Saturday, March 24, 2007

IN THE ZONE FOR A GOOD READ

Princess Haiku is looking for a good novel to read and enjoy literary fiction. I read a book, "Lullabies for Little Criminals," last week that was a very good first novel. Any suggestions?

12 comments:

Bobby D. said...

None of these are new, but I've been re-reading Steinbeck's stuff lately... and these books are lounging around me... You may have already read these, but here is my list:
Novels:
"The Ladies Paradise" by Emile Zola
Steinbeck's Winter of our Discontent

Novellas:
"Kitchen" by Banana Yoshimoto (2 novellas)

Short Fiction:
Women & Fiction Part 1 Editor: Susan Cahill
Maeve Brennan's Long Winded Lady. NY stories

Very Short Fiction:
"This Place on Third Avenue" John McNulty

odd novels, 'fun' reads
"About Yvonne" by Donna Masini
Anything by Joanne Harris (Coastliners, etc)
"The Talk of the Town" by Ardal O'Hanlon
Anything by Anita Brookner (weird but worthy)

Recently enjoyed memoir:
"Rory & Ita" by Roddy Doyle

Diane Dehler said...

Thanks, Ched. I will take this list to the library with me next week.

Anonymous said...

It's a few years old now, but I can't recommend Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts enough. I very rarely have time to read novels these days, yet I pretty much cleared the decks after starting Shantaram, unable as I was to put it down for the best part of a week.

Zazie said...

Uhm... I think that "Kitchen" of Banana Yoshimoto is a good book, too! I read it about four years ago, when I was in Holland. During that period, I was falling in love with her books!:o)

But I recommend you "Undine" of La Motte Fouquè, a sort of fable about the french "mermaid". It's really fantastic!

Now I'm reading a postmodern book of Angela Carter, but I don't like it very much... It's too much strange and I don't understand it...

But... Have a good reading!!!:o)

Zazie.

Bobby D. said...

Shantaram is a fabulous book-- it was riveting.
Johnny Depp purchased the film rights so I hope he will be the main character in the film.

Angela Carter desn't work for me either

Zazie said...

Uhm... I don't understand why yesterday I wrote that Undine was a french mermaid!
She was a sort of water nimph belonged to the german mythology!!! She was similar to a mermaid, but she wasn't a mermaid!

I'm sorry!:o)

Diane Dehler said...

Well, what is the difference between a mermaid and an undine?

Diane Dehler said...

John, never heard of that book and it's going on my summer reading list which I will post after people stop leaving me recommendations.

Zazie said...

Good mornig Princess Haiku and thanks a lot for the comment!

---

A mermaid is a syren of the sea: that creature with a human body but a fish tail, too.

At the beginnig, the english language called "mermaids" only the syrens of the North Sea, so the word was referred to this particular syren. Then, it began to be referred to all the syrens of the sea with a human body and a fish tail.
But the syrens didn't always have this body! During the classic period, they were a sort of birds, creature ugly and perturbant (for example the syrens descripted by Homer in his Odyssea). Classic syrens had got a own meanings...

The metamorphosis is only happened during the medieval period.

The Undine is a sort of nymph and she belongs to the german mythology. She doesn't have a fish tail! She's a beautiful girl who can live far from the water but who is tied to it. However she's a strange creature... For some charateristics she's similar to a mermaid, but they are two different creatures.

If you wish books or tales about the mermaids you can read a novel by E.M. Forster or that of Tomasi from Lampedusa. Or the fable by Andersen, too!

---

Good night,

Zazie.

Zazie said...

Mmm... I said you "Good night" because now I'm going to bed.

But, watching the hour, I don't think you'll still go to bed!:o)

I'm sorry!

So... Have a good day!!!

Diane Dehler said...

Zazi, the information on the mermaid is really fascinating. I can relate to being tied to the water after living on the Cal coast for years.

Zazie said...

Thanks, Princess! You're always kind to me!

So, if you're tied to the water, you're a sort of nymph of the waters!:o)

I don't know... I'm tied to the mountain and to the rivers! I could be a nymph of the trees o a nymph of the sweet waters!:o)