Figured some of you might be interested in this: a kickstarter for water-resistant books to enjoy under circumstances that would otherwise wreck your books. Books made of syntethic paper and waterproof binding .
I just finally read Stoner after seeing it reccomended in these threads month after month. It's been awhile since I've read for fun, I forgot how much I enjoy reading fiction. The whole book, and especially the end were so emotional, the scenes between Stoner and his wife and Lomax were difficult to read at times. The regret and self-reflection at the end were just crushing.
It's an amazing book, but there's one thing I'm not clear about though. What was the deal with Edith when they got married? She goes from seemingly ambivalent towards Stoner (aside from the one scene where she opens up) to wanting to get married in an instant, and she's in a hurry to do it. I was convinced that she was pregnant by someone it would be socially unacceptable for her to openly be with, or the father had skipped town, or something like that. The scene where Stoner's father seems suspicious of her seemed to confirm this to me, but nothing came of it. I'm assuming that, but I'm wondering if I missed something.Edith had a horrible home life and got married to escape exactly like Grace would later do
I also wonder what the hell Walker had on Lomax. Doesn't really matter, but man, the scene where Walker is evaluated to see if he can continue in the program was infuriating.
I honestly did not come to that pregnancy conclusion. Its been too long for me to really remember the details so I can't tell you if it makes sense or not. I took her to be very sheltered and naive. She had a picture in her head what it was like to be married and thought it would be exactly like that, where she was loved, spoiled, taken care of and everything was a fairy tale.
When it was not like that. It was hard work and dirty. One conclusion that I came to that no one who I have talked to have seen or really agreed with was that the main reason why his wife rejected him so completely after they first had sex was that she depicted that act as rape, as a defilement. She did not want to do it and was not ready to do it, but Stoner forced it upon her anyway and she never forgave him because it completely ruined her fairy tale picture of marriage.
Wasn't it also kind of implied that she was abused by her father? That's what I took away from her reaction when her father died and she threw away all the stuff she got from him.
Finally finished The Swallow's Tower, moving on to The Lady of the Lake, which is split into two volumes for some reason.
I'd put The Secret History in this category. Also, and far less well know, Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. Both The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex by Eugenides. Junot Diaz's Oscar Wao.Are there any modern, great coming of age stories like To Kill A Mockingbird or Catcher in the Rye?
I'd put The Secret History in this category. Also, and far less well know, Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. Both The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex by Eugenides. Junot Diaz's Oscar Wao.
I just got sent a copy of his latest book as well...Shoot - totally forgot Skippy Dies, which is a desert island book for me. By the way, Skippy does in fact die - IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE.
It took Murray 7 years to write, and it shows. It's also a great view of adult disillusion...
That's odd that they did that. Wonder where the split happens.
I just got sent a copy of his latest book as well...
Well, the last chapter of volume one ends after Chapter 7 if that means anything to you. I have no idea why they did it either. It seems that the two volumes together are not much longer than The Swallow's Tower.
FYI - The Sisters Brothers is $1.99 on Amazon currently. Very fun, violent, sometimes humorous western. Chef recommends!
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
FYI - The Sisters Brothers is $1.99 on Amazon currently. Very fun, violent, sometimes humorous western. Chef recommends!
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
She did become extremely sexual when she decided she wanted a kid though. The book mentions that she was raised to view having sex as a sort of martial duty, and not something that you do for pleasure. Clearly she wasn't ready and didn't enjoy it but I don't think that's why their marriage failed.
Wasn't it also kind of implied that she was abused by her father? That's what I took away from her reaction when her father died and she threw away all the stuff she got from him.
It was never implicitly stated but I got the impression she suffered from bi-polar disorder. Never once are her moods or behaviors those of a mentally healthy, social adult.
Going to start this next. Think a bunch of my next reads will be a bunch of physical books I've picked up recently in the bargain.
The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
Hehe I totally missed you actually reading that precise book right now... I guess that's the problem with naming a book "It"... lol
Some other recommendations:
11/22/63 - it's awesome
Mr Mercedes and Finders Keepers
Dolores Claiborne
The Eyes of the Dragon
I've read it twice. I'm not sure it's as good as I think it thinks it is (if that makes sense), but it's an achievement, for sure. It's hugely dense. It's very challenging in places. Some of it is excruciatingly boring (though that is the point, and it's never less than exceptionally written). You absolutely cannot dip in and dip out. It'll lose you, and you it.Have any of you nerds read Infinite Jest? Or tried to?
