Recommend a book

[sommer21]

Cutting for Stone was great. Also, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is a great read. The Posionwood Bible is kind of long but gripped my interest the entire time. For a while I made myself read "classics" in between my modern reads and fell in love with East of Eden.

I am about to start the backpacking portion of my travels here in South America and really appreciate the book recommendations as well! Gotta upload my Kindle for the road

I recently read "Cutting for Stone" and loved it. It saved me when LAN delayed our flight for five hours.

 

[Matt84]

We need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver is like a slow motion highway accident. As awful as the sight might on be, you just can't keep away but it's well written enough to keep you entertained for a lot longer than the movie would let you think. It actually encapsulates many issues facing reproduction after the pill (optional; desired or undesired babies, and the ambiguity generated) that had to be said.

Spanish, I guess Marcos Aguinis is a must-read for Argentine recent and not so recent history, and it's supposed to be easy. La Gesta del Marrano has been widely published and translated. "Los iliuminados" is a very funny outlook of American Evengelical Fundamentalism from an Argentine point of view - I don't even think it IS translated into English. Technically it deals with both-ways expats, should be relevant.

Cortazar to understand the Bohemian-in-Paris mentality of that "liberal" urban elite that prides of embracing extinction. The Lilliputian Bourgeoisie who votes Radical and also believes to be radical in some manner. Sebreli for a worse, yet updated version of the same. Of course there should be a lot more authors to cover this class, since it produces the most prolific writers (if little more).

 

[thebookcellar]

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, an all time favourite or as someone mentioned Murakami, I am a fan of another author from that country - Kenzaburo Oe, his book A Personal Matter is astonishing


http://bookcellarbsas.com/

 

[Matt84]

on that note but in native English- Kazuo Ishiguro "Never Let me Go"

 

[sleslie23]

I will 3rd the recommendation of "Ficciones," but would actually recommend El Aleph even more. Both are great and very similar. If you have several hundred pesos burning a hole in your pocket, just go straight for Obras Completas Tomo 1.

 

[thebookcellar]

on that note but in native English- Kazuo Ishiguro "Never Let me Go"

Sorry, but i found Never Let me Go to be a big disappointment. Ishiguro is an author well spoken of, and highly recommended. I was really bored - he had a great idea and almost turned it into Chick-Lit. I'm thinking of trying another Ishiguro, as fans have told me there are better books, but Never Let Me Go really put me off the guy...


http://bookcellarbsas.com/

 

[Matt84]

Sorry, but i found Never Let me Go to be a big disappointment. Ishiguro is an author well spoken of, and highly recommended. I was really bored - he had a great idea and almost turned it into Chick-Lit. I'm thinking of trying another Ishiguro, as fans have told me there are better books, but Never Let Me Go really put me off the guy...


http://bookcellarbsas.com/

Out of curiosidy, have you read "The Remains of the Day"? his first successful novel? and if so what's your opinion?
Did you watch the movie before, after, or not yet? (btw its pace is similarly slow.....but perfect(ly depressing) scenography for the theme)

 

[thebookcellar]

Out of curiosidy, have you read "The Remains of the Day"? his first successful novel? and if so what's your opinion?
Did you watch the movie before, after, or not yet? (btw its pace is similarly slow.....but perfect(ly depressing) scenography for the theme)

I haven't seen the movie or read the book - it is the one Ishiguro that I always wanted to read. Plus, for me, anything with Anthony Hopkins is an incentive to find out more.

To the rest of the users - a good book thread should have more posts daily!! There is a lot of great books out there

http://bookcellarbsas.com/

 

[Nelevp]

"Little bee" by Chris Cleave is honestly the best book I ever read!
I just couldn't put the book aside, I had to keep on reading till the end. Just amazing!


http://www.amazon.com/Little-Bee-Novel-Chris-Cleave/dp/1416589635

 

[JoeGillis]

A few suggestions of great 20th/21st century writing:

2666 by Roberto Bolano (anything by Bolano)
THE CAIRO TRILOGY by Naguib Mahfouz (anything by Mahfouz)
UNDERWORLD USA TRILOGY by James Ellroy
FREEDOM by Jonathan Franzen
THE MANDARINS by Simone de Beauvoir
THE AMERICAN CHRONICLES SERIES (7 books) by Gore Vidal
REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST by Marcel Proust
JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS by Thomas Mann (anything by Mann)

And I could go on and on....