Now Reading

  On 12/28/2013 at 11:25 PM, Phoenix said:

 

 

Haha, ah man, I am totally back in the game for drinking belgium beer. Currently drinking some delicious 'Gulden Draak'. Is that in there?

It sure is

So after downing some beers last night, I decided that I should start reading a 5th book.

 

 

Ten pages in, and already had 1 very deep laugh.

Good one.

 

Yesterday i read "This is Water" for starters (never read Wallace before).

Now i cant decide wether to finish some epic fantasy stuff (i really want to finish "The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson, but for me it is a bit of a PITA to read in english), or just start with "Infinite Jest" (which is translated).

 

I think i will delay reading Erikson again ;)

  On 12/29/2013 at 11:53 AM, Phoenix said:

So after downing some beers last night, I decided that I should start reading a 5th book.

 

Enjoy IJ. Take it slow. Use two bookmarks and read ALL the footnotes - they make for an amazing experience. And stick with it through the boring parts. It took me forever to read, but was well worth it.

*endnotes , excuse me!

 

And "This is Water" isn't too representative of most of his work if that wasn't obvious. It reminds me more of some of his interviews actually.

 

I prefer the live recording of the "this is water" commencement speech too.

Edited December 29, 2013 by feartherush

Just started reading 'S.' by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst. I'm only one chapter in, but it's absolutely fantastic. It's made to look and smell like an old library book and comes in a fancy-looking slipcase, and it has props, like handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, etc, to flesh out the story. It's two stories at once, similar to House of Leaves, but much easier to follow and there are clear cues as to when to stop reading the story and start reading the notes (which comprise a conversation between two people who are communicating by passing the book back and forth, attempting to solve the mystery of who the author of the mysterious book which comprises the main, regular text). Very interesting and well worth reading, I think.

 

 

Has anybody here managed to get through House of Leaves?

Edited December 31, 2013 by Sprigg

pretty sure everyone on this forum has read house of leaves.

  On 12/31/2013 at 4:52 AM, zaphod said:

pretty sure everyone on this forum has read house of leaves.

 

 

not me :(

 

what does that make of me?

somebody who needs to read it ASAP!

 

 

p.s.: House

  On 12/31/2013 at 4:52 AM, zaphod said:

pretty sure everyone on this forum has read house of leaves.

 

I bought it, but still haven't read it. It look like such a task, I back off every time I go to start it.

it's a bit hard on the wrists maybe but not particularly difficult

Read that fucker multiple times. Actually might be due for a reread as the last time was years ago.

 

Still not read Only Revolutions, despite buying it immediately post-publishing.

 

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 7:10 PM, baph said:

it's a bit hard on the wrists maybe but not particularly difficult

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 9:24 PM, hello spiral said:

 

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 7:10 PM, baph said:

it's a bit hard on the wrists maybe but not particularly difficult

 

 

 

 

Not trying to be a douchebag. I quite liked it. It's fun. It requires active participation from the reader, and some ability to be ok with ambiguity, which I guess really pushes it for most readers. It's a decent formal puzzle. Some parts are gorgeous and very effective.

 

The prose itself is not particularly difficult. The book shows you how to read it. It's more Stephen King rewriting Pale Fire than late-period Joyce... rewriting Pale Fire. Johnny's voice gets a bit Kathe Koja at times, I guess. There's nothing wrong with any of that. But it's a lot less difficult than people make it out to be. Fuck, I'm trying to defend it by saying it's not a "task," that's all.

Edited December 31, 2013 by baph

  On 12/31/2013 at 5:30 PM, auxien said:

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 4:52 AM, zaphod said:

pretty sure everyone on this forum has read house of leaves.

 

I bought it, but still haven't read it. It look like such a task, I back off every time I go to start it.

 

 

It's not that hard, House of Leaves is not that of a big book, and there's large portions of text where a page will be read in 30 seconds or less. It's a descriptive kind of writing, it's not that hard to read, thought it demands a lot of imagination on the reader's part.

 

 

P.s.: Get the hardcover version if possible, it's one of those books where it's just better to have it bigger / more solid

Edited December 31, 2013 by Philip Glass

Oh I'm really waiting for Danielewski's next book, The Familiar, due who-the-fuck-knows when. It's supposed to be a serial book, published each 3 months, and it'll be 27 volumes.

Edited December 31, 2013 by Philip Glass

Annoying as shit post incoming, soz:

 

Not sure what the fuck to read next. I've got these unreads clattering around:

 

The Recognitions

Some Remarks (Neal Stephenson)

The City and The Stars

Bleeding Edge

American Gods

The last couple installments of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, may need to re-read The Black Dossier first, I unno

About half of the "Complete" works of HP Lovecraft

 

WATMM, please select, I'm having a shit of a time deciding.

