i just finished one of the master's lesser works: PNIN by vladimir nabokov. it was short and relatively easy to follow for him, but anyone not familiar w/ vlad should start out with some humbert humbert in LOLITA, for sure, and then move on to PALE FIRE or ADA OR ARDOR: A FAMILY CHRONICLE. his use of the english language, though sometimes overwrought and pedantic, is nevertheless unparalleled.
also, anyone looking to read some wild short stories whle traveling on public transportation or before going to bed should check out the latin american authors jorge luis borges and julio cort??zar.
couldn't finish The Castle. 2/3 of the way through. its just so boring. some good and funny moments, but i couldnt get into it. i enjoyed Metamorphosis and Amerika. maybe i'll try to finish it. or try sometihg else.
couldnt find alot of the guys you all mentioned at the library. have to order em.
i'm now cracking open Brothers Karimizov(sp). so far i'm enjoying it more than Castle, and im only five pages in.
This is uncanny, i have been on a Bukowski binge as of late, and i have just started checking out the authors he mentions too... Kind of like how i discovered soul music: listening to Public Enemy and working my way backwards from there.
Thank you everyone that replied and Jaymack for starting up this puppy, now i have a big ole list to take to the bookstore.
I just got the Castle for xmas. Did you get the one that is based on his own script (it's from around ??80) or the one his friend Max Broth put together?
James Frey - A Million Little Pieces Author's account of getting clean, brutally honest and a pretty damn good read.
Stephen Greenblatt - Will In The World A (sort of) biography of Shakespeare, which combines the scant historical doumentation that remains with the topics that he wrote about and the cultural events that were occuring during his life. Alot of supposing going on, but it is an entertaining read.
This shit was my joint for the whole second half of this year.
haha, yeah that was a school book for me.
Yup--my girl is an engineer, and this was her textbook when she was in school. She gave it to me so I could get up to speed on the basic engineering stuff I need to know, plus as an easy reference.
I just got the Castle for xmas. Did you get the one that is based on his own script (it's from around ??80) or the one his friend Max Broth put together?
:A New Translation, Based On the Restored Text. Translated by Mark Harman.
This is what I'm almost finished reading right now:
Interesting stuff about terrorism.
This is the anthology I just finished reading before that:
Why the fuck does anyone like Jack London is what I thought after reading it. There were only about 3 stories that were anyway interesting. Most of them he goes on long, loooonnnngggg descriptions but actually nothing is happening in the story. Oh well.
Starr is CA's state historian. He has a series of books on California history that are from great to sort of boring. This was actually a pretty good, concise history of the state.
Man, I wish I would have seen this thread before I went out today. I went with my wife to the bookstore so she could pick something up and on a whim I grabbed this by the register:
I had been skeptical because of all the hype that surrounded it, but anything with violence and alcohol can't be all bad. Hopefully it won't suck.
I think I'm gonna splurge on this next:
Strange coincidence with the names, but this book is about modern architect Albert Frey. He designed alot of buildings here locally, including the one pictured below.
You can see him sitting in front of the house he designed and built for himself, where the mountain is actually inside parts of the house.
I just got the Castle for xmas. Did you get the one that is based on his own script (it's from around ??80) or the one his friend Max Broth put together?
:A New Translation, Based On the Restored Text. Translated by Mark Harman.
Not sure.
That translation is a bit iffy. The best translations are by Willa and Edwin Muir. They translated practically everything Kafka wrote when he was discovered outside of the Czech Germany in the 40s. The differences can be staggering. Most translators like to break up Kafkas long sentences into short choppy ones. They drop words like "if" and "even."
The Castle was an unfinished piece. Kafka's friend, Max Brod, put togther the his three novels, America, Trial and Castle from his notebooks. All of his novels were unfinished and it remains unclear whether afka wanted them ever to the light of day. He left dying instrucitons to Brod and his gilrfirend to burn all his notebooks. His girlfriend burned hers, Brod didnt, and thus we have the Trial, the Castle and America and a bunch of short stories.
Man, I wish I would have seen this thread before I went out today. I went with my wife to the bookstore so she could pick something up and on a whim I grabbed this by the register:
I had been skeptical because of all the hype that surrounded it, but anything with violence and alcohol can't be all bad. Hopefully it won't suck.
very very good book. you like the kinda books i like. i love addict books. a follow up dropped this, well, last year that was just as good.
yes. the long unbroken paragraphs were one of the reasons i couldnt stick with it. all the dialogue is cluttered up and its hard to keep track of who(m) is speaking.
thats a great story, about his buddy thar neglected his dyung wishes.
