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You guys want to do a little book discussion over the summer? I'm thinking three or four books of an author or a theme strung out with deadlines for having them read between now and september.
Suggestions? Anyone have an author they want to learn about and discuss?
Well I have to read On The Origin of Species and Metamorphosis for school anyway, so I'll throw those out as potentials why not.
Charles Kinbote on
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AegisFear My DanceOvershot Toronto, Landed in OttawaRegistered Userregular
edited April 2008
I've picked up The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier recently, though haven't started reading it due to finals. If you go with an economic/political theme I wouldn't mind giving that a shot.
I'd be down for some Dostoevsky, but I've already read the Brother Karamazov, so I personally would favor another one (Notes from the Underground?). However, if a lot of people want to read that, that's fine, as it's been a little while.
Or, Book of the New Sun. I would eagerly welcome some discussion on that.
We should really do just a straight-up Book of the New Sun thread, there seems to be a sufficient critical mass of people on D&D who've either read it or are wanting to read it. And it would be a good place to post definitions of the difficult words, explanations of the more obscure passages, theories about the plot, etc.
I'd be on board with this, though it was my burning hatred of Stiglitz that killed the econ version of this last summer. I swear that if I find someone a douchebag this time around, I'll be more moderate in my unceasing condemnation of them.
werehippy on
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BobCescaIs a girlBirmingham, UKRegistered Userregular
edited April 2008
I'd be up for this. I'm not really fussy with the choice of books, though it'd be good to have a mix of past and present authors, different countries would be good too.
Or, Book of the New Sun. I would eagerly welcome some discussion on that.
We should really do just a straight-up Book of the New Sun thread, there seems to be a sufficient critical mass of people on D&D who've either read it or are wanting to read it. And it would be a good place to post definitions of the difficult words, explanations of the more obscure passages, theories about the plot, etc.
So up for this. It's been a good long while since I re-read them. Would we include Urth of the New Sun?
Those of us who also have The Castle of the Otter can be all smug and knowledgeable about the obscure words.
-Requiem for a dream
-Trainspotting
-Fear and Loathing
-A Scanner Darkly
-other things?
Oh man, not the same but in the same vein:
Football Factory
Doors of Perception (I love Huxley)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (Another great Hubert Shelby book)
Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
edited April 2008
Well I'm going to be reading The Recognitions and Infinite Jest, but if you all want to read Ulysses I'd be game for that too, seeing that it is my fucking signature and it is the best book ever written.
I'm down for some reading, I've been meaning to get back into it. That said I'd prefer something I could enjoy, nothing too dense (I'm looking at you Dostoevsky)
I'd be down for this. I've been meaning to read Ulysses, Foucault's Pendulum, and The Master and Margarita, so I'll throw in my hat for any of those those.
I've been thinking that I should reread Catch-22, although I wouldn't be opposed to some other books, either fiction, science fiction and fantasy (hardcord, not crappy stuff), maybe non-fiction.
Well I have to read On The Origin of Species and Metamorphosis for school anyway, so I'll throw those out as potentials why not.
Fuck that. I'm all about the appreciation and analysis, but no matter how many times I read it I can't help but think of it as meandering crap.
I'm currently digging into Hunter S. Thompson and Robertson Davies.
And I have to complete Ulysses someday, just to say I did, so I'd be all for that. I think the only way I could get through is in a discussion-based setting...if I was alone, I might just hang myself.
The first page of Finnegan's Wake made me feel illiterate and sent me spiraling into a depression that lasted weeks. I have not gone back.
Torso Boy on
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
The first page of Finnegan's Wake made me feel illiterate and sent me spiraling into a depression that lasted weeks. I have not gone back.
It's virtually impossible to even read Finnegans Wake (no apostrophe) without having read Ulysses. The Wake is basically Ulysses on the most amazing steroids ever. I'm starting to piece it together -- I've read one whole section :P -- and I've read Ulysses four times.
I'd feel confident being kind of the discussion guide for Ulysses, both in terms of pointing out what is actually happening in the novel -- the plot is actually quite engaging once you learn how to extricate it -- and hilight the motifs if you guys want.
The first page of Finnegan's Wake made me feel illiterate and sent me spiraling into a depression that lasted weeks. I have not gone back.
It's virtually impossible to even read Finnegans Wake (no apostrophe) without having read Ulysses. The Wake is basically Ulysses on the most amazing steroids ever. I'm starting to piece it together -- I've read one whole section :P -- and I've read Ulysses four times.
I'd feel confident being kind of the discussion guide for Ulysses, both in terms of pointing out what is actually happening in the novel -- the plot is actually quite engaging once you learn how to extricate it -- and hilight the motifs if you guys want.
I think this is a fantastic idea.
Torso Boy on
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Mike Danger"Diane..."a place both wonderful and strangeRegistered Userregular
Or, Book of the New Sun. I would eagerly welcome some discussion on that.
