What are you reading right now...

[geo]

1984
Joseph Campbell's The Hero With A Thousand Faces

[DWill]

Richmond Lattimore's translation of The Acts and Letters of the Apostles

Collapse, by Jared Diamond

Excursions in the Real World, by William Trevor

[lady of shallot]

I'm pretty sure that 1984 is the most depressing book I have ever read. My daughter who graduated from college in 1984 was required to read this before starting school.

Must be quite different to read it in 2011, than when it was published!

I am reading a bio of Swinburne. Next "Salamina" a sort of biographical diary by artist Rockwell Kent about his time spent in Greenland.

[Kevin]

I'm pretty sure that 1984 is the most depressing book I have ever read.

I won't argue it except to say that I was so thrilled to read this well-written, interesting (and at times, humorous) book that even imagining a boot stamping on my human face - forever didn't really get me down. The most depressing book I've read, two most depressing books actually, I won't mention their titles, are written by cyberpunk author Bruce Sterling. My attempts at reading these books resulted in months-long timeframes away from reading ANY books. Still, I don't think he's a bad writer. He just depresses me with every word he writes. It's something else!

I'm currently reading Shosha by Isaac Bashevis Singer (which I've mentioned in a thread with an identical subject.) Anyway, who is Swinburne?

EDIT: I knew I knew the name from somewhere! Here are The Fugs:

[Suzanne]

I am reading "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries", have to say, I'm having a blast with it. I love all the folklore.

With that said, I thought I would read, "Rob Roy" along with FF. I don't think I can read RR. Has anyone read this? The man is very interesting, the time and place are interesting, but the writing style, UG! Don't know if I could read 1000 pages of it.

[Saffron]

I'm pretty sure that 1984 is the most depressing book I have ever read. My daughter who graduated from college in 1984 was required to read this before starting school.

I think Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo was the most depressing book I've ever read, even more depressing than The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

I am reading Collapse by Jared Diamond right now. It makes Cormac McCarthy's The Road a whole lot more frightening and has raised my estimation of Mr. McCarthy.

[geo]

Wow, we've got two people reading Collapse. I've read A Short History of Human Progress by Ronald Wright which shows the rise and fall of four civilizations--Sumer, Rome, Easter Island, and the Maya--with pretty stark suggestion that what led to their collapse is happening now on a worldwide scale. Not a hopeful book.

I'm loving 1984. Camacho started a thread while he was reading it and several people commented on it. It's a book that leaves an impression on its readers, I gather.

[Dawn]

Still recovering from Sam Harris' End of Faith by reading its antidote: THE END OF REASON by Ravi Zacharias--a refreshingly respectful and well reasoned statement refuting much of Sam's inflammatory rhetoric.

But the favorite read of late is the hot-off-the-press first book by Ann Voskamp--One Thousand Gifts--a Dare to Live Fully Right Where your Are. Her use of language is exquisite. It restores my soul........

[Tati-Ana]

The possessed by dostoevsky. puzzling, very puzzling. but interesting:)

[britt.britt]

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore