who do you read? (other than poetrifications)

[butters]

no, they blur, the brain is like a filing cabinet, that the secretaries have spilled coffee in, hid their panties in, god knows what I get when I go to retrieve something. It is a finite system. And mislabeled. However this works great for me, I'm a comedian. There is nothing like a quote or two from the KJV when you pick up a six pack of beer, the bar maids think it is intriguing, and the tough guys give you space. Plenty of it. Trick I learned from Pulp Fiction.

the blur thing i understand, believe it or not - most of us probably do, having read so many words from so many chapters from so many books over the years. it's why i enjoy re-reading, since it helps remind me who belongs where in each book and who the hell they're all related to or where they journeyed, specifically.

also . . . when i've read a book, i sometimes can't tell if i've seen the film already if i'm asked. i mean, i've 'seen' it, but did i go to watch someone else's footage or just remember seeing what my own head came up with?

 

[darkerdreamer]

Surely you're joking...

by the way, that is with not at

and WOW
the living epitomy (or e) of you can't take shit too seriously

You're absolutely correct, Feynman can't be laughed at but one can't help but laugh at the situations he created and lived. A lot of his memoirs delved too deeply into higher scientific education for me to follow, but the comedy of his life was too great to let that get in the way.

i'm so glad someone else here has read them! you seem to find them as interesting as i do, darkerdreamer

Howey can craft a world that feels complete, desperate, and still full of hope. I adore it. For the last 2 years or more the Wool series have been my highest recommendation to anyone looking for a book, that has only intensified as he produced the Shift and Dust follow-ups.

 

[twelveoone]

the blur thing i understand, believe it or not - most of us probably do, having read so many words from so many chapters from so many books over the years. it's why i enjoy re-reading, since it helps remind me who belongs where in each book and who the hell they're all related to or where they journeyed, specifically.

also . . . when i've read a book, i sometimes can't tell if i've seen the film already if i'm asked. i mean, i've 'seen' it, but did i go to watch someone else's footage or just remember seeing what my own head came up with?

I found an old picture of us, hon, when we were young, pre-Donovan days

http://sensesofcinema.com/2010/feature-articles/fahrenheit-451-a-brave-new-world-for-the-new-man-2/

 

[butters]

I found an old picture of us, hon, when we were young, pre-Donovan days

http://sensesofcinema.com/2010/feature-articles/fahrenheit-451-a-brave-new-world-for-the-new-man-2/

*smiles*
who knew you were so tall, and i so unsmiling?

still prefer book over film

 

[Ashesh9]

Zuke
If u find Shakespeare heavier to read than to view on stage , i've to confess am such a addicted , compulsive reader would read bus tickets or railway timetables also just to pass the time !
I also read every book of Harry Potter cover to cover ( though my daughter Arpita is the expert on Mr. Potter, not me ) & the Eragon dragon series too .

 

[twelveoone]

You're absolutely correct, Feynman can't be laughed at but one can't help but laugh at the situations he created and lived. A lot of his memoirs delved too deeply into higher scientific education for me to follow, but the comedy of his life was too great to let that get in the way.



Howey can craft a world that feels complete, desperate, and still full of hope. I adore it. For the last 2 years or more the Wool series have been my highest recommendation to anyone looking for a book, that has only intensified as he produced the Shift and Dust follow-ups.

Go back a notch or two, and can you relate some of the stories? He was a very funny guy. I suppose I could go look them up, but I love to hear from others.
And WOW another Feynman fan.
See I suffer from literary anxiety, sort of like Zelig you know, ever since Desijo caught me NOT reading a Confederacy of Dunces.

 

[Ashesh9]

Butter,
I also enjoyed The compete works of Swami Vivekananda , Himalayan Blunder on the Indo-China '61 conflict , Sunny Days by Sunil Gavaskar , Sandy Storm by Sandeep Patil , Booker prize winner White Tiger by Arvind Adiga , Slumdog Millionnaire , Lipstick Jungle by Candace ( forgot her last name but she is famos for writin' Sex'n tge City ) , the Story of O , Venus in Furs , Kama Sutra , 9 & a half weeks , biography of Barack Obama , the Last Day in Abraham Lincoln's life , lotsa' books by Jackie Collins , Perry Mason paperbacks by Earl Stanley Gardner , lotsa' Paperbacks by Carter Brown , the Percy Jackson series , the legend of Meluha series , ----i actually can't remember all the books i have read but readin' gives a compulsive , addictive reader like me a prolonged Orgasm level Plateau of unalloyed Pleasure !?!

 

[twelveoone]

*smiles*
who knew you were so tall, and i so unsmiling?

still prefer book over film

Your cuteness did not come though in the book, nor my Germaness, Germans always look tall in movies. Except in "M". It's a uniform thing.
I'm sorry, butters, you asked. And by the way, I have that book, its a little charred around the edges but I think that adds a little charm.

