February 2010, Valentines and I'm reading...
Siddharta by Hermann Hesse
I'm loving it 
"Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested."
"Jemand musste Josef K. verleumdet haben, denn ohne dass er etwas Böses getan hätte, wurde er eines Morgens verhaftet"
Make sure you read the original ending (some editions include it, if yours doesn't find one that does!). The ending that was first published is terrible and ruins the entire story.
Huh. I didn't know that. Just like Clockwork Orange then.
But then which editions are which?
"I'm glad I live in the GPS era. In a different century, I would've set off to visit the other side of the village and wandered off into the mountains and been eaten by a carnivorous plant. Or discovered the Americas."
-LaJessica
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
"I'm glad I live in the GPS era. In a different century, I would've set off to visit the other side of the village and wandered off into the mountains and been eaten by a carnivorous plant. Or discovered the Americas."
-LaJessica
Make sure you read the original ending (some editions include it, if yours doesn't find one that does!). The ending that was first published is terrible and ruins the entire story.
Huh. I didn't know that. Just like Clockwork Orange then.
But then which editions are which?
The revised ending is what would happen in a modern romance movie. The original is more along the lines of Thomas Hardy (I was going to say depressing but it's not unless you demand fairy-tale endings, it's just not happy-happy-joy-joy).
[spoiler]
The edition I have includes both endings. In the original ending Pip doesn't get Estella. He lives happily ever after without her by coming to terms with the fact that she's out of reach. Estella, on the other hand, lives a not-too happy life b/c she follows the instruction of Miss Havisham. One of Dicken's friends told him the original ending was too depressing so he changed it to a happy romantic ending. But in the original he comes to terms with his limitations which really made sense to me. The revised ending is too fairy-talish for such a realistic story. Here's some links that explain it a bit more.
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/dickens/endin...
http://nakulmandan.blogspot.com/2005/10/original-ending-of-great-expecta...
"[B]eing good is a fearful occupation; men strain at it and sometimes break in two." - Ray Bradbury
Provinces of the Night by William Gay
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.
"[B]eing good is a fearful occupation; men strain at it and sometimes break in two." - Ray Bradbury
There are some passages in it that actually make me feel humbled and awed at the author and at the universe itself. After The Counterlife, this may be my favorite Roth yet.
I'd like to read some Roth but don't know where to start. Any recommendations of what's good and maybe what to avoid?
There are very few Roth books I would suggest you avoid, but The Humbling is one of them. It's not very good at all.
I started my 17th Roth novel last night. My head is full of Rothian sex and madness. I'm pretty sure I want to recommend The Human Stain, because it's so beautifully written. But there's also the Zuckerman Bound trilogy (consisting of The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound and The Anatomy Lesson), which is great.
If you want a short one to begin with, try The Dying Animal.
Thanks.
is it important to read the Zuckerman novels or the Kepesh novels in order?
There are some passages in it that actually make me feel humbled and awed at the author and at the universe itself. After The Counterlife, this may be my favorite Roth yet.
I'd like to read some Roth but don't know where to start. Any recommendations of what's good and maybe what to avoid?
There are very few Roth books I would suggest you avoid, but The Humbling is one of them. It's not very good at all.
I started my 17th Roth novel last night. My head is full of Rothian sex and madness. I'm pretty sure I want to recommend The Human Stain, because it's so beautifully written. But there's also the Zuckerman Bound trilogy (consisting of The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound and The Anatomy Lesson), which is great.
If you want a short one to begin with, try The Dying Animal.
Thanks.
is it important to read the Zuckerman novels or the Kepesh novels in order?
The Zuckerman trilogy you should read in order. The Counterlife (my favorite Roth book) doesn't make much sense if you haven't read the trilogy first. Exit Ghost doesn't make sense if you haven't read The Ghost Writer. The other Zuckerman books, it doesn't really matter if you've read the trilogy or not.
As for the Kepesh books, The Dying Animal stands alone, but The Breast and The Professor of Desire really complement each other.
thanks for sharing.blackhawk tactical pants.
— Spambot
"I could have done worse!" exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. — Félix Fénéon
Make sure you read the original ending (some editions include it, if yours doesn't find one that does!). The ending that was first published is terrible and ruins the entire story.
Huh. I didn't know that. Just like Clockwork Orange then.
But then which editions are which?
The original is more along the lines of Thomas Hardy
That line made it clear I read the originial ending.
"I'm glad I live in the GPS era. In a different century, I would've set off to visit the other side of the village and wandered off into the mountains and been eaten by a carnivorous plant. Or discovered the Americas."
-LaJessica
Illuminatus trilogy.
I approve!
thanks for sharing.blackhawk tactical pants.
— Spambot
"I could have done worse!" exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. — Félix Fénéon
Mr Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett. So far Im loving it.
I've started reading 2666 and I'm really enjoying it. That should keep me occupied for a while.
yeah, probably about 2666 years, or so.
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
I started reading The Kindly Ones again, 'cause I can't stay away from it.
The Gargoyle keeps staring at me now as well...
The Gargoyle keeps staring at me now as well...
Imke, you should read it! It's SO beautiful! Just seeing it mentioned makes me want to pull it off the shelf and read it again. That's my treat for next week, I think. Rereading that.
i'm back on Isabelle the Navigator and wishing i read it sooner. gosh, it's beautiful--derek, definately read it. i'm about half through after last nights little before bed reading romp. the language and voice is stunning. i feel so connected to the story, i think this one might be a cryer at some point.
The Gargoyle keeps staring at me now as well...
Imke, you should read it! It's SO beautiful! Just seeing it mentioned makes me want to pull it off the shelf and read it again. That's my treat for next week, I think. Rereading that.
I've read it once already. It IS a great book, so yeah, I feel like rereading it.
i so nearly bought this today. should i have. i read a little bit of it (the first couple of pages) and i wasn't completly sold, but it seemed like it was going to be sad and gorgeous.
I dont know what book you are talking about. Quote button is your friend.
dude. talking about the sameone the post above mine is talking about. gargoyle.
also, did you see my post about isabelle, man? haven't finished it yet but i'm already saying read it read it read it! the language is beautiful.
also, did you see my post about isabelle, man? haven't finished it yet but i'm already saying read it read it read it! the language is beautiful.
Aha, The Gragoyle is one of my favourite books from last year.
Ive now dusted off my copy of Isabelle the Navigator and I will read it soon.
Next up for me is The NeverEnders by Michael Sonbert, I love this book almost as much as Leaving Las Vegas so Im reading it again.
nice. nice. haven't read LLV. will probably have to now. i'll be sure to pick up the gargoyle next time im out. i like the bit about the snake come up to his face --but it's actually thr oxygen mask. cool.
I'm in the middle of Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer.
Absolutely loving it.
Autofiction by Hitomi Kanehara
Nick Cave - The Death Of Bunny Munro
Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Henry Miller - Plexus
I realised that 2666 is too big to fit in my hand luggage so I decided to leave it for now and pick it back up after the move. I bought some Iain M Banks 'Culture' novels so that I'd have something to read on the plane. I've read the novella 'State of the Art' and I've started reading 'Excession', and if I finish that I've still got 'The Player of Games'. They're incredibly inventive, and pretty damn funny by sci-fi standards.
Just finished McCarthy's Blood Meridian, which took forever but was worth it and then flew through Jennifer Government by Max Barry. JG had pretty entertaining ideas but was also pretty hackneyed and the prose was rather amateur. Now I'm on Timequake by Vonnegut and after that I'll move on to Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I'm only a couple chapters in but so far Timequake seems kind of weak for Vonnegut.
"[B]eing good is a fearful occupation; men strain at it and sometimes break in two." - Ray Bradbury
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Almost finished. It's good but not really great in my opinion.
"Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested."
"Jemand musste Josef K. verleumdet haben, denn ohne dass er etwas Böses getan hätte, wurde er eines Morgens verhaftet"
Im rereading The Dark Tower Part 2 by Stephen King.
The Body Artist by Don DeLillo
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
douche
Just finished Everytyhing is Illuminated.
I really want to watch the movie now, I could have sworn that I owned it, but now I can't find it anywhere.
Just started The Book Theif by Markus Zusak
Just started The Book Theif by Markus Zusak
I read The Messenger and I despised it. Zusak visited my city last year; he was a good talker, so I bought a copy of his shorter novel. I wouldn't say it was boring but it wasn't worth the time. Weirdly, he mentioned his favorite novel was What's Eating Gilbert Grape and it is now one of my favorite books. I also noticed Zusak's writing is almost a less vibrant version of Hedges' (Peter Hedges).
Many people say The Book Thief changed the way they looked at life and all that, but I'm wondering how different it is from the one I read. Certainly, it can be good but I doubt that even if I were to read it, I would deem it... too influential.
Back to the topic. I read A Separate Peace, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Invisible Monsters and Cannery Row this month. I'm now in the first half of The World According to Garp.
All these books are good and I'm really liking Garp. I seem to have a thing for characters that start with the letter G...
Jeremy
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I'm glad I'm not alone. People bitch at me saying "How? That's a classic!"....I just sigh.
Have you read Blue Highways?
douche
No, I haven't read it.
This Great Expectations sucks so far not getting into it! I can see why people love it I just dont! So ill start Survivor.
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I threw it in the trash instead of donating it to a thrift store like I usually do with books I don't want. I would have recycled it, but that wasn't happening in L.A. at the time I read it.
The only other book I despised as much is Heinlin's 'A Stranger in a Strange Land' which I didn't even finish. I ripped it in half and threw it at the wall out of fury and frustration. I've never picked up another book of his.
I think I may read 'Beautiful Children' by Charles Bock. It's been on my shelf for a while and a couple of people have suggested that I'll really like it.
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I threw it in the trash instead of donating it to a thrift store like I usually do with books I don't want. I would have recycled it, but that wasn't happening in L.A. at the time I read it.
The only other book I despised as much is Heinlin's 'A Stranger in a Strange Land' which I didn't even finish. I ripped it in half and threw it at the wall out of fury and frustration. I've never picked up another book of his.
I think I may read 'Beautiful Children' by Charles Bock. It's been on my shelf for a while and a couple of people have suggested that I'll really like it.
Man, now you guys have me dreading Zen. 
I kind of have to read it anyway b/c my uncle is an engineer who loves working on cars/motorcycles and he wants me to read it. It makes sense that it would be very literal b/c my uncle doesn't like how most art is so abstract/allegorical.
Interestingly enough, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the few books I didn't get all the way through the first time (I did go back to it and finish it though). I loved the premise and thought it was a great book throughout the first 2/3rds, but the ending kind of ruined it. It was kind of patronizing to all humans, especially those who value monogamy. It was such an interesting story when the martian was learning, but once he started preaching it became silly.
"[B]eing good is a fearful occupation; men strain at it and sometimes break in two." - Ray Bradbury
This is my next. Big thanks to Derek for sending it to me in the care package.
I just finished Roth's American Pastoral. Fucking broke mah heartz!
thanks for sharing.blackhawk tactical pants.
— Spambot
"I could have done worse!" exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. — Félix Fénéon
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I threw it in the trash instead of donating it to a thrift store like I usually do with books I don't want. I would have recycled it, but that wasn't happening in L.A. at the time I read it.
The only other book I despised as much is Heinlin's 'A Stranger in a Strange Land' which I didn't even finish. I ripped it in half and threw it at the wall out of fury and frustration. I've never picked up another book of his.
I think I may read 'Beautiful Children' by Charles Bock. It's been on my shelf for a while and a couple of people have suggested that I'll really like it.
Man, now you guys have me dreading Zen.
I kind of have to read it anyway b/c my uncle is an engineer who loves working on cars/motorcycles and he wants me to read it. It makes sense that it would be very literal b/c my uncle doesn't like how most art is so abstract/allegorical.
Interestingly enough, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the few books I didn't get all the way through the first time (I did go back to it and finish it though). I loved the premise and thought it was a great book throughout the first 2/3rds, but the ending kind of ruined it. It was kind of patronizing to all humans, especially those who value monogamy. It was such an interesting story when the martian was learning, but once he started preaching it became silly.
I'm sorry that you are dreading it, but I think it's really kind of you to indulge your Uncle and try to share his interests. On the bright side, it's pretty short and a fast read.
'Stranger' was super patronizing, yes! And the preachiness got to me, and also the lack imagination. I didn't think Heinlin was very progressive, it was all swingin' 60's stuff.
I hope you enjoy it Brandon. I got a book in the post yesterday from him. He's good people!
I gave up on Zen and the Art... He became too literal and preachy. I wanted philosophy on the road through introspection and without explaining "what philosophy is". That's why I'm a Blue Highways fan. But read it, and let me know what you thought.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is one of the very few books that made me want to burn it out of anger.
I threw it in the trash instead of donating it to a thrift store like I usually do with books I don't want. I would have recycled it, but that wasn't happening in L.A. at the time I read it.
The only other book I despised as much is Heinlin's 'A Stranger in a Strange Land' which I didn't even finish. I ripped it in half and threw it at the wall out of fury and frustration. I've never picked up another book of his.
I think I may read 'Beautiful Children' by Charles Bock. It's been on my shelf for a while and a couple of people have suggested that I'll really like it.
Man, now you guys have me dreading Zen.
I kind of have to read it anyway b/c my uncle is an engineer who loves working on cars/motorcycles and he wants me to read it. It makes sense that it would be very literal b/c my uncle doesn't like how most art is so abstract/allegorical.
Interestingly enough, Stranger in a Strange Land is one of the few books I didn't get all the way through the first time (I did go back to it and finish it though). I loved the premise and thought it was a great book throughout the first 2/3rds, but the ending kind of ruined it. It was kind of patronizing to all humans, especially those who value monogamy. It was such an interesting story when the martian was learning, but once he started preaching it became silly.
It would make sense for your uncle. Albeit I don't know him. Think of it this way. Logically, like a machine works, is the approach of philosophy in it. Very structural/functional. Very systematic and not systemic. Which is why I hated it. There were a couple parts I liked, but still not enough to get me going.
douche
I'm starting Beat the Reaper finally.
Mirka are you excited for me? lol
Mirka are you excited for me? lol
I'm excited for ME! haha, I LOVE that book so much and I can't wait to find out what you think of it.
The thing with that book that you have to remember is that Capote basically invented the idea of both the true-crime novel and the nonfiction novel. His ideas were not really as refined as we've come to expect from both those genres because he was a pioneer.
I'm re-reading DRACULA. It's obviously awesome.
There is hope, but not for us.
There are some passages in it that actually make me feel humbled and awed at the author and at the universe itself. After The Counterlife, this may be my favorite Roth yet.
I'd like to read some Roth but don't know where to start. Any recommendations of what's good and maybe what to avoid?
There are very few Roth books I would suggest you avoid, but The Humbling is one of them. It's not very good at all.
I started my 17th Roth novel last night. My head is full of Rothian sex and madness. I'm pretty sure I want to recommend The Human Stain, because it's so beautifully written. But there's also the Zuckerman Bound trilogy (consisting of The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound and The Anatomy Lesson), which is great.
If you want a short one to begin with, try The Dying Animal.
thanks for sharing.blackhawk tactical pants.
— Spambot
"I could have done worse!" exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. — Félix Fénéon