The Book Discussion Thread

[Benny Profane]

Okay, that has me very interested. The cryptic title, the five sections linked by theme, the subject matter, the labyrinthine quality of it has had me picking it up constantly whenever I'm at Borders contemplating purchasing it. One thing I must ask -- would it be worth my while to put Don Quixote away for a while and throw down on 2666? Quixote is so beautifully written, yet it hasn't really enraptured me the way Gravity's Rainbow did. What say thee?

Not having read Don Quixote, I feel unqualified to make a recommendation here.

[Skitch]

Finished Kevin Smith's "My Boring Ass Life" (a Christmas gift), it was pretty amusing, but not a must read. The 'Evening With's cover it.

Next up, finally finish C.P's 'Haunted', and move on to the two books following it.

[Skitch]

*reads above posts*

I think I just polluted this thread with my nonsense.

[Duncan]

Finished Catch-22. Really liked it. It's good to feel angry sometimes, no? Even if it's just sputtering at apparitions.

Started The Plague.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Decided to go with one more (hopefully) quick book with Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman before moving on to bigger endeavors.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Finished Catch-22. Really liked it. It's good to feel angry sometimes, no? Even if it's just sputtering at apparitions.

Started The Plague.

The Plague is the goodest book ever. That's right. The goodest.

Now that I think about it actually, Camus might be my favorite writer full stop.

[Mara]

A quick note, which I have decided belongs here because of our prolonged Jane Eyre debate way back when.

Can someone explain to me why Bronte adaptations into film suck so hard? I have never seen a good movie version of any novel by any of the Bronte sisters. And I have seen MANY.

I know it's not really fair to compare the Brontes to Austen, since the aesthetics are completely different, but her novels have been made into some completely enjoyable films.

Anyway, the Jane Eyre that KatieS recommended was better than some (Jane and Rochester were both fantastic) but the film was dragged down by a laughably bad prologue, and some ridiculous dream sequences and flashbacks. Gag.

[lovejuice]

against my better judgement, i finish the jungle. should have stop halfway when it's obvious sinclair doesn't have anything more to offer me.

[ledfloyd]

i'm roughly 140 pages into Gravity's Rainbow. i just read a 4 page paragraph and i'm pretty sure i have no idea what any of it meant. i am enjoying sections of the book. i just keep telling myself "keep going." but this book makes Infinite Jest read like Dr. Seuss

[Milky Joe]

I think I put it down around when I got to the extended shit-eating scene. Not that I have anything against scat munching, like, morally speaking or anything. It was just a little much.

[jamaul]

Not having read Don Quixote, I feel unqualified to make a recommendation here.

Well, I picked it up. I'm 60 pages in and I'm already convinced this is going to be a great read. I love Bolano's dry and almost omnipresent approach to his prose. There's a lot of witty and subtle humor at work, although I get the feeling the tone is likely to darken as I get deeper into the novel.

[Milky Joe]

Speaking of Bolaño...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/10/spain-roberto-bolantildeo

[Kurosawa Fan]

Speaking of Bolaño...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/10/spain-roberto-bolantildeo

Wow. Awesome news.

[Benny Profane]

Speaking of Bolaño...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/10/spain-roberto-bolantildeo

Wow, what a nice surprise.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'm about halfway through Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. There are some very funny essays in there. It's been good light reading. When I finish, I'm pretty sure I'm going with 2666. I keep staring at it, and the hype machine is suffocating me. I need to experience this for myself.

[Ezee E]

I'm about halfway through Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. There are some very funny essays in there. It's been good light reading. When I finish, I'm pretty sure I'm going with 2666. I keep staring at it, and the hype machine is suffocating me. I need to experience this for myself.
The library is getting a copy of 2666 for me. I love the subject it's on, and the pages I got to read interested me. It'll be the biggest book I've read.

Right now, another classic. Moby Dick.

[Duncan]

The Plague is the goodest book ever. That's right. The goodest.

Now that I think about it actually, Camus might be my favorite writer full stop.

Finished it last night. Loved it. "Good" is a good adjective.

[Hugh_Grant]

I'm about halfway through Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs. There are some very funny essays in there. It's been good light reading.
The Coldplay rant in "This is Emo" was responsible for one of my few uncontrollable laughing jags while teaching. Unfortunately, my students didn't share my affection for Klosterman. I really think he's Gen X humor personified. I was also suprised how so many of the students had never heard of John Cusack!

[thefourthwall]

I was also suprised how so many of the students had never heard of John Cusack!

I haven't yet read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs (though I'd like to), so I don't know how Cusack relates, but that's a travesty.

[Hugh_Grant]

I haven't yet read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs (though I'd like to), so I don't know how Cusack relates, but that's a travesty.
I know!!
Klosterman makes reference to Cusack's character in Say Anything, Lloyd Dobler. Only a handful of students had seen Say Anything (Me: "You know, the scene with the boombox over his head? Peter Gabriel?"), and I was so taken aback, I was having a hard time coming up with Cusack films the Millenials may have seen. Con Air? Serendipity? 1408?

Anyway, as KF said, Klosterman's writing is light and funny.

[ledfloyd]

I think I put it down around when I got to the extended shit-eating scene. Not that I have anything against scat munching, like, morally speaking or anything. It was just a little much.
i'm not there yet. so i guess i have that to look forward to.

i like alot of it, especially the pointsman stuff. and most of the stuff with pirate, roger and jessica, and slothrop.

it seems to be getting easier to read as well, i finished part 1 last night.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The Coldplay rant in "This is Emo" was responsible for one of my few uncontrollable laughing jags while teaching. Unfortunately, my students didn't share my affection for Klosterman. I really think he's Gen X humor personified. I was also suprised how so many of the students had never heard of John Cusack!

There have been several rants that have had me laughing. I love his dissection of The Fonz, and his conclusion that he must have been a virgin. Hilarious.

And how the hell could any college kid not know who John Cusak is? How is that even possible?

[Milky Joe]

Right now, another classic. Moby Dick.

Enjoy this, even if you find you aren't.

[D_Davis]

And how the hell could any college kid not know who John Cusak is? How is that even possible?

We're old.

[Kurosawa Fan]

We're old.

But he's still doing movies. And college kids are only 6-10 years younger than me right now. It's not like he wasn't around while they were in high school. Maybe they don't know Lloyd Dobler, but they should still know Cusak the actor. That's just bizarre.

[Ezee E]

Pretty much every girl I know seems to know John Cusack still. 20-25 range.

[jamaul]

Liking 2666 more and more as I get deeper into it. I just wish I could spend more time with the novel. Stoopid work.

Being almost finished with Part I, can anyone who's read the novel tell me how it ranks with the rest of the novel? Have I only just skimmed the surface?

[D_Davis]

But he's still doing movies. And college kids are only 6-10 years younger than me right now. It's not like he wasn't around while they were in high school. Maybe they don't know Lloyd Dobler, but they should still know Cusak the actor. That's just bizarre.

Perhaps, but he's definitely not at the same level of popularity as he was when you were that age, and especially not when I was that age.

[Benny Profane]

Liking 2666 more and more as I get deeper into it. I just wish I could spend more time with the novel. Stoopid work.

Being almost finished with Part I, can anyone who's read the novel tell me how it ranks with the rest of the novel? Have I only just skimmed the surface?

Part 1 was one of my favorites. Really, Bolano writes for lovers of literature, and part 1 is a great example of that. Even though each section somehow relates to one of the others, don't expect them to wrap up neatly, or form any type of cohesive whole. The novel defies expectations, in that regard. I agree with what you said earlier about his style. It's a very dry, journalistic approach.

[jamaul]

Part 1 was one of my favorites. Really, Bolano writes for lovers of literature, and part 1 is a great example of that. Even though each section somehow relates to one of the others, don't expect them to wrap up neatly, or form any type of cohesive whole. The novel defies expectations, in that regard. I agree with what you said earlier about his style. It's a very dry, journalistic approach.

I'm glad I'm on the right track with that then. No, I love sprawling narratives that don't come fluidly together. Gravity's Rainbow is one of my favorite novels, and one of the reasons I love it is because it damn near refuses to tie things up. So far, the love triangle between Pelletier, Espinoza and Norton is one of the most intriguing and interesting I've read, and I'm very intrigued by the way these literary elites have almost zero substance in their lives, choosing to live out their existence vicariously through the ellusive author, Archimbaldo.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Finished Klosterman's collection. On to 2666!

[Mysterious Dude]

I didn't care much for A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I kind of liked the beginning, but then there's a long sermon to get through and a lot of discussions covering various topics. I want fiction, dammit.

[lovejuice]

I didn't care much for A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I kind of liked the beginning, but then there's a long sermon to get through and a lot of discussions covering various topics. I want fiction, dammit.

pretty much agree with the rating of both books in your signature. i will probably give the jungle even less.

[Benny Profane]

I also struggled with Portrait by Joyce, remember practically nothing about it, and just didn't enjoy reading it on many levels.

[Benny Profane]

Finished Klosterman's collection. On to 2666!

I think I'm going to read the Klosterman next.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I think I'm going to read the Klosterman next.

This is what I wrote on Goodreads. Not sure if it'll change your mind.

"An entertaining, light read. Nothing more. Klosterman has some funny observations to make, but others are maddening (especially his defense of the merits of Wal-Mart country music, in which he admits that he knows we're all thinking that he's supporting pandering to the lowest common denominator, which despite his flimsy defense otherwise, is absolutely correct). He's also too self-satisfying, and not enough self-depricating. Too often he comes off as smug and elitist, even though he pretends to be taking it to those types of attitudes. Still, a breezy, mostly enjoyable read."

[Benny Profane]

2666 kinda sucks.

*trying to knock the hype down a peg or two*

[Kurosawa Fan]

2666 kinda sucks.

