Don't people read anymore?

by **CtrlAltDel** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:04 pm

Lucifer wrote:Frederick Forsyth absolutely rules

yes....all his novels r masterpieces! i also admire Robert Ludlum, Colin Forbes, Robin Cook and Jeff Archer among prominent novelists.

by **Kenny** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:16 pm

CtrlAltDel wrote:
Lucifer wrote:Frederick Forsyth absolutely rules
yes....all his novels r masterpieces! i also admire Robert Ludlum, Colin Forbes, Robin Cook and Jeff Archer among prominent novelists.

How 'bout Alistair MacLean n Arthur Hailey

by **CtrlAltDel** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:37 pm

Kenny wrote:
CtrlAltDel wrote:
Lucifer wrote:Frederick Forsyth absolutely rules
yes....all his novels r masterpieces! i also admire Robert Ludlum, Colin Forbes, Robin Cook and Jeff Archer among prominent novelists.
How 'bout Alistair MacLean n Arthur Hailey

i like Hailey but somehow never enjoyed reading MacLean

by **azazel** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 7:36 pm

CtrlAltDel wrote:"co-written" usually means its written by the unknown chap who's using the famous name to sell his books

i agree with tht but look up Peter Straub sometimes. PS is the author of 14 novels incl. Ghost Story, The Hellfire Club, Mr.X etc. His books have been translated into 20 languages. He is the winner of the British Fantasy Award, 3 Bram Stroker Awards and 2 World Fantasy Awards.

my point? not some unknown face, wannabe using SK's name to make it big! :twisted:

by **Scorpion's Sting** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:06 pm

Kenny wrote:
CtrlAltDel wrote:
Lucifer wrote:Frederick Forsyth absolutely rules
yes....all his novels r masterpieces! i also admire Robert Ludlum, Colin Forbes, Robin Cook and Jeff Archer among prominent novelists.

How 'bout Alistair MacLean n Arthur Hailey

Ayn Rand, anyone?? Irving Wallace?? Ken Follett?? Robert Jordan??

Ludlum n Cook r gr8 novelists. I even most Sidney Sheldons i've read except 4 Bloodline.

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:40 pm

Lucifer wrote:Frederick Forsyth absolutely rules. He is the man. Anyone read his book called "The Jackal"? Simply rocks!

That's The day of the jackal. Forsyth is my favourite author as mentioned in one of my earlier posts on this thread. TDOJ is probably his most famous book....and it sure is a masterpiece....but there is a not-so-known novel of his called [b]The fist of God[/]. Its cleverly written, the plot is more audacious than even that of TDOJ and the line dividing real life and fiction is so close to invisible, only a genius like Forsyth can manage it.

Forsyth has a wonderful insight of the espionage world, owing to his stint in the British Special Forces. And that goes a long way in making his fiction so believable.

Talking of insight, someone talked about the master of research, Arthur Hailey. This man is stupendous. Every work of his is pertaining to a different walk of life but it looks as if a person from the same industry has authored the work. The only similarity I see in his books is the storyline. The protagonist is always faced with glitches from all directions. And the end is never an and-they-lived-happily-ever-after-again kinds. His endings will always have this there-is-still-a-lot-of-hope feeling.

by **akhilis2cool** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:01 pm

Yeah. I read the Money Changers by arthur hailey. the detail in which he described the functioning of as a bank of enlightening.

has neone read fredrik Forsyths - The avenger...kindly let me knw ur views abt it.

by **akhilis2cool** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:08 pm

akhilis2cool wrote:Yeah. I read the Money Changers by arthur hailey. the detail in which he described the functioning of as a bank of enlightening.

has neone read fredrik Forsyths - The avenger...kindly let me knw ur views abt it.

dyaaam the typos

that wld be functioning of a bank was

by **CtrlAltDel** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:22 pm

Habitual Perfectionist wrote:The fist of God.

isnt that the story abt Saddam and some missile of his? read it abt 8 years ago....awesome book!

abt Arthur Hailey, anyody read his Cops....very rivetting account of how LAPD (or is it NYPD?) works...

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:57 pm

CtrlAltDel wrote:
Habitual Perfectionist wrote:The fist of God.
isnt that the story abt Saddam and some missile of his? read it abt 8 years ago....awesome book!

yes....its the same book.

by **Cowboy** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:19 pm

akhilis2cool wrote:has neone read fredrik Forsyths - The avenger...kindly let me knw ur views abt it.

Read it about some 10 months ago. Nice book, but not as good as Fist of God or Day of the Jackal. My personal FF favourite is still The Odessa File. Anyone else liked the Odessa File?

by **Cowboy** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:22 pm

A couple of months ago, I borrowed a book from my friend (never returned it, ofcourse) by some Vince Flynn. He's good. He's got his own James Bond - Mitch Rapp. A hard-to-believe guy but hey, that's fiction, right? Anyway, this Flynn guy has lots of bad politicians, some good guys and a bunch of (ex-)Navy SEALS. OK for journeys.

by **Lucifer** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:50 pm

Scorpion's Sting wrote:...I even most Sidney Sheldons i've read except 4 Bloodline.

Bloodline was not bad. Anyone read Sheldon's 'Morning, Noon, and Night'? That book sucks, big time. I do not even remember any part of the story. It's that bad!

And, HP, it is The Day of the Jackal. My bad.

by **Cowboy** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:53 pm

Lucifer wrote:A thread on quotes seems incomplete without references to The Godfather. I simply love the ending of that book, when so many people are taken care of in one swell swoop.

