October: What are you Reading?
[QUOTE=owenwarland]Okay, Nith. This is a book about the American Dream and how it fails. Gatsby was a product of the 1920's, a time of great prosperity not yet leaning toward the devastation of the 1930's and the war of the 40's. He uses the opulence of the age to accrue a fortune not so he can be rich, but so he can capture the one true love of his life, Daisy. But his fortune is tied to the age of wealth, because the whole reasoning behind his collection of money and his step into organized crime is so he can maintain Daisy's social standing, as she'd never marry a man of his stature. The fortune is a means to an end he'll never reach.
As for the Nordic supremacy, Tom Buchanan is the foil for Gatsby: whereas Jay is sensitive, quiet and friendly, Tom is a racist, wife abuser and worst of all, in Gatsby's eyes, an adulterer. Gatsby holds Daisy as everything virtuous, the mirror to all that is good in the world, and Tom doesn't appreciate what he has at all. In Gatsby's eyes, Tom has the true fortune.
As for the end, Gatsby was destined to die. He was a stranger in a dangerous world, playing with organized crime and another man's wife. That the trigger of his death is a poor guy who owns a gas station is no coincidence. Gatsby is removed from this world, and his fortune, by someone of his own ilk. No one shows up at Gatsby's funeral; all the hundreds who came to his parties do not come to his grave, because they never cared for him, only for his fortune. He dies alone and lonely, a victim of a shattered American Dream, as his romance with her and the future he beheld for them was nothing more than a dream.[/QUOTE]
I see it now - so, to put it bluntly, The Great Gatsby is trying to tell us how wrong it is that there was this caste system in the 1920s because Gatsby, who started from nothing, who is deserving of Daisy's love cannot have it because of his status, while Tom, who is a racist wife-beating adulterer can because of his wealth, and because people only "associated" with Gatsby and came to his parties because of his wealth. That makes a lot more sense now... Thank you for pointing that out.
God, I am such a moron.
BTW, niceguyjoe: isn't Raoul Duke just a name Hunter S. uses? Or like an alter ego or something? I haven't read his books but my brother has and that's what came across from when he was talking about it, but I could be wrong.
Claudius : What about my father, who was your son? And Germanicus, who was my brother? Did you poison them?
Livia : No. Your father dies of his wounds, and Placina poisoned Germanicus with out instructions from me. But I had marked them both down for death. They were both infected with that infantile disorder known as 'Republicanism.'
[QUOTE=Nith Sahor]BTW, niceguyjoe: isn't Raoul Duke just a name Hunter S. uses? Or like an alter ego or something? I haven't read his books but my brother has and that's what came across from when he was talking about it, but I could be wrong.[/QUOTE]
That assumption is correct.
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]That assumption is correct.[/QUOTE]
So, if Raoul Duke is Thompson's alter ego, does that mean Fear and Loathing was based on his own experiences?
And what about Campaign Trail 72'?
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/niceguyjoe/thiscop.bmp[/IMG]
[QUOTE=niceguyjoe]So, if Raoul Duke is Thompson's alter ego, does that mean Fear and Loathing was based on his own experiences?
And what about Campaign Trail 72'?[/QUOTE]
I think I heard an interview with him about it. The book makes it sound like it took place over one long weekend, but it actually took place over two visits to Las Vegas. One was for the Mint 500 and the other was for DA conference (?). He made remarks like it was all true, but then said, "Only an asshole would admit to all of that."
[QUOTE=niceguyjoe]And what about Campaign Trail 72'?[/QUOTE]
Someone answer me damn it.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v507/niceguyjoe/thiscop.bmp[/IMG]
.JPE "owenwarland's picture")
[QUOTE=Nith Sahor]
God, I am such a moron.
[/QUOTE]
Not at all. You just needed an outsider to put it into perspective for you. Hope you appreciate the novel a little more now.
