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How is that book so far? I've been considering reading it.

 

Pretty much what Phail said. It's one of my favorite books. I'm just reading it again because I always do that before watching the film, even if I've read it many times prior.

 

It's really unfortunate that most people in our generation don't know how amazing The Great Gatsby is, but I think that has something to do with it being taught way too early. It's too complex for high school sophomores.

 

I agree completely. We read it as juniors in an honors class and still half of the people disliked it or blew it off. I was one of the few in the class that was enamored with the book from the start and even reading it now I'm seeing quite a few things that I missed the first time around.

 

It makes me feel bad that I'm pretty much the only one on here that didn't like The Great Gatsby. =/

 

Read it again.

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How old were you when you read it? Most people who read it when in high school revisit it and love it, even if they'd hated it before.

Last year, I think; so 21.

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I'm 500 pages in to "A Game of Thrones"

 

 

I don't remember in the show Cat telling Jon when he came to say goodbye to Bran "It should have been you". I'm glad she died horribly now.

 

Some more pretty noticeable differences that don't REALLY matter:

 

- In the show, Ned hurts his leg by being speared by a Lannister soldier. In the book, he shatters his leg when his horse fell on it during the scuffle.

 

- In the show, Ned was stopped in the middle of a conversation by Renly to be told that Robert was dying. In the book, he was woken from his sleep by members of his own guard.

 

- All of the characters are at least three years younger in the book. I guess the show changed that to make it easier to find actors and to make it less...rape-y?

 

Arya is my favorite character in the show, and the book so far only enhances that feeling. Rebelling against the highborn life of lordship she never really wanted, and her "dancing" lessons are hilarious in the books. Also how she continuously owns Sansa is amazing.

 

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I asked this in the shoutbox last night, but what the fuck kind of queer romance novels are these Game of Thrones books?

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I asked this in the shoutbox last night, but what the fuck kind of queer romance novels are these Game of Thrones books?

 

"Romance" is the last word I would use to describe the series. It's a fantasy series revolving around a kingdom in turmoil after a false, cruel king ascends to the throne. People all over the realm begin declaring themselves king, and that's where the story comes in. I've never in my life seen a writer create such a detailed and diverse fantasy world. "Romance"? Seriously?

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It's the 500 Shades of Grey for dudes. Soft core porn that helps elicits strong stimuli response from the brain.

 

Anyway...

 

 

A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length by Roger Ebert

 

"Finding success in a Michael Bay film is like finding the Virgin on a slice of toast, but much less rewarding."

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I'm 500 pages in to "A Game of Thrones"

 

 

I don't remember in the show Cat telling Jon when he came to say goodbye to Bran "It should have been you". I'm glad she died horribly now.

 

Some more pretty noticeable differences that don't REALLY matter:

 

- In the show, Ned hurts his leg by being speared by a Lannister soldier. In the book, he shatters his leg when his horse fell on it during the scuffle.

 

- In the show, Ned was stopped in the middle of a conversation by Renly to be told that Robert was dying. In the book, he was woken from his sleep by members of his own guard.

 

- All of the characters are at least three years younger in the book. I guess the show changed that to make it easier to find actors and to make it less...rape-y?

 

Arya is my favorite character in the show, and the book so far only enhances that feeling. Rebelling against the highborn life of lordship she never really wanted, and her "dancing" lessons are hilarious in the books. Also how she continuously owns Sansa is amazing.

 

 

Done. 773 pages in five days. I'll start on A Clash of Kings tomorrow morning.

 

 

Ned's execution was so much more chilling in the book. The chapter is told from Arya's point of view so there's no actual description of the execution itself, but the wording surrounding the chapter paints a picture clearer than even the show did.

 

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"Romance" is the last word I would use to describe the series. It's a fantasy series revolving around a kingdom in turmoil after a false, cruel king ascends to the throne. People all over the realm begin declaring themselves king, and that's where the story comes in. I've never in my life seen a writer create such a detailed and diverse fantasy world. "Romance"? Seriously?

 

Razor posted this:

Sunset found her squatting in the grass, groaning. Every stool was looser than the one before, and smelled fouler. By the time the moon came up she was shitting brown water. The more she drank, the more she shat, but the more she shat, the thirstier she grew, and her thirst sent her crawling to the stream to suck up more water.

