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"Man's Fate and The hope is on the list now, but could you tell a bit more of what they about, pmb?"

Both books are about the nature of man. The first one takes place in Shanghai in the 1930's a short time before the Chinese revolution, during the insurrection of the town. Although there's a nice story, the story itself is merely an excuse. You follow half a dozen of persons in various situations, involved closely or by far in the insurrection. You literally spectate the changes in their minds as they either get to fear the uprising more and more for some or experience the opportunity to "live for something" for the others. A wise mix of psychology and asian wisdom is involved in every page. There's also the usual and unavoidable wise old chinese, too old to take part in the insurrection, but who watches his son and his relatives facing danger while he witnesses his own wisdom reaching the far limits of what he ever allowed himself to think. There are also a good lot of fascinating, impressively lucid, very deep discussions between the characters in Man's Fate. Without making it explicit, the book deals with the question inherent to its title: What is man's fate ? "We are alone, of a loneliness nothing can cure us from, against which we never cease to fight".

The second one is only if you liked the first one. The Hope (I don't know if I translate the title right, it could be Man's Hope as well) takes place in Spain, in about the same time, during the spanish civil war, and especially the battle of Madrid where the republicans and the International Brigades (volunteers from other countries against fascism) were defending the town against the fascist legions of Franco. The author participated in the spanish civil war as a volunteer pilot. There are more characters involved in this story and the relationships between them are more subtle, as well as their psychology. But there are also large parts of battle and fights where you are taken next to some soldier or some pilot, and experience the war by his side, second after second, in the middle of the explosions, the suffering and the fear. Ever wondered what happened in a soldier's mind ? This book covers the question of giving a meaning to one's life, standing for something, and accepting to give his life for it. It's a book you literally feel.

The Hot Zone
A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the
appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.
"ONE OF THE MOST HORRIFYING THINGS I'V EVER READ. WHAT A REMARKABLE PEICE OF OF WORK." - STEPHEN KING

Peace Like A River
Hailed as one of the year's top five novels by Time, and selected as one of the best books of the year by nearly all major newspapers, national bestseller Peace Like a River captured the hearts of a nation in need of comfort. "A rich mixture of adventure, tragedy, and healing," Peace Like a River is "a collage of legends from sources sacred and profane -- from the Old Testament to the Old West, from the Gospels to police dramas" (Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor). In "lyrical, openhearted prose" (Michael Glitz, The New York Post), Enger tells the story of eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and its remarkable conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates. Leif Enger's "miraculous" (Valerie Ryan, The Seattle Times) novel is a "perfect book for an anxious time ... of great literary merit that nonetheless restores readers' faith in the kindness of stories" (Marta Salij, Detroit Free Press).

you cheater, you just copied the blurbs verbatim :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pierre-Marie Baty

you cheater, you just copied the blurbs verbatim :D

dude it is off the back of the book.... it ain't like i am going to summerize it... i suck at that crap.... thats why i am still in school :P

guys, just buy the prima book of hl2 :P

Quote:

Originally Posted by stefanhendriks

guys, just buy the prima book of hl2 :P

got it and it rocks

hey if you like books that make you think then you will love
The Da Vinci Code
While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. While working to solve the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci -- clues visible for all to see -- yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.

Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion -- an actual secret society whose members included Sir Isaac Newton, Botticelli, Victor Hugo, and Da Vinci, among others.

In a breathless race through Paris, London, and beyond, Langdon and Neveu match wits with a faceless powerbroker who seems to anticipate their every move. Unless Langdon and Neveu can decipher the labyrinthine puzzle in time, the Priory's ancient secret -- and an explosive historical truth -- will be lost forever.

THE DA VINCI CODE heralds the arrival of a new breed of lightning-paced, intelligent thriller…utterly unpredictable right up to its stunning conclusion.

It's easy to tell that you copied those descriptions from the backs of the books - the spelling is just too immaculate. :D

biohazerd87... haven't u ever learned that you can't use descriptions from the backside of books?

That's like deciding which movie to rent solely based on the quotes on the front of them ;)

it's kinda funny that noone wrote 1984 before now... I was acutally thinking about writing about it myself :)
It's awesome... and always just as actual as ever... (dunno about the word actual but that's the best translation for the danish word aktuel, i can come up with)

never heard of thinner though...

i very much hope that those books are translated, pmb, cause i only know about three french words... (fromage, cheval and... ehm, two french words!) don't worry though, I'll pick up the language someday ;) They sound interesting.