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Post by En on Dec 26, 2004 14:02:03 GMT -5
It might just be a difference in layout that caused the page numbering to be different - though they did change several words in the HP books from the English to the American versions. Mostly stuff like "cupboard" which they changed to "closet," though they're sort of inconsistent about that sort of thing - I can't remember which word it was, but there was one in the American version that made me wonder "do American kids know what that is?" I think it was "plus-fours," but I'm not sure.
On Abhorsen - I thought that came out last January in paperback? I can't remember. Having a used book store makes me confused about when books come out. I always get them either way early from a reviewer, or six months after they come out, and sometimes not at all (I only ever had one copy of The Da Vinci Code though I'm probably going to start getting a ton of them in about six months when people have stopped talking about the book and started cleaning their shelves again )
Anyway, I'd go with the British edition, if I had a choice. Unfortunately Amazon-USA usually doesn't let us order the versions from Europe
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Post by hermoine on Dec 27, 2004 8:29:04 GMT -5
Unfortunately I don't have a choice, because I checked and the voucher can only be redeemed at the Amazon.com website.
I've checked on both the .com and .co.uk websites and I've noticed that the publishers are different. The Sabriel and Lirael I own were published by Collins and the one online is different. So I think I'll just go buy it at the shop near my school when the holidays finish. What I find really frustrating is how I went to buy Abhorsen in November, and the owner told me it had only come out in hardback yet. He told me to check in in January, and I thought it hadn't come out yet. I mean, you'd think he's supposed to know about it wouldn't you? I guess he might have said that because he wasn't going to receive a batch at the time.
I asked about the difference because I remember comparing my COS with Ti's and the chapters weren't the same. While in a particular chapter(can't remember which right now) Harry and Ron were meeting Aragog, in hers(American version) they were already forcing Lockhart in the chamber of secrets.
Thank you for explaining that En.
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Post by Lianne on Dec 28, 2004 1:13:08 GMT -5
Right now i am reading Lemony Snickets a series of unfortunate events. Book #1. i heard about the movie comong out, so i bought it today thought i could read the first three books at least before i see the movie.
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Post by En on Dec 28, 2004 13:26:08 GMT -5
If you like them, Lianne, check out the Edgar and Ellen series by Charles Ogden. I have it on good information that they are written in the same vein
I'm reading more of Wharton's Salamander, and it's so good that I can only read a little at a time, but then I get mad when I have to work because I want a little more Yum yum yum. This one's going to go on the Nialle Top 100, I can tell already.
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Post by hermoine on Dec 30, 2004 9:19:31 GMT -5
I've nearly finished Sabriel. I was taking it kinda slow because, to be honest, the first chapters weren't as highly exciting as I thought they would be. It's incredible how much of a difference dialogue can make in a story.
I'll have to take note of that point. Dialogue is essential! Maybe I can get that in my teachers' heads.
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Post by En on Dec 30, 2004 12:23:32 GMT -5
You're so right - nothing makes me forget to go back to a book like long chapters of exposition at the beginning. I like the books that start right out with a conversation. They're like real life - you start out talking to people, and only a little at a time can you piece together some of their history.
*shakes head* Zeph, you're going to be an amazing writer. Actually, you already are... but maybe someday I will have some of your books on my shelves.
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Post by hermoine on Dec 30, 2004 13:58:58 GMT -5
Yup, that's about it. I've finished off Sabriel and I'll be starting Lirael tonight.
Thanks for the encouragement. And I hope to have some of yours on my shelf too. You remind me so much of a guy I met on another website. He's a lot older than you I guess, although age never really matters, but I'm sure you'd really like his writing. All the stuff I've read which were written by him were unbelievably descriptive, and, he always seems to remind me of you. Maybe it's his mythological phylosophical(terrible sp) kind of aura.
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Post by Ritsu on Jan 2, 2005 9:39:18 GMT -5
I'm reading Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. It started off slowly, but I found a good glossary of Nadsat words so now it's just a matter of time. It's been good, so far. The introduction was wonderfully written and very elucidative, actually (it's the Penguin edition of the book). It talks about Burgess's struggle against Stanley Kubrick, because the latter didn't insert the last chapter of the book (21st chapter) on the film because he thought it was too optimistic and moralistic. Kubrick preferred the pessimistic and, according to him, real version of the events (since the 21st chapter is about Alex growing up and dreaming of a peaceful family - it's rather interesting since it's the 21st chapter and 21 is the age when you start to let go of youth and become an adult... or so they say, I kinda thing it's not true, I know some 23 year olds who are more childish than I am). Anyway, at first Burgess was making a point, he even gave interviews in several tal k shows, some of them supported by Malcolm McDowell even (the actor who plays the leading role of Alex DeLarge), but after some time Burgess became so annoying and arrogant about the whole thing that I personally think he lost all his reason. Ok, so he had his own view of his book and that view was ruined once Kubrick adapted it onto the screen. But no one ever has the same views on the same things, that's called ethical differences. So Kubrick should've put the last chapter there, true, it was some sort of lack of respect to Burgess. But the way Burgess reacted... it was just like those young spoiled kids react when they're accused of something or their toy is stolen from them. Pointing fingers at everyone and not making a point. He even adapted the book into a stage play and during an intermission, he put an actor looking like Kubrick on stage, playing Singing In The Rain on a clarinet and being kicked off by the leading actors. Childish and annoying, eh? I'll write something more about the book than what's behind it once I've finished - I'm also preparing a film review for the Two Thumbs thread, and you know how long I can get with something I'm obsessed with.
