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Chuck Klosterman's IV. Oh, it was okay I guess. Basically what you'd expect from his previous works, except significantly more disjointed and, due to the space constraints of the original pieces, a little underdeveloped here and there. All the same, I got a number of laughs out of it and passed a long day of apartment house-sitting in relative entertainment. I'm starting to think his hyper-apathetic and relativistic stance is sort of a put-on, or at least I hope it is. As part of the whole "character" of himself as the platonic ideal of a culture, it is a telling and wry trait. If he seriously believes it, it's just sort of... pitiful. I also finished re-reading White Noise. It's still good, and I'm having a hard time figuring out why I never followed up with any other Delillo.
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Aug 11, 2008 09:04
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New Ideas from Dead Economists by Bucholz. It's a pretty good exposition of the history of economics and the major players and schools for people with little or no background in the topic. However, he does expect that the reader is familiar with some history and philosophy as it relates to his subjects. His examples and viginettes about the economists are helpful and keep it from becoming too dry or academic.
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Aug 11, 2008 15:16
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Beat to Quarters, C.S. Forester There really aren't any low spots in this series, and this is one of the best. I dunno what else to say that wouldn't sound like fanboy squealing. A Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchett Good solid fun, even if the Nac Mac Feegle appear to be a fixture in the Tiffany stories. The Complete Stories of Truman Capote I like reading short stories in between novels, and this was a drat fine batch the last of which I finished after the above Pratchett. Capote's an amazing writer, but I was a little underwhelmed by the rather mundane subject matter. There were some bright spots, and I think I tended to enjoy the southern gothic stuff more than the ritzy New York settings, which is odd because I really like the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. I'm also a little skeptical that this is "complete", is really all the short fiction he produced over several decades? Now I need another collection of short stories, so feel free to recommend something.
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Aug 12, 2008 00:22
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The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky What a terrible book. I need to remember which guttersnipe recommended this tripe to me, and then remember to never listen to their advice again. This book shouldn't be read by anyone older than 16, and even then just the emotional wreck variety. It's not that the book was offensively bad, so much as it is completely undeserving of the ridiculous fanbase it has. It has few redeeming qualities, and all its 'charm' is simple dime-store platitudes. There is no reward based off of character development or thematic elements, it's just simple cliche recitation. The book suffers from one of the more severe cases of Mary Sue-ing I've seen in some time. This little freshman brat is so smart and sensitive: multiple senior girls are head-over-heels for him at different points, he always sees the best in people, he can see behavioral patterns across multiple generations, his English teacher takes him on as a special project because he's some kind of genius, and OH, he's also a loving NINJA and takes out 5 senior football players. He gives such amazing gifts that effect the recipients on a profound level. He's an amazing DJ. He gets straight A's, even in classes he professes to not understand. Hell, he lets a gay friend kiss him continually because he thinks he's helping support the guy. He's just that loving goodwilled. The level of intelligence of the main character isn't even consistent - I simply cannot imagine any 9th grader being like him. He is so naive about the simplest topics, and he writes like any other mediocre C student, yet he sees such rich patterns in life and can diagnose the problems of friends and family with ease. He doesn't know what masturbation is until someone explains it, but he can write on the chain of sexual abuse and make a stab at the nature vs. nurture debate. He can't think of a transitional word that isn't "incidentally," but he can read The Catcher In The Rye 3 times in two days and relate the philosophy of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand to his own life. And the constant crying... give me a break. Even with all that ignored, the book is a ridiculous read. Every hot button issue you can think of is touched upon - rape, abortion, molestation, homosexuals, prejudice, domestic abuse, suicide - but they're mentioned in passing and not developed in the slightest. It's like all this was thrown in so everyone would find something to relate to, without forcing the author to do any actual work and give the issues the respect they deserve. Really, there's nothing to the book - it's a fairly average set of high school circumstances told through a gimmicky format that serves to hide most of the flaws. As a traditional novel, there would be nothing to this story. There is no character development, there is no thematic development, and there is barely even a cathartic climax - it's just grandstanding on general issues without putting in the work to back the statements up or earn the right to make them. And don't forget the magical twist ending: his favorite aunt molested him repeatedly and he suppressed the memory. It felt like a recent M. Night Shyamalan ending. I also feel the book encourages and glorifies high school drug and alcohol use / abuse. In all respects, this is a poor man's Ordinary People. Ordinary People tackles many of the same issues, and while it doesn't get as specific into the everyday drama of high school nor cover as many of the buzzwords, it actually has insight into how the human condition creates the unpleasant situations in life that we are all too familiar with. It even goes a step further and takes a crack at how to go about attempting to solve them. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower has decidedly less lofty aspirations, and is a poorer book for it. edit: I realize that this book could be inspirational for troubled youths, and I don't mean to attack that. In the right context, I'm sure the book is fine. But many hold this up as a great piece of modern literature, and it is anything but. Neo_Reloaded fucked around with this message at 04:29 on Aug 13, 2008 |
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Aug 12, 2008 05:57
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Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Mother Night It feels redundant to rant about this book, especially on this forum, but I loved it. The characters, the commentary, the plot, all of it was perfect. It's slightly cartoony, but it has a tinge of realism to it as well. Superb.
