05-22-2004, 05:41 AM | #21 | |
Enting
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Ertvelde (Belgium)
Posts: 79
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But I think that Feist needs to get first for me, because of him I started to read Fantasy and that's how I got in touch with Tolkien and from there it went backwards till I ended up here...
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SOMETIMES I SLEEP SOMETIMES IT'S NOT FOR DAYS THE PEOPLE I MEET ALWAYS GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS |
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06-14-2004, 06:38 PM | #22 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Posts: 27
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One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich really changed my way of thinking
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``Here at the end of all things, Sam´´ - Frodo |
06-17-2004, 07:07 PM | #23 | |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Quote:
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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06-18-2004, 12:39 AM | #24 | |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 369
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Quote:
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06-18-2004, 04:30 PM | #25 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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Whew! If you do that, let me know what they think! It took me 20 years to understand that book ...
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
04-14-2005, 06:02 PM | #26 |
The Intermittent One
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: here and there
Posts: 4,671
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bump
My Life by Leon Trotsky would have to rank quite high up on 'life-changer' status |
04-15-2005, 02:10 AM | #27 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Arthedian
Posts: 460
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Watchers by Dean R Koontz, it was that book that got me into reading when I was younger. Since then I have been slowely building a personal library!
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"Can you feel her, running through your veins? She will always live forever!" ~ Atreyu [Her portrait in Black] "I want to see pretty people doing ugly things..." ~ Unknown "Damn it n' such!" ~ Stewie Griffen |
04-15-2005, 04:52 PM | #28 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Middle earth
Posts: 34
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Books what books i see no books here
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I just have three word for all of you Orlando bloom sucks |
04-15-2005, 06:43 PM | #29 |
Magnificent Master of Buckland
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Buckland, U.S.A.
Posts: 1,138
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Definately The Lord of the Rings. I used to be a "normal" person, then I saw the movies. Then I read the books; then I joined Entmoot. Now I scare my friends.
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But it is the way of my people to use light words at such times and say less than they mean. We fear to say to much. It robs us of the right words when a jest is out of place. -Meriadoc Brandybuck Is there anything I can do that wouldn't inconvenience me?.-Adrian Monk Hogan: What's a definate factor that we can count on? Newkirk: We don't know what we're doing. Do you wanna split a pineapple? -Shawn Spencer |
04-16-2005, 12:16 AM | #30 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Arthedian
Posts: 460
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I would have to agree with Mary there... I am in the same perdicament.
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"Can you feel her, running through your veins? She will always live forever!" ~ Atreyu [Her portrait in Black] "I want to see pretty people doing ugly things..." ~ Unknown "Damn it n' such!" ~ Stewie Griffen |
04-16-2005, 08:21 PM | #31 |
Sapling
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 6
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American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I really have no clue why, but that book made me rethink my method of thinking. (And that statement is easy to follow.) I have heard some so-so reviews about it, but to me, it was earth-shattering.
To one's own, I suppose.
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Nothing is certain, except everything you know can change, Worship the sun, but now can you fall for the rain? Jamie Cullum, "London Skies" |
04-21-2005, 10:44 AM | #32 |
Elf Lord
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: sikeston, MO, usa, earth, sol
Posts: 3,114
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I have never met a book that did not change me...though not always for the better, I hasten to note. Some were merely confirmations of the inadequacies of the author in style, technique, or views. Others were experiences of integration and wholeness and challenge and moving forward in collating and understanding life experiences.
So, if that is understood, I would say that the books that changed me the most were the ones I go back to again and again for the latter indications. The Chronicles of Narnia (the whole CS Lewis corpus, actually) Lord of the Rings (the bulk of the Tolkien corpus) The Divine Comedy (in Dorothy L. Sayers' translation and her ancilary stuff) (need I note the The Jerusalem Bible (1966) for its felicity and ancillary materials as representative of the One Book which has most impacted my life?)
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Inked "Aslan is not a tame lion." CSL/LWW "The new school [acts] as if it required...courage to say a blasphemy. There is only one thing that requires real courage to say, and that is a truism." GK Chesterton "And there is always the danger of allowing people to suppose that our modern times are so wholly unlike any other times that the fundamental facts about man's nature have wholly changed with changing circumstances." Dorothy L. Sayers, 1 Sept. 1941 |
04-23-2005, 02:55 AM | #33 | |
Hobbit
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: If you ever want to find me, look in the clouds. I'll probably be there.
Posts: 28
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As for the books that influenced me the most, I think that reading Animal Farm and Farenheit 451 might have something to do with why I'm so screwy; I read them for the first time the same year, in third or fourth grade, and they scared the crap out of me.
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"The world is held together with sheets of paper!" -A very wise person. Me! Although I'm not really wise. Too bad. Last edited by Adonai Dragonwagon : 04-23-2005 at 06:10 PM. |
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04-23-2005, 07:03 AM | #34 | ||
Co-President of Entmoot
Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Canada
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Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Day of the Triffids, and Brave New World all influenced the way I think about humanity, but from a sci-fi perspective. It makes you think that our future could be like that, what can we do now to avoid it?
