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A book doesn't have to be beautifully written to be a great book
I've read books with mediocre prose that I couldn't put down, and beautifully written books that felt like a chore to finish.
Take Michael J. Sullivan, for example. His prose isn't particularly elaborate or poetic, but I love how accessible and easy to follow it is. I'd much rather get immersed in an incredible world and compelling story than spend time untangling overly complicated sentences.
Of course, beautiful prose can elevate a book, but I don't think complicated writing automatically makes something better. In many cases it’s the opposite.
What do you prefer if you had to choose: beautiful and complex prose or simple and accessible writing? What makes prose enjoyable for you?
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When rating books are you influenced more by quality or enjoyment?
When I see people talking about rating books, it seems like a lot of the time they’re focused on the quality of the books.
Like a 5 star being a masterpiece.
Whereas I rate entirely based off enjoyment. A book can be objectively poorly written, but if it excited me and I loved it, I’ll give it a 4 or 5.
I’ve also read objectively well-written books that I just didn’t enjoy. So I’ve given them a 2.
Obviously, a lot of the time quality and enjoyment go hand and hand. You’re more likely to enjoy something that’s written well.
But I feel like a lot of the time when I’m rating things, my enjoyment rating varies from what my “quality” rating would be.
It makes me wonder your thought process is when you rate things. Do you find yourself considering one more than the other? Or do you base if off something else entirely?
Obviously, there’s no right or wrong way to do it!
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like being Khosrow, to have your life's purpose be decided by an insane blood feud that took way to long to summarize. Achieve what was set out before you and know that it is a pale imitation of what could have been had King Kavus or even Afrasiab not been taken in by lies. Even if you don't agree with the theological implications of Khosrow's decision its an reaction understandable from his character. Confronting and refusing the evil inherit in the arbitrariness of life.
I found myself deeply invested in the future of Persia. At the end the great heroes are whittled down to 2 very old men and 1 old man. Persia's throne is in the hands of some guy. You see the work of generation wax and wane overtime and every-time something someone made breaks you wince, but recognize that is could be remade.
I really liked this book and more people should read classical literature.
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kills.
Khosrow is raised to be a great king and as Kay Kavus grows older he takes the reins of leading Persia as crown prince from his paternal grandfather. Now in power and capable as a commander he enacts a war of vengeance against Afrasiab the man who killed his father. This is an epic and terrible war Afrasiab is a great wizard-king and enlists powerful allies like China against Khosrow. Afrasiab's fortresses reach into the clouds and his armies blanket the earth. Great battles are fought and Turan's armies are broken and Afrasiab's last fortress breached. His kingdom falls and he is reduced to being a single man wandering a mountain.
There he is found by a wise man and fellow descendant of Fereydun who finds him hiding at the bottom of lake and binds him and sends word to Kay Khosrow. Kay Khosrow arrives and at long last takes vengeance for Seyavash, killing Afrasiab.
To this point Khosrow has lived for nothing but revenge. From birth his very existence is a threat to Afrasiab. Every character references him as the son of Seyavash and his arrival in Persia is taken as a guarantee that a war of vengeance will come. When Seyavash begins his war he swears to not remove his armor until Afrasiab is killed. This relentlessness is rewarded with his hated enemies death. From that moment Kay Khosrow inherits the kingdom of Persia. Kay Kavus's dies shortly after the peace celebrations conclude.
Kay Khosrow then rules well for 60 years and sets all things right in the world. He is then overtaken by a sense of melancholy. For all his accomplishments he knows from the past that he has embodied that many kings; Fereydun, Manuchehr, and Kay Qobad all set things right in the world, but that justice will again fade. Injustice has infested the world for too long and sunk to deep to be removed entirely. In the bloody feud between their peoples the Persian and Turks inflicted deep cruelties upon each other. No Persian truly as pure as when their pursuit of justice began.
The references to truly magical beings peter quickly after the start of this final war. Unlike Rostom's father Zal who was saved by the Simorgh a mythological bird, he is saved by a man, Giv. His father Seyavash had seemingly mystical powers to make the land fruitful. There are no demons and the most powerful magic we read of is by Afrasiab. Magical elements appear now and again, but never at our hero's command. It is the intersession of God that mystical elements appear. With the culmination of this war, the fundamental nature of the world is set like a pool of separate bright colors fading to brown as they smudge together.
