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Lolita The first half was great, the prose was exciting and the plot was climactic and most of all HH was such a richly drawn despicable guy. The second half however fell completely flat, is it supposed to mirror his sexual experience? As in the idea of sleeping with her was tantalising but unfulfilling once it happened? . It was very unsatisfying either way.
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Nov 14, 2016 20:46
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Shikantaza posted:Lolita The first half was great, the prose was exciting and the plot was climactic and most of all HH was such a richly drawn despicable guy. The second half however fell completely flat, is it supposed to mirror his sexual experience? As in the idea of sleeping with her was tantalising but unfulfilling once it happened? . It was very unsatisfying either way. It's been a minute since I've read it, but yes and no. Yes to your point, but also it is that point that Lolita has lost her youthful enthusiasm (if there ever was any) towards Humbert, be it actual attraction or something akin to Stockholme syndrome. She is growing aware that she is a victim, that there is something very wrong with her life and situation, that maybe her mother's death wasn't an accident. She is pulling away from her captor, maturing, and her ideas of escape are growing. Since she is the light of his life, the fire of his loins, his life (and the story) loses it's flair as he is losing the object of his passion. There is also the fact that all of Humbert's actions are catching up to him. He is a psychopath, selfish and obsessed with control. He is now faced with not only losing control of Lolita, but his carefully constructed life. It is being taken away from him with karmic balance, and his life is now at the whim of the object of his obsession, other suitors/lovers/objects of Lolita's affection, and eventually judge, jury and executioner (and also you, the reader). A bigger irony is that this all comes after the "Honeymoon Phase" of Lolita's seduction. After the honeymoon phase, there's the concept, I think it's called the elasticity of Happiness. We are enthralled with Love and Passion, which is punctuated by a marriage of sorts. Then our happiness comes back down, and we adjust to our new lives. Humbert's new life just happens to be one built on lies, deception, cruelty, etc. While I agree the the first half of the book is much stronger, Nabakov is the type of writer to reflect the story, themes, ideas, emotions in the actual prose and story execution to illustrate this, hence why the second half of the book is much more emotionally murky instead of splendid.
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Nov 14, 2016 22:01
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I finished all ten of Stephen R. Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. It was epic. Some of the most bad rear end scenes I can recall reading in a fantasy series, as well as some of the most tedious let-everyone-talk-about-their-feelings-in-turn-before-anything-else-can-happen scenes. 7/10
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Nov 16, 2016 17:39
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I just finished Sabriel by Garth Nix. I picked it up on Kindle because I was reading it while on Jury Duty and I wanted to finish the story. But now that I've finished the story, I have a dry taste in my mouth over how the book finished. I don't know who or what Mogget is, or his/her motivations. There's some closure, but it seems to leave the door wide open for other books in this series, which is what the author did. I enjoyed the book but for some reason, I don't feel completely satisfied with what I read.
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Nov 18, 2016 07:00
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Love is a Dog from Hell by Chuck Bukowski. Great, sometimes too crass, but powerful in its misery. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Also phenomenal, impactful metaphors abound, it's spirituality was also extremely benign but still managed to impart some wisdom.
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Nov 18, 2016 08:12
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I just finished Gravity's Rainbow. It was the most difficult read I have every done, although when in it it goes easily enough. The prose easily conjures up imagery and it flows from thought to thought. The difficulty for me comes in stepping back and trying to figure out just what the hell just happened, so I could only handle limited numbers of pages at a time. I kind of want to get out kabbalistic texts and break down the final segment, but another part of me doesn't want to work that hard at something done for entertainment. This book will be with me for a very long time I suspect.
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Nov 19, 2016 22:57
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The Gemini Effect by Chuck Grossart. Easily the most utterly ridiculous, laughably unselfaware book I've ever read. Got about a third into it before I realized just how absurdly dumb it was, and by then it was like a train wreck and I had to finish it. Had to give a summary to my wife and I couldn't get through it without laughing my rear end off. It's got everything: zombies, mind control, super secret government facilities and protocols, Nazis, KGB sleeper agents...
