What are you reading now?

[randombs]

Been reading this, god help anyone who spoils the ending for me

I've got the Japanese version! I saw it in a book shop for a quid and couldn't resist.



It's got an alternative ending that was censored for the Western release

->Open Spoiler<-

because it wasn't in English

[Darwock]

Funny, I see that book almost every day here in Japan, but that is the first time I have seen a Japanese version.

[Number45]

Hereyougo:

Sorry I couldn't be bothered changing the orientation... you can see the last line though, that ought to be enough right? It is page 22 by the way.

I finished reading the fourth book last night, only to discover it was in fact only half the story, with the other half to be published later this year (6 years after!). It makes me wonder if he hasn't fallen into the Robert Jordan trap after all, because this book lost the fast pace of the first three and felt rather bloated. It was all people travelling from one place to another to no particular advancement of the plot.. surely it could have been streamlined to fit it all into one novel.

Can't get an exact match messing around with the settings. As for page numbers it looks like it'll use the most prominent page number (so sometimes it might use the same page number twice, others it'll skip a page number completely). Just curious really, but I was wondering how easy it would be to reference a location between the paper and Kindle versions of the same book.

[Number45]

I'm loving this. I've gone from not knowing what's going on (and who they all are for heaven's sake!) to being completely enthralled, and I feel as though I've barely scratched the surface.

EDIT: Now I need to know how far each episode of the TV series goes so I can keep relatively up to date, or I guess I could just wait until I'm done.

[Dogg Thang]

Are you talking about the Very Hungry Caterpillar?

[Charlie]

The Last Days of Socrates (Penguin Classics) by Plato



"The trial and condemnation of Socrates on charges of heresy and corrupting young minds is a defining moment in the history of Classical Athens. In tracing these events through four dialogues, Plato also developed his own philosophy, based on Socrates' manifesto for a life guided by self-responsibility. Euthyphro finds Socrates outside the court-house, debating the nature of piety, while The Apology is his robust rebuttal of the charges of impiety and a defence of the philosopher's life. In the Crito, while awaiting execution in prison, Socrates counters the arguments of friends urging him to escape. Finally, in the Phaedo, he is shown calmly confident in the face of death, skilfully arguing the case for the immortality of the soul."

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Excellent read, especially The Apology where Socrates defends himself in court. Too bad mother nature doesn't see fit to bless us all with Socrates' qualities - that is the ability to be serious cheerfully and in possessing a wisdom full of roguishness that constitutes the finest state of the human soul.

What struck me most reading the book are the similarities between Socrates and Jesus Christ. Indeed I'd go so far as to suggest that, and I mean no offense to Christians when I say this, the Jesus Christ represented in the Bible is modelled on Plato's account of Socrates as the similarities in their core message, and indeed their downfall at the hands of the authorities, are frighteningly similar. The main differences being where as Socrates was full of humour and logic and plainfully aware of his own ignorance, Jesus Christ was serious, somber, maybe even a bit depressing (though to be fair, being told you're the son of God would probably have that effect on anyone ) and had no doubts that what he thought and taught were true.

[monel]

That sounds good, I read some Plato and Aristotle a long, long time ago and that seems very interesting. Hmmm.

[Number45]

Finished reading A Game of Thrones last week. What a rollercoaster ride that was, and I wasn't expecting it to end like that!

Will be starting A Clash of Kings this afternoon.

[Fader209]

Use of Weapons by Iain M Banks.
Got to love those over powered drones

[fuse]

I am also jumping on the Game of Thrones bandwagon - finished up 'Cloud Atlas' last week, so now starting book one.

[Decider-VT]

The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath. It's really over the top (even by Lovecraft's standards) but it's fun to see a lot of the elements from his previous Dunsanian work coalescing into one story.

[Number45]

Literally just finished "A Clash of Kings". I'm not sure I can continue though, too many people alive that I ****ing hate (one in particular).

[Darwock]

Which one would that be? There are so many contenders!

[Charlie]

Early Socratic Dialogues - Plato



Rich in drama and humour, they include the controversial Ion, a debate on poetic inspiration; Laches, in which Socrates seeks to define bravery; and Euthydemus, which considers the relationship between philosophy and politics. Together, these dialogues provide a definitive portrait of the real Socrates and raise issues still keenly debated by philosophers, forming an incisive overview of Plato's philosophy.

Great read. It's very entertaining and, unlike most philosophical texts, easy to digest. Socrates comes across as colourful, as charming, as humourous and, most of all, as intelligent as ever, questioning everything and all around him. Here we find him discussing seemingly easy themes 'like what is courage?' and 'what is friendship?' but by the end of the book, far from feeling more sure about the topics raised, the reader is less certain and full of even more questions than he was before reading the book. And that's precisely what good philosophy should do.

[Number45]

Which one would that be? There are so many contenders!

->Open Spoiler<-

Tyrion

. I'm sure I'm not supposed to hate him, but I can't help it.