|
Zero Karizma posted:But aren't all these "I have the answers to the universe" books full of poo poo? All actual religious texts are pretty much wishful thinking in my mind anyway. Speaking as someone who both doesn't believe in god or the literal truth of the bible, and is pretty religious, I'd say you just don't know enough or have thought enough about it to bother understanding religious books. Religious books that are used by societies to guide their understanding of the universe are complex frameworks of metaphor and symbolism describing the most difficult issues of human existence, and are pretty far from wishful thinking. But if you feel like arguing with me, take it to PM because I don't want to derail this thread.
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 04:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 00:32 |
|
|
Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card I haven't been much into reviewing lately, I just read and if it's fun I'll say it was, and this was definitely fun. Fun enough for me to put aside my distrust of the superman meme and just go with it. There were some similarities to Starship Troopers, but mostly just the training and comradeship aspects. One thing that really made me giggle and roll my eyes was the political situation on Earth. Is just cold war authors that extrapolate that way? Take that US/Soviet relationship and extend it way into the future? And I totally called the climactic battle being real, and not a game.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 06:16
|
|
|
Dracula for an english lit class. I think it is engrossing yet boring at the same time. It is more fun listening to my professor talk about it than actually read it, since she is British, a bit loony, and also a published book critic. In conclusion gently caress authors that write out whole speeches in slang phonetically. It is like I have to become a cryptographer to read a stupid novel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 13:48
|
|
|
wolfman101 posted:In conclusion gently caress authors that write out whole speeches in slang phonetically. It is like I have to become a cryptographer to read a stupid novel.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 14:53
|
|
|
I just finished the Night Watch triology by Sergei Lukyanenko. They have made two movies from the series. Though both stories are from the same book. The first book was a bit hard to follow, I'm not sure if it was his writing style or the translation. The second two books were quite enjoyable. I just started Confederacy of Dunces, I'm about 10 pages in and loving it already.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 15:18
|
|
|
Just finished Blue Latitudes by Tony Horwitz. A detailed, but fun look on Captain Cook's voyages. He tells Cook's story through old logs, and then goes out and visits various islands with a drunken buddy, sometimes re-enacting claiming an island in the name of the king in front of tourists sunbathing on the beach. http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Latitudes-Boldly-Captain-Before/dp/B0000AZW7G/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196350088&sr=8-1
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 16:30
|
|
|
Why Darwin Matters by Michael Shermer A book about debating against creationism and ID. My entire family is all creationists and even though I don't purposely look for arguments with them, I know one day it'll happen. Then all hell will break loose and it'd be nice having some ammunition for just such a miserable event.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 18:09
|
|
|
I just finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy. A fantastic post-apoc book, it has by far the most gritty, terrible, soul-crushing, hopeless setting of any post-apoc piece of fiction I'm ever seen. The plot is simple, involving only a father and his young son as they travel across an ashen wasteland, but how Mccarthy explains their daily travels and the things they witness is just...god, its depressing and terrifying. Any goon who think thats living in a post-apoc time will be like playing as the protagonist of Fallout should read this.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 20:35
|
|
|
I just finished Emma by Jane Austen. It was described to me as a comedy of manners. I know, I know, comedy meant something else entirely back then, but I was still expecting a few more laughs. Not that it didn't have some funny parts. What really struck me was that I became genuinely interested in who Emma would end up marrying. Usually love stories make me want to snore, but this one kept my interest.
|
|
#
?
Nov 29, 2007 23:59
|
|
|
Inside the Jihad, one of the most amazing books I've ever read. It's everything a good spy/intrigue story should be, only it's non-fiction. An extremely eye-opening look at what "the enemy" actually is and believes, and why. This is the definition of a page-turner, so much so that I just started it over once I finished it the first time. I would have your children if people could point out a similar book. I also just finished Takeover: Return of the Imperial Presidency, and would also be thrilled for any books equally enraging and eye opening. Current event non-fiction fans would do well to read both.
|
|
#
?