 

[Tzara]

who/whom? meh

ok, we're poeticky types here, but some of you also write stories. well this isn't about your writing, it's about some of your favourite authors.

got some favourites from back in your twenties, perhaps, that you've never revisited but enjoy fond memories of? are you one of those who re-read favourites on and off during the years? is it hard to find the hours to immerse yourself in another world? is there one particular book you really plan on sitting down with again?

tell us about them - from your Little Women to Stranger in a Strange Land, Silmarillion to 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

why? well because, silly

My favorite authors, as I've said before, are Jane Austen and Raymond Chandler.

I'll expand on that later.

 

[zukethecuke]

Zuke
If u find Shakespeare heavier to read than to view on stage , i've to confess am such a addicted , compulsive reader would read bus tickets or railway timetables also just to pass the time !
I also read every book of Harry Potter cover to cover ( though my daughter Arpita is the expert on Mr. Potter, not me ) & the Eragon dragon series too .

I like live theater. A lot. And poetry reading beat reading poetry.

I've read all the Potter, too. Fun, but I don't expect to re-read any of it.

Anybody read any Charles Williams?

 

[Ashesh9]

who/whom? meh

ok, we're poeticky types here, but some of you also write stories. well this isn't about your writing, it's about some of your favourite authors.

got some favourites from back in your twenties, perhaps, that you've never revisited but enjoy fond memories of? are you one of those who re-read favourites on and off during the years? is it hard to find the hours to immerse yourself in another world? is there one particular book you really plan on sitting down with again?

tell us about them - from your Little Women to Stranger in a Strange Land, Silmarillion to 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.

why? well because, silly

i read & re-read Maneaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett many times as a boy . Do graphic novels / comics count : if yes , i've read the entire DC universe --- Supes , Bat , Aquaman , JonJozz , the Hawks , Flash & his gorilla friends , Wonderwoman , Green Lantern ,Superboy , Superdog , Supergirl , Justice League & also Stan Lee's Marvel universe ---Spidey , Hulk , X-men , Iron Man , Thor , Sub Mariner , Ghost Rider etc as well as Lee Falk's Phantom & Mandrake & a few Flash Gordon comics !?!

 

[Tzara]

My two favorite authors are Jane Austen and Raymond Chandler. A difficult couple and a pair I get a lot of flak about: Regency romance and private eye grit mashed together into a bouquet of flowers and knives.

Best books? Well, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and, most especially, Persuasion, for Ms. Austen. Rocking books.

And then The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; or the perfection that is The Long Goodbye.

And if I get to talk about Stanisław Lem?

Solaris, of course, The Cyberiad is very funny. His Master’s Voice is my favorite.

Oh, hey. Do that shower avatar again. I know I’m being simple, but that one worked for me.

 

[Tzara]

I like live theater. A lot. And poetry reading beat reading poetry.

I've read all the Potter, too. Fun, but I don't expect to re-read any of it.

Anybody read any Charles Williams?

Yes.

Oh, baby, yes.

Talk to me.

 

[todski28]

hello, tods

over the years i've pretty much read all those with the exception of Feist and Courtenay, though the power of one's ringing a bell in some dim recess of this mind. not read the legend of Althalus but have read the Belgariad. King has a place for all time on my bookshelves, though most his stories pale in comparison to the gunslinger/dark tower series. so many people knock king's writing: i can't speak for the technicalities, but he manages to spin a tale that captivates and keeps me interested enough to want to turn the next page, and the next, and not want to stop till i reach the end with a sigh that i have. to me, that makes him a pretty good writer.

have you read any terry pratchett's? they tickle my funny bone. i can also recommend Hugh Howey, a new novelist (2011) with his Wool trilogy - wool, dust, sand. i e-mailed him having read wool, and dust - seem's a nice guy. he first self-published and now is a top-seller with film rights sold. not bad, eh?

oh, and you know the series Game of Thrones that's been televised? the books are by George R.R. Martin and are preferable to me. that sort of stuff almost always looks better in my head than through a director's eyes.

Have read a lot of the old Mr Pratchett

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_One_(film)
this may be why the title sounds so familiar?

it does not do the book justice in any way shape or form.

 

[butters]

Have read a lot of the old Mr Pratchett

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_One_(film)
this may be why the title sounds so familiar?

it does not do the book justice in any way shape or form.

the synopsis of the film sounds intense, so i think i need to read that book. thankyou!

 

[butters]

My two favorite authors are Jane Austen and Raymond Chandler. A difficult couple and a pair I get a lot of flak about: Regency romance and private eye grit mashed together into a bouquet of flowers and knives.