*trying to knock the hype down a peg or two*

I started it last night, and to be honest, I was kind of worried about the same thing. Before picking it up I was excited to be reading something that I anticipate will be among the best books I've read, and then had to check myself and rethink my approach. I really hope the hype hasn't tainted things for me.

[jamaul]

I didn't care much for A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I kind of liked the beginning, but then there's a long sermon to get through and a lot of discussions covering various topics. I want fiction, dammit.

Dear God, I finished Portrait in two days. It was one of the most fascinating works of literature I've ever read (although I haven't read much). Sucks you didn't like it. Dubliners and Portrait are great reading exercises to gear up for Ulysses. But if you didn't like Portrait, it's not a good sign.

Side Note: Finished P1 of 2666, and it does everything but suck. I think I'm hooked. I doubt I'll be putting this one down.

[lovejuice]

2666 kinda sucks.

*trying to knock the hype down a peg or two*
wait, you are kidding right? aren't you the biggest supporter of this book?

[D_Davis]

This is what I wrote on Goodreads. Not sure if it'll change your mind.

"An entertaining, light read. Nothing more. Klosterman has some funny observations to make, but others are maddening (especially his defense of the merits of Wal-Mart country music, in which he admits that he knows we're all thinking that he's supporting pandering to the lowest common denominator, which despite his flimsy defense otherwise, is absolutely correct). He's also too self-satisfying, and not enough self-depricating. Too often he comes off as smug and elitist, even though he pretends to be taking it to those types of attitudes. Still, a breezy, mostly enjoyable read."

What I wrote on Goodreads:

"My problem with Klosterman is that I usually find him no funnier or better-written than many of the people I interact with on a daily basis on the various pop-culture message boards I (we...) visit, and so I have a hard time paying to read his stuff. He's just a media-geek who has somehow turned his forum posts/rants into a money-making business."

[Ezee E]

Didn't care for goodreads much. I like the app on facebook though.

[Ezee E]

Speaking of Bolano, I was at a different library with a girl, and was telling her about the book I was about to read. "I hear it's amazing," as I start looking for Bolano.

It isn't there, but his book about Contemporary Nazi Literature is.

"I didn't know you were that type of guy Eric."

I just laughed. "No, the book I'm reading is about whores, a killer, and a journalist."

"Oh okay."

[Kurosawa Fan]

What I wrote on Goodreads:

"My problem with Klosterman is that I usually find him no funnier or better-written than many of the people I interact with on a daily basis on the various pop-culture message boards I (we...) visit, and so I have a hard time paying to read his stuff. He's just a media-geek who has somehow turned his forum posts/rants into a money-making business."

I commented back.

[D_Davis]

Goodreads is awesome. It's getting better all the time. It was a little janky when they first launched, but they are constantly making improvements.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Didn't care for goodreads much. I like the app on facebook though.

I really like the Facebook app, but I also enjoy Goodreads. The virtual bookshelf on Facebook is a nice, quick app, but can be kind of a pain to navigate at times. Goodreads is much easier to keep track of the list of books I want to read, as well as seeing what others are currently reading.

[Hugh_Grant]

DD and KF, I can't say I disagree with what you are saying about Klosterman, but apparently, I like him more than y'all. He makes me laugh. That's a rarity for me.

Someone I know told me about this book:


This is a warm, personal memoir from one of Britain's most high-profile and vocal immigrants - a mouth-watering exploration of the author's East African Indian roots through the shared experience of cooking.Through the personal story of Yasmin's family and the food and recipes they've shared together, "The Settler's Cookbook" will tell the history of the Indian migration to the UK, via East Africa. Her family was part of the mass exodus from India to East Africa during the height of British expansion, fleeing famine and lured by the prospect of prosperity under the imperial regime. In 1972, they were one of the many families expelled from Uganda by Idi Amin who moved to the UK, where Yasmin has made her home with an Englishman. The food she cooks now, in one of the world's most ethnically-diverse cities, combines the traditions and tastes of her family's hybrid history. Here you'll discover how Shepherd's Pie is much enhanced by sprinkling in some chilli, Victoria sponge can be wonderfully enlivened by saffron and lime juice, and the addition of ketchup to a curry can be life-changing...


It sounds like it's right up my alley, but I'll wait until it's in paperback or available on dissent's Kindle.

[Benny Profane]

wait, you are kidding right? aren't you the biggest supporter of this book?

Yes, totally kidding, just trying to help out KF.

[EvilShoe]

I really like the Facebook app, but I also enjoy Goodreads. The virtual bookshelf on Facebook is a nice, quick app, but can be kind of a pain to navigate at times. Goodreads is much easier to keep track of the list of books I want to read, as well as seeing what others are currently reading.
I'd switch to Goodreads if that didn't mean adding 150 books again. No import option, I assume?

[Kurosawa Fan]

I'd switch to Goodreads if that didn't mean adding 150 books again. No import option, I assume?

There is indeed an import tool, though I've never used it so I'm not sure how easy or successful it is.

EDIT: Which site or program are you currently using?

[EvilShoe]

There is indeed an import tool, though I've never used it so I'm not sure how easy or successful it is.

EDIT: Which site or program are you currently using?
Well, I use the visual bookshelf app on facebook. But I suppose the odds of being able to export from there to Goodreads is slim...

[Kurosawa Fan]

Well, I use the visual bookshelf app on facebook. But I suppose the odds of being able to export from there to Goodreads is slim...

No, it's not listed as a supported import, but any .csv, xls, or txt file will work if you keep track of the books you read that way.

EDIT: Why are you not my friend on Facebook? Is this because I hate you? If so, stop being petty.

[EvilShoe]

Just checked Visual Bookshelf.
Apparently there used to be an export option, but that's no longer the case.
Guess I'll have to manually enter, if I eventually go for Goodreads.

[jesse]

The women in Dracula's castle continually talk about wanting to "kiss" Johnathan, which I read as standing for a whole lot more. Dracula only scolds them because he's being territorial, not because of what they're doing, just who they're doing it to.

Also, Dracula's power draws out Lucy to walk about in the middle of the night in her nightgown, which was extremely scandalous at the time--almost like she was a prostitute. Once she is turned into a vamp, her natural motherly instincts (what Victorian society read as essential and automatic for all women) are gone as she tries to attack children (or eat babies).

Finally, Dracula's scene when he is biting Mina is extremely sensual in terms of the exchange of bites and blood.

I've read criticism that suggests that adaptations of Dracula always put their ideas and fears about sexuality onto his character, so while the Victorians were worried about losing control of women, who were getting jobs and expressing opinions different than their husbands (I'm painting broad strokes here), our contemporary society doesn't fear this as much, so you can have a much more appealing, acceptable Count (Gerard Butler?) rather than the pure, ugly evil of Stoker's book. So I know this conversation has long passed but I was just about to start Dracula when this conversation was talking place, and well, I think my reaction falls directly between you and Antoine. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I liked the pieced-together narrative structure with the constantly shifting narrators. To my mind the best section of the novel is the center when it centers around the stalking of Lucy and Mina. And yes, I thought were quite sexually evocative, all considered (though I think Jonathan's encounter with the three weird sisters is the most sexually-tinged passage in the book).

On the other hand, as I've been studying vampire texts over the last few months I've been perusing Nina Auerbach's Our Vampires, Ourselves, and she really hits upon what I found disappointing about Dracula, which I think is more in line with Antoine, though my specific objections are different. Mostly, I just found it relentlessly square and not just in the simplistic, overarching "struggle of good vs evil," but sexually. Auerbach explains it better than I could hope to:


"Dracula is less in love with death or sexuality than with hierarchies, erecting barriers hitherto foreign to vampire literature; the gulf between male and female, class and class, England and non-England, vampire and mortal, homoerotic and heterosexual love, infuses the genre with a new fear: fear of the hated unknown."

I tend to agree with Auerbach that despite Dracula's reputation as the originator of everything vampire-related that followed, it was actually more of a closing off point than anything else. Just before Dracula I read Sheridan le Fanu's Carmilla, the major vampire text predating Stoker's novel, and even though it's about a quarter of the length I found it far superior, especially in regards to it's really fascinating use of sexuality and blatant lesbian homoeroticism. It's a really eerie, beguiling little novella, uncanny in a way that Dracula only is in brief flashes.

[D_Davis]

Jesse, have you ever read Theodore Sturgeon's Some of Your Blood?

It's brilliant.

http://www.centipedepress.com/someblood.jpg

[lovejuice]

Jesse, have you ever read Theodore Sturgeon's Some of Your Blood?

i just bought more than human.

[lovejuice]

reading the reivers now. love it. who would have thought that faulkner's stream-of-consciousness can be lol?

[jesse]

Jesse, have you ever read Theodore Sturgeon's Some of Your Blood? I have not (I'm new to the vampire genre), but it looks interesting--I'll see if my library has it. Thanks!

[D_Davis]

I have not (I'm new to the vampire genre), but it looks interesting--I'll see if my library has it. Thanks!

It's incredible. I am not usually a fan of vampire lit, at least not the pop stuff so popular now, but Some of Your Blood is a bona fide classic.

[D_Davis]

i just bought more than human.

Awesome.

[lovejuice]

the reivers is wonderful. my favorite of faulkner's so far. now reading wuthering heights.

[Duncan]

Anybody read anything by William Gaddis? I just started J R. Loving it so far. The quote on the back is "A major achievement...one of the most brilliant and complex of recent comic novels, one that can be fairly compared to Catch-22 and Gravity's Rainbow." So, naturally those comparisons are a draw for me. Plus, it's about the ridiculousness of capitalism run amok, so it seems appropriate for the times.

[Benny Profane]

Never read anything by Gaddis, but I've heard The Recognitions is a can't-miss.