[QUOTE=niceguyjoe]Someone answer me damn it.[/QUOTE]
I'm sorry. I own that book, but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. It is a true book, but I think he is just himself in it. I don't know if he uses the name Raoul Duke.
[QUOTE=owenwarland]Not at all. You just needed an outsider to put it into perspective for you. Hope you appreciate the novel a little more now.[/QUOTE]
Most definitely, I do like it better now that it makes more sense. But still, I need to sharpen my thinking - it does not bode well for my English mark if I'm as blind as a bat to things like that.
Anybody here a Voltaire reader? I started Candide while I was waiting at school and although I'm only less than 20 pages it is already outrageous and hilarious 
Claudius : What about my father, who was your son? And Germanicus, who was my brother? Did you poison them?
Livia : No. Your father dies of his wounds, and Placina poisoned Germanicus with out instructions from me. But I had marked them both down for death. They were both infected with that infantile disorder known as 'Republicanism.'
[QUOTE=niceguyjoe]Someone answer me damn it.[/QUOTE]
Settle down, Beavis.
No matter what the name HST is using, it's HST.
I don't recall the name Duke being used during the Nixon years, as then HST was trying to make a name for himself.
The later used "Duke" is, of course, where Gary Trudeau snagged the name from for his hysterical character in the Doonesbury strip (a character HST always hated).
The only "fiction" work HST has published is the novel _The Run Diary_ (currently being filmed by Johnny 'Duke' Depp), although even that relies quite a bit of HST's biography.
Not too say that the non-"ficiton" titles aren't, well, exaggerated (anyone consuming the list of drugs on the first page (if mem serves) of _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ would probably be dead, let alone fully-functional.
But that's pretty much the point of "gonzo" journalism.
If you are looking for some like-lunacy as 'Las Vegas' I'd search out the for some-bloody-reason-out-of-print _The Curse of Lono_, with more smashing art from Ralph Steadman.
j(ay)
[QUOTE=jay]If you are looking for some like-lunacy as 'Las Vegas' I'd search out the for some-bloody-reason-out-of-print _The Curse of Lono_, with more smashing art from Ralph Steadman.
j(ay)[/QUOTE]
Good recommendation. I forgot about that book. It's hard to buy, but a lot of libraries have copies of it.
im half way through kiss me judas.
i read hells half acre before this and im really suprised how much more deranged phineas poe actually is.
after this im really craving some kind of suggestion for a new book.
preferably a minimalist styled book not too short but nothing insanely long.
I just started reading Brave New Wolrd by Aldous Huxley.
I am reading [i]Empire of the Sun[/i] by J. G. Ballard. Autobiographical violent accidents of a Western novelist doesn't get any better.
[QUOTE=Jeebus]I am reading [i]Empire of the Sun[/i] by J. G. Ballard. Autobiographical violent accidents of a Western novelist doesn't get any better.[/QUOTE]
I’ve never read his stuff before, but ill probably read Crash after this one.
Finishing: Hell's Half Acre - WCB
Then starting up on:
Tender Loving Rage - Alfred Bester
Deus Irae - Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny
just finished kiss me judas
desperately looking for a new book (looking up most of the books mentioned in here)
Half way through [I]Sarah[/I] by JT Leroy
humorous, disturbing, havent fully decided my opinion of it yet.....
[QUOTE=phlegmatics]just finished kiss me judas
desperately looking for a new book (looking up most of the books mentioned in here)[/QUOTE]
What did you think of it? and any other comments you have on it please...
i'm thinking about reading it next
[QUOTE=phlegmatics]just finished kiss me judas
desperately looking for a new book (looking up most of the books mentioned in here)[/QUOTE]
Have you read the book club book yet? - Shella by Andrew Vachss.
Watch Your Mouth, -- Daniel Handler (aka. Lemony Snicket)
[QUOTE=walkingcontradiction]Half way through [I]Sarah[/I] by JT Leroy
humorous, disturbing, havent fully decided my opinion of it yet.....[/QUOTE]
that book's pretty badass. it'll stick with you long after you finish it. and truck stops will never be the same.
