What are you reading now?

[George K]

@Horace said in What are you reading now?:

Is that the one with the background atmospheric sound? It's pretty good but they ran out of money in the production and eventually all the characters are voiced by the main narrator.

Yep that's it. Shame about that, however. Nevertheless I'll enjoy.

[Horace]

The Baron's voice is awesome, I missed it when it stopped.

[jon-nyc]

@Horace said in What are you reading now?:

Is that the one with the background atmospheric sound? It's pretty good but they ran out of money in the production and eventually all the characters are voiced by the main narrator.

Really? Or is that some inside joke I’m missing?

[Horace]

yarly, it goes from a theatrically produced ensemble narration to a standard single voice narration. I imagine that was not the plan starting out, but who knows.

[George K]

I see that there are 6 (!) books out there - does this "loss of the actors" occur in the first book?

[Horace]

Yes, first book.

[Catseye3]

This book is being offered for $1.99 -- marked down from $18.99!!!!!

It is American Heritage History of the Confident Years: 1866-1914 by Francis Russell: "Here . . . is the vivid story of the confident years - those days of America's exuberant growth in population, industry, and world prestige - from the end of the Civil War to the outbreak of World War I." It seems an inspired choice for these gloomy anxiety-ridden times.

I bought it, of course. A $19 book for a buck-99? Are you kidding me?

Go to https://www.amazon.com/American-Heritage-History-Confident-Years-ebook/dp/B01DK8FY7C/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=American+Heritage+History+of+the+Confident+Years%3A+1866-1914&qid=1595601920&s=books&sr=1-2

I recommend you read at least the opening paragraph in the "Look Inside".

I have a feeling that this book will have a salutary effect on my sore heart.

[taiwan_girl]

@Catseye3 thanks for the recommendation. Looks like an iterating book

[jon-nyc]

@taiwan_girl said in What are you reading now?:

Looks like an iterating book

You can say that again. And again. And again...

[taiwan_girl]

@jon-nyc

We will have to have @Catseye3 let us know if it was also interesting!!!!

[taiwan_girl]

Really good book. There was a series on Netflix called "Heavy Water" or something like that. The series was about the situation, the attempts to stop the Nazi people from making heavy water at a power plant in Norway.

Very good book. I recommend.

[jon-nyc]

I’m still reading this:

[Jolly]

Just got through re-reading the Grail Quest series...

[taiwan_girl]

@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:

I’m still reading this:

How is that book?

[jon-nyc]

It’s great so far. But I’m less than half way in. It’s been slow going because I’m just working book reading back into my daily habits. Covid interrupted the practice.

[kluurs]

@jon-nyc

I read this one.

[kluurs]

Currently reading

[jon-nyc]

Sam Harris has a podcast with him about that book.

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

I caved...

This is the audio version with multiple actors portraying the characters. I've only gotten to the "Arrival at Arrakis" part, but so far it's a very good adaptation.

Followup...

I finished it a while ago. This was my third time through the book (2nd time on audio).

It hasn't worn as well as I'd hoped it would.

The early parts of the book, the departure from Caledan, arrival on Arrakis, the world-building and putting all the pieces in play still are amazing. So creative...

The entire middle section, with Paul and Jessica in the desert has way too much mysticism (for a guy like me who likes "hard" SF). There seems to be a lot of "filler" material: much of the Harkonnen stuff is irrelevant and distracting in the middle as well.

The closing of the book seemed rushed. Fast forward years, and now the final confrontation is staged...and just like that, it's done. The final confrontation between Paul and F'yed (the knife fight) is silly, and the resolution of Paul marrying Irulan is contrived.

I think, in retrospect, I was more impressed with the world-building and creativity of ideas (the Spacing Guild, the spice, the Bene Gesseret etc) rather than actual plot. It could have been 60% shorter and told the same story in a more concise way.

Oh, well....

[Jolly]