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[Woorloog]

So, the problem with ordering books:
It takes forever to get them.
I ordered Bands of Mourning and Thing Explainer.

The reason i very much prefer shopping in bookstores, unfortunately they're all terrible now here...


So, i have to read something while waiting for my order to arrive. I pretty much picked up the closest book... which happened to be The Eye of the World, book 1 of The Wheel of Time.
Not a bad idea, since it has been quite a bit since i last read the series.

And i do like reading it again. I very much like Robert Jordan's prose and worldbuilding, despite its (greatly exaggerated) flaws.
The only unfortunate thing is, i remember it all. Well, not all but well enough. There are no surprises or great mystery. *sigh*
I remember the time when people were theorizing about things and wondering about other things.

The Stormlight Archive has shades of that, which is one reason i like it so much. Indeed, Brandon Sanderson is greatly influenced by Robert Jordan. But in the end, he leaves things much neater, perhaps too much so. Theories about Sanderson's book are not as interesting ever as theories about The Wheel of Time were.

 

[lightus]

Finished up Ann Leckie's Ancillary Mercy. I enjoyed it and feel it was a decent end to the series. There's a lot more that could be explored in the universe she's created so I hope she does so in future books.

Now I'm on to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

So far it's just "okay". Things have finally started heating up but man, he took awhile building things up. I'm halfway in and most of it is just Blomkvist doing nothing much.

 

[LordAmused]

Since we're on the subject...

Tom Bissell wrote the introduction for the 20th Anniversary Edition of Infinite Jest. It's a thoughtful piece and about a million times better than the Eggers intro from my copy.

For the 20th anniversary, Les Editions de l'Olivier were finally able to release the first translation ever of Infinite Jest in French. It is the edition I am currently reading, it's a very good looking book, I will see if I can get a picture of two.

There is no introduction though, only the main text, a few words by the translator saying he doesn't want to have anything to do with David Foster Wallace in the future, so I think we can say goodbye to our hopes of having his other novels translated, and 130 pages of footnotes.

 

[Mifune]

For the 20th anniversary, Les Editions de l'Olivier were finally able to release the first translation ever of Infinite Jest in French. It is the edition I am currently reading, it's a very good looking book, I will see if I can get a picture of two.

There is no introduction though, only the main text, a few words by the translator saying he doesn't want to have anything to do with David Foster Wallace in the future, so I think we can say goodbye to our hopes of having his other novels translated, and 130 pages of footnotes.

Well at least you got the work itself. And what a work it is. Glad you're enjoying it. You're reading the footnotes, right?

 

[wild wild rice]

For the 20th anniversary, Les Editions de l'Olivier were finally able to release the first translation ever of Infinite Jest in French. It is the edition I am currently reading, it's a very good looking book, I will see if I can get a picture of two.

There is no introduction though, only the main text, a few words by the translator saying he doesn't want to have anything to do with David Foster Wallace in the future, so I think we can say goodbye to our hopes of having his other novels translated, and 130 pages of footnotes.

Interesting! Did you also read Pynchon in French? I think IJ is a great, life changing book full of insightful thoughts and heart, but linguistically it can't rival Pynchon's works. Pynchon's writing is just much more beautiful, rhythmic and packed with meaning so I'm wondering if maybe the aesthetic superiority of Pynchon doesn't really translate to French.

I say this as a big fan of both writers.

Edit: I'm referring your previous post about liking more than Pynchon's stuff. A very common criticism of DFW is that the writing itself is abstruse and rambling and unnecessarily wordy, not pleasant to read. DFW himself said he doesn't think his stuff reads out loud very well.

Edit 2: No, I am not Harold Bloom.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Free via Bookbub, finished yesterday. I really love his writing style. The story and characters could be betterbut I was engaged purely off of the writing. Not saying he's some master class but I enjoy when I randomly read a book and I don't have to trudge through it.

 

[Taruranto]

I was in the middle of the second book of the Dark Tower series and I was mildly enjoying it, but then I was spoiled that in the later books

Spoiler

Stephen King himself becomes a character and there is a meta-narrative aspect which involves saving him from a car crash

, which made me go WTF and lose all interest I had.

 

[Tenrius]

15% into John Dies at the End. I like it! Thought the prologue was a bit weak though, because it tried to a little too hard to be... flashy (not the very first opening sequence before that, that was awesome).

Finished up Ann Leckie's Ancillary Mercy. I enjoyed it and feel it was a decent end to the series. There's a lot more that could be explored in the universe she's created so I hope she does so in future books.