A good example of this is the death of Prince Farud, a fellow son of Seyavash. He arrives to join the armies of Khosrow then is killed in an almost comical scene as the Persians attack him for the impertinence of arriving on horseback atop large hill. This senselessness infects the story as time moves forward. Human evil in the Shahnameh is regularly not self aware, but ultimately stark in contrast to good to this point. Afrasiab, was sometimes generous, forgiving, and appeared contrite. By the end having broken his word a thousand times he faces the culmination of his evil deeds. He murdered his brother to take the throne slaughtered a loyal vassal in Seyavash and his ultimate evil within him appeared to be a unceasing ambition, paired with a deep moral weakness.
Deprived of his kingdom and retainers Kay Khosrow effectively kills an old man on a mountainside, no more able to commit evil dead than alive. It is heroic, and act of justice, but one that equates justice to vengeance and leaves a sour unsatisfied feeling.
We return to the Kay Khosrow now old and praying alone in his chambers to the angel Soroush. He has become disillusioned with the world and is pained by a longing to be one with God. Never in the story has anyone rejected the physical world in such a way before. Certainly not the great kings of Khosrow's ilk. He locks himself way for as long as he thinks his councilors can bear and when they panic and send for Rostam and
The Shahnameh: The Occultation of Kay Khosrow & Facing the Lessening of the World
Ancient national epic poems certainly have a reputation for being long and the Shahnameh doesn't disappoint it reaches just shy of 1000 pages telling the history of Persia from the legendary beginning of time to the Islamic conquest in the 650's CE. Written in 995 CE by the Iranian Poet Ferdowsi it is a collation of Ancient Persian folk tales and myth stretching back far into the past and while there is an interesting conversation about how much of Ferdowsi's work is based in a possible lost ancient past it is not one we are going to have here. This is a hopefully, appropriately long essay about a specific part of the story, what can be described as the climax of the first part of the poem and certainly the most dramatic point in the whole book.
To start, lets get some background. The Shahnameh is not a story of people per se, though their personal deeds may be great and echo throughout the ages. It is a story of generations and the passage of time. Of cultivating virtue and seeing it decay. Endless cycles of violence drive both the heroes and the villains and truly valorous, noble, and mighty Persian heroes are too many to name and ready to take up arms even when beset from all sides. These hero's names are prefixed with the names of other heroes who are themselves the sons of another. "Rostam son of Zal, Son of Sam, Son of Nariman, Son of Garshasp. Rarely are the names listed out like this in the text as you read the son becomes the father and the grandfather is mentioned less, until their names are written for the last time. As the poem recounts all that remains of these great men is their names and words we say about them so ancient are their great legacies.
(TLDR. A ancient familial blood feud between Persians and Turks leads to the killing of a lot of people and the prince to end this is Kay Khosrow who personally embodies the feud represented by his own father's death at the hands of the king of Turks Afrasiab ).
(If you would like to skip past the mythological details and reach the analysis part go twelve paragraphs down. Give or take.)
This age of heroes is defined by the conflict originating from the sons of the King of all the world Fereydun, Slayer of the Demon King Zahak; who overthrew the foolish (But Rightful) King Jamshid. Fereydun, who in his wisdom set all things right in the world grew older and had three sons Tur, Salm & Iraj. Appearing to them as a dragon, challenging each son to battle, Fereydun judged his sons responses and to each he rightly gave them a third of the world to rule. To Salm he gave the West and to Tur he gave the East. To Iraj he gave his greatest kingdom as befitted the wisest of his sons, Persia.
Salm and Tur grew jealous and slew Iraj in an act of treachery. This sin sparks a blood feud that will rage throughout the Shanameh. The first consequence is Iran being thrown into horrific bloodshed and war. A war that is ended when Iraj's grandson Manuchehr wages a war of vengeance upon Tur and Salm. Wielding the Ox-headed mace of his royal line he slays Tur and Salm crushing the armies of East and west. Manuchehr in the age of his glory protected Persia and there was great prosperity. However, the descendants of Tur and Salm with their hearts set against those who killed their kin waited for Manuchehr to die as only when they were free from the fear of him would they again seek to claim Persia for their own.
A recurring theme of the Shanameh that even the lives of these heroes' whose lifespans are sometimes many decades longer than normal are terribly short and what conflict robs men of most of all is the time they could spend in happiness. There is no shortage of glory to be found in war, but it is principally a duty and a sign of evil at work in the world.
