tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post5273091332913839967..comments2024-03-29T09:22:57.031+00:00Comments on Declan Burke: What Would Ray Chandler Do?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-50837201512653552852010-03-18T17:41:21.791+00:002010-03-18T17:41:21.791+00:00Declan, I would say don't bother, you'd be...Declan, I would say don't bother, you'd be shocked by the utter clunkiness of the language. I'll have to take a look at THE GARDEN OF EDEN, hadn't heard of that one. Thanks for the tip. Since I'm not a big "fan," maybe I'll like it. A nice change from Swedish thrillers, anyway.Reg / Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07539868524489903682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-29515483089818068262010-03-18T09:02:35.514+00:002010-03-18T09:02:35.514+00:00Reg - Haven't read FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. FI...Reg - Haven't read FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. FIESTA is terrific, and ACROSS THE RIVER ... My favourite, though, is THE GARDEN OF EDEN, although I know a lot of Hemingway fans hate it. <br /><br />Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-48601330306880885192010-03-18T09:01:29.114+00:002010-03-18T09:01:29.114+00:00Seana - CLOUD ATLAS is terrific, I read it a coupl...Seana - CLOUD ATLAS is terrific, I read it a couple of weeks ago. If I was guaranteed that kind of fare every month, book clubs might be a more palatable prospect. What I object to is the classic book club book, a quasi-literary style married to some whimsical plot device ... Gives me the snaking shudders. <br /><br />Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-22823115089629183642010-03-18T08:59:42.929+00:002010-03-18T08:59:42.929+00:00Brian - I'm with you on NO COUNTRY. But some M...Brian - I'm with you on NO COUNTRY. But some McCarthy purists might object ... <br /><br />Cheers, DecDeclan Burkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14322645323239292406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-83856341049582913682010-03-16T21:19:21.923+00:002010-03-16T21:19:21.923+00:00You actually liked (and could stand to read) For W...You actually liked (and could stand to read) For Whom the Bell Tolls? My wife was "assigned" it in her last book club, which she recently quit because of the lame book choices. Just try and read the wooden dialogue! As translators we both thought it sounded like a really bad translation from Spanish. Not a good choice of technique, Ernest. Same problem with the movie, despite having Ingrid Bergman spouting some of those lame lines. Unwatchable. Makes me want to reread The Sun Also Rises and the early stories to see if my judgment of them holds up today at my advanced age. But do count us in as the biggest Banville fans in New Mexico.Reg / Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07539868524489903682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-25333651740980658072010-03-16T15:58:28.422+00:002010-03-16T15:58:28.422+00:00The book group phenomenon is an odd thing, and I s...The book group phenomenon is an odd thing, and I say that being in one of longstanding. I tend to resent the task ahead of time, but usually I'm happy enough with the selection in the end. We just read Cloud Atlas, for instance. I don't know how substantial the discussion ends up being,but although it is just an excuse to get together in some ways, it is very interesting to have read books in common with people over a long period of time. You're right though, not a lot of crime fiction gets read. I mean, a lot of crime fiction <i>does</i> get read, but not for this type of group. And yes, it mystifies me that the Swedes have caught on and the Irish haven't, or haven't as much yet. But I don't get what bounced Steig Larsson up into the stratosphere either. Frankly, I think there are better Scandinavian crime writers. But at least they can ride his coattails. <br /><br />Your feelings about writing remind me of my feelings about being a bookseller. It's definitely a manic/depressive sort of job these days.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4938060587020568315.post-39579879908938522302010-03-16T12:27:16.361+00:002010-03-16T12:27:16.361+00:00Just wanted to chime in real quick and say that No...Just wanted to chime in real quick and say that No Country for Old Men is 1000% crime fiction. No need to stretch the boundaries to include it. <br /><br />My problem with book clubs was always that it felt like they were infringing on my time, like they were dictating to me what I would be reading next. Don't know what this says about me...Brian Lindenmuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02519203797661128049noreply@blogger.com