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DFW Rabid Readers: reading and discussion group

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  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    All this talk of books and I have been feeling too tired and too poorly with a cold to take part. But it is not possible to resist any longer – so decided to tell you how I started reading and to share some favourites at different stages of my life.
    I learned to read very young – I suppose it was a combination between boredom (there was nothing much to do if my grandmother refused to have a TV) and the fact that Bulgarian is an entirely phonetic language. If one learns the alphabet – which my granddad thought me very early – one could start reading. One night when I was four I went to bed and I had a dream – a fairy came to me and explained how to read. The next morning I got up, grabbed a book and the first word I read was ‘papa’. I did not realise that the book was in Russian and ‘papa’ means ‘Daddy’ – but I could read. Very soon after that I was reading anything in the house and graduated from my little story books to my Granddad’s gardening manuals.
    And then I stopped reading – interestingly enough it happened when I went to school. For the first three or four years at school I was so bored that no reading was done; in fact there were many occasions when instead of school I ended up in the nearest park on my roller skates – until my Mum found out this is.
    At about 11 I started reading again – and this time never stopped. At first I read loads of adventure books, romance (sort of) and books about heroic deeds (including mythology). When I was 14, I discovered Salinger (Catcher in the Rye); shortly after I spend my first whole night reading – Little Dorrit by Dickens.
    Interestingly my late teens were dominated by two books – both known to be very ‘boys’ books’. These were Catch 22 and The Adventures of the Good Soldier Svejk (in fact the latter helped me through many hard times and ended up being totally worn from reading).
    Most of the classics I read when I was at University – I did sociology and philosophy but my flatmate was doing literature. No need to say that I covered her whole reading list and more for good luck. It is difficult to find favourites or shall I say that during my student years I was most impressed with two books; neither of these classic. The books were ‘Birdy’ by William Wharton and (I think but am translating although the original is in English) ‘Johnny picked the gun’. ‘Johnny...’ is the story of a soldier who is in hospital and completely covered in bandages – he can communicate only through his eyes; the book is about what he is thinking about...
    And so goes the story...But I would like to mention that I have also read most of Jilly Cooper’s novels – this happened when I was finishing my PhD. And she is a good writer, she just chooses to write very high quality low literature.
    Forgot, I really love ‘The Little Prince’. And many other books...
    Firewalker
  • Marru
    Marru Posts: 4,126 Forumite
    I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks of Animal Farm (George Orwell)?

    I read it when I was quite young. Perhaps in my early teens and I can say that it has had the most lasting effect out of all the books I have read. I did try 1984 at the time but was really too young to get to it. Might try now.

    Oh did I say that I had a bookshop in Amazon couple of years back and am now left with 5000 books. Everytime I start going through them one (or perhaps two) ends up to the not to be sold list :o I have seen Catch 22 in there but now after I have moved can't for the life of me find it.
    "Everything will be alright in the end. If it's not alright, it's not the end."

  • savingwannabe
    savingwannabe Posts: 16,616 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    I loved Birdy. Oh my gosh i didn't think anyone had heard of it. The film of it changed my life and then i read the book when i was 22. Holy moly you have made my already fantastic day better. 00020239.gif

    Do you know how much joy this thread is giving me???

    Little prince, Little Dorrit so many memories. Gosh.
    Aiming for a minimal spend 2022
  • Aesop
    Aesop Posts: 23,773 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I am finding it fascinating reading everyone's lists, favourites and how they started reading.

    I feel a bit left out on certain books/authors I have never heard of that others have read, but then I think, I have read books that others haven't. And this is a great way to find new authors to read!

    I went to a bookshop today to try and find something for the Grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary and as I stood there looking at all the shelves, I thought of this thread and how many authors I have read, or dipped into and couldn't remember to list. I read Gandhi's biography, I have read about the Dalai Lama, as at the time I was fascinated by these people, I keep meaning to read about Hitler, as I just want to know what made him tic.

    I like Maeve Binchy, am always on the lookout for new books, but the problem is my library is tooooo popular. I also like the books about Africa, by Alexander McCall Smith. I was born there but left very young, so really enjoy it.

    When I was younger, my aunt gave me all these boys books, no idea why, she was strange like that, and it was all about safaris in Africa. I loved those books and devoured them, but for the life of me I cannot remember the titles or the authors.
  • savingwannabe
    savingwannabe Posts: 16,616 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    Does anyone remember the Flame Trees of Thika by Elspeth Huxley i think? I remember a tv series and i spotted a book about it when i was 19.

    I have only read a few biographies i love the idea of reading Michael J Fox's. Dont know if i could cope with reading Hitler's. Speaking of which does anyone remember Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ?

    oh my gosh kit shut up.... but i can't.
    Aiming for a minimal spend 2022
  • Aesop
    Aesop Posts: 23,773 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I watched the TV series and I think... I read the books after I had watched it, but this was quite a long time ago.

    I don't get much chance to read these days because of DS, so am going to be quite slow with all this. His Daddy tried to read his Peter Pan book to him tonight from Harrods, he did pick it up and give it to him, but DS then decided he needed to turn all the pages and say THE END.

    We'll get there! I want him to love reading as much as I do. When I first met his Dad he never read anything but the paper! 12 years later and he has read more books with me than he did before he met me!
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    aureol212 wrote: »
    about Africa, by Alexander McCall Smith. I was born there but left very young, so really enjoy it.

    Ha, 'The Number 1 Lady Detective Agency' in the whole of Botswana...Lovely...So calming and full of optimism, and fun, and steel. Mma Ramotswe is such a character...Read them all.

    Did not like much anything else by him though.

    Firewalker
  • Firewalker
    Firewalker Posts: 2,682 Forumite
    which does anyone remember Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ?

    oh my gosh kit shut up.... but i can't.

    Yep, found it very disturbing - books are sacret and I lived in totalitarian society, remember?

    Firewalker
  • That's how i felt after Brave New World. I started to cry and couldn't read it any more mind you i am the prat that had nightmares after the election as i thought the Conservatives would take away the red post boxes. Why am i laughing??? they are......
    Aiming for a minimal spend 2022
  • Aesop
    Aesop Posts: 23,773 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Firewalker wrote: »
    Ha, 'The Number 1 Lady Detective Agency' in the whole of Botswana...Lovely...So calming and full of optimism, and fun, and steel. Mma Ramotswe is such a character...Read them all.

    Did not like much anything else by him though.

    Firewalker

    yes I tried to learn from her principles. I did read the Scottish ones, and thought they were very interesting too.
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