what is the best book you have read for entertaining?

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 11:44 pm

Well....'Flatland: a romance of many dimensions' by Edwin A. Abbott is now on its way to me from Amazon.com along with another book that I needed. So looking forward to it....

glyn · Post by **glyn** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 5:12 pm

Catcher in the Rye (is it Salinger?)
Crow Lake Mary Lawson
The Stranger Camus (when I was first getting to know my wife before I married her I asked her if she'd read The Stranger and she said "Of course, I read it in french") Pompous or what? So any book I buy her now I say is this ok in english or would you prefer the ancient Arabic version?
Crow lake is very new, and if you haven't read it you should. I read avidly. I love books and consider myself a pretty good judge and this is wonderful.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 9:24 pm

The bloke who murdered John Lennon - Mark Chapman was sat on the pavement reading Catcher in the Rye when the police nicked him. I really liked that book.

John the Shorts · Post by **John the Shorts** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 5:05 pm

I really liked John Lennon's music

JTS

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Sat Jun 07, 2003 6:06 pm

I loved John Lennon. I don't know if you have ever read the book the Mauncian Man but there is a theory that Mark Chapman was actually programmed to murder John Lennon and there was some sort of trigger along the way which activated him to do the task intended.

Mark Chapman mirrored JL's life he married a Japanese girl and when he left his job finally to go and Kill JL he signed out as John Lennon at his place of work. I think the book the Catcher in the Rye was something to do with it too.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 12:18 am

it is true that it is difficult to say about THE FAVORITE book but in any case ...I have read The little prince in different times of my life and the most i read it the most i discover it again, its profound and universal meaning.
The author I like very much too is Milan Kundera.
The stranger Camus is very good

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 12:32 am

The Mark Chapman thing got me looking for a link it was not the Mancuian Man but the Manchurian Candidate, this link takes you to a page about Mark Chapman and the suggested conspiracy plot to kill John Lennon and as you can see Catcher in the Rye was also in the frame.

May be it is just me who finds these little twists and turns interesting but there you go.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/netnotes/arti ... 20,00.html

The link also says that Mark Chapman and Charles Manson were two people who could have been Manchurian Candidates and as you can see their initials are MC.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 5:07 am

I also find these kinds of things very interesting, Paula ~ and do not consider them the least bit outlandish, even as bizarre as they are. I have always felt that the U.S. government/CIA was behind Lennon's death ~ and that Chapman was the pawn. I had not considered the programming aspect, but with things I've learned of since, I'm very open to it. I'll follow up with the link you've provided. Thanks.

jurica · Post by **jurica** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 1:38 pm

Hey, I didn't know Milan Kundera was so famous around world. Sandra, you're from Chile. He does live and work in France now and in French, but I still figured he was as great name here as he is because he's a slavic.
I'm also quite fond of him.

altinkum · Post by **altinkum** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 9:45 pm

On the Mark Chapman issue did anyone see that photograph taken just prior to the lennon killing, it was taken at an airport (I think) it showed Bob Dylan and standing right behind him was Chapman, chilling.
I tried to read Salingers' catcher in the rye just recently maybe it was my mood but I just couldn't get into it. I suppose the most favourite of the books I have read is Tolkiens' Lord of the rings, recently I have read a couple of Nick hornby. Years ago I was into Ed macbain and also John wyndam. For a good laugh I read Tom Sharpe and Robert Rankin.
I did read Frank mcourts Angeles ashes and think it far better than the film. I also love some of the classics Austin's Pride and predjudice, Brontes wuthering heights and thomas hardys far from the Madding crowd.
I also like khalil Gibrans The Prophet. I used to be an avid reader( my husband reckons I will read anything with print on it

) I tend to read very light weight stuff these days, I must get a lot more cultured!
Altinkum

John the Shorts · Post by **John the Shorts** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 12:41 am

Mark Chapman was a Beatles fan (in particular Lennon) until he was "Born Again" when he destroyed all his Beatles collection.

He then underwent some kind of nervous breakdown and counselling.

The day before he actually shot Lennon he got an autograph from him.

As you said he tried to mirror Lennon's life but failed as an artist and as a musician. By several accounts he believed that by killing John he was fulfilling G-d's wishes and would regain a purpose in his own life.

JTS (There are so many books on Lennons life and I have read only a few of them)

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 12:57 am

I kept a copy of the Daily Mirror of the day Lennon died. I keep things like that if I can remember and it shows the picture of John Lennon giving Mark Chapman an autograph hours before he was shot.

Yoko Ono is now 70

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 2:35 am

Yes..Jurica...Kundera´s The unbearable lightness of being is famous all over the world I think...
I love that writer very much

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 3:28 am

One of the books I'm reading right now [for literal entertainment] is "The Fran Lebowitz Reader" ~ she is a writer/stand-up comic in N.Y.C. My understanding is that in her stand-up routine, she can come across as somehow bitter. However, in print and at least for me, she is highly entertaining. The front/back book covers have very complimentary quotes from the Washington Post, British Vogue, Newsweek, and The New York Times regarding her writing.

I guess I'd sum it up as being satire, parody, and sarcasm.....a quote from the back says, "By turns ironic, facetious, deadpan, sarcastic, wry, wisecracking, and waggish, she is always wickedly entertaining," presumably a quote by the publisher, Vintage.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 3:32 am

Paula ~

I keep things like that, too. I have several magazines, but not put out on the actual day of his death. His death was very traumatic for me.

Yoko looks wonderful and maintains her same dignity. I admire her as much as I always have.

~ Lizzytysh