quote:Originally posted by Owl Lad: Just finished The DaVinci Code. It's been awhile since I 've read a suspense thriller, but this was so much more. I can't believe that all that historical research he found out is for real..or is it? Does anybody out there know how legitimate the author's findings are?
The vast majority of the author's "revelations" are invented. Some are expansions of ideas others have had in the past; many are complete fabrications. There was an article in the Boston Globe around the time the book came out last year that outlined the most important invented plot points.
It's funny reading everyone's comments above about The Little Friend. I too enjoyed The Secret History immensely and haven't been able to get into the new book. Oh well.
Instead, I'm reading Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels. It's about how many early Christian texts were discarded in the second century, and how the division seems to be between texts that say that only Jesus was truly divine, and texts that imply that the potential for divinity is in everyone. Interesting, well written stuff.
From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2003
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Currently "Not the End Of The World" by Christopher Brookmyer. Black humour, sarcasm, porn stars, religion and tidal waves. And not necessarily in that order.
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Numf - I just finished "Boiling a frog" - Christopher Brookmeyer is the funniest thing since fake vomit! And that's a good thing
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
From: here, more often than not | Registered: Sep 2003
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Yeah, H, this is the fourth of his books I've read in a row - Quite Ugly One Morning Country Of The Blind Boiling A Frog and now Not The End Of The World
All excellent. Very funny indeed. He has a great turn of phrase.
A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away next for me I believe.
NB We both spelt his surname wrongly - it's "Brookmyre".
The vast majority of the author's "revelations" are invented. Some are expansions of ideas others have had in the past; many are complete fabrications. There was an article in the Boston Globe around the time the book came out last year that outlined the most important invented plot points.
Any idea where I might be able to get a read of this Boston Globe article or any other info that quickly distinguishes fact from fabrication?
From: Canada | Registered: Jul 2003
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""Once upon a time, in a land that was called Britain, these things happened . . . ." well, maybe. The Warlord Trilogy is my attempt to tell the story of Arthur, 'Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus', the Once and Future King, although I doubt he ever was a king. I suspect he was a great warlord of the sixth century. Nennius, who was one of the earliest historians to mention Arthur, calls him the 'dux bellorum' - leader of battles or warlord. I have to confess that of all the books I have written these three are my favourites. They have been translated into a score of languages and were best-sellers in a dozen countries."
Although I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his Sharpe, Starbuck and Grail series’, his Arthur books are by far the best – in fact they’re my favourite ever series of books.
It’s a pity there are only three books, but then I suppose there’s only a fairly limited scope to play with.
They are based around the life of one of Arthurs knights, rather than being a straightforward re-telling. There are plenty of little twists on the accepted legends – some of them quite breathtaking.
[ July 27, 2004, 04:44 AM: Message edited by: Numf El ]
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I just finished up a book called "Ghost Ship" about the real life case of a 19th century merchant ship called the Mary Celeste. She was found adrift in the north Atlantic with no crew but with no clue as to what might have happened to her crew. A lot of bizarre theories have been been floated over the years about what happened, and aside from recounting the tale sans a lot of bogus "facts" that have been added over the years, the author gives another theory. It was pretty interesting, especially because I first heard the story when I was a kid since it frequently turns up in those "unexplained mystery" books.
Next up is book 6 of the Dark Tower series from Stephen King, "The Song of Susannah."
From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Jul 2003
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Burglar on the Prowl, latest of the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. Bernie is a used book seller and a professional thief. Always the same story, but funny. This one was a bit more forced than the others in its conclusion, but I still laughed.
The Cat Who Killed Lillian Jackson Braun, by Robert Kaplow - a raunchy, comedic spoof on the Braun "Cat Who..." series. If you've read the originals by L.J. Braun, you'll love (or hate) this. I enjoyed her early books, but they got really syrupy after a while. So I loved this sex, violence and farce take-off of her work. I don't know how authors can do these spoofs without getting sued, but they must have worked something out. Guest appearance by Philip Roth.
Now started Souls in the Great Machine, by Sean McMullen. SF, a strange world - "...there is no more eletricity, wind engines are leading-edge technology, librarians fight duels to settle disputes, steam power is banned by every major religion, and a mysterious siren "Call" lures people to their death." The head librarian, the power behind the throne, has officials assassinated who disagree with her modernization plans...there's a giant "computer" that is run by hundreds of mathematicians at desks, like galley slaves - when they make a mistake, they're taken out and shot...that's just the preface.
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Based on your description, FC, I just added Souls in the Great Machine to my Amazon.com shopping cart. Sounds like a fun book.
Registered: Aug 2003
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Kippers, I've read "Leaves of Grass" in the past, and found it to be exactly as you put it: 'challenging, but rewarding'. There are some sections that are absolutely mind-blowing, IMO. My old English Lit Professor also reccomended that I get a taped copy of "Leaves" with Orsen Welles reading it in as boisterous a manner as he could. He really enjoyed it himself, and said that Welles really 'got' Whitman and understood the way in which it should be read (loudly ).
Numf, those books sound interesting. I love reading about the Arthurian Saga, particulurly the connection to real early Middle Age history. My favorite books on this are by Jack Whyte, of which there is now 8, called "The Camulod Chronicles". The first two chronicle the lives of two Roman Officers in Britain after the Legions leave, then the next four are about Merlyn, Uther and a large cast of others, and the latest installments deal with Arthur and Lancelot (although Lancelot is called Clothar, since the name Lancelot certainly did not exist yet). Easily the best and most fun take on the story I've ever read!
Thanks for the reccommendation!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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I finished "Factoring Humanity", which I enjoyed a lot. Sawyer alwayws throws in quantum physics and this time he relates it to the idea of collective consciousness.
Last night I started "The Time Traveler's Wife."
Registered: Aug 2003
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i'm reading SONG OF SUSANNAH - Stephen King its an excellent read so far, only a a quarter of the way in but its THE DARK TOWER series so if you like the series you'll like this. In a related story, when i was on my totally excellent adventure this summer i bumped into stephen king. Well actually what happened was, i was coming out of a highway burger king outside of lewiston, ME. got in the car and my brother started going around the parking lot, he says to me ... HEY, i think that was stephen king as we passed by a some guy walking to his vechicle. I looked over and thought yeah it could be him but who knows anyway, my brother LETS GO CHECK, so we go right around the lot and pull up opposite his truck, the guy is approaching the truck and my brother says...you gonna go ask him? i respond NO WAY, cause at this point i knew it was stephen king, my brother says WELL I AM, out he gets and go over as King is putting his key in his lock and says.. excuse me youre stephen king right? he responds... Yes my brother says... my brother over there is a big fan of yours and i was wondering if i could get a picture of you with him. At this point, my head and half my body are almost out the window with excitement. He responds, sorry not today. i was about 12 feet away and he did look at me, and that was my brush with fame.
Registered: Jul 2003
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Haven't been in the mood to read anything too deep recently. I just finished a book on the Everly Brothers and next I'll probably tackle one of the Doctor Who novels I picked up in San Diego.
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