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Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Preferably I chose a new genre

Alexandre Chetrite — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:18:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Alexandre Chetrite
Post title: Preferably I chose a new genre

For example, if you don't like romance, just buy a book about romance. If you dislike or have never been interested about cooking, just buy that.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | No words

Claudia Alvis — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Claudia Alvis
Post title: No words

[quote]Aurora Humarán wrote:

Check this out, Claudia!

[b]Destino[/b]
Risco no chão um traço, à beira água:
Não tarda que a maré o deixe raso.
Tal e qual o poema. É comum sorte
Que areias e poemas tanto valham
Ao vaivém da maré, vem-vem da morte.

José Saramago

[b]Destino[/b]
Hago en el suelo un trazo, junto al agua:
No tarda la marea en alisarlo.
Así es el poema. Es común suerte
Que arenas y poemas tanto valgan
Al vaivén de la marea, al ven ven de la muerte.

José Saramago y Campos Pámpano

[/quote]

That's absolutely brilliant, thank you for sharing Aurora. I'll try to buy it tomorrow since I have to pick up my copy of Harry Potter anyway. I try to avoid bookstores as much as I can because I always end up going out of budget.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Typos in books

Hilary Davies Shelby — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 11:12:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Hilary Davies Shelby
Post title: Typos in books

[quote]Textklick wrote:

I just wish that all books would all be available as audio books, so that I could get rid of the dreadful habit of spending the first ten/twenty/thirty minutes looking for typos.

I imagine that I am not unique in that respect. ;-)

Chris

[/quote]

I've actually taken a pencil (not a pen, i hate writing in books!) to a few books - authors/editors who leave out the second parenthetical comma are my pet peeve....

I'll read anything and everything, but not usually anything super-heavy - my brain gets enough exercise from translating all day!

I like biographies, social history, classic children's fiction, travelogues, ghost stories and well-written "junk" ;-). Authors who spring to mind are Tracey Chevalier, Bill Bryson, Liza Picard, JK Rowling, Jilly Cooper, James Paterson and Tim Moore.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | @ Claudia Aguero: about poetry

Ivette Camargo López — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:26:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Ivette Camargo López
Post title: @ Claudia Aguero: about poetry

[quote]Claudia Aguero wrote:

In my case, I think certain aversion toward poetry since my university times, when a teacher said to me "I cannot believe you cannot understand this poem. You are the last person in this class who can argue not understanding this poem." Of course, I did bad in the exam I had to analyze it. In addition, how is it possible that my interpretations were always completely different from what the author tried to tell or my teachers' point of view.... still a mystery for me. [/quote]

Hi Claudia,

Isn't it terrible when a narrow-minded "teacher" destroys the beauty of knowledge and learning by such limiting attitudes?

I'm sure that if you had had a more "pedagogical"-minded teacher maybe you would love poetry today, or at least "appreciate" it a bit.

Your anecdote reminded me of that movie (and I am not suggesting at all that it is your case, I am just using this movie as an analogy), "Dangerous minds". Of course, the teacher there is gorgeous Michelle Pfeiffer, so I guess it's easy to believe anything she says, but still, it's so obvious that our childhood/high-school/university teachers are so crucial for us to develop certain cultural tastes.

In my case, I had (during the last three years of high-school) a professor who was not only a literature/poetry specialist, but also an actor (he actually participated in plays, in school and in local theaters), so he "transmitted" to us his love and passion for literature and poetry, which I still remember to this day.

And btw, I do read poetry in English (my main "outside" language) whenever I can, but, as some other colleagues mentioned here, I just like to read a little bit of everything. Right now I'm about to start Lynne Truss' "Talk to the Hand (the Utter Bloody Rudeness of Everyday Life)", which sounds like hillarious fun.

Buen finde,

Ivette

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | some topics I like to read about

Csaba Ban — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 10:22:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Csaba Ban
Post title: some topics I like to read about

Current affairs - newspapers, background analyses in several different languages
History, geography, art history, cultural history, social sciences, travelogues, guide books, language learning, dictionaries, etc. Most of the time I read several books on these subjects concurrently.

And when I really have a lot of time, I like reading fiction in original...

Csaba

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Not so prone towarods poetry

Claudia Aguero — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:52:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Claudia Aguero
Post title: Not so prone towarods poetry

[quote]Steven Capsuto wrote:

[quote]Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

Four times more readers of erotic stories than readers of poetry? Something's wrong here. ;-) [/quote]

Maybe it's a cultural difference, but I feel a far stronger connection to prose than to poetry. Most "good" poetry does nothing for me, emotionally or intellectually. A good memoir or novel can reduce me to tears, but I seldom get emotionally worked up over verse. I say that even though I've translated poetry for publication and have done it well, I'm told.

Obviously there are exceptions, poems I relate to instantly, but they're ones that have the clarity of meaning one usually associates with good prose. [/quote]

In may case, I think certain aversion toward poetry since my university times, when a teacher said to me "I cannot believe you cannot understand this poem. You are the last person in this class who can argue not understanding this poem." Of course, I did bad in the exam I had to analyze it. In addition, how is it possible that my interpretations were always completely different from what the author tried to tell or my teachers' point of view.... still a mystery for me.

I'd rather read prose...by reading Isabel Allende I can let my imagination run riot. Biographies such as Hilary Clinton are also really interesting.

What I cannot stand is reading Coelho's books or such literature. It's almost impossible for me to read more than one or two pages.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Phases

Aurora Humarán (X) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 03:20:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Aurora Humarán (X)
Post title: Phases

[quote]Steven Capsuto wrote:

I go through phases. At the moment I'm mostly reading memoirs and murder mysteries, though the last non-English book I read was Javier Cercas' novel "La velocidad de la luz."

[/quote]

Same here, Steven! :), I also have phases. Like Picasso, I even have my own "blue periods" ;) ... so Cioran or Lovecraft are the perfect companions. Sometimes I need science fiction or history (I am currently interested in the Templars), sometimes I need to meet completely different worlds (Pamuk's Istambul). Sometimes I get obsessed with a certain writer (Borges is an ongoing obsession so he does not count :D ), so I NEED to read all of his/her works. This happened to me, for instance, with Alessandro Baricco whom I 'met' only a couple of years ago and fell in love with him after the first pages of "Noveccento." So I continued with "Ocean Sea," then "Silk," then "Homer, Illiad"... I have him in standby now. :)

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Mystery and Crime Fiction

TrueBaller — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:03:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: TrueBaller
Post title: Mystery and Crime Fiction

I try to read all genres but prefer mystery books and crime fiction stories.
I enjoy very much the thrill and the suspense in the story, the whole psychological drama that comes with it and how the investigative thinking wraps around the dramatic presentation of the events. "The Whodunit" type of stories, where the events of the crime and the whole investigation are narrated in way that they hide the identity of the criminal or the culprit until the end of the book, are very special to me. I just enjoy reading them very much.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Newspapapers!

Vanessa Kersten — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:40:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Vanessa Kersten
Post title: Newspapapers!

I prefere to read newspapers.....in my working language... it is normal and shoud be like that, I think.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | What makes people tick?

Textklick — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:33:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Textklick
Post title: What makes people tick?

[quote]Fabio Descalzi Sgarbi wrote:

It doesn't matter if that GREAT PERSON is a king, a Pope, a writer or just a "famous unknown" - a book able to make you feel the life, thoughts, feelings and dreams of given persons. In a given culture and a given time of history.
[/quote]

I voted for most/many. However, biographies particularly fascinate me (as long as they are not written by juvenile celebrities).

I just wish that all books would all be available as audio books, so that I could get rid of the dreadful habit of spending the first ten/twenty/thirty minutes looking for typos.

