Great works of literature | Page 2 | Vital Football

Great works of literature

Vambogills said:
'To Kill A Mockingbird' deserves to be in there as it's by far the best book by a female author.
God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens was the book that had the greatest effect on me.

Sadly 'literary' books are rarely popular books as well. People put them on a shelf but often confess to never reading them.
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Recently became a big fan of Christopher Hitchens. sadly, somehow, only after his death. Been enjoying many of his quips and debates on Youtube. Eviscerating demolition jobs on belief in the supernatural.

I'm a big Dawkins fan. Would put "The God Delusion" in my top 10 and saw him at the Royal Albert Hall some 10 years ago. Brilliant mind and scientist. So calm when dealing with nutters. I wouldn't have the patience.
 
Gills 58 said:
Recently became a big fan of Christopher Hitchens. sadly, somehow, only after his death. Been enjoying many of his quips and debates on Youtube. Eviscerating demolition jobs on belief in the supernatural.

I'm a big Dawkins fan. Would put "The God Delusion" in my top 10 and saw him at the Royal Albert Hall some 10 years ago. Brilliant mind and scientist. So calm when dealing with nutters. I wouldn't have the patience.
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Edit: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist had the greatest political effect on me but most of my political journey from Right to Left was through lived experience.
 
Gills 58 said:
Recently became a big fan of Christopher Hitchens. sadly, somehow, only after his death. Been enjoying many of his quips and debates on Youtube. Eviscerating demolition jobs on belief in the supernatural.

I'm a big Dawkins fan. Would put "The God Delusion" in my top 10 and saw him at the Royal Albert Hall some 10 years ago. Brilliant mind and scientist. So calm when dealing with nutters. I wouldn't have the patience.
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Ditto with 'The God Delusion' .
 
The God Delusion, whilst agreeing with most of the views, found it hard reading, very repetitious and at times slightly simplistic.

PS Would never call it a great work of literature.
 
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Billy Liar and Lucky Jim with the trials, tribulations and cockups of lower middle class mildly aspirational individuals spoke to me. Literature which focuses on the ways in which people manage the lives thrust upon them over literature organized around a message every time.
 
RotherhitheGill said:
The God Delusion, whilst agreeing with most of the views, found it hard reading, very repetitious and at times slightly simplistic.

PS Would never call it a great work of literature.
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Well it's not arty farty, I give you that. I do like reading what is most.likely to be the truth though. Hard to find in literature nowadays.

Edit: also liked "The greatest Show on Earth" where he debunks "Intelligent Design" Creationist fantasy. Particularly enjoyed the description on the innards of a giraffe and how unintelligent the design is unless one explains it through evolution.
 
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Not long after learning to read (6, 7 year old), these books were, for a long time, the only ones I would read. Enid Blyton gave me a glimpse of how I should be - wanted to be - when I was older, inquisitive, honest, respectful, wholesome and a number of other positives.

Unfortunately, by the time I was 9, I had discovered the Gills and was bunking off school on some wednesday afternoons to watch the afternoon games at Priestfield (this was before the lights were installed). My father found out every time I did so and I received a couple of spanks with the slipper. They hurt but were somehow worthwhile.

Thankfully I did grow up to (hopefully) have most of the characteristics mentioned above although I did have a short temper and was prone to a bit of fistycuffs. That disappeared when I started playing rugby and was able to channel my energy in a positive way.

Five on a Treasure Island
Five Go Adventuring Again
Five Run Away Together
Five Go to Smuggler's Top
Five Go Off in a Caravan
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead Secret Seven

I still have a few of these books even now.

On a more serious note "The death of grass" by John Christopher was a bloody good read and a storyline that became (sort of) prophetic in 2019, with the start of the pandemic.
 
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alex_farrells_left_peg said:
Not long after learning to read (6, 7 year old), these books were, for a long time, the only ones I would read. Enid Blyton gave me a glimpse of how I should be - wanted to be - when I was older, inquisitive, honest, respectful, wholesome and a number of other positives.

Unfortunately, by the time I was 9, I had discovered the Gills and was bunking off school on some wednesday afternoons to watch the afternoon games at Priestfield (this was before the lights were installed). My father found out every time I did so and I received a couple of spanks with the slipper. They hurt but were somehow worthwhile.

Thankfully I did grow up to (hopefully) have most of the characteristics mentioned above although I did have a short temper and was prone to a bit of fistycuffs. That disappeared when I started playing rugby and was able to channel my energy in a positive way.

Five on a Treasure Island
Five Go Adventuring Again
Five Run Away Together
Five Go to Smuggler's Top
Five Go Off in a Caravan
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead Secret Seven

I still have a few of these books even now.

