The Book Discussion Thread

[Kurosawa Fan]

I dunno, man...you never got around to reading the entire series of "Babysitter's Club" books, like I asked of you.

You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours my friend.

:P

The sad part is I could accomplish this with ease, as my wife has the entire collection and still rereads them on a fairly regular basis.

[megladon8]

The sad part is I could accomplish this with ease, as my wife has the entire collection and still rereads them on a fairly regular basis.

Hmm...well...

I can't think of anything witty to say back to that. You really should get to reading them. :P

[EvilShoe]

Meg, you haven't read Catcher in The Rye yet? How the hell did that happen?
Read, now. Log out! Read!

Myself, I'm currently going through the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Just started on the third book, which has a hilarious opening:
[

Show Spoiler

"Arthur Dent, you're a jerk. A complete asshole."

] :lol:
Really enjoying these books so far.
I read somewhere the final two books aren't up to par though, any truth to this?

[Winston*]

I read The Catcher in the Rye the other day. I'm not sure why I'd never read it before, but, hey, now I have. Anyway, sorry to break it to you Meg but, every woman you love = totally crazy (no offense, Jen).

[EvilShoe]

My sister had to read "Catcher in the Rye" for class just a week or so ago and absolutely loathed it.

My mom got me to buy a copy for her so she could read along with my sister, and my mom said she doesn't think she has ever hated a book as much as that one.

I'm not too interested in reading it.

Just saw this.
WTF?

[Raiders]

Franny and Zooey is better than Catcher in the Rye, anyway. So I say go with that if you have such an aversion to reading the latter.

[Lasse]

I bought Atonement (Ian McEwan) and Desperation (Stephen King) for $1 each. Yay!

I'm almost finished with Stephen King's Bag of Bones and while it's a decent book, I'm having trouble reading it. It just doesn't hold my attention like most previous King books have.

[Benny Profane]

http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/...cle3158029.ece

An Elegy for the Great American Novel:

If any writer believed in the existence of the Great American Novel it was Norman Mailer. He believed in it utterly, called it the "big one" and dreamed of bagging it – like a hunter in search of game. Now, he and many of his fellow hunters are gone. Can anyone take their place?

Lots of good reading in the above link.

[D_Davis]

I started reading James Blish's A Case for Conscience yesterday, and while not as elegant as The Demolished Man, or More Than Human, I am enjoying it quite a bit. It seems to struggle a bit finding the proper voice through which to tell the story, and this is especially apparent after reading Sturgeon's superior novel. However, I do like where the narrative is heading, and I find a lot of sympathy in the main character, the Jesuit Priest, who shares many of my own beliefs regarding science and religion. He states that the two compliment each other, and that every thing he learns about evolution, biology, chemistry, and so on only further proves to him the amazing powers of God. Science reinforces his faith. I am greatly anticipating his further discoveries.

[SpaceOddity]

Fave characters, anyone?

[D_Davis]

Fave characters, anyone?

The Gunslinger and Elric

[megladon8]

Fave characters, anyone?

Batman.

Superman.

Duddy Kravitz.


So my next reading adventure is Paul Auster's "City of Glass" - the first volume in his "New York Trilogy".

I read the first 50 pages and it's incredible.

[megladon8]

I bought Atonement (Ian McEwan) and Desperation (Stephen King) for $1 each. Yay!

Wow, those are some pretty sweet deals.

[Watashi]

How come no one told me that the name of Lyra's daemon in The Golden Compass is Pan?

This book just got a whole lot more awesomer.

[D_Davis]

Fave characters, anyone?

Also:

Philip Marlowe
Hap and Leonard
Wolf

[Llopin]

Ok, so no Brodsky fans.

Has anyone read something by Clifford Geertz?

[megladon8]

Sorry, Llopin, I've never heard of either of those writers


Seriously, has anyone else here read any Paul Auster - namely, any of the books in the "New York trilogy"?

"City of Glass" is blowing my mind.

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's been on my shelf for a couple years now. I'll have to give it a go soon. I like reading something around the same time as someone else. Makes for good conversation.

[SpaceOddity]

Seriously, has anyone else here read any Paul Auster - namely, any of the books in the "New York trilogy"?

Me. *raises hand*

I liked it.

[megladon8]

It's been on my shelf for a couple years now. I'll have to give it a go soon. I like reading something around the same time as someone else. Makes for good conversation.

Definitely It's a short novel - "City of Glass", I mean, which is like 160 pages.

It's creepy, intriguing, funny, and really well written.

I'm about halfway through, and it's leaving me feeling "Mr. Auster, where have you been all my life?"

Also, I have to say that if a movie was ever made of Paul Auster, Rufus Sewell should play him...

[SpaceOddity]

Definitely It's a short novel - "City of Glass", I mean, which is like 160 pages.

It's creepy, intriguing, funny, and really well written.

I'm about halfway through, and it's leaving me feeling "Mr. Auster, where have you been all my life?"

Also, I have to say that if a movie was ever made of Paul Auster, Rufus Sewell should play him...

Wow. They're so alike.
*had no notion of Auster's hotness*

[jesse]

Franny and Zooey is better than Catcher in the Rye, anyway. So I say go with that if you have such an aversion to reading the latter.

YES.

[jesse]

I've really been on a Greek kick lately... and being continually surprised at the beauty and unabashed frankness of their writing.

Read Medea by Euripides the other day--I'm sure it's a much more powerful experience to see it performed, but it really was a pleasure to read. Also went back to Ovid's Metamorphosis for a bit, which is always a kick.

Still slogging through Purgatorio, I doubt I'll make it to Paradise. :P

[Derek]

Franny and Zooey is better than Catcher in the Rye, anyway. So I say go with that if you have such an aversion to reading the latter.

Indeed, though I'd recommend reading Seymour and Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters. Combined, they're barely over 200 pages and a quick read, plus they provide some great background info on the Glass family.

[Melville]

Seriously, has anyone else here read any Paul Auster - namely, any of the books in the "New York trilogy"?

"City of Glass" is blowing my mind.

I've read it and moderately liked it. I thought the comic book adaptation was significantly better.