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Tag Archives: fiction
Gareth Knight with Skylight Press
Image September 8, 2014 Tagged Arthuriad, Arthurian Mysteries, Biography, British mysteries, Dion Fortune, English Mythology, esoteric, Esoteric Christian, esotericism, Faery Lore, fiction, folklore, French Mythology, Gareth Knight, Golden Dawn, Grail, Inklings, Literature, Magic, mediaeval, Medieval, Melusine, Mysteries, poetry, Qabalah, ritual magic, Skylight Press, tarot, Western Mysteries, Western Mystery Tradition Leave a comment
Magic & Literature in Seamless States of Convergence
We are often asked why we publish esoteric and spiritual works alongside works of literature. For us, art (especially literature) and magic converge on one another seamlessly, and such convergences provide for interesting hybrid states within writing. While the genres we publish are … Continue reading
Posted in Esoteric, Essays, Literature Tagged Alan Moore, Art, Bardic, esoteric, Esoteric Fiction, fiction, Incantation, Literature, Magic, Magick, Mystery, novel, Occult, poetry, W.B. Yeats, writing Leave a comment
De-fleshing out Characters in the Modern Novel
As we live in an age where we are producing novels and stories en masse it would seem that we should be somewhere near to perfecting the art of characterization in our fictions. Any writer worth their salt will know … Continue reading
Posted in British Literature, Essays, Literary Criticism, Literature, Recommended reads, Reviews Tagged Alan Moore, Alan Richardson, Aristotle, British Literature, British Novel, character, character development, character study, characterisation, coil, contemporary novel, corporeal, Daniel Staniforth, Dark Light, David Mitchell, disembodiment, E. M. Forster, English literature, English novel, essence, fiction, Ghostwritten, History, intelligence, Literature, Modern Novel, narrative, novel, personality, plot, severed heads, Storytelling, The Collector Collector, Tibor Fischer, Tom Jones, voice, Voice of the Fire 1 Comment
Fiona Macleod on Skylight Press
Much is still uncertain and undiscovered about the Scottish writer, William Sharp. Born in Paisley on the 12th September 1855, William Sharp passed away on the 12th of December 1905. He was buried within Castello di Maniace in Sicily, Italy at fifty … Continue reading
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A Few Recent Reviews of Skylight Books
Kaleidoscopic Omniscience by Will Alexander "Vermillion shades of astral haunts abound as Alexander takes his readers through a psychedelic romp that leaves the consciousness reeling. There's nothing usual about Alexander's visionary take on history: the contemporary, the ancient, and the … Continue reading
Posted in American Literature, British History, British Literature, Esoteric, Literary Criticism, Literature, Recommended reads, Reviews Tagged Alan Richardson, Alexander, American Poetry, Anthony Duncan, avant garde, Book Reviews, British fiction, British Literature, British poetry, Charles Olson, Christ, christian, Daniel Staniforth, David Caddy, Dion Fortune, dr john dee, esoteric, experimental fiction, fiction, Gareth Knight, Garry Craig Powell, Hamlet, HTML GIant, iain sinclair, John Dee, Lipstick & Politics, Literature, Magic of the Ordinary, Michael S. Judge, novel, Occult, Patrick James Dunagan, Paula Mendoza, Peregrin Wildoak, Persian Gulf, Plutarch, poetry, qabala, Reviews, Robert Duncan, Shakespeare, Sting, Surrealism, Tears in the Fence, UAE, Will Alexander, William Blake, World War One Leave a comment


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City meets country. Photo by @_bozlo_ #explorealberta #yyc By Travel A
This Calgary moment captured with Instagram. Share your favourite Calgary moments on Capture Calgary by downloading the free Instagram app, using it to take a picture and including "#capturecalgary" or "#sceneyyc" in your image's caption. It's that easy.
Check out the original here.
Feb 07, 2014

subset: commoncrawl


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Introducing myself and my journal: Reflections for Empowerment
About Me:
I'm in a career transition- moving from a corporate executive to one of a helper/counselor and artist. Throughout my professional life of 35 plus years, I have always maintained my connection to my artistic pursuits. They have been my raison d'etre. I love to walk in the woods and fields and for many years I have grown a most beautiful garden full of flowers and vegetables. I believe that emotional health and well being is the foundation of a productive and fulfilling life. I'm physically active (walking, Pilates, weight training and martial arts training). I look forward to my experience as a mentor.
My Passions:
Art, photography, sewing and walking in nature
My Challenges:
Creating a balanced life
My Vision for the Future:
A place where people of all nations recognize that we are citizens of planet earth first and foremost
My Areas of Expertise:
Photography, video, sewing, life coaching (50-50 helper), finance and business
Hey there! Welcome to
Hey there! Welcome to PulseWire!
Its so exciting having you with us, I am sure you will have a fun time with your new online friends. I know that you will find this to be a positive experience and I encourage you to take advantage of the numerous resources and features available through our vibrant online community.
Welcome again to our global community and I look forward to hearing more from you here on PulseWire! Oh by the way i love photography too.
Hi Helen,
Welcome to PulseWire! We are thrilled to have you here in our online community, and also to have your wisdom, experience and compassion as part of the VOF program. I am excited to witness the transformation of Halima to a World Pulse Correspondent, and I think you will gain just as much enrichment out of this relationship with her. Wonderful!
I encourage you to also participate here on PulseWire as there are endless opportunities for connections. The best way to communicate and share your voice is to write in your journal, read the journals of fellow members and offer comments, or join a group and share in the dialogue by contributing to the group journal. Based on your interests, there are a few groups that might interest you. And please feel free to create your own if you see a need for one that is not available.
Outrageous Gardeners Worldwide
Vessels of Honor
The Rafiki Club
Global Women's Leadership Network
A warm welcome to you Helen!
Hey there! Your career move
Hey there!
Your career move is really interesting! Was it difficult making this decision and when did you feel ready to make it? I'm looking forward to reading your journal posts!


text: John is a senior from Rochester, NY. He enjoys skiing, racquet sports, going to concerts and traveling. John learned to sail on the shimmering waters of Raritan Bay and has really enjoyed going to practice and regattas with the team this year. He will never let Eric Domb skipper for him again - the first time that happened he almost died.


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Don't-Miss Stories
Microsoft to sell struggling Surface tablets to business customers outside the U.S.
The move builds on a similar effort Microsoft launched in July to tap distributors and resellers to push Surface tablets to U.S. businesses.
Microsoft's Surface RT snafu prompts shareholder suit
A group of disgruntled shareholders--or lawyers--has filed a class-action suit against Microsoft that claims the company misled investors over the state of its Surface RT tablet.
Windows tablets gain market, but Surface still struggles
Windows' share of the tablet market grew slightly in the second quarter, as shipments also ticked up in the face of a slow-down by tablets overall, researcher IDC said.
Microsoft continues to miss the point with Surface pricing
Microsoft cut the price of some Surface Pro models, but not enough to make a difference.
Microsoft slashes Surface Pro tablet prices by $100
Just ahead of the back to school season (and a rumored refresh), Microsoft's self-made slate gets a discount, as does the 8-inch Acer Iconia W3 Windows tablet.
Android tablets still rule, while Windows continues to slip
Both Apple- and Windows-branded tablets lost market share in the second quarter, each retreating in the face of increased pressure from Android, a market research analyst said.
Real-world confessions from Surface RT owners: Who loves it and why
The much-maligned slate actually has its fanboys. We talk to living, breathing people who use Microsoft's low-end tablet PC.
Microsoft Surface revenue awful on paper and in the pocketbook
Microsoft revealed Tuesday that its actual revenue for the Surface tablet was less than the dollar sum of what it wrote off. Any way you cut it, that's bad.
Microsoft's Surface RT sells out at Walmart—then doesn't
Following a significant price cut, Walmart is sold out online of Microsoft's Surface RT. Best Buy appears to have them in spades, however.
Put Office on the iPad for tablet success, analyst advises
It's apparent Microsoft doesn't have a hit in the Surface RT; what's stopping the company from finally releasing Office for the iPad and scoring some tablet success?
surfaceNext Page


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Bucketyell's attempt to make a dent in the 2010 listing
1001 Books to read before you die
Join LibraryThing to post.
I just bought the 2010 version and am always up for a new challenge. I am happy to admit that I have made a minor (very minor) dent in the pile with stuff already read (who knew?)
I know I will never get this done but I figure by posting, it will inspire me to add a few more to the list at least. Here goes nothing....
I am following the combined list :)
Ones already read:
1) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Adams
2) Little Women by Alcott
3) Alias Grace by Atwood
4) The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood
5) Emma by Austen
6) Jane Eyre by Bronte
7) A Clockwork Orange by Burgess
8) Tarzan of the Apes by Burroughs
9) The Children's Book by Byatt
10) The Outsider by Camus
11) The Plague by Camus
12) Through the Looking Glass by Carroll
13) Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Carroll
14) The Hours by Cunningham
15) Dangerous Liaisons by de Laclos
16) Ragtime by Doctorow
17) Rebecca by du Maurier
18) Birdsong by Faulks
19) The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald
20) Madame Bovary by Flaubert
21) A Passage to India by Forster
22) The Corrections by Franzen
23) Lord of the Flies by Golding
24) The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne
25) The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway
26) Brave New World by Huxley
27) A Prayer for Owen Meany by Irving
28) Cider House Rules by Irving
29) Remains of the Day by Ishiguro
30) The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver
31) Kim by Kipling
32) To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee
33) Main Street by Lewis
34) Fall on Your Knees by MacDonald
35) The Life of Pi by Martel
36) Atonement by McEwan
37) Fugitive Pieces by Michaels
38) A Fine Balance by Mistry
39) Gone with the Wind by Mitchell
40) Song of Solomon by Morrison
41) The Bluest Eye by Morrison
42) Lives of Girls and Women by Munro
43) Nineteen Eighty Four by Orwell
44) Animal Farm by Orwell
45) The Bell Jar by Plath
46) Pamela by Richardson
47) Tin Flute by Roy
48) The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger
49) The Reader by Schlink
50) Frankenstein by Shelley
51) The Stone Diaries by Shields
52) The Strange Case of Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde by Stevenson
53) Uncle Tom's Cabin by Stowe
54) The Hobbit by Tolkien
55) Felicia's Journey by Trevor
56) The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain
57) The Color Purple by Walker
58) The War of the Worlds by Wells
59) Native Son by Wright
60) Day of the Triffids by Wyndham
61) We by Zamyatin
62) Cry, The Beloved Country by Paton - 06/07/10. Very well written and enjoyable.
