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Coffeehouse Culture is proud to be one of the few web sites dealing with the
subject of cannabis to be associated with the leading web bookseller,
Amazon. Although they took a little persuading, the cultcha won through.
Since September 2000, under the heading of 'Further reading,' there have
been over 60 recommended books on various pages of the first issue of Coffee-
house Culture, most linked to specific articles. Almost every one
read by the editor in some past life before he aspired to cyber punkdom,
these books were and are gems of wisdom, erudition, literacy and entertain-
ment. All of those appear below, many with somewhat expanded descriptions.
New to these pages are further recommendations from our widely-read,
bibliographically-obsessed editor. Among these are some great works of
fiction -- not merely literary masterpieces but great reads that you simply
won't be able to put down -- and some new non-fiction recommendations.
Unlike other goods within the Cultcha Shop, Amazon handle their orders
themselves and payment is made direct to them. To go to the Amazon page
relating to any book -- from which you can get more information and order --
click on the relevant button.
Please note that the cover pictures featured below may not match the
purchased book. Books that are currently out of print are included with
links to the Amazon page so that users can check out the publication dates.
subject of cannabis to be associated with the leading web bookseller,
Amazon. Although they took a little persuading, the cultcha won through.
Since September 2000, under the heading of 'Further reading,' there have
been over 60 recommended books on various pages of the first issue of Coffee-
house Culture, most linked to specific articles. Almost every one
read by the editor in some past life before he aspired to cyber punkdom,
these books were and are gems of wisdom, erudition, literacy and entertain-
ment. All of those appear below, many with somewhat expanded descriptions.
New to these pages are further recommendations from our widely-read,
bibliographically-obsessed editor. Among these are some great works of
fiction -- not merely literary masterpieces but great reads that you simply
won't be able to put down -- and some new non-fiction recommendations.
Unlike other goods within the Cultcha Shop, Amazon handle their orders
themselves and payment is made direct to them. To go to the Amazon page
relating to any book -- from which you can get more information and order --
click on the relevant button.
Please note that the cover pictures featured below may not match the
purchased book. Books that are currently out of print are included with
links to the Amazon page so that users can check out the publication dates.
Larger view
Like all of John Irving's novels, this is a big story involving a cast of larger than life
extremely eccentric characters, quirky plots and weird black humour. Written when
Irving had already become a best-selling author worldwide on the strength of his
magnificent 'The World According To Garp,' this book lacks some of the literary
cunning and good humoured charm of his earlier works. It is, however, still a stunning
read. Moving away from his New England roots, Irving takes his rich palette of words
to India and creates a breathtaking opus full of insights and twists.Like almost all of
John Irving's books, this one can only be recommended as a thoroughly entertaining
and enjoyable read.
As with so many of his books, Irving captures the wierd small-town-ness of middle America.
Packed full of endearingly perverse characters and hilarious set piece situations,this book
is a direct descendent of his New England stories with a new(ish) twist. Whilst the richness
of the characters and situations does not quite match up to his earlier works this still has a
lot to recommend it. Apart from Irving's very quirky sense of humour, the lack of character
involvement is compensated for by some fine plotting twists and turns and the world's greatest
guilt trip. Despite a few reservations this is a great book that is long enough and involving
enough to carry you away to the strange world occupied by the title character and into the
story. Thoroughly recommended.
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This is the book that made John Irving a worldwide best-selling author. And what a magnif-
icent opus it is. A long and involving tale of a writer with a very perverse life view struggling to
pefect his art, it is full of fantastic secondary characters -- transvestites, rapees, tongueless
acolytes and many more. The first of irving's New England books, it captures the atmosphere
perfectly and to relieve the political correctness (though there is not much of that in John
Irving's books), there are long sequences set in Vienna to which the author adds his own
inimitable sleaziness (as if that were necessary.) Although the whole tale hangs around the
title character and his writing (the long short story with which he woos his wife that is inset
into the main storyline is an imacculate piece of writing, original, cunningly plotted and highly
original), it is much more the story of his mother's feminist activities. Like almost all of irving's
books, it is extremely funny and very well written. If you read nothing else by Irving, read this.
The follow-up to 'The World According to Garp,' This is yet another strongly constructed,
beautifully written and thoroughly entertaining opus. Set largely in Vienna, 'The Hotel New
Hampshire' brought together and established many of Irving's recurring themes -- hotels,
bears, wrestling, dwarves, motorcycles, rape and others -- and tied them into a tight family
story that fairly zips along. As usual the humour is rich, the plotting is wonderfully elaborate
and the writing extremely elegant. But, as is so often the case with John irving, it is the
characters that really sing. Everyone of them is a complete wierdo that you will grow to love.
Containing some of Irving's best philosophical aphorisms -- inlcuding 'Sorrow floats' and '
Keep passing the open windows' -- this is one of his best books. Believe me, you won't be
able to put it down. A great book.
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Classic Irving. This would seem to be the book that started it all. Another story about a writer
who wrestles and has a bear fetish, it is my favourite John Irving not least for its intense, penet-
rating descriptions of the dynamics of a relationship. It is, of course, full of bizarre and very
funny incidents. But it is the subtlety with which Irving makes his points and develops his
storyline that really impresses. As one reads this elegant tale of relationship angst, it becomes
clear that John Irving is a writer to reckon with. Flexing his literary muscles, he spins a deeply
engrossing and involving tale while trying out many of the techniques he applied to such
devastating effect in 'The World According to Garp.' Full of side plots and extracts from the
rather strange writings of the main character, John Irving demonstrates again and again that
inimitably oblique view of the world that marks him as probably wierder than any of his
characters. This is another not to be missed read. Thoroughly entertaining.
Another pre-'Garp' Irving, this is one of the funniest. An everyday story of urology, it contains the funniest set piece I have ever read. This is beautifully set up, cleverly developed and has a punch line that blows you away. And it is only one of several set piece incidents that have most people rolling on the floor with laughter. In this blatantly humorous tale, John Irving demonstrates his skill as a writer as he takes a joke and develops it through multiple twists and turns and then delivers the punchline with more panache than Hitler. Unlike so many writers of humour, Irving is never superficial or frivolous or, for that matter, silly. He weaves his jokes into a strong storyline full of subtleties that provides a good contrast to the 'knockabout' set piece jokes. An excellent book
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