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What should I read first?

post #1 of 18
2/5/08 at 8:26pm
Thread Starter 
I FINALLY got around to using my Barnes & Nobles giftcard my sister got me for Christmas.
So here's what I got:

World War Z
The Lovely Bones
The Ruins
Quicksilver

Thoughts? Opinions?
I'm just finally finishing up Blindness and Feast of Crows so thats what motivated me to use the card and get something new.


Oh, and my sister also got me a couple of books called Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley. Anyone ever seen this stuff? Man it's funny and disturbing at the same time.
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post #2 of 18
2/5/08 at 9:00pm
It is probably unlikely that you will read Quicksilver to completition right away. That said, it doesn't hurt to start it and read another book on the side when you need a break. It all depends on if you like juggling multiple books at once.
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post #3 of 18
2/5/08 at 9:15pm
World War Z is amazing. Plus it's a quick read.
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post #4 of 18
2/5/08 at 9:18pm
Yeah, you can get through World War Z pretty quickly. And I'd save Quicksilver (I assume it's the Neal Stephenson novel) for when you have time to take it all in.
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post #5 of 18
2/5/08 at 9:51pm
Thread Starter 
What is it about Quicksilver (yes, it is the Neal Stephenson book) that you think is going to take extra time to "take in"?
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post #6 of 18
2/5/08 at 9:58pm
If you want to read The Ruins before the movie comes out, read that first as the movie opens in April. Otherwise, I second World War Z.
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post #7 of 18
2/5/08 at 10:48pm
I dumped Quicksilver pretty quick. It was kind of a rough read. As for the order in which to read, I'd say leave the best for last. Meaning leave World War Z for later. It is fantastic.
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post #8 of 18
2/6/08 at 12:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by E.T.C. View Post
What is it about Quicksilver (yes, it is the Neal Stephenson book) that you think is going to take extra time to "take in"?
It is very ambitious and epic in scope, which its one of its charms, but it makes finishing it a challenge.
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post #9 of 18
2/6/08 at 9:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by englebert View Post
It is very ambitious and epic in scope, which its one of its charms, but it makes finishing it a challenge.
Yeah, I had that problem with Crytptonomican(sp?). I loved it to death, but it took me some time to finish it.

Looks like World War Z will probably be my next read!
I'm gonna read 'em all anyway, obviously.
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post #10 of 18
2/6/08 at 12:33pm
The Ruins, hands down.
World War Z is mediocre at best.
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post #11 of 18
2/6/08 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by E.T.C. View Post

Looks like World War Z will probably be my next read!
.
I wuz too late!
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post #12 of 18
2/6/08 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
World War Z is mediocre at best.
Excuse my while I go and grab my dueling pistols.
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post #13 of 18
2/6/08 at 3:17pm
...18...19...20.
Turn and-
The story is supposed to be told by different voices from all over the world, but Brooks' writing isn't up to it. The narrators don't have distinct voices, they all sound like Brooks. And Brooks isn't lyrical enough to carry the entire book on his style. So that leaves us with the plot to fall back on. But the plot is as old as Romero himself. The book brings nothing new to the table. Things got so redundant I had to quit just past the halfway mark. The story's ending is predetermined, so it's up to Brooks to make the tales interesting. But he's just not creative enough. When the novelty wears off there's nothing else to fall back on.
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post #14 of 18
2/6/08 at 3:34pm
I guess I just got swept up in the epic-worldwide story. I love Romero zombie movies because they are small and personal. WWZ had many small, personal stories told from all over the planet. When viewed together, they paint a larger story that I found very exciting and fun to read. Some of the characters may not have been the most 3-dimensional (the mercenary, perhaps), but many more were (I look to the blind asian man in particular).

I see what you're saying, but I think you may have found more to like if you had finished the book.
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post #15 of 18
2/6/08 at 3:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tieman View Post
Excuse my while I go and grab my dueling pistols.
I'll bring the slapping gloves.
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post #16 of 18
2/6/08 at 3:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tieman View Post

I see what you're saying, but I think you may have found more to like if you had finished the book.
I seriously doubt it, BUT-
I am a horror/zombie/romero fan so I've seen about a gajillion different zombie stories in my life. Perhaps if you've seen/read little in the zombie genre this would be more interesting. But his writing lacks flair regardless.
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post #17 of 18
2/6/08 at 3:53pm
I understand what Bob is getting at, but I left my zombie baggage at the door and enjoyed the different anecdotes from the survivors. Yes, they were all in Brooks' voice, but I give him credit for attempting the feat at the very least.
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post #18 of 18
3/2/08 at 10:59pm
I'm late to the party here, but I gotta agree that while Brooks' writing isn't skillful enough to make us believe we're actually listening to stories told by different narrators (a criticism I leveled at it in the 'Is the Horror Novel Dead" thread on Creature Corner when I 1st read it), the characters he chooses to write anecdotes about is pretty fascinating. he could have just chosen to have all the stories come from soldiers or politicians or common man victims. But he had all those, plus astronauts, Chinese sub captains, the secretary of the interior, dog handlers, etc. As Tieman mentioned, the tapestry he weaves thereby to tell the tale in seeming fragments that still give you a coherent sense of the whole, is greater than the sum of its parts. Also, this is the first zombie story I recall reading or seeing in film where it ends the way it does. And I've seen and read plenty. As far as the skill of the writer, perhaps it is mediocre. But it more than makes up for it, IMO, w/ originality of concept and creativity in execution.
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