Phrases from Godfather:

1. Hit the mattresses
2. Omerta
3. Make your bones

Mmm... need help for more...

I'll make an offer he couldn't refuse.

I'll `reason' with him

Keep your friends close, your enemies closer

A lawyer with a briefcase can steal more than hundred men with guns

For justice, we must go on our knees to Don Corleone

You can't say `No' to the ones you love, not often. You'll have to say no such a way that it sounds like a yes.

Friendship is everything. It is more than government. It is equal to family. If you build walls of friendships around you, you'd never have come to me for help.

You want more?

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 10:52 pm

My fave quote from the book

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Sidney Sheldon was decent maybe in his first couple of novels. I stopped reading him after If Tomorrow Comes.

And then came along a friend who forced me to read Tell me your dreams. And I've not spoken with the su**er ever since.

by **Cowboy** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:26 pm

Habitual Perfectionist wrote:My fave quote from the book

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Sidney Sheldon was decent maybe in his first couple of novels. I stopped reading him after If Tomorrow Comes.

And then came along a friend who forced me to read Tell me your dreams. And I've not spoken with the su**er ever since.

Sydney Sheldon sucks...I think he's the worst writer ever...Same thing happened to me once. One of my friends described him as "one of the best spy-story writers". And I was a sucker enough to read "Doomsday Conspiracy" and "Tell me your dreams". Oh-my-God. I blasted my friend and introduced him to the beautiful world of Tom Clancy, Ludlum, Forsyth, Archer and recently, Vince Flynn. If I can ever lay my hands on this Sheldon guy, I'm gonna rip his heart out.

by **akhilis2cool** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 11:40 pm

Cowboy wrote:
akhilis2cool wrote:has neone read fredrik Forsyths - The avenger...kindly let me knw ur views abt it.

Read it about some 10 months ago. Nice book, but not as good as Fist of God or Day of the Jackal. My personal FF favourite is still The Odessa File. Anyone else liked the Odessa File?

I did

infact its the only Fredrik novel i have read yet.

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:24 am

I read a pacy book by a new author called David Baldacci recently. The name is Saving Faith. Again....good for casual reading.

by **Scorpion's Sting** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:30 am

Lucifer wrote:
Scorpion's Sting wrote:...I even liked most Sidney Sheldons i've read except 4 Bloodline.

Bloodline was not bad. Anyone read Sheldon's 'Morning, Noon, and Night'? That book sucks, big time. I do not even remember any part of the story. It's that bad!

And, HP, it is The Day of the Jackal. My bad.

Bloodline was the only Sheldon I didn't like. In fact, I found Morning, Noon & Night pretty good, just for a time-pass read. Just read it abt 20 days ago :roll:

Most John Grisham's are also very good although they tend to get boring sometimes.

The Fountainhead was another very good book. It was an amazing read. Currently reading Atlas Shrugged

Anyone heard of Ken Follett?

by **Lucifer** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 1:19 am

Currently reading 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. One of the most immoral works of fiction written in such a matter of fact way!

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 1:20 am

Ken Follett & Ludlum are the most boring thriller writers ever. Enough said.

by **Lucifer** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 1:36 am

Habitual Perfectionist wrote:Ken Follett & Ludlum are the most boring thriller writers ever. Enough said.

Ludlum is boring? :shock:

HP, do you know you have just committed the most dastardly sin? How could you? Anyone read Ludlum's 'The Bourne Identity' (movie watchers excuse)?

Does anyone here read Leon Uris? I am simply in love with the man. Books like 'The Haj', 'The Exodus', 'The Mitla Pass', 'The Angry Hills' are fab. What about Irving Wallace? Has anyone read 'The Almighty' or 'The R Document'? Amazing books!

by **Habitual Perfectionist** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 1:54 am

Lucifer wrote:
Habitual Perfectionist wrote:Ken Follett & Ludlum are the most boring thriller writers ever. Enough said.

Ludlum is boring?

HP, do you know you have just committed the most dastardly sin? How could you? Anyone read Ludlum's 'The Bourne Identity' (movie watchers excuse)?

Does anyone here read Leon Uris? I am simply in love with the man. Books like 'The Haj', 'The Exodus', 'The Mitla Pass', 'The Angry Hills' are fab. What about Irving Wallace? Has anyone read 'The Almighty' or 'The R Document'? Amazing books!

The Bourne trilogy was probably the only decent books ever written by Ludlum. But thegood news ends there. Anyone who has read his other books..especially The Icarus Agenda (I read this one and The Fourth K by Mario Puzo together...similar themes...and Puzo was n times better, inspite of not being on home turf) & The Apocalypse Watch. I'd rather sleep than read those books.

by **azazel** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 3:13 am

Habitual Perfectionist wrote:The Bourne trilogy was probably the only decent books ever written by Ludlum.

hain

i found RL to be immensely satisafactory in terms of the spy- genre. havent read the 2 novels u mentioned, so cant comment on them. but, found all of his novels which ive read[arnd 7/8] damn good. read the Matarese Circle/Countdown? aaah-sum :twisted:

by **CtrlAltDel** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:46 pm

Robert Ludlum and boring...?????? :shock:

That ranks along with malatpetmasala's comment on Pink Floyd on the blasphemy scale.....

i've read many of his novels and own quite a few too...and i can say he was a master in the art.

have u read his Road To Gandalfo...???? that proves his greatness in the comic thriller genre too...

Don't people read anymore?

Do people still read?

Vince Flynn

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