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Welcome on board Bildungsroman

What are your favorite authors! What kind of novels do you prefer! I am also an "amateur" of books & I love reading a lot!

Thanks Yud.

Favourite Authors? Amongst those in recent times, I have fervently read Jose Saramago & Philip Roth.

The kind of novels I prefer? I begin every novel with a kind of indifference, I think it was Lawrence who called the novel 'the one big bright book of life' & therein, for me, lies the key to reading novels.

Now you might tell us the ones you have been reading. Are you in New Delhi?

Ciao

Hello,

My favorite will be:  A.M. Homes, Chuck Palahniuk (for his exclusive Fight Club novel), Andre Dubus. Have you ever read their book! Fight Club is the best fiction I have ever read so far!

In fact I don't live in Delhi as you can see in my profile information. But I have been there many times!

Topical: Did anyone read White Tiger the man booker winning novel on one man's experience of rising up the social strata of modern India?

I read White Tiger recently Michael. I found it quite a disturbing read if only for its plausibility, and the implications for India as the caste system comes into conflict with capitalism and democracy.

I'm now reading Anna Karenina for a total contrast!

Chris

Kitsims
I too felt difficult with The White Tiger, could not complete it. But I donÂ’t  like Anna Karenina as well. I have liked a lot William Dalrymple`s “City of Djinns” and “ The Last Mughal”. Both are about real historical events in India.

I like Anais Nin, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, and Jack London, but I also love Carl Jung and Gnostic scriptures.  I'm reading Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" right now. 

I bought A Passage to India recently but haven't started reading that yet.  I love Kahil Gibran and Aesop's fables.  I want to read more Eastern and Middle Eastern literature.  Any suggestions?

City of Djinns sounds interesting.

I haven't read anyone yet except that "Christmas Carol" & "Nancy Drew" ,"Famous Five"....I read my school literature

Michelle4321 wrote:

I want to read more Eastern and Middle Eastern literature.  Any suggestions?

Of the contemporary - try Orhan Pamuk - the Turkish writer, Nobel price winner...
And then, I do not have any idea, how much you know the classics! Did you read Saadi`s “Goolistan” or “Shah Name” of Ferdowsi? Start with those…

keanu wrote:

I haven't read anyone yet except that "Christmas Carol" & "Nancy Drew" ,"Famous Five"....I read my school literature

So now you saw the titles? Go on!

Michelle4321 wrote:

I want to read more Eastern and Middle Eastern literature.  Any suggestions?

One more thing - I forgot to suggest one more name - Abu-l-Alya-al-Maarri. He is called "the Homer of Middle East" - and this is proper Middle East, it is not in Percian, but in Arabic...Try also the great poet of Hindustan - Mirza Ghalib, it is difficalt not to like him.

I just completed 'only time will tell' by jeffrey archer. its a nice one. well recommended. i read 380 pages in no time. interestin novel. waitin for next release.

This is an awesome thread. Also very interested in literature and reading more. Current authors Michael Ondaatje, Arundhati Roy, but far too many to list. Anyone up for starting a book club or know about a book club I can join?

Everybody seems to have read Godfather or seen the movie....

But no one seems to know (atleast I have'nt come across any) about :

THE LUCIANO TESTAMENT

it is biography of the actual Godfather on whose character the "fiction" GODFATHER was written.....

Based on the life of Salvatore Lucania - popularly known as "Lucky Luciano" in those godfather days of Gangsters in states during Prohibition in US.

Luciano was finaly arrested & successfully convicted for hundreds of years in US under Organised Crime prosecution.

THEN came the 2nd World War.

& the allies needed all resources they could muster against the axix powers.

There was a Valuable Strategic Asset sitting in US Jails- "Lucky Luciano" to the Americans the (publicaly hated figure to be ashamed of) & "Salvatore Lucania" to the Sicilians a big brother that filled Sicilians with pride & Awe, Commanding instant respect & obedience in any part of the Island. Darling of Sicilians..

The US Government struck a deal with its best Strategic assest in Europe- Help the allies in organizing channels of intelligence, information, creating & making preprations for identifying & opening  Strategic beach heads, organizing Vigilante et el etc etc.

In return Lucky Luciano was offered freedom from Jail, but with a pre-Condition of permanent exile from the United States of America.

He tried to negotiate to have the pre-Condition waived off but couldn't.

He went there in anycase to do as asked thinking his Lawers & friends would be able to get him back in due time, once the war was over & his contribution appreciated.

Allies were helped by the favorite Son of Sicily delivering what he promised.

But he could never go back to Uncle Sam. He waited & waited but all effort of his friends came to a naught.

Finaly realizing the inevitable, he called the only journalist he trusted from the US to Italy & offered him to write his biography, with a pre-Condition that he will not publish it till 15 years after his death or even later if one particular loyal Gangster friend of his was still alive... (he wanted his loyal soldiers not be harmed because of revelations....)

The Journalist made many trips to Italy to complete the life story I think over a period of 3 years....

& wrote the life story of the "Real" Godfather as told by him....

The writer makes it clear that it is Salvatore Lucania's life-story  through his eyes, as "he" Saw the World....

Published 15 years after Lucky Luciano's death.

A beautiful gripping book !

I had read it ages ago when I found it in the attic of my Uncle (a treasure trove of fantastic books as he was an evid reader)

A friend borrowed it & never returned.

The book shops in Delhi give a blank look when I ask about the book....

Does anyone know where in Delhi it can be traced?

A must read for any book lover.

The book is Not a notch less in entertainment value & gripping power than "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand (I am not talkinh of Philosophy part here though he had his own philosophy of trust-crime-revenge-administration-Charity-protocols et el...)
(& thats saying a lot)

Definately much better than Godfather !



Hope someone finds the book & posts here too.

Thanx.

Have a wonderful day !