Best books? Well, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and, most especially, Persuasion, for Ms. Austen. Rocking books.

And then The Big Sleep; Farewell, My Lovely; or the perfection that is The Long Goodbye.

And if I get to talk about Stanisław Lem?

Solaris, of course, The Cyberiad is very funny. His Master’s Voice is my favorite.

Oh, hey. Do that shower avatar again. I know I’m being simple, but that one worked for me.

i don't understand why people give you flak for those choices - variety makes for broader horizons, and a handle-me-carefully bouquet of ideas.

do you prefer the books (as they play in your head) to the screen adaptations?

i've read/seen all you mention with the exception of His Master's Voice - will keep my eyes open for it. there was always something about solaris, though, that spoke to me.

heh, might do. the one i planned looks better in larger format than av-sized.

 

[twelveoone]

i read & re-read Maneaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett many times as a boy . Do graphic novels / comics count : if yes , i've read the entire DC universe --- Supes , Bat , Aquaman , JonJozz , the Hawks , Flash & his gorilla friends , Wonderwoman , Green Lantern ,Superboy , Superdog , Supergirl , Justice League & also Stan Lee's Marvel universe ---Spidey , Hulk , X-men , Iron Man , Thor , Sub Mariner , Ghost Rider etc as well as Lee Falk's Phantom & Mandrake & a few Flash Gordon comics !?!

yes, but only if you never admit to liking Aquaman and if you come across Zap #0, and Zap #1 you hit pay dirt.

 

[bogusagain]

Mishima, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto, Mari Akasaka. Just about anything Japanese since my daughter started studying Japanese. Though I suspect she started studying Japanese because I collect Japanese prints and ceramics and dragged her to Japan once on an art hunt. I tend to get obessions. in my teens and 20s I was obsessed with the Beats. Then I got obsessed Russian writers. I've never really been obsessed with English literature, though I'll always be an Orwell fan.

Most of what I read is none fiction. History books and books on art and semiotics etc.

 

[twelveoone]

Mishima, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto, Mari Akasaka. Just about anything Japanese since my daughter started studying Japanese. Though I suspect she started studying Japanese because I collect Japanese prints and ceramics and dragged her to Japan once on an art hunt. I tend to get obessions. in my teens and 20s I was obsessed with the Beats. Then I got obsessed Russian writers. I've never really been obsessed with English literature, though I'll always be an Orwell fan.

Most of what I read is none fiction. History books and books on art and semiotics etc.

Everybody should be an Orwell fan.

 

[bogusagain]

Everybody should be an Orwell fan.

True. He is a man for all seasons. His work reports on and satirises both left and right and exposes both as being two big lies.

I love his humanity and his candid admission of his own failings and prejudices.

 

[zukethecuke]

True. He is a man for all seasons. His work reports on and satirises both left and right and exposes both as being two big lies.

I love his humanity and his candid admission of his own failings and prejudices.

I saw a stage adaptation of 1984 a couple years ago; very moving.

 

[butters]

Everybody should be an Orwell fan.

maybe 'should' is too dictatorial. though i cannot understand why a person wouldn't be a fan!

I saw a stage adaptation of 1984 a couple years ago; very moving.

*waves to zuke*

 

[bogusagain]

maybe 'should' is too dictatorial. though i cannot understand why a person wouldn't be a fan!

We had to read Orwell at school, we had no choice about it. We then had to discuss his works. It was a good introduction into critical thinking about politics. When it was realised it wasn't just a critique of leftwing politics but of politics and the political mind in general, the Tory government encouraged the dropping of Orwell from the literature curricullum.

 

[butters]

We had to read Orwell at school, we had no choice about it. We then had to discuss his works. It was a good introduction into critical thinking about politics. When it was realised it wasn't just a critique of leftwing politics but of politics and the political mind in general, the Tory government encouraged the dropping of Orwell from the literature curricullum.

why doesn't that surprise me?

i read animal farm whilst still at school, but it wasn't on the agenda. should have been.

 

[zukethecuke]

maybe 'should' is too dictatorial. though i cannot understand why a person wouldn't be a fan!


*waves to zuke*

*waves back, hoping you're still around*

We had to read Orwell at school, we had no choice about it. We then had to discuss his works. It was a good introduction into critical thinking about politics. When it was realised it wasn't just a critique of leftwing politics but of politics and the political mind in general, the Tory government encouraged the dropping of Orwell from the literature curricullum.

Ehhhh.... I'm happy to believe evil things about a Tory gummint, but do you really think they 'realized' anything? It would imply a willingness to learn and change.

why doesn't that surprise me?

i read animal farm whilst still at school, but it wasn't on the agenda. should have been.

We read Lord of the Flies. Ah, life in a state of Nature!