When Manuchehr dies as all men do. The descendants of Tur and Salm make their move. An invasion is planned and it is begun seven years into the reign of Nozar. Nozar was by blood his father's son, but in action he was greedy and impious man.
East Of Eden - Thou Mayest
Nothing moved me closer than the sentence " Thou Mayest".
The book tells us that we have a choice of letting go of our sins, overcoming our evil. It isn't something that is forced.
That is something that I will carry over .
However I felt that the death of Tom and Dessie was needless.
It didn't add much to the story. Needless to say that I did feel heartbroken when they died.
I also wondered if killing herself was Kathe's redemption arc.
The reveal that Caleb told Aron about Kathe was a big shock to me. I couldn't read the next words for a few minutes.
Oh Caleb,I wish I could hug you and tell you you are loved.
Overall a chef's kiss to Steinback
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Which of Dickens’ characters would you go out with today?
J.D. Salinger states in Chapter 3 of The Catcher in the Rye "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it."
Fortunately, Charles Dickens was born in 1812, whilst I was born 170 years later. If I’d had his phone number, I’d have pestered him with questions – or perhaps not, given that I have a complicated relationship with the telephone and detest people who pester others. Assuming that Pip Pirrip will forever remain the imperfect best friend I’d love to have by my side, if I had to choose which Dickens character to go out with one of these evenings, I’d get in touch with Dick Swiveller from *The Old Curiosity Shop*. It’s definitely a time when that scruffy, pub-loving lad would lift my spirits. I love Dick’s strategy of mapping out routes through London’s street names to avoid all the streets where there are pubs where he’s run up unpaid debts or been involved in brawls that are still unresolved. Which of Dickens’ creatures would you go out with today?
Fax Mac Allister
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Can we talk about Catch-22
I just read this book for the second time in my life. I first read it when I was in my teens. I recalled laughing a lot and enjoying it so I thought I would give it a shot again in my 30s.
Once again, I found myself laughing every time I picked up the book. In fact, I started to roll my eyes at the humor like, “oh Joseph Heller has jokes…. again…” but he kept me laughing. The book is hilarious, I think that’s its obvious quality.
What started to weigh on me was that it felt like a sitcom. When I was halfway thru the book, I noticed that it was almost like an anthology of Yossarian‘s experience on Pianosa without actually telling me about Yossarian himself or any other characters. Picking up the book felt like turning on the TV to see what those wild airmen were up to in the latest episode. The only growth of Yossarian occurred in the last chapter as far as I could tell. Does anyone have thoughts on the flat characters?
Additionally, there were times that I had trouble following the narrative because the plot would make Yossarian recall something that had happened previously and suddenly the narrative shifts into the memory. It could be difficult to follow, but I thought maybe that illustrated to some extent what it’s like to be Yossarian stationed on Pianosa. Clearly there was a lot on his mind trying to stay alive during the war.
Finally, it seemed to me as if there were a few scenes described multiple times. Was I going crazy or did the scene with Doc Daneeka explaining Catch-22 to Yossarian happen at least twice in slightly different ways?
Curious to hear others thoughts on this book besides the classic comment, “it’s hilarious!” It’s hilarious, yes. I enjoyed reading it, but I may never read it again. Feels like it has many reasons to be great without actually being a great read. Weird.
Of course the last passage of the book is a joke so that the reader can roll their eyes at Joseph Heller one last time before putting the book down.
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Weekly FAQ Thread November 01, 2026: What do you use as a bookmark?
Hello readers and welcome to our Weekly FAQ thread! Our topic this week is: What do you use as a bookmark? Whether you created your own bookmark from scratch or you're a heretical dog-earer we want to know!
You can view previous FAQ threads here in our wiki.
Thank you and enjoy!
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I haven’t finished Vita Nostra yet, but I’ve read up to the parts where Sasha breaks her arm
The author conveys the emotions to the reader very well; u can feel the worry, fear, sadness, happiness and excitement all of them.the flow is also very good.
what m wondering is: in the later chapters does the pace pick up while Sasha continues with the tasks she’s subjected to or does it slow down?
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The Futurological Congress (1971) by Stanislaw Lem - A prescient novel on the rise of AI, hyperreality and more. 1984 mixed with Philip K. Dick
Blown away by this book. It's pretty short, 150 pages, read it all today, couldn't put it down. It's nonstop, extremely fast-paced, constantly throwing twists and new developments your way.
