tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post115911504145186469..comments2024-03-27T22:25:42.129-05:00Comments on Reading the Past: Historical novels in LibraryThingSarah Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-45865598937738965482008-05-22T03:44:00.000-05:002008-05-22T03:44:00.000-05:00I must live under a rock, half of those books I've...I must live under a rock, half of those books I've never even heard of. Though my reading tastes tend towards the UK....<BR/>Hey that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!AnneMarie Brearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12913093174855808979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159453139233730072006-09-28T09:18:00.000-05:002006-09-28T09:18:00.000-05:00Hmm. I own slightly over half of the books on the...Hmm. I own slightly over half of the books on the list, but have read only four. (The Observations, The Widow's War, The Last Witchfinder, The Vanishing Point). All of which were excellent. I try to mix up reading older and newer novels, just for variety's sake.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159294490166845752006-09-26T13:14:00.000-05:002006-09-26T13:14:00.000-05:00For one, that Arthur and George was owned by ten t...For one, that <I>Arthur and George</I> was owned by ten times more people than some other novels I thought were very popular. I also didn't expect to see <I>Last Witchfinder</I> so high (but was pleased at this) because I haven't encountered many besides me who've read it.<BR/><BR/>The Sarahs/Saras at the top didn't surprise me at all, though.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159279267756964462006-09-26T09:01:00.000-05:002006-09-26T09:01:00.000-05:00Ah, right, that explains it. I recognised several...Ah, right, that explains it. I recognised several as recent but thought that perhaps people might tend to put their new books on LT before they do their whole collections.<BR/><BR/>I've heard/seen several comments that <I>Night Watch</I> doesn't have as strong a story as her previous novels. I'll be interested to hear your views.<BR/><BR/>Why did the list surprise you?Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159278238639643162006-09-26T08:43:00.000-05:002006-09-26T08:43:00.000-05:00That would be interesting to know, how many people...That would be interesting to know, how many people have actually read the books on the list. I own <I>The Night Watch</I> also, haven't read it yet, but generally enjoy Sarah Waters's novels.<BR/><BR/>I was looking only at novels appearing in the first half of 2006, which is why the others you mentioned weren't there.<BR/><BR/>One omission (because I messed up the title on the HNS list): Paul Malmont's <I>The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril</I> at 36 copies.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159266825923837622006-09-26T05:33:00.000-05:002006-09-26T05:33:00.000-05:00I've been thinking about it. It didn't surprise m...I've been thinking about it. It didn't surprise me to see <I>Arthur and George</I> or <I>The Night Watch</I> in the top two spots, because both books have been all over the press on this side of the Atlantic (and I suppose on your side too). Both are Booker nominees, if I remember correctly, which perhaps gives them a sort of literary patina that labels them as Great Novels.<BR/><BR/>I'm afraid I haven't read either, and from the accounts I've read and heard neither is very high up my list. Both sound too long on literary prose and too short on story for my taste. <BR/><BR/>The rest of the list didn't either surprise me or not surprise me. I recognised some books on it that I would expect to be highly popular or that I remember seeing a lot of press coverage/advertising/marketing for (Bernard Cornwell's <I>The Pale Horseman</I>, Conn Iggulden's <I>Emperor</I>, Manda Scott's <I>Boudica</I>, Jane Harris's <I>The Observations</I>), but equally there were books I would have expected to be highly popular that weren't on the list at all (the rest of Bernard Cornwell's output, the rest of the Emperor and Boudica series, Philippa Gregory's novels). So I am a little baffled as to what it might mean.Carlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-1159218452211217592006-09-25T16:07:00.000-05:002006-09-25T16:07:00.000-05:00Nobody's commented on this so far, so I will.Has a...Nobody's commented on this so far, so I will.<BR/><BR/>Has anyone read Julian Barnes' Arthur and George? It surprised me to see it was the most popular, but it has great reviews on Amazon, and was apparently short-listed for the Booker. I guess I'm out of the loop on this one. (I own a copy; was sent a dupe by the publisher, haven't read it yet)<BR/><BR/>There are also very few trade paperback originals on this list... not sure if that's of any significance.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.com