Question!

RGers, have any of you ever read the Dresden Files? If so, are they any good? Because someone wants me to read them, and I was wondering if it would be worth it.

Oh hey, I've heard of it. I haven't read them, though. From what I heard, they seem a decent series.

My best friend's 18 year old brother loves them.

I've read the backs and thought they sounded okay, but have never found the time/money to read any.

Amazon reviews give it four stars, and I think the series' concept is interesting; an urban fantasy about a detective wizard hired by a police task force on supernatural crimes.

However, you shouldn't judge it by the horrid T.V series, apparently.

Never read them (series aren't my thing) BUT I still got some intel :p

Mainly, the first few books aren't all that great. And apparently he wrote the first book as an assignment. The books seem to be stand-alone (don't take my word for it though) so maybe reading the first one + the later ones gives a more fair presentation of the best quality...?

Seems like a popular series though, I'm sure someone can say something from their own experience.

I've read the backs and thought they sounded okay, but have never found the time/money to read any.

I don't plan on buying them soon; I have loads to finish reading as it is, and then it's not top priority on the to-buy list either.

Here is what I base my intel on XD

http://community.livejournal.com/books/1895899.html

Read it just yesterday. Think it was posted then too.

Here is what I base my intel on XD

Haha, I found the series because I kept finding references to it on Tvtropes. XD

This seems like a long series, though; the author says there'll be at least twenty books.

Aren't fantasy series supposed to be long? Man, I am still chickening out from buying them XD Even ones I know are completed. Ha.

Aren't fantasy series supposed to be long? Man, I am still chickening out from buying them XD Even ones I know are completed. Ha.

+1

Tis what libraries are for :P

Fine, fine.

Chickening out of reading them then.

@Book List Spreadsheet

http://johnandsheena.co.uk/books/?page_id=730

Download - it's an excel document. You need to save (save = update).

Honestly I think I have only read 3 books from that list.

I feel like an illiterate now. Gonna go shame away now. kthbai

RGers, have any of you ever read the Dresden Files? If so, are they any good? Because someone wants me to read them, and I was wondering if it would be worth it.

I rather enjoyed the three or so I read of the series, yes.

@Frac

You said in Sug that you owned City of Thieves and I was wondering if it's any good. If anyone else has read it you can give your opinion too.

@City of Thieves

Oh it is indeed very good :D The story takes place during a horrible time but is still not afraid to live and joke and such. The two main characters balance each other out in a way and you get the best from both worlds (worlds being: eccentric/charming and the other being realistic). I am not much of a historian and can't tell you if it was accurate or historically believable, but I was glued to the pages, that's for sure.

My review + rating

Honestly, I recommend it. I'm sure it would have made for an awesome RG Book but alas.

(also its the prettiest cover I own! I have the one with the photo, not the drawn picture thingy - ah wells)

Thanks! I'll definitely look for it when I'm next at the bookstore.

RGers - what are you currently reading?

I am now currently reading, for the second time, The Razor's Edge by William Somerset Maugham- brilliant novel! Has anyone read it before?

I haven't, but you should do a BOOK REVIEW! :D

edit: since, you know, you're reading it for the second time and all.....

Hi Lurch!

Razor's Edge? Is this some emo young adult story? XD

Frac, if I hadn't been insanely glad to hear from you after 3 whole friggin' internet less months, I'd strangle you for calling Razor's Edge emo. BUT, I think I'll do a book review for you guys.

Good news: I DO have a review with me here on this PC for the Razor's Edge.

Bad News: It isn't in the format I need it to be in. Oh well, I think I'll just edit it. Hang on, one review coming up.

Edit: Eh, it's a wee bit long; the review. Hope that's OK, Frac.

Edit: Eh, it's a wee bit long; the review. Hope that's OK, Frac.

Dude, long reviews are awesome. XD

You just forgot to add what genre the book is, ahaha.

Edit: and first line. You sloppy jojo!

after 3 whole friggin' internet less months

That quite classifies as torture and I do believe you have the right to contact UN about this injustice!

Ok so I finished Kafka on the shore and I just want to discuss things about it. There are still some questions unanswered I'd like to get another person's perspective on.

So I am just wondering...

Anyone here read that book?

I haven't read it I'm afraid (another title from my 'to read' list)

However, I have read another of Murakami's books, "After Dark", which i adored...even if I didn't exactly get what it was about some of the time.

I don't know what Kafka on the Shore was like, but in After Dark, it was almost like reading a film - his visuals were so amazingly strong...

Yeah, I sometimes thought "hey this would make a cool movie (as long as it was done right)" XD

Has any of his books been remade into a movie btw? Because he seems pretty huge. And huge = movie deal sooner or later

After Dark is the one that takes place during just one night, right?

How did you fancy the characters? In Kafka on the shore, I read in an interview with him that he focused on people who were, one way or another, alienated from society. And I gotta say it fits all the characters like a T (except one, the only one who felt like she was actually somewhat sane XD)

After Dark is the one that takes place during just one night, right?

Yup - that's the one.

It also deals with outsiders and misfits. It centers mostly around two sisters and the people in their lives. There's the bookish, younger anti-social one, who's killing time in a Denny's bar, and the older, beautiful, popular one who's been sleeping constantly for months. The younger sister meets an ex of the older one in Denny's, and gets whisked off on a strange little adventure while waiting for the trains to start again and take her home, while the older one goes through a pretty surreal dream/hallucination (it's never specified exactly what happens to her)

There are a lot of sub-plots going on too, but mostly to explain the world around the younger sister.

The ending is also a real goodie. It's just the best natural conclusion possible.

Does After Dark contain elements on fantasy? I found that aspect very alluring about Kafka on the shore - it blends realism and fantasy so well. So I'd like some more of that from the author if possible haha XD

After Dark sounds interesting. Female narrators too!

It's interesting that you mention the ending aspect - Kafka on the shore has got a lot of heat for its ending (because it was confusing)

Does After Dark contain elements on fantasy? I found that aspect very alluring about Kafka on the shore - it blends realism and fantasy so well. So I'd like some more of that from the author if possible haha XD

Yeah, it does for Eri's part of the story. There's this whole sequence where she gets transported into her television, and it does get really weird towards the end for her.

Mari's is more grounded in reality, but it does capture that surreal quality of wandering around a city in the late night/early morning.

I found the ending good because it had a certain sort of 'status quo restored' feel to it (apart from one sub-plot)

After Dark sounds interesting. Female narrators too!

None of the characters narrate. It's very much an omniscient job :P

But yes, it does have a very strong female cast of characters. The best by far, in my opinion, is the manager of a seedy hotel who used to be a female wrestler - she's brilliant!

Can't really mention more without giving away spoilers though. It's a very quick read by the way - only 208 pages long.

It's a very quick read by the way - only 208 pages long.

Hurrah!

Kafka on the shore was mighty long, it'd be nice to have length variation for the next book haah. I hope its translated to Swedish, I thought they did a real good job with the Kafka book. :D

Other books of his I wanna read are Sputnic Sweetheart (?) and maybe Norweigan Wood

• Forums are not to be used to post stories.
• All forum posts must be suitable for teens.
• The owner and moderators of this forum are solely responsible for the content posted within this area.
• All forum abuse must be reported to the moderators.