Quick summary of the plot: Ijon is invited to the Futurological Congress in the fictional country of Costarikana [note: Costa Rica in the English translation\], dealing with how humanity should face its crisis, environmental, growing population, war, etc. Then everything goes to hell.
The initial part of the novel is a great satire of academia and the international situation in the 70s. Academics shouting paragraph numbers at each other("If 4, 5 and 12 then 22! And only 22!" "What about 7 and 13" a voice shouted), "Bomb free rooms!" advertised the Hilton, devout Catholics planning the Pope's assassination and more. If it stopped there it would be a fun book, but about one third of the way the novel goes into hyperdrive and Lem shows us some true futurology.
Remember that this book was written in 1971. Mass media used to control the population, language that defines how people see the world, hypersexualization, desexualization, drugs to feel good, drugs to feel bad. Drugs to see a different reality, brains in a vat, virtual worlds. AIs rebelling, robots to dress you, robots you can fuck.
"Linguistic futurology investigates the future through the transformational possibilities of language"
"A mimicretin is a computer that plays stupid in order to, once and for all, to be left alone"
A warning against totalitarianism, a warning against hyperconsumerism, somehow a warning against an overreliance in AI and technology for our daily needs.
A must read for fans of sci-fi, for those worried about where our world is headed and for lovers of books in general.
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Question for authors.
I am not a writer myself but I have wondered if it is hard to get published, even if you have an incredible book.
I do theater and recognize that even if you are great, it's more about getting in front of the right people.
Is it like that for publishing? Can you just submit your book to a publisher? Or do you have to also get lucky?
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Check out r/bookclub 's November Menu
As the year runs down, some reading to curl up with. Join us if you see anything enticing and feel free to read on your own schedule-discussions are always open!
**(With permission from the Mods)**
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[INDIGENOUS]
###The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
(November 9-November 30)
*
[ANY]
###World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
(November 8-November 29)
*
[READ THE WORLD: Bosnia and Herzegovina ]
###Catch the Rabbit by Lana Bastašić and Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović
●
(TBD)
*
[EVERGREEN]
###Atonement by Ian McEwan
(TBD)
*
[Nov-Dec DISCOVERY READ: Hugo or Nebula Winner]
###See nomination post 1st November
*
[MOD PICK]
###A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
(November 10-November 15)
*
[MOD PICK]
###Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
(TBD)
*
[RUNNER-UP READ]
###Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
(November 8-November 29)
*
[AUTHOR PROFILE: Daphne du Maurier]
###Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay and My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
●Manderley Forever (November 8-December 6)
●My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (December 13-January 10)
*
[BONUS READ]
###The Kingdom of Copper by Shannon Chakraborty (#2 Daevabad)
(November 4-December 16)
*
[BONUS READ]
###Dubliners by James Joyce
(November 11- November 25)
*
[BONUS READ]
###Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot# 6)
Links to other Poirot reads;
(November 11-November 25)
*
[BONUS READ]
###The Oresteia by Aeschylus
(November 2- November 30)
*
[BONUS READ]
###The Wisdom of Crowds (#3 Age of Madness) + The Great Change by Joe Abercrombie
●The Wisdom of Crowds (November 25-December 30)
●The Great Change (January 6)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONTINUING READS
[BONUS READ]
###Of Empires and Dust by Ryan Cahill (#4 Bound and Broken)
(August 1-November 21)
*
[QUARTERLY NON-FICTION: Philosophy]
###Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
(October 26-November 9)
*
[READ THE WORLD: Finland]
###Summer Fishing in Lapland by Juhani Karila
(October 23-November 13)
*
[EVERGREEN]
###The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
(September 29-November 10)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For a full list of discussions, schedules, additional info and rules, head over to the [**November Menu**](https://www.reddit.com/r/bookclub/comments/1xevupz/november_book_menu_all_book_schedules_useful/)
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John Larsen on writing Jeremy Hansen's inside account of Artemis II
https://www.collectspace.com/news/news-102726a-earthrise-artemis-ii-jeremy-hansen-john-larsen-book-interview.html
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What Books did You Start or Finish Reading this Week?: November 02, 2026
Hi everyone!
What are you reading? What have you recently finished reading? What do you think of it? We want to know!
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Formatting your book info
Post your book info in this format:
the title, by the author
For example:
The Bogus Title, by Stephen King
This formatting is voluntary but will help us include your selections in the book strip banner.
Entering your book data in this format will make it easy to collect the data, and the bold text will make the books titles stand out and might be a little easier to read.
Enter as many books per post as you like but only the parent comments will be included. Replies to parent comments will be ignored for data collection.
To help prevent errors in data collection, please double check your spelling of the title and author.
NEW: Would you like to ask the author you are reading (or just finished reading) a question? Type !invite in your comment and we will reach out to them to request they join us for a community Ask Me Anything event!
-Your Friendly /r/books Moderator Team
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What's your book rating scale?
Now that Goodreads has implemented half and quarter stars, I decided to switch to the rating system i've used for other media. I want to go back and revise my ratings now. Here's my system:
5 Masterpiece
4.5 Great
4 Very Good
3.5 Good
3 Fine
2.5 Average
2 Bad
1.5 Very Bad
1 Horrible
.5 Appalling
I found this system on MyAnimeList way back in 2009 and have stuck with it. What's your rating scale?
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his wise father Zal to speak sense into him Zal can only believe that the Angel Soroush Khosrow sees is a demon in disguise. Rostam tells Khosrow that whatever might trouble him he can crush with his might. Zal talks of the great kings of old, none having been so defeated by melancholy.
It is a great Persian king's duty to create a paradise upon the earth, to possess a command of the natural world so great to overawe anyone with splendor. Khosrow as any king in this story can pile gold as tall as a mountain and spread rubies & carnelians before his feet. Chinese brocade scented with musk are his robes and his fountains run with wine and milk. Khosrow thanks Zal for his wisdom and honest council, but reminds him that our lives are short and that whatever the pleasures of life, our suns will set and we will face the end of what we hold dear. God alone represents what does not fade and it is every man's duty to live by his laws. Zal apologies for his foolish council and states that he only spoke to preserve Khosrow among them.
Khosrow then continues to pray. Late as night the Angel Soroush appears and tells him how to join with God. What occultation is, is, well I don't really understand the ins and outs myself. Its a very esoteric process and seems to describe different things and what becomes of Khosrow is a mystery, both to us and his kingdom and councilors. Occultation is like joining God, but without the whole dying thing.
He tells them he must go alone, on a journey. He gets his affairs in order. He designates Kay Lohrasp as the King of Persia, truly just some guy. No one likes or respects him much and its heavily implied that everyone swears fealty to him, basically because they trust Khosrow. He gives his greatest hero's kingdoms to rule. When his wives appear before him begging him to stay he promises them they will meet at the end of their days and provides for their well being in life.
He then sets out, having been cajoled into having his greatest hero's accompany him part of the way. Eventually, they reach a mountain and Khosrow asks them to turn back lest ill fortune befall them. Three wise heroes: Goudarz, Zal and Rostam leave and the others remain one last night. Khosrow lets them stay, but warns for them to leave at dawn. During the night Khosrow seems to leave and is nowhere to be found that morning. Their journey completed the remaining heroes decide to stay one last night on the mountainside before moving on in contravention of their promise. Saying: "The sky seems clear for now." As they return a blizzard blows in killing them all.
This is the end of this section of the story.
What is so compelling about this story to me is the how human the reactions are to Kay Khosrow's crisis of mortality. The characters in the story are confused and a little bit insulted that Khosrow would be so apathetic to them. Time is taken to address Khosrow's responsibilities as king and the story makes it clear that as much as Khosrow is a good king he can't be there forever anyway. I found Zal's speech rather convincing, but it dances around the transient nature of the world and Khosrow goes from a man that relished life and war to one too aware of its failings to live in it anymore. Khosrow on his path of vengeance is a character that seethes with a calm rage. He fights the crown prince of Turan Pashang on foot (A Prince should always ride a horse) without reservation. He is never taken in by Afrasiab's apologies or excuses or false treaties. You believe that when he closes his eyes he sees Afrasiab dying at his hands.
Occultation is deeply mysterious and when Khosrow disappears is genuinely unsettling. His hero's refusal to listen to his advice only showing the withering influence of the departed on the living. Seyavash's death is tragedy because he could have brought the two kingdoms together and this better world haunts the reader throughout the war and you expect Khosrow to embody the return of Seyavash's future, but he doesn't and he can't. He can only avenge him.
