Author Topic: books to read  (Read 431179 times)

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Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2010 on: May 12, 2014, 09:17:54 PM »
Just started Filth by Irvine Welsh and it's pretty fuckin funny. Took a bit to absorb the Scottish dialect but it is entertaining to say the least. Scottish fuckers have a good sense of humor from what I have read so far.
Charlie don't skate

Rumpleforeskin

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2011 on: May 12, 2014, 09:45:31 PM »
vineland by thomas pynchon

tumulishoomaroom

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2012 on: May 13, 2014, 09:02:57 AM »
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I have not, but I've had several friends that have.  I'm waiting until I read his first novel before I start on Infinite Jest because I'm still ambivalent about DFW as a fiction writer.  I have done similarly structured and really long/dense books before and I've found that it's very helpful to set daily goals to get through the length.  Like, give yourself three months and figure out how many pages you have to read per day to finish in that time.  That way, if a section is dragging, you can tell yourself, "I only have 10 more pages to read today." instead of "This is taking forever and I still have 900 pages to read."
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His first novel is a lot harder to get through, a lot less rewarding and generally worse than infinite jest.

Infinte jest is actually pretty fun to read for a lot of the time.

If you have read some of his essays and and short stories and like them then you'll like infinite jest - its one of the best reading experiences I've had
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I still decided to go through The Broom of the System first and it's not taking too long.  I'm almost done with Part One after about three or four days of reading.  It's just very transparent if you know anything about DFW.  I've listened to a lot of his interviews (none of which really touch on The Broom of the System) and read all of his non-fiction collections, so that makes it a little obvious, but the book is very clearly written by an ambitious young adult.  You can tell he is just getting into Pynchon and wants to write like him, but throws in a few curve balls so you can't say he is just copying him, you can tell that he is obsessed with Wittgenstein and linguistic philosophy, and you can tell he has dabbled in therapy and is annoyed by Freud/psychoanalysis and the role-playing and therapeutic games/techniques that they use.  It's not a difficult read if you have any experiences with his influences and you can definitely see what he's going for, but he's not successful at it and you're right--it isn't very rewarding.

To be honest, unless Infinite Jest is exponentially better than The Broom of the System and his short stories, I just might not be convinced of DFW's prowess as a fiction writer.
It is.
Otherwise I see your point, but I don't agree. What you said about his obsessions is definitely true, but his writing works for me and I do find it rewarding.

Speaking of that, I almost finished :



"part revenge fantasy and part treatise on ancient philosophy, details the emotional devastation of a father beset on all sides by trouble and tragedy. It is at times violent, blasphemous, crude, juvenile, indecent, hilarious, upsetting?and altogether captivating, so to speak, for those very reasons."

A Not At All Naughty Chemist

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2013 on: May 13, 2014, 03:04:07 PM »

Notes from the underground is one of my favorites. The first sentence is great. I suggest The House of the Dead by Dostoyevsky too if you don't like fiction. It's about his time in a Serbian prison

I've already read The House of the Dead, it was included with my copy, it was a good read, very interesting points were raised

Ollie Ringwald

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2014 on: May 14, 2014, 07:54:11 AM »


This was really good. I'll definitely read it again at some point.

Just started this now



Smell Good

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2015 on: May 17, 2014, 06:28:09 PM »


This isn't the first time I've tried tackling this book, it's just the previous times I've always had to relegate it to the backburner.

Just finished chapter 2, all about France's deficit, bloated government system, attempts at financial and economic reforms. Yes, was a bit dry but with a bit of coffee, there is a very engaging narrative to be had.

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2016 on: May 18, 2014, 09:19:40 AM »
I've never tried to read any of Schama's books, but I really like his documentaries.

 You and the D00D have turned this thread into a horrible head-on-collision between a short bus full of regular kids and a van full of paraplegics.



Jackie Joyner Kersee

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2017 on: May 18, 2014, 01:56:06 PM »
Recommend me something please.  I like everything by Phil K dick besides Ubik. Confederacy of dunces, The beach by alex Garland, liked the first half of some murakami book i cant remember the name of...Give me a book that i will be thinking about for months after i finish it. or dont

shark tits

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2018 on: May 18, 2014, 02:16:18 PM »
has anyone read this yet? i'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it. rude jude is an inspiration to wiggers nationwide.
Rude Jude's New Book And Has Us Laughing Like A 'Hyena'

Smell Good

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2019 on: May 19, 2014, 08:50:13 AM »


Think I might pick this up, there's been a Game of Thrones shaped hole that I've been trying to fill for awhile now.

Also, I've been keeping an excel file where I document all the books I've read, genres, etc. I know, incredibly geeky and lame.

Jared

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2020 on: May 20, 2014, 12:14:48 AM »
I've been reading some of Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason series. Has a bit of a noir feel.



harrison ford invented the first car, in America

Mark Renton

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2021 on: May 21, 2014, 12:29:30 PM »
Finished The bedroom secrets of the master chefs by Welsh. I dont really know, pretty weird, but he makes Scotland look appealing at least.
Starting the catcher in the rye.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2014, 01:50:57 PM by Mark Renton »
video tape yourself saving monks. dont just do it. make sure its caught on film.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2022 on: May 22, 2014, 11:32:40 AM »
Finished The Broom of the System a few days ago and it didn't get any better.  Probably the second worst book I've read do far this year.  I like to cycle in non-fiction/sociology/theory every couple of books so I'm reading Art Worlds by Howard Becker.

Mark Renton

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2023 on: May 30, 2014, 01:59:01 PM »
'The Catcher in the rye' was pretty good.
I bought 'Letter to his father' by Kafka and 'The importance of being earnest' by Wilde because there was this offer they were 2 euros each. Stoked  :)
video tape yourself saving monks. dont just do it. make sure its caught on film.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2024 on: May 30, 2014, 09:27:05 PM »
The Importance of Being Earnest is hilarious.

Nosesalad

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2025 on: May 30, 2014, 09:56:48 PM »
Finished The Broom of the System a few days ago and it didn't get any better.  Probably the second worst book I've read do far this year.  I like to cycle in non-fiction/sociology/theory every couple of books so I'm reading Art Worlds by Howard Becker.

What didn't you like about it? I've been planning to read it since I've enjoyed dfw's essays.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2026 on: May 30, 2014, 10:49:54 PM »
Oh man--I didn't like pretty much everything.  It reads too obviously like a young writer.  He is obviously very conscious in all of his decisions and fails in all of them.  His characters are horrible and you don't care about any of them, which usually doesn't bother me except that DFW clearly wants you to empathize with them and care about them.  He is way too influenced by Pynchon in the work and his little Pynchonian sidetracks and tangents are completely useless.  They add nothing to the story or your understandings of the characters or plot.  His parodies of psychoanalysis, psychiatry, education, and pretty much everything else are very heavy-handed and you can almost see him laughing to himself about how clever he is.  He tries to create a fully realized, complex world composed of fully realized, complex characters and does neither.  Plus, the ending is horrible and unsatisfying.  He ties up maybe one of several dozen plotlines which, again, would not be a problem if he didn't structure the work in such a way that he should have wrapped everything (or almost everything) up.  All of those things are not done in the way most postmodern work is where it actually adds something to the work.  He clearly built up everything and then he was just like, "Well--if I don't do all of these things, everyone will think I'm clever and smart!"

I'm almost done (sorry man--I have a lot of feelings about this book).  Finally, the book is transparently structured as a philosophical explication of Wittgenstein's work.  I don't know much about Wittgenstein, but after reading some analyses of him and talking to some people who know him, the entire crux of the novel is based on a faulty extension of his thoughts.  The idea that reality only exists in what can be said of it is not what Wittgenstein believes and in fact is an illogical conclusion to reach from his thoughts and is something that Wittgenstein himself would have probably railed against.  It is simplistically reductionist and, as such, is a weak foundation from which to explore the relationship between reader, author, and text.

Pretty much the only good things are that it is not a difficult novel to get through, so it doesn't take long for its length (I got through with it in maybe 10-12 hours?) and to be honest, you can zone out for sections at a time and miss absolutely nothing.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2027 on: May 31, 2014, 12:26:35 AM »
And the character names!  Holy shit are they horrible! 

I need to talk to someone who has read it because I want to complain about how terrible Lenore Beadsman (the main character) is on pretty much every level and why I seem to have a completely different interpretation of the ending from the few interpretations I've come across online.

Moist

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2028 on: May 31, 2014, 01:33:30 AM »
The Shining.

I don't think theirs an author that can top King when it comes to story telling.

Chris Hansen is back

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2029 on: May 31, 2014, 08:45:41 PM »
Shut the fuck up.

Coastal Fever

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2030 on: May 31, 2014, 08:50:08 PM »
Finished The Giver, that was a nice, thought provoking read.  Though, I felt kind of dumb when my co-worker said she had to read it in grade 5.

Blasted through And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks by Kerouac/Burroughs.  It was entertaining but didn't really stir any emotions.

Went to the library and picked up Choke by Palahniuk today.  I read Survivor but barely remember anything about it, hope this is better.

As much as I like hip authors, I love classic adventure-style novels like Last Of The Mohicans, Robinson Crusoe, Captain Blood, even the OG Tarzan was great.. So if anyone has recommendations for books like that, or any other must-reads, please share.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2031 on: June 01, 2014, 08:28:01 AM »
Joseph Conrad.

