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Duck Rodgers posted:I think Salinger does a good job of making Holden sympathetic, largely by showing the reader that Holden is angsty, self centered, and lacks self awareness. It's clear that the author is aware of those flaws and is showing them to the reader. It makes it okay to dislike those aspects of the character and easier to sympathize with his trauma. Murakami is one of the few authors that I loved on first read, and have gradually grown cold on with each successive read. I'll still stan Hardboiled Wonderland, but man did Wind-Up and 1Q84 ever ruin his work for me. Your description of Norwegian Wood is really crystallizing that.
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May 7, 2020 16:46
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| # ? Jun 12, 2024 21:52 |
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Hardboiled was my first Murukami and i thought it was okay, but IQ84 was terrible and I never read any more after that. It must have been published at the height of his popularity or something because what editor would allow that mountain of pointless words to be published as is. Sheesh.
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May 7, 2020 17:31
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sorry but i have to quote this from 1q84 whenever anyone mentions murakamiderp posted:She thought of Ayumi Nakano, the lonely policewoman who, one August night, wound up in a hotel room in Shibuya, handcuffed, strangled with a bathrobe belt. A troubled young woman walking toward the abyss of destruction. She had had beautiful breasts as well. Aomame mourned the deaths of these two friends deeply. It saddened her to think that these women were forever gone from the world. And she mourned their lovely breasts—breasts that had vanished without a trace.
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May 7, 2020 17:34
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derp posted:sorry but i have to quote this from 1q84 whenever anyone mentions murakami  glad I gave up on 1Q84 the very moment he started getting hornt up for the non-neurotypical high school poet
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May 7, 2020 17:38
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I was interested in Norwegian Wood because it's one of his earlier books and I hoped it would be like Hard-Boiled Wonderland; thank you for saving me the disappointment.
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May 7, 2020 17:43
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derp posted:sorry but i have to quote this from 1q84 whenever anyone mentions murakami lmbo (laughing my breasts off)
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May 7, 2020 18:40
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1Q84 should have ended with book 2. That would have been a  ending, but book 3 ruined it.
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May 7, 2020 18:49
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derp posted:sorry but i have to quote this from 1q84 whenever anyone mentions murakami lmao this rules. murakami is an impossibly horny weirdo
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May 7, 2020 19:28
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Kafka on the Shore posted:“The pure present is an ungraspable advance of the past devouring the future. In truth, all sensation is already memory.” Say what you will about Murakami, you can always count on him to write some seriously weird sex scenes. SimonChris fucked around with this message at 20:03 on May 7, 2020 |
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May 7, 2020 19:30
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is 1Q84 the one where the male protagonist have to have magic sex with a fourteen year old to save the world or something
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May 7, 2020 20:17
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ulvir posted:is 1Q84 the one where the male protagonist have to have magic sex with a fourteen year old to save the world or something yes but he can't feel it so that makes it okay
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May 7, 2020 20:34
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Why the gently caress do people read this guy again? People recommend him to me constantly
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May 7, 2020 20:37
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Heath posted:Why the gently caress do people read this guy again? People recommend him to me constantly ask adorno
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May 7, 2020 20:57
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Heath posted:Why the gently caress do people read this guy again? People recommend him to me constantly babbys 1st po-mo literatcher with simple prose and zany ideas What I've read of What I Talk About When I Talk About Running was good, though.
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May 7, 2020 21:47
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I'm only 100 pages or so in but so far M. Il figlio del secolo (M. The Son of the Century) by Antonio Scurati is extremely good. It's long, but I'm not dreading that for once.
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May 7, 2020 22:15
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i just read most of yahya hassan's second book and jesus christ we really murdered this guy loving hell
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May 7, 2020 22:20
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Heath posted:Why the gently caress do people read this guy again? People recommend him to me constantly tbh i read kafka on the shore and that was enough for me people say i should read norwegian wood and i just can't work up the motivation for another murakami when i have 10000 other authors i could be reading
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May 8, 2020 03:31
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I just bought A place in the country, runaway horses, my struggle pt1, flights, the book of disquiet... and the mysterious affair at styles (shut up)
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May 8, 2020 06:07
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Runaway Horses was good but it's way more overtly political than Spring Snow was
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May 8, 2020 06:47
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My Struggle is great so far. The early part in Book 1 about the New Year's Eve beer smuggling operation brought back similar memories in my own life. Oh, and his childhood as a quiet and melancholic boy, watching The Mysterious Island TV series in the 70s and imagining himself as Jules Verne-esque deep sea diver.  In his teens he drank five glasses of wine while watching a Garfield cartoon with some acquaintances, and he declared, "I am Garfield!", blacked out, and woke up in a cellar. He said the wine made him who he always wanted to be. I know what he means.
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May 8, 2020 16:50
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So, there is a miniseries coming out based off the book "I know this much is true" that made minor waves in the late 90s and it has to be, by far, the most hilariously over-tragic story ever told. It sort of exposes one of the weaknesses in some American fiction which mistakes unrelenting misery for drama quote:The novel takes place in Three Rivers, Connecticut. Dominick Birdsey's identical twin, Thomas Birdsey, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia... Like holy poo poo
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May 9, 2020 19:11
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Mel Mudkiper posted:So, there is a miniseries coming out based off the book "I know this much is true" that made minor waves in the late 90s and it has to be, by far, the most hilariously over-tragic story ever told. Sounds like a terrible thing to read but an excellent thing to watch Mark Ruffalo act out on the tv.