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Aug 12, 2008 08:08
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Dorepoll posted:Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Mother Night I need to read this again. It is by far my favorite Vonnegut, but don't crucify me for that statement, as I have only read Slaughterhouse 5, Mother Night, and Breakfast of Champions.
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Aug 12, 2008 13:55
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I finished those Bridge Books again: Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties, together with Virtual Light (which I mentioned in a previous post). Like I said previously, these are my favorite books by Gibson. I think the world is a more real vision of where technology is taking our society, and the characters are much more real than those in his earler Sprawl books (excepting, of course, the one who is not real at all). I enjoy how Idoru increases the scope and depth of the world established in Virtual Light. The setting spreads beyond California both physically and metaphysically, and you get to see a greater cross-section of the world's population. Chia's comfortable middle class lifestyle gives insight into a demographic Gibson doesn't often concern himself with. Laney reveals the other side of the machine that has twice now chewed up and spat out Rydell. Rez's various employees show you how the jet-set operate in a world of predatory tabloids. All Tomorrow's Parties brings it all back to where it started, tying the threads of Idoru back into the ongoing drama of the Bridge. Cody Harwood may actually be the most insidious and monstrous of Gibson's villains, but because he's so banal, it's easy to ignore how terrible he really is. In the end, the protagonists get their shot and the villains get their due, and while some tragedy mires the finale, you're left with a sense of excitement for the characters and their new world. I really think these books are successful because they encapsulate the whole "low life/high tech" theme of Cyberpunk so well. The majority of protagonists are low lifes, losers even, and the events that they get caught up in are increasingly world changing. However, the technology that drives these changes is so well incorporated into the world and so reminiscent of technologies emerging today, it is readily accepted and not jarring in the least. That the villains rely on sensationalism and marketing to achieve their ends makes them all the more poignant and realistic. About the only thing I don't like with these books is how the emergence of the religion around Shapely is dropped in the face of nanotechnology and artificial life, but then again, Gibson is a sci/fi writer, and the latter are much more sci/fi than the former.
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Aug 12, 2008 19:22
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Jsquared posted:Into the Wild: This has become my #1 favorite book replacing Masters of Doom. Unbelievable story. Though the author has kind of a weird writing style, however he addresses it in the beginning so you have a better idea. Laurence Gonzales - Deep Survival Amazing book, exactly what you are looking for. It's basically a whole bunch of different stories about people/groups in crazy survival situations, tied together by an overarching theme of trying to figure out what it is that separates those who survive from those who don't. Incredible book. Oh, and I have read: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Great book. It feels very real, like it could've been an actual memoir, and the story is very compelling and touching. My only complaint is the scene where The main character is about to be killed by the Taliban guy from his youth, except wait! Hassan's son who has been living with them for six months still has his slingshot and is able to kill him! Hooray! Considering how realistic and lifelike the rest of the book is, that just seemed way too perfect even though it would never really work out that way. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - This book was amazing. Not too long, and a pretty simple story, but the writing is just top notch. I was really able to identify with the tribe even though it's completely unlike my life in every way, which was impressive, and the message was strong and great. I went "oh poo poo" when The religious fanatics first showed up, because I was not expecting that and it really gave the book a great message. I also always enjoy books that encompass a longer period of time - it flows very easily and effortlessly over the course of a decade and a half or so, making it feel pretty large in scope even though it's a reasonably small book. My only complaint is the last paragraph being completely unnecessary - I get it, the tribe's been hosed up but the people who are trying to change it think they're doing them a favor. I was kinda annoyed that the author felt it necessary to overexplain it when it was so nicely handled before that.. I'll definitely be checking out more of his books. wlokos fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Aug 12, 2008 |
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Aug 12, 2008 19:42
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Anthem by Ayn Rand I really needed a palette cleansing after the mediocrity of the last book I read, and this really fit the bill. Anthem is such a simple novella, but it is told so beautifully. The world of the "We" that Equality 7-2521 lives in is realized so fully, with the terrible implications of such a concept inserted so fluidly yet so powerfully into the narrative. His development resonates on such an emotional level. Pity when he feels he is filled with sin for simply being curious. Wonder when he discovers relics from the Unmentionable Times. Pride as he stands up for himself against the collective. Empowerment as he realizes the power of "I" . This was my first Ayn Rand work, so I'm definitely intrigued. I'm not sure if I'm ready to start Atlas Shrugged just yet, but it's on the list.