Now I'm on to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
So far it's just "okay". Things have finally started heating up but man, he took awhile building things up. I'm halfway in and most of it is just Blomkvist doing nothing much.

Have you seen any of the movies? I though the original Swedish-Norwegian triogy was great, no idea about the one with Daniel Craig.

 

[Grady Durden]

Just finished the first Mistborn book. Pretty good though Sanderson seems to be making up and tweaking the rules of his "Allomancy" as he goes along.

I'm on the third one. Someone here mentioned the description:

Spoiler

power creep.

and it's all I can think about now. Kind of ruined my enjoyment so don't click that spoiler.

 

[LordAmused]

Well at least you got the work itself. And what a work it is. Glad you're enjoying it. You're reading the footnotes, right?

I am reading about 75% of them. Sometimes when I am between two classes or time-limited, I just skip them and read them on later. The big movie list of Icandenza (or whatever it is spelled) is part of the 25% I haven't read. I should probably take a few minutes to read the ones missing.

Interesting! Did you also read Pynchon in French? I think IJ is a great, life changing book full of insightful thoughts and heart, but linguistically it can't rival Pynchon's works. Pynchon's writing is just much more beautiful, rhythmic and packed with meaning so I'm wondering if maybe the aesthetic superiority of Pynchon doesn't really translate to French.

I say this as a big fan of both writers.

Edit: I'm referring your previous post about liking more than Pynchon's stuff. A very common criticism of DFW is that the writing itself is abstruse and rambling and unnecessarily wordy, not pleasant to read. DFW himself said he doesn't think his stuff reads out loud very well.

I read Inherent Vice, Gravity's Rainbow, Vineland, Bleeding Edge from Pynchon. I also started Against the Day but never got past the 300 pages mark. All of those were read in French and your point about it is valid; the translation in French is not very good. Pynchon, as I've read a few exceprts in English from all over the Internet, writes with a lot of phonetic styles and such. I think it doesn't quite translate that good to French. Then again, it's never the same translator as Pynchon novels were written over the span of 40 years, though I can say that Inherent Vice and Bleeding Edge were nicely translated. Gravity's Rainbow was a mess honestly, the story was awesome, the ambiance was creepy and all, but all those scientific terms and that heavy, encyclopedic writing style didn't make for a very good experience when translated in French, as our already complicated language gets much much more complicated when adding scientific terms, thoeries and such...

So yeah, maybe, probably, it is a translating "issue" with Pynchon. I shall read a few of them in English sooner or later.

As for IJ, the translator really did a nice job of keeping the "oral" style of Wallace, even though there are multiple very long sentences. It reads smoothly, and it's got great humor. I think it's a very "modern" translation that gives everybody the chance to dig in and get lost.

 

[Woorloog]

Just finished the first Mistborn book. Pretty good though Sanderson seems to be making up and tweaking the rules of his "Allomancy" as he goes along.

Actually, he is just revealing stuff as he goes on. You can check out his annotations for his books at his home site. It is very, very clear the system was pretty much fully developed before he wrote the books.
Indeed, unlike most magic in fantasy, Sanderson's is "hard" to use his own description. Very defined, to the point of science.
(He does seemingly break some rules at times but he suggested Newton's Laws and the Theory of Relativity as an analogy, the former cannot explain some things that the latter can but that does't make the former invalid.)

 

[wild wild rice]

snip.

Glad to hear IJ is a good read in French. It's good to know people can connect with the themes and humor through a translation. DFW doesn't even read "smoothly" in English sometimes. Hell, only a very small percentage of native speakers can appreciate that type of shit anyway.

I've wondered how these very massive, very American books like IJ, Gravity's Rainbow, etc. would work in other languages, if they could be appreciated at all. I imagine my favorite Pynchon book, Mason & Dixon, would be near impossible to translate. This isn't meant to sound condescending in any way, just thoughts about the nature of literature and translation.

I've enjoyed a few French authors (Celine, Proust, Genet, Chamoiseau, Montaigne) and I'm always wondering what I'm missing out on by not having French blood, so to speak. Especially with Proust, who is supposedly very difficult to translate well. Baudelaire is especially painful to read in English, unfortunately.

Any French authors you recommend I check out?

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

I'm reading the last Jack Reacher novel I have left before I'm all caught up to Make Me. It's the second one, Die Trying. So far so good.

It's been a long and fun journey. Can't help but be a bit disappointed that I won't have tons still left in reserve. I love these damn books.

Oh well. I have Mistborn 5 & 6 on the way along with American Gods. They should all be here Monday. Going to switch back and forth between those and some Tom Clancy books I still have in reserve. Should be fun.