63) The White Tiger by Adiga - 09/07/10. This is an Indian Catcher in the Rye meets Slumdog Millionaire by Swarup. I absolutely loved it.
64) Heart of Darkness by Conrad. Oops, missed one off my original list.
65) The Secret History by Tartt. Another one I forgot to log... I read this one earlier in the year and really enjoyed it.
66) Regeneration by Barker. I liked it for the psychological bit. An interesting read overall.
67) The Little Prince by de Saint-Exupery.
68) Midwich Cuckoos by Wyndham. The Chrysalids is still my favourite. This one is interesting but not as well written.
69) The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Spark. Not sure why but I really didn't enjoy this one. I was quite bored by Miss Brodie and her 'prime' by the end.
I felt the same way about Jean Brodie. I am going to give Muriel Spark another go though...
Miss Jean didn't do it for me either--I thought I was the only one on LT who felt that way. However, I recently listened to the audio book of Spark's Loitering with Intent and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
I really disliked Miss Jean, so you're not alone there!
Thanks! I saw another one of hers on the list and thought, "crap... I hope it's short". I generally give an author 2 bad books to make me turn away so we will see how the next goes!
Disliked Miss Jean? One of my favorite books! Of course I first read it when I was 14 and perhaps this biased me. The movie is one of my faves for the same reason.
Spark's style is very distinctive but the texture of Miss Jean, the flash-fowards etc., is not repeated in the other books. Did you know that a famous aesthetician actually wrote a book called "The Transfiguration of the Commonplace" because somebody needed to really write the book Sandy writes in her convent? True fact.
70) A Room with a View by Forster. I don't know what it is about Forster but I start off loving the book and by the end, I can't wait for it to be over. I think I still liked A Passage to India better.
71) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Christie. Good but not great. This is the first Christie book I have read so maybe not the best one?
I used to read a lot of Christies, and I was very disappointed in that one. I can't remember which ones I liked though. I seem to remember preferring Miss Marple to the French dude.
edited to say: even though I didn't like that one, it IS one I remember. That and Murder on the Orient Express, which I also didn't like as much as others.
I will try a Marple one and see how they compare.
72) The Death of Ivan Ilych by Tolstoy. I felt really bad for the poor guy! He is dying and everyone around him seems to be counting the days until they would benefit from his death.
This was my first Tolstoy and I can see why he is on the list. DOII is one of those short little stories that one can get as much or as little out of. I probably missed half of it but I quite enjoyed what I did get from it.
73) The Thirty-Nine Steps by Buchan. Just a little far-fetched but a neat little adventure novel overall.
74) The Pit and the Pendulum by Poe
75) The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe
And also 76) The Purloined Letter (which I guess is on the older list), The Tell-Tale Heart, The Masque of the Red Death and The Raven.
Not bad to knock a few off the list at the same time! This is my first foray into Poe and I regret not reading some of his stuff before. I love the dark creepiness of it: the descent into madness, the encompassing guilt that threatens to eat one up... Loved it all and will keep reading.
77) The Invisible Man by Ellison. Very good but very long. There were parts that were unbelievably powerful and I had to read them again and then there were parts that were long and boring and made me scratch my head. Worth reading overall.
78) The Island of Dr Moreau by Wells. Meh. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I actually read the book instead of listened to it as an audio book. The narrator gave 'voices' to the beasts. After listening to him grunt through most of the story, I was done with him and the book.
79) Things Fall Apart by Achebe. Interesting, disturbing and overall quite sad.
Things Fall Apart is one of those books I've been meaning to get around to for I can't remember how many years. Disturbing ... at least it was better than your last book, right?
Much better (read: no grunting)! I enjoyed it immensely but the descriptions of domestic violence were a little hard to take at times. Reading it was a little like watching a train wreck. I was fascinated and horrified at the same time.
I somehow crossed out my own thread and forgot about it! D'oh.
I have started using the combined list (I tend to like the ones that have come and gone) so I will attempt to update myself here.
80) Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Adams
81) Long Dark Teatime of the Soul by Adams
82) Cat's Eye by Atwood
83) Surfacing by Atwood
84) The Blind Assassin by Atwood
85) The Robber Bride by Atwood
86) The Ghost Road by Barker
87) Breakfast at Tiffany's by Capote
88) The Awakening by Chopin
89) A Christmas Carol by Dickens
90) Middlesex by Eugenides
91) Mary Barton by Gaskell
92) Memoirs of a Geisha by Golden
93) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
94) The World According to Garp by Irving
95) Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro
96) The Diviners by Laurence
97) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Lewycka
98) Pippi Longstocking by Lindgren
99) The Call of the Wild by London
100) The English Patient by Ondaatje
101) The Club Dumas by Perez-Reverte
102) The Yellow Wallpaper - Gilman
103) The Shipping News by Proulx
104) Bonjour Tristesse by Sagan
105) Kreutzer Sonata by Tolstory
106) Candide by Voltaire
107) Brideshead Revisited by Waugh
108) The Invisible Man by Wells
109) Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Winterson
110) The House of Doctor Dee by Ackroyd - spooky and fun!
111) Cold Comfort Farm by Gibbons - what an odd book! I was thoroughly irritated with Flora until I realised that this is a spoof. Then it was fun to pick out the 'characters'
112) In the Heart of the Seas by Agnon - interesting but I am obviously way too much of a heathen to fully 'get' this one.
113) Aesop's Fables by Aesop. I have one list that shows this as an adult listing and one that shows it on the children's list. So, I will happily check it off both! I remember quite a few of these from my childhood so it was a nice little trip down memory lane.
114) The Lambs of London by Ackroyd. A very good fictional read about a man who claims to have found lost works by Shakespeare and attempts to bring them to life. The story leaves you guessing until the end as to whether he really found these or whether it's an elaborate hoax. Very good read (much better than the first Ackroyd I read The House of Doctor Dee).
115) Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston - I really don't get the hype. This one was a chore to get through.
116) Unless by Shields - I just love Carol Shields.
117) Slaughter-House Five by Vonnegut
118) Possessing the Secret of Joy by Walker - I read this one back in high school but really can't remember too much about it. I probably should re-read it at some point.
39> I read Reforging Shakespeare a last year and have Vortigern, an Historical Play and The Boy Who Would Be Shakespeare on my shelf waiting to be read. I can't imagine the novelization of the events could be any stranger or more interesting than what actually happened.
119) Cause for Alarm by Ambler - an enjoyable spy thriller. I would never have picked this up on my own as I don't normally read this type of stuff but I really liked it.
Wow - that's quite a chunk in the last year.
I use the combo list too - though 1,296 to read before you die doesn't have quite the same ring to it...
120) Postman Always Rings Twice by Cain. I loved this one! It was in an omnibus with Double Indemnity and Mildred Pierce and all were great.
121) I Know Why the Caged Bird SIngs by Angelou. Loved it
122) A Modest Proposal by Swfit. This is the shortest one I have read on the list (about 7 pages for the title essay) but it's also the most fun. I have been putting off Gulliver's Travels but maybe I need to give Swift a closer look.
123) To the Lighthouse by Woolf. I finally finished and I can't say that I am all that impressed. Room of One's Own didn't do it for me and neither did this one. We will see her other stuff gets better.
I'm currently reading Mrs Dalloway and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't read any others by her though so I couldn't say how similar it is in style to the ones you have mentioned. I'm finding her character's observations on situations creating certain emotions very astute.
I think she writes well but I really hate all the run-on sentences and I found that you really have to pay attention or you will miss something. I think perhaps I am just too lazy a reader to fully appreciate her style.
I adore Virginia Woolf, but I have to be very focused when I read her. She doesn't come across well to a reader who is being lazy! ;-)
Hmmm - that may say something about me too - I also loathe her...
Oh and the rest of the Maya Angelou series are also readlly good.
>50 bucketyell:
I absolutely hated To The Lighthouse. Although after reading the remainder of this thread I'm beginning to suspect that was my fault!! I'll try harder with her others.
I hated Woolf when I first read her, but in the process of actively disliking her writing*, I started seeing things that I hadn't at first and it all became really amazing. And now she's my favourite author. One of my very favourite English profs loathed her though, so I know she's not for every reader.
*I say I actively disliked her writing, but not her--I always thought she herself was an interesting literary character. But at first I found her writing so dry and pretentious. Like many worthwhile things, she is an acquired taste!
I did not enjoy Mrs Dalloway and it was my first Woolf. It's made me a bit gunshy to try others.
Heh, I liked Room of One's Own but her actual novels, I think I have started a couple and wandered to read something else after couple of pages...
53- I also adore Virginia Woolf, but I have to be vveerrryy careful about when I'm reading her. As in, everyone else has to be asleep and it has to be nighttime and silent and I have to have nothing else to do. Otherwise, I get unfocused and lost and miss a lot. She's a lot of work, but worth it. Except I didn't like A Room of One's Own, which I thought should be re-titled "Snobby McSnoberson Mayor of Snobville."
That's hillarious!!!
124) Everything That Rises Must Converge by O'Connor. Some of the stories were amazing and some were meh. I really enjoyed the title story - I read it on-line a little while ago and that lead me to buying the actual book.
