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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
 Posted - 03/04/2006 : 04:16:27
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Itīs only out in hardback here, Iīll wait till I have an edition I can roll up and jam into my pocket. Let me know how it goes.
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Buy your best friend flowers. Buy your lover a beer. Covet thy father. Covet thy neighbour's father. Honour thy lover's beer. Covet thy neighbour's father's wife's sister. Take her to bingo night. |
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offerw
* Dog in the Sand *
South Africa
1264 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 04:47:46
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Finished it last night.
Slightly disappointed.
wilhelm |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 06:52:40
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I find him to be so hit and miss sometimes.
Reading crime and punishment and loving it. |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 07:05:05
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I couldnīt finish Crime and Punishment but I did love the Bros Karamazov.
Nearly all of Austerīs books have a cash jackpot of some sort, he was grindingly poor for years hence he spends a lot of time explaining how his characters fund their wacky adventures. I want to read Oracle Night again, at first I was disappointed my favourite NY writerīs first book after Sept 11 was set before the fact but thereīs some wonderfully sly stuff about creating fictional enemies to rally people together. Probably my favourite is Book of Illusions or Music of Chance.
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Buy your best friend flowers. Buy your lover a beer. Covet thy father. Covet thy neighbour's father. Honour thy lover's beer. Covet thy neighbour's father's wife's sister. Take her to bingo night. |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 07:08:15
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| Book of Illusions is awesome, but then others I find he takes the story so far and then runs out of steam near the end, I hate strong stories with weak conclusions. It bugs me. |
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Cheeseman1000
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Iceland
8201 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 07:15:11
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I enjoyed Crim & Punishment a lot, so I think at some point I'll move on to Brothers Karamazov. They have it in the three-for-two at Blackwells near where I work.
Plus, it's cooler reading Dostoevsky on the train than being yet another Dan Brown sheep. Right?
 I have joined the Cult Of Frank/And I have dearly paid |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 07:26:09
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Itīs easy to write a book with a strong ending in that it is glaringly obvious when you havenīt got it, the strong ending just clicks or sings. Thatīs why it is weirder when someone goes to all the trouble of publishing one with a weak splotty ending.
About Dan Brown, I wonder why the literary/industrial complex wants everyone to read him so much. I havenīt seen as much people in streets reading him lately but that was a pretty big wave of blandness to judge by how many folk I saw with him on the metro or the beach a while back.
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Buy your best friend flowers. Buy your lover a beer. Covet thy father. Covet thy neighbour's father. Honour thy lover's beer. Covet thy neighbour's father's wife's sister. Take her to bingo night. |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 12:06:04
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I finished Stephen King's Wolves Of The Calla (excellent, imaginative and inspired), and am reading the revised and expanded version of King's The Gunslinger at the mo.
 pas de dutchie! |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 14:19:43
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I recently finished reading:
And I'm now in the process of re-reading:
"If you doze much longer, then life turns to dreaming. If you doze much longer, then dreams turn to nightmares." |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 19:06:32
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I got some heaven in my head
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offerw
* Dog in the Sand *
South Africa
1264 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2006 : 23:14:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Newo
Nearly all of Austerīs books have a cash jackpot of some sort, he was grindingly poor for years hence he spends a lot of time explaining how his characters fund their wacky adventures. .
How to run into some money and funding an adventure features strongly in Brooklyn Follies.
Of the three Auster novels I've read (the others being Trilogy and Illusions) this was the most straightforward. Everything ties up easily and sweetly in the end.
You could read it on the beach.
wilhelm |
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PixieSteve
> Teenager of the Year <
Poland
4698 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2006 : 04:14:23
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2006 : 04:30:14
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I just read Women - Bukowski and I was so terribly terribly disappointed. Usually I like his writing because it is simple and honest and no nonsense. Even describing filth it has a charm but in Women it seemed so forced. He fucked one girl then another then another, not exactly the subject matter that made me not like it but the style was gone. It was boasting and pathetic and dishonest. I won't deny that he had (for an old ugly mean bastard) a sex life many would be jealous of and I don't pretend he tried to glamourise it either. I coudl see his point, that he went from someone no one would look twice at, a lowly ugly postal worker to a poet, an author, and suddenly everyone wanted him. It was the dishonest descriptives that irked me. Especially whenever he mentioned fucking someone with "much inventiveness" it's so bloody clockwork orange. Inventiveness, how? tell us how and I could respect it. Well done you learned to give head at fifty but to say you screwed someone and was inventive about it is stupid. Are we supposed to let our own imaginations run with bukowski the fat pock marked dirty old man screwing a 19 year old? It seemed really false to his other works somehow.
