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Post by Danath on Nov 26, 2007 22:37:34 GMT -5
In the Hall of the Dragon King - Stephen Lawhead
A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 - Alistair Horne
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Post by Shazammm on Dec 5, 2007 15:05:57 GMT -5
Sixty-Two Tales of O. Henry
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Post by Danath on Dec 14, 2007 21:35:17 GMT -5
I'm still working on A Savage War of Peace, but finished up the Lawhead so I'm starting on:
Sharpe's Escape - Bernard Cornwell
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Post by Dred on Dec 18, 2007 8:01:19 GMT -5
Darkenheight by Douglas Niles
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Post by Danath on Dec 21, 2007 10:13:41 GMT -5
The Last Templar - Raymond Khoury
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Post by thegrimmsleeper on Jan 2, 2008 10:56:26 GMT -5
"Hood" by some guy named Lawhead....... heard he was decent, I dunno...
Also, "Showdown" by Ted Dekker.
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Post by dinadan on Jan 3, 2008 10:37:44 GMT -5
I'm reading Phillip Pullman's "The Golden Compass"
So far, I am unimpressed both by his abilities as a writer, and by all the hype from people who think this schmuck is a threat to Christianity.
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Post by thegrimmsleeper on Jan 3, 2008 16:45:56 GMT -5
Unfortunately most people are so desperate to discredit Christianity, all it takes is someone with an idea that makes even the smallest amount of sense and people will flock to it and perpetuate it.
Are his viewpoints as evidenced by the book just illogical and inept or is there really not that much content to get upset over? I've heard that the first book is fairly tame but the final book is extremely anti-Christian.
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Post by dinadan on Jan 8, 2008 8:46:45 GMT -5
Well, I can only say that I pity Mr. Pullman's childhood. He clearly had a terrible time becoming an adult, and it seems he wants to blame everyone who resembles an authority figure--from teachers to parents to the church and, finally, that ultimate authority figure--God. His clumsy, bungling attempt at alegorizing, or at the very least mythologizing, this experience and cloaking it in the outward form of a children's fantasy would be reprehensible, if it weren't for the fact that it is so poorly done. He strikes me as the type of writer who thinks he is clever and subtle, when in reality, he's about as clever as network television, and has all the subtlety of a sledge hammer. His Church is a strawman that is easy to beat up on, and he is a postmodern who glories in the indulgence of individual passions (so much so that the passions of the body are personified in his world, and are the beloved companions of most humans). When the fantastic story form goes bad, it goes very bad indeed. Pullman (like Paolini) is just another hack trying to disguise a worldview through stories; the difference between them, and someone who writes good fantastic (children's or otherwise) fiction is that the good fantasist is interested in the story itself...not about creating a story around a point. Pullman's work, like Paolini's, seems to me to contain flat stories with flat characters, all of whom are dressed up and paraded around for no other reason than to convey the point these authors want to make. There is no devotion to story-telling, only to ego; novels of this sort have more in common (in form, at least) with late medieval morality plays...unsubtle allegory, and brow-beating with the point. Oh, I just had a most wicked thought  We'll call these Immorality Plays. |
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Post by thegrimmsleeper on Jan 8, 2008 22:06:49 GMT -5
The sad thing is, people latch onto these immorality plays like they're gold. Ever new "DaVinci Code" is a new chance to discredit Christianity and each one is treated like it's this brilliant, well-thought out masterpiece. But it's all smoke and mirrors, lots of show but nothing substanital underneath. People choose to ignore that.
Yet where is DaVinci now? No one cares. The book and movie came and went, and no one cares. The same will happen here. For a moment, the world will take notice of this brilliantly crafted piece of "trumped up tripe". And then the moment will pass, people will forget, and it will fade from memory. And yet the message of Christ will keep right on going.
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Post by Daae on Jan 9, 2008 12:44:00 GMT -5
Death of the Necromancer - Martha Wells
I need to bug my friend and find out which book to read next.
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Post by Danath on Jan 10, 2008 16:18:23 GMT -5
Stardust - Neil Gaiman
Rome and Jerusalem - Martin Goodman
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bear
Student
Pain is Weakness leaving the body!
Posts: 20
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Post by bear on Jan 10, 2008 20:23:28 GMT -5
Hey everyone, it has been a while. I was just glancing through here and saw that Danath had mentioned Bernard Cornwell. I have been unable to find many of Lawheads books (that I don't have yet) in a store so I started reading Cornwell to pass the time of processing and shipping orders. Anyway, I did not get into his Sharpe's series but I did read his "Grail Quest" series, "Saxon Novels" series, and have started his "Warlord Chronicles" series. I think he is a great writer and its most books are greatly steeped in history. Just thought I would throw that out there. Later.......
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Post by Danath on Jan 21, 2008 20:42:31 GMT -5
I'm still working on Rome and Jerusalem, but I also started on
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
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Post by DanTheMan on Jan 21, 2008 21:24:44 GMT -5
The Name Of The Rose - Umberto Eco
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We'll call these Immorality Plays. 