[Duncan]

Never read anything by Gaddis, but I've heard The Recognitions is a can't-miss.

Yeah, I've heard that about both J R and The Recognitions. J R is a bit shorter so I went with it. Still like 725 pages. Plus, it won the National Book Award.

[lovejuice]

not well educated in the 19th century novels, but HEIGHTS is nothing like i expected. i love it so far, but not sure for a right reason. it's a puppet theater of misantropy. are we supposed to feel for any character? (i have some affection for isabella, but that's more because the rest are insanely despicable.) with nelly as the narrator, bronte seems to want to distance readers from the leads. the anger and verbal assaults these people throw at one another are almost treated with humor. i swear, this is freddy vs. jason of the 19th century literature.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Finished part one of 2666 last night. Brilliant. The last 50 pages were impossibly good, especially after Norton leaves Mexico, and the breaks cycle between the three of them (Espinoza and Rebecca, Pelletier and Archimboldi, and Norton's email). It was hypnotic.

[thefourthwall]

On the other hand, as I've been studying vampire texts over the last few months I've been perusing Nina Auerbach's Our Vampires, Ourselves, and she really hits upon what I found disappointing about Dracula, which I think is more in line with Antoine, though my specific objections are different. Mostly, I just found it relentlessly square and not just in the simplistic, overarching "struggle of good vs evil," but sexually. Auerbach explains it better than I could hope to:



I tend to agree with Auerbach that despite Dracula's reputation as the originator of everything vampire-related that followed, it was actually more of a closing off point than anything else. Just before Dracula I read Sheridan le Fanu's Carmilla, the major vampire text predating Stoker's novel, and even though it's about a quarter of the length I found it far superior, especially in regards to it's really fascinating use of sexuality and blatant lesbian homoeroticism. It's a really eerie, beguiling little novella, uncanny in a way that Dracula only is in brief flashes.

I hope I didn't suggest that the sexual nature of Dracula is all there is to it. I tend to read it much like Auerbach (in the quote) suggests as a variety of struggles; generally, I teach it as a good example of Victorian fears at the fiin de siècle of many things, including sexuality but also the New Woman, the Other/foreigner, technology, etc.

What do you mean by "it was actually more of a closing off point than anything else"? I haven't yet read Carmilla though I'd like to, and I know that Dracula isn't the beginning of vampire fiction, but it certainly seems like an ur-text to me for a lot of contemporary writers/filmmakers in the genre.

[Mara]

not well educated in the 19th century novels, but HEIGHTS is nothing like i expected. i love it so far, but not sure for a right reason. it's a puppet theater of misantropy. are we supposed to feel for any character? (i have some affection for isabella, but that's more because the rest are insanely despicable.) with nelly as the narrator, bronte seems to want to distance readers from the leads. the anger and verbal assaults these people throw at one another are almost treated with humor. i swear, this is freddy vs. jason of the 19th century literature.

Charlotte Bronte was an odd duck. You could safely say that she doesn't like people very much.

[lovejuice]

Charlotte Bronte was an odd duck. You could safely say that she doesn't like people very much.
emily, you mean?

so HEIGHTS eventually gains some sort of hearts near the end with the son and daughter characters. overall i enjoy the book very much. it's more like the deconstruction of 19 century novel than a 19 century novel itself.

[Mara]

emily, you mean?


Well. That's embarassing.

[Mara]

so HEIGHTS eventually gains some sort of hearts near the end with the son and daughter characters. overall i enjoy the book very much. it's more like the deconstruction of 19 century novel than a 19 century novel itself.

Yeah, there was a big "What the hell?" reaction to it. Nobody had ever done anything quite like it before. Critics found Jane Eyre too coarse and immoral-- what could they do with Heathcliff and Catherine?

I like Wuthering Heights, but I don't love it. It's honestly just a little too violent and alienating for me. I hate all the characters. As a psychological study on how love and obsession lead people to destroy each other, it's fascinating. I have never understood anyone who reads it as a love story, though.

[Mara]

Actually, though, to be fair, many modern readers can't handle the complexity of Wuthering Heights, either, demonstrated by the fact that most film adaptations of the novel end halfway through with Catherine's death. They try to turn it into a tragic love story by focusing on H&C instead of seeing it as the in-depth portrait of one man whose rage against the world contaminates entire generations of people.

[D_Davis]

i swear, this is freddy vs. jason of the 19th century literature.

Okay, you've captured my attention.

[lovejuice]

most film adaptations of the novel end halfway through with Catherine's death. They try to turn it into a tragic love story by focusing on H&C instead of seeing it as the in-depth portrait of one man whose rage against the world contaminates entire generations of people.

they should focus on the love triangle among catherine (daughter), linton, and hareton then. i am actually quite moved by those three. it's not like heathcliff's name is written on the cover of the novel.


Okay, you've captured my attention.

it's freddy vs. jason in a sense that, as for as the canon of the 19th century literature goes, it's so tongue-in-cheek i can't seem to believe bronte takes her novel seriously. unless, as mara mentioned, i underestimate her misanthropic streak.

[SpaceOddity]

Wuthering Heights is about how absolute love is essentially trangressive (their relationship would have been illegal & regarded incestuous at the time) and sacrilegious "the angels were so angry at me that they threw me out..."
Tis subversive for a love story cos it acclaims ecstasy over domesticity.

[Mara]

Tis subversive for a love story cos it acclaims ecstasy over domesticity.

I've never understood this reading of the book. I don't see that H&C's love is shown as anything but destructive.

[Ezee E]

I find this Benno von Archimboldi interesting already.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I just finished part three of 2666. Amazing. The last few sentences have me dying to start part four, but it's after midnight and I have to be to work in the morning. This is truly a fantastic novel. Can't wait to talk to you about it Benny.

[Ezee E]

I just finished part three of 2666. Amazing. The last few sentences have me dying to start part four, but it's after midnight and I have to be to work in the morning. This is truly a fantastic novel. Can't wait to talk to you about it Benny.
Which brings the question:

How the heck did you find this Benny?

I had to get my library to have it loaned from another library half across the state so I could read it.

And it's massive, I saw it from thirty feet away, and you could do curls with it.

[Benny Profane]

Which brings the question:

How the heck did you find this Benny?

I had to get my library to have it loaned from another library half across the state so I could read it.

And it's massive, I saw it from thirty feet away, and you could do curls with it.

It made the NY Times' top 5 list in 2008. Then I read a review that compared his style to Pynchon and Melville. Twas then that I knew it had to be read.

[Ezee E]

It made the NY Times' top 5 list in 2008. Then I read a review that compared his style to Pynchon and Melville. Twas then that I knew it had to be read.
Ah. It's quite the book thus far. I'm still in Part I, but I'm eager to get back to reading it, instead of being here at work.

[Wryan]

No particular place to put this, but I figured a good number of people enjoy HP Lovecraft and his permeating influence on horror in any format. So here's a really rare picture of him smiling....or at least as smiley as HP Lovecraft is likely to get.

http://i44.tinypic.com/5kj6me.jpg

[Thirdy]

Wait 'till you get to the part about the crimes, KF. It is honestly one of the most excruciating and gruelling pieces I've ever read.

Astonishing book, all in all, an extraordinary portrait of evil in a madness in a world gone wrong. I really want to read The Savage Detectives.

[Hugh_Grant]

Horoscopes are a bunch of hooey, but I have to admit I should heed mine for today:


It's time to get serious -- toss out all your gossipy magazines and pulp fiction, and stop thinking about trivialities! You are ready for more advanced ideas and concepts right now, so challenge your mental abilities today. Not only will it give you a solid ego boost, it will help you connect with people who are more interesting and more stimulating. Reach for the bookshelf and grab a classic you never got around to reading. It's time to start.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Horoscopes are a bunch of hooey, but I have to admit I should heed mine for today:

Ooo. That's one hell of a horoscope.

[Mara]

Horoscopes are a bunch of hooey, but I have to admit I should heed mine for today:

Oh, dear. I hope this wasn't for Cancer, because I just startied a Battle of the Hotties on another forum.

[Mara]

Oh, dear. I hope this wasn't for Cancer, because I just startied a Battle of the Hotties on another forum.

Looks like Leo. I'll forward it to my sister. :)

[Benny Profane]

Horoscopes are a bunch of hooey

Seriously. They should at least tell you which classic to read.

[monolith94]

Just finished Kidnapped. Pretty good stuff, although there were a few passages where RLS made it kind of hard to understand what exactly was going on, places where I felt like he phoned it in a bit. The underlying character dynamics were strong, and it was really good to read as far as adopting mechanics and methods in terms of my own writing. Does that sound horrible?

[MadMan]

Over the past two days I read all of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. Really an trippy and hilarious read, a madcap journey into the drug culture and a period piece expertly capturing its era. Really a great read, and I think that it and the movie version are both about equal. Although one should really read the book to get a fuller picture of the entire experience.

It also might be the fastest I've ever read a book before. 204 pages in roughly 5-6 hours, spread out over two days. I would have read it in one night had I not been interrupted by the tourney and the need for sleep.

[Grouchy]

Over the past two days I read all of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. Really an trippy and hilarious read, a madcap journey into the drug culture and a period piece expertly capturing its era. Really a great read, and I think that it and the movie version are both about equal. Although one should really read the book to get a fuller picture of the entire experience.

It also might be the fastest I've ever read a book before. 204 pages in roughly 5-6 hours, spread out over two days. I would have read it in one night had I not been interrupted by the tourney and the need for sleep.
Man, when I finished Fear and Loathing, I kept it on the backpack for like a week, just taking it out and reading random pages from it. It's truly an amazing feat of writing. One moment it's downright hilarious and the other it achieves some kind of strange, delirious grandeur, like in the famous wave monologue.

