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Slappy Seal posted:next my best friends gunna let me borrow his copy of Naked Lunch. You know that this book was written using the "cut-up" technique, right? If you don't, then check out what I'm talking about on wikipedia. I'm not waving an intellectual dick around, I promise. When I first started trying to read Naked Lunch I had no idea about this, or even what the "cut up" technique was. I absolutely loving hated the book and dismissed it as this wandering, pointless, and crazy story. I thought the slang was really dated and I didn't understand enough about drugs to get it. When my friend recently explained the cutting thing to me, I was able to look at it with new eyes. So... heads up!
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Nov 19, 2006 04:47
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perceptual_set posted:Do you know if there are plans to print a paperback? I would really like to read it. That book had it's own stand at all the stores when it first came out and was a pretty good seller. I don't know for sure, but I'd be willing to bet a tremendous amount of money that it will. It certainly generated a lot of Internet interest at the very least.
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Nov 25, 2006 22:53
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I just finished The Odyssey while listening to a companion course from The Teaching Company. It was excellent. The lectures, while slightly excessive were certainly a great help. It really went into great depth about the Greek notions of hospitality and the meanings of certain sections. In fact, I love using TTC courses for any classic works I read. (If available, obviously.) If you've never tried them, I highly recommend that you give it a shot.
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Jan 12, 2007 01:33
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Just finished the first book of the Dresden Files. It was a fun piece of pulp, sorta like Harry Potter as an all grown up Private Eye. It's worth a perusal if you don't have anything better to read. The TV show is wildly different from the book though.
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Feb 7, 2007 18:20
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I just finished The Brothers Karamazov, like the rest of the Book Club folks. But that thread is pretty devoid of discussion, so I'll go into it more there. It's very good though and completely changed my outlook on life. I also just ripped through Mark Twain's Letters From the Earth, which is a scathingly funny collection of sarcastic letters written by Satan. Basically, it tears apart religion bit by bit, and is pretty drat amusing. It's quick and definitely worth a perusal.
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Feb 12, 2007 23:16
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I just finished Frankenstein, which was one of the most tragic and human stories I've ever read. I have no idea where anyone in Hollywood got their version, because it is categorically wrong. The Monster is super intelligent and super fast, not some lumbering idiot. Where did they even get that from? The design of him could still be used... but the Monster can RUN. He can leap up mountains and across the icy tundra. Also, this book is 100% filmable... I just don't get why no one has ever done it. It wouldn't be a horror movie, per-say. More of a tragedy punctuated by jump scares. But still, it's perfectly doable. I want my accurate Frankenstein movie.
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Feb 19, 2007 20:19
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DJ ChemE posted:Dean Koontz <shudder> has done an extension of Frankenstein called Prodigal Son which I found entertaining to read. He actually co-wrote them which means they might not be his words at all Ah, the classic Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell As Written By David Michaels syndrome!  http://www.amazon.com/Clancys-Splin...ie=UTF8&s=books
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Feb 20, 2007 00:35
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calandryll posted:Kenneth Branagh's version of it is pretty close to the book. I really enjoyed it. And Frankstein is probably one of the best books ever. My literature course in college we read the book and watched Branagh's version and compared the two. Doesn't the monster not talk in that, either? Plus I thought I read that he actually makes a Bride monster or something.
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Feb 20, 2007 03:54
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I just finished Bill Maher's 2002 book: When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Osama. It was right in the aftermath of 9/11 and his decision to say that suicide bombers are evil, but not "cowardly." (An opinion I still give him credit for expressing... hell, someone needed to!) Bill's gone apeshit California latte-sippin' hippie in recent days, but it's good to know that when I look back at his opinions during the 9/11 aftermath, they're still about 85 - 90% in sync with my own. It's not going to convert any non-believers, but if you like Bill, you'll probably like this book. I'm glad I finally read it.
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Feb 21, 2007 20:31
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Just finished Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five. I read it years ago, but forgot a lot of it, so I figured it was time to fix that. Obviously, it was very good. I did like Cat's Cradle a little bit more though.