This weekend I managed to polish of a couple of books on the ever growing in-the-middle-of-reading stack:
Hunter Thompson’s _Hey Rube_ (way too heavy on sport and gambling crap, but what’s to expect when it’s the ESPN.com articles…) and Chuck’s _Stranger Than Fiction_ (admittedly I skimmed through some essays as they just weren’t terribly interesting. And why the hell was CP’s semi “911” type essay not printed in there??).
Read 76.5% of the current Book Club selection _Shella_ and would have tossed it on the fire (it started out pretty good though) had I a fireplace (not to discourage those that were thinking of joining in, please do; I’m a terribly picky bastard and can easily see how many like and will like this book).
Immediately jumped into José Saramago’s brand new novel _The Double_, which is already brilliant (20% through), if not a difficult read (JS very rarely uses paragraphs, never uses quotation mark in dialogue (or even line breaks),so you have to be alert) and continues to make me think that Saramago is the only person currently writing Literature. Although I admit I haven’t been following Eco’s career.
Nice to see JG Ballard mentioned here, I’m surprised he’s not more often name-dropped with Chuck fans.
j(ay)
[QUOTE=walkingcontradiction]What did you think of it? and any other comments you have on it please...
i'm thinking about reading it next[/QUOTE]
it wasnt bad, since during most of the book phineas is high as hell and delerious alot of parts are confusing and seem like thier giving away major plot points but thier just him being so damn high and delerious and hinting twards later revelations and confessions.
other than that it does kind of end with no real conclusion, if i was unaware that it was a trilogy i would be kind of pissed.
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]Have you read the book club book yet? - Shella by Andrew Vachss.[/QUOTE]
im looking it up on amazon.com now but most likely if it sounds cool it will come after my neil gaiman kick
im wondering if its worth reading disco bloodbath again
I just finished 'Jennifer Government.' I diden't like the book...Right entill the ending. The ending was freakin' sweet and brought everything together.
I just started 'The Ambidextrist' by Peter Rock. It is pretty cool so far, You guys should check it out. It is printed by Macadam/cage, and is out on November 30.
nah, jennifer government was rushed together and sloppy. all the characters were the same. i don't even remember the ending. LAME.
Im reading At Swim Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill and hoping to finish it soon so I can crack on with with SHELLA
Finished Kiss Me, Judas the other day. Man, the book was amazing and that's all I can say.
Just started reading The Stranger by Albert Camus yesturday. I will probably finish it today or tomorrow.
im reading the beach by alex garland
the book flows incredibly well with no real stop and think about it points
which is hella good for my imagination cause i can keep up one day dream visualization instead of many fragmented ones
just finsished Dante's Inferno the other day and started Chaucer's Canterbury Tales today
Memoirs of a Geisha
[QUOTE=jay]Moreso contemporary choices would be Charles Bukowski’s _Hollywood_, Elmore Leonard’s _Get Shorty_ and Michael Tolkin’s _The Player_
All worth the read.
j(ay)[/QUOTE]Because I am not shy about opening dead threads ... I remembered this post after a conversation with my woman a few hours ago, because I always meant to look up the book, as I'd not ever heard of it. Long story short, I forgot to look it up....
At the VA hospitol, in Little Rock, AR., my woman was in the women's room, and found a book. Picked it up because of WHY NOT and read some. And didnt put it down right away. In fact, when I talked with her, she’d said the book she found was okay. She got home more than an hour ago, said that the book is badass. She started describing it, and then quit talking and found herself cozy on the couch, laying across, not sharing space, reading The Player by Tolkin and being silent. So, I picked up an old Hemingway of shorts and it was quite til she finished. Then it was all about TV and phone calls and noise and talk. I'm reading it tomorrow. It's recommended. And that's all.
bye
kabol
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On Gatsby...
Owen you did that way better than I could have. The only thing I can add to that is - The grass is always greener on the other side.