 

I looked it up and found these immediately.

 

She was sopping wet when he entered her. “Damn you,” she said. “Damn you damn you damn you.” He sucked her nipples till she cried out half in pain and half in pleasure. Her cunt became the world.

 

And suddenly his cock was out, jutting upward from his breeches like a fat pink mast.

 

The three men were erect. The sight of their arousal was arousing

 

Whilst you snored, I would lick your sons off my face and fingers one by one, all those pale sticky princes. You claimed your right, my lord, but in the darkness I would eat your heirs.

 

Her loins ached from the urgency of his love making. It was a good ache.
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The Great Gatsby is definitely a great example of a book that many high school students hate, but if they read it again in 5 years, they'll love it.

 

Here's another: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. If you read this in high school and didn't like it, try reading it again. If you've never read it at all, what are you waiting for? :D

Edited by Sarge
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Razor posted this:

 

 

I looked it up and found these immediately.

 

If those are all from the GoT books, then the author is a terrible writer. Those lines would be hand picked as reasons most publishers wouldn't accept the piece.

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"Romance" is the last word I would use to describe the series. It's a fantasy series revolving around a kingdom in turmoil after a false, cruel king ascends to the throne. People all over the realm begin declaring themselves king, and that's where the story comes in. I've never in my life seen a writer create such a detailed and diverse fantasy world. "Romance"? Seriously?

 

Time to read Robert Jordan, the Harry Potter series, or, if you can handle absurd political views woven into the narrative, Terry Goodkind.

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If those are all from the GoT books, then the author is a terrible writer. Those lines would be hand picked as reasons most publishers wouldn't accept the piece.

 

I had honestly thought about reading the series before finding all of those. I'll stick with knocking off Vonnegut's bibliography as I entrench myself further in Humanism.

 

I'm about to start A Man Without a Country by Vonnegut, a collection of essays published in 2005.

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Ya. Everyone talks about how great the books are. It got Trident to read! I was ready to buy them... But after a lot of the passages posted, not only here, but in the shout box, I have decided against buying the books.

 

I have plenty of porn sites to go to, I don't need to read it as well.

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You guys do realize that there is like maybe 5-10 pages of "sex scenes" in a book that amounts to 700 pages and you're writing off one of the greatest literary works of fiction in the 21st century because an old man can't write 1/2 of 1% of the book well?

 

I think nearly all of those scenes are stupid and poorly written, but that does not make the author a terrible writer. He's slow as fuck in putting out books, he can't write sex, but the narrative and the way he combines the different elements- Martin knows how to write lol.

 

Writing him off because of an absolutely minuscule portion of his books is hilarious.

 

If you hate it that much, just skip those parts, its what I ended up doing.

Edited by Thanatos19

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the Harry Potter series

 

I too, have been 12 years old before.

 

Also what Thanatos said.

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Guest Phailadelphia

Seriously people? They're not porn novels. You're passing up VERY GOOD BOOKS because of a couple of awful sex lines. That's a disgrace.

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You guys do realize that there is like maybe 5-10 pages of "sex scenes" in a book that amounts to 700 pages and you're writing off one of the greatest literary works of fiction in the 21st century because an old man can't write 1/2 of 1% of the book well?

 

I think nearly all of those scenes are stupid and poorly written, but that does not make the author a terrible writer. He's slow as fuck in putting out books, he can't write sex, but the narrative and the way he combines the different elements- Martin knows how to write lol.

 

Writing him off because of an absolutely minuscule portion of his books is hilarious.

 

If you hate it that much, just skip those parts, its what I ended up doing.

 

Well part of my issue with sex scenes in fantasy novels is that they're often so misogynist that it's hilarious. Like the author pulled one of his fantasies out of his ass and put it on the page.

 

Also, I may eventually read it, but how can you claim it to be one of the greatest literary works of this century? It's popularity? The Twilight Series was immensely popular. 50 Shades of Grey was immensely popular. Political extremists sell tons of books.

 

I just don't think Martin can compare to someone like Robert Jordan or J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series, while much tamer than standard fantasy, is absolutely incredible.