I haven't read anything by DFW but I've been listening to some interviews of his lately and I find him very very interesting. I studied philosophy in college, so I'm not turned off by the density of the language, but I am worried with it maybe being too challenging to actually bring myself to read it daily?
Just wondering for those who have read it, how did you go about reading it? Casual glances at the book on your morning commute, or making time to read it, etc?
Have any of you nerds read Infinite Jest? Or tried to?
I haven't read anything by DFW but I've been listening to some interviews of his lately and I find him very very interesting. I studied philosophy in college, so I'm not turned off by the density of the language, but I am worried with it maybe being too challenging to actually bring myself to read it daily?
Just wondering for those who have read it, how did you go about reading it? Casual glances at the book on your morning commute, or making time to read it, etc?
Have any of you nerds read Infinite Jest? Or tried to?
I haven't read anything by DFW but I've been listening to some interviews of his lately and I find him very very interesting. I studied philosophy in college, so I'm not turned off by the density of the language, but I am worried with it maybe being too challenging to actually bring myself to read it daily?
Just wondering for those who have read it, how did you go about reading it? Casual glances at the book on your morning commute, or making time to read it, etc?
yeah it sucksRead Infinite Jest if you like extremely long novels about boring characters that are mostly just one-dimensional avatars of the author's solipsistic neuroses doing "wacky" things in poorly-wrought, pointless description-stuffed, banality-soaked sentences. Or tennis.
Read Infinite Jest if you like extremely long novels about boring characters that are mostly just one-dimensional avatars of the author's solipsistic neuroses doing "wacky" things in poorly-wrought, pointless description-stuffed, banality-soaked sentences. Or tennis.
...
Just wondering for those who have read it, how did you go about reading it? Casual glances at the book on your morning commute, or making time to read it, etc?
Read Infinite Jest if you like extremely long novels about boring characters that are mostly just one-dimensional avatars of the author's solipsistic neuroses doing "wacky" things in poorly-wrought, pointless description-stuffed, banality-soaked sentences. Or tennis.
yeah it sucks
As far as a viable way of reading the book, you will have to give it some attention. I don't agree with the notion that it's some literary Everest, months have to be set aside, highlighters purchased and reading guides assiduously consulted.
I have finished Seveneves by Neal Stephenson.
My opinion (spoilers for the whole book):
Another uneven outing after Stephenson's REAMDE, but in different ways. REMADE's problem was that it was too slow, kinda boring, and lacked tension - especially the second half - but it was funny as hell. Seveneves is much shorter and less funny than his usual fare, but also has insanely fast pacing - jumping years into the future and accelerating as the story progresses. This starts out as a strength but eventually becomes a weakness, as the intense amount of technical detail begins to feel nonessential.
Seveneves is about the human race surviving after the explosion of the moon sets the Earth's sky on fire. It's hard to say that's what the book is about when you first dive into it, but that's the singular focus. The characters and their emotions are generally irrelevant and are typically only illuminated when it matters to the Survival Of The Species. Stephenson spends time establishing the characters and you do feel for them, especially when they're acting out some harebrained scheme involving complicated physics the book will not shy away from impressing upon you. This is probably the better parts of the novel, along with shwoing off cool technology, solving nifty problems with inventive solutions, and establishing the short term impact of their decisions or mistakes.
The long term impact is established in the latter third of the book - "5000 years later" - which devolves into grabbing tropes from YA dystopian territory. The seven eves created seven races - I expected that. I didn't expect it to become the entire focal point of every paragraph, used as a crutch to explain character motivations, and to dominate a great deal of the final plot. Every character is only a representative from their race - and every act they take is indicative of their race in some way. You can't have a sentence with a verb without mentioning why that verb is "Ivyn" or what have you.
Just as silly and ridiculous, the two groups of humans who we knew of that attempted to survive on Earth: they survived in very odd, unbelievable ways. It seemed very hackneyed, forcing some sort of ending or conflict so that the book could end. Sorry Stephenson. I still love you. Not his weakest book, and I liked the shades of Clarke and Asimov, but a middling outing.
If you want a short, non spoilery summary of my opinion:An OK outing from Stephenson, with wicked fast pacing, cool tech discussion and a middling third act.
Just as silly and ridiculous, the two groups of humans who we knew of that attempted to survive on Earth: they survived in very odd, unbelievable ways. It seemed very hackneyed, forcing some sort of ending or conflict so that the book could end. Sorry Stephenson. I still love you. Not his weakest book, and I liked the shades of Clarke and Asimov, but a middling outing.
Because I want to read it eventually, I only read your summary. I'm shocked, shocked I say, to hear the.ending isn't that good