125) The Colour by Tremain. Forgot to add this one. I enjoyed it but I liked The Road Home better. This one had a strange ending and I found the characters somewhat irriating.
126) Delta of Venus by Nin. Is it hot in here or just me?
127) A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Solzhenitsyn. Very good. One wouldn't think there would be much to write about given that it's just a day in the life of a prisoner in a Siberian gulag but this was quite fascinating.
128) Empire of the Sun by Ballard. Good but not great. I was more than a little irritated by the kid at the end and am not sure why.
129) Half of a Yellow Sun by Adichie. Started off slowly and I will admit, I had a bit of a struggle keeping everyone straight but once it got going, I was hooked. I know very little about Nigeria so it was definitely an eye-opening experience.
130) Fingersmith by Waters. What a romp! Mystery, suspense, twists and turns and a little romance thrown in for good measure. I spoiled myself as I saw the movie beforehand and it followed the book to the letter (although the book explained a lot more of the backstory) so I knew what was coming. But it still sucked me in. Loved it!
131) The Maltese Falcon by Hammett. Good but I was a little underwhelmed by the ending.
132) Great Expectations by Dickens. My second Dickens novel but not my last. It was surprisingly exciting.
133) Foundation by Asimov - not sure I fully understood everything packed into this slight book but the parts I did get were fascinating
134) 2666 by Bolano. Weird, wonderful, long-winded, confusing.
135) Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck. All this time, I thought I hated Steinbeck. I had to read Grapes of Wrath in university and never got past the first chapter so I have gone through life thinking Steinbeck was horribly boring. But now I discover that he isn't! I am totally going back to Grapes to see what I was missing.
Over in the 75group we are doing a "Steinbeck-a-thon" this year - reading a Steinbeck novel every month. Grapes of Wrath is scheduled for May. Here's the link to the main thread in case you'd like to participate or to read some of the comments: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105
Of Mice and Men will be read in August.
74 - Thanks! I am totally in
136) Ficciones by Borges. Loved it
137) Cannery Row by Steinbeck - this was a lot of fun. A short vignette of a town full of drunks, con men and bumbling idiots.
138) Cloud Atlas by Mitchell. While I can appreciate his writing, this one was not my cup of tea. I loved all the connections but it's a little too random for me
139) Out of Africa by Blixen. A wonderful look at a beautiful part of the world. Very different from the movie.
140) I,Robot by Asimov. Not really my cup of tea but interesting
141) Elegance of the Hedgehog by Barbery. Slow start but once it picked up, it was very good
142) Dracula by Stoker. Good book. I liked the epistolary style as it gave a varied and in-depth view. I am ashamed to say that after watching Winona Ryder play Mina in the latest film version (shudder), I had hoped that her character would bite it.
I posted this over in book talk but since you just got done with Dracula you will appreciate this laugh....
Last night a friend of mine texted me wanting book advice. He said he just got done with Treasure Island and enjoyed it very much. I threw out Dracula. He came back with "Oh I read that when it first came out!!!" Hmmmmmmmmmmmm when it first came out are you trying to tell me YOUR a vampire then?????
I will not let him live that one down for a very long time.
Oh dear... are you sure you want to be friends with a vampire? :)
143) The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes by Anonymous. Geez, how much can happen in the life of one guy? At times I felt very sorry for him but then other times, the silly twit deserved what he got. The version I got from Project Gutenberg had three sections to it but I am not sure if all are part of the list. Regardless, it is quite short and the translation is easy to read.
I'm new to this discussion, but I love that list of books (and I especially like finding so many that I've read--it makes me feel very accomplished). I'd add Portrait of a Lady by Henry James and Beloved by Toni Morrison. I noticed that The Bluest Eye, Morrison's first novel, is on the list but I wouldn't include it in the final list; it just doesn't seem important enough.
It doesn't does it? I have impressed myself with the number I have read (with all the crap I read in high school, I never would have figured I'd be over 100). Bluest Eye was my first Morrison book and my fave so far but she really doesn't write a bad book does she?
85 - I have a better chance of out running a zombie!
Maybe but vampires are sexier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know a co-worker and I have this converstation all the time.
You got me there. But I must say, if I had to choose, Team Jacob all the way!
144) Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck - tried this one in university and never got past the first few chapters. I absolutely hated it and have no idea why because now, this is a 5-star read (and I don't give those out very often). I laughed and cried and then laughed and cried some more.
145) Everything is Illuminated by Foer - loved the movie (laughed my butt off at the Officious Seeing Eye Bitch) but the book was even better. There is a lot they left out and I think it was quite of important.
That's good to hear. I adore the movie and couldn't bring myself to hope that the book could live up to it.
The only movie that is soooooooooo much better then the book has to be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. When I see a really good movie I always go hunt for the book and normally the book is so much better.
Meh, I wasn't impressed by that movie. There just wasn't enough to sustain it for a feature length story in my opinion.
But I was so highly disappointed with the book. I was like okay the movie was good so now lets go find the book and lets see what Hollywood left out of the story and boy what a slap in the face. I was expecting something like Gone With the Wind where the movie is good but they did leave out many details from the book, so even if I really like both the book still won out.
Ha wow, I thought the text was just a short story. I'll definitely steer clear if it was that much less impressive than the movie.
Well at the time I havent embarked on my quest of putting a dent in the 1001 list so honestly I didnt know it was a short story so that may have added to my major disappointment. Nor do I like it when they put books out to be mirrors of the movie. I have already watched the movie I dont need to read the same thing. I want the original book please.
146) The 13 Clocks by Thurber - kind of feels like cheating to list this one because it's a short kids book but hey, it's on the list. What an awesome tale (even though the feminist in me cringes at the 'damsel in distress' plot line).
94 - I can't say the movie did anything for me but I haven't read the book so I can't compare the two.
147) Walden by Thoreau - glad that one is over and done with
148) The Wonderful O by Thurber
149) Around the World in 80 Days by Verne
150) A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Verne
I have had a lot of fun with my last few young adult/kid reads. Who knew I would enjoy Verne so much?
I read Around the World in 80 Days to my kids and it was indeed loads of fun. May I suggest Treasure Island if you want to continue with excellent kid reads? We're on that one now.
I've always loved Verne... Read a number of his books for my French classes, because they're relatively easy to read, but they are considered to be literature...
108 - Treasure Island is in my Nook and ready to go! I think you read my mind :)
151) A Town Like Alice by Shute
Me too! I started it this morning and couldn't stop reading (housework be damned!) It reminded me of Thorn Birds for some reason.
It reminded me of Thorn Birds for some reason.
Okay, now you have me intrigued.
152) Treasure Island by Stevenson - what fun! I have heard the story a million times but never actually sat down and read the original. I just loved Silver! Sly devil that he is :)
153) Fanny Hill by Cleland - okay, I get that this was really risque for the time (written in 1749ish) but me and my 'laboratory of love' were bored silly by the end. I did get quite a few good laughs at the terminology he used. It's basically softcore porn without the hardcore language of today.
#111 A town like Alice is brilliant isn't it - have you read any of his others? I LOVE The Pied Piper though that is sadly not on the list.
I imagine it's the whoel descriptions of the outback that rings a bell re Thorn Birds - which I was really surprised to find I loved when I read it a few years ago.
Nope, this was my first Shute book. I have a few others on my nook so I will definitely read more. Never heard of Pied Piper but I will look out for it.
154) Chocky by Wyndham - to think, my imaginary friend just liked to go on car rides and doctor's visits. She never tried to teach me the secrets of the universe!
155) Agnes Grey by Bronte - my first one by one of the 'other' sisters and I quite liked it. A quick little romantic read.
156) Chess Story by Zweig. What an awesome little book! 84 pages but I was deeply enthralled (and I don't like chess much!)
157) Blood and Guts in High school by Acker - okay then....
158) White Teeth by Smith - part way through and I am liking it so far.
ETA... first part was great but the second half (parts 3 and 4 about Irie and the twins) dragged on and on.
159) Middlemarch by Eliot.... done!
160) Life and Death of Harriet Frean by Sinclair.
161) Casino Royale by Fleming. Interesting to read about Bond for the first time but man, the sexism got a little grating over time. Thankfully it was short!
Did you like it? It has been on my TBR for years, can get myself to actually read it.
Yes and no. Good book but quite dated (re extreme sexism) and lacking in substance. It could have been much longer and had more action but maybe I am just comparing it to the movie.
162) Smilla's Sense of Snow by Hoeg - I am rather mixed on this one. On the one hand, it is rich in description (I would love to visit Greenland and Denmark) and the plot is interesting but on the other, it is needlessly long. I am wondering if a lot got lost in translation because it seemed rather distorted to me.
#162 That's much how I found it. I liked the cultural references, but wondered if the translation was the reason I was left with something to be desired.
163) Lolita by Nabokov. Like others have posted, this one is disturbing but brilliant.
164) Small Island by Levy. This one surprised me a little. The premise sounded good and it got great reviews so I was expecting to be wowed from the start. But I found that it is a story that you need to slowly immerse yourself in. It's told from the point-of-view of four characters who are connected in some way and it alternates between past and present. I really liked how you would meet a character, form an opinion of them and only then get to see who they really are and how they got to that point. I loved how my views changed as I progressed.
165) Beggar Maid by Munro - I love Munro...
166) Schindler's Ark by Keneally
167) Reluctant Fundamentalist by Hamid
168) Falling Man by DeLillo - ugh
169) Waiting for the Barbarians by Coetzee
170) Flaubert's Parrot by Barnes
Falling Man by DeLillo - ugh
That doesn't make me look forward to it much! I really liked his Libra and hated White Noise, so I guess we'll see which way that one falls for me.
171) Home by Richardson
Cleaning up the thread a little. My numbers didn't add up and I realised that I counted three books twice and a few others were missed completely. I think I am up-to-date now :)
I am not a fan of Falling Man at all so I am curious to see how the others fare. Maybe I will try Libra next so I don't completely write the man off!
#139 - Ursula, I was surprised by Falling Man. I'd heard all sorts of "ugh" comments and wasn't expecting it to be as good as it was. And it's short.
>141 bucketyell: - I have had plenty of counting errors in my log of books read too. :) When you eventually give it a shot, I hope you enjoy Libra at least more than this one!
>142 Nickelini: - Nice to know! And short is always good, to balance out some of those other ones.
> 139. I also really liked Falling man and think less of White Noice and Mao II, so I guess I have to read Libra! By the way, Underworld was a great novel too!
172) On Beauty by Smith. I liked this one more than White Teeth but I must admit, I really didn't see the point of it. It's the Montagues and Capulets modernised but without any characters to cheer for. Dad is in idiot who can't keep it in his pants. Daughter is one of those annoying people who always thinks they are right and never lets anything go. One son is a moron who jumps on the flavour-of-the-month bandwagon depending on who he is friends with at that time. The other son flits around life never knowing who he is or what he wants. Even mom, who I guess I am supposed to feel sorry for, seems more doormat than anything else. And that is just the Montagues! Smith writes very well but I just can't engage with any of her characters.
Yep, I tried that one last year. I gritted my teeth for a 100 pages but in the end I just put it aside. As you said, I could not engage with any of the characters.
173) Talented Mr Ripley by Highsmith. I totally got sucked into this one. Highsmith created an awesome tale with lots of twists and turns. It reminded me a lot of Rebecca by duMaurier and I quite enjoyed that one too. I was a little apprehensive about it because I loathed the movie but the book is a million times better. I think I will check out Strangers on a Train next (liked that movie!)
174) Like Water for Chocolate by Esquivel - odd but really neat as well. I like magical realism so I enjoyed that part of this novel. The storyline was more than a little strange (just tell your mother where to go already) but yet it was rather compelling as well. It's just such a hard novel to define! I saw the movie years ago and liked it so I always wondered about the book.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a surprising book, I think. She really manages to draw you in to Tom's story even though there's nothing likable about him. I keep meaning to read the other Ripley books but I haven't gotten around to it.
Exactly... I hated Ripley but cheered him on the whole time. Every time it looked like he would be found out, I was on the edge of my seat. Gotta love that in a book!
175) All Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque. What an amazingly powerful novel. One of the few 5* reads I have.
I am young, I am twenty years old; yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slaying one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me. What would our fathers do if we suddenly stood up and came before them and proffered our account? What do they expect of us if a time ever comes when war is over? Through the years our business has been killing; -- it was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards? And what shall come out of us?
176) Invisible by Auster. I think I am an Auster fan. This was my first but now I want to read more. It reminded me of Talented Mr Ripley but it wasn't really the story that was similar, it was more that the character Born reminded me of Ripley; charismatic and charming but with a very dark side. It's a story told in different voices but it's not told by the usual suspects. Adam is the main character and it is his life (or at least, his life as he sees or wants it to be) but the missing parts are filled in by bit characters who he encounters along the way. I really liked that detail because they were somewhat detached from him so their version of events seemed more honest.
177) The Sea by Banville. I loved his writing style, especially his descriptions of everything, but I was really confused by the story. He jumps back and forth a lot and I found it rather challenging to keep up. I was reading the Wikipedia blurb afterwards and only then realised that that part with the Graces was in the past (I lost a close family member this week so I will admit that my brain wasn't working at full capacity). I might need to give this one another whirl later on because I think knowing what I know now, I would approach the book differently (and not think the main character was a creepy old man lusting after a young teenager).
178) Virgin Suicides by Eugenides. I was rather surprised at how different this one was from Middlesex. I love finding authors who can write about many different things and do justice to them all. This one looks at the decline of a rather ordinary family. At first, they were that mysterious family on the street who kept to themselves but did enough odd things to make them a constant topic of gossip. Then, as the family began to interact with society more, the family dynamic began to decline and slowly the daughters committed suicide. It is a rather complex novel that asks more questions than it answers.
179) The Wars by Findley. This one is a war story told from a Canadian soldier's point-of-view (interesting contrast to All Quiet on the Western Front which I read earlier this year). It is my first Findley (which is a horrifying thing for a Canadian to admit!) but not my last.
180) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Dick. I don't normally read sci-fi so I am thinking that something passed right over my head with this one. I liked it but I feel like there is something profound that alluded me; something that connects all the weird randomness. I will have to google and see what I missed.
181) Wasp Factory by Banks. Where to start? Frank is a 17-year-old boy growing up in rural Scotland. He loves to behead animals (and blow up rabbits), kill his relatives (but that was when he was younger and going through a phase) and when he needs advice, he turns to his wasp factory, a device he created to tortures wasps in various ways and apparently divine the future by the method of their death. His brother has escaped from a mental hospital (he is considered the crazy one) and is slowly making his way home much to the dismay of the town folk who are finally able to have pets again. The whole thing culminates with one of the strangest endings I have ever read in a book. But yet, despite its weirdness, I actually liked it. And found myself mildly amused by Frank and his antics. I think Banks is a lot like Nabokov in that way. Both have an amazing ability to write about vile people and then make you almost like them.
182) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Chabon. Finally finished and quite enjoyed it. I had no idea what it was about before starting so really didn't know what to expect. But who can find fault with a book that combines history, comics and magic?
183) Story of O by Reage. I was rather mixed with my reaction so I went on-line to see what others thought. I do understand how risqué this was coming out in 1950. It really was miles ahead of its time because really, who wrote about BDSM then? Fifty Shades (as horrible as it is) is just bringing that subject out of the closet now! The writing style was great and the language used was actually rather subdued comparatively speaking so it really is less porn and more erotic literature.
Just a warning... while the overall nature of the book is well known, my comments to follow are spoilers....
My problem with it, and I guess my problem with BDSM in general, is about consent. I get that the premise is that submissive actually has the power in the relationship because they ultimately choose if and when they wish to stop. I suppose for the garden-variety part-time BDSM participant, this works. But in this case, this was an overall, all-consuming lifestyle choice. O, while being told she could say no at any time, was completely infatuated with Rene and went along with everything because she felt that that was the only way to keep him. Sure she has a choice but really, what kind of choice is it? My boss gives me projects all the time and I have the choice of whether to do them or not. But if I don't, I won't have a job much longer. Rene asks her if she is okay with things but since he has tremendous power over her to begin with, she goes along with it all for fear of losing him.
I also had a big problem with Rene. He continually says that he loves her but the whole time he seems to view her as a psychological experiment. He sells her to the highest bidder (Sir Stephen) because he claims that he isn't strong enough to handle her conversion but I think it was more that he wanted to be a passive observer. He was prominent in the beginning but by the end, he almost becomes part of the furniture as he watches from the sidelines.
O starts off the novel with no name and by the end, she doesn't even have a personality. It is presented as if she is okay with everything that occurs but really, does someone being brainwashed know that they are being brainwashed? How does one really know what she wanted until after she is removed from the situation and can verify things for herself? Apparently the author wrote this as a love story for her boyfriend and that makes me really sad.
Hmmmm. Interesting. Not sure I'm up to read that one, but I appreciate your thoughts. Do you think that it was included in the list because it was controversial, or that and also because it's actually an important work of literature (solid or artful technique, multidimensional characters, ambiguity, etc.)? Your description reminds me of the movie 9 1/2 Weeks, which all my friends and I loved back in the 80s, but at the same time all said "there's no way I'd put up with that shit though"
Good question. The novel was apparently written on a dare by Anne Desclos. Her boyfriend claimed that a woman couldn't write something like this so she decided to write a 'love letter' of sorts to prove him wrong. The 1001 book states that "The Story of O is a shocking novel and at the same time a masterfully boring one. The deep erotic joy of suffering, it tells us, is rooted in the terror of boredom." I can't say that I fully understand that sentiment as I don't really see how watching the gradual degradation of a person is something to do to pass the time (but that could just be the feminist in me that had obvious problems with this novel). I do think it's a remarkably well-written book and the fact that it came out in the 50's AND became a bestseller is surprising. But if I am in the mood for well-written pornography, I think I will choose Nin any day.
184) There But For The by Smith.
185) Strait is the Gate by Gide. A short yet powerful read to finish the day. This is a sad little tale of unfulfilled love.
186) Portnoy's Complaint by Roth. What did you get when you take a man obsessed with his penis, add in some residual Jewish guilt leftover from overbearing parents and a profound fear of sexually transmitted diseases? One of the more interesting books I have read this year. Not sure whether to laugh at the poor schmuck or be very, very happy that I never dated him!
I read Portnoy many years ago and hated it! What a whiner he was. Be very glad you never dated him!
He is isn't he? Good grief... It wasn't a long book but it took me a long time to read because it was just really, really exhausting to listen to ramble on and on. I am now reading Confederancy of Dunces and there are a lot of similarities (although Ignatius is more the guy who says whatever he feels but doesn't whine - he just doesn't care!)
187) Confederacy of Dunces by Toole. I have finally finished this one. Interesting but exhausting! I gotta admit, as horrible as Ignatius was, I actually felt bad for him at times. Mr Levy reminded me of that boss that George had on Seinfeld. I totally pictured him the whole time I was reading. And now that I think about it, Mrs Reilly could be Estelle...
188) Moon Palace by Auster. I am fast becoming an Auster fan. It was weird at times and over-the-top but I couldn't stop reading.
189) The Namesake by Lahiri. Proof that she can write a good full-length story as well! I think overall, I liked her short stories a bit better - they seemed more complex with greater depth. But this story made me angry, happy and sad. Will have to get her other one out of the library now...
