Real Pic January!

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Opiate said:
Favorite novel: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I even have a T Shirt that says "Dostoevsky rules!" on it. My girlfriend hates it.
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The only Russian lit I read was Crime and Punishment, which I liked a lot :) We made sweaters for our AP EngLit class and put "'My sanity is really deserting me' in Senior AP!" on the back loool

They taught Russian in my high school and I really wanted to take it as an elective, but I was already taking French and I had no room ;/
 
marrec said:
How's the translation? I always love reading new stuff. Or at least buying it... I have too many damn books.

I will have to find my post defending paper books, it was a novel in itself.
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To me there's something the smell of books that I can't give up.

I also feel like with e-books I'm only leasing the book and I don't truly own it. Just not willing to jump on the e-reader bandwagon.
 
marrec said:
How's the translation? I always love reading new stuff. Or at least buying it... I have too many damn books.

I will have to find my post defending paper books, it was a novel in itself.
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The translation is great! I'd say much of the satire remains intact. Heart of a Dog is especially great since its fairly fast paced and more or less on the short side. It's very heavy on the communist/proletariat themes, but it's just that sort of misery that attracts me to it. :3
 
I'm reading The Three Musketeers right now and loving it. I'm not surprised because I loved the Count of Monte Cristo as well.
 
Nintendoll said:
DO IT, it's an exciting language to learn.
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How'd you learn it? Classes, books, etc? Only way I know how to learn a language is to be dropped into the country and told if I want to make myself understood I better learn fast!

Trip Warhawkins said:
Well Pau Nabokov could almost be considered an American author (not only bc of citizenship, Lolita was written in English), so there's that.
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But he also wrote in Russian. >:( He counts damn it!

I've got a personal stake in this battle. In the off chance I become a famous novelist I'd like to known as a Colombian author even though I'd be writing in a mix of Spanish and English. Gotta stand up for fellow multi-lingual writers!
 
I too love the smell of books. I hate when it's made light of as the one thing those of us who prefer paperback can't let go of, though. It's far from the only reason I will always prefer a physical copy when it comes to books. I'm very gung-ho about digitally distributed games and music, but I never see myself crossing that threshold. I have an iPad, I've tried my dad's Kindle, and I don't enjoy it nearly as much.

edit: Damn marrec that is one hell of a post, reading it now
 
Pau said:
But he also wrote in Russian. >:( He counts damn it!

I've got a personal stake in this battle. In the off chance I become a famous novelist I'd like to known as a Colombian author even though I'd be writing in a mix of Spanish and English. Gotta stand up for fellow multi-lingual writers!
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You're going to need to wait for Marquez to die. The international position of "That Colombian Writer" is presently filled.

Again, though, Nabokov's Russian status is affected by more than just writing in a non-Russian language. He suffers from his language of choice (mostly English), writing style (much more direct and upbeat than Dostoevsky or Tolstoy), and his preference to live abroad -- three strikes and you're out of the Russian canon.
 
Pau said:
How'd you learn it? Classes, books, etc? Only way I know how to learn a language is to be dropped into the country and told if I want to make myself understood I better learn fast!
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If you can't go to a country where it is spoken, the best way is to immerse yourself in everything about the language! Surround yourself with music, movies, books, and of course people (if you can find any... but with the internet it should be easy enough. I bet you could even find some GAFfers who are native speakers to help you.) Reading grammar books and doing some exercises are pretty important of course, but I think the most important is just forcing yourself to use it even if you don't need to.
 
Pau said:
Man, I'm so weird about poetry... 'cause the first one I like the last two couplets but the rest of it just doesn't do much fo. And I've never been too crazy about Keats either. :/ I don't know what I'm missing though. Maybe I need to hear it out loud? I don't know. I just get frustrated with English poetry since it's one of the few things that just won't click for me. And I don't have that problem with Spanish poetry. (Lorca is by far my favorite poet but I just looked up some of his English translations and it loses soooo much.)

Also how are we talking about Russian authors without mentioning Nabokov? What is this... I'm seriously considering learning Russian just for him.
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I think we started this conversation with Nabokov... or it was you who started with him... :P

Here's a gaffer,

Her Words

I'm not saying who...

oh alright, I'll let you be... You gave it a shot at least... :P
 
Pau said:
How'd you learn it? Classes, books, etc? Only way I know how to learn a language is to be dropped into the country and told if I want to make myself understood I better learn fast!
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I used Rosetta Stone, along with habitually talking to my Russian speaking friends over the phone, watching TV/Films and listening to Russian music.
 
I actually hate the e-book vs. paper book debate because I love both and I've seen some people get particularly nasty about it! They both have their unique benefits and disadvantages and I would never want to pick one over the other.
 
Opiate said:
You're going to need to wait for Marquez to die. The international position of "That Colombian Writer" is presently filled.
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And what shoes to fill, Marquez has some of the best short stories I've ever read (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings). That being said, he is getting up there in age and really there's always room for more talent in the world.
 
Lissar said:
I actually hate the e-book vs. paper book debate because I love both and I've seen some people get particularly nasty about it! They both have their unique benefits and disadvantages and I would never want to pick one over the other.
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It's surprising how nasty people can get! I don't mind that e-books are growing in popularity at all. As long as people are reading I'm happy.