Nov 30, 2007 20:51
|
|
|
Recently got to the end of HST's Kingdom of Fear. Some weird and wacky poo poo there, not his best work by a long shot but possibly one of the best indications of how completely hosed his mind was in the last few years before his suicide. The whole book is a jumbled mess of random memories and thoughts, tied together with letters and articles from all over his life. Not a bad book at all. Really must pick up that new Biography.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2007 01:00
|
|
|
Maskerade, Terry Pratchett drat, this was the funniest discworld in awhile, and the most hilarious witches novel in the series. And it occurred to me while reading this, why do they call her Granny? Especially since she insists on being called "miss" rather than "mrs"? Meh, I really do wish I could write more but my brain's just been mush lately.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2007 03:27
|
|
|
The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd. It has some great lines, and Kyd plays around with the verse form for some interesting results in some places, but the plot is kind of convoluted and is probably most important for so heavily influencing Hamlet (5-15 years later); this play is Shakespeare's source for the play-within-a-play idea, though that may have come even earlier.\ Ironically, after my defense of reader marginalia in library books, I had the plot to this one ruined (though it's not like you can't guess) half way through by an annoying previous reader.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2007 18:02
|
|
|
Like every other goon, I just read Cormac Mccarthy's The Road and loved it. This book should be mandatory reading for the Ishmael/End civilization crowd. I also recently finished up Zizek Presents Mao: On Practice and Contradiction. This book was a series of lectures, essays and interviews with Mao Tse-Tung from the mid thirties to the years immediately preceding the cultural revolution, chosen and prefaced by Slavoj Zizek. It was an interesting read, Mao is certainly a more engaging writer than many others writing on Marxist theory (see: Lenin and his pages of statistics, or: Footnotes? What are those!?  ). It was funny to see Mao getting progressively more out of touch with reality. The essays from the thirties were mostly about making theory and practice work with more cohesion in a primarily agrarian setting, but by the time the essays from the sixties rolled around he was more focused on teleportation technology and sheep and insects evolving prehensile thumbs and waging war on state socialism  I'm about halfway through Lolita at the moment; this is my first read of Nabokov and I'm in love with his writing style.
|
|
#
?
Dec 1, 2007 23:36
|
|
|
I'm wading through a bunch of classic novels right now, and I finished The Idiot by Dostoevsky yesterday. The first third or so was great, but then it started slowly waning. A few of the characters were incredibly annoying (although I admit this was partially justified) and a few others simply superfluous. I can appreciate the allegorical elements and the symbolism some of the main characters represent though. I had some minor gripes with the Finnish translation and major ones with the quality control -- the typo count was something incomprehensible. There's something about Russian literature that makes it elusive to me, but I haven't finished trying, and intend to tackle The Brothers Karamazov some day. Also read Conrad's Heart of Darkness today. Maybe it's because of reading this immediately after Dostoevsky, but I felt it was almost too short and straightforward plotwise. I enjoyed it though, and I guess it must have been even more striking when published at the time King Leopold II still was in power. It works on multiple levels, being both descriptive and allegorical. I read a translation (which was completely agreeable), and intend to reread it in English in the future. (Extra special greetings to the bastard who felt that underlining, circling or otherwise marking every other phrase of a library book was perfectly OK.)
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2007 01:16
|
|
|
His Master's Voice by Stanisław Lem This book was kind of a hard read. Lem's writing style is pretty complex and at times abstract. I usually don't enjoy hard science fiction but I found this story very well thought out. It took me longer to read than a normal story because I had to re-read certain parts over but I was very satisfied. I figured I'd give Lem a try after I heard TBB talk about his other works.
|
|
#
?
Dec 2, 2007 19:58
|
|
|
In light of some recent delightful news I was tempted to reread Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. It's been a solid decade since I last read it in school and my memories of it were pretty hazy. Everyone and their mother has probably read this, and if hasn't, should. Even if the scifi imagery feels dated, the themes itself are just as relevant today as they were half a century ago.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2007 01:43
|
|
|
Slash by Slash and Anthony Bozza Amazing look into the inner workings of Guns N' Roses as well as Slash's personal life. I highly recommend it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2007 06:29
|
|
|
Even though I've always disliked his writing, I decided to give Stephen King's Dark Tower series a try, as the plot seemed to be a bit more interesting than possessed dogs killing people and aliens giving women periods. So, I just finished The Gunslinger, and, I'm intrigued. I'm definitely going to pick up the rest of this series. I still think King's writing is crap, but I liked the references he threw in there to The Stand, which, as much as I hate to admit, I did kind of like.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2007 09:20
|
|
|
Finished Erikson's Deadhouse Gates yesterday. I recall thinking it was good but not great the first time around, but a second re-reading has definitely raised my opinion of it. Taking a break from the series since I just got a hold of J.V. Jones' A Sword From Red Ice.
|
|
#
?
Dec 3, 2007 19:11
|
|
|
I finished knocking out Naomi Wolf's The End of America but more importantly, I just started Stephen King's Drawing of the Three. One of these days, I'll make it to the Tower. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 01:40
|
|
|
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. A really, really good read, went through it in about three hours. It's comparable it to Gulliver's travels , and though that's in a different league (satire rather than sermon), it's nevertheless excellent. I've got misgivings - like much of his work, it's transparently a religious metaphor, but, as well as the pretty perfect pace and plotting, the way he brings across the awe the character at times experiences I feel made up for it. Given the proselytizing, I can't really see it as great literature, kind of placing it in the same category as 1984 and His Dark Materials - really like it, but it does make me slightly uncomfortable, the battering about the head with a sermonizing stick. I also understand another League of Extraordinary Gentlemen reference now. So Many Ways to Begin by John McGregor. I'd read his last book, If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, about a day in the lives of the inhabitants of a street - his writing style & descriptions are brilliant, and the first chapter is dazzlingly good prose - but it started to slip about halfway in, the multitude of characters lives described in minute detail began to drag, and it could have done with editing. This one was about a curator looking for his birth mother, and the device used was to make each chapter about an element from his, or a mamber of his immediate family's lives (a chapter title picked at random - Tobacco tin, cigarettes, Christmas card, 1914). The story was then supposed to gradually move forward, slowly fleshing out the characters. Which worked for a while, but again, it all became a bit dull by the end. If he can manage to keep focus for an entire book, the book will be amazing, so I'll read his next one in hope.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 01:52
|
|
|
RobertKerans posted:Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. Do you plan on reading Perelandra?
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 04:26
|
|
|
perceptual_set posted:Do you plan on reading Perelandra? Do it, all the books but the last kick rear end.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 08:36
|
|
|
Finally got into and through Robert Anton Wilson's first Cosmic Trigger. Made me appreciate Timothy Leary's work more, started me thinking I ought to take up yoga or study Sufi meditation, and certainly made me even more eager to start the Illuminatus! trilogy for winter break. The man was a brilliant philosopher, a convincing promoter, and drat funny.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 09:16
|
|
|
perceptual_set posted:Do you plan on reading Perelandra? Triangulum posted:Do it, all the books but the last kick rear end. Looks like that's a yes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 10:54
|
|
|
Triangulum posted:Do it, all the books but the last kick rear end. Agreed. The last one was kind of awful.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 14:15
|
|
|
Love in the Time of Cholera I did not like this book and would not recommend it. I guess I could write a really long post about it, but I honestly don't think its worth my time to pick apart something I just didn't plain didn't like. Suffice to say the language is pretty lyrical and can read almost like poetry at times, it started off okay, but as it went on I realized the story was weak and I barely cared about it. Somewhat ironically I read it to kind of give me a "nice" lovestory after reading Lolita (which I did like), but there at the end is the supposedly noble 76 year old main character we're supposed to be cheering for having sex with the 14 year old he's the legal guardian of, and her killing herself after he breaks it off with her to be with Abuela. Old man and woman he's been spoiling to bone for 50 years ride off into the sunset, happily ever after. Ugh. I was planning to read 100 Years of Solitude after this, but I'm honestly not going to bother with anything else Marquez anytime soon. I'm considering starting In Search of Lost Time next... if anyone's read it, thoughts? Should I take notes as I go along, or is it fairly easy to follow? How long did it take you to read?