[MadMan]

Man, when I finished Fear and Loathing, I kept it on the backpack for like a week, just taking it out and reading random pages from it. It's truly an amazing feat of writing. One moment it's downright hilarious and the other it achieves some kind of strange, delirious grandeur, like in the famous wave monologue.I borrowed it from a friend, and I really feel that another reading is in order. The book is truly magnetic and wonderful, if utterly insane at times. The wave monologue is not only brilliant in the book, but its also expertly executed in the movie as well. Johnny Depp really sells it well. Only Terry Gilliam could really have properly brought the whole thing to life.

[Mara]

Has anyone here actually read John Ford's play Tis Pity She's a Whore? It's playing in Baltimore, and I always have a desire to see classics that are rarely produced. But I don't know if it's any good.

[dreamdead]

Has anyone here actually read John Ford's play Tis Pity She's a Whore? It's playing in Baltimore, and I always have a desire to see classics that are rarely produced. But I don't know if it's any good.

Yes ma'am. It's immense, as Sven would say. Marvelous in its crafting and deconstruction of gender. Well worth your time, says I.

[ledfloyd]

i needed a break from Pynchon so I decided to check out The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. i'm liking it so far, but i thought i was a huge nerd, for every Captain Trips or Daniel Clowes or Palomar reference I get there is a Darkseid or Morlock reference going right over my head. alot of the Spanish is beyond me as well. i wonder if it's possible to completely get this book without being a world class nerd that speaks Spanish.

[SirNewt]

i needed a break from Pynchon so I decided to check out The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. i'm liking it so far, but i thought i was a huge nerd, for every Captain Trips or Daniel Clowes or Palomar reference I get there is a Darkseid or Morlock reference going right over my head. alot of the Spanish is beyond me as well. i wonder if it's possible to completely get this book without being a world class nerd that speaks Spanish.

Yeah, that was one of my favorites last year but that all went over my head as well. Except for the occasional Tolkien reference.

[SirNewt]

I need to get my ass back to reading. Alright I'm gonna finish Inferno today and move to Purgatario.

[Kurosawa Fan]

i needed a break from Pynchon so I decided to check out The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. i'm liking it so far, but i thought i was a huge nerd, for every Captain Trips or Daniel Clowes or Palomar reference I get there is a Darkseid or Morlock reference going right over my head. alot of the Spanish is beyond me as well. i wonder if it's possible to completely get this book without being a world class nerd that speaks Spanish.

I would have liked this book much more if I hadn't found the narrator so annoying. He was like a drunk, vulgar Stuart Scott (an anchor on ESPN). Still, it was enjoyable.

[dreamdead]

Started Lawrence's Women in Love, which is altogether wonderful right now in its psychological detail. Been wanting to read him for awhile now after getting a chance to read some of his short stories, so this is a pleasure.

[Ezee E]

Damn, yesterday would've been an ideal day to get through a ton of 2666. Oh well.

[Mara]

Started Lawrence's Women in Love, which is altogether wonderful right now in its psychological detail. Been wanting to read him for awhile now after getting a chance to read some of his short stories, so this is a pleasure.

I really, really liked Sons and Lovers but thought Lady Chatterly's Lover was a bit of a snorefest. So, I've been conflicted on checking out more of his oeuvre.

[ledfloyd]

I would have liked this book much more if I hadn't found the narrator so annoying. He was like a drunk, vulgar Stuart Scott (an anchor on ESPN). Still, it was enjoyable.
haha, wow, now i'm going to be thinking of Stuart Scott the rest of the way through the book.

the narration hasn't really bothered me. i typically find these kinds of narrators maddening, i'm thinking specifically of Everything is Illuminated. the parts narrated by the russian cousin killed the book for me.

[SirNewt]

Damn, yesterday would've been an ideal day to get through a ton of 2666. Oh well.

Yeah, I can't wait to get back to that one.

People have derided the comparison but there really is just something Borgesian about Bolano's work.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Finished part four of 2666 last night. I've had a horrific weekend (well, entire week really), and it slowed me down quite a bit. Still, looking forward to wrapping things up this week, hopefully.

[BirdsAteMyFace]

finished choke. meh.

up next: junky (burroughs), the bell jar (plath)

[jamaul]

I feel like such an idiot. I put down 2666, being about half-way through Part III briefly in favor of paging through Ulysses (for what reason, I know not as I read it only nine months ago for the first time), and now I'm about 100 pages into it and I almost don't want to stop. Now I'm currently reading 2666, Ulysses, Mason & Dixon, Don Quixote and Divine Comedy. And I'm far enough along through each to where I have to finish them.

I really wanted to also read Brothers K, War and Peace and Moby Dick before the end of the year. But at this rate I may not finish anything.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I don't know how you can do that. I've never been able to read two books at the same time. Even when I've tried, I've just ended up plowing through one of them before picking up the other again.

[Benny Profane]

Agreed. That kind of behavior seems very foolish to me, but to each his own.

[Duncan]

I usually have two books going at once. A long one that will probably take a month or so to finish, and a short one that I can read over the course of a week. Except recently my reading has almost stopped entirely. Actually, like all behaviour outside of writing has stopped. I spend like 14 hrs a day writing. I don't remember ever being so consumed with something.

[jamaul]

I usually have two books going at once. A long one that will probably take a month or so to finish, and a short one that I can read over the course of a week. Except recently my reading has almost stopped entirely. Actually, like all behaviour outside of writing has stopped. I spend like 14 hrs a day writing. I don't remember ever being so consumed with something.

14 hours?? Sir, you are an inspiration. I've been trying to motivate myself to commit to 5 hours a week!

And I never said balancing more than one book at a time was anything less than foolish. I was illustrating the fact that I have ADD, I have a problem, I'm a whore when it comes to sleeping with other books I'm not currently committed to, and in regards to Ulysses, it's of the equivalent of porking the ex-wife.

[Duncan]

14 hours?? Sir, you are an inspiration. I've been trying to motivate myself to commit to 5 hours a week! Let's say 14 hrs in front of a computer doing something related to writing, with maybe 20% of that having nothing to do with writing, such as posting on message boards. Unless you count that as writing, which I don't.

[jamaul]

Let's say 14 hrs in front of a computer doing something related to writing, with maybe 20% of that having nothing to do with writing, such as posting on message boards. Unless you count that as writing, which I don't.

I'd be happy with myself if I could average 1hr per day. I have two screenplays I haven't started yet that I want to have polished, presentable drafts of by year's-end. I have another screenplay I've been revising that I also want finished . . . but I haven't found the motivation to work, even though the concepts are fairly fleshed out.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, two books at once is like stopping a movie halfway, and starting another.

Although with a book as massive as 2666, I can see how a break might be in order.

[ledfloyd]

i'm currently reading gravity's rainbow, oscar wao and a book of interviews with billy wilder. gravity's rainbow is great but arduous, so i needed something light i could plow through in a week as a brief respite, enter oscar wao. also, i typically read a novel and a book of short stories or non-fiction book at the same time. just to keep everything fresh.

i don't think the movie analogy is apt, cause movies take 2 hours to watch. books take considerably more than that. if you're watching the same movie for a week or two it's conceivable that you might want to mix it up a bit.

[lovejuice]

weakling. i read two different books with my left and right eyes. i'm also able to braille-read with both of my hands, while listening to two audio books at the same time.

[jesse]

Weird. I don't get all this one-book-at-a-time thing. I currently have seven books going, and that's about average for me.

[SpaceOddity]

Weird. I don't get all this one-book-at-a-time thing. I currently have seven books going, and that's about average for me.

Slut. ;)

[Benny Profane]

Weird. I don't get all this one-book-at-a-time thing. I currently have seven books going, and that's about average for me.

But what's the point? Not trying to sound snarky, I really can't fathom the benefit of doing that. Doesn't reading 7 books at a time ruin the arc and make you forget what's going on in each one?

[Mara]

The only way I would have two books going at once is if I didn't really like one of them.

Then again, I read very quickly, and it's unusual for me to spend more than a couple of days on a book.

[jesse]

But what's the point? Not trying to sound snarky, I really can't fathom the benefit of doing that. Doesn't reading 7 books at a time ruin the arc and make you forget what's going on in each one? How does anyone get through school then? Maybe it's a lit major thing, because when you're taking four or five lit classes at a time and reading a novel in each you don't have the luxury of saying "oh, I'm only going to read one at a time so I can really enjoy it..." I've never had issues of forgetting what's going on in a book...

That said, maybe I should clarify that they're not seven novels I have going at once. One is always a collection of poetry, and usually one is a book of theory, a book of film criticism, etc.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The only way I would have two books going at once is if I didn't really like one of them.

This is the part I don't understand. If I'm enjoying a book, why would I want to interrupt it with something else? I want to immerse myself in that world and see things through to the end before I dive into something else.

[Mara]

How does anyone get through school then?

School was different. Those were assignments. I had several works of literature going at the same time as non-fiction textbooks. Some I liked, some I didn't.

I'm more monogamous when it comes to reading for pleasure.

[Benny Profane]

How does anyone get through school then?

Are you still in school?

[Grouchy]

The only way I would have two books going at once is if I didn't really like one of them.

Then again, I read very quickly, and it's unusual for me to spend more than a couple of days on a book.
Same here.

[D_Davis]

I'm going to study The Book of Job - the Biblical divine drama.

I've got, what is supposed to be, a great study guide called The Gospel According to Job, by Mike Mason, C. G. Jung's Answer to Job, and Lewis's The Problem of Pain.

Should be an interesting look into the problem of evil, pain, and suffering.

[Mara]

I'm going to study The Book of Job - the Biblical divine drama.

I've got, what is supposed to be, a great study guide called The Gospel According to Job, by Mike Mason, C. G. Jung's Answer to Job, and Lewis's The Problem of Pain.

Should be an interesting look into the problem of evil, pain, and suffering.

I've read the Book of Job, of course, and The Problem of Pain (which is excellent.) Let me know if the other books are any good.

[jesse]

School was different. Those were assignments. I had several works of literature going at the same time as non-fiction textbooks. Some I liked, some I didn't.

I'm more monogamous when it comes to reading for pleasure. I guess the habits I form during school fits the way my mind works, and the way I do most of my reading (sitting down for about 2-3 hours a day to consciously study) is similar to studying for school. I have too many interests to be literarily monogamous--it's just not feasible to settle into bed at night with complex poetry, I'm not always in the mood to read film theory, etc, etc.

Maybe it'd be different if I solely read fiction, but I kinda doubt that as my main focus/desire when it comes to literature has never been "to loose myself in another world"--I look much more to film for that (but it's not near a main motivation there either).


Are you still in school? Nope, but I will be shortly! :lol:

[SpaceOddity]

the way I do most of my reading (sitting down for about 2-3 hours a day to consciously study)
:

Who else spends so much time reading?

*doesn't*

*gets coat*

[monolith94]

I usually have around 3 books going at any one time... a fiction and two non-fictions, or vice-versa.

[Mara]

So, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is getting good reviews.

[Benny Profane]

I have been reading The Savage Detectives for almost 5 weeks. I better freakin' finish it this weekend. 70 pages left.

[SpaceOddity]

I don't spend much time reading books.
I burn 'em and snort the ashes. *nods*

[Grouchy]

I have been reading The Savage Detectives for almost 5 weeks. I better freakin' finish it this weekend. 70 pages left.
I just borrowed it to a friend who loved it as much as I did and we agreed on something - both of us started feeling sad that it was about to end, since there was a point where we didn't think it would ever happen.

[ledfloyd]

i got lost in the middle of the savage detectives. i need to pick it back up.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I have been reading The Savage Detectives for almost 5 weeks. I better freakin' finish it this weekend. 70 pages left.

I feel the same about 2666. I'm 700 pages through, and I'm going to spend the night plowing through as much as possible, assuming I feel up to it. I've been dealing with sick kids for two weeks now, including hospital trips, and caught their bug yesterday. This has been just awful.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Here's a question I've been meaning to ask for months:

Does anyone here know of any magazines or websites that list and review the weekly releases from major publications? One of the reasons I've kept renewing my subscription to EW is that it has that book section, and I've gotten some solid recommendations from them. Well, the past year their book section has gotten smaller and smaller, to the point now where they only review 3 or 4 books per issue. Not only that, but last week one of the reviews was by Lisa Schwartzbaum, who isn't even good at reviewing movies, and brought that same lack of talent to the book section. I'm looking for something more in depth. Something I can go to to see what's new each week. And not just a couple books, but all the significant releases. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

[dreamdead]

I would just use NYTimes's book section (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html). They give a pretty thorough review to most books that are published, and they get quite in-depth especially when they're reviewing the work by an "important" author.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I would just use NYTimes's book section (http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/index.html). They give a pretty thorough review to most books that are published, and they get quite in-depth especially when they're reviewing the work by an "important" author.

Awesome. Is this updated daily, or is it a weekly part of the paper?

[dreamdead]

Awesome. Is this updated daily, or is it a weekly part of the paper?

There are some longer pieces that are part of the weekly section, but there are daily updates. Back before I became devoted to film, it was a daily ritual to visit the site. Now I mostly visit whenever DeLillo, Morrison, or Pynchon puts out a new book, so that I can see the range of opinion and decide if it's worth a buy.

[ledfloyd]

i opened up the book of illusions by paul auster to look at the first couple pages and now i'm almost finished with it. i will get back to gravity's rainbow soon!

[dreamdead]

i opened up the book of illusions by paul auster to look at the first couple pages and now i'm almost finished with it. i will get back to gravity's rainbow soon!

Happy reading! That's the Auster novel that I still find to be the most resonant. It's especially fascinating for those of us who love film, as it's interesting to see Auster's take on what the visual medium did to open up (and close) written representation. Love that downbeat, yet ebullient, ending.

[lovejuice]

i opened up the book of illusions by paul auster to look at the first couple pages and now i'm almost finished with it. i will get back to gravity's rainbow soon!
i too love that book. it makes me more interested in auster's work, but since new york trilogy never does it for me, i'm cautious.

[Benny Profane]

I just borrowed it to a friend who loved it as much as I did and we agreed on something - both of us started feeling sad that it was about to end, since there was a point where we didn't think it would ever happen.

I did finish it yesterday. I liked it, though I liked 2666 exponentially more. I was much more into the parts narrated by Garcia Madero that bookended the novel. I felt the middle part lost focus and was kinda hit or miss. One thing that bothered me, and please tell me if you disagree, was that all the interviewees who were telling stories about Lima and Belano all spoke in the same style. At least that's how it felt to me. They all told their stories with the same kind of rambling madness. Which might be the voice of the author (Bolano) I don't know. But I feel like in that entire section Bolano never got into the heads of each of his characters. They all sounded like the same character, telling similar stories. One exception was the guy who kept speaking in Latin. His segment took place in the campground outside Barcelona where someone fell into a hole. But that part was one of the "misses".

I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[Hugh_Grant]

Here's the New York Times Books Twitter link that gives daily updates:
http://twitter.com/nytimesbooks

It's where I found this article I enjoyed, A.O. Scott's "In Praise of the American Short Story":
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/weekinreview/05scott.html

(Is this part of journalism downsizing, to have movie critics review books as well?)

[Benny Profane]

It's where I found this article I enjoyed, A.O. Scott's "In Praise of the American Short Story":
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/weekinreview/05scott.html



This article would be a lot better with at least ONE mention of Charles Bukowski.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I was up until 1 am last night finishing 2666. I couldn't put it away. I kept telling myself that I'd read up to a certain point and finish the rest tomorrow night, and every time I would blow right and set a new limit. Phenomenal book. One of the most complex, interesting reads in my limited experience.

I know I'm probably guilty of trying to connect the five stories in more ways than I should, so I'll keep things brief (also because I'm still digesting everything). There seemed to be three themes that suck out the most to me (I'll spoiler this for those who are still reading right now):

First, that our culture (and to a lesser degree, our country) shape the people we become, for better or worse (though in these cases, almost exclusively worse). We can't avoid a certain oppression by our country's history and political climate. Whether it be the hopelessness of Mexico or the guilt and shame of post-war Germany, no citizen is free from those feelings.

Second, that our lives are wasted away with the focus of others lives. Everyone in the book was wasting their lives obsessing about other people. The scholars were devoting themselves to Archimboldi. Amalfitano was haunted by the absence of his wife and by the fears of his daughter being another victim, while his wife lost herself in the pursuit of a mentally unstable poet. The detectives were consumed by the dead women, and in the case of Martinez? (forgive me, I don't have the book with me), with the director of the asylum. Even Archimboldi lost himself in the life of Aynch (again, I know I'm butchering that, my apologies) and seemed to change the direction of his life accordingly, while his sister sat home obsessing about her brother, even letting his "ghost" affect her decisions.

Third, that none of us, despite appearances, can escape the cloud of death hanging over us, and our lives are hindered because of this. We seem to strive for a degree of happiness that's unattainable, because underneath it all we're haunted by mortality.


Seriously, this book blew my mind, and I could have read for another 900 pages. Incredible stuff. Benny, hit me up with some thoughts. I could use the conversation right now.

[Mara]

What-- WHAT-- is the point of an abridged book?

I've been on an e-bay quest for books on cassette tape for my grandmother, who is physically frail and can't really read anymore, and never really got the hang of CDs. Now that she's in assisted living, she can't go to the library anymore, and she's really missing books on tape.

The problem is that most of the audio books I can find are either stupid (penny thrillers or romances) or abridged. Why would someone-- anyone-- want a two-cassette-tape-long version of Jane Eyre?



Fuming a little.

[Benny Profane]

KF, nice thoughts. I will add my own when things die down a bit at work.

[Kurosawa Fan]

KF, nice thoughts. I will add my own when things die down a bit at work.

Cool. I look forward to it.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I read the first fifty pages of World War Z tonight while trying not to watch the game. Very interesting start. I'm digging it. Far more serious approach than I thought it would have, and thus far it's working.

[Ezee E]

I hope I can finish this 2666. Finished my Cardiography class, so I'll have more time to read.

[EvilShoe]

I finished the Rabbit series (absolute loved this: Rabbit, Run > Rabbit at Rest > Rabbit Redux = Rabbit is Rich), and started on the Great Gatsby.
Yet I can't seem to connect with the latter, after having spent the last couple of months with Armstrong.
I miss the guy.

Is Rabbit Remembered worthwhile?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Through 100 pages of World War Z. The dialogue can be really corny at times, and I'm a bit tired of all the "our government is bad and screwed us all! Oh noes!" angle it keeps taking, but the fact that I've read 100 pages in less than 24 hours says something about the way it draws you in.

[EvilShoe]

The Great Gatsby won me over after all. (How could it not?)
I had to get used to the narrator first (and I imagine he's the reason adaptations don't seem to work out).

On to Breakfast of Champions.

[ledfloyd]

Here's the New York Times Books Twitter link that gives daily updates:
http://twitter.com/nytimesbooks

It's where I found this article I enjoyed, A.O. Scott's "In Praise of the American Short Story":
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/weekinreview/05scott.html

(Is this part of journalism downsizing, to have movie critics review books as well?)
scott is actually working on a book of literary criticism right now.

he's reviewed some books in the past. his review of fortress of solitude made me read it, and it's one of my favorite books.

