# Whatcha Readin' August 2011 Edition

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2011-edition/590916>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 31, 2011, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2011-edition/590916 "2011-07-31T11:32:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2011-edition/590916/161 "2011-08-31T19:50:42Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> You might like this book, a pretty interesting novel about a rebellion in Hell by demons who want to be restored to the presence of God: [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Demon-Wayne-Barlowe/dp/0765348659/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314817327&sr=1-1)

That looks great! It’s on the kindle now…

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2011-edition/590916/162 "2011-08-31T21:02:38Z")

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I am now indeed well into _Decline and Fall_–if you can call 5-6% as of last I looked on the Kindle “well into.” Gibbon’s writing is enjoyable, if sometimes lacking in the sort of historical detail that I would enjoy–but I’ve read ancient histories directly before, and I know that they’re not always packed with anecdotes. My complaint, so far as I really have one, is with the ediiton itself–the editor took issue with Gibbon’s negative attitude towards Christianity, which leads to lengthy footnotes any time Gibbon takes a swipe at anything vaguely related. (A rather snide reference to the province of Judaea produced a footnote several kindle-screens long.) More generally, the kindle edition doesn’t handle footnotes well, and it’s rather difficult to tell what’s Gibbon’s and what’s various later commentators or the editor.

I’ve also picked up some fluff for my upcoming vacation–I can’t really imagine anything this meaty while packed into the cattle car for eight hours on the way to Prague. That’ll be time for Walter Moers’ _The Alchemaster’s Apprentice_, the Nero Wolfe mystery _The League of Frightened Men_, or if I’m feeling ambitious, Sterne’s Tristram Shandy (hey, it was free and I’ve been meaning to try it for a while!).

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**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2011-edition/590916/163 "2011-08-31T22:29:59Z")

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[September’s Thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14205935#post14205935)

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