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Post by The Lucky C on Jan 15, 2007 19:11:16 GMT -1
"The Stasiland" by Anna Funder It's about the ex-East German Secret Police during the Cold War period, and the lengths they went to repress some of its citizens. A real eye-opener, it makes anything you see in James Bond look simplistic and harmless. Another one I had to read for history, but I actually enjoyed this one! i'd heard the stasi were notoriously brutal, even for one of the former communist states
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Post by weallloveleeds on Jan 15, 2007 19:19:12 GMT -1
"The Stasiland" by Anna Funder It's about the ex-East German Secret Police during the Cold War period, and the lengths they went to repress some of its citizens. A real eye-opener, it makes anything you see in James Bond look simplistic and harmless. Another one I had to read for history, but I actually enjoyed this one! i'd heard the stasi were notoriously brutal, even for one of the former communist states It's not just brutality they literally infiltrated every part of society. E.g. they were worried about a doctor leaving E.Germany for the West, as they were short of professionals at the time, and they found out about this through informants- they tried persuading him to stay, which didn't work, he was determined to leave. So eventually they employed a stasi agent to marry him and have a child with him so that he would never leave! Can you imagine how this guy felt when the wall came down and the documents were published, realizing that his entire livelihood was effectively a state ploy!?
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Post by Arnold on Jan 15, 2007 19:28:06 GMT -1
Well if the stasy agent was a fitty I wouldnt have minded ;D
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Post by weallloveleeds on Jan 15, 2007 19:30:43 GMT -1
Well if the stasy agent was a fitty I wouldnt have minded ;D ...Always look on the bright-side of life eh!
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Post by Arnold on Jan 15, 2007 19:32:15 GMT -1
Well if the stasy agent was a fitty I wouldnt have minded ;D ...Always look on the bright-side of life eh! Of course ;D At least they didnt kill him!
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Post by Dr LuKas on Jan 15, 2007 20:27:10 GMT -1
Lucas Goes Crazy Broadway Style, an illustrated story for all ages about the funky life of Lucasledge going crazy. Release date March 28th 2011. Go out and buy it!!!
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Post by Pete the Wolf on Jan 15, 2007 22:07:35 GMT -1
I'm going to have very minimal input on this board as i rarely read books. The last one i read from start to finish was back in college for English Lit. It was called 'Snow Falling On Cedars' and it was really good. Only afterwards did i find out that in some places it was banned for its violence and sexual content but we still coverd it. Set on the fictional sleepy island called San Piedro in Washington, the plot revolves around the murder case of Kabuo Miyamoto, a Japanese-American accused of killing Carl Heine, a respected fisherman in the close-knit community. The trial occurs in the midst of deep anti-Japanese sentiments following World War II. Covering the case is the editor of the town's one-man newspaper, Ishmael Chambers, a World War II veteran who lost an arm fighting the Japanese. Torn by a sense of hatred for the Japanese, Chambers struggles with his powerful emotions of love for Kabuo's wife, Hatsue, also a Japanese-American, as well as his deep conscience knowing that Kabuo is truly innocent. Thing is Ishmael fell for Hatsue as a kid and they would often hide together in a cedar tree in the forest. They loved eachother but it was like a Romeo/Juliet thing because he was american, she was japanese so both families were against them seeing eachother. She was sent away to a internment camp with her family and thats where she met Kabuo and they fell in love. Kabuo (the guy accused) was a childhood friend of Carl Heine (the dead guy) but that obviously had changed during after coming back from war. Its a clever book, brilliantly interwovan and it links up perfectly with all the characters from their childhood life, to the love and war stories involving the characters to the present day murder case. It does get quite graphic with violence and sex but thats not gonna put any of you lot off lol.....there was a film made of it starring than Hawke i think but screw that, read this instead Yep I'd recommend that too. Very beautiful book. Not read it, but listened to a copy of it on tape a few years ago on holiday. Unfortunately, parts were cut out and it's not my type of book, so I couldn't get the best out of it, but wouldn't mind reading a copy of it, to try and get the full benefit.
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Post by Arnold on Jan 19, 2007 13:20:14 GMT -1
Thats good as I ordered 'A million little pieces' just yesterday on another friends recommendation! Ah good! You'll love it! I got it a few years ago and was under the impression that it was true. It's since come to light that he embellished parts, which I have no problem with really. But it cooked up a big storm in America! Well I started reading it last night after finishing American Psycho and I could not put it down! Really tired at work today because of it. The bit in the dentists WTF!?!?!?!
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Post by Lollipop on Jan 22, 2007 20:41:13 GMT -1
Ah good! You'll love it! I got it a few years ago and was under the impression that it was true. It's since come to light that he embellished parts, which I have no problem with really. But it cooked up a big storm in America! Well I started reading it last night after finishing American Psycho and I could not put it down! Really tired at work today because of it. The bit in the dentists WTF!?!?!?! I know! It's awful! There's a bit with his fingernails or toenails that I just cannot read! Did you read it all?!
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Post by Dr LuKas on Jan 22, 2007 21:01:02 GMT -1
We want the funk. The life of the P-funk allstars as funked up by me. Released 2013.
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Post by Arnold on Jan 23, 2007 12:29:24 GMT -1
Well I started reading it last night after finishing American Psycho and I could not put it down! Really tired at work today because of it. The bit in the dentists WTF!?!?!?! I know! It's awful! There's a bit with his fingernails or toenails that I just cannot read! Did you read it all?! No not yet. I am about half way. Will certainly recommend it to my friends when I have finished
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Post by Lollipop on Jan 23, 2007 12:51:58 GMT -1
I know! It's awful! There's a bit with his fingernails or toenails that I just cannot read! Did you read it all?! No not yet. I am about half way. Will certainly recommend it to my friends when I have finished I gave it to somebody as a present and he loved it too. The book he is reading throughout is also one of my favourite books - the Tao Te Ching. I was given that book as a present by the person whom I gave Million Little Pieces (if that makes sense!) I love the love story throughout it, it's beautiful, yet tragic at the same time.
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Post by Arnold on Jan 23, 2007 22:37:30 GMT -1
As your recommendations so far have been great I may just order it
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Post by mortontheblade on Jan 27, 2007 11:55:45 GMT -1
the rights of man....
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Post by Arnold on Jan 27, 2007 12:11:03 GMT -1
As your recommendations so far have been great I may just order it Ordered. Its actually a book that James was given by his brother in 'A million little pieces' £3.99 on Play
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Post by mortontheblade on Jan 27, 2007 12:11:49 GMT -1
the communist manifesto....
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Post by Lollipop on Jan 27, 2007 12:13:50 GMT -1
As your recommendations so far have been great I may just order it Ordered. Its actually a book that James was given by his brother in 'A million little pieces' £3.99 on Play Yeah! It's not a story book though, as in it doesn't have a narrative. Just offers words of guidance
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Post by mortontheblade on Jan 27, 2007 12:14:57 GMT -1
Mein Kampf...
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Post by Arnold on Jan 27, 2007 12:25:23 GMT -1
Ordered. Its actually a book that James was given by his brother in 'A million little pieces' £3.99 on Play Yeah! It's not a story book though, as in it doesn't have a narrative. Just offers words of guidance Good. I need some of that ;D
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Post by The Lucky C on Jan 27, 2007 12:30:24 GMT -1
Read it. It's not that it's vile, racist, poisonous garbage, it's that it's poorly written vile, racist, poisonous garbage. Bastard.
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