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Aug 13, 2008 01:34
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THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt. I'd bought it last year, and was waiting to finish David copperfield to start it. Full to bursting with intrigue, suspicion, lust (both requited and un-), deception and good old-fashioned murder. My new favorite book.
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Aug 13, 2008 04:50
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I just finished reading The Time Machine for the first time (via Gutenberg). I now realize that the 1960 film adaptation was no better than the 2002 adaptation. They both are more right or less right in different ways. I kind of like how the 02 version hits you over the head with the fact, hinted at in the book, and glossed over in the 1960 version, that the Time Traveller has more in common with the Morlocks than with the Eloi. Of course neither has the Eloi even close to right. Neo_Reloaded posted:This was my first Ayn Rand work, so I'm definitely intrigued. I'm not sure if I'm ready to start Atlas Shrugged just yet, but it's on the list. Be sure to warn your friends before you do, so they can delete you from their address books and cell phones.
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Aug 13, 2008 05:24
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wlokos posted:The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Great book. It feels very real, like it could've been an actual memoir, and the story is very compelling and touching. My only complaint is the scene where The main character is about to be killed by the Taliban guy from his youth, except wait! Hassan's son who has been living with them for six months still has his slingshot and is able to kill him! Hooray! Considering how realistic and lifelike the rest of the book is, that just seemed way too perfect even though it would never really work out that way. I could have sworn the slingshot doesn't kill him. I'm pretty sure it just leaves him dazed enough for them to get away. Could be wrong, I read it a long time ago.
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Aug 13, 2008 14:03
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VideoTapir posted:Be sure to warn your friends before you do, so they can delete you from their address books and cell phones. It's that engrossing? I mean, I know it's long, but you're saying I'll be compelled to have marathon reading sessions?
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Aug 13, 2008 14:06
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Neo_Reloaded posted:It's that engrossing? I mean, I know it's long, but you're saying I'll be compelled to have marathon reading sessions? No, they just wont want to talk to you anymore.
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Aug 13, 2008 14:53
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perceptual_set posted:No, they just wont want to talk to you anymore. I have no idea what you are talking about.
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Aug 13, 2008 15:14
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Lao Tsu posted:I could have sworn the slingshot doesn't kill him. I'm pretty sure it just leaves him dazed enough for them to get away. Could be wrong, I read it a long time ago. I just read it - It doesn't kill Assef - the ball bearing puts his eye out, allowing Amir and Sohrab to escape while he's incapacitated.
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Aug 13, 2008 16:00
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Neo_Reloaded posted:I have no idea what you are talking about. Objectivism is a horrible philosophy, and buying into it will make you a horrible person. Honestly, I thought your glowing review of Anthem was a fakepost at first. To contribute further: Memories of, "I'm Doug, and I'm out of here," as well as, "we've got a whole lotta pudding," still give me the chuckles. Because of this, I find myself compelled to support former members of The State in all their endeavors. Because of that, I found myself purchasing and reading My Custom Van by Michael Ian Black. This is a collection of fifty-some essays ranging from how to go about the all important question: "Anal?" to how one would act if one were to be a self loathing highschool football coach in both winning and losing at half time scenarios. Heavy poo poo. They're all pretty short essays, and most of the follow the long, elaborate setup to a quick and dirty punchline formula. It's a formula that works, and it's a funny book. It's not as funny as Hodgeman's The Areas of my Expertise, but I'm not sure what is. This work's real strength, however, lies in Black's ability to provide the kind of biting critism an increasingly disillusioned America needs. Where else will you find a writer so brave as to tell Sedaris to "go suck it," or one so insightful as to call Lewis Black a "loving idiot."