Nintendoll said:
And what shoes to fill, Marquez has some of the best short stories I've ever read (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings). That being said, he is getting up there in age and really there's always room for more talent in the world.
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Have you read Collected Stories in its entirety? So much greatness. I need to go through them again sometime.
 
Lissar said:
I actually hate the e-book vs. paper book debate because I love both and I've seen some people get particularly nasty about it! They both have their unique benefits and disadvantages and I would never want to pick one over the other.
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same. Each has advantages and disadvantages...

edit:
oh okay, one last poem for the thread... kinda reminded me of it with the comment about the last line.

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Had I the heaven's embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

William Butler Yeats


-------
and that's the end of the poetry corner spamming... :/
 
Nintendoll said:
And what shoes to fill, Marquez has some of the best short stories I've ever read (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings). That being said, he is getting up there in age and really there's always room for more talent in the world.
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I'm not so sure. I suggest moving to Argentina, Pau -- you still get to write in Spanish and Borges is already dead.
 
CaptYamato said:
I use to love books than I got an Kindle. Fuck books I say.
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The only thing I really care about keeping physical is video games. I love collecting games. Everything else I don't really care about, and am happy to go fully digital.
 
What is the name of the Marquez story about the stranger who walks into town and starts giving away money, or wishes or something? I'd like to read that one again.
 
Nintendoll said:
And what shoes to fill, Marquez has some of the best short stories I've ever read (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings). That being said, he is getting up there in age and really there's always room for more talent in the world.
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That was part of my 'summer master your self thread' project. Read close to fifty fricken stories. I just did it before I could change my mind*. And that particular story is awesome.


*no, I don't particularly recommend cramming so much. It's silly, do it over a year or something.
 
Lissar said:
I actually hate the e-book vs. paper book debate because I love both and I've seen some people get particularly nasty about it! They both have their unique benefits and disadvantages and I would never want to pick one over the other.
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I couldn't care less how people enjoy books. I'm just afraid that if e-books become the default reading method that publishers might not choose to publish paper books anymore. That would be a terrible future, to me.
 
icarus-daedelus said:
Well, y'all weren't really supposed to know about the ugly list.

Precious egos and all that.
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Eh. Considering I'm greying, bald, and look 10 years older than I actually am, even if such a list existed and I were on it, it wouldn't affect me.

I got swag in spades. I'll live.
 
Kitsunebaby said:
I couldn't care less how people enjoy books. I'm just afraid that if e-books become the default reading method that publishers might not choose to publish paper books anymore. That would be a terrible future, to me.
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Yup :( What will happen to bookstores? They're one of my favorite places to go...
 
kisaya said:
Yup :( What will happen to bookstores? They're one of my favorite places to go...
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I know what you mean. Borders closing down was huge for me. I worked there for several years. I think in the long-run it's for the best, though. It'd be nice to see the return of the boutique bookstore business model. It might be wishful thinking, but I suspect it's possible.
 
kisaya said:
Yup :( What will happen to bookstores? They're one of my favorite places to go...
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I used to love going to book stores, but it's nice not having to go in order to buy something.

Then again, I'm a quintessential guy. I like walking in, making a bee line for what I need, speaking to absolutely no one except the clerk, and walking out.

Count Dookkake said:
If there is an ugly list and I am on it, so be it.

All my clothes glow.
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Solidarity, bro.
 
Kitsunebaby said:
I couldn't care less how people enjoy books. I'm just afraid that if e-books become the default reading method that publishers might not choose to publish paper books anymore. That would be a terrible future, to me.
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I can't see this happening anytime soon, if at all. E-readers are growing, but I can't see them taking over the entire market. While with music people have always been used to needing some extra component for listening, reading has never been this way until now. People are going to be resistant to it for awhile. In the worst case paper books may become like vinyl, with a few dedicated collectors (there will always be independent publishers willing to do this.) But even if that is the future, it is a long time off.
 
Lissar said:
If you can't go to a country where it is spoken, the best way is to immerse yourself in everything about the language! Surround yourself with music, movies, books, and of course people (if you can find any... but with the internet it should be easy enough. I bet you could even find some GAFfers who are native speakers to help you.) Reading grammar books and doing some exercises are pretty important of course, but I think the most important is just forcing yourself to use it even if you don't need to.
Click to expand...

Nintendoll said:
I used Rosetta Stone, along with habitually talking to my Russian speaking friends over the phone, watching TV/Films and listening to Russian music.
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Damn, this is going to be hard especially to do along with school, but I'm definitely going to look into it and see if I can do it at this moment in my life.
Nintendoll said:
And what shoes to fill, Marquez has some of the best short stories I've ever read (A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings). That being said, he is getting up there in age and really there's always room for more talent in the world.
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Haha yeah, we don't raise no chumps in Colombia! But damn, still gonna try. And I'll probably never get to Marquez's level but if anything Colombia needs all the good role models and representatives it can get!

Opiate said:
I'm not so sure. I suggest moving to Argentina, Pau -- you still get to write in Spanish and Borges is already dead.
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Well, I'm in the United States at the moment for school so I have no idea where I'm going to end up in the future, but thanks for believing in me Opiate. >:( I can see why you have your tag!
 
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