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There are plenty more awful quotes in the same place I found those. I merely posted the ones pertaining to sex, seeing as Trident responded to my "romance novel" question.

 

And whether or not these lines are a fraction of a percent of the entire series, they're still there. I'm of the opinion that most media, not just books, are only as good as their worst part. Sometimes a hint of cheese is funny and can be overlooked, but these quotes are pretty fucking atrocious, lol.

 

 

Sunset found her squatting in the grass, groaning. Every stool was looser than the one before, and smelled fouler. By the time the moon came up she was shitting brown water. The more she drank, the more she shat, but the more she shat, the thirstier she grew, and her thirst sent her crawling to the stream to suck up more water.

 

The ship groaned and growled beneath him like a constipated fat man straining to shit.

 

Men call me Darkstar, and I am of the night.

 

Tyrion reflected on the men who had been Hand before him, who had proved no match for his sister’s wiles. How could they be? Men like that... too honest to live, too noble to shit, Cersei devours such fools every morning when she breaks her fast.

 

Ser Alliser Thorne walked from the room so stiffly it looked as though he had a dagger up his butt

 

 

 

And a couple posts that also have made my interest in the books wane:

 

I can't find the exact quote, but the phrase "it was as cold as the breath of an Ice Dragon in one of Old Nan's tales," appears at least twice in ADwD. It should never have appeared even once.

 

Also, the overuse of "much and more." Little pretend idioms/expressions like that can make fantasy worlds seem a bit more lifelike, but when they're ubiquitous across practically all cultures/regions then it has the opposite effect, it makes the world seem more contrived.

 

All of the repeated ones:

 

"You know nothing Jon Snow"

 

"Wherever whores go"

 

"She's been fucking Kettleblack and Lancel and probably even Moon Boy"

 

"Reek Reek it rhymes with ?eek"

 

I don't know why but they annoy me. Yes I get it those phrases struck each character but enough is enough

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Well part of my issue with sex scenes in fantasy novels is that they're often so misogynist that it's hilarious. Like the author pulled one of his fantasies out of his ass and put it on the page.

 

Also, I may eventually read it, but how can you claim it to be one of the greatest literary works of this century? It's popularity? The Twilight Series was immensely popular. 50 Shades of Grey was immensely popular. Political extremists sell tons of books.

 

I just don't think Martin can compare to someone like Robert Jordan or J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter series, while much tamer than standard fantasy, is absolutely incredible.

 

You can't claim it isn't a great literary work when you haven't even read the blasted thing. I've read the HP series and I am finally reading The Wheel of Time series. While I would agree that both are great, neither one is a work like Game of Thrones, (at least so far for WoT, I'm only on book 4).

 

What makes work "great literature?" That's a hard question to answer, and will obviously differ from person to person. GoT is not a work that will be enjoyed by everyone. What I have a problem with is not reading it because of a tiny portion of the book.

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I'm about 80 pages into Vonnegut's A Man Without a Country, and I'd urge all of you to spend $10-$15 to buy it. Despite the fact that it's a collection of essays on different topics, it's fluid and cohesive. It reads like a completely lucid 82 year old man (he was 82 when he wrote the book in 2005) sitting down and sharing his ample wisdom, quirky stories, and thought-provoking facts. He writes about jokes, sex, Socialism, art, and even gives a small lesson on creative writing (and that's not everything that I've read in the 80 pages I've turned).

 

Edit: Forgot to post the Amazon link, in case anyone wants to buy it.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Man-Without-Country-Kurt-Vonnegut/dp/081297736X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372167663&sr=8-1&keywords=a+man+without+a+country

Edited by Zack_of_Steel
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I might check that out. Vonnegut FTW.

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I've started reading The Sun Also Rises and the Grapes of Wrath.

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Guest Phailadelphia

I picked up The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment, both by Fyodor Dostoevsky, today. I'd planned on picking one to take with me on vacation next week but when I got home I got a strong urge to start Brothers. So I did, and I can't put it down. I haven't been this consumed by a book in a very long time. It's an incredible read and I'm only a fraction of the way through the text.

Edited by Phailadelphia

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