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Aug 13, 2008 22:12
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PeterWeller posted:Objectivism is a horrible philosophy, and buying into it will make you a horrible person. Honestly, I thought your glowing review of Anthem was a fakepost at first. Oh, I didn't know Atlas Shrugged was about objectivism. From what the friend who recommended it to me has said, Atlas Shrugged is about philosophy and its relation to world economics and stuff like that - I don't know anything about it other than that, and the fact that it's highly regarded in some circles. I think I'm capable of reading it and not pissing off my friends with it, but I guess we'll see. Also, I was under the impression that Anthem was highly regarded, so I don't see why my liking it is so odd to you. I don't see what objectivism has to do with it either - the message was more that ego is a part of human nature and suppressing it can never lead to happiness, not that ego is some objective moral right in the world. Unless you were just saying that my review was overly verbose and dramatic, to which I'd agree.
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Aug 13, 2008 22:38
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Lao Tsu posted:I could have sworn the slingshot doesn't kill him. I'm pretty sure it just leaves him dazed enough for them to get away. Could be wrong, I read it a long time ago. Encryptic posted:I just read it - It doesn't kill Assef - the ball bearing puts his eye out, allowing Amir and Sohrab to escape while he's incapacitated. Yeah, sorry, I didn't mean dead. The point remains the same.
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Aug 14, 2008 02:00
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Coconut Pete posted:I just finished The Dwarf by Pär Lagerkvist and it was pretty much awesome. Piccoline is one of the most interesting characters I've encountered. I for the most part read sci-fi and fantasy but this book makes it to my "one of the best books I've ever read" list. I will probably check out The Sibyl or something else by the same author. I dug it but I didn't view Piccoline as a character- the entire time, he felt like The darkness within the Prince. All of the Dwarf's thoughts are negative at all times, he craves and clamors for war, the Prince still keeps him around and even in the end, the Prince will still have use for his dwarf. G-Mawwwwwww fucked around with this message at 03:31 on Aug 14, 2008 |
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Aug 14, 2008 03:21
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I just finished Gravity's Rainbow. Holy poo poo, that book was amazing. It's one of the few books I've read where I feel that I've merely scratched the surface of the book's depth. Which puts it alongside things like Ulysses and The Sound and The Fury. Even though I'm sure I didn't get anywhere near as much out of the book as is possible, it was one of the most intellectually stimulating books I've ever read and probably the funniest.
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Aug 14, 2008 03:29
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I too recently finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I enjoyed the story, and repeatedly thought that this must actually be part real. He framed the entire story very well in both America and Afghanistan, and his knowledge seemed great, although knowing just the most basic knowledge of Afghanistan would impress me considering I know nothing of the country. I thought the writing was nice too, but some of what Hosseini did annoyed me. Instead of naturally building tension, which he could have done easily, he often prepared a new section by just saying "And this would be blah blah blah..." I didn't really like that, especially with how often it happened. It was also a pretty basic style of writing. He did it wonderfully, but there wasn't too much depth to it, although I can't analyze writing very well. Some of the stuff seemed a tad bit cliche. I enjoyed it. I would recommend the book.
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Aug 14, 2008 03:33
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Nietzsche's "The Birth of Tragedy" for the second time. Absolutely brilliant analysis of Greek tragedy and art in general. For anyone looking into art analysis, this is one of the best books to get a sense of what an expert analysis looks like. The whole book is excellently written (as is all of Nietzsche's works). Highly recommended.
