:grin: But really I'm not sure if it's a boon or a curse that I can't seem to finish a book unless it's nigh on perfect.

Re-reading Otherland by Tad Williams. Two books longer than it needs to be, but it's a good series.

What would be a perfect book then?

I don't know but close enough e. g. "The Stranger" by Camus, "Death in Venice" by Mann, "The Trial" by Kafka. + Pretty much everything by Orwell.

Those are classics, no fair.

Btw, read your "insectious" as "incestuous", and I'm like damn, that's quite a spoiler...

As for the TV show, I would have a look, but I must read the book first, otherwise, I spoil a good novel reading opportunity. — Manuel

"The City and the City" is at heart a police procedural, so I think it's much more accessible than most of Mielville's books. It's also probably the most filmable. I can't imagine what a movie or TV show about New Crobuzon, the city where "Perdidio Street Station" takes place, would look like. Actually, maybe I could. It would be like the bar scene from "Star Wars" as written by Charles Dickens.

Wow Clarky, please don't take this the wrong way but I'm frankly shocked that you're a Mieville fan. Not out of any disrespect, but simply because I don't recall discussing any fiction with you, compiled with the fact that you seem to philosophically oppose the short story contests.

The Long Twentieth Century: Money, Power and the Origins of Our Times by Giovanni Arrighi

Time to take a load off and have a laugh, Maw-y (that doesn't really work; huh).

Wow Clarky, please don't take this the wrong way but I'm frankly shocked that you're a Mieville fan. Not out of any disrespect, but simply because I don't recall discussing any fiction with you, compiled with the fact that you seem to philosophically oppose the short story contests. — Noble Dust

I'm surprised that you're surprised. I talk about fiction fairly often on the forum, including in this thread. You and I discussed "Ubik" just a while ago. I have nothing philosophical against the short story contests, I'm just not interested in either reading or writing short stories. I read short stories a lot when I was younger - mostly science fiction. I somehow have lost my taste for them. I'm retired. I read a lot. Mostly fiction, but also science and philosophy - primarily Taoist philosophy.

I wasn't going to mention it, but I just started reading "The Possessed" by Dostoyevsky. Also known as "Devils" or "Demons." I'm not sure if I'll finish it, but I wanted to read something by him after I couldn't get through "Crime and Punishment." After 10 pages I couldn't stop laughing. I read "Notes from the Underground" in college, but I can't remember it much. I don't do well with bleak and tedious books with unlikeable characters. That's the kind @Baden likes.

I'm just not interested in either reading or writing short stories. — T Clark

It is a pity... I personally think that you could make a good contribution when TPF opens up the short story contest. I enjoy this activity and it is one of the aspects I like the most on this site.
I expect that much from you because I am aware that you have imagination (I remember debating with you about Tao Te Ching verses), not like other members who are only focused on physics, maths, logic, science, etc...

Don't get me wrong: I respect their commitment, but I think imagination and literature are also important in our knowledge.

It is a pity. — javi2541997

Alas, fiction is not my medium.

Le Proust c'est fini. Some lighter fiction selections for a while I think.

A Princess of Mars
by Edgar Rice Burroughs

On my brand new Kindle.

Poetry.

Poem of the Deep Song, Gypsy Ballads by Federico García Lorca.

Sun The First. Maria Nefeli. Orientations by Odysseas Elytis.

Don Quixote might be up next

Why not, eh?

Triplanetary
E.E. "Doc" Smith

Burroughs was charming, I'll read more. But I'm really liking the meta- nature of Triplanetary.

Kant’s Critical Philosophy: The Doctrine of the Faculties
Gilles Deleuze

The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms, Volume 1: Language
Ernst Cassirer

Deleuze provided a concise picture of the various aspects of legislative-creative versus receptive-perceptive thought in Kant. A great preparation for Cassirer's four-volume opus on symbolicity and culture.

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville — Manuel

I finished it. I don't know anyone who writes better. His language is wonderful, visual.