This is what I'm almost finished reading right now:
Interesting stuff about terrorism.
All right, I'm done with this. SOme interesting info about the war on terror and a critique of the Bush administration's policies. Towards the end though it fell apart by giving an entire chapter to Chrisitain Fundamentalists, Bush policies and trying to change the Muslim world. Unnecessary, but still a good book overall.
Now I'm starting this. Packer was an idealistic supporter of the Iraq war. Thought getting rid of Saddam and helping the people of Iraq was worth it. Now he's disillusioned because the U.S. has fucked up over and over and over. He's been interviewed a lot lately which is why I picked it up. Just started so no impressions of the book so far.
Man, I wish I would have seen this thread before I went out today. I went with my wife to the bookstore so she could pick something up and on a whim I grabbed this by the register:
I had been skeptical because of all the hype that surrounded it, but anything with violence and alcohol can't be all bad. Hopefully it won't suck.
very very good book. you like the kinda books i like. i love addict books. a follow up dropped this, well, last year that was just as good.
whatever. it doesnt matter to me. those people shouls spend more time investigating more important matters than if an inspirational book is 100% accurate(*cough* bible).
whatever. it doesnt matter to me. those people shouls spend more time investigating more important matters than if an inspirational book is 100% accurate(*cough* bible).
just passin' along the timely info.
was surprised to see you all mention that frey's book/memoir had made Oprah's Book Club. the book got a lot of polarizing press when it came out, but more to the point, I thought it was pretty hardcore and maybe too much for the Oprah crowd. i had wanted to read it when it came out, and still plan to eventually.
c'mon mang, don'tcha know yr pat robertson, the bible is completely accurate and very much applicable to 20th century society and world politics?
...the bible is completely accurate and very much applicable to 20th century society and world politics
my president makes decisions based on that book.
DocMcCoy"Go and laugh in your own country!" 5,913 Posts
So am just finishing off Can't Stop, Won't Stop at the moment and my family seem to have caught onto the idea that I enjoy reading about music and have unloaded a heap of books on me for Xmas. Any recommendations on which one's are worth reaidng as a priority? They are:
I'm reading "Triksta" right now, and I'm really enjoying it. My girl got me a copy for my birthday last week. Nik Cohn's a good writer, and this isn't some ageing white European hipster's attempt to keep up with the game. In fact, it couldn't be further away from that, and if anything it's more an acknowledgement of how absurd such an attitude can often be. The opening chapter on Soulja Slim is beautifully written and genuinely moving at times. Definitely worth checking. I'd be very interested to hear what some of the more strident champions of South hip-hop on here thought of it.
The Dylan one is great as well - fantastically written, as you might expect. Basically, he tells you how he did it. Don't expect a linear narrative though.
So am just finishing off Can't Stop, Won't Stop at the moment and my family seem to have caught onto the idea that I enjoy reading about music and have unloaded a heap of books on me for Xmas. Any recommendations on which one's are worth reaidng as a priority? They are:
I'm reading "Triksta" right now, and I'm really enjoying it. My girl got me a copy for my birthday last week. Nik Cohn's a good writer, and this isn't some ageing white European hipster's attempt to keep up with the game. In fact, it couldn't be further away from that, and if anything it's more an acknowledgement of how absurd such an attitude can often be. The opening chapter on Soulja Slim is beautifully written and genuinely moving at times. Definitely worth checking. I'd be very interested to hear what some of the more strident champions of South hip-hop on here thought of it.
The Dylan one is great as well - fantastically written, as you might expect. Basically, he tells you how he did it. Don't expect a linear narrative though.
Thanks Doc. My main fear was that it was going to be some patronising piece by someone who didn't and wouldn't understand hip hop. Will check that out next as this Johnny Cash book is a poorly written piece of shit.
Comments
also, anyone looking to read some wild short stories whle traveling on public transportation or before going to bed should check out the latin american authors jorge luis borges and julio cort??zar.
haha, yeah that was a school book for me.
couldnt find alot of the guys you all mentioned at the library. have to order em.
i'm now cracking open Brothers Karimizov(sp). so far i'm enjoying it more than Castle, and im only five pages in.
another word Camus
That philosophical novel shit
Thank you everyone that replied and Jaymack for starting up this puppy, now i have a big ole list to take to the bookstore.
Here's a couple I've read so far this year:
James Frey - A Million Little Pieces
Author's account of getting clean, brutally honest and a pretty damn good read.