 

[lightus]

Have you seen any of the movies? I though the original Swedish-Norwegian triogy was great, no idea about the one with Daniel Craig.

I haven't seen any of the movies and I'm not spoiled on anything. Going into the trilogy completely fresh woo!

 

[Tragicomedy]

Hah! I'm reading that too. I read the first a couple of years ago but have only just got around to Countdown City. Like you said, the mystery isn't that great but it's such a great setting and premise I enjoy it anyway.

I have to imagine someone will make it a mini-series at some point.

Jaja, this trilogy should be a show for sure. Maybe we should petition Netflix or something.

I really don't see that happening. I'll wait until you're both finished with the trilogy before expanding on that thought.

 

[TwntyOneTwlv]

I'm about 75% of the way through this, and I can tell that the end will wreck me. Trixie seems like the best dog in the world.

 

[LordAmused]

Any French authors you recommend I check out?

All those authors you named are old books from the 19th century, and honestly, it was and is still heavy stuff, if you know what I mean. "L'époque du Réalisme", the Realism in French Litterature was made of highly detailed scenes in which taok part human dramas of the worse kind. It is pretty depressing and very heavy.

The one thing in French litterature, whatever it is new or 250 years old, that makes it very difficult to translate is the phonetic arrangements. French is a very poetic language and even though with today's social media "way" of typing and texting etc...that poetic element gets kind of lost in the mix and is pretty much only found in novels and books. I am no official translator, and I don't pretend to be one, but I believe it is much easier to translate a journalistic French text to English than it is to do the same operation, but with a French novel; it doesn't have the phonetic and structural issues of French in novels and poetry, obviously it is the same in every language. But still, my point is that phonetic arrangements in French can make an average sentence a great, emotional sentence, that reads like a poem.
The huge choice of words in the French language also makes it difficult when translating in English as the subtleties of the language that are very important to the understanding of the text cannot always be found in the English language.

As for authors, anything that wins the Goncourt Prize is very good. Pierre Lemaitre "Au Revoir là-haut" is the 2013 winner IIRC. It's a very good story about people making money off the dead soldiers in the WWI. His prose is fluid, though I don't know how what would translate to English, for the reasons stated earlier. French Canadian author Patrick Senecal wrote several books that have been adaptated in movies and some more and being adaptated in Hollywood. They are very good, cruel but fair thrillers. "5150 rue des Ormes", "Alyss" and "Les 7 jours du talion" are his best. He is one of the only Quebec author to be able to live off his passion for writing, as we are a very small market with no love from France. Other than that. Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" is a masterpice of romantism along with realism. Victor Hugo is way too heavy, his stories are good but it's no fun, even for a native French Canadian.

This is what comes to mind right now, I can look into my library and find some good titles if needed!

 

[Ingram]

Finished Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell (now I can watch the series this weekend finally!) Re-reading Wool Omnibus before I read the two sequal Omnibus's (Shift, Dust.) I really loved Wool first time around but never got around to the follow-ups after I heard some lukewarm reactions.

 

[Mumei]

I've finished reading Southern Horrors: Women and the Politics of Rape and Lynching, by Crystal N. Feimster. Ugh.

It's another one of those books where I knew the broad outlines, but the details make it so much uglier. I wish more people, especially white Americans, were aware of this history.

 

[Deleted member 125677]

Well, I don't see how anyone could think differently.

The Postscript is absolutely devastating to read. Still I somehow think the story as a whole suffers a bit from it. I liked a lot how up until that part you sort of knew but at the same time didn't what Norton was really doing

Spoiler

except for the one instance in the woods on ivu'ivu which was sort of blatant

. There were tons of insinuations, while nothing was really revealed until that point.

 

[Hanzou]

I'm reading the last Jack Reacher novel I have left before I'm all caught up to Make Me. It's the second one, Die Trying. So far so good.

It's been a long and fun journey. Can't help but be a bit disappointed that I won't have tons still left in reserve. I love these damn books.

Oh well. I have Mistborn 5 & 6 on the way along with American Gods. They should all be here Monday. Going to switch back and forth between those and some Tom Clancy books I still have in reserve. Should be fun.

Die Trying is actually the July book in the series I have read. My dad e joys the books and bought it for my birthday last year. The first third or so I thought it was OK but then it really picked up and I enjoyed it. It's really just a big action movie which was great. I saw the Tom Cruise movie why it came out and thought it as not too bad, am I wrong in thinking they are making another movie in the series?

