The last thing you read

A place for everyone to have discussions about literature, classical and contemporary.

Moderator:Forum Administrators

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:
Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-09-02, 17:10

Unnikkuttante Lokam by Nandanar, which is actually a series of three novels (Unnikkuttante Oru Divasam, Unnikkuttan Schoolil, and Unnikkuttan Valarunnu).

The last thing you read, in part or in its entirety, containing references to colonialism.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby linguoboy » 2015-09-17, 21:57

Dialann deoraí by Dónall Mac Amhlaigh. It's an autobiographical account of an Irishman heading into the belly of the Imperial beast to seek work during the 1950s.

The last thing you read which felt like a thinly-veiled allegory for a current political situation.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-09-17, 23:55

Probably "The Gospel of Supply-Side Jesus" in Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken.

The last thing you read that took place in Bangkok.

User avatar
Antea
Posts:3954
Joined:2015-08-23, 10:53
Real Name:c
Gender:female

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Antea » 2015-09-18, 7:36

A german Krimi "Kakerlaken" written by Jo Nesbø

"In Bangkok wurde der norwegische Botschafter ermordet. Harry soll die thailändische Polizei unterstützen und taucht tief ein in die Unterwelt einer Stadt" . (In Bangkok, the norwegian ambassador is murdered. Harry intended to support the Thai police and delves deep into the underworld of a city)

The last thing you read referring to law or tribunals

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-09-18, 15:41

Pithaamahan by VKN if the book I'm reading now counts; otherwise...well, in a way, Yakshi by Malayattoor Ramakrishnan.

The last humorous novel or collection of short stories you read. (That is, the last humorous novel or the last humorous short story collection you read).

User avatar
Lada
Posts:4299
Joined:2003-08-10, 15:23
Real Name:Anna
Gender:female
Country:RURussia (Российская Федерация)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Lada » 2015-10-15, 19:32

Probably Mikhail Veller's story collection "Legends of Nevsky prospekt". Afaik there's no translation into English.

The last thing you read written by Nobel Prize Winner.

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby linguoboy » 2015-10-15, 19:43

You mean Primo Levi didn't win it? I'm mildly surprised at that. In that case, probably an essay by Orhan Pamuk or a short story by Gabriel Gárcia Márquez. Oh wait, no, most likely Morning and evening talk (حديث الصباح والمساء) by Naguib Mahfouz. I read that back in April.

The last thing you read which was a finalist for the Booker Prize.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-10-15, 20:17

Well...I've tried to read The God of Small Things a few times but never actually finished reading it. It doesn't help that my dad's said a few times that he can't imagine how anyone would really understand that story without actually having lived in Kerala before.

The last thing you read where one of the characters becomes a country's head of state somewhere in the middle of the story.

User avatar
mōdgethanc
Posts:10890
Joined:2010-03-20, 5:27
Gender:male
Location:Toronto
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby mōdgethanc » 2015-10-16, 18:07

vijayjohn wrote:The last thing you read where one of the characters becomes a country's head of state somewhere in the middle of the story.
Well, it happens somewhere near the end, but Ender's Game.

The last thing you read that had precocious children behaving in unchildlike ways.
[ˈmoːdjeðɑŋk]

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-10-16, 18:15

mōdgethanc wrote:Well, it happens somewhere near the end, but Ender's Game.

That's okay, my inspiration for that question was another novel where it also happens near the end. Just as long as it's not literally at the end ;)
The last thing you read that had precocious children behaving in unchildlike ways.

Hmm...oh! I know! Part of this manga called...oh, what's it called...Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsu-jo (こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所, translated as 'This is the Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen-mae Police Box" :P Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen is a park in northeastern Tokyo) by Akimoto Osamu.

The last thing you read by an author known for their sexism.

Varislintu
Posts:15429
Joined:2004-02-09, 13:32
Country:VUVanuatu (Vanuatu)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Varislintu » 2015-10-17, 19:56

vijayjohn wrote:The last thing you read by an author known for their sexism.


Heh, I don't know if it counts, but I read a excerpt from Christopher Kolumbus' diary entries describing how he was given a native woman as a gift, decided that he should obviously fuck her because she was naked after all, was aghast that she fought him, then went for the obvious solution of thrashing her with a rope until she yielded, and ended the account by calling he a whore.

So yeah, I guess "sexist" is the least we can call this central historical figure.

The last thing you read which made you feel some faith in humanity.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-10-17, 20:27

Varislintu wrote:Heh, I don't know if it counts, but I read a excerpt from Christopher KColumbus' diary entries describing how he was given a native woman as a gift, decided that he should obviously fuck her because she was naked after all, was aghast that she fought him, then went for the obvious solution of thrashing her with a rope until she yielded, and ended the account by calling he a whore.

So yeah, I guess "sexist" is the least we can call this central historical figure.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Isn't Christopher Columbus just wonderful? Happy late Columbus Day!