190) The Nose by Gogol. Gotta love it when you read a really neat short story about a man who loses his nose (a nose that goes out and has an adventure on its own I might add!) and you get to knock one off the list while only reading 30 pages give or take. After reading the namesake, I just had to read something by Gogol.
191) A Kestrel for a Knave by Hines. A 1001 book and quite enjoyable. It's about a young boy growing in a Yorkshire mining town who finds and trains a hawk.
192) The Fox by Lawrence. This short novella had me until the end - I thought this one would end much differently.
Oooo I haven't read D.H Lawrence in years, I may dig this out and have a read.
193) Life and Times of Michael K by Coetzee. I just love this author! He has the ability to so completely immerse the reader in the novel. I only came up for air when I turned the last page and realised the ride was over. I will move Disgrace up the list.
I have never read Lawrence before but it made me want to read his long stuff.
Was Life and Times your first Coetzee? I wish it had been my first... I might not be dreading the rest so much.
Nope, I did read Waiting for the Barbarians before and enjoyed it. And because I like him so much, I just finished Disgrace.
194) Disgrace by Coetzee. Very well done. It's a very disturbing book overall but well written. I didn't get the ending I was hoping for but it was a satisfying one (although I can't honestly say why I was satisfied in the end because really, it kind of goes against everything I believe in... maybe I am just so enamoured by his writing?)
Good to hear that there are other Coetzee's to be enjoyed. Disgrace was my first and I did not enjoy it.
197) Bleak House by Dickens - finally finished and quite enjoyed it. The middle could have been whittled down a bit as it get a little draggy at times. I love the little bits of Dickensian sarcasm that bled through every once in awhile.
198) Robinson Crusoe by Defoe
199) The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter by unknown
200) Thank You, Jeeves by Wodehouse
ETA - because I obviously can't count, this is actually 200 not Egan. Oy....
201) A Visit From the Goon Squad by Egan - read this one last year but didn't realise it was on the list. I was trying to figure out what to read for the big '200' and lo and behold, I already read it!
Oh, you are already very much ahead! Congratulations on book 200! Only 801 to go. :)
202) Timbuktu by Auster. A book narrated by a dog. You would think it would be weird but it's not.
203) The End of the Affair by Greene. Now I have to get to Brighton Rock!
204) New York Trilogy by Auster. Interesting but not my favourite of his.
205) Crome Yellow by Huxley
206) French Lieutenant's Woman by Fowles
Two more I missed from last year. I need to pay better attention!
I am halfway through Neuromancer and it's interesting so far.
207) Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Murakami. I love the worlds he creates!
I just recently finished Wind-Up Bird Chronicle myself. What did you think of it?
208) Jacob the Liar by Becker. I saw the movie years ago and quite liked it so I was happy to see it was a book (and on the list!) Quite liked it.
190 - I tried to respond earlier but my tablet was acting up. I am now home from vacation and can get caught up! I quite liked Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I discovered Murakami earlier this year when I read 1Q84 so this was my second one of his. I love the different worlds he creates. I generally avoid these types of books because I prefer books with a linear plot that gets tied up neatly at the end but for some reason, I don't find myself wanting for anything at the end.
209) Neuromancer by Gibson. I am sure most of this went over my head but what a cool book! I don't generally read a lot of sci-fi (which is weird because I love sci-fi movies) but perhaps I should change that.
210) Brighton Rock by Greene. Very different from End of the Affair but quite enjoyable. I am not sure I completely understand Pinkie and his way of thinking (but maybe that's the point? People like him aren't meant to make sense I suppose) but it was neat to climb into his mind for awhile.
211) Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera. Do I love this book because Kundera has an amazing way of describing things? Or do I hate it because the main character is a womanising idiot who never truly appreciates what he has?
212) Hawksmoor by Ackroyd - spooky! He does a good job transitioning between the past and present.
213) Master and Margarita by Bulgakov
Hawksmoor by Ackroyd - spooky!
Yes, it was, wasn't it. I didn't register that exactly when I read it last summer as I was all wrapped up in the places (I read it while in east London), but you're right--spooky. I need to read it again one day as I think too much of it went over my head.
To be honest, a lot went over my head but when I read the blurb on wikipedia afterwards, it all made sense. I was going to rate it lower but when I realised how it all fit together, it was brilliant :)
And then I read Master and the Margarita and it was awesome. This was nothing like what I had expected! I figured Russian literature... okay, dark and dramatic. This? Was a romp! I loved the Devil's Ball.
#199 - Would you recommend Master and Margarita for someone who's a little (read: very) afraid of Russian lit?
Yup! I have read very little Russian lit (probably because people keep saying how depressing it can be) but this is a hoot. The devil hits 1930s Russia and has some fun - what more can you ask from a book! :)
>200 CayenneEllis: For Master & Margarite, I would recommend that you be familiar with the bible, however. I did not know who Pontius Pilate was and he figures prominently in Master & Margarita. I didn't get the humor because I was too frustrated by all the references that I did not understand.
For gateway Russian lit, I'd recommend The Nose, an absurd short story by Gogol and maybe One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (I haven't read it in years, but it packs a lot of punch for a short novel), and if you're a science fiction fan, We. Then maybe segue into Ivan Turgenev before tackling "the biggies".
As for the "difficult" longer novels, War and peace is very good and not that hard (It's just long. And there are the occasional boring history-lecture digressions), and Crime and Punishment is darkly fascinating. I am not great with satire so most of the humor of Dead Souls and Demons was lost on me.
I have read all your gateway lit references so maybe that is why I loved it?
Yup, there are a lot Biblical references in there. I am a bit of a heathen but grew up with Baptist grandparents so I had a good background and found that I got most of it. I think a better understanding of Russian history might have helped me a few more of those references.
214) Diary of a Nobody by Grossmith
215) Michael Kohlhaas by von Kleist. What a neat little story with a bit of an O Henry ending.
216) Wild Swans by Chang. Wow...
217) Time Machine by Wells
>203 bucketyell: I felt the same way about The Master and Margarita. I'd wished I'd known more about Russian history and culture but I enjoyed the novel all the same.
218) Therese Raquin by Zola
What did you think of it? I just bought it and am planning to read it soon!
I loved it! I finished late at night so didn't have a chance to put comments. It was my first Zola - for some reason, I thought he would be a little stuffy and dramatic but this wasn't at all what I expected. It's a fascinating psychological look at the effects of a guilty conscience (I was a psych major so I found it really neat). It's also rather spooky! In some ways it reminded me of Rebecca by du Maurier.
219) Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Diaz. Missed this one from last year.
220) A Gate at the Stairs by Moore. And this one... good grief!
221) The Gathering by Enright. From all the mixed reviews I have read on this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I quite liked it. But, I seem to be drawn to books on dysfunctional families (especially ones far more dysfunctional than my own family) so maybe that it why I liked it. Family secrets bubble to the surface when a member of a large family dies.
222) Return of the Soldier by West. I think this is a book that would have been better if it were a little longer. It's about a soldier who returns from battle with amnesia and doesn't remember the last 15 years of his life. It's an intereting premise but the ending was really rushed.
223) Inheritance of Loss by Desai. This is one that I have pulled off the shelf many, many times but for whatever reason, never read until now. And I am mixed: it is a beautifully written book but, it jumps around too much and I found it rather confusing at times. There are two stories playing out but I found that I really didn't care about the cook's son Biju living in America. I would have preferred a story just about Sai.
224) Wide Sargasso Sea by Rhys. I am trying to get to all the ones that I have meant to read forever but keep passing by and this was definitely one of those. I love Jane Eyre so I have always been curious about this one. And I must say, by the end, I wasn't sure who I felt more sympathy for! Very well done.
225) The Afternoon of a Writer by Handke. Meh. Is he a writer? Isn't he a writer? Not sure I really care to be honest.
226) The Vicar of Wakefield by Goldsmith - a rather non-descript tale of someone who loses it all and then gains it back and more. Will have to read the blurb to see why this is on the list - is it because this is the start of the rags to riches/riches to rags storyline?
227) Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Thompson. Interesting in a train wreck kind of way.
228) Bunner Sisters by Wharton - gotta say, this was gripping little tale. But so, so sad...
229) Ethan Frome by Wharton - good grief, another depressing tale. Are all Wharton's shorter novels this sad? Maybe House of Mirth should be my next one... unless the title is misleading!
230) Wittgenstein's Nephew by Bernhard. A sad but beautifully written story/memoir. Bernhard is in one wing of the hospital after having lung surgery and his friend Paul is in the mental ward across the field. As he plots a way to try to visit, he reflects on their friendship.
You have been on a role! House of Mirth is a misleading title, I think Age of Innocence is her least depressing book (and my favorite).
I recently ran across the source for the title of House of Mirth, which makes me unsurprised it's depressing. It's from the Bible: "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." I haven't read the book yet, but that quote will probably stick with me.
231) The Newton Letter by Banville. Short but rather depressing.
232) Worstward Ho by Beckett - short but since I had to read it aloud a few times to make sense of it, not short. I understood enough to get the general idea but not enough to ever try to explain it to someone (but maybe that is the point?)
233) Rashomon by Akutagawa. What neat stories! Very enjoyable.
234) The History of Love by Krauss. Not bad... better than the other one of hers I read.
235) Silk by Baricco. Perhaps someone can explain to me why this one is on the list. Not a bad book but nothing special.
I can't help you. I read it, not even that long ago, and can't remember what it is about. Maybe that says it all..!
>230 bucketyell: I enjoyed Silk, the ritual quietness of it. As to why iit's on the list....well, the Boxell book entry is no help -- just a plot summary.
I did read the entry afterwards and yup, just a plot summary. I enjoyed the book but it just seemed like a random entry. Oh well... on to something else! I am in the middle of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Joyce and am REALLY surprised at how much I am liking it.