Stephen Greenblatt - Will In The World
A (sort of) biography of Shakespeare, which combines the scant historical doumentation that remains with the topics that he wrote about and the cultural events that were occuring during his life. Alot of supposing going on, but it is an entertaining read.
Yup--my girl is an engineer, and this was her textbook when she was in school. She gave it to me so I could get up to speed on the basic engineering stuff I need to know, plus as an easy reference.
:A New Translation, Based On the Restored Text. Translated by Mark Harman.
Not sure.
=
Attempting to read this bastard of a book.
The excerpts make the book seem promising.
Folkways Records book
Interesting stuff about terrorism.
This is the anthology I just finished reading before that:
Why the fuck does anyone like Jack London is what I thought after reading it. There were only about 3 stories that were anyway interesting. Most of them he goes on long, loooonnnngggg descriptions but actually nothing is happening in the story. Oh well.
Starr is CA's state historian. He has a series of books on California history that are from great to sort of boring. This was actually a pretty good, concise history of the state.
I had been skeptical because of all the hype that surrounded it, but anything with violence and alcohol can't be all bad. Hopefully it won't suck.
I think I'm gonna splurge on this next:
Strange coincidence with the names, but this book is about modern architect Albert Frey. He designed alot of buildings here locally, including the one pictured below.
You can see him sitting in front of the house he designed and built for himself, where the mountain is actually inside parts of the house.
That translation is a bit iffy. The best translations are by Willa and Edwin Muir. They translated practically everything Kafka wrote when he was discovered outside of the Czech Germany in the 40s. The differences can be staggering. Most translators like to break up Kafkas long sentences into short choppy ones. They drop words like "if" and "even."
The Castle was an unfinished piece. Kafka's friend, Max Brod, put togther the his three novels, America, Trial and Castle from his notebooks. All of his novels were unfinished and it remains unclear whether afka wanted them ever to the light of day. He left dying instrucitons to Brod and his gilrfirend to burn all his notebooks. His girlfriend burned hers, Brod didnt, and thus we have the Trial, the Castle and America and a bunch of short stories.
very very good book. you like the kinda books i like. i love addict books. a follow up dropped this, well, last year that was just as good.
thats a great story, about his buddy thar neglected his dyung wishes.
All right, I'm done with this. SOme interesting info about the war on terror and a critique of the Bush administration's policies. Towards the end though it fell apart by giving an entire chapter to Chrisitain Fundamentalists, Bush policies and trying to change the Muslim world. Unnecessary, but still a good book overall.
Now I'm starting this. Packer was an idealistic supporter of the Iraq war. Thought getting rid of Saddam and helping the people of Iraq was worth it. Now he's disillusioned because the U.S. has fucked up over and over and over. He's been interviewed a lot lately which is why I picked it up. Just started so no impressions of the book so far.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060109/ap_on_en_ot/books_disputed_memoir;_ylt=Avm.GWrbkKpDZ8682DYyruWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-
whatever. it doesnt matter to me. those people shouls spend more time investigating more important matters than if an inspirational book is 100% accurate(*cough* bible).
just passin' along the timely info.
was surprised to see you all mention that frey's book/memoir had made Oprah's Book Club. the book got a lot of polarizing press when it came out, but more to the point, I thought it was pretty hardcore and maybe too much for the Oprah crowd. i had wanted to read it when it came out, and still plan to eventually.
c'mon mang, don'tcha know yr pat robertson, the bible is completely accurate and very much applicable to 20th century society and world politics?
my president makes decisions based on that book.
I'm reading "Triksta" right now, and I'm really enjoying it. My girl got me a copy for my birthday last week. Nik Cohn's a good writer, and this isn't some ageing white European hipster's attempt to keep up with the game. In fact, it couldn't be further away from that, and if anything it's more an acknowledgement of how absurd such an attitude can often be. The opening chapter on Soulja Slim is beautifully written and genuinely moving at times. Definitely worth checking. I'd be very interested to hear what some of the more strident champions of South hip-hop on here thought of it.
The Dylan one is great as well - fantastically written, as you might expect. Basically, he tells you how he did it. Don't expect a linear narrative though.
agree..... "The Joke" is a great book.
and this cat......Bohumil Hrabal "Too Loud A Solitude" is a great, great read
Thanks Doc. My main fear was that it was going to be some patronising piece by someone who didn't and wouldn't understand hip hop. Will check that out next as this Johnny Cash book is a poorly written piece of shit.