Anyway.
Now reading John Fowles - The collector which I have read before and quite liked and am liking again this time. Story of an average uptight nobody who comes into money, he collects butterflysand is obsessed with an art student so decides now he has means to collect her too.
Also reading Underworld, it's a big book though and ard to read in bed so it's very slow going. |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/16/2006 : 04:47:27
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I just gave Women to a friend of mine cause another friend has my copy of Notes of a Dirty Old Man, itīs okay but I figure since heīs never read Buk heīll like it. And I was just sending out a poem of his by email, fancy that.
The Collector was the first John Fowles I read, each time I pick him up I feel I shoud read him more.
Underworld I donīt remember all that much except for liking it a lot, Iīve just read it once save for returning to loot some of the Lenny Bruce passages for my own writing.
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Gravy boat! Stay in the now! |
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VoVat
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
9168 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2006 : 20:22:59
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I'm reading March Laumer's "The Magic Mirror of Oz."
"If you doze much longer, then life turns to dreaming. If you doze much longer, then dreams turn to nightmares." |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 01:35:28
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| The first book of Shelby Foote's trilogy on the history of the US Civil War. It is incredible. It doesn't provide a deep analysis of the war and it's causes (other historians can do that), but as a narrative it is extremely well written. Full of details, but it flows and is a pleasure to read. And, I have two big volumes to still read. Beats working. |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 02:23:06
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 I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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offerw
* Dog in the Sand *
South Africa
1264 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 03:26:23
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wilhelm |
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Sir Rockabye
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1158 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 09:24:26
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I'm doing a project on Nabokov. Just finished Lolita, starting this tonight.
You run all kinds of red lights except the ones on the street.
When you run out of exits you can always count sheep. |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 12:17:54
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Vlad the Impaler! My fave, even above Frank!
Not sure if you know this or if it serves the purposes of your project, Sir Mikeabye, but Nabokov wrote Pnin in the summer of 53 as he was finishing Lolita, in part to counter the heaviness of Humbert Humbert with the levity of the comical Pnin (he called it his "brief sunny escape from Lolita's intolerable spell."). He also had fiscal stability on his mind -- because he knew it would be difficult to find a publisher for Lolita, he planned to write a series of stories (clueless Pnin's misadventures) for The New Yorker to keep $ coming in.
I'd love to know what you think of the book when you're done, ditto Lolita. I go back and forth with the character of Pnin, at times finding him annoying but then deeming him admirable. The book suffers somewhat from the these-are-short-stories-no-no-this-is-a-novel structure, ditto from Pnin falling between Humbert and Kinbote.
Lastly I'm psyched and impressed that your teacher chose this oft-overlooked work of VN's, which is all too commonly ignored for the more compelling Pale Fire and Lolita.
Excuse me. I am such a geek about this writer.
I got some heaven in my head
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Edited by - kathryn on 03/18/2006 12:28:17 |
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jimmy
= Cult of Ray =
USA
876 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 13:47:10
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newO mentioned "Crime and punishment"- I was surprised by how much I liked it. I never expect to like anything older than 100 years, I always think the time difference will be a problem.
One old thing I used to like a lot was this complete collection of Sherlock Holmes stories- they're great entertainment and escape, especially in the winter.
I just finished "The Desperate Hours" by Joseph Hayes- it was made into a movie w/ Humphrey Bogart, and a re-make w/ Mickey Roarke. I haven't seen either, but the book was OK, just a little long in places.
I'm just waiting for the next David Sedaris book.
By the way, if you like Sedaris, find "Wigfield" by Amy S., Stephen Colbert, and Paul Dinelo. It's the funniest thing I ever read.
"Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." JOHN 15:14 |
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pixiestu
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2564 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 14:00:58
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Crime and Punishment is by Dostoevsky, no?
"The arc of triumph" |
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Sir Rockabye
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1158 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 15:52:49
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Kathryn, more than happy to get your input.
I actually chose the Nabokov novels. For my final project, I had to choose an author, then read three of his books. The choices are up to the students.
I wrote an in class essay on Thursday on Lolita. Just sort of bullshitted the majority of it. The conflict between Humbert's desire to protect Lolita, and his desire to fufill his sexual outlets. The influence of fate in Humbert's life vs. his desire to possess control. Who knows.
After about 20 pages of Pnin, I think I'm enjoying it.
You run all kinds of red lights except the ones on the street.
When you run out of exits you can always count sheep. |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 20:20:53
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Awesome, Sir Rock. Which is the third Nabokov book you chose?
I got some heaven in my head
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Sir Rockabye
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1158 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2006 : 21:10:37
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I'm waiting to finish Pnin before deciding. I'd choose Pale Fire, if I weren't fed up with poetry from my first semester midterm, which was completely on poetry (Dylan Thomas poetry, to be exact).
You run all kinds of red lights except the ones on the street.
When you run out of exits you can always count sheep. |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 04:50:54
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Oh but Pale Fire's not mere poetry. But your point is well taken.
How about "Laughter in the dark"? (Also known as "Camera Obscura"?) It's light, if Nabokov's writing can ever really merit that adjective. It is, among many other things, about (early) film, which is always a nice subject. Plus, you could ask floop for help.
I got some heaven in my head
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 06:48:55
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Ha youīre dorky about Nabokov like I am about Pynchon (who took Nīs classes in Cornell in the fifties)
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Gravy boat! Stay in the now! |
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Sir Rockabye
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1158 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 07:35:11
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Funny combination, Pynchon and Nabokov. I'm studying Nabokov for this final project, and one of my best friends is doing Pynchon.
I'll look into that one, Kay.
You run all kinds of red lights except the ones on the street.
When you run out of exits you can always count sheep. |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 09:08:51
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When I was at school we got a midsummer nights dream and an inspector calls and fuck all else!
is it wrong to be jealous?
Crime and Punishment is Dostoyevsky and it is bloody marvelous methinks. I sort of imagined real bright coloured clothes washed out wood theatre characters while I was reading it for some reason. |
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kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
Belgium
15320 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 10:09:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Newo
Ha youīre dorky about Nabokov like I am about Pynchon (who took Nīs classes in Cornell in the fifties)
Ha back to you, Owen! Yeah, I did this post-mortem stalking of the poor man, I had my little one-geek walking tour of places where he lived and taught in Ithaca. You could start early, Owen, get a head start on the post-mortem part of the stalking.
I got some heaven in my head
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 18:05:25
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cassandra is
> Teenager of the Year <
France
4233 Posts |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 01:44:02
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| I love geek love |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 04:57:22
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quote:
kathryn
~ Selkie Bride ~
13672 Posts
Posted - 03/19/2006 : 10:09:45
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quote:
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Originally posted by Newo
Ha youīre dorky about Nabokov like I am about Pynchon (who took Nīs classes in Cornell in the fifties)
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Ha back to you, Owen! Yeah, I did this post-mortem stalking of the poor man, I had my little one-geek walking tour of places where he lived and taught in Ithaca. You could start early, Owen, get a head start on the post-mortem part of the stalking.
Some telephoto-lensed glossies of the Pynchon family plot coming up then.
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Gravy boat! Stay in the now! |
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pixiestu
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2564 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 09:56:49
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
Crime and Punishment is Dostoyevsky and it is bloody marvelous methinks. I sort of imagined real bright coloured clothes washed out wood theatre characters while I was reading it for some reason.
I'm not much of a book person but I read 'Notes from Underground' by the same guy and thought it was really great. I'll probably start reading 'Crime and Punishment' soon, maybe tomorrow...
"The arc of triumph" |
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What are you reading?
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