SHP Forums

Tawmis wrote: Simple. Thirst for knowledge.

Sometimes, novels - and short stories, and novellas, and theater plays etc. - can be great teachers too. Wonderful, in fact. Like Proust once said, a narrative work is like a mirror, in which you can look to better understand yourself. The author has written it, sure, but it is you, the reader, that, by construing its sense based on your own experience and mindset, give meaning to the work. Reading a novel, as such, can be an incredibly "active" process, because it's a continuous dialogue between the reader, the author and the narrator. Even without this gnosiological aspect, a narrative work has a certain aesthetic value, one that can please our need both for beauty and for stories, which, since the time of the tales aroud the fire of our ancestors, are one of the primary meanings by which we decipher the world around us, and there's the ludic aspect, of course, that stems from suspesion of disbelief and our capacity to fully immerse and engage in a fictitious world, which our imagination substantiates.

Thanks Andrea, that's exactly why I've been on this Hermann Hesse trip lately.

BBP wrote:Thanks Andrea, that's exactly why I've been on this Hermann Hesse trip lately.

I haven't read much by Hesse, I must admit, but Narziß und Goldmund is an incredibly fine novel, with a wonderful, thought-provoking dynamic between the two protagonists.

A lot of his books have a similar relationship between male protagonists, at least Siddharta, Demian and to a lesser extent the Glass Bead Game and The Prodigy. Depending on your views on the story, it might go for Steppenwolf too.

The Art Of Howl's Moving Castle. <3

I'm about halfway through 'Gun Machine' by Warren Ellis. The same is true for Ishiguro's 'When We Were Orphans'.

Hermann Hesse - Gertrud. It pierces the soul like the eyes of Peter J. Lucas.

Re-reading this series:



Hoping it inspires my own writing muse to return to me.

I have the exact same cover!

AndreaDraco wrote:I have the exact same cover!

You've read it? That surprises me! Doesn't seem to be a book/series you'd be interested in!

I've read the entire series too, including some related material, mostly dealing with Lord Soth. I didn't like the later books that much, especially since everyone from the original series kept on dying.

Tawmis wrote:
You've read it? That surprises me! Doesn't seem to be a book/series you'd be interested in!

Of course I read it! I've always liked fantasy and Autumn Twilight was one of the first fantasy books I bought, when I was eleven or twelve years old, after Black Trillium and The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings.

I've read the first two trilogies in the series, and I quite liked them back in the day, even if I must admit that when I tried to re-read them a couple of years ago I found the first three rather clunky. Still, Raistlin Majere is the reason why, when I roleplay, in front of a pc screen or at the table, I play a mage-type character whenever I can. I really, really, really like him: he' easily the best part of the books, for me.

DeadPoolX wrote:I've read the entire series too, including some related material, mostly dealing with Lord Soth. I didn't like the later books that much, especially since everyone from the original series kept on dying.

Yeah. I think they just wanted to wrap up the series, because there'd been like 40+ other Dragonlance books by other authors after the success of the original two trilogies.

AndreaDraco wrote:

Tawmis wrote:
You've read it? That surprises me! Doesn't seem to be a book/series you'd be interested in!

Of course I read it! I've always liked fantasy and Autumn Twilight was one of the first fantasy books I bought, when I was eleven or twelve years old, after Black Trillium and The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings.

I've read the first two trilogies in the series, and I quite liked them back in the day, even if I must admit that when I tried to re-read them a couple of years ago I found the first three rather clunky. Still, Raistlin Majere is the reason why, when I roleplay, in front of a pc screen or at the table, I play a mage-type character whenever I can. I really, really, really like him: he' easily the best part of the books, for me.

That's right! I do believe you told me before about your enjoyment of Raistlin! Now it's ringing that ancient bell in my head called "Memory."

AndreaDraco wrote: I've always liked fantasy and Autumn Twilight was one of the first fantasy books I bought, when I was eleven or twelve years old, after Black Trillium and The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings.

I totally forgot about the Trillium series! I recall quite liking those. I think I'll have to see if the library has them and reread them.

I recently read The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and loved the folkloric, slightly whimsical feel of it, as well as the WW2 setting. It reminded me of the older style children's books, but with more adult concepts mixed in. It also kind of reminded me of the Secret Country by Pamela Dean, now that I think about it.

I'm currently rereading the entire Fables graphic novel series. I have no idea why, but I like just about anything that's folklore and fairy tale related.

Maiandra wrote: I'm currently rereading the entire Fables graphic novel series. I have no idea why, but I like just about anything that's folklore and fairy tale related.

I got her started on that series. It was when Maia and I were still in a long-distance relationship and visiting each other. She wanted something to read, so I gave her the first two or three volumes of Fables. She read them and then asked me for more. I didn't have any more, but we fixed that.