Other influential books include Of Mice and Men, Dune, The Giver, and though I was trying to avoid saying it, Lord of the Rings. I also love Arthurian legends, so The Mists of Avalon, A Dream of Eagles (series), The Mammoth Book of Arthurian Legends, The Winter King, Black Horses for the King, John Steinbeck's (incomplete) translation of La Morte D'Arthur, and The Sword in the Stone all influenced my view of fantasy in general as well as historical fiction. Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa (the version translated from Japanese) is the book that has influenced me the most. It helped me understand important martial arts concepts, and a bit about Japanese culture, as well as an entirely different way to think about life. This is quite a personal book for me. I think it's time to read it again. Some authors have written numerous amazing books that each bring something new to think about. For me they are Chris Crutcher and Barbara Kingsolver. Chris Crutcher deals with very serious issues like bullying, ignorance, abuse, gangs, and rape. He writes from a teenager's perspective. I started reading his books when I was a teen and though I happily never had to deal with any of his main themes, I really think he understands teenagers. His books are moving and sad, but always hopeful. His characters are wonderful complex people that really could exist in real life, and you would want to know them (at least the protagonists). My favourite book by him is Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Whale Talk, and Chinese Handcuffs. Barbara Kingsolver, through The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, and Pigs in Heaven has influenced my views on American politics, world politics, and people's attitudes. She has made me aware of issues I've never thought of before. Her books are amazing, wonderful, and moving. My favourite book of hers, so far, is The Poisonwood Bible. This book, several times, had me laughing out loud, moved to pity, horrified, and hopeful. She is a thoughtful and brilliant writer. Books on my 'to read' list at the moment are: - Everything by Barbara Kingsolver I haven't read (Prodigal Summer and Animal Dreams) - The Bible - 1984 - Sir Thomas Mallory's La Morte D'Arthur - Some of Bruce Lee's books - All of Chris Crutcher's books I haven't read (I'm shocked to discover there are quite a few) All these books have changed my life in small ways. They have influenced to varying degrees my outlook on the past, present and future. Many books, like the Harry Potter series which I love, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, a couple of brilliant sci-fi books whose titles escape me, and numerous other unmentioned but great books, have all influenced me in one way or another. Reading has changed my life. Without it I would be a much different person. I love books, and they have had small and major influences on my life. Without this passion for reading, I would certainly know a lot less about the world. I wouldn't bother strongly opposing censorship. I would probably less socially liberal. These are important parts of my personality - who would I be without them?
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"I can add some more, if you'd like it. Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to Punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools." - Sam Gamgee, p. 340, Return of the King Quote:
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04-23-2005, 08:22 AM | #35 |
The Intermittent One
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: here and there
Posts: 4,671
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1984 is very good nurvi - a warning, if you will, against the perils of allowing certain types of people power (ie: stalin, hitler, napoleon I etc) a long drawn out book, but worth it in the end
i am updating my list now: 1984 - George Orwell Animal Farm - George Orwell The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx My Life - Leon Trotsky War and Peace - Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy The Silmarillion - J R R Tolkien The Book of Wisdom - Tenzing Gyatso XIVth Dalai Lama Hitler's Legacy - David Alexander The Andromeda Strain - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
04-23-2005, 06:15 PM | #36 | |
Hobbit
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: If you ever want to find me, look in the clouds. I'll probably be there.
Posts: 28
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Quote:
Don't bother with Le Mort De Arthur unless you need to cure insomnia; there are like thirty pages of simply "Kay fell off his horse. Sir Fancypants smote down the knight that smote Kay down, and gave his horse to Kay. Sir Huffyman (who is on the other side) grew enraged at this, and smote down Sir Fancypants, and gave his horse to the knight that smote Kay down. Kay in turn grew angry, and smote down Sir Huffyman." There aren't actually thirty pages... but it sure seems like it! Finally, all six of the kings on Arthur's side are mounted again, on thoroughly confused warhorses, and then suddenly they fall off again for no apparent reason. That's as far as I got. Then again, you may like it; it's very poetic and stuff. I liked it alright for the first twenty chapters, but on page 35 or so the war started, and with it the falling off of horses and such.
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"The world is held together with sheets of paper!" -A very wise person. Me! Although I'm not really wise. Too bad. Last edited by Adonai Dragonwagon : 04-23-2005 at 06:17 PM. |
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04-23-2005, 07:15 PM | #37 | ||
Co-President of Entmoot
Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2002
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Bwahaha!! Awesome Adonai! Too bad it's not going to be as entertaining as your rendition. I thought Steinbeck's translation was excellent (Middle English makes for slow reading), but he stopped about 75% of the way through, and spend the last 25% giving the lamest reason ever as to why. ( ) I would like to read it because it's part of Arthurian legendarium. It's not quite so high on the priority list though.
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"I can add some more, if you'd like it. Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to Punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools." - Sam Gamgee, p. 340, Return of the King Quote:
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04-24-2005, 10:33 PM | #38 |
Hobbit
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: If you ever want to find me, look in the clouds. I'll probably be there.
Posts: 28
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*bows* Thank yew, thank yew!
Seriously, though, that's why I started to read it; because I like King Arthur, and I have exhausted T.H. White. Although since Steinbeck did a translation (which I think I actually read a long excerpt from earlier this year, and it was stunning) I may have to read the 75% he did do; I love Steinbeck. In fact, I have to list him among authors who have changed my life almost tangibly. "Of Mice and Men" was the first novel-ette thingy I ever read by Steinbeck. Some people hate it, but I agree that it's one of those life changing stories; not because it introduces completely new ideas or concepts, but because it's so breathtakingly real... I can't put it any better than that.
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"The world is held together with sheets of paper!" -A very wise person. Me! Although I'm not really wise. Too bad. Last edited by Adonai Dragonwagon : 04-24-2005 at 10:37 PM. |
04-25-2005, 01:17 AM | #39 |
King of Nargothrond
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Canada! eh?
Posts: 2,002
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Well Tolkien obviously...
The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay was beautiful The Chronicles of Narnia and Screwtape Letter by C.S. Lewis both gave me very interesting insights into my faith. Also, To Kill A Mockingbird
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"THE EAGLES ARE COMING, THE EAGLES ARE COMING......AND A MOTH!!!!!" Last edited by Finrod Felagund : 04-25-2005 at 01:19 AM. |
04-25-2005, 04:39 PM | #40 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
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(edit - posted in wrong thread! )
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. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! |
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