 

Or recommend something. Something not Cormac McCarthy. I've got 10 bucks left on an amazon gift card.

 

Autechre, please name my kindle.

Edited December 31, 2013 by baph

your kindle is now called derek

  On 12/31/2013 at 10:31 PM, baph said:

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 9:24 PM, hello spiral said:

 

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 7:10 PM, baph said:

it's a bit hard on the wrists maybe but not particularly difficult

 

 

 

 

Not trying to be a douchebag. I quite liked it. It's fun. It requires active participation from the reader, and some ability to be ok with ambiguity, which I guess really pushes it for most readers. It's a decent formal puzzle. Some parts are gorgeous and very effective.

 

The prose itself is not particularly difficult. The book shows you how to read it. It's more Stephen King rewriting Pale Fire than late-period Joyce... rewriting Pale Fire. Johnny's voice gets a bit Kathe Koja at times, I guess. There's nothing wrong with any of that. But it's a lot less difficult than people make it out to be. Fuck, I'm trying to defend it by saying it's not a "task," that's all.

 

 

lol, wasn't calling you a douchebag. That's Finbar Saunders, he's a Viz character that sniggers at double entendres.

 

I agree that the actual prose of House of Leaves is not difficult at all.

 

Book recommendations: Have you read I, Lucifer by Glen Duncan? Also a good chance read last year was A Handbook For Visitors From Outer Space by Kathryn Kramer.

Edited January 1, 2014 by hello spiral

  On 12/31/2013 at 11:07 PM, baph said:

Annoying as shit post incoming, soz:

 

Not sure what the fuck to read next. I've got these unreads clattering around:

 

The Recognitions

Some Remarks (Neal Stephenson)

The City and The Stars

Bleeding Edge

American Gods

The last couple installments of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, may need to re-read The Black Dossier first, I unno

About half of the "Complete" works of HP Lovecraft

 

WATMM, please select, I'm having a shit of a time deciding.

 

Or recommend something. Something not Cormac McCarthy. I've got 10 bucks left on an amazon gift card.

 

Autechre, please name my kindle.

 

 

I would read the A C Clarke book. I remember reading this when I was a late teen, about humanity and how it changes through 1 billion years, and how it was written, like some form of bible. The kind of book you could re-read when you're fifty again.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Philip Glass

  On 12/31/2013 at 11:07 PM, baph said:

Annoying as shit post incoming, soz:

 

Not sure what the fuck to read next. I've got these unreads clattering around:

 

The Recognitions

Some Remarks (Neal Stephenson)

The City and The Stars

Bleeding Edge

American Gods

The last couple installments of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, may need to re-read The Black Dossier first, I unno

About half of the "Complete" works of HP Lovecraft

 

WATMM, please select, I'm having a shit of a time deciding.

 

Or recommend something. Something not Cormac McCarthy. I've got 10 bucks left on an amazon gift card.

 

Autechre, please name my kindle.

Walter M. Miller - A Canticle for Leibowitz was a fun read.

 

I also enjoy most Lovecraft.

I definitely need to pick up a copy of A Canticle for Leibowitz.

 

 

  On 1/1/2014 at 3:05 PM, Philip Glass said:

 

  On 12/31/2013 at 11:07 PM, baph said:

Annoying as shit post incoming, soz:

 

Not sure what the fuck to read next. I've got these unreads clattering around:

 

The Recognitions

Some Remarks (Neal Stephenson)

The City and The Stars

Bleeding Edge

American Gods

The last couple installments of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, may need to re-read The Black Dossier first, I unno

About half of the "Complete" works of HP Lovecraft

 

WATMM, please select, I'm having a shit of a time deciding.

 

Or recommend something. Something not Cormac McCarthy. I've got 10 bucks left on an amazon gift card.

 

Autechre, please name my kindle.

 

 

I would read the A C Clarke book. I remember reading this when I was a late teen, about humanity and how it changes through 1 billion years, and how it was written, like some form of bible. The kind of book you could re-read when you're fifty again.

 

 

Thanks, just started. Good choice; I haven't read anything by Clarke in a decade or so.

 

Incidentally, if anyone has Amazon Prime, a good percentage of Clarke's books appear to be free to borrow at the moment on the Kindle Lending Library (which is usually extremely dismal).

All the Strange Hours by Loren Eiseley. I dunno if it's just my emotional state right now, but this book has made me tear up at work five times already & I'm only 30 pages in.

Currently reading Morrissey's Autobiography.

 

Very well-written.

  On 1/11/2014 at 12:36 AM, LimpyLoo said:

Currently reading Morrissey's Autobiography.

 

Very well-written.

 

It's a fun read, I was probably most surprised by his use of the euphemism bearded clam.

Well I'm sure he wouldn't eat one of those. *drunkenly falls into orchestra pit