[Benny Profane]

I was up until 1 am last night finishing 2666. I couldn't put it away. I kept telling myself that I'd read up to a certain point and finish the rest tomorrow night, and every time I would blow right and set a new limit. Phenomenal book. One of the most complex, interesting reads in my limited experience.

I know I'm probably guilty of trying to connect the five stories in more ways than I should, so I'll keep things brief (also because I'm still digesting everything). There seemed to be three themes that suck out the most to me (I'll spoiler this for those who are still reading right now):

First, that our culture (and to a lesser degree, our country) shape the people we become, for better or worse (though in these cases, almost exclusively worse). We can't avoid a certain oppression by our country's history and political climate. Whether it be the hopelessness of Mexico or the guilt and shame of post-war Germany, no citizen is free from those feelings.

Second, that our lives are wasted away with the focus of others lives. Everyone in the book was wasting their lives obsessing about other people. The scholars were devoting themselves to Archimboldi. Amalfitano was haunted by the absence of his wife and by the fears of his daughter being another victim, while his wife lost herself in the pursuit of a mentally unstable poet. The detectives were consumed by the dead women, and in the case of Martinez? (forgive me, I don't have the book with me), with the director of the asylum. Even Archimboldi lost himself in the life of Aynch (again, I know I'm butchering that, my apologies) and seemed to change the direction of his life accordingly, while his sister sat home obsessing about her brother, even letting his "ghost" affect her decisions.

Third, that none of us, despite appearances, can escape the cloud of death hanging over us, and our lives are hindered because of this. We seem to strive for a degree of happiness that's unattainable, because underneath it all we're haunted by mortality.


Seriously, this book blew my mind, and I could have read for another 900 pages. Incredible stuff. Benny, hit me up with some thoughts. I could use the conversation right now.

I really like what you have to say in the second paragraph of the spoiler section. I didn't think about that while reading it but it makes a lot of sense. I thought the part about Martinez and the director of the asylum could have been its own book. It was the one thread that I wish Bolano had expanded a lot further. Other than his style of writing, which I found to be absolutely captivating, I just loved reading about all the love-relationships throughout the stories. Each relationship seemed to have this feeling of desparation, urgency and despair attached to it that was so well written.

To be honest, The Part about the Crimes was gripping in some areas, but became kinda repetitive and was my least favorite of the five. Maybe that was the point: to journalistically show that people can be insensitive to nonstop violence to the point that an 11 year old girl being brutally raped and murdered has less and less effect because they are just used to it.

More to come. Still busy at work.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I really like what you have to say in the second paragraph of the spoiler section. I didn't think about that while reading it but it makes a lot of sense. I thought the part about Martinez and the director of the asylum could have been its own book. It was the one thread that I wish Bolano had expanded a lot further. Other than his style of writing, which I found to be absolutely captivating, I just loved reading about all the love-relationships throughout the stories. Each relationship seemed to have this feeling of desparation, urgency and despair attached to it that was so well written.

To be honest, The Part about the Crimes was gripping in some areas, but became kinda repetitive and was my least favorite of the five. Maybe that was the point: to journalistically show that people can be insensitive to nonstop violence to the point that an 11 year old girl being brutally raped and murdered has less and less effect because they are just used to it.

More to come. Still busy at work.

Yes! I felt the same about the fourth part. It was really affecting at times, but the repetition hurt it a bit. The thought about desensitization never struck me while reading it, but perhaps you're right. If I was going to arbitrarily rank the parts, my list would look like this:

1. Part 5
2. Part 3
3. Part 1
4. Part 2
5. Part 4

I didn't think anything would supplant part three, but I just couldn't stop reading about Archimboldi.

[Hugh_Grant]

scott is actually working on a book of literary criticism right now.

he's reviewed some books in the past. his review of fortress of solitude made me read it, and it's one of my favorite books.

He's a favorite film critic of mine, so it's good to see he's multitalented. Schwarzbaum, not so much, as KF noted.

[jesse]

Scott was a book critic before he was a film critic, and his degree is in lit (from Harvard).

[EvilShoe]

Breakfast of Champions is the second book to have made me laugh out loud! Congratulations.(Confederacy of Dunces was the first).

The drawings are such a hilarious touch, as are the plot synopses for Kilgore Trout's stories.
What else of Vonnegut is good? (I've already read Slaughter-House Five and Cat's Cradle).

[Mara]

What else of Vonnegut is good? (I've already read Slaughter-House Five and Cat's Cradle).

His short stories are underread. Try "Harrison Bergeron."

[Duncan]

The Sirens of Titan is pretty good.

I remember A Man Without a Country being totally righteous when I read it, but that was during the height of the Bush administration. I don't know if it would be as relevant now.

[EvilShoe]

Noted (although I'll probably read some other novels of my unread pile first...). Thanks!

(In case anyone else is interested, I found Harrison Bergeron here: http://instruct.westvalley.edu/lafave/hb.html)

[Marley]

Odd, I just started reading Slaughter-House Five and it is fantastic so far.

[Cult]

Just started Gods Behaving Badly. Amusing fluff, but I'd be shocked if it was anything more than that in the end.

[D_Davis]

I finally picked up The Masters of Doom, a biography about John Carmack and John Romero written by David Kushner. I've heard it's fantastic, and I am really looking forward to reading about one of the great stories in video game history.

[Milky Joe]

Davis, you might appreciate this. I've been reading Philip K Dick's VALIS recently. Starting to become one of my favorite books. So metaphysical. I love it. Where would you recommend I go from here with PKD's books? Apparently this is part of a trilogy? Should I read the second book? Also, did you know about this? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840404/)

[Benny Profane]

I finished Hunger by Knut Hamsun and Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman within the past week.

Now moving on to Women by Bukowski.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I finished Hunger by Knut Hamsun and Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman within the past week.

Now moving on to Women by Bukowski.

Thoughts, you bastard, thoughts! Especially when you read two novels I've already read.

[Mara]

Thoughts, you bastard, thoughts! Especially when you read two novels I've already read.

They were books, both written on white pages with black type. You read the text from top to bottom, left to right.

There was also some binding and a cover, but I don't want to overload you with information.

[Kurosawa Fan]

They were books, both written on white pages with black type. You read the text from top to bottom, left to right.

There was also some binding and a cover, but I don't want to overload you with information.

:|

Less facts. More thoughts.

[Mara]

They were books, both written on white pages with black type. You read the text from top to bottom, left to right.

There was also some binding and a cover, but I don't want to overload you with information.

By the way, if anyone is looking for an extraordinary book that doesn't conform to the above rules, you really must read this. (http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Sabine-Correspondence-Nick-Bantock/dp/0877017883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239734600&sr=8-1#)

Only the first-- I thought the sequels were crap.

[D_Davis]

Davis, you might appreciate this. I've been reading Philip K Dick's VALIS recently. Starting to become one of my favorite books. So metaphysical. I love it. Where would you recommend I go from here with PKD's books? Apparently this is part of a trilogy? Should I read the second book? Also, did you know about this? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840404/)

I did know about that, and I am very excited. Perfect casting for PKD.

The "trilogy" is pretty good. The other books are The Divine Invasion - which is more SF than the other two - and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer - which was the only mainstream book PKD had published while living. It is fantastic. It's interesting in that it is also his only book to feature a female lead, and, on top of that, she isn't a conniving bitch. Pretty rare for old Phil. Each deals with gnosticism and esoteric Christianity in its own way.

There is also another connected book - Radio Free Albemuth. I also like it a great deal.

VALIS is heavy duty - such a dense and fantastic read. It touches upon so many subjects. And to think that it is largely autobiographical - wow.

I usually end up recommending: A Scanner Darkly, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch, and Martian Time Slip. These are my 3 favorites.

[Duncan]

I finished J R last night. That is one spectacular book. In a nutshell, it's about capitalism and the production of art within that system. Almost the entire thing is told through dialogue. Sometimes there will be a twenty page scene of a board meeting and it's purely the language of business - dividends, hedging, accelerated depreciation, tax loss schemes. But it's also always funny. In fact, it might be the funniest book I've ever read. Sometimes I found it difficult to get through because I was laughing so hard. On the other hand, it's a bitter and I would say ultimately pessimistic book about America as a failed entity desperately grasping to bring everyone else down with it. Maybe Edward Bast, one of the main characters, redeems it, but it's a real dim light at the end of the tunnel. There is another character named Rhoda who is probably the best tragicomic character I've encountered.

Anyway, the whole thing is just a stupefyingly awesome tour-de-force of language and voices.

[Benny Profane]

I finished J R last night. That is one spectacular book. In a nutshell, it's about capitalism and the production of art within that system. Almost the entire thing is told through dialogue. Sometimes there will be a twenty page scene of a board meeting and it's purely the language of business - dividends, hedging, accelerated depreciation, tax loss schemes. But it's also always funny. In fact, it might be the funniest book I've ever read. Sometimes I found it difficult to get through because I was laughing so hard. On the other hand, it's a bitter and I would say ultimately pessimistic book about America as a failed entity desperately grasping to bring everyone else down with it. Maybe Edward Bast, one of the main characters, redeems it, but it's a real dim light at the end of the tunnel. There is another character named Rhoda who is probably the best tragicomic character I've encountered.

Anyway, the whole thing is just a stupefyingly awesome tour-de-force of language and voices.

Sold.

[Benny Profane]

Thoughts, you bastard, thoughts! Especially when you read two novels I've already read.

I thought Hunger was excellent. I love the way Hamsun reveals his character's deep insecurities, capricious mood swings, and fleeting ideas that we all experience but push to the back of our minds. It's rare for an author to be able to so successfully bring these subconscious forces to light, and the disturbing, comic urgency of the protagonist made for an entertaining and thought-provoking read.

