Book thread

[thrill]

Man I'm bummed. I was excited for Freedom given all the hype, but it sounds like it's going to be everything I hate about people in my demographic (over-educated middle class white folks who have perpetual head up ass syndrome).

[JCShutout]

I'm also reading the Harry Potter series. Had so many people saying I would enjoy it for so long I gave in. Its fun.

[cards2468]

Made a deal with the kid. I'm reading Harry Potter. She's reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

Just did a page count (or more precisely googled it). 4,175 vs. 1,492. Looks like I'm an effective negotiator.

I'm so thankful my parents didn't make me read.



Anyway, I'm reading "World War Z" by Max Brookes (Mel's kid). It came up a few times in the zombie thread. Awesome book so far, a little more than half way done.

[Freed Roger]

Rumored to be gifted/ coming my way soon. Anybody checked it out?

Have to make a dent in my pile of books already started before I get to it -the main one being Twain's "Life on the Mississippi" -which has Twain autobiography content already. Isn't most of his writing autobiographical -albeit with grand doses of his awesome wandering embellishment?

After reading the below description of the autobiography, I am not in as much a hurry to pursue it -perhaps a bit too scholarly for me, but will definitely get to it sometime.

[SHOW]

It really should be made clear just what this book is and isn't. It is a completist's edition of a project Twain talked about for years but never actually sat down and wrote. In this scholarly volume, roughly one-third of the massive book details the process of its compilation, by Twain and by the editors (his contemporaries as well as the present ones), and includes what might today be called "outtakes" (several of which are quite interesting and enjoyable), pieces determined not to be intended as part of the Autobiography. One reader commented that "the book needs an editor". That misses the point; the scholarly editing is masterful. It COULD not credibly be edited in the sense of cutting it down as one might a contemporary manuscript to make it suitable for publication.
Another one-third of the tome consists of scholarly notes explaining many of the references in the text. Many of these are clarifications of people (some major, some insignificant)to whom Twain refers, or locations. In many cases these are extraneous to all but the most scholarly or the compulsive who needs to know who EVERYbody is and cannot determine it by context. In some cases, they correct lapses in Twain's memory (he clearly didn't research or check many of his facts)
Only one-third of this volume is the Autobiography itself, and it is only mildly interesting. It is certainly not a chronological narrative, much of it was dictated by an aging and bitter man(part of its sardonic charm), and much of it--- amazingly--- is drawn from a biography of Twain written, as a child, by his beloved daughter, which Twain explicates, albeit through the filter of the subsequent and ongoing grief Twain suffered since her youthful death.
My eyesight is lousy but I was untroubled by the type. I read it in book form, but I can see where it might be problematic on kindle; one has to skip back and forth between the text and the notes, and kindle may not lend itself to that (I wouldn't know). The sheer bulk of the book is indeed troublesome, and one will need two bookmarks, one for text and one for notes (as I often use in reading History).
Lastly, what remains as the "Autobiography"--- the reason, I think, most people would read this edition---is not terribly interesting nor funny. Fortunately, there is so much of Twain that is, and that is in print and easily available, and if one wants to read of Twain's earlier life, I would suggest reading or rereading Life on the Mississippi or his other (in a sense and ironically) more "autobiographical" works. The Library of America volume including Life... (as well as Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer) contains copious but manageable notes and biographical information. My opinion is that it would make a better gift than this to all but academics and (pardon me) twainiacs.

[slide_into_first]

You can read Post Office by Charles Bukowski online.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/395564/Bukows ... ost-Office

[heyzeus]

Christmas reading:

"Earth: The Book" by the Daily Show crew is hilarious. It's brilliant far-reaching satire. Highly recommended if you enjoy their brand of sarcastic humor.

Read "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury. It's disjointed and fairly obvious (humans foul up every planet they touch). Really doesn't do it for me enough to make "classic" status.

Now reading "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. A western to end all westerns, and remove all romantic notions you might have about the cowboys n' indians wild west of the romantic movies. I'm only halfway through, and there's already been enough vivid ultraviolence to put you in therapy.

Next on the list: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace.

[thrill]

Blood Meridian was truly a battle for me to finish. About halfway through I realized I was not enjoying it. He's so damn talented at being descriptive and that book is brutal. I finished just to have the badge of honor.

[Freed Roger]

Blood Meridian was truly a battle for me to finish. About halfway through I realized I was not enjoying it. He's so damn talented at being descriptive and that book is brutal. I finished just to have the badge of honor.

I couldn't finish it. An epic of unimaginable horror upon horror after a while it became redundant -stopped being enjoyable to read.

[robbotis]

Made a deal with the kid. I'm reading Harry Potter. She's reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

Just did a page count (or more precisely googled it). 4,175 vs. 1,492. Looks like I'm an effective negotiator.

I'm so thankful my parents didn't make me read.



Anyway, I'm reading "World War Z" by Max Brookes (Mel's kid). It came up a few times in the zombie thread. Awesome book so far, a little more than half way done.

I'm currently reading World War Z too.
I'm digging it.

And Blood Meridian, was good. I hear they are trying, but I bet it's impossible to make into a movie. I wouldn't see it. Would have to be the bloodiest movie ever.
And who would play the Judge?
The only person I can think of would be the guy who played Brother Justin on Carnivale.

[planet planet]

Christmas reading:

"Earth: The Book" by the Daily Show crew is hilarious. It's brilliant far-reaching satire. Highly recommended if you enjoy their brand of sarcastic humor.

Read "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury. It's disjointed and fairly obvious (humans foul up every planet they touch). Really doesn't do it for me enough to make "classic" status.

Now reading "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. A western to end all westerns, and remove all romantic notions you might have about the cowboys n' indians wild west of the romantic movies. I'm only halfway through, and there's already been enough vivid ultraviolence to put you in therapy.

Next on the list: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace.

Second this pick. I finished it in a day, literally laughing out loud every few pages. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang was good too. She is a risque trip.