We should really do just a straight-up Book of the New Sun thread, there seems to be a sufficient critical mass of people on D&D who've either read it or are wanting to read it. And it would be a good place to post definitions of the difficult words, explanations of the more obscure passages, theories about the plot, etc.
So up for this. It's been a good long while since I re-read them. Would we include Urth of the New Sun?
Those of us who also have The Castle of the Otter can be all smug and knowledgeable about the obscure words.
I finally found Urth of the New Sun at a used bookstore. I've not been so lucky with the Gormenghast trilogy, but that's another story.
I would probably kill a hobo to have a copy of Castle of the Otter.
I've been thinking that I should reread Catch-22, although I wouldn't be opposed to some other books, either fiction, science fiction and fantasy (hardcord, not crappy stuff), maybe non-fiction.
I read Slaughterhouse 5 in close succession with Catch-22. If you're going to read one humorous post-modern book about a misfit in WW2 that has a number in the title, you may as well read the other one.
Tarantio on
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
If less august and more recent fiction is possibly on the list, I'd like to put in a word for John Crowley--probably Little, Big, though the Aegypt Cycle is more capable of sustaining discussion (it's also long). I hear his other stuff is good too, and I don't doubt it.
The first page of Finnegan's Wake made me feel illiterate and sent me spiraling into a depression that lasted weeks. I have not gone back.
It's virtually impossible to even read Finnegans Wake (no apostrophe) without having read Ulysses. The Wake is basically Ulysses on the most amazing steroids ever. I'm starting to piece it together -- I've read one whole section :P -- and I've read Ulysses four times.
I'd feel confident being kind of the discussion guide for Ulysses, both in terms of pointing out what is actually happening in the novel -- the plot is actually quite engaging once you learn how to extricate it -- and hilight the motifs if you guys want.
I think this is a fantastic idea.
Also, my grandfather told me I'd never truly be a man until I finished it.
OhtheVogonity on
Oh freddled gruntbuggly...thy micturations are to me/ As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee
-Requiem for a dream
-Trainspotting
-Fear and Loathing
-A Scanner Darkly
-other things?
Oh man, not the same but in the same vein:
Football Factory
Doors of Perception (I love Huxley)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (Another great Hubert Shelby book)
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I've got Ulysses and Foucault's Pendulum gathering dust on my shelf.
So I withdraw my nomination for Ulysses.
Heck, toss in Name of the Rose, too. I probably missed half the Deep Significant Bits of that, anyhow.
Or, Book of the New Sun. I would eagerly welcome some discussion on that.
We should really do just a straight-up Book of the New Sun thread, there seems to be a sufficient critical mass of people on D&D who've either read it or are wanting to read it. And it would be a good place to post definitions of the difficult words, explanations of the more obscure passages, theories about the plot, etc.
-Requiem for a dream
-Trainspotting
-Fear and Loathing
-A Scanner Darkly
-other things?
I could join in on this, if the books were decent.
So. I'm in if there are some decent selections.
Dude, it gets mentioned like every five posts in the book thread. But here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wolfe
of course I'm just crazy for Philip, Orwell, Huxley, Burgess, Vonnegut, etc etc
So up for this. It's been a good long while since I re-read them. Would we include Urth of the New Sun?
Those of us who also have The Castle of the Otter can be all smug and knowledgeable about the obscure words.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Oh man, not the same but in the same vein:
Football Factory
Doors of Perception (I love Huxley)
Last Exit to Brooklyn (Another great Hubert Shelby book)
What else would go with that?
35?
I'm currently digging into Hunter S. Thompson and Robertson Davies.
And I have to complete Ulysses someday, just to say I did, so I'd be all for that. I think the only way I could get through is in a discussion-based setting...if I was alone, I might just hang myself.
It's virtually impossible to even read Finnegans Wake (no apostrophe) without having read Ulysses. The Wake is basically Ulysses on the most amazing steroids ever. I'm starting to piece it together -- I've read one whole section :P -- and I've read Ulysses four times.
I'd feel confident being kind of the discussion guide for Ulysses, both in terms of pointing out what is actually happening in the novel -- the plot is actually quite engaging once you learn how to extricate it -- and hilight the motifs if you guys want.
I finally found Urth of the New Sun at a used bookstore. I've not been so lucky with the Gormenghast trilogy, but that's another story.
I would probably kill a hobo to have a copy of Castle of the Otter.
I read Slaughterhouse 5 in close succession with Catch-22. If you're going to read one humorous post-modern book about a misfit in WW2 that has a number in the title, you may as well read the other one.
It's included in the collection Castle of Days, which is considerably easier to get hold of.
Duly noted. Thanks.
Also, my grandfather told me I'd never truly be a man until I finished it.
Don't forget Junkie and Naked Lunch.