I'm also sort of reading a Portuguese book, Uma Casa Na Escuridão by José Luís Peixoto but I'm still on page 6 so I don't really know what's it about yet.
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Calantha
Gryffindor Alumni
My name is Luck, this is my song, I happened by when you were gone
Posts: 4,493
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Post by Calantha on Jan 3, 2005 17:37:55 GMT -5
Hmmm
I've finished up reading The Goose Girl--a variation on the Grimm's tale, written by Shannon Hale. It's a really easy read and despite the length it took me only a few hours to munch through it. Basically it has a lot of overthrowing thrones, stolen identities, and finding your true talents and in that finding acceptance (in yourself and with the world) and it's really cool because it goes through these three 'talents' people are born with. The gift of people speaking, the gift of animal speaking, and the gift of nature speaking. Anyway, it's interesting. The basic story is the main girl, Ani, and her journey in becoming Queen. It's light, happy, and totally feel-good.
I'm reading in small spurts Fight Club, although I've already read it before, it needed a rereading. Anyone who enjoyed the film should really read the book, it's better, in my opinion. Although I read it before the movie came out so that might be why... *shrugs*
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Post by hermoine on Jan 5, 2005 13:16:40 GMT -5
I'm halfway through reading Lirael which means it will probably be finished by the time I can buy Abhorsen next Tuesday, if the bookstore does have it. I love the parts of Lirael's story. They're always very exciting. Sam's on the other hand are really depressing. You can say Garth Nix doesn't show the true mood through his writing.
I hope Quidditch Through the Ages arrives if I finish the book before Tuesday, since it's short and I don't think I'd be able to read a longer book. I'd probably stop halfway to read Abhorsen. I'm checking the post 3-5 times a day.
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Post by En on Jan 8, 2005 11:23:58 GMT -5
All the stuff I've read which were written by him were unbelievably descriptive, and, he always seems to remind me of you. Maybe it's his mythological phylosophical(terrible sp) kind of aura. Oh, tell me where to find his stuff, pretty please? ;D I'm between books today so I'd love to pick up something new to read....
Rita, dang, I never knew that about Burgess and Kubrick, but it makes a lot of sense given what I know about Kubrick... you know, I've never read A Clockwork Orange, but I think I may pick it up now. ...Do you ever think about this: that a film is like a translation of a book, in some ways? Whenever another person chooses a way to express what the author was saying originally, it changes the story slightly. I mean, the gap between John Ciardi's translation of La Divina Commedia and the earlier ones is as big as Europe. Or Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, or Richard Lattimore's Odyssey. Especially since all those poems were originally written so long ago, and it's hard to convert some of the old cultural concepts... okay, I'm rambling, but my point is, Burgess didn't like Kubrick's translation, right? And some writers get picker about that than others do, either film or language translations. There are writers who actually designate translators for their work, or directors for their films. There are others who just think it's great they're getting translated. I like the second kind, personally....
Goose Girl sounds interesting - I'm always on the lookout for fairy-tale retellings. Man, I'm going to be reading for a whole week just off this thread. Yay
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Post by hermoine on Jan 8, 2005 12:50:51 GMT -5
I was actually referring to his fanfiction I read. I don't know if he actually published anything. Sorry.
I finished Lirael today and since none of my books have arrived yet, I picked up a Maltese book. It would be something like Near the stream. Meh.
I do that too! I love roaming about looking at what people suggest etc.
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Post by KoNeko on Jan 11, 2005 21:54:41 GMT -5
*ears perk up* Did you say Seamus Heaney, En? I thought he was a poet and I didn't know he dabbled in writing other stuff as well...
I finished reading The Da Vinci Code yesterday (it only took me a few hours). It's quite an easy read and doesn't require too much concentration, which is good. I know that it's supposed to be this great book and everything but I really didn't like the ending. I liked the pace of the story and the concepts and symbolism, but about three quarters of the book in it all started getting rather absurdly convoluted. Like, without giving anything away, when good guys turn bad, you'd think they'd have more motive than what is claimed in the book. Like, I think of the plot as a kind of snowball, and as the story progresses it gets bigger and bigger, right? Then at the point when I kind of moved away from the story, it went all rapidly downhilll and probably ran into some metaphorical ski lodges or something like that. But the concept was pretty clever, and it does make me want to go to the Louvre again and look at all these paintings! (And if you read the list of Grand Masters, you'll see Nicolas Flamel is on it... )
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Post by hermoine on Jan 12, 2005 11:42:35 GMT -5
Yeah I noticed Flamel!!! I wanna go to the Louvre! I also wanna go to check out the sword which the French took from us, in the end of the 1700's.
Anyway.....since Abhorsen hasn't arrived to the bookshop, and I finished the children's adapted version of The Count of Monte Cristo which I had chosen because it wasn't too long since I wanted to read Lirael's sequel, I have decided to continue reading my Sherlock Holmes collection.
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Post by nancy on Jan 15, 2005 23:38:17 GMT -5
I wanna read A Clockwork Orange! One of my classmates is obsessed with that book, and he likes good books. So yeah. I'm currently reading The Silmarillion, Rayuela, which is a Julio Cortazar book, and re-reading Kafka's The Trial (?I think that's the english name, not sure...)I love Cortazar, though a lot of kids are afraid to open his books for fear of not getting them. I love Tolkien soo much. And Kafka's great too. So I'm having a really good reading time. I hope I get assigned good books once school starts.
And I just read the Da Vinci Code too, a couple friends got it for my birthday. Read it all on the same boring, rainy day. Good book, but like you said Ko, the ending's not very good. And yeah, Nicholas Flamel was there. Yay. ;D
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