Methinks we need a Jane Eyre Special Feature — or perhaps a Bronte sisters SF. Would you guys be up for that?

Yes! So I can defend Jane Eyre...

Aslanisthebest: I've seen 2 versions of Pollyanna, the BBC one being more accurate I think, or at least tasteful, but I haven't read the book either.

Shadowlander: I thought Christian's journey in Pilgrim's Progress was better written, and certainly more memorable. My favorite part?

My dad came to me and asked me if he should read The Pilgrim's Progress in Today's Language or the original The Pilgrim's Progress. I'm surprised that he even had to ask me my opinion. He tried to defend himself by saying that he cared more for the theology of the book than the writing. I didn't even know they "translated" books into "Today's Language"!

Oh yes, they do! I've seen the book he's talking about in stores and in libraries. I've also seen Shakespeare's plays in "today's language." Can you believe that?!

Poor Professor Bhaer. Everyone I know (including myself) prefers Laurie to him!

I prefer Prof. Bhaer. Why? His maturity! Laurie is a boy compared to him! I want maturity in people, whatever their age.

It made a little ill to see someone saying William P. Young's book The Shack is PP's modern equivalent.

You cannot be serious! I consider The Shack bad theology, almost sacriligeous! [sp?]

Lindir: welcome! My favorite Old Testament books are Song of Solomon, Isaiah, and Daniel. My favorite people are Ruth, Hannah, David and Daniel. My favorite New Testament books are 1 Peter and 1 John. And my favorite people are Jesus and Peter.

lol I always judge a book by it's cover. If the cover looks boring i probably won't pick it up, but then again i have picked up some boring book covers and they were pretty good books thoughs some of them were boring.

well as we are on the subject of book covers i'd like to make a random comment on an observation i made the other day. The newest (i think) LOTR book covers are different from the scenes in the movie. For example the FOTR book cover is the freeze shot of Frodo in the spider cave with the bottle of water from Galadriel which is from the third movie. Of course this information is irrevelant but i just had to tell someone....now back to the subject of the actual book content....

I liked Jane Eyre, but i don't think i'd want to read it again.......ooohhh and anyone who likes fantasy/girl power (hehe) you should totally read Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce. It is AMAZING.

*is rather surprised no one else has jumped at the idea of the audible.com offer* Maybe you are all waiting for me to test it first? Seriously, it's going to be a while 'til I choose. One of the major issues is whether I will "play it safe" and get a book I know I love (another one of which that I didn't mention being Sense and Sensibility read by Susannah Harker, aka Jane Bennett in the '95 P&P) or go out on a limb with something like I Capture the Castle, which I might later regret getting.

It will be interesting to see what my reaction is upon a reread of Jane Eyre as well. I was fairly frustrated with it the first time around, but I've come to recognize that if it can win the love of so many of my beloved friends here, as well as inspire one of my favorite movies (the '44 version), I must have been missing something.

*whispers "LibraryThing" gently in Jo-Anna's ear* You know what would be fun? If I were to come visit you and help you organize and input your library into LibraryThing

*would very much like to partake in this as well*

I have already picked up another book ... The Blue Sword.... I can never decide if I like this one or The Hero and the Crown more...

I definitely enjoyed The Hero and the Crown more when I was younger, but I read it first and I think that may have taken some of the enjoyment out of Sword for me. I also did not realize everything that went on in the Aerin/Luthe relationship; when I figured it out a few years later, I was rather shocked.

Anyway, I think a McKinley reading/re-reading binge is in my future.

(Speaking of McKinley, I often find myself looking at her blog or recipe blog when I'm in need of a laugh. Love this line about electric lemon zesters: "I THREW MY ZESTER OUT sounds like a particularly lurid tell-all memoir. But then I have a low mind.")

Methinks we need a Jane Eyre Special Feature — or perhaps a Bronte sisters SF. Would you guys be up for that?

Yes! So I can defend Jane Eyre...

And maybe ww can defend Wuthering Heights simultaneously.

As sad as it sounds, we often do pick a book first by it's cover design and then by reading the blurb and first few pages but I've read great books with rubbish covers and rubbish books with great covers. The rule does not always stand.

I agree that Stephen King needs a better editor for his books but The Stand wasn't one of them. I've read the Uncut version and I found it to be brilliant, one of the best books I've read. The book was very character-driven but also had a great plot. I really connected with the characters in this one (unlike IT). It's also easy to see where much of the primary influence for LOST came from - 'hint' - The Stand.

Tierza, that book sounds like an interesting read. I don't know about the unicorn bit though, it sounds a bit girly.

220chrisTian, I understand you wanting Shakespeare's works to remain untouched but the originals aren't being harmed via the modern translations. They still exist. I don't like Shakespeare, I'm just saying. They're terribly difficult to read, especially when you had to study them intensely for school and hate every moment because you couldn't understand a dem thing (I guess being dyslexic doesn't help). Shakespeare's plays were meant to be watched, not read. If some people are making the works available in more a easily-read language, I personally don't see a problem with it, as long as they do so respectfully.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Sproul book, Jo-Anna. Todd is still working his way through it.

Actually, I haven't read it yet—only purchased it—but have picked it up frequently to read different sections. And so far ... Big Thumbs Up!

Okay, ww and lys: it's a DATE!

Ahh, Shadowlander, I so appreciate Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. What a true, meaningful, and powerful allegory of the journey of a Christian.

And ... I'm just too excited, so I'm posting it here 'cause it does have to do with a book: a friend of mine pointed me to the ebay direction and I just purchased ... ta-da! the Argonath poster, which I've been wanting for years. Big HAPPY SMILE! And now I don't have to won't be tempted to steal Amy's.