I imagine that I am not unique in that respect. ;-)

Chris

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Whither poetry

Steven Capsuto — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 22:09:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Steven Capsuto
Post title: Whither poetry

[quote]Tomás Cano Binder wrote:

Four times more readers of erotic stories than readers of poetry? Something's wrong here. ;-) [/quote]

Maybe it's a cultural difference, but I feel a far stronger connection to prose than to poetry. Most "good" poetry does nothing for me, emotionally or intellectually. A good memoir or novel can reduce me to tears, but I seldom get emotionally worked up over verse. I say that even though I've translated poetry for publication and have done it well, I'm told.

Obviously there are exceptions, poems I relate to instantly, but they're ones that have the clarity of meaning one usually associates with good prose.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | OT

Aurora Humarán (X) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:27:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Aurora Humarán (X)
Post title: OT

Check this out, Claudia!

[b]Destino[/b]
Risco no chão um traço, à beira água:
Não tarda que a maré o deixe raso.
Tal e qual o poema. É comum sorte
Que areias e poemas tanto valham
Ao vaivém da maré, vem-vem da morte.

José Saramago

[b]Destino[/b]
Hago en el suelo un trazo, junto al agua:
No tarda la marea en alisarlo.
Así es el poema. Es común suerte
Que arenas y poemas tanto valgan
Al vaivén de la marea, al ven ven de la muerte.

José Saramago y Campos Pámpano

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | "Poesía completa"

Aurora Humarán (X) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:21:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Aurora Humarán (X)
Post title: "Poesía completa"

[quote]Claudia Alvis wrote:

Aurora, what's the ISBN of that bilingual edition of Saramago's poems, it sounds irresistible, me wants. [/quote]

"Poesía Completa"
[img] [url removed] [/img]
Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: Alfaguara (May 30, 2005)

ISBN-10: [phone removed]
ISBN-13: [phone removed] 70

:) Au

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Fiction

Kaliamma Ponnan — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:09:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Kaliamma Ponnan
Post title: Fiction

[quote]Heinrich Pesch wrote:

Where are novels like War and Peace and the like, the thicker the better?
Does not fit in in this poll.
Cheers
Heinrich [/quote]

Exactly. I was also thinking of "Anna Karenina." Doesn't seem to fit in.

Reading fantasy books is a great way to relax. Like Ma. Fernanda Blesa, I too like Harry Potter series. Just into my fourth book now. Lots of catching up to do. Just received Coelho's "The Zahir" as a birthday present. How wonderful life can get?

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Witty novels dealing with law and crime

Tjasa Kuerpick (X) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:44:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Tjasa Kuerpick (X)
Post title: Witty novels dealing with law and crime

I like to know, how people use their brains in investigations, at a court process or the whole psychological background and history which lead to the crime or big fraud, in which even scientists or specialists were not able to realize at first, that they have become victims, and find it especially thrilling, when such a fraud is coming up by a small unplanned event (chaos theory). Such books are simply enjoyable to read.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | "creative non-fiction"

jacana54 (X) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: jacana54 (X)
Post title: "creative non-fiction"

I have recently enjoyed books from a category that is apparently known as creative non-fiction: "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee (about Alaska), "The Bridge" by Gay Talese (about the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows bridge, and the lives of the workers and neighbours); "Among Schoolchildren" by Tracy Kidder.

Most of all I was very moved by another book by Tracy Kidder: "Mountains beyond Mountains" which is about the work of Dr. Paul Farmer in Haiti. More than that, it is about how he falls in love with Haiti, and this leads to him and his team fighting TB and aids in many parts of the world.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Erotic stories vs. poetry

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: Erotic stories vs. poetry

Four times more readers of erotic stories than readers of poetry? Something's wrong here. ;-)

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Had to re-read the list many times...

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:35:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: Had to re-read the list many times...

...as I could not find "Novels" of "Fiction". Would "Fiction" or "Novels" be too generic? I don't think so... :-)

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | I love to read

biankonera — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:26:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: biankonera
Post title: I love to read

My favorite genre has to be fantasy - lately Ive discovered a fab young writer Catherine Webb and her books "Mirror Dreams" and "Mirror Wakes". Also I like work of Neil Geiman. Now and then I read some sci-fi and the choice usually is Isaac Asimov.
However if I want to read just for relaxation and for fun I chose some chick flick full of good humour.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Scary stories

Nina Khmielnitzky — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:34:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Nina Khmielnitzky
Post title: Scary stories

I'm a major wuss, but I can't stop reading zombie stories lately, such as World War Z. I also read biographies.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Something missing there?