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Feb 27, 2007 18:41
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A Game of Chess posted:Camus' The Plague. I don't really know why everyone comes down on this one quite so hard, but I think it's my favorite of his books that I've ever read. Chilling, in parts. Who the hell comes down on this one? People here or people you know in real life? I'm about 30 pages from the end and I'm digging it just fine.
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Mar 10, 2007 03:55
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Finally finished Camus' The Plague. As A Game of Chess mentioned earlier, apparently people were a bit down on this one. I don't get it, it seemed pretty good to me. Not better than The Stranger, but it's definitely an interesting read. Also finished Spider Robinson's The Callahan Chronicles. It's definitely light reading but lots of fun. It's a collection of sci-fi short stories... sorta. It's actually about as SF as The Twilight Zone was, if that makes sense. Its about a group of friends at a bar where anything can happen... and frequently does. They have some really awesome rituals at the bar like making a loud toast to your problem and then throwing your glass into the fireplace. Then, if you wish, the entire bar will try to help you solve your problem. Sometimes the people who make toasts are aliens, sometimes not. The running theme throughout the stories is "Shared pain is lessened, shared joy increased." It's more about friendship and caring for your fellow man than it is about little green men. The Callahan Chronicles was pretty touching and I'll probably post something more detailed in the "Most Moving Books" thread. Again, it's got elements of science fiction without being overwhelming. I'm not usually into that space alien stuff, but this is light enough that it didn't bother me. If you're like that, then it may be worth a glance.
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Mar 11, 2007 19:53
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Just finished Hemingway's The Old Man And The Sea and The Sun Also Rises. They were magnificent and I curse that I have taken so long to read this man.
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Mar 21, 2007 05:12
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Just finished The Great Gatsby, a book I was never assigned in school, so I never got around to reading it. I'm trying to catch up on all my ignored classics. Gatsby was pretty good. I'm on a bit of a Lost Generation kick. So far I'm liking Hemingway a lot better, but I hear that Fitzgerald's other works are far better than Gatsby.
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Mar 24, 2007 17:58
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Just finished the second Dresden Files book. Again, not deep reading but very fun. It's definitely like Harry Potter, all grown up and living as a P.I. in Chicago.
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Apr 5, 2007 00:56
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Dave Barry Does Japan is a pretty cool book. I'm considering doing one of those "teach abroad" things and seeing his take on Japan is extremely helpful. I don't think Barry is hysterically funny like most goons seem to, but I do find him to be a very enjoyable read. He's just such a regular guy. A lot of other books about Japan are scholarly or from dedicated world travellers. I think Dave NAILED the "Wow, this place is completely alien to an outsider" aspect. It's a short, silly, harmless read. Recommended.
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Apr 10, 2007 04:17
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On my way to work I completed the audio-book of the third Dresden Files story. Maybe it's the fact that this is the first one I've listened to, rather than read, but Harry says "Hell's Bell" FAR too much for my tastes. It's really kind of annoying and I don't remember him having this catchphrase in the other 2 books. Also, the book felt pretty weak to me, even though it's supposedly when the series, reportedly, starts to get "good." I liked the first two books because it was basically Sam Spade with crazy magic spell powers, but this one is starting to lean very close into "Neo, you are the ONE" territory. This was a solid 3 out of 5, but I'm not sure I like where the rest of the series is headed. Can someone just write a book that doesn't about some chosen one who saves the whole world in the end? That theme's a bit worn out lately. (Oh and In case you think I'm spoilering, this is just where it sure seems like the later books are heading, not the end of this book. It's only hinted at, but it's been hinted at since book 1.) It's not a bad book, but it's not really anything too crazy. I guess I usually just hate fantasy, so my biases may be coming out.
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Apr 10, 2007 22:49
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nyquil posted:I went to my mom's house for easter and she said something along the lines of 'why are you reading Lolita, that Nabokov's a pervert.' I hope not too many other people think the same thing, because they are missing one of the best novels ever written A LOT of people think that way. I don't think turning it into a movie was good for the book's reputation. I never thought Nabokov was a pervert, but even I was completely ignorant of Lolita's literary value until I saw people going crazy over it in here. I've been reading it for the past few months (don't ever agree to read something along with someone who can never "find the time.") and it's amazing. Its already one of the best books I've ever read, but any time I try to tell someone about it, I hear some iteration of this: "Isn't is just some old guy who fucks a kid? Why are you reading that?" Ah well. If you buy the copy with all the footnotes you can see who cavernously deep the writing really is. Practically every line is referencing something. I just think that along the way, people have gotten the completely wrong idea about it.
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Apr 11, 2007 21:29
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Jackel003 posted:I just read through Dune for the first time, pretty amazing stuff for its time and one of the most impressive works of sci-fi I've ever read. I couldn't help think of Star Wars while reading it Lots of stuff cribs from Dune. I will be god damned if Luke doesn't live on Dune. In KOTOR2, they even had Sandworms there.
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Apr 18, 2007 04:23
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Jackel003 posted:No poo poo? Were they similar to the Sandworms or were they exactly alike in size and appearance? Pretty drat similar to Dune. Plus people rode could ride them. The KOTOR writers were clearly acknowledging Dune, though. It wasn't a rip-off thing.
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Apr 18, 2007 04:59
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LooseChanj posted:Children of Dune, Frank Herbert. Whew. More of a proper sequel to the original than Messiah which was really more of an epilogue. Herbert's writing is hard on me, I feel like it's going over my head so I frequently re-read passages. I do that constantly, which makes finishing really tiring but gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Wait till the next book. There's two schools of thought on Herbert. One is that he went loving crazy after Children and wrote rambling pseudo-intellectual crap. The other disagrees with this wholeheartedly. I'm with the latter. Now granted, books 5 and 6 are a little harder to swallow, but goddamn you gotta read God Emperor. It's my favorite book in the series just based on it's main character. It's Leto II. He's the talking worm from the cover. Dune 4 is 700 pages about a talking worm. I expected to hate God Emperor, because the premise is just about the dumbest idea ever. But I really think Frank managed to pull it off. In fact, he pulled it off so well that God Emperor is my favorite in the series just based on the sheer ballsiness of getting this to work.
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Apr 26, 2007 14:16
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Just finished Bram Stoker's Dracula and boy am I pissed at that movie now. Not only is the entire Dracula/Mina love story not present, it's not even vaguely hinted at! Oh and I'll spoil this if there's anyone who still doesn't know the story of Dracula: Am I the only one who felt like the humans kinda mercilessly kicked the poo poo out of big bad count Dracula... almost to the point where you felt bad for the poor bastard?
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Apr 29, 2007 16:35
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LooseChanj posted:It's been awhile, but I remember thinking the first third or so was far scarier than the rest. I need to read it again. The first part where Harker is trapped in the Count's castle is by far the best part of the book. Van Helsing is WAY too good at kicking vampire rear end to make the last parts scary. The thing I liked most of all was the early blood transfusions they do, where the only screening process is that you needed to be a "strong man" to give blood to ANYONE. Lucy gets 4 random blood donors. She was lucky to live as long as she did!
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Apr 29, 2007 17:28
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LooseChanj posted:God Emperor of Dune, Frank Herbert Not so fast! What did you think of it?
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May 5, 2007 02:34
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LooseChanj posted:I thought the ending was rather abrupt and slightly disconnected from the rest of the story, and I spent quite a bit of the book trying to visualize the worm-Leto hybrid. I can give you that. But did the readability of a book entirely about a gigantic man-worm, surprise you? I mean, I thought I would hate this book. quote:I thought in Dune Messiah the gholas weren't clones, but the actual regrown flesh of someone who'd died? Seems like he changed that this time. They are, but Duncan's different. Remember Neo talking to the Architect in Matrix 2? Didn't a certain scene in this book strike you as familiar?
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May 5, 2007 18:04
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LooseChanj posted:I still want to know wtf he looked like. Seriously. According to the text, he still had arms, and vestigial legs. So, uh, where was the giant 2-meter diameter worm attached/growing from? He kept evolving over time. They weren't arms and legs any more by the time we catch up with him in God Emperor. Here's an artists conception:  quote:Umm, could you be more specific? I honestly don't remember anything that might fit. If he is different, then is it really fair to still call him a ghola? I'd think you'd want some sort of modifier in there. Ugh, we've entered the realm of Matrix discussion. We must be on the prestigious Internet. Ahem: Architect: "Hmm... that was faster than the others." Remember how there were a billion Neos before the true Neo? Then when he was talking to the Architect, true Neo was a tiny bit faster than all the others? THIS Duncan Idaho was a special copy that could finally overthrow Leto. In fact the Dune references in the Matrix are ridiculous, bordering on plagiarism. How about Neo being blinded, only to be able to "see" in special matrix vision? (Paul) The Wachowskis openly admitted being influenced by Dune, among other sources, but I thought it strected a bit further than mere "influence" at times. Also Matrix 2 and 3 sucked. A ghoala isn't a straight clone, so yes he is still a ghoala. There are differences and eccentricities in each Duncan. Usually ghoalas can't unlock their memories, but in the Duncans cases, they do... but they get there at different speeds. BrainParasite posted:Maybe she was AB+? I'd still say she was extremely lucky!
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May 6, 2007 20:39
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LooseChanj posted:Wow, that's a really...special mspaint job there. I try  Besides, if you think that's lovely, check out this action figure version: 
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May 7, 2007 01:36
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The whacked image in my head was of a weird dude on the head of a huge tongue. Like the worm was growing out of his back. 
cuz I love the Tleilaxu.
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Candide by Voltaire. If you've ever considered reading it, do it. Candide is referenced all the time so it's probably a good idea to have it under your belt. Fortunately, it's very readable and extremely short. Definitely can be finished in a single day.
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Jun 27, 2007 19:26
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organism013 posted:I'm currently reading The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. My god. I'm about 3/4's through the book and quite frankly the entire novel is about drinking. Part of me wants to just go to the bar and see the dialogue in person. No to say it's a bad book, not at all- at the same time, I feel like an alcoholic just reading the thing. The drinking is for a reason, which I'm sure your aware of. The characters suffer complete disillusionment after being stuck in the trenches of WWI. Instead of the “glorious battle” they expected, WWI soldiers were forced to huddle terrified in trenches while literally clinging to another man. If you popped your head up, you were slaughtered without fail, so they simply sat there holding each other, waiting for it to end. All the old world values of honor, manliness and integrity were ripped apart in front of them. When they came home, they were completely devastated and nothing was what they thought it should be. In the book, Jake had enough money, so they escaped from America to avoid dealing with their problems. Now, with no purpose in life, the entire cast dedicates themselves to living completely without any drive. They drink, gently caress and gently caress around because there’s nothing else to do. Nothing has any meaning anymore. All of them lust after one completely unattainable woman and spend their time picking on Robert Cohn, the man who didn’t have to go to war. They apply all their hatred to this him because they are so desperate for someone to blame. I hated that book when I first tried to read it. But it really spoke to me the second time around. I sometimes feel like Gen Y is a lot like the Lost Generation in a lot of ways. Minus the war, of course. It makes sense in my head. Point is: Just remember that they are all assholes because they have absolutely nothing left to live for, so they wander aimlessly, doing stuff they think they’re supposed to want to do. I loving love this book.
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Jun 28, 2007 18:31
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organism013 posted:I also think you did kind of hit it on the head when you compared Gen Y to the Lost Generation- like I said, I could basically go to any bar or dance club in my city and see pretty much exactly what was going on in the novel. Very interesting point, bears exploring. Oh thank you. I was looking for at least one other person to mildly agree with me... to sorta convince me I may be on the right track. I'm trying to get something published that delves into this theory.
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Jul 2, 2007 00:53
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Chaos_Cow posted:Just finished the Old Man and the Sea, excellent book. Preferred it to the Sun Also Rises, personally. I really wasn't expecting that ending, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. Powerful stuff. Well, can't argue that. Old Man and the Sea was loving great. I refuse to believe it was completely devoid of symbolic meaning though. I mean, c'mon. You may be interested to know that there's an abridged version of the book in audio form... read by Charleston Heston! It's just as good as it sounds.
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Jul 6, 2007 04:50
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ShutteredIn posted:Haha, abridged!? Isn't the Old Man and the Sea like 100 pages long anyway? Charlton Heston was a busy gun toting man who didn't have time for all your faggoty "words!" Now shut up and listen to your half book you god damned dirty ape! (Actually, in my experience, it seems like most "big celebrity" versions of audiobooks are abridged. I have no idea why. Maybe they really don't want to read a full book out loud.)
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Jul 6, 2007 12:53
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Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Wow did I hate this book. It really felt like I was reading about some rambling born-again Christian trapped on an island with nothing to do but ramble on about God. I seriously could not wait for it to end. I get that its all about mastery, self-reliance and being thankful for what you have. I just wish the drat thing was shorter. Robinson annoyed the hell out of me.
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Jul 8, 2007 07:16
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EDIT: OH GOD DAMMIT! Sorry, double post.
Zero Karizma fucked around with this message at 07:21 on Jul 8, 2007 |
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Jul 8, 2007 07:16
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LooseChanj posted:Wow, and to think I just bought a copy. You may like it. But to me, it's essentially one of those books you have to read, if only because it's part of the "essential Western Canon."
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Jul 8, 2007 18:38
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Uncle Sam posted:Well, it's better once you realize it's only about religion if he's bored or fears for his live. The real thing that keeps Crusoe going is wealth. The book is pretty much about the rise of modern economics and the effect of it on who we are as people, in particular at the cost of religion. All religious morals and ethics are pretty much out the door once there's money to be made. See, I noticed all that, but I assumed he was just a product of the times. The inherent racism and feelings of manifest destiny of a good Imperialist English Christian are so tied to this time period, that I usually take them with a grain of salt. To his credit, he didn't want to shoot the natives when he had the chance, though he clearly thought of them as less than human. Women usually take a backseat in the cares of adventurous men in imperialist novels, so the wife thing doesn't surprise me. I always heard that one of the main points about this book is that it features no central love story. Which is a massive no-no in traditional story-telling. Are you sure about this? I didn't see Robinson Crusoe as a satire/attack on the values of the day, but I could be wrong.
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Jul 12, 2007 03:42
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Kapowski posted:Can anyone suggest what to read next of his, that might appeal to me more? Is A Farewell to Arms considered as one of his better works? I've got Green Hills of Africa and Across the RIver and Into the Trees, which I picked up cheaply ages ago. AFTA is definitely considered one of his better works. I have yet to read it, but hopefully I can help out. A lot of people have a very hard time with Hemingway. I had to try reading The Sun Also Rises several times before it "clicked." If you're looking to ease into him, I recommend his short stories. I've grown to really love Hemingway, but he's definitely someone you have to develop an appreciation for.
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Jul 17, 2007 02:15
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The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Not as good as The Count of Monte Cristo, but nontheless, loving awesome as usual, M. Dumas. Though, like my recent comments about Robinson Crusoe, I don't really see why this always on the Great Literature lists. It's a fantastic adventure story, but it doesn't really have anything deep or intellectual to say. It's just a really fun story. Completely 100% worth reading. Oh, and I know it was probably common at the time, but to a modern reader d'Artagnan comes off as fairly psychotic. I guess everyone was back then. But he challenged people to a death duel for pretty much looking at him funny. You know how that hot-headed friend of yours always starts trivial bar fights? Yeah, d'Artagnan does that with a sword.
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Jul 20, 2007 23:08
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windwaker posted:Did you read an abridged version? I want to read this and reread Monte Cristo, but I don't know which way to go about it (like, whether the original is 1500 pages long like Les Miserables or which translation to get that isn't abridged). Nope, full. It's pretty long, but I read it on an ebook reader with smaller pages, so it's impossible for me to give you an accurate page estimate. Three Musketeers was very good, but a decent abridgement might be okay. Maybe. I dunno I'm not big on abridgements. For example, in Monte Cristo I'd always advise going with a full version, because the length makes it seem so epic.
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Jul 21, 2007 16:04
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Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson. I'm looking to travel Europe, so this was perfect for me. And, Happy Endings: Tales of a Meaty Breasted Zilch by Jim Norton. It was good, and drat is Norton a pervert. I mean, you may think you know he's a bit kinky... but Jesus loving Christ.
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Jul 31, 2007 03:27
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