impressions )
waiting around
Mar. 24th, 2006 06:47 pmto get picked up for a dinner party. I'm hungry.
Book meme gacked frombuzzylittleb:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you
Further more, the headmen were forced to "sweare that they would thereafter have trade with none other nation whatsoever it were but sell all their nuts and mace to the Hollanders only".
Book meme gacked from
buzzylittleb:1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open it to page 161.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
5. Don't search around and look for the coolest book you can find. Do what's actually next to you
Further more, the headmen were forced to "sweare that they would thereafter have trade with none other nation whatsoever it were but sell all their nuts and mace to the Hollanders only".
banned book meme
Sep. 12th, 2005 09:25 pmStolen from serialkarma
A list of the top 110 banned books is behind the cut.
BOLD = read it completely, ITALICS = read at least some of it, UNDERLINE = would like to read
( my list )
I didn't do too badly there. Clearly I am destined for hell, having read all those naughty banned things. Like Little House on the Prairie. WTF?
serialkarmaA list of the top 110 banned books is behind the cut.
BOLD = read it completely, ITALICS = read at least some of it, UNDERLINE = would like to read
( my list )
I didn't do too badly there. Clearly I am destined for hell, having read all those naughty banned things. Like Little House on the Prairie. WTF?
the lost boys
Aug. 20th, 2005 04:39 pmFinally, I have got around to watching the second and third episodes of Lost that I taped last week. I wasn't convinced that all the hype was justified from just having seen the first epi, but I am on board now - it's well good and the gradual getting to know the characters is very interesting. Plus, invisible monsters and randomly appearing polar bears? Count me in.
I can also see why everyone has been going on about Sawyer - just on looks so far as he's one of the ones we haven't seen much of yet - but what I would like to know is why no-one is raving about Naveen Andrews as Sayid? Now there is a gorgeous man who I haven't seen anything of for ages, probably not since The English Patient. And for those slashaholics out there, he was also the star of The Buddha of Suburbia and had a nice little sex scene with Steven Mackintosh...
In other good news, Tales of the City is getting a UK DVD release and as any dS fans (especially those who've read Shadows Fade by AuKestrel and Kellie Matthews) will know, one of the characters was played by Mr. Paul Gross. Since it came out in 1993, I haven't actually seen it myself, but I did watch More Tales of the City a few years later and, despite PG having moved on to other projects by then, I remember it as being pretty entertaining so I'd guess the first one would be worth a look. Sexual shenanigans in seventies San Francisco. Sweet.
The series of 6 books by Armistead Maupin that it is based on are also very good, btw.
I can also see why everyone has been going on about Sawyer - just on looks so far as he's one of the ones we haven't seen much of yet - but what I would like to know is why no-one is raving about Naveen Andrews as Sayid? Now there is a gorgeous man who I haven't seen anything of for ages, probably not since The English Patient. And for those slashaholics out there, he was also the star of The Buddha of Suburbia and had a nice little sex scene with Steven Mackintosh...
In other good news, Tales of the City is getting a UK DVD release and as any dS fans (especially those who've read Shadows Fade by AuKestrel and Kellie Matthews) will know, one of the characters was played by Mr. Paul Gross. Since it came out in 1993, I haven't actually seen it myself, but I did watch More Tales of the City a few years later and, despite PG having moved on to other projects by then, I remember it as being pretty entertaining so I'd guess the first one would be worth a look. Sexual shenanigans in seventies San Francisco. Sweet.
The series of 6 books by Armistead Maupin that it is based on are also very good, btw.
Fry and Laurie-ness
Apr. 6th, 2005 08:26 pmWatched a programme last night all about the comedy gold team of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Who are just lovely and obviously completely adore each other. Hugh Laurie actually said something along the lines of the work they had done together being such a small part of the huge whole that was their relationship, and that he pretty much owed most of what he had done in his life to that. Stephen Fry put it even more simply - he just said they were best friends. I dissolved into a big pile of "aaaaaw" and wanted to hug them both.
Annoyingly though, they completely failed to show any clips of Hugh in House, which I keep seeing people going on about in their ljs and saying how utterly fabulous he is in it. Damn it, I want to see this thing! Someone bring it to UK terrestrial, please? I also don't remember them mentioning his novel, The Gun Seller. I remember it being pretty good and unexpectedly full of action. But then they are both so sickeningly multi-talented the producers probably just didn't have time to mention everything.
There were also no Blackadder clips, but fortunately the last of the Elizabethan series is on tonight and that has them both in it, hoorah. And then I can decide whether to watch some Jeeves and Wooster vids or read the book of A Bit of Fry and Laurie scripts I picked up in a charity shop a while back.
In other news, it is absolutely pissing it down outside and there is exciting thunder and lightening going on. I like a bit of drama in my weather (as long as I am inside and cozy anyway.)
Annoyingly though, they completely failed to show any clips of Hugh in House, which I keep seeing people going on about in their ljs and saying how utterly fabulous he is in it. Damn it, I want to see this thing! Someone bring it to UK terrestrial, please? I also don't remember them mentioning his novel, The Gun Seller. I remember it being pretty good and unexpectedly full of action. But then they are both so sickeningly multi-talented the producers probably just didn't have time to mention everything.
There were also no Blackadder clips, but fortunately the last of the Elizabethan series is on tonight and that has them both in it, hoorah. And then I can decide whether to watch some Jeeves and Wooster vids or read the book of A Bit of Fry and Laurie scripts I picked up in a charity shop a while back.
In other news, it is absolutely pissing it down outside and there is exciting thunder and lightening going on. I like a bit of drama in my weather (as long as I am inside and cozy anyway.)