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 18:27
|
|
|
So read one more is the consensus? Also, does anyone know what the Tolkein time-travel story written as part of his agreement with CS Lewis is like? I know it's only a fragment, but I could never be bothered with The Lost Road collection when I was on a Tolkein kick, just piqued my interest after reading the Lewis book.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 18:29
|
|
|
RobertKerans posted:Also, does anyone know what the Tolkein time-travel story written as part of his agreement with CS Lewis is like? I know it's only a fragment, but I could never be bothered with The Lost Road collection when I was on a Tolkein kick, just piqued my interest after reading the Lewis book. I read it years ago, and I remember it being...different from his usual stuff, because part of it was set in our modern world.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 18:55
|
|
|
RobertKerans posted:So read one more is the consensus? Definitely. If you're feeling adventurous try That Hideous Strength but I couldn't stand it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 4, 2007 19:17
|
|
|
pill for your ills posted:Finally got into and through Robert Anton Wilson's first Cosmic Trigger. Made me appreciate Timothy Leary's work more, started me thinking I ought to take up yoga or study Sufi meditation, and certainly made me even more eager to start the Illuminatus! trilogy for winter break. I'd recommend reading Cosmic Trigger II and III before reading Illuminatus! simply because the entire Cosmic Trigger trilogy builds upon itself and is just drat wonderful to read. Not saying that Illuminatus! isn't a masterpiece, but it will take far less time to work through the other two Cosmic Trigger books than it will be to make it half way through Illuminatus!
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 01:14
|
|
|
I just finished I Am Legend by Robert Matheson. Holy poo poo! This book is awesome! I'm so very glad I read the book before the move comes out later this month. I may read it again, just because it's that good.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 07:16
|
|
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:I was planning to read 100 Years of Solitude after this, but I'm honestly not going to bother with anything else Marquez anytime soon. Try reading this. They're very different books. I love 100 years... and hated Love in the time of Cholera. You won't regret it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 19:38
|
|
|
YancyDCjew posted:Try reading this. They're very different books. I love 100 years... and hated Love in the time of Cholera. You won't regret it. I liked both, but I must second this, 100 Years is a very different experience. Worth at least checking. Also: Prepare to take notes if you have bad memory for very similar (and repeating!) names.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 20:28
|
|
and Blah
|
Pompous Rhombus posted:Somewhat ironically I read it to kind of give me a "nice" lovestory after reading Lolita (which I did like), but there at the end is the supposedly noble 76 year old main character we're supposed to be cheering for having sex with the 14 year old he's the legal guardian of, and her killing herself after he breaks it off with her to be with Abuela. Old man and woman he's been spoiling to bone for 50 years ride off into the sunset, happily ever after. Ugh. Like everyone else, I'd recommend 100 Years of Solitude. Also, it's funny that you mention reading Lolita because I think you've misinterpreted the book a bit if you're calling Florentino "noble". In some respects, he's written a bit like Humbert - they're both written sympathetically, despite the fact that they do things that are pretty despicable. I don't think the book is really meant to hold Florentino up as a genuine romantic hero. It's a lot more ambiguous than that, as you can see from his womanizing and, uh, minor-loving. Plus the ending's not quite "happily ever after".
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 21:55
|
|
|
Just finished The Golden Compass. Good, but not really good enough to pick up the rest of the series. I'll check out the movie, though.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 21:56
|
|
|
perceptual_set posted:Definitely. If you're feeling adventurous try That Hideous Strength but I couldn't stand it. Likewise. I couldn't even finish it. Really a shame too, because Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra were excellent.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 23:19
|
|
|
Soma Soma Soma posted:I'd recommend reading Cosmic Trigger II and III before reading Illuminatus! simply because the entire Cosmic Trigger trilogy builds upon itself and is just drat wonderful to read. I definitely plan on getting the other Cosmic Triggers one of these days. I'm sure they're just as good as the first. But I promised myself that I'd read Illuminatus before I turned 24, and that comes up at the end of January. You understand.
|
|
#
?
Dec 5, 2007 23:33
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 15, 2024 00:32 |
|
|
Just finished Kokoro by Soseki. I thought it was very good as a sad love story, but I was expecting more philosophy from one of the most famous books in Japanese literature, so it came out a whiney and angsty in my opinion. I'm going to re-read Nausea again, because most of his existentialist rants went way over my head, and it frustrated me. Any tips?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2007 13:18
|
|