236) The Body Artist by DeLillo - I liked this one better than Falling Man (the only DeLillo I had read before). The problem I have with this type of book is that I find myself obsessing about all the unanswered questions. Some, like whether Mr Tuttle exists or not, I can accept and all the other little unanswered things drive me nuts. I guess this is why I prefer a fatter, more straight-forward novel.
237) The Girls of Slender Means by Spark. Much better than Prime. I loved the letters to writers - that made me laugh. Wasn't expecting the ending though.
238) The Marriage Plot by Eugenides - loved this one! It's about books (awesome), psychology (awesome but sad) and travel (awesome). Oh, and there is a story in there as well.
239) The Driver's Seat by Spark - I think she is starting to grow on me. This was a creepy little read.
I am a huge Muriel Spark fan so glad you are developing the taste. Not sure why you didn't adore The Prime. Had you seen the movie, also brilliant? Although my love for both book and film dates from my adolescence and possibly coming to them as an adult is less thrilling.
Can't remember why I didn't like it to be honest but I remember being very glad it was over! Quite enjoyed the last two so a reread might be in the cards. Never saw the movie so will have to hunt that one down.
240) A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Joyce. My first Joyce. Quite liked the beginning but as he grew, I think he became much smarter than me because a lot went over my head. Will need to reread at some.
241) July's People by Gordimer - short but quite powerful. A white family is driven out of their African home due to fighting and is saved by their servant. They take up residence is his village and put everyone at risk.
242) The Graduate by Webb. The movie was definitely better. How creepy and manipulative was Benjamin? He didn't come across this creepy in the movie.
243) Cat and Mouse by Grass. I guess I should have read Tin Drum first? Might need to move it up the pile a bit... This one was an interesting book on its own. The cat is the Great Mahlke, a loner child who becomes everyone's hero and the mouse is his extra long Adam's apple (and penis apparently). Those symbols come up quite a bit throughout the book as a group of children come to terms with war and themselves.
244 & 245) Quicksand by Larsen & Passing by Larsen. I was quite excited to find both novellas in one novel (both are in the 1001 list) and even more excited to find out how awesome they are. Quicksand is about a young mixed race woman who struggles to belong. She moves between both worlds and becomes frustrated when she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. Passing is similar and looks at race as well but this time it's about being fair enough to fit into a white world but the consequences of being discovered.
246) Slow Man by Coetzee. Very different from the others that I have read of his but enjoyable. Probably should have read Elizabeth Costello first as she randomly shows up.
247) A Pale View of Hills by Ishiguro. I think this was his first novel and it was quite good. There are so many layers to this novel - it's about a woman who reminisces about a friendship she had years ago but then it also looks at the affects of war, status etc. Very well done.
248) The Immoralist by Gide. Odd book. At times, quite disturbing but oh so beautifully written.
249) Music of Chance by Auster. Love Auster but man, what an odd book.
250) Summer Book by Jansson - I really can't say whether I liked this one or not. It's a series of vignettes of a grandmother and her granddaughter and their adventures on an island one summer. The language and descriptions were wonderful and brought the novel to life. But the characters were awful. The granddaughter, at times, was a crabby, whiny child. And grandma wasn't much better. I really tried to be patient with them as they were dealing with death but I they just lost me.
251) Kafka on the Shore by Murakami. This is my third Murakami and definitely not my last. But honestly, how does one describe any of these novels without others thinking you are strange for liking them?
252) The Breast by Roth. Okay then... A short story about a man who turns into a breast. Very odd yet well written.
253) Written on the Body by Winterson. As usual, her writing is wonderful. She packs a lot into a sentence, paragraph, page... but I really didn't like the main character. I get that Winterson purposely doesn't reveal his/her sex and I liked that part. But the over-the-top obsession with Louise was more creepy than romantic.
#251 - I recently finished that book too and walked away with the same sort of review that you just wrote. Not a bad read, but not something that I'll rave about either.
I remember you saying on another thread that you had read this on so I was going to try to hunt it down to see what you had to say! She really is a wonderful writer but these characters drove me nuts.
254) In the Heart of the Country by Coetzee. I think that this is my least favourite Coetzee novel so far. I liked the story, as uncomfortable as it was, but I am not a fan of poetry or experimental prose so the style rather bugged me.
255) The Pigeon by Suskind. What a neat little book! And my first Suskind. It chronicles the day when Jonathan Noel's life literally fell apart and was rebuilt in the span of 24-hours. Now some could say that a pigeon shouldn't cause such chaos but I don't think it would have mattered what it was; when you live your life the same way every day and find comfort in that sameness, it can be easy to have life knocked out of balance by something different and unpleasant. It was a little over-the-top but at the same time, I could totally relate.
256) The Sense of an Ending by Barnes. And another great book. This one was very different from Flaubert's Parrot (the only other Barnes book I have read) but just as good. It reminded me a little of The Talented Mr Ripley for some reason. And the best part, even though I thought I had it figured out from the start, the last page threw me for a loop. Didn't see that coming at all.
257) The Passion by Winterson. My favourite one so far. Beautifully written and quite different from the others I have read.
260) Perfume by Suskind. What a creepy novel! I really didn't expect that ending but it summed the book up perfectly.
261) After the Quake by Murakami. Hunh, he can write good short fiction as well.
262) The Lover by Duras. Interesting but I can't help but compare it to things like Lolita and Bonjour Tristesse which I liked better.
263) Elizabeth Costello by Coetzee. If I had more patience, I think I would have enjoyed this better. But Elizabeth Costello is just one of those ornery people who seem to argue about everything so she annoyed me to no end.
264) Franny and Zooey by Salinger. Teenage angst turns into adult angst.
265) Sputnik Sweetheart by Murakami. Still love Murakami...
Group: 1001 Books to read before you die
2,852 members
24,161 messages
This topic is not marked as primarily about any work, author or other topic.


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At Swell we're not your average Bakery! We are bringing classic American cakes, cupcakes and retro treats to Ireland! We are constantly pushing the bounderies to create unique flavor combinations not found anywhere else. We are here to make any birthday, wedding, occassion or event unlike any other.
Contact us!
> > > > > > > >


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"Geoffrey M. Clemm" wrote: > This makes versioned collections essential for any application > that wants to version a resource whose semantics depend on other > resources that it "contains" or "refers to" (such as a book made > up of chapter resources, or source code that includes header resources. But isn't that what configuration management is for? -- /====================================================================\ |John (Francis) Stracke |My opinions are my own.|Both candidates | |Software Retrophrenologist|=======================/are better than a| |Netscape Comm. Corp. |megalomaniac mutant lab mouse bent on | |email@example.com |world domination...but it's pretty close.| \====================================================================/Received on Friday, 9 October 1998 17:33:00 GMT
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0+W3C-0.50 : Tuesday, 2 June 2009 18:43:48 GMT


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Get Creative with the Grill
Grilling burgers and hot dogs is always fun, but what about livening up what you put on the grill? It's as easy to grill vegetables and seafood as it is meat, which is fantastic news not only for your summer but also for the guests who'll be enjoying your newfound grilling savvy. So go ahead and get to grillin'!
Need a couple more grilling primers? Check out these ten great grill tips and this collection of grilling guidelines.
Georgian Grilled-Tomato Sauce
Grilling the tomatoes and jalapeños before pureeing them with the other ingredients adds a deep, smoky flavor to this tasty vegan tomato sauce.
Recipe: Georgian Grilled-Tomato Sauce


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What's the creative fallout from the Sony scandal? Can Hollywood overcome...
Sinclair, Hutchinson named Canada's soccer players of the year
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West are reportedly arguing about where to...
My late father never drank coffee, which is why I think he was so amused...
Beef wellington, shrimp, creme brûlée on menu
It takes a community to protect a child with food allergies.
With as many as 1.2 million Canadians affected by allergies, according to Health Canada, children with peanut, tree nut, sesame, soy, seafood, wheat, egg and milk allergies are becoming more common.
Since those with the allergies can quickly suffer a reaction, including breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure or shock that could lead to death, it's important that parents comply with school policies.
Most parents in school communities are accommodating when there is a child with a food allergy in the school, York Region public health nutritionist and dietician Lucy Valleau said. "We are all in this together after all."
Letters are sent to parents outlining any restricted food if a child reports a food allergy, such as nuts, she added.
Since public health works closely with schools, it provides parents with a fact sheet and information about food alternatives.
"Whether or not the instances of food allergies are increasing,
I couldn't say," she said. "But more people are aware of them now, that's for sure."
Parents are also reminded to encourage their children not to share.
While it may be difficult to tell an eight year old he can't have peanut butter in his lunch, it's a good idea to include him when packing alternatives.
"If children are fussy eaters, it is more likely they will eat their lunch if you involve them in making it," Ms Valleau said.
Peanut butter alternatives are simple to find without sacrificing the nutritional value of nuts. When creating the ideal allergen-free lunch, start by including three of four
food groups.
Instead of peanut butter as a source of protein, consider substituting with lean meats, chick peas, tofu, beans, lentils or canned tuna and salmon.
If you and your child choose one of the nut-free spreads that has a similar appearace to peanut butter, it's a good idea to send a note to your child's school with the name and list of ingredients.
These lunches don't have to be complicated, Ms Valleau added. A whole grain wrap with grated cheese, a piece of fruit and yogurt or roast chicken on a whole grain hot dog bun, light mayonnaise and veggie sticks with two oatmeal cookies for a snack are examples of ideal lunches.
The easiest way to determine if something contains peanuts or nuts is to read the label. Check the list of ingredients each time you buy the product and watch for peanut oil, peanut butter, peanut sauce, peanut flour, mixed nuts, ground nuts, goober nuts, goober peas and artificial and mandalona nuts.
Also check the label for phrases such as, 'May contain peanuts' and avoid products not carrying a list of ingredients.
Looking for something fun to do in York Region? Look no further than Downtown Stouffville where a...