You imagine what it would be
This weakens Persia and destabilized his throne. Only through the nobility of his hero Sam did the throne remain in his hands with Sam rejecting taking the throne for himself. Nozar promised to rule justly, but this came too late to save him. The withered armies of Persia faced invasion from Turan (The Lands of Tur) and Nozar bravely faced them on the front lines. He is defeated and captured by Afrasiab grandson of Tur and is killed. This ends the royal line of Pishdadian Dynasty. The Persian elect a new line to rule Persia and. Kay Qobad is elected and once again wages a war of vengeance, but Afrasiab remains outside is his grasp. Wars are waged intermittently as Afrasiab tests the borders of Persia and reneges on peace obligations. Nozar's sons now vassals of the new king.
Kay Qobad rules as a fine King of Persia and his son deserves a digression. He is perhaps the most frustrating man I have read about. In the text when Qobad dies (He was already and old man when elected) his son Kay Kavus is introduced with a preamble about how the actions of men's son's are not their responsibility and he truly earns this disclaimer before his ascension to the throne. I could write about everything dumb that this crushingly mediocre fellow does, but suffice to say that he is very close to being an excellent king. He rules well in many regards, he is the just ruler of Persia by right and this is ruined by his devastating personality and pettiness.
He declares a war of conquest on the land of Mazandaran because he was tricked by a demon. A country full of demons and wizards that promptly blind him and his whole army then is locked in a cave. He ties hawks to his throne to create a flying throne like Jamshid's (I can't get into this) and falls to the earth. He is invited to a party by his father-in-law who hates him for stealing his daughter and kingdom and goes against the advice of his own wife and is promptly captured by said father-in-law. He rebukes his greatest hero Rostam the man who saved him from everything listed above.
Kay Kavus's worst mistake however is being poisoned against his own son and heir Seyavash who is exiled to the east with King Afrasiab in the enemy kingdom of Turan. He lives there, ruling a small part of Afrasiab's kingdom as a vassal. Even taking Afrasiab's daughter as his wife. All is well, but Seyavash is a man of royal divine blood and his greatness begins to outshine Afrasiab's other vassals leading to him to be isolated among them. Soon Afrasiab is made to view him as threat and plots to kill him. Knowing his time is soon coming to an end due to a prophetic dream Seyavash hides his son Kay Khosrow away with a good and noble advisor to Afrasiab, Piran ruler of Khotan. He is then killed his head taken from his body and capital left in ruins. So begins the life of Kay Khosrow.
He and his mother live in hiding as shepherds in Piran's lands. One day Afrasiab discovers that Kay Khosrow lives, hearing that there is a prophecy that Khosrow will kill him and lay his kingdom low he arrives at the court of Piran and demands the boy be killed. Khosrow pretends to be simple minded and Afrasiab declares that the boy can live as he is incapable of posing a threat to him.
One day word that the son of Seyavash lives reaches Persia. Giv, a great hero is sent on mission to rescue Khosrow and his mother. He accomplishes this single-handedly. There is a great moment where Khosrow and her mother Farangis arrive in his father's ruined capital and take up his father's hidden armor and sword. Giv later faces down 50 armored horseman on foot and wins.
Khosrow is rescued and raised by the greatest Persian hero Rostam, whose name is a literal by word for strength in Iran. Every one of his fights basically consists of a hype speech about his opponent and then how Rostam kills them in like two sentences max. He has a lariat and horse that one shot a lion. The only fights that buck this trend is him fighting the White Div, a ridiculously powerful demon who he kills, and his fight against his own son who he tragically
Why Stephen Harper refused to take a call from Paul McCartney: from Harper’s new book
https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/why-stephen-harper-refused-to-take-a-call-from-paul-mccartney-from-harper-s-new-book/article_6dd60061-5945-4ef9-b831-13f5e55a95e9.html
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I thought character-driven wasn't my cup of tea, until I read Lonesome Dove
Finished it today and I'm speechless. I had seen it recommended multiple times on this sub and elsewhere, so curiosity got the better of me. Went in completely blind, besides only knowing that it was some sort of wild west story. It exceeded my expectations.