And yeah, I'd say that counts.
The last thing you read which made you feel some faith in humanity.

Haha. Hmm...I guess that would presuppose that I didn't have faith in humanity before reading it?

I mean, I suppose you could say my grandfather's diary makes me feel some faith in humanity in the sense that there are at least times when his experience was not so bad. Or if that doesn't count since I haven't finished reading it yet, the last short story I read in Malayalam makes me happy about the fact that the author didn't include any sexism in his last story that I could find even though he often does. But I guess that's just an optimistic way of looking at those things. So idk...

The last thing you read in a cooking magazine.

User avatar
Lada
Posts:4299
Joined:2003-08-10, 15:23
Real Name:Anna
Gender:female
Country:RURussia (Российская Федерация)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Lada » 2015-10-30, 19:08

If you mean a paper magazine, then I can only say "nothing", because I don't read cooking magazines at all. If online recipes count, then it seems to be a recipe of quark pie.

The last thing you read that made you cry.

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-10-30, 20:30

Wow, that's actually really hard for me to remember! (Leaving aside forum posts and e-mails, of course :P) I guess the last thing I remember reading that I think made me cry was actually The Man Who Counted by Malba Tahan.

The last thing you read about which you have never posted anything on UniLang.

User avatar
Lada
Posts:4299
Joined:2003-08-10, 15:23
Real Name:Anna
Gender:female
Country:RURussia (Российская Федерация)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Lada » 2015-11-01, 10:40

That's incredible number of short stories written by newbie writers that are sent to my magazine.

The last thing you read that made you think "damn, this story is about me!"

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-11-01, 18:25

Lada wrote:That's incredible number of short stories written by newbie writers that are sent to my magazine.

And you don't remember which one was the last one you read? :D
The last thing you read that made you think "damn, this story is about me!"

Babel No More by Michael Erard, but it felt too much like someone looking at me from the outside rather than the perspectives of people like me, so I couldn't finish it.

The last thing you read that was set in the 20th century.

User avatar
Lada
Posts:4299
Joined:2003-08-10, 15:23
Real Name:Anna
Gender:female
Country:RURussia (Российская Федерация)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Lada » 2015-11-14, 8:46

vijayjohn wrote:
Lada wrote:That's incredible number of short stories written by newbie writers that are sent to my magazine.

And you don't remember which one was the last one you read? :D

I remember :) For some reason these kind of stories are united for me in one thing that's why I didn't specify which one I read. But if it's important, then it was a story about vampire in a campus, written in pseudo newspaper style, describing only facts without any emotions, descriptions or dialogs typical for fiction.

The last thing you read that was set in the 20th century.

A short story "Управдом перед смертью"(House manager before death) by Yuri Mamleev, the founder of metaphysical realism.

What is the last bestseller in your country that you read?

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: The last thing you read

Postby linguoboy » 2015-11-19, 18:56

I really had to think about this since I don't pay any attention to bestseller lists. I'm not sure, for instance, if an English translation of Detectives salvajes was on it or not and I read the novel in Spanish anyway, so I'm not sure it would even count. The last thing I read which I'm sure was a bestseller is Ann Patchett's Run, which was pretty disappointing.

The last thing you read where a conflict between settler populations and indigenous peoples formed an important part of the narrative.
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

vijayjohn
Language Forum Moderator
Posts:27056
Joined:2013-01-10, 8:49
Real Name:Vijay John
Gender:male
Location:Austin, Texas, USA
Country:USUnited States (United States)
Contact:

Re: The last thing you read

Postby vijayjohn » 2015-11-19, 20:39

Lada wrote:I remember :) For some reason these kind of stories are united for me in one thing that's why I didn't specify which one I read. But if it's important, then it was a story about vampire in a campus, written in pseudo newspaper style, describing only facts without any emotions, descriptions or dialogs typical for fiction.

Cool! :)
linguoboy wrote:The last thing you read where a conflict between settler populations and indigenous peoples formed an important part of the narrative.

That's really the question of the month in this country, isn't it?

Ironically, while I've read a few novels in Malayalam by now in which British imperialism arguably plays a major role (not to mention my grandfather's diary, of course), it's hard for me to remember the last thing I read with a narrative having to do with settler populations per se. I think that might actually be a linguistics paper: "Substrate influence in Hawai`i Creole English" by Jeff Siegel. Even linguistics papers like this one have narratives sometimes, and in this case, it does indeed have a lot to do with conflict between settler populations and indigenous peoples.

The last thing you read that was set in India.

User avatar
Antea
Posts:3954
Joined:2015-08-23, 10:53
Real Name:c
Gender:female

Re: The last thing you read

Postby Antea » 2015-11-21, 12:55

The book of "Slumdog Millionaire". I didn't see the film but the book is awsome.

The last thing you read by a Spanish or Spanish-speaking author


Return to “Literature”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests