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Also twitter prohibits voting for multiple options I voted Oil! and discovered this fact. I will participate in a convo about Steppenwolf tho because I read it earlier in 2022 so its fresh in mind.
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Dec 28, 2022 03:01
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Oh, definitely, but I need a way to present a poll that can also embed and display in a forums thread, and that means either who says everyone browses SA via bookmarks? That's a dumb way to miss new and exciting threads (to bookmark)!
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Dec 28, 2022 03:02
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This was a gift to me from a Secret Santa last year and I read it early 2022. Strangely I never had before. And I really liked it and could not predict where it ultimately went, and am still puzzling my way through what it means. The first half or so is a typical misanthropic character that most teens would idolize, but then, it winds up much more optimistic than I had expected--certainly for the interwar period. Very good. Funny story: when I went to shelf the book there was a coverless book where it belonged, and when I removed it, it turned out to be ANOTHER copy of Steppenwolf! I have vague memories of saving this from being trashed at a workplace waaaaaay back when but never read it. I donated that copy to one of the mini free libraries we have in the neighbourhood and the following Saturday saw a bottle picker/ homeless dude sitting on a park bench reading it. A couple months later, also on a Saturday (we have our routines) I saw him again with another book I donated, this time a Swedish crime novel I got in an airport. Clearly I need to put more books out for him.
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Mar 10, 2023 06:57
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Because wolves are?
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Mar 14, 2023 06:10
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I've felt for a long time that the name "Harry" is overrepresented among fictional protagonists I'll assume you got the joke... I honestly can't think of any myself that I read. I mean that kid wizard school series character but I never read it
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Mar 15, 2023 05:48
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I think i caught the tail end of it Prince Harry? Bellafonte? Houdini? Rosen?
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Mar 18, 2023 05:55
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Discendo Vox posted:Have we done Locus Solus by Raymond Roussel? Have we done Don Quixote yet?
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Mar 26, 2023 01:43
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:"Hey, man, so you're thinking about suicide? I want you to listen to me seriously: have you considered prostitutes, jazz, and cocaine?" Comedy option: after the relentlessly optimistic ending of Steppenwolf, how about following it up with The Conspiracy Against The Human Race?
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Mar 26, 2023 01:45
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Act 1 done. A scene setting act, with all hell to break loose next act. Extremely witty dialogue, and snobby class based social commentary. Was Wilde sending folks up or is this just the society in which he traveled? I can never really tell
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Apr 8, 2023 22:53
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Just finished it off. I had entirely forgotten the handbag subplot. Quite a lot of fun. Although I played Jack in a high school performance, so many years have passed (  ) that I had forgotten most of it. However, memories came flooding back which was an unexpected bonus.Lady Bracknell got all the best lines really
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Apr 12, 2023 04:40
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Tree Goat posted:i likewise was in the play in hs and had forgotten essentially everything. i assume my brain just mercifully blocked it out yeah I can only cringe so hard, glad there is no video out there
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Apr 12, 2023 05:19
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Downloaded to my Google Books. Will give that a read. Actually I've been to Wilde's grave at Pere Lachaise Cemetery back in early 2000s or so. The story I was told by my friend (who lives across the wall from the place) is that some lady back in the past sometime was scandalized by the rather large cock and balls dangling from the otherwise Art Nouveau sculpture of a dude with angel wings kneeling that they chucked a rock at it and knocked it off. Apparently, its in the groundskeeper's office for safekeeping. Visited Balzac, Hugo, and Proust on that same trip, among others (especially old scientists).
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Apr 16, 2023 06:02
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I am deep into one of my selections for The Year Of The Brick but will be done by month's end. I have a handful of palate cleansing horror chapbooks but were it up to me, I would suggest a brick (purely out of self interest): Don Quixote (was ages ago since last done as a BotM), Sarum (historical fiction, likely done in the past BotMs? I can't believe I'm going to have to get archives for this thread...) or The Plantagenets (history non fiction about the royal family).
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May 23, 2023 05:25
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:Unless a new mod revises it, let's do Don Quixote for next month, since it's free and a good place for a new beginning. Hell yeah! Once current brick is done on to new brick!
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Jun 1, 2023 20:11
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lol I got the Tom Lathrop translation of the entire work (both Parts 1 and 2) and have started the introduction but am focusing on finishing my current brick first.
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Jun 5, 2023 23:44
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I have this poster on my office wall: Not sure whether this would be a Quixotic endeavor or more a white whale situation ulvir posted:I'll try to read don quijote over the summer since I haven't read it yet, but I also have plans to read the morning star and man without qualities, so we'll see how this goes I am also not promising to have it finished by month's end, as I will also be driving across the continent and back starting next week. Good thing these BotMs are in a never ending thread!
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Jun 6, 2023 15:54
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Considering a Cormac McCarthy novel for next months BotM
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Jun 16, 2023 00:50
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July's Book of the Month will be Suttree, by the late Cormac McCarthy! quote:This compelling novel has as its protagonist Cornelius Suttree, living alone and in exile in a disintegrating houseboat on the wrong side of the Tennessee River close by Knoxville. He stays at the edge of an outcast community inhabited by eccentrics, criminals and the poverty-stricken. Rising above the physical and human squalor around him, his detachment and wry humour enable him to survive dereliction and destitution with dignity. As usual, read at your own pace, post thoughts, questions, comments, whatever here for discussion! I often live blog my way through books and likely will again here (using spoilers of course!). Enjoy this month's offering!
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Jul 3, 2023 20:20
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:wait is this a cormac mccarthy book that isn't unutterably sad quote:I thought the title was Suttee
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Jul 5, 2023 00:35
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Just the first three pages in and wow, I think I am really going to love this
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Jul 9, 2023 07:08
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He's just so capable of creating a place of scene with relatively few, but gorgeous, words. Its one of the things I loved about Blood Meridian too, how lovingly the landscape was described, making the dialogues flow within a well centered location within my mindscape I'm not sure if I'm really capable of describing what I mean, probably time to go back to school and get a lit degree!
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Jul 12, 2023 15:33
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Just read the episode of Harrogate in prison, so funny The contrast between Suttree and the other prisoners is really stark despite it not being strongly emphasized in the text. A master class of writing
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Jul 13, 2023 21:43
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One quarter of the way through and this is some extremely good stuff. Harrogate has just reconnected with Suttree So far I am seeing vague parallels between Suttree/Harrogate and Bloom/Daedalus, but I might be trying to be too big brained about this since there are very clear differences in, for instance, maturity of character and power dynamics. But also, the chapter of Suttree getting completely shitfaced also reminded me of the chapter in the brothel in Ulysses, although obviously not in a beat for beat sort of way. But, perhaps it would be even closer were we to have seen that scene from Stephen's perspective? Perhaps the parallels I am seeing is more due to the modernism influence on Southern Gothic? But I am also desperately behind in reading Faulkner, and I will probably have to read Absalom! Absalom! before the end of the year now.
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Jul 17, 2023 05:35
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The funeral scene. So good
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Jul 19, 2023 05:24
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I hope everyone is enjoying this book as much as I am. I'm about half way through, and read the cold chapter most recently, which was beautifully done--really makes personal the impact of poverty IMO. We will continue to talk about this book as long as folks wish but I'm also mindful of the fact we are a week away from August (*breathes into a paper bag to calm down*), so we need some new suggestions for the next BotM! I'm thinking for the dog days we want some light fun summer reading (especially after the complexity and sometimes emotional wallop of the present novel). Suggest some beach books folks!
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Jul 24, 2023 19:59
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The bar fight  no not that one
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Jul 25, 2023 04:45
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I think a feller gets started with goats he just more or less sticks to goats.
Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jul 26, 2023 |
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Jul 26, 2023 02:38
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given I am only approaching halfway done myself this is an appealing idea, for purely selfish reasons hey derp, post up your thoughts! I know you just finished it
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Jul 27, 2023 15:18
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poisonpill posted:Good news: we’re gonna keep it rolling another month (hopefully) Yeah, given the number of folks who are saying they won't be done, and given the conversation for the book is so good, and notable lack of suggestions for new books, I'm making the executive decision to continue Suttree through August. Keep posting those quotes, this is just so good.
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Jul 28, 2023 01:21
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Arson Daily posted:Ah man this was gonna be the month I actually finished a book of the month on time! Oh well this'll give me time to go back and read Don Quixote don't' forget to  your thoughts about both!ShimmyGuy posted:Gene as a character is really interesting. He often feels like the bright eyed youth that I think in another book would be a source of hope, but even early on Suttree notes that he is unlikable and will do terrible things. I imagine he will be similar to the Kid, in that we see his slide down into the dark. But right now he is just making a horrible boat and trying to kill bats so who knows. I am also at this point. I can't wait to see how it all pans out for him (lol)
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Jul 28, 2023 04:11
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so, that is definitely one way to catch a bat
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Jul 31, 2023 02:31
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Harrogate's underground adventure 
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Aug 5, 2023 03:35
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The scene with his mother visiting him early on when at the work camp suggests he could have left at any time but found it personally too painful
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Aug 6, 2023 18:36
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You run crazy in these woods regular do ye? No, said Suttree. This is my first time. Another instance of othersuttree appeared in this section too
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Aug 9, 2023 03:32
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Arson Daily posted:holy poo poo why didn't someone warn me Don Quixote was so long its long OP Nearing the end of Suttree. I knew the mussel fishing expedition was not going to end well (nothing has so far) but, oof. Did not see that coming.
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Aug 13, 2023 03:42
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Had a thought, given all of this dualism. Might this work be about the antiSuttree? The reflection of a Suttree cast by dirty water on grimey roads? The one that all of the terrible outcomes happen? That, given this Suttree, there is another one who is not estranged from his family, is still happily married with a living child, etc?
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Aug 13, 2023 15:46
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I learned that there is one Suttree and one Suttree only
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Aug 21, 2023 03:33
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Bilirubin posted:I learned that there is one Suttree and one Suttree only Finished. Magnificent writing.
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Aug 21, 2023 04:04
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Thank you all for a most excellent discussion. As always, feel free to continue to chat about Suttree but as it is now September it is now time for us to continue to our next book, which is...
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Sep 1, 2023 15:14
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Communion: A True Story by Whitley Streiber quote:Communion: A True Story is a book by American ufologist and horror author Whitley Strieber that was first published in February 1987. The book is based on the experiences of Whitley Strieber, who experiences "lost time" and terrifying flashbacks, which hypnosis undertaken by Budd Hopkins later links to an alleged encounter with aliens. Communion was a nonfiction best seller for six months in 1987. ...and for some listening to go along with it, quote:Swedish progressive metal band Evergrey's album In Search of Truth is a concept album based on the book As usual, read as you will, post your thoughts as you go, and have fun! The government says UAPs are real, so who is driving them? 
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Sep 1, 2023 15:19
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