OttoMaddox

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2032 on: June 01, 2014, 11:43:22 AM »
I read "Go Now" and "Godlike" by Richard Hell recently, wasn't sure what to expect but both were actually great

handsclapanin

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2033 on: June 03, 2014, 12:09:50 PM »
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Went on a Knut Hamson rampage. Vagabonds, its sequel August, and Growth of the Soil. Enjoyed them all. Vagabonds probably best. They were all longer books, around 500 pages, but read fast. My favorite book of his is still Hunger.
In between August and Soil, a quick little read: The Fall by Albert Chamus. Regret is a hell of a thing.
Then I just finished The Air Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller. First thing I've read of his.
And now I'm on this 2 story book by JD Salinger: Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters and Seymour, An Introduction. The first one was good.
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Hamson's Hunger is a fucking great book! One day i will get around to reading another one of his books as well as Miller. I thought tropic of cancer was great so I think i will give air conditioned nightmare and Vagabonds a chance. Thanks for the recommendations. Did you know that Hitler kicked Hamson out of his house for talking shit? Also there is a fable/rumor that Knut cured himself of tuberculosis by riding on top of a train breathing through his mouth. It seems like you enjoy transgressive literature so here are some more authors in this category you might enjoy-Palahniuk, Bataille(on some porn de sade shit), Bukowski, Currie Jr, Selby Jr, and of course Thompson. I think everyone must read Bukowski! Also, when you're at the party and you move you're body, do you feel you gotta get up and beeeee somebody?

Never heard that about Hitler and Hamson. That is nice to hear though. Because I thought Hamson was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and basically died broke because of it.
I'll have to check out some of those other authors you recommend. Thanks. I've already read everything Bukowski ever wrote. Well, maybe not all the poems.
Just finished The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.
Before that, a 4 story book by Henry James: The Aspern Papers, The Turn of the Screw,  The Liar, Two Faces.
I've just started The Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler. This thing is gonna be heavy. Not sure if I'll make it through. And I've got a book of Walt Whitman poetry.
And to answer your question, yes. Because rappanin is what's happenin.

A Not At All Naughty Chemist

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2034 on: June 04, 2014, 05:55:00 AM »
finished Notes from the Underground a while ago, now working on this. So far it's great


sametelt

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2035 on: June 04, 2014, 06:23:38 AM »
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Went on a Knut Hamson rampage. Vagabonds, its sequel August, and Growth of the Soil. Enjoyed them all. Vagabonds probably best. They were all longer books, around 500 pages, but read fast. My favorite book of his is still Hunger.
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Hamson's Hunger is a fucking great book! One day i will get around to reading another one of his books as well as Miller. I thought tropic of cancer was great so I think i will give air conditioned nightmare and Vagabonds a chance. Thanks for the recommendations. Did you know that Hitler kicked Hamson out of his house for talking shit? Also there is a fable/rumor that Knut cured himself of tuberculosis by riding on top of a train breathing through his mouth.
[close]

Never heard that about Hitler and Hamson. That is nice to hear though. Because I thought Hamson was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and basically died broke because of it.

Hamsun.

Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2036 on: June 05, 2014, 09:34:38 PM »
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Went on a Knut Hamson rampage. Vagabonds, its sequel August, and Growth of the Soil. Enjoyed them all. Vagabonds probably best. They were all longer books, around 500 pages, but read fast. My favorite book of his is still Hunger.
[close]
Hamson's Hunger is a fucking great book! One day i will get around to reading another one of his books as well as Miller. I thought tropic of cancer was great so I think i will give air conditioned nightmare and Vagabonds a chance. Thanks for the recommendations. Did you know that Hitler kicked Hamson out of his house for talking shit? Also there is a fable/rumor that Knut cured himself of tuberculosis by riding on top of a train breathing through his mouth.
[close]

Never heard that about Hitler and Hamson. That is nice to hear though. Because I thought Hamson was accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and basically died broke because of it.
[close]

Hamsun.

Hanson

fuck you
Charlie don't skate

sametelt

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2037 on: June 06, 2014, 12:55:37 AM »

Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2038 on: June 06, 2014, 01:01:35 AM »
Touche.......mmmbop. No mmbop
Giant Bender crushed them. Rightfully so. Leaving only


Hansen
« Last Edit: June 06, 2014, 01:03:54 AM by Mr. Lono »
Charlie don't skate

Smell Good

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2039 on: June 08, 2014, 04:29:42 PM »
Is Umberto Eco worth reading? Thinking about adding Foucault's Pendulum onto my growing queue of books to read