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Nov 19, 2016 23:01
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World War Z by Max Brooks. There were a few sections with cliches that broke my suspension of disbelief, but for the most part this was a really intriguing series of what-if stories with more emotional weight than just being worldbuilding exercises. It sounds dumb to say this about a zombie book, but reading World War Z made me question where the human race is headed in the future, and how I should feel about the result. I also either picked a pretty good or pretty bad time to read it; I'm not sure which.
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Nov 27, 2016 07:41
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Solitair posted:World War Z by Max Brooks. There were a few sections with cliches that broke my suspension of disbelief, but for the most part this was a really intriguing series of what-if stories with more emotional weight than just being worldbuilding exercises. It sounds dumb to say this about a zombie book, but reading World War Z made me question where the human race is headed in the future, and how I should feel about the result. I also either picked a pretty good or pretty bad time to read it; I'm not sure which. World war z is a lot like the election of Donald Trump in many ways
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Nov 27, 2016 11:14
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both are bad
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Nov 27, 2016 16:52
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Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews, Book Two in the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series. It did what a second novel in a series should do--threw more hints at ongoing mysteries, widened the scope of the story, and deepened relationships between characters. I still don't enjoy the apparently unavoidable romantic aspect of the story, but you can't have everything. Still enjoying the series, but man, those covers should come with a lactose warning.
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Nov 28, 2016 00:40
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I thought World War Z was a bucket of poo poo. Hamfisted and character voices were written really bad.
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Nov 29, 2016 06:06
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Pocket Billiards posted:I thought World War Z was a bucket of poo poo. Hamfisted and character voices were written really bad. I can't believe this seminal work of zombie fiction is bad!
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Nov 29, 2016 06:54
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Seminal, more like semenal
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Nov 29, 2016 07:35
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Just finished Our Friends from Frolix 8 by Philip K. Dick. It wasn't as good as his more known works but I enjoyed the simplicity of it and the theme is quite nice too. I can't decide whether I liked the ending or not though.
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Nov 29, 2016 13:29
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Finished Water Knife and really enjoyed it. It's a bit depressing as a Californian and been to a lot of south-west areas where it's just a huge gigantic waste of water everywhere. Phoenix is a god drat disgusting city. It's pretty much where we're headed too, although not really going to that bad since if we can build dumb long oil pipelines from the north then we can build dumb long water pipelines from the north. But I lust for Texas and Arizona death so it was kind of cathartic watching Texans get poo poo all over and California remaining the best state. Going go read Windup Bird next I think.
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Nov 30, 2016 04:59
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Xaris posted:Finished Water Knife and really enjoyed it. It's a bit depressing as a Californian and been to a lot of south-west areas where it's just a huge gigantic waste of water everywhere. Phoenix is a god drat disgusting city. It's pretty much where we're headed too, although not really going to that bad since if we can build dumb long oil pipelines from the north then we can build dumb long water pipelines from the north. But I lust for Texas and Arizona death so it was kind of cathartic watching Texans get poo poo all over and California remaining the best state. Going go read Windup Bird next I think. If you've read Water Knife and enjoyed it, you should definitely read Cadillac Desert. It's a real book, and really interesting - not quite as apocalyptic as Water Knife, but definitely an engaging look at our hosed up future.
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Nov 30, 2016 06:42
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The Devil in the White City by by Erik Larson. It's ok I completely understand the complaints. The problem I had is that the level of detail on both sides wasn't by any means equal. More back stories or what happened nexts would have fixed it, even wiki has more information on that side of things than he put in. I get the feeling he added in the murder stuff to get more sales for his book about architecture.
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Nov 30, 2016 09:18
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RiotGearEpsilon posted:If you've read Water Knife and enjoyed it, you should definitely read Cadillac Desert. It's a real book, and really interesting - not quite as apocalyptic as Water Knife, but definitely an engaging look at our hosed up future. Thanks! I didn't even realize that was real. Will do.