 

[nailbombxx]

Finished this collection by classic horror author Arthur Machen

Here's my review I wrote on Goodreads

A fantastic collection of stories horror author Arthur Machen. Perhaps my favorite aspect of Machen's work is his ability to create an atmosphere of mysticism through his emphasis on nature, folklore, religion, and the occult. No where is this more apparent than in his masterpiece The White People. Through the diary of a young girl, you are thrown into a world of weird and strange things that you hardly understand, you struggle to guess its purpose, and you just can't shake the feeling that it is all wicked. It is a prime example of why I love Machen's work.

That said, most stories in this collection are gold: tales about experiments to see beyond reality gone wrong, encounters with the occult and the malignant "little people" of legend, visions and eyewitness accounts of holy miracles, etc. At his best Machen's work can make the mind wonder like no other. However, the last two stories in this collection (The Children of the Pool, The Terror) were rather disappointing in their payoff. It seems what Machen lead me to expect until the end was far more grand and terrible than what he could come up with. Still, the rest are absolute classics of horror and weird fiction.

 

[fakefaker]

I really don't see that happening. I'll wait until you're both finished with the trilogy before expanding on that thought.

Finished the 2nd book last night, but gonna read something else before hitting the third cuz the series is kind of a downer and I was yelling at Hank at the climax. I just love it!

 

[The Culture Vulture]

Half way through The Shining and slogging my way through the grammar/usage Nazi essay in Consider The Lobster.

 

[sparky2112]

slogging my way through the grammar/usage Nazi essay in Consider The Lobster.

Yeah, not one of my favorites or especially easy. Although, the last piece in Lobster, 'Host' is probably my favorite piece of Wallace non-fiction.

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Die Trying is actually the July book in the series I have read. My dad e joys the books and bought it for my birthday last year. The first third or so I thought it was OK but then it really picked up and I enjoyed it. It's really just a big action movie which was great. I saw the Tom Cruise movie why it came out and thought it as not too bad, am I wrong in thinking they are making another movie in the series?

Yes they are making another film.

The first movie was based on the book One Shot, and outside of very small differences is almost an exact replica of the book.

The next movie is based on Never Go Back from 2013. Very good book and definitely one of my favorites in the series.

 

[AMxKaOtIcDeV]

Im currently about 20% into Neil Strauss most recent book, fascinating read.

 

[Vyrance]

Reading through the Void Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton right now, just started the second book. Great so far!

 

[Angelus Errare]

 

[Pau]

Just got City of Blades in the mail. Excited!

I've finished reading Southern Horrors: Women and the Politics of Rape and Lynching, by Crystal N. Feimster. Ugh.

It's another one of those books where I knew the broad outlines, but the details make it so much uglier. I wish more people, especially white Americans, were aware of this history.

Will have to read this.

 

[Ryde3]

I just read Aziz Ansari - Modern Romance, and it was interesting. Not particularly deep but I enjoyed the humour and he really highlights come major differences between dating 50 years ago and today, and wraps it up nicely.

Currently reading Judd Apatow - Sick in the Head and I'm enjoying it so far.

 

[The Culture Vulture]

Yeah, not one of my favorites or especially easy. Although, the last piece in Lobster, 'Host' is probably my favorite piece of Wallace non-fiction.

Good to hear. I read every word of House Of Leaves but I'm struggling to not skim through parts of this. Glad there is a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel with the last chapter.

 

[Pau]

Does anyone have a link to a good summary of City of Stairs? I've forgotten so much. :/

 

[Ceallach]

Diary of a Dead Man.

A transcript of the diary of a civil soldier from enlistment through his imprisonment and ultimate death.

 

[ssharm02]

Just started reading, the executive brain. Great book so far

 

[Cade]

Finished Revival. Pretty good, I liked the ending a lot though it was more depressing than I imagined.

Also, holy shit, Stephen King sure went overboard on the

Spoiler

Frankenstein

references with names in the last bit. I mean, I get it. But c'mon.

 

[Mossybrew]

I'm loving it so far, perhaps more than the first book. I suppose it helps that Fitz seems to think very much like I do - overanalysing everything, incredibly introspective, and prone to procrastination.

Funny, I just started this book as well after finishing the first one. Though frankly I'm finding it tedious for the reasons you like it, I'm quickly growing weary of being inside his head. I hope Fitz matures over the course of this book or I probably won't bother with the third.

 

[FunkyDealer]

I'm reading Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It's my first Star Wars book, and I have seen the film.