I think I liked SD and CP more than you. Klosterman definitely rambles at times and offers up some flimsy defenses for seemingly indefensible aspects of pop culture, but I found many of his observations and analysis to be pretty insightful. And I enjoyed his writing. I can appreciate any essay that validates the fact that I have nothing to say over breakfast. And I don't ever think of why I have nothing to say over breakfast, but it's these mundane details of life that he unsurfaces and discusses that I found myself nodding my head and relating to constantly, moreso than any revelations about Saved by the Bell or country music. For a collection of essays on different topics, I thought it was pretty even work.

[Duncan]

Sold. I think you'll like it. It's not an easy book by any means, but I thought it was totally worth the effort.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I thought Hunger was excellent.

I think I liked SD and CP more than you.

Seems you liked both of them more than me, especially Hunger. That one I actually disliked.

[Marley]

Slaughterhouse-Five was an excellent read and a huge improvement over Cat's Cradle which I found to be quite forgettable. The satire and social commentary worked a lot better in the former and often had me howling in laughter. Funny, irreverent and a great anti-war novel albeit, not particularly profound.

Now starting Crime and Punishment.

[Milky Joe]

VALIS is heavy duty - such a dense and fantastic read. It touches upon so many subjects. And to think that it is largely autobiographical - wow.

Yeah. I know you're fond of Terence McKenna, so maybe you'd be interested in reading this article (http://www.sirbacon.org/dick.htm). It's about VALIS and Dick's "episodes" for lack of a better term and the connections between them and his own experiences. Positively fascinating.

Thanks for the recs. I'll probably check out A Scanner Darkly soon.

[D_Davis]

Masters of Doom is awesome so far. It's a really well researched book including an extensive bibliography and index, and a notes section detailing all of the interviews the author conducted. The author, David Kushner, is a journalist who has written for Time, Wired, and others, and his attention to the facts is appreciated here.

If you like video games at all, and the pop-culture surrounding them, I bet you'd like this.

[D_Davis]

Yeah. I know you're fond of Terence McKenna, so maybe you'd be interested in reading this article (http://www.sirbacon.org/dick.htm). It's about VALIS and Dick's "episodes" for lack of a better term and the connections between them and his own experiences. Positively fascinating.


Nice! Can't believe I've never read that. Very, very cool.

I still remember, very fondly, the first time I heard McKenna on the Art Bell show talking about his DMT trips. Man, that was awesome.

I would have loved to have the chance to meet TM - the world would be a better place with more folks like him in it.

[Ezee E]

I move slower then you guys, but I'm finishing Book 2 of 2666 and like it a lot more than Book 1, simply because of this supernatural event that came into play, as well as a few surprises that came in from the letters from his wife. :eek:

[Ezee E]

I move slower then you guys, but I'm finishing Book 2 of 2666 and like it a lot more than Book 1, simply because of this supernatural event that came into play, as well as a few surprises that came in from the letters from his wife. :eek:
The end of Book 2 is pretty meh. Now I like Book 1 more.

Book 3 to start tomorrow.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The end of Book 2 is pretty meh. Now I like Book 1 more.

Book 3 to start tomorrow.

I felt the same. Book 2 kind of fizzled toward the end, but Book 3 is incredible the whole way through.

[Mara]

By the way, if anyone is looking for an extraordinary book that doesn't conform to the above rules, you really must read this. (http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Sabine-Correspondence-Nick-Bantock/dp/0877017883/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239734600&sr=8-1#)

Only the first-- I thought the sequels were crap.

I dug through my boxes of books last night to find and reread this. I still think it's great, and second my own nomination.

[Spun Lepton]

I finally cracked Blood Meridian last night. I'm only about a chapter-and-half into it. So far ... about as good as I was expecting, which means it's excellent. McCarthy's use of the language is always impressive.

[Duncan]

Been reading a collection of essays by Orwell titled Books v. Cigarettes. Pretty good so far. I like his sardonic sense of humour.

[Ezee E]

I felt the same. Book 2 kind of fizzled toward the end, but Book 3 is incredible the whole way through.
Seriously. There was something going, and then all of a sudden it's talking about the references in the book that he is reading. Wha?

[Mara]

My mother and I commute together and read aloud. We're starting Tom Jones, which is one of my favorites, and I'm ridiculously excited.

[Duncan]

Finished Books v. Cigarettes by Orwell last night. Good stuff. He's definitely got a touch of misanthropy to him. Or, as he would put it, "I am not a gregarious person." Most of the essays were on the state of literature and reading in general (poor, is the conclusion). Maybe the best essay was a reflection on his childhood at a boarding school and how that was essentially an indoctrination camp.

[Thirdy]

Anyone had a chance to read On the Road: The Original Scroll? The Penguin edition is amazing -- it has four incredibly insightful essays, touching on Kerouac's writing process, its place in modern literature, Neal Cassady, etc . Pretty cool all in all; it's one massive, uninterrupted highway of words, nothing compared to the published text we've come to know, which I read a few years ago in Spanish.

A whole new experience really, very exciting.

[Mara]

Amazon.com is taking an annoyingly long time to deliver "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies."

[Mara]

So... Kindle... it's like an iPod for books.

Has anyone tried it? Is it worth it?

[Kurosawa Fan]

So... Kindle... it's like an iPod for books.

Has anyone tried it? Is it worth it?

I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm getting one this summer.

[Mara]

I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm getting one this summer.

Let me know what you think... some of those bundled deals (a dozen Dickens novels for $1, stuff like that) make it pretty tempting.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Let me know what you think... some of those bundled deals (a dozen Dickens novels for $1, stuff like that) make it pretty tempting.

This is what sold me.

My mom and dad both have one. They love them. My mom at first was adamant that she wasn't interested when my dad bought his, but eventually my dad couldn't even get his hands on it and had to go out and buy her one. They're pretty remarkable. I won't forgo buying books altogether, but when you can purchase that many classics for that price, plus subscribe to magazines and newspapers for dirt cheap, it's too hard to pass up.

[Mara]

Yeah. I'd love to read the Washington Post every day without having seven pounds of trees to recycle each week.

[amberlita]

So I talked my old roommate from school who moved to San Antonio into letting me send her The Catcher in The Rye, Into Thin Air, and The Watchmen to read. To agree upon this, however, I had to accept 3 books from her. What does she decide to send me? The first 3 books of the Twilight series.

:evil:

[Kurosawa Fan]

So I talked my old roommate from school who moved to San Antonio into letting me send her The Catcher in The Rye, Into Thin Air, and The Watchmen to read. To agree upon this, however, I had to accept 3 books from her. What does she decide to send me? The first 3 books of the Twilight series.

:evil:

I would have demanded variety for variety. Because if you don't like the first one, what are the odds that you'll like the second and third? Whereas the books you sent her are completely different. You got a bum deal, obviously. My condolences. Take comfort in the fact that you sent her some really great books.

[ledfloyd]

I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm getting one this summer.
i don't like reading books on the computer screen, i can't imagine reading them on a kindle. of course, i've never seen one, so it could be completely different.

[Kurosawa Fan]

i don't like reading books on the computer screen, i can't imagine reading them on a kindle. of course, i've never seen one, so it could be completely different.

It is completely different. The screen looks very similar to a newspaper page. It's nothing like a computer screen.

[Ezee E]

It is completely different. The screen looks very similar to a newspaper page. It's nothing like a computer screen.
It's pretty amazing how easy on the eyes it is.

Have they come out with a color version yet?

[lovejuice]

It is completely different. The screen looks very similar to a newspaper page. It's nothing like a computer screen.
can you highlight the book on a kindle? perhaps nintendo ds stylus sorta thing that allows you to write on the e-book? without that, i don't think it's the thing for me, at the moment.

[D_Davis]

can you highlight the book on a kindle? perhaps nintendo ds stylus sorta thing that allows you to write on the e-book? without that, i don't think it's the thing for me, at the moment.

Yes you can. Not with a stylus, but with a little nub-controller. You can also make notes and bookmark pages.

[Kurosawa Fan]

can you highlight the book on a kindle? perhaps nintendo ds stylus sorta thing that allows you to write on the e-book? without that, i don't think it's the thing for me, at the moment.

Yep. You can highlight, bookmark, select a word and get an instant definition, make notes, etc. It's really an amazing device.

[EvilShoe]

I'm a bit surprised by how funny The Castle is at times.
The parts about the relationship between K. and his assistants are almost lol-worthy. (A compliment I don't often dish out.)

[Hugh_Grant]

So... Kindle... it's like an iPod for books.

Has anyone tried it? Is it worth it?
My husband loves his.


Oh, I just read that J.G. Ballard died. I know someone in this thread is a big fan.
BBC notice of his death. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8007331.stm)

[Lucky]

This is why I love Match-Cut. I had never heard of a Kindle before this. After 5 minutes of research, all I know now is that I want one immediately.

[ledfloyd]

Yep. You can highlight, bookmark, select a word and get an instant definition, make notes, etc. It's really an amazing device.
that's worth it right there. this sounds tempting now. i'd like to get a look at one. still, you lose that musty book smell! :P

[Milky Joe]

I saw a girl with one of these on the bus the other day, and it looked kind of cool. Still, no way in hell am I paying that much for one.

[Benny Profane]

Finished Women by Bukowski pretty quick. Now on to Beneath the Underdog which is Charles Mingus's autobiography.

[megladon8]

Finished Women by Bukowski pretty quick. Now on to Beneath the Underdog which is Charles Mingus's autobiography.


Ooo...let me know how Mingus' book is. I once mentioned it on The Jazz Show back in my radio days, though I didn't get to read it.

I also have a little paperback copy of a novel which paints a fictionalized murder-mystery/conspiracy story around the death of Chet Baker, if you're at all interested.

[Benny Profane]

I also have a little paperback copy of a novel which paints a fictionalized murder-mystery/conspiracy story around the death of Chet Baker, if you're at all interested.