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Nov 30, 2016 09:52
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learnincurve posted:The Devil in the White City by by Erik Larson. It's ok I completely understand the complaints. The problem I had is that the level of detail on both sides wasn't by any means equal. More back stories or what happened nexts would have fixed it, even wiki has more information on that side of things than he put in. I get the feeling he added in the murder stuff to get more sales for his book about architecture. All of Larson's books have two perspectives of what made the event possible, except for maybe In the Garden of Beasts. It's been a few years since I read it. I loved The Devil in the White City and thought it was balanced well. Thunderstruck, on the other hand ...
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Nov 30, 2016 17:58
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Xaris posted:Thanks! I didn't even realize that was real. Will do. I faintly suspect that Paolo wrote The Water Knife primarily as a long-form advertisement for Cadillac Desert. Also, serious question. Do you know the names of the people responsible for water control ordinances in your district? Take the time to get to know them. None of us are helpless in the face of politics; all of us can make an impact if we so choose. You are no exception.
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Dec 1, 2016 08:24
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Hedrigall posted:Seminal, more like semenal I see you're something of a wit
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Dec 1, 2016 11:48
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A human heart posted:I see you're something of a wit You're half right.
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Dec 1, 2016 14:43
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The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. It's a swell story about two mythological creatures in early 1900's New York City, trying to pass as human and finding solace in each other's company. I like how their experience parallels that of immigrants who came to America, and yet how they feel alienated even in the Jewish and Syrian communities that should be familiar to them. I also thought the Jinni's arc where he realizes that his fickle actions can have terrible consequences for himself and others was very well done.
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Dec 1, 2016 18:29
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Abraham: Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. I was expecting a trashy action story to pass the time and was pleasantly surprised at how authentic its depictions of 19th century America felt. And the framing device makes a sort of sense once you accept the idea of a world where Vampires exist, and the first few Vampire encounters were interesting. Though the story is noticeably weaker the closer the story gets to the big vampire Civil war showdown, and the Vamps become less interesting the more fleshed out they get. And the ending was pretty disappointing, I get the feeling the author really wanted a partially happy ending because he clearly has a fondness for old Honest Abe, but the ending he came up with undoes everything the characters, Abe especially, were striving for. Its a shame because the passage about Lincoln's actual end was written very well it had an emotional punch, and would of been the perfect place to end it. The epilogue undermines the rest of the book. Better than I feared, probably not going to check out Seth's other works though, I didn't like Pride and Prejudice and I doubt adding the ever growing hordes of the undead will be enough to see me through.
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Dec 2, 2016 10:00
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Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I don't really know how to describe it and if you're in this subforum you probably already know about it. I'll just say that it's worthwhile to push through it if you're not hooked by the opening few chapters. Onwards to Consider the Lobster
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Dec 3, 2016 11:27
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VelociBacon posted:Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I don't really know how to describe it and if you're in this subforum you probably already know about it. I'll just say that it's worthwhile to push through it if you're not hooked by the opening few chapters. I'd skip the 100 page essay on dictionaries. The first few sections describing the ethics/differences in dictionaries is interesting, then goes up its own rear end on dissecting regional dialects for way too long. Big Red Son is hilarious, though
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Dec 3, 2016 17:10
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I finished The Likeness, by Tana French. It is a mystery where a detective goes undercover as a murdered woman for her investigation. Her novel left me feeling really aggravated and sad, no one seemed to honestly care about the victim. Cassie, transferred from a domestic violence beat, infiltrates an isolated house with four other residents and slowly makes friends with them. What left me sad and frustrated was her p much deciding who the murderer is really doesn't matter, deciding the victim wouldn't want her murderer to be punished anyway, despite the horrific motive behind his stabbing coming to light. I think it's an interesting premise and I really enjoyed how French focuses on expanding characters at her own pace, but I don't feel like I can recommend it 
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Dec 5, 2016 14:41
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Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins Wow, what a colossal heap of poo poo from someone who's supposed to be a respected author. I've never seen a more one-dimensional than Leigh-Cheri. Bernard was an absolute idiot waxing philosophical left and right. If I ever have to read the word "peachfish" along with masturbatory descriptions of the main character loving, I'm closing the book instantly. I did enjoy a couple paragraphs and the two Kurt Vonnegut references.
