I have a couple of her books on my Kindle–along with about 350 others-- but haven’t read them yet.
Currently about 200 pages into Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, on the back of the series, which I enjoyed a lot a few years ago. It seems to be a genuine attempt to write a novel not just set in the eighteenth century, but written in that manner, which obviously didn’t come across in the show. As with most literary affectations I’m considerably less tolerant of the resultant eccentricities than I would’ve been twenty years ago. It comes off as pretty twee, honestly, which I don’t remember the show doing. Still enjoyable, though. I was a little put off by the footnotes (again, twenty years ago my heart might have sung) but they’re actually pretty enjoyable.
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I’ve been meaning to give that a try. It’s such a brick. Maybe I’ll try on kindle.
I read the black brick version when it first came out. It had cool illustrations in some chapters. I thought the TV series was amazing, especially after having read the book so long ago. It mad it fresh. I didn’t like how they portrayed the Raven King though.
Have you read The Left Hand of Darkness? I read it last year and thought it was amazing.
It’s about this human who represents this federation of planets who gets sent to a new planet to try to get them to join the federation. The planet has people that change gender depending on the time of the month and are usually both fathers and mothers at the same time. So you see how a human interacts with these people when viewed through his distinct man vs woman understanding of gender. He joins up with this one person and goes on an adventure and you get to see how his understanding of the people, and gender in general, changes as he develops a relationship with the other person.
The book came out in 1969.
eta: didn’t want to discuss it in the so called “Low Content” thread.
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Read this and The sympathizer back to back
Ruined books for awhile
Anyone here read Junot Diaz?
Really liked the two I read so far.
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I see a man releasing a dove from his lap
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You dog
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Currently reading two books, one serious, one not.
Serious:
Not so serious:
@Pauwl What, you didn’t want to get accused of being infantile? Anyway, no I have not, but I will add it to my ever-expanding list. Sounds interesting.
I feel like a lot of folks on this forum could use a look at the first one 
Read this in one night the day i graduated from undergrad. Good book but i should have partied.
I think one came out like 5 years ago.
Finished reading Hamilton biography last week. Very good for understanding the context around the revolution and early government and what a stud Hamilton was. He was a law bro’s law bro.
Juggling like 8-20 books as usual. Spent most time this week on The Open Society and its Enemies. 60 pages in and so far it’s largely a criticism of Plato’s anti-democratic views. Some interesting observations here and there about “historicst” views (the people=inferior to the tribe and its customs/law). Popper hates historicism as akin to fascism. Book 2 is a criticism of Marx, especially Hegel’s influence, and probably more engaging.
About 60 pages in to Democracy for Realists, which is a semi-technical critique of poly science “folk” theories of democracy that offers evidence that voters are just pressing buttons.
Sill reading Empire of Liberty, US History from like 1815-1848. Main takeaway is it was often a lawless country, with ideals mainly supported when interests did not conflict, and Andrew Jackson was bad.
I don’t want this to turn into a derail but taking very inaccurate passive aggressive shots like this is bad posting.
Pauwl’s book recommendation sounds a long way from being infantile from his description, and I can’t imagine anyone would describe it as such.
If you don’t understand the difference between pure fantasy and a book that explores people’s relationships with each other and with the external world, maybe read and think more about what separates art (such as this, by the description) from pure escapist entertainment ie pure fun.
Or we can take it to PM if you want.
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So clarify for me. Is the entire genre of fantasy infantile, or not?
this:
seems to both imply that it is, then make an exception in the same sentence. Could you admit that there are things you might consider “pure escapist entertainment” that actually have deeper meaning, you just haven’t bothered to try to look?
Question: I assume you’ve heard of the book/movie “Starship Troopers”? If so, would you classify that as art or escapism?
I got a ton out of your last book recommendation, so I will look up Politics is for Power right now.
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Reading Aeschylus’ Orestia for the first time, and its pretty pretty good
This phrase from the intro 
He has traveled a long political distance to be here this night.
Powerful anecdote to open the book.
I like the book because he makes activism relatable.
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If someone writes a book purely about a day in the life of a dog (woke, ate, slept, ran about, ate, pissed, shat, slept), I don’t think it can be called art.
If someone writes a book about animals that has parallels with and offers insights into human experience, it’s obviously art eg Animal Farm.
The setting is somewhat irrelevant. The intention is the thing.
Then there’s good art, bad art and art that’s somewhere in between, which obviously isn’t scientifically defined but is the result of sustained critical opinion.