It seems to be a decent adaption. I'm still on early pages, but there's a few additional smaller events and a bit more dialogue. I thought the film felt rushed story-wise, with never enough build-up. Hoping the book will be different.

I think it could do with better formatting and/or more chapters, as it'll suddenly jump in time and space with nothing but a new paragraph. It feels a bit confusing or unexpected (in a bad way) due to the high frequency of said jumps.

I'm reading the Kindle edition by the way.

I suppose I should join the goodreads club, but I'm not good at keeping it updated.

 

[BorkBork]

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell

“People are wrong when they think that an unemployed man only worries about losing his wages; on the contrary, an illiterate man, with the work habit in his bones, needs work even more than he needs money. An educated man can put up with enforced idleness, which is one of the worst evils of poverty. But a man like Paddy, with no means of filling up time, is as miserable out of work as a dog on the chain. That is why it is such nonsense to pretend that those who have 'come down in the world' are to be pitied above all others. The man who really merits pity is the man who has been down from the start, and faces poverty with a blank, resourceless mind.”

Makes me feel so fortunate for never having lived in abject poverty. Also, Orwell is the best at describing disgusting things.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Which reminds me I still need to read that one, and his 'art is propaganda' work.

 

[BorkBork]

Which reminds me I still need to read that one, and his 'art is propaganda' work.

Facing Unpleasant Facts is the other volume of that collection, if you're referring to this. Highly recommended.

 

[Woorloog]

So, i got my order.
I read Bands of Mourning in 8 hours or so.

 

[fakefaker]

Going with something more humorous this time with Mr. Pye by Mervyn Peake.

 

[Mumei]

My copy of Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen has arrived.

Spoiler

The Postscript is absolutely devastating to read. Still I somehow think the story as a whole suffers a bit from it. I liked a lot how up until that part you sort of knew but at the same time didn't what Norton was really doing

Spoiler

except for the one instance in the woods on ivu'ivu which was sort of blatant

. There were tons of insinuations, while nothing was really revealed until that point.

Hmm. I agree that it loses something, as you say, but at the same time I found that if anything I liked it better after the Postscript than I had after reading the 'ending.'

Maybe I just like having my buttons pushed!

Spoiler

shut it, cyan. yeah, i know you clicked this.

 

[TwntyOneTwlv]

I jumped into this today. I love stuff like this! I've been eager to read it ever since I heard about it a few months ago.

 

[roosters93]

And I'm re-reading the one, the only:

God, what a shit cover for the 20th anniversary. So many good ones were submitted, and this is what they went with.

I got a good jump on the first week of Infinite Winter's page count. It amazes me that I've read the first 100 pages so many times and I STILL find stuff I missed on each previous reading. I've never successfully completed a re-read, so I'm in it this time for the long haul.

God speed brother
I've never attempted a re-read though I've wanted to at some stage. That and Count of Monte Cristo lol

Currently reading On The Road by Jack Kerouac. Tried to read this a few years ago but didn't get into it. Am digging it this time. Maybe nearly halfway through

 

[User 479360]

I have these two borrowed from the library, but I haven't even started them:

I also have this held at another library. It's finally ready for pick-up. But I'm not sure if I should bother, because I've always had a hard time with fantasy period pieces and have the other two books:

Returned this, because I simply wasn't reading it. I had it for months, and someone had a hold on it, so I figured I'd be nice and return it early since I wasn't invested. I want to read it someday, though. More than three stories, that is, because it's been good so far.

 

[sparky2112]

Returned this, because I simply wasn't reading it. I had it for months, and someone had a hold on it, so I figured I'd be nice and return it early since I wasn't invested. I want to read it someday, though. More than three stories, that is, because it's been good so far.

Don't know if this is generally known, but Whitta is a (former?) GAFer, who is also the screenwriter (or one of them) for the next Star Wars movie.

 

[aravuus]

Funny, I just started this book as well after finishing the first one. Though frankly I'm finding it tedious for the reasons you like it, I'm quickly growing weary of being inside his head. I hope Fitz matures over the course of this book or I probably won't bother with the third.

This is how I felt, and more or less dropped the book halfway through.

Do post your thoughts on it when you're done, though. If you liked it, I might give it another try.

 

[Tawney Bomb]

Finished the Mistborn trilogy after taking a break part way through The Hero of Ages. Overall I liked all the books, I thought the third was the only one that was a little slow, but the second half is one hell of a ride. I thought Sanderson did a good job of tying everything together, even tiny things throughout all three books.

Not sure I'll jump straight into the other Mistborn books right away, but I'll definitely be reading them in the future.