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Thread: EoFF Book Club - September - The Man on Platform Five

  1. #16
    Trial by Wombat Bubba's Avatar
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    • Former Cid's Knight

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    Also, whoever's next to recommend might want to think about doing it soon. If it's anything like my book we need all the time we can get

  2. #17
    Crazy Scot. Cid's Knight Shauna's Avatar
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    So I finished it in a day, as I am wont to do.

    (SPOILER)I don't know my feelings on it. It reads very dated, and I'm not sure if it's a good thing. I kind of enjoyed it, but I also kind of didn't? I definitely enjoyed the first half more than the second half, at the very least.

    I'll give it some time to sit, then will try and articulate again.

  3. #18
    Crazy Scot. Cid's Knight Shauna's Avatar
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    Also Mr Carny should get a book picked so we can start getting that ordered in. x}

  4. #19
    'Just Friends' Formalhaut's Avatar
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    I think he already has!

    Update for me! So it arrived yesterday so I've just started. The character of Gresham is hilariously ascerbic, she's a delightful bitch. Eupheme, or 'Yoofeemee' seems pleasant, if somewhat 'I can change the world' in attitude. Only 40 pages in, so I'll keep reading and see how this challenge pans out.


  5. #20
     Master of the Fork Cid's Knight Freya's Avatar
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    Oh what book has he picked out for us? :O

  6. #21
    Trial by Wombat Bubba's Avatar
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    Finished last week and it's still a fun read after all these years

  7. #22
    Yes homo Mr. Carnelian's Avatar
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    Where do I say what the book for October is? Is there a dedicated place where we're putting the book picks?

    Anywho, the book is Babel 17 by Samuel R. Delany. It's probably his most readily-accessible novel - it would be unfair to hit you with Stars in my Pocket like Grains of Sand right out of the gate.

    Babel 17's got a bold and intelligent female protagonist in Rydra Wong, polyamory, bisexuality, cyber-prostitutes and musings on the interconnected nature of language and thought. Plus, it's not that long. Aren't I good to you.

    Haven't read your book yet, Bubba, but I'll be right on it as soon as Formy's finished. Shouldn't take me more than two days at the most.

  8. #23
    Crazy Scot. Cid's Knight Shauna's Avatar
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    (SPOILER)After some time to let it all sink in... I can't say that I'd pick it up again.

    I guess my main problem is that I just didn't find any of it all that funny (which I assume it was meant to be), which left me with just taking it all at face value. Things that could be just waved off as "Silly fun!" I just am completely unable to do so. My enjoyment definitely peaked during the make-over part of the book. The latter half I can't say I liked at all. I felt that the characters were doing things that made no sense in the grand scheme of things.

    Eh. What can you do.

    I'm glad I read it though! Always enjoy consuming all the media even if I don't end up liking it in the end.


    Neat. Got the book on my Kindle, awaiting October!

  9. #24
    Jinx's Avatar
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    Gotta be honest, didn't read this month's book because it was just so hard to get a hold of. But I might read it sometime in the future and I'll post my thoughts.
    Quote Originally Posted by Fynn View Post
    Jinx you are absolutely smurfing insane. Never change.

  10. #25
     Master of the Fork Cid's Knight Freya's Avatar
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    I'm still waiting on it. My tracking thing on amazon is lame and just says "SHIPPED" so I have no idea where it is in transit.

    Looks like Mr Carny's will be easier to find though so that's good news!

  11. #26
    'Just Friends' Formalhaut's Avatar
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    About 200 pages in now, definitely into the meat of the book.

    I think so far it reads very much like a rom-com film. It does read dated, but I think that's because it was written in what, the 90's or something. If anything, the fact that it reads as it does is a benefit: it kinda adds to the kooky, romcom stretches of belief that Shauna mentioned.

    It is all a bit contrived, but for light reading it's perfectly enjoyable.


  12. #27
    Trial by Wombat Bubba's Avatar
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    Ordered Mr Carny's book, should be here for the start of October

  13. #28
     Master of the Fork Cid's Knight Freya's Avatar
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    OKAY! I just got this in today! (technically yesterday but I didn't check the mail)

  14. #29
    Yes homo Mr. Carnelian's Avatar
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    My thoughts I quite enjoyed this. Up to about halfway through, I was enjoying it a lot. But at the tail-end, an entirely unnecessary misogynistic strain became more and more prominent.

    Honestly, I didn't find any of the characters terribly likeable, overall. They all had their likeable moments, but at the end of the book I was left with the overwhelming impression that pretty much all of them were fundamentally unpleasant. Eupheme has an underlying conviction that she's "better" than other people. Gresham is only interested in other people for what she can get out of them. Ian thinks that women are these strange creatures who can be reduced to a trumped-up Excel spreadsheet.

    All that being said, this was quite good fun and easy to read. Not the sort of thing I normally read, so it was nice for a change.
    Last edited by Mr. Carnelian; 09-27-2017 at 09:36 AM. Reason: typo

  15. #30
     Master of the Fork Cid's Knight Freya's Avatar
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    I'm only a few chapters in but good god is this book so incredibly british

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