What're you reading these days? - Page 6

Muffin Mage · 10-27-2006, 10:18 PM

Reading Gates of Fire at the moment. Historical fiction about the battle of Thermopylae by Steven Pressfield. Seems a bit pretentious and far fetched, but the writing style is good and it seems like he's actually done some research. The classics nerd in me approves.

Magus · 10-27-2006, 11:12 PM

I too wish to know if The Giver was part of a series of novels.

Karenaide · 10-29-2006, 05:12 PM

Um...Pendragon, looking for the second book in my library. I seriously reccomend it! ROCK ON!

Gascmark de Leone · 10-30-2006, 03:26 PM

I will try to stop double posting. It's a bad habit of mine.

By the way, I think that The Giver, whilst still being a good book, seems a little like a watered down clone of 1984, only with a happier ending. I think. I still don't know if Jonas was having a hallucination or not at the end.

**Satan's Onion** · 10-31-2006, 01:03 AM

I think you learn pretty well how The Giver turns out in later books (I think the "sequels", for Jonas isn't more than an incidental character in the other two), Gathering Blue and Messenger.

Magus · 11-01-2006, 08:48 AM

The Giver is very different from 1984, because the people do live in a utopia. However, they have lost their basic human emotions that come from life experience. So it's not quite the same as 1984 (it's quite clear from the first page in 1984 that Winston is living in a fascist nightmare that isn't utopic in the least).

Aerozord · 11-01-2006, 08:54 AM

I wasn't a fan of the Giver. Mostly because I hate open ended endings. Also I am a science nerd so I kept applying said science to the book and it just didn't work. Not that its a bad book, I just didn't enjoy reading it. That and it was for school, so I got homework attached to it

Axl · 11-01-2006, 09:03 AM

I always thought that The Giver trilogy was negative closure. It felt more like Gathering Blue and The Messenger are their own little 2-book series and The Giver is a loosely connected prequel.

The ending to messenger just brings up feelings of WTH? to me.

bass_virus · 11-01-2006, 05:35 PM

I just finished reading Bram Stroker's "Dracula". Which is quite hard to read since it goes from a fantastic story of them trying to hunt down the Count, to the people sitting around and talking about how much they love their spouses. Right now i'm reading Lewis Black's autobiography "Nothing's Sacred".

Gascmark de Leone · 11-17-2006, 05:32 PM

Well, I don't think I'd count Gathering Blue as a continuation of The Giver.

And as for my referal to it being like 1984, I was being a little broad, I'll admit, but both of those worlds creep me out. The masses in both like being enslaved (whether they know it or not).

Oh, and I read this short story by Stephen King about a doctor who is stranded on an island with a knife, a couple pounds of cocaine, and a knife. The doctor then goes to eat himself piece by piece. Extreme horror crap.

10-29-2006, 05:12 PM	#53
Karenaide Fallen Reality Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Second Earth Posts: 210	Um...Pendragon, looking for the second book in my library. I seriously reccomend it! ROCK ON! __________________ Renegades are the people with their own philosophy. They change the course of history; everyday people like you and me. ~Renegades of Funk, Rage Against the Machine *** Welcome to my Life.

10-30-2006, 03:26 PM	#54
Gascmark de Leone Intercourse the Penguins! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Land of Wuz Posts: 326	I will try to stop double posting. It's a bad habit of mine. By the way, I think that The Giver, whilst still being a good book, seems a little like a watered down clone of 1984, only with a happier ending. I think. I still don't know if Jonas was having a hallucination or not at the end. __________________ At the end of the day there's another day dawning And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise Like the waves crash on the sand Like a storm that'll break any second There's a hunger in the land There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and There's gonna be hell to pay At the end of the day! Les Miserables

10-31-2006, 01:03 AM	#55
Satan's Onion Swing You Sinners! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: 4th Street Posts: 2,666	I think you learn pretty well how The Giver turns out in later books (I think the "sequels", for Jonas isn't more than an incidental character in the other two), Gathering Blue and Messenger. __________________ Good evening, ladies. Please enter and be tained .

11-01-2006, 08:54 AM	#57
Aerozord So we are clear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Former murder capital of the world Posts: 13,824	I wasn't a fan of the Giver. Mostly because I hate open ended endings. Also I am a science nerd so I kept applying said science to the book and it just didn't work. Not that its a bad book, I just didn't enjoy reading it. That and it was for school, so I got homework attached to it __________________ "don't hate me for being a heterosexual white guy disparaging slacktivism, hate me for all those murders I've done."

11-01-2006, 09:03 AM	#58
Axl Cat Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: No Posts: 428	I always thought that The Giver trilogy was negative closure. It felt more like Gathering Blue and The Messenger are their own little 2-book series and The Giver is a loosely connected prequel. The ending to messenger just brings up feelings of WTH? to me. __________________

10-27-2006, 11:12 PM	#52
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	I too wish to know if The Giver was part of a series of novels.

11-01-2006, 08:48 AM	#56
Magus Archer and Armstrong vs. the World Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 7,164	The Giver is very different from 1984, because the people do live in a utopia. However, they have lost their basic human emotions that come from life experience. So it's not quite the same as 1984 (it's quite clear from the first page in 1984 that Winston is living in a fascist nightmare that isn't utopic in the least).

11-01-2006, 05:35 PM	#59
bass_virus Second gunman on the grassy knoll Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pissant town in a state cold enough to freeze hell over Posts: 490	I just finished reading Bram Stroker's "Dracula". Which is quite hard to read since it goes from a fantastic story of them trying to hunt down the Count, to the people sitting around and talking about how much they love their spouses. Right now i'm reading Lewis Black's autobiography "Nothing's Sacred". __________________ The Dusk of Man Four Gods wait on the windowsill Where once eight Gods did war and will And if the Gods themselves may die What does that say for you and I?

11-17-2006, 05:32 PM	#60
Gascmark de Leone Intercourse the Penguins! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Land of Wuz Posts: 326	Well, I don't think I'd count Gathering Blue as a continuation of The Giver. And as for my referal to it being like 1984, I was being a little broad, I'll admit, but both of those worlds creep me out. The masses in both like being enslaved (whether they know it or not). Oh, and I read this short story by Stephen King about a doctor who is stranded on an island with a knife, a couple pounds of cocaine, and a knife. The doctor then goes to eat himself piece by piece. Extreme horror crap. __________________ At the end of the day there's another day dawning And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise Like the waves crash on the sand Like a storm that'll break any second There's a hunger in the land There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and There's gonna be hell to pay At the end of the day! Les Miserables