The book did such a great job with the main characters. My favorite was probably Gus. He had a cavalier attitude about what he considered trivialities of life but he showed great concern and empathy whenever it mattered. I also liked how, despite his almost Ecclesiastes-esque worldview, he was not above a little vanity. >!He wrote that Latin phrase on the sign that he didn't understand himself, and when he learned Wilbarger went to Yale he was afraid that he'd get called out for it by a more educated person; he was annoyed when everyone seemed to love the new cook Po Campo and the fried grasshoppers more than his own favorite sourdough biscuits.!<
It was the same deal with the other main characters, Call, Jake, July, Newt, Lorena, and Clara. Each had moments when they shined, but also flaws that either irritated you or made you smile a little because of how relatable they were.
I have to admit the book was a slow-burn for me at first. For the first 1/3 of the book it felt like nothing was happening except for everyone just eating, bickering, and whoring. Then somewhere along their long cattle drive to Montana I suddenly realized I started caring about the story. After that I had a hard time putting the book down. In hindsight I really appreciated the earlier chapters, because the scene-setting and character-building were truly phenomenal.
Given the wild west theme I was anticipating lots of plot-driven cowboy action, fights against Mexicans, Indians, and struggles against the elements. The book did have some of it, but it was much more than that. It was an introspective, emotional story about friendship, love, regret, and the vagaries of life.
Definitely 5/5 stars.
https://redd.it/1xll047
@r_books
Books that read like someone is talking to you: what makes that voice work?
Some books feel like the author is sitting across the table telling you the story. Run-on sentences, asides, the occasional "anyway, where was I." Others are beautifully written but feel like reading a lecture.
I keep thinking about what creates that conversational feeling. Is it short paragraphs? Dialect? Breaking the fourth wall? Or is it mostly that the author just sounds like a real person?
Which books have that voice for you, and what do you think the author did to get it?
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@r_books
Where do you stop?
I was just thinking, when I was younger, I readl all the time. Constantly. I'd get in trouble ar school for hiding a book under my desk and reading in class. But when I had to put my book down, I'd stop at the end of whatever paragraph I was in, mark it with a bookmark and be on my way.
As I grew older, at some point, I stopped doing that. Now I only stop at the ends of chapters or sections, bigger breaks in the story. I don't know when or why that changed, but it got me wondering, do you stop wherever you are when reading, or do you keep going until you reach a chapter or section break?
https://redd.it/1xl3wgl
@r_books
New Releases: November 2026
Hello readers and welcome! Every month this thread will be posted for you to discuss new and upcoming releases! Our only rules are:
1. The books being discussed must have been published within the last three months OR are being published this month.
2. No direct sales links.
3. And you are allowed to promote your own writing as long as you follow the first two rules.
That's it! Please discuss and have fun!
https://redd.it/1xkzawt
@r_books
The Magnificent Mrs. Mayhew by Milly Johnson
I got into Milly Johnson this year and this is probably the fourth book of hers I've read. I like her focus on family dynamics and complicated relationships. I also like how her books (at least ones I've read) have resolutions so when I finish, I feel content.
This story focuses on Sophie, the wife of a prominent politician, and follows her quest to not lose herself and her dreams while maintaining her spousal role. She has to make tough decisions that impact other people.
I like how the author divided the chapters, actually three parts, and weaved in Sophie's history to tell the story. The character and relationship development is Johnson's strong suit and it reeled me in.
Reading the novel for entertainment, I can't think of any criticisms. If you've read this one, what did you think?
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@r_books
A new Houellebecq novel is coming
The French author of excellent works like Annihilation, Serotonin, and Platform just confirmed in an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC that he is back at his desk, writing again.
“By the way, are you writing anything new?”
“Yes.”
“And can you tell us anything about the book?”
“No.”
“Marguerite Duras didn’t like to talk about what she was writing either; she said it took away her strength to write.”
“And that’s true. Writing is about solitude. If you tell someone something, they can’t stop their reaction, and that’s too intrusive. Writing is done in solitude.”
Source: https://www.abc.es/cultura/michel-houellebecq-francia-violencia-viene-descontento-miedo-20261030180122-nt.html
https://redd.it/1xkotis
@r_books
How do we get boys to read more?
