I was a bit reluctant to open a thread about such a wonderful book - being afraid, it could raise expectations of me giving a review, and I feel this might ultimately be beyond me - and esp. while only being in halfway.
It is a phantastic book and I love it, and will go on doing so, and can only echo Sageous praise!
But as it is - I feel like doing it anyway, because I would like to continue the following exchange in a place of itīs own.
Not to derail shadowofwindīs thread, which inspired it - and a huge thankyou for this, if you read it!
And to maybe reach others, who would be delighted by it too!
Okay - I just throw an excerpt of this exchange in here and leave it to incubate a bit more!
Originally Posted by Sageous
Aside from the rest of Stephenson's books (especially the Baroque Cycle books -- which are really just one 1,200-page book; 2,300 if you include Cryptonomicon, God help us), about the single best book I can recommend that you read is Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin. Aside from being a great book, Winter's Tale is categorically the best book I've ever read about nature and conscious experience of dreaming -- even though the word "dream," much less the concept itself, is rarely mentioned in the story.
Originally Posted by StephL
I am such a picture-freak - canīt help it:
Well - and completely free to do what I want time.. for a while.
Originally Posted by StephL
I am reading this book now - and I feel I can not find words to express how moved I am - Iīm actually crying and smiling at the same time for a while now while reading - how can anybody write such a beautiful thing..?
I am about a quarter in and I donīt think, I will get much sleep tonight - listening to Brahms, who to my great joy I got reminded of, Beverly playing the allegro of his violin concerto in her fever.
Ah - I feel so inadequate posting words in here - just wanted to let you know.
I canīt thank you enough for this book!
This will not be the only time I read it.
Originally Posted by Sageous
^^ Very cool, I'm glad you're enjoying it!
I got a warm feeling just at the mention of Beverly (even though she was so fond of the cold). I do try to reread it every 5-10 years, just to be reminded about Peter Lake's world, and the definition of quality.
Oh, and the best thing about this book is that it keeps getting better; enjoy!
Originally Posted by StephL
He is such a virtuoso - somehow he managed to take my tears away completely, just before she dies.
Iīm not completely sure - but it felt as if he pulled the blow, somehow magically, before it happens - the morgue scene shortly before and the little things after that.
Iīll stop spoiling now, if somebody else wants to read it..
DO IT - SOMEONE ELSE!!
Originally Posted by Sageous
Just read there's going to be a movie next year. Unless it's about 12 hours long it'll likely suck, but seemed worth mentioning. I'll be obliged to see it regardless of quality, for sure.
Yeah - my husband told me, and I was like - the most they might (and hopefully will..) manage, is to give a tiny little bit of a glimpse of itīs intricate beauty and maybe motivate people to read the book themselves..
I can understand so well, though, that if you are a director and your mind is tuned to finding text, which spawns the most beautiful of pictures in your mind - you couldnīt possibly be able to resist trying your hand at it.
What can never be done, though is do justice to all the inner dialogue/monologue the book holds on offer..
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