I'm not sure why you struggle with fiction but if you are interested in "The Troubles" in Ireland, one of the great novels of all time is also an exercise in historical fiction that will give you amazing insights into this brutal history. It's a damned long novel but if you get 100 pages in, my guess is that you will be committed. The novel is Trinity by Leon Uris. https://www.amazon.com/Trinity-Leon-Uris/dp/0060827882
I had the same thought as Mark McLaughlin when I saw you wanted more Northern Ireland drama.
It's a lightening fast 900 pages cause it's a Leon Uris 900 pages. I read it 25 years ago and to this day still wish I'd had a son so I could name him Connor Larkin.
It's definitely not dostoyevsky or english major grade 900 pages. Trust me, you'll rip through it and wish it was 1800 pages. I'll reimburse your time if you regret it.
Yes. I think about 800 pages. The arc of history the book covers is from the great famine of the 1840's to the Easter Rising in 1916. You learn about the birth of the Republican Brotherhood which evolves to become Sinn Fein. Along the way, there is a great "Romeo and Juliet" love story and a great exploration of family dynamics during these times where ethics and morality were so incredibly hard to pin down. So, being the English Major that I was, 800 pages is incredibly succinct given the content. Haha!
Ah, we will make a fiction reader out of you yet! Crime and Punishment is an important novel and it is not so long as many Russian novels are. The trick with the Russians is picking the right translation. Great translators make all the difference.
You guys will be happy to know that I am 25% of the way through Trinity. It's great of course and I'm learning a lot. Sadly, I'm seeing a lot that particular history repeating.
Dopamine Nation (Lembke), Overdosed America (Abramson), Sickening (Abramson), Exercised (Lieberman), in that order of preference…went down a rabbit hole for sure.
Dopamine Nation, then Overdosed, then Sickening which is an update to Overdosed. All of these books have at least a mention of metabolic syndrome related illnesses (reading Howard Luks now), the previously mentioned rabbit hole.
Great list, Paul! Love your recommendations. I loved Matthew Perry's memoir too, what a story. He should be a guest on your show. BTW - your last podcast about the year's wrap up, I swear, I thought you were going to say you were ending the podcast. So glad you're not!
I found that the 2 books I read this year by Amor Towles, Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, were antidotes for my addled reading brain. The only reason I didn't read the 3rd is that I wanted to have one more to look forward to.
I'm not sure why you struggle with fiction but if you are interested in "The Troubles" in Ireland, one of the great novels of all time is also an exercise in historical fiction that will give you amazing insights into this brutal history. It's a damned long novel but if you get 100 pages in, my guess is that you will be committed. The novel is Trinity by Leon Uris. https://www.amazon.com/Trinity-Leon-Uris/dp/0060827882
oh yeah - I remember hearing of that book. Isn't like 900 pages?
I had the same thought as Mark McLaughlin when I saw you wanted more Northern Ireland drama.
It's a lightening fast 900 pages cause it's a Leon Uris 900 pages. I read it 25 years ago and to this day still wish I'd had a son so I could name him Connor Larkin.
It's definitely not dostoyevsky or english major grade 900 pages. Trust me, you'll rip through it and wish it was 1800 pages. I'll reimburse your time if you regret it.
okay, okay, I just bought it!
Yes. I think about 800 pages. The arc of history the book covers is from the great famine of the 1840's to the Easter Rising in 1916. You learn about the birth of the Republican Brotherhood which evolves to become Sinn Fein. Along the way, there is a great "Romeo and Juliet" love story and a great exploration of family dynamics during these times where ethics and morality were so incredibly hard to pin down. So, being the English Major that I was, 800 pages is incredibly succinct given the content. Haha!
I was thinking this morning that I have to block off a few months to read Dostoevsky. You might just be delaying the Russians.
Ah, we will make a fiction reader out of you yet! Crime and Punishment is an important novel and it is not so long as many Russian novels are. The trick with the Russians is picking the right translation. Great translators make all the difference.
You guys will be happy to know that I am 25% of the way through Trinity. It's great of course and I'm learning a lot. Sadly, I'm seeing a lot that particular history repeating.
I LOVED that book. Ok, anything Leon Uris wrote..always excellent
Great list old friend. Going to add a few to this years plan.
Dopamine Nation (Lembke), Overdosed America (Abramson), Sickening (Abramson), Exercised (Lieberman), in that order of preference…went down a rabbit hole for sure.
thanks, Ben. Which one of these did you like the most?
Dopamine Nation, then Overdosed, then Sickening which is an update to Overdosed. All of these books have at least a mention of metabolic syndrome related illnesses (reading Howard Luks now), the previously mentioned rabbit hole.
Great list, Paul! Love your recommendations. I loved Matthew Perry's memoir too, what a story. He should be a guest on your show. BTW - your last podcast about the year's wrap up, I swear, I thought you were going to say you were ending the podcast. So glad you're not!
aww, thanks Claire! No, still plugging away. Just always trying to make it better.
Happy 2023!
I found that the 2 books I read this year by Amor Towles, Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility, were antidotes for my addled reading brain. The only reason I didn't read the 3rd is that I wanted to have one more to look forward to.