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May 9, 2020 21:36
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Why'd you remind me of that aunt-lit garbage. I read that, but all I remember of it is the weepy melodrama Not as bad as his second book that was famous "The hour I first believed" which makes misery porn out of surviving columbine 
Famethrowa fucked around with this message at 21:45 on May 9, 2020 |
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May 9, 2020 21:42
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Mel Mudkiper posted:So, there is a miniseries coming out based off the book "I know this much is true" that made minor waves in the late 90s and it has to be, by far, the most hilariously over-tragic story ever told. Sounds like you'll love it!
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May 10, 2020 01:11
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A human heart posted:Sounds like you'll love it! he still hasn't forgiven you for spoiling who the fifth person who you meet in heaven is
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May 10, 2020 01:15
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They should settle this business in Satan's Backyard.
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May 10, 2020 03:00
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Sham bam bamina! posted:They should settle this business in Satan's Backyard. i take back every mean thing i have ever said about you
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May 10, 2020 12:06
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A little over halfway done with The Iliad. I think the thing I've thought about the most is whether Agamemnon was actually contrite when he tried to make peace with Achilles or if it was all just desperation. I mean on the one hand the whole thing was just Achilles' speech coming true, the whole 'Okay fine mock me in your court where you have power but once you need me out on the battlefield we'll see who's laughing' thing. But on the other it would be interesting to know if Agamemnon was sincerely contrite for how he had abused his power and shamed one of his strongest allies, which would be a stark contrast to Achilles deciding to not be the bigger man when it came down to it, or whether it was just purely 'oh crap I don't care what it takes just get someone out there who can beat Hector or we're gonna lose oh gosh oh heck' My notes from that point in the story read: Gods hold grudges. Humans make amends. Followed a few seconds later by Except, apparently, Achilles.
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May 11, 2020 18:47
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Agamemnon seems like a completely irrational character to me
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May 11, 2020 19:12
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Of all the characters I think he seems to change the most over the course of the story. One of the things that sticks out to me throughout everything is the concept that those in power see no reason to humble themselves or back down. Agamemnon's journey (up to where I am) sort of goes Agamemnon from a position of power refuses multiple petitions to give up one of his captured women Agamemnon gets a message he believes promises him divine favor in a fight against Troy Agamemnon gets his poo poo kicked in by Hector Agamemnon realizes he doesn't actually have divine favor and either in actual contriteness or desperation tries to make amends with a hero that could stand up to Hector After Achilles refuses, Agamemnon comes to terms with the fact Zeus/Jove played him and wants to pick up and run Now there's still 10 'books' or so to go so I'm sure he'll go through some other changes but he's had a very clear arc so far. On the other hand, the gods and heroes (Achilles and Hector) are all still in positions of power so they have no reason to change or humble themselves. I was kind of hoping Achilles would soften his heart (especially after that passionate speech by the man who raised him) but nope he's still got the power so he has no reason to back down. Edit: Also I don't know if these phrases were actually coined in this translation of this particular book but if they were it's fun knowing where 'by Jove' and 'bite the dust' came from.
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May 11, 2020 19:23
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Just wait until you find out what he does in The Iliad: The Expanded Universe - The Aeschylus Chronicles: Agamemnon and TI:TEU - The Euripides Chronicles: Iphigenia in Aulis.
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May 11, 2020 20:28
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Getsuya posted:Edit: Also I don't know if these phrases were actually coined in this translation of this particular book but if they were it's fun knowing where 'by Jove' and 'bite the dust' came from.
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May 11, 2020 21:29
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The North Tower posted:Just wait until you find out what he does in The Iliad: The Expanded Universe - The Aeschylus Chronicles: Agamemnon and TI:TEU - The Euripides Chronicles: Iphigenia in Aulis. this is a cursed post
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May 11, 2020 21:34
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Is there any contemporary children's lit that is well written? My kid is ok with stuff like wind in the willows, which is beautiful, but the narrative conventions are what make it hard going for him.
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May 12, 2020 00:32
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What kind of kidlit are you looking for? I read a lot since I’m trying to write in that market. Most modern stuff I’ve read is great. It’s actually a really amazing market these days full of diverse authors.
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May 12, 2020 00:37
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Getsuya posted:What kind of kidlit are you looking for? I read a lot since I’m trying to write in that market. Most modern stuff I’ve read is great. It’s actually a really amazing market these days full of diverse authors. I've read stuff that is ok. Most of it aims quite low though. Very simple prose and plots that are constructed to keep moving and not much else. For him reading on his own that's ideal, but reading aloud he enjoys good prose. Good stuff we've read: The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, Wind in the Willows, The Hobbit.
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May 12, 2020 00:39
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Bandiet posted:What? No. Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 00:47 on May 12, 2020 |
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May 12, 2020 00:45
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Amethyst posted:I've read stuff that is ok. Most of it aims quite low though. Very simple prose and plots that are constructed to keep moving and not much else. Ahh sadly you’re not going to find any modern kidlit written like pre-1950s books so I can’t really think of anything to recommend. The stuff you mentioned (a good kidlit voice and good pacing) is standard these days. Sounds like you should just stick to old stuff.
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May 12, 2020 01:03
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I don't really want to to be written like pre 1950s stuff. I just want prose that isn't exactly like harry potter.
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May 12, 2020 01:04
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There are plenty of picture books for younger children that play around with language. Most of the novels are just lowest common denominator shelf fillers.
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May 12, 2020 01:07
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