Whats everyone reading?

[House of Usher]

Asterix in Switzerland, which I've not read in 30 years
The Revenger's Tragedy (Tourner or Middleton)
The Wife of Bath's Tale (Chaucer)
Hamlet (again)
Macbeth (again)
Watching the Fire-eater (Robert Minhinnick)
The Lost Continent (Bill Bryson)
York Notes on Hamlet, Macbeth and The Wife of Bath's Tale
Shakespeare's Language (Frank Kermode)

[HOO-HAA]

Asterix in Switzerland, which I've not read in 30 years

Ha! I remember that one well. Quite a few orgies in it, as I recall.

"Mummy, what's an orgy?"

"Er, just a big party..."

I'm reading Stephen King's BAG OF BONES. Great so far.

[House of Usher]

"Mummy, what's an orgy?"

How did you know how that conversation went in my house?


My fondest memory of the book was of the fondue cauldron at the Swiss orgies, and the forfeits for losing your piece of bread. We were getting some Asterix books from the library and I insisted we look for this one in particular.

[SmallBlueThing]

I'm reading Stephen King's BAG OF BONES. Great so far.

Bag of Bones is one of my favourite latter King books- and the one I use when people trot out the old adage that King's new work doesn't compare to his initial batch. Genuinely myseterious and unsettling, it's King wrapped up in story and character without even half an eye on how "cinematic" it might be.

SBT

[Paul faplad Finch]

...the one I use when people trot out the old adage that King's new work doesn't compare to his initial batch.

Am I the only one that actually thinks it's the other way around? I've read a lot of King over the years, though by no means everything, and I've always found his earlier works to be quite hard going, in a 'I'm really not enjoying this' rather than the 'this is quite dark and creepy' way that you want from horror.

Apart from Pet Semetary, which I believe was quite early (and which freaked me out good and proper) I've always much prefered his later stuff.

This may be a generational thing of course. I started with his later books, it was these I fell in love with, and so when I backtracked the earlier ones didn't feel like proper King, rightly or wrongly. Had I started at the beginning I may be singing a different tune right now.

I'll agree that Bag Of Bones is superb.

[SmallBlueThing]

Other than Cujo, i dont think ive ever read a king novl or short story that hasn't left me in a state of admiration for the man's ability. But yes, i started reading them at school with Night Shift and have read all of them as published, so my opinions probably differ from yours.
My absolute favourite is The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon- which i found so engrossing, so unpleasant and so creepy that i missed my station, glanced up an hour later and then had a three hour journey home.
SBT

[strontium_dog_90]

King's new stuff has been an amazing return to form - to anyone who hasn't read the newest collection "Full Dark, No Stars" yet I'd recommend it highly - four really dark and creepy stories, one of them that will make anyone possessing a dark sense of humour most likely snort laughter.

[Paul faplad Finch]

Hah, I had a mate at work who was a massive King fan, completely unbeknownst to me. First I knew about it was when I was reading ...Tom Gordon and he made a big deal of the fact that it was the first King in years he had no intention of reading, based purely on the title.

Takes all sorts I suppose.

The King that has left the most lasting impression on me (although I've only read it once, many years ago) was one of the Richard Bachman novellas, The Long Walk. I vividly remember reading it in one sitting and being completely blown away. Sections of it are still crystal clear in my head 15 years later.

Of course, I was a kid when I read it so there may be some rose tinted specs happening. I used to think it would make a cracking movie (I was thinking along the lines of The Body/Stand By Me) but then I saw what happened to The Running Man and now fervently hope it doesn't happen.


I must catch up with my King. About 3 books behind on his recent stuff. Dome is sitting on my shelf looking lonely but I don't really want to start it until I can commit some serious time to it.

[SmallBlueThing]

I'm the same, and have hardbacks of duma key, lisey's story, under the dome (and soon full dark no stars) to read when i can commit the time.
Aiming to get onto them once ive finished hungry hearts, empire of salt and autumn.
SBT

[House of Usher]

The biggest Stephen King letdown ever was the ending of The Stand, where [spoiler]nothing any of the characters did many any difference to the outcome of the story whatsoever[/spoiler].

[Colin YNWA]

Asterix in Switzerland, which I've not read in 30 years

Ha! I remember that one well. Quite a few orgies in it, as I recall.

Along with Soothsayer probably my favourite of them all. Mighty comics

[Rog69]

I used to be a big King fan until I got to Insomnia and Rose Madder which were just plain awful.

I may check out some of his newer stuff though if he's got his form back, I loved most of his earlier stuff.

[Keef Monkey]

Really enjoyed Lisey's Story and Duma Key, Under The Dome is on my reading pile but as it's a biggy I'm trying to get through some other stuff first.

Just started The Way Of The Barefoot Zombie (from Tomes of the Dead), mainly because I'm all about the zombies right now.

[SmallBlueThing]

Glad to hear you have jooooiiinnneedddd uuuusssss. Barefoot is great, in fact barring one or two the whole t.o.t.d series has been excellent so far. Try Stronghold, it's really something special.

SBT

[noodles]

I'm supposed to be revising so I have taken to reading the entirety of the interweb, hyperlink by drivel filled hyperlink.

This http://lonelymachines.org/mall-ninjas/ is what has got me grinning at the moment. I started grinning, then the grin got wider and I just did a little wee in my pants I was laughing so much.

Step away from the Tom Clancy!