Title?

[megladon8]

Title?


Sorry I can't remember right now. I'll be home soon, so I'll grab it off my shelf and get back to you.


EDIT: Nevermind, found it on Amazon.

"Looking for Chet Baker" by Bill Moody. (http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Chet-Baker-Bill-Moody/dp/037326450X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240260323&sr=1-4)

[Kurosawa Fan]

World War Z is killing me. What was fascinating has turned into a complete bore. It's so dry and clinical, it's like reading The Warren Commission, but with zombies. Without the intrigue, all of the flaws have come front and center, namely the very corny dialogue. I'm struggling to finish. I really can't wait to move on to something else.

[Duncan]

I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It's alright. Way too heavy on metaphors. Fairly standard plot in a really imaginative setting.

[Winston*]

World War Z is killing me. What was fascinating has turned into a complete bore. It's so dry and clinical, it's like reading The Warren Commission, but with zombies. Without the intrigue, all of the flaws have come front and center, namely the very corny dialogue. I'm struggling to finish. I really can't wait to move on to something else.

The other day I was like half way through Ian McEwan's Saturday and was like "The book is boring and irritating me. There is no point in me continuing with this", so I stopped reading it and took it back to the library. Life's too short.

[Melville]

I just started reading a collection of Emerson's essays. His prose is unbelievably energetic and grandiose. And his subject matter (the interrelationship of all things, the grand mystery of existence, etc.) is inspiring even when it becomes kind of ridiculous. It's all very vivifying. Kind of like Nietzsche's good twin. Here are some good quotes:

"There is one mind common to all individual men. Every man is an inlet to the same and to all of the same. He that is once admitted to the right of reason is made a freeman of the whole estate."

"A man is the whole encyclopedia of facts. The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn, and Egypt, Greece, Rome, Gaul, Britain, America, lie folded already in the first man."

"The world exists for the education of each man."

"A true aspirant hears the commendation, not of himself, but more sweet, of that character he seeks, in every word that is said concerning character, yea, further, in every fact and circumstance,--in the running river and the rustling corn."

"To the poet, to the philosopher, to the saint, all things are friendly and sacred, all events profitable, all days holy, all men divine."

"Who cares what the fact was, when we have made a constellation of it to hang in heaven an immortal sign?"

"I hold our actual knowledge very cheap. Hear the rats in the wall, see the lizard on the fence, the fungus under foot, the lichen on the log...I am ashamed to see what a shallow village tale our so-called History is. How many times we must say Rome, and Paris, and Constantinople! What does Rome know of rat and lizard?"

[lovejuice]

so I stopped reading it and took it back to the library. Life's too short.
regardless of being a big bibliophile, i support this statement. it's a writer's job too to hold readers' attention. kf, i too advice you to put the book down.

[Mara]

I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It's alright. Way too heavy on metaphors. Fairly standard plot in a really imaginative setting.

I like it, but it's not as good as some of Chabon's work. (Please tell me you've read Kavalier and Clay, because everyone should.)

[Duncan]

I like it, but it's not as good as some of Chabon's work. (Please tell me you've read Kavalier and Clay, because everyone should.)

I have not. This is the first book of his that I've read.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The other day I was like half way through Ian McEwan's Saturday and was like "The book is boring and irritating me. There is no point in me continuing with this", so I stopped reading it and took it back to the library. Life's too short.


You're probably right, but I'm a sucker for completing a story. If I don't, I'll always want to know how things concluded.

[Winston*]

You're probably right, but I'm a sucker for completing a story. If I don't, I'll always want to know how things concluded.

But then you can imagine a better conclusion. Like for example in the aforementioned Saturday, in my version after a day of pottering about and over examining every trivial moment in his day, the aging neurosurgeon turns into a werewolf and goes rampaging through Buckingham palace killing the entire royal family (who all happen to be staying there for the queen's 80th birthday) and feasting on their innards. As tradition dictates, the werewolf having killed the entire Windsor line, Gordon Brown is then forced to crown the first werewolf king of England in over 500 years and unparalleled reign of terror begins setting it up for a sequel, Saturday II: God Save us from the Were-King.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I think I'm too stunned by the fact that there was a were-king 500 years ago to take in exactly what you were trying to tell me.

[Winston*]

I think I'm too stunned by the fact that there was a were-king 500 years ago to take in exactly what you were trying to tell me.

Were you under the assumption that King George The Werewolf was just a figurative title?

[Robby P]

I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It's alright. Way too heavy on metaphors. Fairly standard plot in a really imaginative setting.

I thought the first half of the book was the best part. The ending is just silly. Not sure if I'm looking forward to the movie, Coens or not.

[EvilShoe]

Does anyone else here use bookmooch (http://bookmooch.com/)? (It's a site dedicated to trading books.)

I've been using it for a while now, and am rather satisfied.
Yesterday I managed to obtain About a Boy and The French Lieutenant's Woman.

[Mara]

Does anyone else here use bookmooch (http://bookmooch.com/)? (It's a site dedicated to trading books.)


That looks AWESOME. I'm going to go home and cull my books.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Were you under the assumption that King George The Werewolf was just a figurative title?

Yes. Yes I did. Wait, does that mean Richard the Lionheart was actually a lion's heart?


Does anyone else here use bookmooch (http://bookmooch.com/)? (It's a site dedicated to trading books.)

I've been using it for a while now, and am rather satisfied.
Yesterday I managed to obtain About a Boy and The French Lieutenant's Woman.

Hey, thanks for holding out on us.

[ledfloyd]

I'm about halfway through The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It's alright. Way too heavy on metaphors. Fairly standard plot in a really imaginative setting.
i'm a huge fan of chabon but i agree with this. i remember reading in an interview with him he had the idea for the setting before the story. i think it shows. i still think it's quite enjoyable. i'm interested to see what the coens do with it.

[EvilShoe]

That looks AWESOME. I'm going to go home and cull my books.
I'm rather happy with it, although on occassions there's little to mooch. (Although I assume you'll have it easier, as in my case there's need for overseas shipping)

[Mara]

I'm rather happy with it, although on occassions there's little to mooch. (Although I assume you'll have it easier, as in my case there's need for overseas shipping)

Yeah, I felt mildly guilty when checking that I'll only send in the U.S. There's no way I can afford international postage.

[EvilShoe]

Yeah, I felt mildly guilty when checking that I'll only send in the U.S. There's no way I can afford international postage.
Yes, that's pretty mean. :|

I ship internationally though, because it means I receive more points. (3, whereas shipping nationally gets me only 1). So in the end it balances out.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Wow. I just started adding things while I've been sitting at work, and in ten minutes two of my books have already been requested.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Holy crap. Make that four book requests. Wow.

EDIT: Make that five. Is it normally this crazy?

[Mara]

I have two black garbage bags full of books that have been sitting in my car for months, waiting to be dropped off at the library or Goodwill or something. I wish I'd driven today, because I would totally be entering those suckers. I'll have to do it tonight.

I'll probably also need to buy some mailing supplies-- a pack of padded envelopes, or something. I hope people just use cheap shipping.

[Mara]

Want a laugh? Check out the "most available" tab here: http://www.bookmooch.com/top/available

It could be titled, "Bestsellers that suck, so we're all trying to get rid of them."

[Mara]

Because I'm nice, I'm paging through the "most wishlisted" books, to see if I'm willing to part with any of them.

I'm surprised how many books on that list I blind-bought and didn't like:

Water for Elephants (what a turd!)
The Glass Castle (okay, but I'll never read it again)
Son of a Witch
The Other Bolyen Girl
Wicked Lovely
In the Woods

[Kurosawa Fan]

Water for Elephants (what a turd!)


Heh. This is already in my inventory. I'm more than willing to part with it.

[Mara]

Heh. This is already in my inventory. I'm more than willing to part with it.

I can't even figure out how it got published. I was stunned by the level of suck.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I can't even figure out how it got published. I was stunned by the level of suck.

It's already been requested. I'll be parting with it shortly. :lol:

[Mara]

And "In the Woods" had some interesting writing, but (and I really can't believe this) it introduced two main mysteries in the opening chapter, and only solved one of them. The lesser one.

Let me explain why I like reading fiction in the first place. :|

[EvilShoe]

Holy crap. Make that four book requests. Wow.

EDIT: Make that five. Is it normally this crazy?
Depends on the kind of books you put up.
When I put up comics they're usually gone instantly as well.
Tristram Shandy was gone fast too, poor moocher.

[lovejuice]

so there's a book about the plight of repressed white men that i like less than roth's american pastoral. it's russel banks's continental drift. granted i am still two decades away from half-life crisis, but why on earth does a financially capable white man who has a problem with "american dream" always come out such a bonker!

[Kurosawa Fan]

Depends on the kind of books you put up.
When I put up comics they're usually gone instantly as well.
Tristram Shandy was gone fast too, poor moocher.

It's mostly well known stuff I didn't care for. But yeah, I'm up to 9 books out of the 14 I listed already requested. I'm going to go broke from shipping and have to close my account after one day.

EDIT: and lovejuice just brought another book to my attention that needs to get out of my house. American Pastoral, welcome to my inventory!

[Mara]

Um... what books do I want? The browsing feature isn't very good; you pretty much have to search by title. What should I buy?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Um... what books do I want? The browsing feature isn't very good; you pretty much have to search by title. What should I buy?

I grabbed Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck and Into Thin Air by Krakauer. If this works, I'm officially in love with this site.

[Mara]

I am clever.

I am checking what Amazon recommends for me, and then cross-referencing with bookmooch. Because Amazon and I know each other very, very well.

[Mara]

Do you suppose someone-- anyone-- is about to upload Essays on a science of mythology: The myth of the Divine Child and the divine maiden by Carl Jung? I've been looking for that for years.