Stoi Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Never read 'Ulysses', but yep 'Lanark' is fairly weird. Ching, if you could give me a quick review would be much appreciated!! Read 'Dear Green Place' years ago and think is quite an interesting look at Glasgow early last century. Would recommend that before Lanark! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chingford Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Never read 'Ulysses', but yep 'Lanark' is fairly weird. Ching, if you could give me a quick review would be much appreciated!! Read 'Dear Green Place' years ago and think is quite an interesting look at Glasgow early last century. Would recommend that before Lanark! 183698[/snapback] early last century?!?!? Fuxake, Stoi Archie Hind only brought it out in 1966 (there was nothing on the telly... ) It's also set at that time, too. a quick review of Lanark. It's a book about a man and some other men. And women. And the human condition. The end. All wrapped up in metaphor. Phew! from scenes like these is of course - Paisley whisper it - but brilliant about all things west coast is Green Tree in Gedde. Life-affirming cos its hero gets out and away from Greenock... But the most brilliant writing I've ever read. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoi Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Oooops as i said it was years ago i read it, but had thought it was set earlier than the 60s. Obviously time to re-read it. Although of course for me the 60s were early last century! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 No shit, Sherlock. And Facepainter, you've only read five books anyway. McCarthy's Bar was good and I'd recommend the late, great Pete's follow up Road to McCarthy. Especially amusing when he meets with a load of pissed-up green bhigots in a New York pub. 183680[/snapback] I'm on to No7 now fannybawz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speckled_Jim Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 in no particular order Swan Song - Robert R McCammon One Fine Day In The Middle Of The Night - you know who Whit - Iain Banks You Have to Be Careful in the Land of the Free - James Kelman The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RED Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 No shit, Sherlock. Oh shock, horror, would never have guessed you knew that! If you are going to read Birdsong, you may as well read The Girl at the Lion d'Or & Charlotte Gray too! (Would've had added that they are often described as a loose triolgy, but expect you already knew that!!! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 No shit, Sherlock. Oh shock, horror, would never have guessed you knew that! If you are going to read Birdsong, you may as well read The Girl at the Lion d'Or & Charlotte Gray too! (Would've had added that they are often described as a loose triolgy, but expect you already knew that!!! ) 183844[/snapback] didn't you know that Howard is the fountain of all knowledge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 didn't you know that Howard is the fountain of all knowledge? 183893[/snapback] or is it a pretentious little prick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Hughes in BlueSuedeShoes Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I'm on to No7 now fannybawz 183760[/snapback] The Broons and Oor Wullie don't count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Hughes in BlueSuedeShoes Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 or is it a pretentious little prick? 183894[/snapback] Pretentious?? 我??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 The Broons and Oor Wullie don't count. 183925[/snapback] Oor wullie. Isn't that what you share with yer brother, except he has sole possession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Hughes in BlueSuedeShoes Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I believe it’s the favourite read of Siamese Twins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Do the Beano & Dandy count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facepainter87 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 what about autobiographies? if so: The King - Dennis Law Don't tell Kath - Ian Botham Not a Lot of People Know That - Michael Caine Amarillo Slim in a World full of Fat People (Memoirs of the Greatest Gambler who ever lived) - Amarillo Slim Preston David Jason - David Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottw Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 1. East of Eden - John Steinbeck 2. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck 3. The Jungle - Upton Sinclair 4. Flashman - George MacDonald Fraser (all of them) 5. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulkes The first 3 were given to me by my old man when I was in my early teens and certainly influenced my thinking. Flashman is just the greatest series of books ever and gives you a very entertaining education in Victorian history. Fraser just puts Flashman into every major historical event form 1840- 1880 and has him survive in the most cowardly underhand way. Also Fraser has a strong connection with Paisley (Paisley Grammar I think) and has Flashman have a right go at the place throughout the books - he marries a miserly Paisley mill owners daughter. I have just read a book called Galloway Street about growing up in Paisley in the late 40's early 50's by a guy called John Boyle which was superb. Galloway Street was around the bottom of Welsh Street as far as I can make out. Just got his follow up on e-bay called Laff covering his teenage years when the family move to Ferguslie Park and he attends St. Mirrens Academy. He gets a bit of a hard time wandering through Ferguslie every day in his Academy uniform. These are well written and a great social history of the town. A few years before my time but the places and general feeling is easily recognisable. I have had a good look at some of the books on here and have just ordered Sweet and Tender by Ian Pattison and will look for Swing Hammer Swing (I seem to be going through a bit of a nostalgia fest at the moment, possibly just a toned down/Paisley version of the mid life crisis). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lees Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Planning on this one next : Amazon Link Think oor Greig (aka Howard Hughes) may be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud the Baker Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 scottw, GMF was also quite active as a scriptwriter during the 70's/80's. He wrote the scripts for Octopussy, Red Sonja and The Three Musketeers (Olly Reed version) amongst others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottw Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Bud He has written a book on his screenwriting days called 'The lights on at the Signpost'. This covers his experiences on the film industry and his views on people like Steve McQueen, Schwarzenegger, George C Scott etc. The rest of the book is a bit of an angry old man rant against New labour and Political Correctness in particular. I haven't read it but it caused a bit of a stir when it first come out with the literrati due to his expressing views which weren't in line with current thinking. It had fairly mixed reviews but the concensus seems to be that the film half of the book is very interesting but the 'rant' section is a little too dogmatic. But should be an interesting read. It is heavily reviewed at Amazon. I have read just about everything this guy has written so I will probably get this for completeness sake. I have just read his memoirs of the 2nd World War (Safe Quartered Out Here). This covers his jungle fighting days with a Cumbrian regiment in Burma against the Japanese and is excellent. It is paricularly good about the prevailing attitudes at the time and what it actually feels like to be a private soldier fighting a war and how small your world becomes. Is also good on prevailing views re the dropping of the Atom bomb which is currently relevant. Effectively Fraser says that the lives of 500,000 Japanese were not worth one of himself or his mates lives. Difficult to ponder unless you were actually there but that is what these guys think and who can blame them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSS Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Galloway Street was around the bottom of Welsh Street as far as I can make out. 184944[/snapback] Care to inform us all where Welsh St is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sandman Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Care to inform us all where Welsh St is? 184963[/snapback] Near Iceland, no doubt............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud the Baker Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 scottw, I'm waiting to read "Flashman at the March", the new novel. What I like about the series is that Flashy genuinely sounds like a 19th Century bloke and doesn't have a modern liberal thought in his head. I've also read a lot of GMF's other works, including his non-fiction, and while some of his opinions are Blimpish I've enjoyed all his books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottw Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Care to inform us all where Welsh St is? Sorry meant Well Street. Been away from Paisley for 22 years. Memory not what it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Hughes in BlueSuedeShoes Posted August 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 I read Galloway Street and thought it was okay. My mum is originally from Ferguslie Park and she was less than impressed by his description of the place. In fact, she was quite offended. The Flashman books, is that the ones with McAusland? I've got those but haven't got round to reading them yet. Steinbeck, though, was some man. As was Twain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartmunn Posted August 9, 2005 Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 Some excellent books on your lists.... My fav top 5 woul be 1. Lord of the Rings -- Tolkien 2. Trainspotting -- Irvine Welsh 3. East of Eden -- Steinbeck 4. Shogun - Clavell 5. Sailing Alone Around the World -- J. Slocum Could have added many others but all the above I have read many times and never get tired of them... Of the recent books I've read I think Birdsong was the best, and Brookmyres stuff is excellent. Cheers Stuart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Hughes in BlueSuedeShoes Posted August 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2005 "Love is a snowmobile speeding across the tundra. Suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night the ice weasels come." ... Jeezo, Mr. feckin' Happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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