Belochka

I've tried reading a few other of Gore Vidal's novels, including the Empire series, and to be honest I've struggled to get through them. They really are nothing like Creation, so don't let previous bad experiences put you off reading it.

The writing style is a little dry, but that works well, as the narrator is supposed to be a cynical man in his 80s who has seen, well, everything really. He also has a wonderfully dry sense of humour.

It helps to understand some of the humour, and some of challenges being made to our accepted version of history, if you know a bit about the history of Athens in the fifth century, but I wouldn't let that put you off either -- it's a cracking good read.



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

3hrs 50 mins for HP5! (5 mins slower than my flatmate!) I did enjoy it, but it wasn't worth all the hype. Can wait till the in-laws get me the paperback before I read it again.

Dante - I tried for editing and post production jobs in most of the major tv companies, but I was quite restricted because I want to live in Bristol. But with all these layoff coming up, (according to BECTU anyway), I probably wouldn't get anything without some major training (might be starting a course in September depending on how much it costs)

Guy - I haven't seen Gore Vidal or Mary Renault - I'll take a look out for them next time I'm in Waterstone's and actually remember to bring all those book tokens I've been saving!



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

Many thanks Guy, 'Creation' is definitely on my evergrowing list to buy. The next after I get WOLP I expect!

Simon - Yes the detective novels were in the name Edgar Box, and they are great. Very louche characters :)

If anyone hasn't got HP5 yet and is planning to, I can recommend Asda as being the cheapest (that I've heard of, anyway). I got my copy for £8.96

And I looked at the end, to see who died...

So did I. And flipped through the bit where Dumbledore explained all. Shameless.

outrageous behaviour, the pair of us.

I didn't read any further than where I found out who it was. The lady who served me at Asda asked if I was going to look at the back, as everyone who was in the night before at midnight seemed to be flicking to the back...

halfway through. How anyone can read it in just under 4 hours is beyond me. I thought I read fast...

Ah - I speed read as my natural reading speed. Don't know why, and most of the time it is d*mned annoying, as I miss bits completely. However, it has come in useful, as has the 5 minute photographic memory, which allows me to read the chapter of whichever classical author for my seminars, answer the first two questions on it, and then go to sleep for the rest of the hour. I get bonus points for being keen, and a nice kip to go on top :)

I'd actually guessed who was going to die. But I did wait to get to the right point in the book before I found out.



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

I think all added up it took me about 6.5 to 7.5 hours and i consider myself a fast reader!

Anyway... I can use the excuse that it's not my native language
;-)

I had three kids and a husband to interupt me so that why it took me ten hours. But I didn't guess who was to die. Bit of a shock.

Thanks on behalf of all those who have not read it for keeping shtum. I do, however, know. Some really infuriating semi-literate kid on my journal site blurted it out (no pun intended) in their journal, and it happened to turn up on the home page at the same time that I did.

Bloggers all, if you post spoilers in your journal, put them behind a cut, pleeeeeeeeeeeease!



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

I don't want any hints or anything as I'm going to read it myself but, IIRC, didn't JKRowling announce that a major character died in Goblet of Fire and he wasn't that major at all...

I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say Book 6 is going to be titled "Ron Weasley and the Funeral Arrangements".



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"Whisky-wa-wa," I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

Yup, like that won't give anything away... Slapped bottom and no tea before bedtime.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

My brother reckoned that Harry was going to die, and then do book 6 and 7 as a ghost...



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There's a hole in my creativity bucket and it's all leaked out.

Now that would have been an interesting plot twist - "Harry Potter and the bored witless author"

One review suggested that Rowling was starting to show signs of being totally bored with the bleedin' Quidditch...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

There may be a spoiler in my post.....














What, by not writing any? Writing Harry out of it... Reckon he'll be back on his broom by book 6?



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There's a hole in my creativity bucket and it's all leaked out.

Dunno, depends if it gets withdrawn from sale after claims of 'inappropriate vibrations'...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

<snork>

Very funny.

I'm chasing all your posts tonight Ben...



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There's a hole in my creativity bucket and it's all leaked out.

Wasn't a snork one of those funny pink things that hung about with the Raccoons? You know, Cyril Sneer and Cedric. And if they weren't, then what the hell were they?



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Actually they were, yes. I was just using the sound as a sort of smirk and snort at the same time...

It's sad that I knew that...



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There's a hole in my creativity bucket and it's all leaked out.