Post by kimchi on Oct 15, 2006 19:41:56 GMT 3
This has nothing to do with Movies or Music, but I think it fits in the same category, especially since good books are practically forbidden fruit here in Doha.
Right now I'm reading the latest John Irving "Until I Find You." The life story of Jack Burns, an actor, his tattoo artist mom, Alice, and his runaway tattoo addict father, William.
A pleasant surprise after I bought this quickly in an airport was that it is partially set in my home city of Halifax and in fact Alice apprentices with the guy who gave me my first tattoo (how cool).
This book is pretty typical John Irving (in case you don't know who he is, he's the Oscar winning authour of Cider House Rules). Meaning that it is written from the point of view Jack Burns and deals heavily with his view of women, his sexual growth and child molestation.
Nobody writes about men and sex better than John Irving. The idea of love is an abstract thought, sex is something you just do and enjoy, totally meaningless. They never so much as fall in love with a woman so much as settle for her (though there is never a lack of respect for the women in Irving novels, they are intelligent, beautiful, fucked up creatures in their own right).
Anyway, "Until I Find You" is excellent Irving but not good for the first time reader. You might find yourself turned off by his rather blunt writing and way of telling the end before the beginning.
If you want to start reading Irving I recommend "The World According to Garp," A Prayer for Owen Meany." "Cider House Rules" and a "Widow for One Year," in that order. If you can handle those then move onto "The Fourth Hand," "The 140lb marriage," "Until I Find You," and finally "The Hotel New Hampshire," which is shocking for even fans of Irving.
Right now I'm reading the latest John Irving "Until I Find You." The life story of Jack Burns, an actor, his tattoo artist mom, Alice, and his runaway tattoo addict father, William.
A pleasant surprise after I bought this quickly in an airport was that it is partially set in my home city of Halifax and in fact Alice apprentices with the guy who gave me my first tattoo (how cool).
This book is pretty typical John Irving (in case you don't know who he is, he's the Oscar winning authour of Cider House Rules). Meaning that it is written from the point of view Jack Burns and deals heavily with his view of women, his sexual growth and child molestation.
Nobody writes about men and sex better than John Irving. The idea of love is an abstract thought, sex is something you just do and enjoy, totally meaningless. They never so much as fall in love with a woman so much as settle for her (though there is never a lack of respect for the women in Irving novels, they are intelligent, beautiful, fucked up creatures in their own right).
Anyway, "Until I Find You" is excellent Irving but not good for the first time reader. You might find yourself turned off by his rather blunt writing and way of telling the end before the beginning.
If you want to start reading Irving I recommend "The World According to Garp," A Prayer for Owen Meany." "Cider House Rules" and a "Widow for One Year," in that order. If you can handle those then move onto "The Fourth Hand," "The 140lb marriage," "Until I Find You," and finally "The Hotel New Hampshire," which is shocking for even fans of Irving.