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Aug 14, 2008 03:55
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Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind  Was a GREAT book. Good thread too 
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Aug 14, 2008 05:30
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PeterWeller posted:Objectivism is a horrible philosophy, and buying into it will make you a horrible person. That doesn't mean Rand's fiction isn't good stuff. Cuz it is.  Neo_Reloaded posted:Oh, I didn't know Atlas Shrugged was about objectivism. From what the friend who recommended it to me has said, Atlas Shrugged is about philosophy and its relation to world economics and stuff like that - I don't know anything about it other than that, and the fact that it's highly regarded in some circles. I think I'm capable of reading it and not pissing off my friends with it, but I guess we'll see. It's not really. It's about the fall of civilization because the people who make things happen decide to gently caress off, rather than continue to let the rest of humanity leech off them and actually show contempt rather than respect. Sure, it's ultra-capitalist fantasy, but why does that make it "bad"? There are lots of examples of authors writing about worlds in which their obviously right and noble ideals produce happy happy joy joy results. But you can safely skip the 50 page speech, that did suck because it's just boring as hell. Pretend it doesn't happen. And just so I'm participating: The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx & Fredrich Engels Something I've always wanted to get out of the way. There's some decent historical analysis here, but expecting the herd to organize is about as retarded as retarded can get. Ship of the Line, C.S. Forester Seventh in the series, I blew through it in a day. Lots of the usual sort of Hornblower awesomeness, even if it does end on a really down note it's still a really good installment.
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Aug 14, 2008 06:05
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uggy posted:I too recently finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I enjoyed the story, and repeatedly thought that this must actually be part real. He framed the entire story very well in both America and Afghanistan, and his knowledge seemed great, although knowing just the most basic knowledge of Afghanistan would impress me considering I know nothing of the country. People go in with the wrong expectations, and I think that's why it gets hated sometimes. I agree that the final confrontation was a bit coincidental and all to perfect. It makes attempts at drama somewhat poorly. But it's message and cultural relevance make it a must read. It's a great read and makes its best effort to avoid cliche and really paints a great picture of what is going on. It's written in a very accesible manner so that more people would be able to read it, which should be seen as a good thing. Some people bash it for this, but the author's intent was to spread a message. There are hordes of people who have only read Harry Potter or The Da Vinci Code or pulp Romance. They are perfectly capable of reading Kite Runner, and they have, and that's a good thing. There are a couple moments that could have used polish, but if you cut it some slack its a great book that everyone should read. The people I have heard put Kite Runner down are usually upset by the fact that it is so widely popular despite its obvious flaws.
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Aug 14, 2008 14:13
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uggy posted:I too recently finished The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I enjoyed the story, and repeatedly thought that this must actually be part real. He framed the entire story very well in both America and Afghanistan, and his knowledge seemed great, although knowing just the most basic knowledge of Afghanistan would impress me considering I know nothing of the country. I'd be inclined to cut it some slack considering it's a first novel, and a very good first novel at that. I'll agree regarding the final confrontation, but that's a minor flaw in an otherwise solid book. One thing I really did like is that it presents Afghanistan as a real place with real people instead of just some place you hear about on the news. I knew next to nothing about it myself and it gives some perspective. I was actually planning to stop by the library later and try to grab Hosseini's second novel - thoughts on that at some point if I'm able to find it.
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Aug 14, 2008 16:24
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quote:That doesn't mean Rand's fiction isn't good stuff. Cuz it is. The ideas for the plot and setting for Atlas Shrugged might be interesting (if you pretend it's fantasy), but everything else is mediocre at best. Especially the writing is lackluster and longwinded even if you ignore the preaching. You pretty much have to skip 60% of the book to make it readable. Anyway, I just finished Black Man (US title: Thirteen) by Richard Morgan. Takes about 300 pages to really get going, but once it does, it's really good. And Morgan sure knows how to write an ending.
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Aug 14, 2008 22:05
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I'm a bit on a Vonnegut binge having just finished "Cat's Cradle" and God Bless You Dr. Kevorkian. Cat's Cradle was the first book I knew I'd read again for fun before I got to page 50. Brother's Karamazov and Galapagos are staring me in teh face and I'm trying to decide what to read next.
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Aug 14, 2008 22:58
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Lao Tsu posted:People go in with the wrong expectations, and I think that's why it gets hated sometimes. I agree that the final confrontation was a bit coincidental and all to perfect. It makes attempts at drama somewhat poorly. But it's message and cultural relevance make it a must read. Ya, it's a great read. I don't doubt that. But you can tell he was trying to reach a large audience and that this was his first book. I think it's a book that's in between book that will be read in the future and mainstream book. It certainly has aspects that make it seem like one that would be read years from now, but it also has elements that let it be easily read by a great deal of people.
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Aug 14, 2008 23:39
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Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy - A really interesting spin on the fantasy genre that features a necromancer (the titular Abhorsen) as the main character and some very original ideas relating to how a necromancer works in his world. While the plot eventually does come down to the standard good versus evil struggle, his take on it keeps it interesting throughout.