Heinrich Pesch — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:22:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Heinrich Pesch
Post title: Something missing there?

Where are novels like War and Peace and the like, the thicker the better?
Does not fit in in this poll.
Cheers
Heinrich

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Sci-Fi, terror, fantasy

Ma. Fernanda Blesa — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:19:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Ma. Fernanda Blesa
Post title: Sci-Fi, terror, fantasy

Isaac Asimov, Ursula K. LeGuinn, Stephen King, Arthur C. Clarke, JK Rowling (well, Harry Potter :)) are good examples of my favorite authors

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Several topics

Yaotl Altan — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:11:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Yaotl Altan
Post title: Several topics

I prefer Philosophy, History and Biograpies.

I like to read several books concurrently

- I'm reading a Pasolini book in Italian wherein the authr used a sort of Italian slang, I think it's Roman slang with Naepolitan slang influences.

- A book about Homosexuality in Civilizations, in English.

- Another book about PNL, in Spanish.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | I missed the genre crime / detective stories

sabertt — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:54:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: sabertt
Post title: I missed the genre crime / detective stories

I agree with most of the comments that it depends on the mood - which genre I prefer most though is missing on the list: crime. So easy to read and suspense is brilliant! And Edgar Allan Poe is the Master of it all anyway.

[Bearbeitet am 2007-07-19 15:55]

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Lots of genres

Steven Capsuto — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:44:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Steven Capsuto
Post title: Lots of genres

I go through phases. At the moment I'm mostly reading memoirs and murder mysteries, though the last non-English book I read was Javier Cercas' novel "La velocidad de la luz."

When I read in other languages, I usually alternate between original works written in that language and translations of hard-to-translate English-language books that I like... particularly if the English original had a very distinctive writing style. It's fun to see how another translator dismantled and reassembled the writing style of someone like Lewis Carroll, Dashiell Hammet, or Douglas Adams.

[Edited at 2007-07-19 15:59]

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Newspapers - the local rag

neilmac — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: neilmac
Post title: Newspapers - the local rag

Since I don't have much time to read anything else for pleasure, I read the local paper while havng my lunch. Or is that not counted as "reading"?

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | History

Jennifer Forbes — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:02:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Jennifer Forbes
Post title: History

[quote]ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:".

This poll was originally submitted by Ryan Montcalm

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: [url removed] [/quote]

I read mostly history - 17th and 18th centuries, Europe. My bedside table is piled with it. I also love mysteries and thrillers and the weird novels of Richard Self. And "popular" science, such as Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins.
This poll should run and run.
Regards,
Jenny.

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Biographies of great persons

Fabio Descalzi — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:00:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Fabio Descalzi
Post title: Biographies of great persons

It doesn't matter if that GREAT PERSON is a king, a Pope, a writer or just a "famous unknown" - a book able to make you feel the life, thoughts, feelings and dreams of given persons. In a given culture and a given time of history.

Isn't it incredible to be able to feel (and understand) how Beethoven felt when he wrote his 9th Symphony, being deaf? Or how an obscure deputy felt when he was told that he would be sworn in as President of the Republic after the sudden death of the titular President and Vice-President of a big nation, just because he was on the (constitutional) line of succession?

Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read: | Everything except...

Claudia Alvis — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:59:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: When reading for pleasure outside my native language (s), I prefer to read:
Poster: Claudia Alvis
Post title: Everything except...

I love to read and re-read everything except self-help books, Dan Brown/Paulo Coelho and the likes. I'm currently reading The Dialogic Imagination (Four Essays) by Mikhail Bakhtin and re-reading My name is Red by Orhan Pamuk.

Aurora, what's the ISBN of that bilingual edition of Saramago's poems, it sounds irresistible, me wants.