Re: Books reading recommendation request

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:56:46 +1000, Peter Moylan posted:

>Oleg Lego wrote:
>> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:22:21 -0400, tony cooper posted:
>
>>> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache
>>> books.  Irving makes me smile once in a while, but Hotel New
>>> Hamp****re left me cold.
>> 
>> I agree. I could not get vary far into _Hotel New Hamp****re_/
>
>I'd go further. He's one of those authors - there have been many of them
>- who wrote one excellent book, and then a whole lot of rubbish.
>
>When I first read Catch-22, probably about 40 years ago, I ranked it as
>one of the best books I'd ever read. The film of the book was also good.
>(And from me, that's high praise.

I was quite disappointed in the film. It seemed to me that they left
out at least 80% of the book.

> Usually I hate films based on books
>I've liked.) About two years ago I read the book again, and that time I
>found it pretty good, but not really laugh-inducing. Perhaps you had to
>read it in the right era.

Well, as with any humour, I think the rereading is never as good
because the element of surprise is gone. 

>Certainly you have to be the sort of person who can handle a mixture of
>comedy and tragedy. I can appreciate black humour, but not everyone can.
>M*A*S*H was similar in that respect. Another book that can make you
>laugh and cry at the same time is "The Good Soldier Svejk".