On a more serious note "The death of grass" by John Christopher was a bloody good read and a storyline that became (sort of) prophetic in 2019, with the start of the pandemic.
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Didn't 'Christopher also write another called `The Iceman Cometh ` or something similar ? Hedged his bets a bit
 
Gills 58 said:
Edit: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist had the greatest political effect on me but most of my political journey from Right to Left was through lived experience.
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I agree that it's a very good book if a little "wordy" in places. Paints a very good picture of life in those days.

Think my journey from political right to left has more to do with just how shit this iteration of the conservative party is though.
 
Defenestrator said:
I agree that it's a very good book if a little "wordy" in places. Paints a very good picture of life in those days.

Think my journey from political right to left has more to do with just how shit this iteration of the conservative party is though.
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My journey started with Thatcher but, unbelievably, this lot are worse. Braverman is genuinely scary and there are millions who like what they hear from her. Her deliberate division, distraction and bile works, sadly.

Boiling frog route to fascism.
 
jokerman said:
Billy Liar and Lucky Jim with the trials, tribulations and cockups of lower middle class mildly aspirational individuals spoke to me. Literature which focuses on the ways in which people manage the lives thrust upon them over literature organized around a message every time.
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I saw Michael Crawford as Billy Liar back in the mid 70's on a school trip. It, and he, was excellent.
 
Gills 58 said:
My journey started with Thatcher but, unbelievably, this lot are worse. Braverman is genuinely scary and there are millions who like what they hear from her. Her deliberate division, distraction and bile works, sadly.
Boiling frog route to fascism.
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Better or worse than "the Pritster" Patel before her, you reckon?
 
alex_farrells_left_peg said:
Not long after learning to read (6, 7 year old), these books were, for a long time, the only ones I would read. Enid Blyton gave me a glimpse of how I should be - wanted to be - when I was older, inquisitive, honest, respectful, wholesome and a number of other positives.

Unfortunately, by the time I was 9, I had discovered the Gills and was bunking off school on some wednesday afternoons to watch the afternoon games at Priestfield (this was before the lights were installed). My father found out every time I did so and I received a couple of spanks with the slipper. They hurt but were somehow worthwhile.

Thankfully I did grow up to (hopefully) have most of the characteristics mentioned above although I did have a short temper and was prone to a bit of fistycuffs. That disappeared when I started playing rugby and was able to channel my energy in a positive way.

Five on a Treasure Island
Five Go Adventuring Again
Five Run Away Together
Five Go to Smuggler's Top
Five Go Off in a Caravan
The Secret Seven
Secret Seven Adventure
Well Done Secret Seven
Secret Seven on the Trail
Go Ahead Secret Seven

I still have a few of these books even now.

On a more serious note "The death of grass" by John Christopher was a bloody good read and a storyline that became (sort of) prophetic in 2019, with the start of the pandemic.
Click to expand...
Five Go to Simister Island - for all motorway junction lovers
 
Defenestrator said:
I've tried to read both "Don Quixote" and "Moby Dick" (I know the latter wasn't mentioned) and given up on both as being uninteresting. I'd rate Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Bram Stoker's "Dracula" above both of those.
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Agree with Frankenstein and Dracula - both quite short which is a bonus!

I would also add Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky as a classic.

Iceberg Slim books (especially Pimp) were very good, maybe not classics though. Really enjoyed The Da Vinci Code (the other Dan Brown not so much). And I've read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy twice

Enjoyed Game of Thrones books as well - found it easy to read, after watching the programme first. Reading The Witcher books now
 
How to speak of the greatest books ever, great literature. I like what I like but freely confess to being easily seduced by a pretentious blurb, or cover. I try not to read too much if anything about an author the first time for fear of being put off a potentially good read. An example: I have listened seething to several Thoughts for the Day by Rhydian Brook and thought him self obsessed and a bit daft. I picked up a library book attracted by the cover and read it in a day. The Aftermath by Rhydian Brook, a great read.

I still re-read Dickens with pleasure, Margaret Atwood is always worth my time and her clever and sometimes bleak humour tickles me. Anything by José Saramago but especially All The Names. I frequently read stuff without even noting the author's identity and happily read trash when in the mood. If ever asked for recommendations I advise just trying something new, anything but I personally don't read crime novels.
 
Some other books that I've found to be both great reads and very thought provoking:

"Hiroshima Joe" by Martin Booth

"Grey Bees" by Andrei Kurkov (very timely, about a bee keeper trying to survive with his hives in no man's land between the Russian and Ukrainian forces)

"A Gentleman of Moscow" by Amor Towles (an aristocrat exiled in a Moscow hotel during and after the 1917 revolution. Being filmed by Kenneth Brannah for a TV series.)

"Agent Sonya" by Ben MacIntyre (true spy story)
 
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