With the arrival of summer, it can only mean one thing, lots of growing grass. This is why proper...
A missing tooth doesn't have to mean a permanent gap in your smile!
There have been many modern...
You may have a lengthy relationship with your current bank, and therefore when it's time to secure...


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I need to find articles.
Use the DATABASES below to find articles in theatre.
- JSTOR Full-text articles from journals, running back many years. Does not contain the most recent 3 to 5 years.
Has Theatre Journal, full-text, from 1979 to 2003. (Recent issues are in Project Muse, see below).
- Project MUSE - Humanities Collection Has full-text articles from humanities (arts, theater, English, etc.)
Often has the more recent journal coverage of journals also found in JSTOR.
- Humanities Source Contains scholarly articles for theatre as well as arts, film, dance, and other related topics.
Can you help me organize my research?
- Look for the Sign In link in the blue bar at the top of any EBSCOhost database.
- Add searches and individual articles to your folder.
- Access saved content from anywhere!
- Learn more.
Other related databases
- Academic Search Complete Contains both magazines and peer-reviewed/scholarly journal articles related to all topics, including theatre.
- Academic OneFile Another database containing articles in almost any subject.
To limit results to scholarly articles, click on the "Limit Results" to peer-reviewed publications.
- MLA International Bibliography THE most comprehensive database for literature and language research. Not all articles are full-text, so you may have to use interlibrary loan.
Includes chapters from books and dissertations.
- Literature Resource Center It contains biographical, bibliographical, and critical information on literary figures from all time periods writing in genres including theatre and drama.
Does not contain as much peer-reviewed information as MLA.
- Naxos Music Library
Find Reviews
- Lexis-NexisFind play, film, and theatre reviews as well as information on actors and producers.
Covers U.S. and international sources.
- NY Times Historical ArchiveFind film, play, opera, musicals, & theatre reviews from the NY Times.
Full coverage back to 1851.
- Variety Film Reviews 1907-1990In PAPER copy only.
Drake Library Reference (Main floor)
(Links to record only.)


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Peanut marionettes make excellent travel or sick-bed entertainment for children. A lap or a tray is a fine stage on which to turn imaginations loose in a confined space.
What You Will Need:
long needle and thread
felt-tip pens
Use a long, narrow peanut for the main body and four smaller peanuts for the arms and legs. The needle must be longer than the longest peanut.
Thread the needle, knot the thread, and run the needle from the pointed end to the rounded end of one peanut leg, then into the lower end of the long peanut and up through the head. Leave approximately 6 inches of thread and cut. Do the other leg the same way. For the arms, knot the thread and run the needle through one peanut, through the body just under the head, and into the other peanut arm. Knot the other thread end close to the peanut.
Use the felt-tip pens to make a face on your peanut marionette and dress it with tiny scraps of cloth glued into place, if desired. Your marionette can dance and bounce across a table, creating a tiny play that will especially delight the younger members of the family.
Source: More Mudpies: 101 Alternatives to Television. Copyright © 1994 by Nancy Blakey. All rights reserved. This activity was reprinted with permission from Tricycle Press and may not be reproduced in any manner, including electronic, without prior written approval from the publisher.


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Grand Opening Shows Selling Out Fast!
Schedule of events and ticket links below!
It's finally here! We're thrilled to announce the GRAND OPENING of our new theater complex at 1501 N Kingsbury St in Chicago's fabulous Clybourn corridor!
We will celebrate in suitably grand fashion with a star-studded weekend of shows, a red-carpet event (starting at 6:30 on Saturday night), and a free buffet of delicious edibles from our brand new full-service kitchen.
Tickets for the shows go on sale today and are extremely limited. To order, call our new box office number at 312-929-2401, or visit our online ticketing site at TicketWeb.com.
Here's the schedule of shows, and who is set to appear!
Friday 8:00 – Trap – $35 (Mission Theater)
Click here for tickets
A two-act sketch revue that explores some of the moments in life that just aren't that easy to get out off. Directed by TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi.
Mike Jimerson
Tanner Tananbaum
Laurel Krabacher
Paul Grondy
Colleen Doyle
Mike Brunlieb
Peter Collins
Friday 8:00 – The Improvised Shakespeare Company– $35 (Del Close Theater)
Click here for tickets
Based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) The Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates a fully improvised play in Elizabethan style. Each of the players has brushed up on his "thee's" and "thou's" to bring you an evening of off-the-cuff comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Any hour could be filled with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, sprites, kings, queens, princesses, sword-play, rhyming couplets, asides, insults, persons in disguise and all that we've come to expect from the pen of the Great Bard. The night could reveal a tragedy, comedy, or history. Nothing is planned-out. Each play is completely improvised, so each play is entirely new!
Friday 8:30 – Brian McCann's Leisure Hour – $35 (The Harold Cabaret)
Click here for tickets
Brian McCann, winner of the prime time Emmy Award and six Writer's Guild Awards for outstanding comedy writing, brings his many talents to the stage with his new one man show, Brian McCann's Leisure Hour.
Having written for Conan O'Brien for 17 years, Brian is best known for his hundreds of appearances as characters ranging from The Robot on the Toilet, Preparation H. Raymond, The Guy with Bullet Proof Legs, Minty the Candy Cane, and the omnipresent man in the audience constantly interrupting the show.
Before moving to New York to write for TV, Brian began his career in Chicago studying improvisation with guru Del Close. While in Chicago, Brian also became a nationally recognized stand-up comedian with over a dozen TV appearances, and was invited to the inaugural HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, CO.
Brian has now teamed up with the UCB Theater in New York, working with director Michael Delaney, to present his first stage show in 10 years. Brian McCann's Leisure Hour: A groundbreaking, alcohol fueled, one man variety show.
Brian McCann (Conan)
Friday 10:00 – The Armando Diaz Grand Opening Experience– $50 (Del Close Theater)
Click here for tickets
This all-star improv event is the centerpiece of the iO Grand Opening. Featuring over 20 celebrity alumni and core ensemble members from the show that has run at iO every Monday for over 17 years.
In the Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience, a monologuist will tell a series of short stories, each serving as the inspiration for improvised scenes devised and executed on the spot by the most talented comedic performers in the world.
The special celebrity alumni cast of the Grand Opening editions of Armando will include:
David Koechner (the Anchorman series)
Lucas Neff (Raising Hope)
Joel Murray (Mad Men)
Jack McBrayer (30 Rock)
Scott Adsit (30 Rock)
Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show)
Dan Bakkedahl (Veep)
Paul Brittain (SNL)
Tim Meadows (SNL)
Pete Hulne (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Mike Coleman (Factory)
Pat Finn (The Middle)
Kevin Dorff (Conan)
Brian McCann (Conan)
Brian Stack (Conan)
Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report)
Mitch Rouse (According to Jim)
Stephnie Weir (MadTV)
Bob Dassie (Carpet Bros)
Andy St Clair (writer of the USA series "Sirens")
Brad Morris (Cougar Town)
Tim Baltz (Veep)
Seth Weitberg (Drunk History)
Rush Howell (3033)
Friday 10:00 – Two-by-Three – $35 (Mission Theater)
Click here for tickets
Six of the finest improvisers in the world join forces for one spectacular night.
TJ Jagodowski and David Pasquesi (of TJ & Dave fame) are joined by friends Scott Adsit and Jon Lutz (of 30 Rock), and the husband-wife team of Stephnie Weir (MAdTV) and Bob Dassie (Carpet Bros) in "Three-by-two."
The first 45 minute act will feature the improvisers pairing off by random selection and performing three short two-person shows. The second act will bring all six together for a final set. Expect nothing short of magic from this impossibly gifted cast.
TJ Jagodowski (TJ & Dave)
David Pasquesi (TJ & Dave)
Stephnie Weir (Mad TV)
Bob Dassie (WeirDass)
Scott Adsit (30 Rock)
Saturday 7:30 – Whirled News Tonight with special guest, Daily Show Correspondent Jordan Klepper – $35 (Del Close Theater)
Click here for tickets
The Whirled News Tonight team strives to not only provide a satirical turn on current events, but to provide another, human, point of view of those stories.
When the audience arrives they will be brought to a table with several local and national publications where they can cut out any articles they are interested in and tack them onto several bulletin boards onstage. The cast will randomly choose articles on which to base their improvisation.
For the Grand Opening celebration, Whirled News Tonight will feature the return of founding cast member and current Daily Show correspondent Jordan Klepper.
Saturday 8:00 – The Deltones – $35 (Harold Cabaret)
One of iO's premiere ensembles performing a completely improvised musical. The cast includes members of other hit iO shows and teams including The Reckoning, Bullet Lounge, Improvised Shakespeare, Carl and the Passions and many more!
Saturday 8:00 – The Armando Diaz Grand Opening Experience– $50 (Mission Theater)
Click here for tickets
This all-star improv event is the centerpiece of the iO Grand Opening. Featuring over 20 celebrity alumni and core ensemble members from the show that has run at iO every Monday for over 17 years.
In the Armando Diaz Theatrical Experience, a monologuist will tell a series of short stories, each serving as the inspiration for improvised scenes devised and executed on the spot by the most talented comedic performers in the world.