I’ve seen it posted on this subreddit before that boys read less than girls, and this same trend continues into adulthood, with women reading more than men. This is obviously a problem, and it seems like the trouble starts in childhood. The question, then, is what can be done to get boys reading more in their youth?
https://redd.it/1xkmxbp
@r_books
Simple Questions: October 31, 2026
Welcome readers,
Have you ever wanted to ask something but you didn't feel like it deserved its own post but it isn't covered by one of our other scheduled posts? Allow us to introduce you to our new Simple Questions thread! Twice a week, every Tuesday and Saturday, a new Simple Questions thread will be posted for you to ask anything you'd like. And please look for other questions in this thread that you could also answer! A reminder that this is not the thread to ask for book recommendations. All book recommendations should be asked in /r/suggestmeabook or our Weekly Recommendation Thread.
Thank you and enjoy!
https://redd.it/1xk5b7h
@r_books
Taking a longer break for A Little Life
So, I’ve never read anything in this particular genre before, and I’d heard that A Little Life was a “controversial” book, but still considered a modern classic by some.
As someone who has never had any problems consuming media that depicts trauma or struggles in life, I thought: it can’t be as bad as everyone says, right… RIGHT??
No, but for real, I’m approximately 350 pages in and have decided that I need a longer break. Maybe I’ll read something else in between. I just can’t continue this story. It has taken me three weeks to get this far because I dread reading the book for more than 10 minutes before I get pissed off, angry, or sad.
For those of you who have read A Little Life, did you also need a break? 😅
Or how did you pull through?
https://redd.it/1xk3zs7
@r_books
that was cool. But honestly, I remember liking the concept but I struggle to remember any of the short story's premise. I think the first one is about a kleptomaniac? There's one where they're on a safari? And yes, of course, the famous Powerpoint story.
Less by Andrew Sean Greer- The writing is solid, the plot is interesting. I am the poster child of imposter syndrome so I thought I would relate more to Less, but I didn't.
Thrilling! Couldn't Put It Down!
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck- I don't seek out stories of misery, poverty, and struggle so it's not a book I would have picked up on premise alone but once I started reading it I was so very invested in how the lives of the characters would play out. It was riveting. I was locked in 100% the whole time.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides- It's got war, taboo love, rare medical condition, and offers a critical look at America.I read this about ten years ago and there are scenes that still lives in my head.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz- This novel came out in 2008 before the Dune movies (the good one), before Disney bough Marvel (I think? Or right around that time), and before most people knew about incels and toxic masculinity. It kind of comes across like it's trying too hard with all the pop culture references and footnotes but I had fun regardless.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt- I'm not going to disagree with anyone who argues this book didn't deserve it, but I had so much fun reading it. It's a rather chonky book but I finished it in just a few days because I was completely invested. I'm not a fan of Donna Tartt but dang, she really makes you... not care... but really interested in characters that are just so unlikeable. You don't care about them, but you want to know what happens. I did like Boris though.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver- Is it the best Pulitzer book? No, is it my favorite? Absolutely. Much like The Good Earth, it's a book I never would have picked up based on the premise but I'm so glad I did. I love Demon Copperhead- both the character and the book. Kingsolver has a Judy Blume way of writing realistic kids.
The Writing- Wow!
American Pastoral by Philip Roth- American Pastoral is the first and only Roth novel I have read. I don't think I'm a fan of his style, and I have no desire to read any more of his works, but I have to admit, he's an extremely talented writer. The book is almost aggressively ugly at times and Roth really makes you feel the unpleasantness. It's not a long book but it took me over a month to finish because for me, it was one of those books I had to read in small bites.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri- Lahiri's writing is just effortlessly chic and gorgeous. Her stories are about everyday people leading every day lives but she has a way of making them feel big and grand. I'm not a fan of short story compilations but thoroughly enjoyed Interpreter of Maladies. And, her other collection, Unaccustomed Earth, is even better (imho).
The Known World by Edward P Jones- I'm currently reading it so I don't have much to say in terms of the themes but Jones writes so elegantly. He writes with a lot of dignity and restraint. His writing is quiet, but it has a big impact.
New Favorite Author!
Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis- Sinclair Lewis is such an underrated author- well, as underrated as you can be while winning the Putlizer and Nobel for fiction. Lewis has a very wry, sardonic way of throwing shade at America and, though his writings are a hundred years old, they're just as relevant today as they were back than. If you switch out the horse and buggy for cars, one could easily believe Arrowsmith was written this decade.
James by Percival Everett- I thought this book was great... until I read Erasure and now I have his entire works in my TBR. I think James is a right author, wrong book kind of situation but I am grateful to James for introducing me to Everett. Please read Erasure. Erasure a great book.