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What Do You Read?


Sasun

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Եղիշե Չարենց, «Երկեր»

 

A collection of poems from many of Yeghishe Charets's books. Published for Աշակերտական Գրադարան, 1985.

 

which leads me to ask this question...

why are most of the poems so sad, melancholic, nostalgic, tragic...?

does the inspiration of writing poetry come at the down time of the person?

or it is because when the person is happy and joyful and satisfied he/she does not want to waste a moment on writing and wants to enjoy every bit of the time?

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Frustrated Joaquin Rodrigo, famed Spanish composer wrote his famous work of Concerto de Aranjuez due to his wife’s illness and fact that she was dying of cancer.

 

If you red Charents biography you’ll find similar inspirations which contributed to his great works, as well as Teryan, Mitsarents, Komitas, Sayat Nova, Siamanto, Sevak………

 

Yes major events, sadness, and if the person is conches most of the time it can be inspirational and lead to creativity. You’ll find this not just among us, but in every cultures, look at the Russian literature, Tolstoy, Pushkin, Lermontov, Gorky etc…..

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  • 2 weeks later...
lately been reading armenian books :D such as Grigor Zohrab- Novels, and this book entitled RAFFI some charentz, and of course Hovhaness Toumanian <> too bad i dont have armenian fonts... i would love to express tese words in our beautiful laguage :D
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  • 4 weeks later...

Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage

by Clifford Stoll

 

Simply marvelous! First of all it's based on a true story. Secondly it is written in the eighties, which is very interesting because the technology seems to be advanced for its time. Also the entire booked deals with the UNIX system. One of the best thrillers I've read. I never thought that a book written entirely about a chase for a hacker would have been so enthralling. For all of the techies and thriller lovers this book is a must. I also loved the humor in it, especially when the author microwave his grungy sneakers to dry and his neighborhood ended up smelling like a tire factory. Something I would do. By the way I did something of that sort. The other day I tried refilling my printer ink cartridges and the last one was black ink which I happen to push beyond its preference so it squirted in my face covering my entire left side. I ended up looking like a circus freak with a skin disease. I got photos coming up. Anyhoo the book kicks ass!

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=books&n=507846

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Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

 

After an exciting Michael Crichton novel: “Timeline” which dealt with a time machine, multiple parallel universes theory (of course Fadyusha was in my thoughts through out the reading), Medieval history infused with mystery and thrills, I decided to dive into a similar genre. After some research I came across a book by Umberto Eco, besides the fact that the name sounds absolutely sensual the author (born in 1939) created a complex novel consisting of various components including mystery, secret societies, philosophy and history. I thought that is a perfect read and the fact that he’s Italian with such a divine name I felt like I was getting a bonus here.

 

However, after a few pages of that novel I realized that I got involved into something which is beyond my knowledge of the English language since each page had at least 5 words I never heard of, the other factor is that the book is infused with physics and Latin, which doesn’t make things easier. So, perhaps I do have an ADD, I love the beauty of the language and I like heavy elaboration and wordiness, but this crushed me under its weight of pretense jargon. Perhaps some of you have read this book or heard of it, but I tell you every time I start reading it my thought soar away to the subway platform swarming with rats.

 

Following is a review by one of the readers of this perplexing book. I found it absolutely hilarious and although slightly exaggerated the reviewer hit the nail on the head.

 

 

Normal Author: Beth went to the refrigerator and took out a can of soda which she then opened.

 

Umberto Eco: Bethania of the Compostia De `Inoragana started to believe her quest was part of the Dementia Sistine Chapel where puritanical sojourns had taken on cyclopean missadermatcals from Alexander Demontis from the fourth century Abontnochriest. Moving with forecast vigilance like that of Christoff Moganoze the chalise in it`s equipage haloperidal of tullage was grasped by it`s cyndrilical base and with a motile operandis of implementation the elixer spewed forth like that of the Fountain Comedatrillite in the Penmontonxualor De Coca`lis.

 

If your idea of fun is reading 500 plus pages of this?...you`ll love this book.

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...081403?v=glance

Edited by anileve
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LOL - Eve - I would recommend the Anubis Gates by Tim Powers - great time travel book.

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/044...9278884-4303106

 

In fact all his books are great - worth checking out - with my favorite being "the Stress of her regard" (read the reviews...awesome book...)

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=books

 

..also cheack out "Declare" - much sorounding Mt Ararat (and in fact Powers seems to have some Armenian characters in most of his books)

 

and the whole "Last Call", "Expiration Date" andn "Earthquake Weather" series...awesome..

 

and another fave - "Dinner at Devients Palace"

 

anyway he is one of my all time favorate authors - and is most amazing IMO...very readable...

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Lets see if you can guess the next best (for me) book in the last decade... it has to do with galaxies :)

 

PS: Steve might be of help B)

:unsure: Who? Me? What? Why? :o

 

The only "galaxies" book title I know of is Douglas Adams's "Hitchhikers guide to ..." books. But that was from the 1980s, so isn't "last decade" (and is only one galaxy! :) )

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Eve, you know how to tease, don't you? :) Umberto Eco is so great and so crazy that deserves special thread. Lets see if you can guess the next best (for me) book in the last decade... it has to do with galaxies :)

 

PS: Steve might be of help B)

 

Check this out:

 

http://www.themodernword.com/eco/

 

:P

Ok, I am not denying his intelligence and the extensive verbosity, however a man can be a brilliant scholar but that doesn’t make him a fantastic writer. His book reads like more of a dissertation and desire to impress the reader with the overwhelmingly difficult jargon. Were as the descriptions are very elaborate the writing is very dry and lacks that vitality that one might get from the delicacy of lush swivels of words, cleverly intertwined together to instantly captivate the reader. His writing is very heavy and is full of gobbledygook which sounds more pompous than elegant. Perhaps I am wrong, but I’ll tell you gamavor, I want to get through his book badly, to get to that core of information, but it feels like a chore or a textbook something I am staying away from until school starts again. Am I missing something? Just check an excerpt from the “Foucault’s Pendulum”

 

“To each memorable image you attach a thought, a label, a category, a piece of the cosmic furniture, syllogisms, an enormous sorties, chains of apothegms, strings of hypallages, rosters of zeugmas, dances of hysteron proteron, apophantic logoi, hierarchic stoichea, processions and so on, to infinity.”

 

I mean what sort of rambling nonsense is that!!!! Eco obviously aimed to impress the readers with the complex terminology, so that the reader can completely get lost in the author’s “galaxy” and be immensely impressed by the fact that he didn’t understand 50% of the book, I mean most of the time people are impressed by the wordiness as opposed to substance. So I can use tons of descriptions to express a very primitive idea and people will “ooooh and aaaah” with admiration, because they didn’t understand the vocabulary. Have you read any of his other stuff, is it the same? I crave the information but it’s painful to read.

 

I think I am going to switch to “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. And TOTH the listed books sound very intriguing, I think I am definitely going to sink my teeth into some of them.

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I think I am going to switch to “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”. And TOTH the listed books sound very intriguing, I think I am definitely going to sink my teeth into some of them.

Kundera's one of my favourites - and this particular book was very interesting for me - well worth the read (and nothing like Eco).

 

I remember picking up a novella (at least I think it was a novella) by Eco when I was about 15. I abandoned it shortly after, thinking, 'I'll wait 'till I'm 30 or so...'. After reading your excerpt, I think i'll wait another ten years. :P

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:unsure: Who? Me? What? Why? :o

 

The only "galaxies" book title I know of is Douglas Adams's "Hitchhikers guide to ..." books. But that was from the 1980s, so isn't "last decade" (and is only one galaxy! :) )

That is right, from 80's but I get acquainted in the last decade! One galaxy...but it is trilogy. :)

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Kundera's one of my favourites - and this particular book was very interesting for me - well worth the read (and nothing like Eco).

Vavuchka I am loving the book, the writing is soo elegant. I remembered seeing the movie as soon as I started reading the book, but the movie can't compare. The guy has an amazing style. I am planning to read his other work, that's the style of writing I am so drawn to. Thanks!

 

One of the exerpts:

 

It is wrong, then, to chide the novel for being fascinated by mysterious coincidences, but it right to chide man for being blind to such coincidences in his daily life. For he thereby deprives his life of a dimension of beauty.

 

Are we really meant to love only one person? I read somewhere that human beings are not meant to be monogamous. As unromantic as it sounds the theory doesn't surprise me. But this is an absolutely fascinating glance into psychology and love between people and how unordinary romance can be. I think everyone should read this novel, it is probably one of the sexiest literary works I've encountered without being conventionally romantic (trashy and cheesy that is). Ok, I am all fired up. More to come whether you like it or not. This stuff is awesome, I can't get enough.

Edited by anileve
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  • 2 months later...

this is not a book that i read, but a small poetry, but i read it every week.

each time it has a new meaning to me as i advance through the stages of life.

it's an entire lifetime in 20 lines.

 

 

Մուշեղ Իշխան

 

Տարօրինակ, տարօրինակ մարդ արարած

Մոմի լոյսով՝ խաւարի մէջ համատարած

Կը հալածես դու տեսիլքներ արեւավառ

Կը խարխափես բայց խաւարին չես հաւատար։

 

Արցունքներիդ միգամածին խորէն տմոյն

Գիտես նայել արշալոյսի ճաճանչներին

Սգի քօղի տակ յուսալից դու սիրահար՝

Կը տառապես եւ վշտերիդ չես հաւատար։

 

Վզիդ շղթայ եւ թեւերիդ ծանր կապանք՝

Դու կը փորձես արծիւներին վայել ճախրանք

Եւ այս կեանքի մեծ բանտի մէջ բազմակամար

Դու կը խեղդուես՝ շղթաներիդ չես հաւատար։

 

Փուշ ու տատասկ քեզ կ՚արիւնեն ճամբիդ վրայ,

Բայց խոցոտուած քո մատներով արիւնլուայ

Դու կ՚որոնես ծաղիկների հոգին պայծառ,

Ցաւից կ՚ոռնաս եւ ցաւերիդ չես հաւատար։

 

Տարօրինակ, տարօրինակ մարդ արարած

Քո ձեռքերով հողին կը տաս կեանքեր ծաղկած,

Կը զգաս դէմքիդ մահուան քամին եւ հողմավար

Կ՚ընկնես անշունչ, սակայն մահուան չես հաւատար։

 

 

http://armenianpoetry.com/arm/1080.html

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just finished the "Angels and Demons". Hmm..I expected more juice, substance with all the hype surrendering this book and Da Vici code and it read like a movie script with pretentious glimpses of religious insight.

I should not be surprised best sellers are not necessarily great books. In short I was not sold. It is a pop thriller but that’s about it. Don’t expect beautifully crafted sentences or even character portrayal as of matter of fact the characters in this book are like paper cut out. I am not planning to read anymore of Dan Brown books. One was enough.

Edited by Armat
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Thanks for reviving the thread....

 

Anyone read the Harry Potter books? :P

I have to admit, I've read 4 of them now - and I've been really having a great time! It's no wonder that children everywhere have been going crazy for this stuff. Excellent storytelling! Rowling has created a beautiful, imaginary world for children (and adults alike, I'd like to think ;) ) on par - well, perhaps not quite, but at least comparable to Tolkien in some respects.

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Thanks for reviving the thread....

 

Anyone read the Harry Potter books? :P

I have to admit, I've read 4 of them now - and I've been really having a great time! It's no wonder that children everywhere have been going crazy for this stuff. Excellent storytelling! Rowling has created a beautiful, imaginary world for children (and adults alike, I'd like to think ;) ) on par - well, perhaps not quite, but at least comparable to Tolkien in some respects.

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Wow Vav Harry Potter?Maybe I should bribe my son to read his copies. :D

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Wow Vav Harry Potter?Maybe I should bribe my son to read his copies. :D

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Yeah, i know - harry potter. i was pretty surprised too. I read the first one when I was on vacation a few months ago - just to see what all the hype was about. Well, I seem to have been hooked... they're really not bad books actually - really well-told stories (excellent casual reading, kind of like watching tv :) )

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  • 8 months later...

"Light In August" by William Faulkner

 

This is my first Faulkner novel. It's hard at first to follow his stream-of-consciousness technique, but after a while, once one gets in the rhythm it becomes a smoother read.

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Interesting Anoushik... I haven't read anything by him, but perhaps i'll add another title to my ever-growing list of books-to-read.

 

Last month I finished Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood. It was short-listed for the Booker prize a couple of years ago. I found it quite gripping actually - on the surface it's about genetic modification gone extremely bad, but beyond it's much more. I ended up thinking about the characters, their choices and the consequences for a long time after I finished the read.... Although I haven't enjoyed everything I've read by Atwood, this one was really quite good. :thumbsup:

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"Light In August" by William Faulkner

 

This is my first Faulkner novel. It's hard at first to follow his stream-of-consciousness technique, but after a while, once one gets in the rhythm it becomes a smoother read.

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Wow, he's a brilliant writer and one of the more complex ones. I am impressed anoushik jan, unlike you I have been doing very light and fluffy reading, in other words I am wasting my precious time.

 

You know in that retrospect I am very proud of my mother. She always read books with a major significance, such as historical and biographical ones. Mostly biography. And in addition she will do extensive research on the subject she is reading, so in the end she emerges as the all-knowing one. I can't do that, I read and enjoy it and I forget just as quickly and don't pay that much attention to the details.

 

I have to get back into some meaningful literature.

 

Vavchka, have you tried Umberto lately?

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Vavchka, have you tried Umberto lately?

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Nope. :) Like you, whatever time i've had to 'read', has been mostly the fluffy/airport reading variety. I wish I had a year's vacation, then I would wrap my head around all the books I wish to read. ;)

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:hug: You are just cool like dat....

 

And can you explain how can someone wrap their head around books, I am getting images of Stretch Armstrong.

 

By the way this is one of the things I've had this weekend... Among many other very interesting and succulent dishes... Dates wrapped in crispy bacon

 

http://www.solexpartners.com/recipes/jamon_con_datiles2.jpg

 

Except in the picture it's cerrano/ham, it's one of the best appetizers I've ever tried. I have to write about my food experience in a different thread and find out if you guys have ever tried any of them and what should I expect.

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