The special celebrity alumni cast of the Grand Opening editions of Armando will include:
David Koechner (the Anchorman series)
Lucas Neff (Raising Hope)
Joel Murray (Mad Men)
Jack McBrayer (30 Rock)
Scott Adsit (30 Rock)
John Lutz (30 Rock)
Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show)
Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect)
Pete Hulne (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Mike Coleman (Factory)
Pat Finn (The Middle)
Kevin Dorff (Conan)
Brian McCann (Conan)
Brian Stack (Conan)
Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Laura Krafft (The Colbert Report)
Mitch Rouse (According to Jim)
Stephnie Weir (MadTV)
Bob Dassie (Carpet Bros)
Andy St Clair (writer of the USA series "Sirens")
Brad Morris (Cougar Town)
Tim Baltz (Veep)
Seth Weitberg (Drunk History)
Rush Howell (3033)
Saturday 9:00 – Beer Shark Mice – $35 (Del Close Theater)
Click here for tickets
"This veteran team works so well together it is as if a master playwright wrote a script they spent months perfecting it in rehearsal. They were like a great volleyball team. Somebody would volley, another would volley, always keeping the ball alive, and then somebody would spike it. The most jaded, critical audience wouldn't stand a chance against this well-oiled comedy machine. I've sat in many, various theaters and clubs and watched many, various comedy acts, but the electricity coursing through the air that night is unparalleled. Beer. Shark. Mice. rose to the occasion. They were funny. They were smart. They were perfect." —The Huffington Post on BeerSharkMice during iO West's 10th Annual LA improv festival.
Pete Hulne (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Dave Koechner (Anchorman, Anchorman 2)
Pat Finn (The Middle)
Mike Coleman (Factory)
Saturday 9:00 – Nogoodnicks Turbo – $35 (The Harold Cabaret)
Click here for tickets
Jordan Klepper (Daily Show), Tim Baltz (Veep, Drunk History) and Seth Weitberg
(Drunk History) come home to their old stomping grounds for a one-night-only, high
energy improv blowout not to be missed.
Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show)
Tim Baltz (Veep)
Seth Weitberg (Drunk History)
Saturday 10:00 – Joel Murray & Friends – $50 (Mission Theater)
Click here for tickets
What if you had an Armando and the Armando was Freddy Rumsen from Mad Men? On top of that, what if the people backing him up were other people you know from TV and film? Murray gets up with friends from his "storied" career. They are working actors and writers that studied with Del Close and apparently listened when they were in class. The stories are heartfelt and the improv is first-class.
Joel Murray (Mad Men)
Jack McBrayer (30 Rock)
Mitch Rouse (According To Jim)
Kevin Dorff (Conan)
Laura Krafft (Colbert Report)
Mike Coleman (Factory)
Brian Stack (Conan)
Pat Finn (According to Jim)
Pete Hulne (Brooklyn Nine Nine)
Saturday 10:30 – WeirDass (Stephnie Weir & Bob Dassie) & 3033 (w/ Sirens' Andy St Clair) – $35 (Del Close Theater)
Click here for tickets
Robert Dassie (Carpet Bros) and Stephnie Weir (Mad TV) are WeirDass, a husband and wife duo who use their shared experiences to inspire scenes, duologues and random asides in their long-form improvisation.
3033 is a modern reforming of the legendary Harold team People Of Earth. Featuring six performers of legendary skill, it represents the height of longform improv as an artform, executed flawlessly by master technicians of the craft. For the Grand Opening celebration, 3033 will welcome back founding member and writer of the USA Series Sirens, Andy St. Clair.
Saturday 10:30 – The Reckoning – $35 (The Harold Cabaret)
Click here for tickets
For over a decade, the Reckoning has played to packed houses and critical acclaim at iO Chicago and toured across the country with their singular brand of long-form improvisation. Hailed as "hands-down, the best in Chicago" and "a versatile rock band" of improvisers, they are known for their unpredictable shows and forms, as well as experimentation and innovation as ensemble.
Beer Shark Mice Master Class!
Learn from three of the absolute best!
BeerSharkMice will offering a Master Improv class to all Chicago students in the iO Del Close theater.
Sixty student max. No exceptions. The workshop will be taught by Pat Finn, Michael Coleman and Peter Hulne and it will consist of a four-hour workshop intensive.
BeerSharkMice (also known as the "Slacker") is a long-form improvisational show that originated in Los Angeles. It's generally an hour-long performance based on a suggestion of a location. The location is the starting point for an array of scenes where the players tag in to spin the scene in a new direction or wildly out of control. Sometimes it comes full circle and ends where it all began.
Pat Finn, Michael Coleman and Peter Hulne collectively have been improvising for over 25 years and have taught workshops at colleges, festivals and at the iO Thetaer. Their resumes are packed with television and film credits, so this is a wonderful opportunity for you to work with working actors.
The workshop will help you make strong choices, become a better listener, build team trust and most importantly have fun
on stage.
Class breakdown: the three will divide the class into sizable 20-student groups. Every hour the groups will rotate until every group has worked with each teacher. The final hour will be divided into three 20-minute BSM show slots where we mix and jumble up the 20 member groups.
This is your chance to show what you've learned in front of the three-judge panel and be critiqued. Each teacher will focus on the following:
- Pat Finn: Better edits, heightening scenes, callbacks, going wide and tag outs
- Michael Coleman: Relationships, starting scenes, trust, strong scene choices
- Peter Hulne: First scenes, object & space work, character and location understanding
Pat Finn grew up in Wilmette and is a founding member of BeerSharkMice in Los Angeles. After graduating from Marquette University, Pat joined the Improv Olympic (iO) and The Second City in Chicago. After being selected for the Main Stage at Second City, Pat was offered the co-starring role on a CBS sitcom. Pat has acted and improvised all over the world and is a founding member of "BeerSharkMice." His credits include among many others: Seinfeld, Friends, Curb
Your Enthusiasm, House, Dude Where's My Car and It's Complicated. Currently Pat has a recurring on ABC's The Middle.
Michael Coleman is a native of Chicago, and also a proud founding member of BeerSharkMice. He has studied and performed in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Some of his Film and Television credits include; Anchorman, How High?, The Middle, Modern Family, Monk, and Factory. He can currently be seen playing various historical characters on Drunk History.
Peter Hulne was born and raised on the Chicago's Northside in Rogers Park. He started honing his craft at the Piven Theater and moved onto iO, the Second City touring company and The Annoyance. He was on the iO house teams, Corky's Callback, The FAMILY and was the original creator (and still only president) of BeerSharkMice. Peter has appeared on Brooklyn 99, The Office, American Body Shop, Good Luck Charlie, Wizards of Waverly Place, Celtic Pride and ELF where he and his identical twin play elves in Santas workshop.
When: Friday August 29th from 12pm-4pm
Where: Del Close Theater
How much: $53
How many: 60 maximum
The class is listed under Session 4 classes on active.com
3541 location closed. Kingsbury facility soft opens August 13!
Thanks for 20 great years, Wrigleyville.
On July 19th, the final performances of the Armando Diaz Theatrical Movement/Experience and Chaos Theory signified the end of our time at Clark and Addison. Our longtime home in Wrigleyville is now closed, and our full attention is on getting our new facility ready for soft opening on August 13.
We will announce the schedule and ticket sale information shortly. In the meantime, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-date news and information, and join our mailing list to get first word when you can reserve seats for shows in our amazing new location at 1501 Kingsbury.
The Late 90's Moves To Thursdays!
First show tonight!
Modern Harold legends THE LATE 90'S start their run as the anchor of a new three-team Harold night TONIGHT at 8:00 in the Cab.
The Late 90's has won three consecutive Del Awards for Best Team. Check them out, paired with two different Harold openers every Thursday at 8:00. Tickets are only $12.
Chicago Tribune gives "Lean Back" three stars
Chicago Tribune
Check out Nina Metz' great review of our newest sketch offering: Virgin Daiquiri's "Lean Back."
"Saturday Night Live" cast members Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant came up through the all-female improv team Virgin Daiquiri at iO, which says something about this group's ability to attract and hone talent.
You can catch its Wednesday-night gig every week at iO — or for the next month or so, their new sketch show in the late-night Saturday slot. Either way you're in safe hands. "Lean Back" doesn't feel markedly different from a Virgin Daiquiri improv show in that you don't walk away thinking, "Wow, they are even sharper when working from scripted material." The quality feels pretty much the same, which is to say it's very good." – Chicago Tribune
Come check out the show every Saturday night at 10:30 in our Del Close Theater. Tickets are only $14!
iO's Jordan Klepper Joins the Daily Show!
Congratulations, Jordan!
Jordan Klepper, an iO alum and founding castmember of our improvised news satire program Whirled News Tonight, has tapped to join the Daily Show as a correspondent. He'll make his debut on tonight's program, reporting "live" from Ukraine. Tune in and cheer him on!
iO Heads To Denmark!
iO Goes Intercontinental!
iO is pleased to announce that we will be holding a week long intensive in Copenhagen, Denmark. We are still firming up class locations and will provide more information when available.
The Longform Intensive is a week-long crash course that will immerse you in the world of long-form improvisation, giving you the tools you need to be a successful performer. Our instructors are working actors and improvisers, in the trenches themselves every day, so the training you get is always relevant and challenging.
The intensive will take place Monday, April 14th – Friday, April 18th. The class will meet from 11am-6:00pm each day. There will be a one hour break for lunch.
The instructors for the intensive are: Charna Halpern, Colleen Doyle, Jet Eveleth, Lyndsay Hailey, and Tara DeFrancisco.
Tuition for the intensive is $450 and non refundable.
Registration for the intensive is open!
Two iO Alumns Land Big Writing Jobs!
Lakendra Tookes and Amber Ruffin to write for NBC shows!
Big news! Two iO alumns – Lakendra Tookes and Amber Ruffin just landed big writing jobs at NBC!
Lakendra will be joining the writing staff at SNL (alongside another recent hire/iO alumnus in Katie Rich). Lakendra has been an iO West feature for years, and we're thrilled for her!
Amber Ruffin is a veteran of iO's Chicago theater, and has been added to the staff of NBC's new late night venture, The Seth Meyers Show. Congratulations Amber!


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Compilation : [Universal Periodic Review] : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland / prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 16/21
12 March 2012 | Publisher: UN Human Rights Council | Document type: Compilations
Fact sheet - Hate Speech
February 2012 | Publisher: Council of Europe: European Court of Human Rights | Document type: Compilations