So do you have a kindle? I noticed it is on sale for $2.99 in kindle format on Amazon right now, at least in the US.

For novels, I prefer paperback (or hardcopy). I am close to halfway through but am reading quite slowly. Normally (with less distractions), I would have finished by now.

Yes, I agree, he writes very, very well and is quite vivid in his descriptions. Better writers? It's a matter of taste. David Foster Wallace, especially in his non-fiction is wonderful too, Jim Gauer has enviable style, a few others too, but Miéville is up there.

I didn’t like the way it degenerated into a monster hunt. The world building was great, the plot, not so much. It felt a bit like an action movie: fascinating premise, then boring.

On the other hand, what I liked about it made me read his other books, so it’s still up there in my favourite books.

For novels, I prefer paperback (or hardcopy). — Manuel

Miellville is one of those writers I wouldn't read except electronically. His use of language is skilled and idiosyncratic. On the other hand, it never feels forced. I find myself looking up words every page or so. I wouldn't do that in a paper copy and I'd miss much of the writing.

I didn’t like the way it degenerated into a monster hunt. The world building was great, the plot, not so much. It felt a bit like an action movie: fascinating premise, then boring. — Jamal

I know what you mean when you say monster hunt. It really was a change in style and tempo. It did feel a bit anticlimactic. As for plot - it made me think of "Titus Groan." When you and I discussed that, I said the plot doesn't matter. You disagreed. I feel the same way here. I was never bored.

I think that in the first two Titus books, the plot is crucial, an indispensable skeleton. With Perdido, it seems like the story either doesn’t matter or it matters too much. What I mean by that is that the monster hunt plot takes over, but on the other hand it’s like the author gives up and surrenders to the needs of a thriller-style plot.

I'm currently reading "Dune and Philosophy: Minds, Monads, and Muad'Dib", as edited by Kevin S. Decker and William Irwin. The book contains a collection of recently published essays, each comparing and contrasting our reality with that of the Dune universe. The two dozen or so authors found within this book are essentially using the original Dune narrative, to see into our own world.

I've found the first few chapters to be rather interesting, and especially appreciate the insights into Bene Gesserit wisdom that I've gleaned so far. There are other chapters in the book that I'm especially looking forward to reading, some of which focus on technology, synchronicity and other similar topics.

@Jamal @Manuel

I enjoyed The City and the City so much that I feel I owe it to myself to give him at least one more shot after failing with Last Days Of New Paris. Is Perdido the one? I get the sense The City and the City was atypical, so I’m unsure of how to proceed.

Btw I’m reading Now Wait For Last Year by… drum roll… PKD. I promise the UBIK thread is coming.

This one is fascinating. It’s early period, so the writing is even worse but somehow the characters are more complex and more human. And all of the perennial PKD themes are there. It just has a bit more youthful energy. Just as much a bizarre, terrifying, hilarious acid trip as later stuff, just more juvenile, and more overtly sci fi.

I enjoyed The City and the City so much that I feel I owe it to myself to give him at least one more shot after failing with Last Days Of New Paris. Is Perdido the one? I get the sense The City and the City was atypical, so I’m unsure of how to proceed. — Noble Dust

Of the books of his I’ve read, the Bas-Lag books have stuck in the memory the most, and Perdido is the first of those. I think I’ll probably re-read it. So yeah, I’d say Perdido.

As I mentioned above, I found it disappointing in the last half or third, and I remember the writing as occasionally and undeservedly pretentious, but I might be wrong about all that—and anyway, it hasn’t detracted from the good things I remember about it, and I still want to re-read it.

I remember the writing as occasionally and undeservedly pretentious — Jamal

This is what turned me off of Last Days of New Paris. I felt like I was reading someone's flowery summary of a novel they had read. The City and the City was very brusk which I liked (PKD much?) because he was purposefully writing in a crime noir style. This worries me as to whether I'll enjoy any of his other novels.