I finished the Hunger Games a couple of days ago. Its about 22 kids who get locked in an arena to fight to the death. Sounds really creepy, but it actually has a moving story line, doesn't get too gory (surprisingly), and is filled with (my favorite) romance.

Not to burst your bubble, but the sequel to S&C, The Grand Tour, is really not very impressive. I quit a bit less than halfway through. It was boring, confusing, and I missed the banter between the cousins. I also felt that parts of the characters' personalities became exaggerated.

Aw, that's too bad. I'll get it from the library sometime, though. Ooh, there's a third one? Not in the US, it appears.

Morality means little unless the alternative is very attractive and tempting to us.

I love this. So true.

Awesome line about the lemon zester, lys. I need to reread her books, too...

I finished The Unicorn and other Poems. I would have probaby gotten more out of it were I not sick. Ah well.

Book lovers' worst fears when it comes to movie adaptions
Douglas Adams as guru?

There is a hilarious Brontë sisters comic I found online, but I'm hesitant to share it because the artist puts uncouth words into the sisters' mouths. Ah well.

Hi Broadway_Geek, and welcome to NarniaWeb! I read The Hunger Games awhile ago and really enjoyed it ... if "enjoy" is the right word. The premise is disturbing (as we have recently mentioned here), but it is a fascinating and well-written story. Have you seen Collins' second book in the series? Catching Fire. It was released last week, and I've only just begun it.

I agree that Stephen King needs a better editor for his books but The Stand wasn't one of them. I've read the Uncut version and I found it to be brilliant, one of the best books I've read. The book was very character-driven but also had a great plot. I really connected with the characters in this one (unlike IT).

The Stand is wonderful, I've heard King's upcoming novel Under the Dome has a similar feel to it. Have you read the uncut edition, Shadowlander?

Will wonders never cease! This is the last thread in the world I'd think to find Stand fans. I've read the Uncut version and it really is the best one available. I just finished the original release and it was abridged in a major fashion...many things I remember from the Uncut version were simply gone altogether and thoroughly missed, and despite it being a voluminous book that extra detail really adds greatly to the overall flavor of the book. There was a time when I would have pointed to King's Dark Tower series as even better than The Stand, but after Volume 5 it started to go downhill, and I can genuinely say not to read it unless you plan on stopping at Volume 4. It's just not worth it.

220Christian, you and I have the same favorite part of The Pilgrim's Progress! When I first read the book years ago I was going through a very tough time with something in my personal life, and when I got to that passage....well, let's just say it was precisely what the doctor ordered. It's the portion of the book I genuinely treasure the most.

*gasps* Oh my! I didn't know the sequel was out yet! I know my friend was ordering it....I'll have to steal-eh, borrow it from her.

I finished my book last night and now have to go through to trouble of choosing another book. I'm thinking maybe Northanger Abbey....it looks pretty good.

Shadowlander, yes, there are few of us here who step beyond the bounds of classics and Christian fiction.
I actually tried reading the first Dark Tower book and I got 160 or so pages into it and put it down. I didn't understand anything that was going on and it seemed to have no point. Which is a real pity because King's a very talented writer (though, not a good editor) and the premise of the Dark Tower series sounded incredibly interesting. Oh well. You live and learn I guess.

Currently, I'm reading volume 4 of the Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga by Hayao Miyazaki.

I actually tried reading the first Dark Tower book and I got 160 or so pages into it and put it down. I didn't understand anything that was going on and it seemed to have no point.

Ahhh..."The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

The first book I think began as something of a serial from King waaaay back in the 70's and 80's. Once he discovered he liked the setting (a fantastic world that has gone on leaving only the vestiges of civilization and scant clues as to what the heck happened) he kept on trucking and developing more and more of the plot. I personally liked The Gunslinger, but it seems to be the book that tends to make readers shy away from the series. Drawing of the Three was next and was great too, but The Wastelands was definitely the pinnacle of the series and the point where I feel the plot reached its apogee. I very much liked Wizard and Glass, but it was clear that the series was beginning a slow slide down from that point on. The last three books felt extremely hurried, which irritated me to no end...I'd rather King take 5 years between installments to craft a great story, as opposed to his rushing a giant manuscript out the door just so he can say, "I'm done!". That's what it felt like.

Roland is definitely one of most unique and interesting story characters I've ever come across, and one of my favorites.

Yes, the first line is golden.
I've read (I'm not sure it's entirely true) that King rushed the last three books because he thought he might die before finishing the series (some of this was while recovering from his almost fatal accident). He didn't wish to leave his readers hanging but in the end it sounds like he only made matters worse.
I feel bad though, because I almost always finish a book, even if I don't like it. That, and I wanted to enjoy the series because it sounded really interesting.

*hasn't been in the book thread for a few months probably.*

*clears throat* I don't have a lot to say either.

Just that lately I've been reading Sherlock Holmes, and that's about all. Really, all this summer, the only Book I really read was the Bible. Otherwise my reading was practically nil. I'm hoping to create better habits though.

Also possibly on the book thread topic, and possibly more on the topic of sleeping and dreams:
Last night I dreamed that the Mods on N-web made a whole little "sub-section" under the Spare Oom completely for books and movies.
Doubt that will ever happen.

Has only posted in this Thread once. But it seems fun! I love books, and couldn't live without them, and I'm in need of a good book.

I finished my book last night and now have to go through to trouble of finding another book. I'm thinking maybe Northanger Abbey....It looks pretty good.

I know what you mean. It is awfully hard sometimes to find a good book. Northanger Abbey? I once picked that up at the Library, but the cover freaked me out a bit. So, if you end up reading it, let me know what you think! And if ever you need book suggestions, I've read alot of good books you might be interested in.

Have any of you read Screwtape Letters? I tried to, but with my small level of intelligence, I sadly sat it down after the third chapter.