The Book Discussion Thread

[Mara]

I finished the first half of War and Peace and picked up the second from the library today. Natasha is being insufferable, the worst kind of teenage girl, and needs a visit from the Smack Fairy. I'm hoping she grows up a little bit.

Pierre, though, I love. It took me awhile, but I really like him.

I also got John Dies at the End in good old-fashioned book format. Read the prologue. Suspect that the author spends too much time doing drugs and not enough time sleeping. Very engaging, however.

[SpaceOddity]

I finished the first half of War and Peace and picked up the second from the library today. Natasha is being insufferable, the worst kind of teenage girl, and needs a visit from the Smack Fairy. I'm hoping she grows up a little bit.

She grows up fat.
*grabs stopwatch and times her wobble*

[Mara]

She grows up fat.

I'm fine with that as long as her behavior improves.

Good to see you around!

[Morris Schæffer]

So anyone read the Jack Reacher novels? They any good?

[Ezee E]

Been liking Cosmopolis. Just need more time to read it. Now that i'm all moved, I should be set to read it all.

[D_Davis]

I also got John Dies at the End in good old-fashioned book format. Read the prologue. Suspect that the author spends too much time doing drugs and not enough time sleeping. Very engaging, however.

Wow - this seems so unlike your thing. It's an incredibly good and entertaining book. The best book I read last year.

Can't wait for the film - looks awesome.

[D_Davis]

I'm really getting into this Russian author named Vladimir Sorokin. I read The Ice Trilogy, and it it totally blew my mind. It's this totally bizarre, metaphysical, religious, epic, SF, political satire, historical conspiracy novel that is absolutely breathtaking in its scope and ambition, and entirely well-written (and translated).

And then I picked up his book The Queue, which is all about hundreds of people waiting in line, but none of them know what they are waiting in line for. The entire thing is told through single lines of dialog spoken by each subsequent person in the line as more and more people show up to wait.

I think this guy is really something special.

[Qrazy]

I'm really getting into this Russian author named Vladimir Sorokin. I read The Ice Trilogy, and it it totally blew my mind. It's this totally bizarre, metaphysical, religious, epic, SF, political satire, historical conspiracy novel that is absolutely breathtaking in its scope and ambition, and entirely well-written (and translated).

And then I picked up his book The Queue, which is all about hundreds of people waiting in line, but none of them know what they are waiting in line for. The entire thing is told through single lines of dialog spoken by each subsequent person in the line as more and more people show up to wait.

I think this guy is really something special.

It looks like he's done a bunch of film scripts as well, many of which have been adapted by different directors. I've actually seen the film '4' by Khrzhanovsky which was pretty good although it didn't totally win me over. His most recent script/film was with Alexander Zeldovich (director) called Miishen (Target). It came out this year, I think I"ll check it out.

[youtube]SWvMZzlrpKM[/youtube]

[Morris Schæffer]

Well, I ordered The Pixar Touch by David Price. Seems like a great read, but first I need to finish Gomorrah. I'm taking my time with that one.

[Duncan]

I am giving up on The Golden Bowl by Henry James. I have less than 150 left in a 600 page book but it has gotten to the point where I just can't be bothered. I honestly can't remember the last time I put a book aside without finishing it.

[D_Davis]

It looks like he's done a bunch of film scripts as well, many of which have been adapted by different directors. I've actually seen the film '4' by Khrzhanovsky which was pretty good although it didn't totally win me over. His most recent script/film was with Alexander Zeldovich (director) called Miishen (Target). It came out this year, I think I"ll check it out.

Interesting. Thanks.

[Qrazy]

Interesting. Thanks.

I'm also going to watch the film that writer/director combo did together before Target called Moscow. I'll let you know how it is.

[D_Davis]

I'm also going to watch the film that writer/director combo did together before Target called Moscow. I'll let you know how it is.

Nice. Had you heard of Sorokin before?

[Qrazy]

Nice. Had you heard of Sorokin before?

Only in passing, haven't read any of his novels.

[D_Davis]

Only in passing, haven't read any of his novels.

Cool. I just wasn't sure if he was more well known amongst people who enjoyed Russian things. My friend tells me he's a pretty big deal in Russia, even in a more general sense.

[Qrazy]

Cool. I just wasn't sure if he was more well known amongst people who enjoyed Russian things. My friend tells me he's a pretty big deal in Russia, even in a more general sense.

Yeah he is pretty well known in those circles. One thing that I really love about Russia is they take pride in their high artistry there. You ask a random Russian who Tarkovsky or Norstein is and in my experience they usually know (non-cinephiles).

[Mara]

Wow - this seems so unlike your thing. It's an incredibly good and entertaining book. The best book I read last year.

You know, it isn't really my thing (although I like to read Cracked.)

But I think I really enjoyed it. The book is not without its problems, but I feel like its virtues made up for them with change to spare.

I think it was supposed to be funny and scary, but to me it was just funny and gross. The constant, over-the-top gore was sort of ridiculous, and eventually you run out of disgusting ways for creatures to die. (I think six different creatures combusted and rained down viscera. It got old.) Also, the episodic, written-for-the-internet format didn't translate perfectly to book format. I think some ironing out of the plot would have helped, as well as dealing with the episodic and fragmented narrative.

But it was funny. I mean, really freaking funny. The narration and characters were charming, the story was inventive, and I was impressed.

I read three other books on my long trip this weekend, and this was the only one worth writing up.

[D_Davis]

Nice, Mara. I agree with almost everything you said. Although I did find it pretty creepy, and unsettling in parts. And yes, really funny. I loved all of the chair puns in the Vegas action scene. Oh man...

Have you read Bubba Ho-Tep? I bet you'd love that, and some of Lansdale's lighter stuff, since John Dies in the End reads a lot like a Lansdale homage, although Lansdale's stuff is better written.

[elixir]

What's a good starting point for Raymond Carver? I assume some short story collection, but I don't know which.

[Grouchy]

What's a good starting point for Raymond Carver? I assume some short story collection, but I don't know which.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.

[dreamdead]

For Carver, either the collection that Grouchy identifies or his selected works, Where I'm Calling From. The former features a lot of his strongest works, and the latter still features a lot from WWTAWWTAL and offers a lens to see how his minimalist material develops and unfolds, in addition to having several new stories that suggested the areas he would have explored had he lived longer...

[Qrazy]

[youtube]SWvMZzlrpKM[/youtube]

^ Apparently this is crap.

[D_Davis]

^ Apparently this is crap.

That's a bummer.

[Qrazy]

That's a bummer.

Yeah a friend of mine saw it at VIFF and said it never really built up to anything that it was basically one of the most expensive 'student' films they've ever seen.

[Mysterious Dude]

I'm having trouble getting into One Hundred Years of Solitude. GarcÃ*a Márquez seems to describe everything as though it happened a very long time ago. I notice a prevalence of the word "would" (e.g. "They would go into town, people would say..."). Occasionally, there will be some dialogue or a more detailed description of an event, but there never seems to be a complete scene. There's no immediacy to what happens.

I know a lot of people adore this book. What am I missing?