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Dec 6, 2016 08:20
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King Leopold's Ghost. What a kick in the gut Easiest reading history book I have ever enjoyed.
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Dec 6, 2016 19:50
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Bilirubin posted:King Leopold's Ghost. What a kick in the gut It's impossible for me to read the last chapter of that book without hearing deep, sad violin music in my mind.
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Dec 6, 2016 20:59
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Beyond the Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I stopped reading these authors years ago, but I loved some of their early books including The Ice Limit, a very creepy and suspenseful maybe-supernatural-or-sci-fi-maybe-not thriller. When I saw a sequel in my local library, I checked it out. All things considered, I'm disappointed. Beyond the Ice Limit suffers from most of the things that turned me off Preston and Child, and while things are creepy and suspenseful at first the book doesn't take terribly long to degenerate into a zombie action story. As a standalone horror/suspense thriller, I feel Beyond the Ice Limit is mediocre. As a sequel to a book I enjoyed a lot when I was younger, it was a serious disappointment and I'm glad I didn't pay money for it.
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Dec 14, 2016 04:05
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Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood. I didn't find this as compelling as the first couple of books, even though I was eager to see the conclusion of the different story lines. The back stories revealed and the major current plot line were unremarkable compared to those in the earlier books. But the sentimentality in the book was great to read and despite the subject matter the writing keeps the book from getting too pulpy. Apparently the HBO adaption was canned but a mini-series script is written and Aronofsky is free to shop around.
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Dec 15, 2016 01:23
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When She Woke by Hillary Jordan. Sort of a futuristic Scarlet Letter set in a theocratic version of future America, and in fact, it mirrored some of the things that are actually happening right now... I thought it started off pretty strong, but it felt like the author got bored and decided to accelerate the character arc of the protagonist at a completely unrealistic pace... meh.
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Dec 15, 2016 18:58
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VelociBacon posted:Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I don't really know how to describe it and if you're in this subforum you probably already know about it. I'll just say that it's worthwhile to push through it if you're not hooked by the opening few chapters. I could not get hooked on this book so I'll try to power through it again.
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Dec 15, 2016 19:44
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could we possibly institute a blanket ban on posting "[dystopian novel] is so much like [2016 election]"
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Dec 15, 2016 20:08
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chernobyl kinsman posted:could we possibly institute a blanket ban on posting "[dystopian novel] is so much like [2016 election]" If you're referring to my comment, it's not dystopian... the similarities deal with abortion laws.
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Dec 15, 2016 20:19
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It's amusing as I am old enough to remember and lived though England in the 1980s with it's horrible disaster of the week with the terrorism and the health and safety based tragedies. Then there was the crippling recession of the early 1990s to cap off a wonderful decade, and all with no internet, mobile phones and the whole house having to share one car, oh and the mortality rate from cancer was though the roof, plus, global famines and the cold war threat of being nuked by insane world leaders. To be honest this year wasn't so bad in comparison.
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Dec 15, 2016 20:20
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Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. I enjoyed the hell out of the pop linguistics but it seemed a little Anglo-centric and could tell some facts where straight up bullshit. Are there any better or other fun pop linguistics books out there? Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett which was awesome and really fun and really short so absolutely worth reading.
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Dec 20, 2016 07:37
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Sandwolf posted:Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. I enjoyed the hell out of the pop linguistics but it seemed a little Anglo-centric and could tell some facts where straight up bullshit. Are there any better or other fun pop linguistics books out there? "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English" by John McWhorter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JOHCHU/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title "The Power Of Babel: A Natural History of Language" by John McWhorter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004XIVP5O/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title "The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World" by David W. Anthony https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Wheel-...82247149&sr=8-1
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Dec 20, 2016 16:19
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