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Aug 15, 2008 06:37
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I just finished reading about a dozen issues of Wired and Spectrum magazines. I'm happy to be reading books again. Next up: The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum.
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Aug 15, 2008 19:02
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The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus. My brain loving hurts. This was my first foray into philosophical essays, and, though I think I get the grand picture he was trying to set out for me, it was incredibly dense and required a few sections to be reread and scrutinized. However, that aside, I like the absurdist concept of continuing to experience and go forward regardless of the ridiculous things around you and those you cause, to create a fulfilled and complete life. I'll probably read it again just to make sure I did understand it, but I'll give myself some time before I go at it.
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Aug 15, 2008 20:26
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Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. Definitely one of the better science fiction books I've read that were written in the past six years. There were some parts that dragged on a bit but overall it was a great mix of action, technology, and classic detective story. VALIS by Philip K. Dick. My mind has been blown. By far my favorite Dick book that I've read. I really have trouble described why this book was so amazing but I'm definitely going to be re-reading this one a few times during the next year.
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Aug 15, 2008 22:25
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If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor, Bruce Campbell's autobiography. Hilarious, engaging, and simple. A great light read to finish out my summer, having spent most of it on heavy-hitters like 1984, Blindness, and The Rum Diary. You'd be hard pressed to find a modern actor who's gotten more fun and satisfaction out of his chosen line of work. Really made me want to catch up on Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, as the first is all I've seen.
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Aug 15, 2008 22:52
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Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, the first Vonnegut novel I have ever read, and there will definitely be more. His style in that book was unlike any other I had ever seen, just so deadpan and straightforward. Plus he actually involved himself in the story as the author, in a way that was actually interesting and not pretentious or masturbatory, like, say, M. Night Shymalan did with his movies.
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Aug 16, 2008 05:24
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My brother gave me Snuff for my birthday a few months ago, and I'd put it off until now. I should have kept putting it off. What a pile of poo poo. I couldn't find one redeeming quality of the book at all. It's like he thought "Well, Choke is just so edgy, how can I make this one even edgier?" I've read better stories written by Mary-Sueing cat-ladies in a 100 level community college course. What a massive fanwank. Before that I finished The Road. Once you get past McCarthy's odd grammatical style, you find a well written, concise portrayal of a man and his son in a series of tough situations. McCarthy, with very little background on these characters really makes them live and breathe. I've seen books hundreds of pages longer than this with much less fleshed out characters. Oddly enough with all this talk about the movie, I always thought The Road would be much better suited as a play. Each scene in the book really seemed to play out in my head in a more theatrical way than a cinematic way. Another recent read is Excession, by Iain M. Banks. A good friend got me hooked on his Culture books a few years ago, but I'd missed this one. Yowza! The scope is immense, and while Banks' human characters tend to be a bit one-note, the hundreds of pages of Minds interacting was definitely my cup of tea. He really takes sci-fi to a whole other scale. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed this book, and the ending is simply outstanding.
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Aug 16, 2008 18:31
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Ironic Twist posted:Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, the first Vonnegut novel I have ever read, and there will definitely be more. I think Breakfast of Champions is my favorite Vonnegut. While I can't really pinpoint why, I think it has to do with the fact that it runs very smoothly from beginning to end, and it's very precise in its storytelling. And it's loving hilarious.
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Aug 17, 2008 08:25
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Ironic Twist posted:Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, the first Vonnegut novel I have ever read, and there will definitely be more. His style in that book was unlike any other I had ever seen, just so deadpan and straightforward. Plus he actually involved himself in the story as the author, in a way that was actually interesting and not pretentious or masturbatory, like, say, M. Night Shymalan did with his movies. I just reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time since the third grade and I think I enjoyed it a lot more this time around. I'm appreciating it more as a magical tale than I did when I was younger, when I just took everything at face value. I'm rereading the series since I never read the 6th or 7th books and I'm glad I'm doing so, these books are proving to be better than I thought they were.
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Aug 17, 2008 08:48
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I just finished The Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy both by Robin Hobb. The books are really awesome if you're into Fantasy. The setting is around Middle Ages and Middle Europe. Both trilogies have the same characters in it. Book Breakdown: The Farseer Trilogy -Assassin's Apprentice -Royal Assassin -Assassin's Quest The Tawny Man Trilogy -Fool's Errand -Golden Fool -Fool's Fate
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Aug 17, 2008 11:50
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