BookTalk.org

Hey everybody! My name's Luke and I'm a 31yr old from Essex in England. I'll read any genre and I haven't got a favourite author in particular but my favourite novels are Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. I'm looking forward to getting involved in discussions and receiving some recommendations. Glad to be here

Welcome to the community!

I've read both of those books! In fact we read and discussed "Lolita" here on BookTalk.org in October and November of 2008. http://www.booktalk.org/books.html

Oooh, Lolita is one of my all-time favourite novels. I sort of feel like it's one of those books you can either appreciate or you can't - no middle ground. I've read Hesse but so long ago that I don't remember it at all. I picked up Siddhartha at a used book store a while ago, but haven't gotten around to reading it. I think it's the one I read a long time ago, but I'm not certain. If so, I liked it then!

Another book you may like that's along the philosophical/dreamy line is Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre. Another one of my favourites, and again, a book that seems like either you like it or you think it's a waste of time. If you do read it, please let me know what you think!

Welcome to BookTalk, Luke!

Hey thanks, I'll check out Nausea, sounds right up my street! Yeah I loved Lolita and then straight away read it again with the annotations and it blew me away. Obviously it's a risky subject matter but I think Nabokov handles it so well and it's so clever the way the narrator stays in control and repeats numbers and phrases to bring it all back round. I feel like reading it again now! I'll definitely have a look at the discussions.

I loved Siddhartha but couldn't get into another of his novels, The Steppenwolf, quite as much even though it came highly recommended. Worth checking out if you haven't read it. Do you like Paulo Coelho?

I'm always dismayed when people say things like "Oh, Lolita? Isn't that some pedophilia book?". I understand but I think it's such a disservice. Like you said, Nabokov does an amazing job of dealing with the subject, and manages to convey such beauty and horror without ever being licentious. I have Pnin and Pale Fire on my shelf also to read, but I hear they don't compare.

I'll keep Steppenwolf in mind... I have a tendency to buy books at used bookstores only with a general idea of reading them "someday", hence a lot of books to get through. I have Demian already, so that'll be three Hesse's to read! I better get crackin'!

I've not read Coelho, though I've heard of him. I remember considering The Alchemist but I never picked it up. Which books of his would you recommend?

I know, I've had people look at me in disgust when I tell them that Lolita is one of my favourite novels, as if it's some guide book to paedophilia. Needless to say these people have seldom read it themselves! Humbert Humbert is really a monster but the way Nabokov is able to portray him as a funny and sympathetic person really is testament to the subtlety of his writing. In my opinion anyway! I couldn't get on with Pale Fire and haven't read Pnin but Laughter In The Dark is a decent read, almost a precursor to Lolita in a way.

The Alchemist is deservedly Coelho's most acclaimed book but I also enjoyed Veronika Decides To Die and another of his of which the title escapes me at the moment. It's something to do with the devil. Sorry I'm not much help, I'll look it up and get back to you! Everyone of Coelho's books that I've read have life-affirming pearls of wisdom in them, but it's probably best not to do what I did and read them all one after another because they can start to feel a little preachy. But I'll let you form your own opinion

The Devil And Miss Prym! That's the one.

Hmm, The Devil and Miss Prym sounds very interesting. Yet another item to add to my To-Read list! I'm looking forward to it, I might go for that one next. Of course, I have all these books I already own to read, but instead I'm opting for something I don't have.