(WAYRN) Read any good books recently?

[Sarov]

That would explain your nickname...

Speaking of 'Ice picking', I have Russian heritage and I've never heard of such a practice, was it something done in Soviet prisons or labour camps?

Any Russian books you've read? I could recommend some...

Yeah. Ever since I was little, as in early preteens, as weird as it is for someone who knew practically nothing about Russia, I have had an obsession (might as well call it what it is) with Russia. I don't even know why. It's not something definable like the culture or the accent - and I absolutely love the accent - or the people or any combination of those and any other possible thing. I just... do. I suppose that's the best way I can put it.

Actually, in the book, it was described a torture method among the vory v zakone or "thieves in law", specifically by Sarbizhan who is one of the Russian vor v zakone (the y obviously making it plural). It involves taking an ice pick, inserting it between the flesh and bone near the elbow and dragging it along the bone before pulling it out at the wrist. Or at least that's how Sarbirzhan did it at one point.

And I haven't read any books by Russians - not just books about Russia by authors of other ethnicities - mainly because I haven't looked for them. I have watched Doctor Zhivago but that was a long time ago.

P.S. Merging this to the previous book thread I've started would be a good idea (and changing the title of that thread to this one's as well perhaps, I think it's a better one than "WAYRN").

P.P.S. Thanks.

No problem!

[Roland]

@Sarov, There are a few very short books which serve as handy introductions to Russian literature you may like, One Day in the Life of Iven Denisovich, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich come to mind. Both excellent and not overwhelmingly long/difficult, that's noteworthy as most people dive into something like The Brothers Karamazov as their first Russian book, and are promptly owned by it depth and complexity. Most Russian literature feels like film noir. Tolstoy, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky are all really excellent writers, on par with Victor Hugo or Dickens easy. I have piles of Russian literature hand-me-downs I haven't read, and plan on doing so soon.

[Eligor]

Yeah. Ever since I was little, as in early preteens, as weird as it is for someone who knew practically nothing about Russia, I have had an obsession (might as well call it what it is) with Russia. I don't even know why. It's not something definable like the culture or the accent - and I absolutely love the accent - or the people or any combination of those and any other possible thing. I just... do. I suppose that's the best way I can put it.

Actually, in the book, it was described a torture method among the vory v zakone or "thieves in law", specifically by Sarbizhan who is one of the Russian vor v zakone (the y obviously making it plural). It involves taking an ice pick, inserting it between the flesh and bone near the elbow and dragging it along the bone before pulling it out at the wrist. Or at least that's how Sarbirzhan did it at one point.

And I haven't read any books by Russians - not just books about Russia by authors of other ethnicities - mainly because I haven't looked for them. I have watched Doctor Zhivago but that was a long time ago.

I remember hearing about the "thieves in law" a long time ago, and little else beyond that... So much for knowledge of ancestral culture. I can speak pretty decent Russian though, identify most traditional cuisine and popular literary references. So I'm not completely hopeless.

One Russian book I'd absolutely recommend reading is Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita", it's a sort of supernatural thriller/satire about Satan arriving in 30's Soviet Union. It's a terrific book and a modern classic, lyrical and wry and dramatic. And it makes for a good read even if you're not closely familiar with early twentieth century Russia.

[Sarov]

@Sarov, There are a few very short books which serve as handy introductions to Russian literature you may like, One Day in the Life of Iven Denisovich, and The Death of Ivan Ilyich come to mind. Both excellent and not overwhelmingly long/difficult, that's noteworthy as most people dive into something like The Brothers Karamazov as their first Russian book, and are promptly owned by it depth and complexity. Most Russian literature feels like film noir. Tolstoy, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky are all really excellent writers, on par with Victor Hugo or Dickens easy. I have piles of Russian literature hand-me-downs I haven't read, and plan on doing so soon.

I've heard from many people that you shouldn't just delve into Russian literature because it tends to be depressing and/or dark but that doesn't bother considering I'm used to depressing things. Anyways, I should definitely read those some time, Roland. Thanks for the suggestion!

I remember hearing about the "thieves in law" a long time ago, and little else beyond that... So much for knowledge of ancestral culture. I can speak pretty decent Russian though, identify most traditional cuisine and popular literary references. So I'm not completely hopeless.

One Russian book I'd absolutely recommend reading is Mikhail Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita", it's a sort of supernatural thriller/satire about Satan arriving in 30's Soviet Union. It's a terrific book and a modern classic, lyrical and wry and dramatic. And it makes for a good read even if you're not closely familiar with early twentieth century Russia.

Heh. Can't be as bad as me; I claim to love Russia (and I do, very much so) but I know very little about it. I used to know about Russia, a bit about it's culture and it's language but then I forgot everything over the years.

[Visions of Khas]

I just got the .pdf version of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. I'm going to nom on that a while before watching the movie.

[Sarov]

Just picked the collector's edition of the Drizzt Do'urden books by R.A Salvatore. I bought the one with Homeland, Exile, and Soujourn. I absolutely love the Drow as I've played them and read about them extensively, so I'm going to be reading that for the next while.

[endserenading]

I'm finishing up the last 2 works of Haruki Murakami that I've compounded with neglect: A Wild Sheep Chase and Dance, Dance, Dance. I think he's becoming one of my favorite authors, but I am a major sucker for magical realism, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Kafka on the Shore and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle are among the more engaging non-Joyce works I've read.

Anyone else read Murakami? His fans seem few and far between, although I have been lucky enough to spot some avid readers of his on some other video game forums.

[TargetBlue]

Wrapped up Liberty's Crusade and Shadow of the Xel'Naga. I loved the former the most thus far but I think it's because of the interesting approach they did by doing the first terran campaign not in the eyes of a commander but in the eyes of a reporter. It peaked my interest very much. That and the additional insight you gain not seen in the campaign as a commander, especially on the characters. Shadow of the Xel'Naga was still good, a tad slow in the beginning but it did not disappoint. By the time I finished it a phrase rang in my head, sometimes "It's darkest just before dawn."

[Sarov]

Have you the Dark Templar Saga yet, TargetBlue? Those are the best StarCraft books out there and are very interesting.

As for the older ones, my favourite was Speed of Darkness. Although sometimes, I wanted to slap Ardo across the face. As for Liberty's Crusade, from what I can remember of it, it seemed to go too fast for me to enjoy it. Shadow of the Xel'Naga wasn't too great in my opinion.

[TargetBlue]

Have you the Dark Templar Saga yet, TargetBlue? Those are the best StarCraft books out there and are very interesting.

As for the older ones, my favourite was Speed of Darkness. Although sometimes, I wanted to slap Ardo across the face. As for Liberty's Crusade, from what I can remember of it, it seemed to go too fast for me to enjoy it. Shadow of the Xel'Naga wasn't too great in my opinion.

Not yet I'm afraid. I plan to read them in the order that they were released. I've begun on the third, Speed of Darkness. Not too far in, chapter 2 as we speak. For Liberty's Crusade I didn't mind the "quickness" of it all because I knew what was going to happen and it served as a refresher...case in point I COMPLETELY FORGOT about the Jacobs Installation. Had nice little flashbacks and kept track of the progress being made. I intend to read all of the books by July 27th. I do have one minor complaint that you touched up on that I've logged in at the close of Shadow of the Xel'Naga.....250 odd pages roughly is not enough. Not for this anyways.