Now Reading

the perennial philosophy- Aldous Huxley

I have been reading it in chunks.

Now reading Hammett's "Red Harvest" from 1929. First read it when I was 16 and it was the book that made me stop reading translated editions, for some reason

  On 6/24/2012 at 9:34 PM, th555 said:

My mom gave me the kite runner, is it any good?

Really great, enjoy it!

Finished.... Don DeLillo's Cosmopolis

Currently started... Henry Miller's Sexus: The Rosy Crucifixtion I

  On 6/20/2012 at 3:09 AM, auxien said:

starting Nietzsche's The Antichrist. never read any of his stuff, but from the few reviews and recommendations i looked up, this was suggested as a good summation of a portion of his philosophies. it's definitely involved, even only a few pages in. i find myself looking up some references he's making, which is usually a good thing imo, it usually means i'm learning something! ha

 

any suggestions on any online source for complimentary summations of sections, suggestions on key points to take away from anyone here who's read it, or anything else to enhance the reading experience? being in college the past few years has geared my mind towards taking notes and such, and this seems like the kind of book that it would be beneficial to do so with.

I'd recommend "Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" by W. Kaufmann and "Nietzsche: An Introduction" by Vattimo.

The prose in M&D is just beautiful, I was more attached to the words than Gravity's Rainbow. It's also an awesome historical novel in a way.

I've only read the first 50 pages since picking it up last night, but so far the prose is both exquisite and invitingly warm, and hell, I just might end up agreeing with you re: M&D v. GR if this holds up.

Should have started it last winter, near a fireplace.

Oberdorfer-The Two Koreas

Pretty interesting read so far.

Just finished Irvine Welsh's "The Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs". It was ok. Not up to Welsh's usual standards though.

mason & dixon is probably pynchon's best novel. maybe gr is more "important" or something but m&d is just pynchon at his very finest imho

  On 6/23/2012 at 5:33 PM, Alcofribas said:

  On 6/20/2012 at 3:09 AM, auxien said:

starting Nietzsche's The Antichrist. never read any of his stuff, but from the few reviews and recommendations i looked up, this was suggested as a good summation of a portion of his philosophies. it's definitely involved, even only a few pages in. i find myself looking up some references he's making, which is usually a good thing imo, it usually means i'm learning something! ha any suggestions on any online source for complimentary summations of sections, suggestions on key points to take away from anyone here who's read it, or anything else to enhance the reading experience? being in college the past few years has geared my mind towards taking notes and such, and this seems like the kind of book that it would be beneficial to do so with.

not an online recommendation but i would highly recommend julian young's recent biography of nietzsche. it's a great read and young writes a sympathetic and moving portrait of the man infused with his philosophy (young has published two excellent monographs on nietzsche's philosophy of art and religion). there's also a companion website with recordings of nietzsche's musical compositions which should probably be the basis of a watmm compilation.

  On 7/5/2012 at 6:24 PM, Silver Sound said:

  On 6/20/2012 at 3:09 AM, auxien said:

starting Nietzsche's The Antichrist. never read any of his stuff, but from the few reviews and recommendations i looked up, this was suggested as a good summation of a portion of his philosophies. it's definitely involved, even only a few pages in. i find myself looking up some references he's making, which is usually a good thing imo, it usually means i'm learning something! ha any suggestions on any online source for complimentary summations of sections, suggestions on key points to take away from anyone here who's read it, or anything else to enhance the reading experience? being in college the past few years has geared my mind towards taking notes and such, and this seems like the kind of book that it would be beneficial to do so with.

I'd recommend "Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" by W. Kaufmann and "Nietzsche: An Introduction" by Vattimo.

thanks for the suggestions. the Vattimo book seems to be hard to find, but i'll keep it in mind. the Kaufmann book seems quite interesting, and i'll try to find a copy to thumb through here soon...the Young book seems like a good read from what i can tell so far, and i'll probably look at getting it once i finish The Antichrist.

i'm about hallway through it right now and it's far shorter than i expected, and definitely dense in parts. mostly i find myself breezing through it though. i'm just absorbing at this point, and enjoying most of the ideas and arguments he's presenting.

Lenz by Georg Buchner and an interlinear translation of the Canterbury Tales.

Hi Iain

*blows kiss*

  On 7/11/2012 at 6:05 PM, Iain C said:

an interlinear translation of the Canterbury Tales.

aww yeah, Ian's getting balls deep in queynte

What Ghandi Says - Norman Finkelstein. Finkelstein read about half of Ghandi's collected letters, speeches, etc (approx 25,000 pages), and comments on his attitudes towards consistency, force/violence, and politics. A lot of stuff has been whitewashed by this time in history, so I'm fascinated by the complexity and guile behind the simple picture I had in mind. Very short, too - 100 pages. I think this is the Art of War or The Prince for today.

http://www.orbooks.com/catalog/gandhi/

Buddha - Osamu Tezuka. I'm on vol 3 of 8. Wonderfully written & drawn graphic novels on the life of Buddha & those around him. Can't wait to read the rest.

PD Ouspensky - The Psychology Of Man's Evolution.

Just started this today. Surprisingly easy to read. I guess I expected something a bit more difficult.

good choice. I haven't finished it but am intrigued by it beyond most anything else. Makes Stalker so much more than anyone realizes it is. Same with the novelization of 2001 vs the film. yay sci-fi

So much sci-fi was prophetic. That is what the great writers were going for, even had secret clubs dedicated to trying to change the future through writing about it but most of it is pure escapism. I love the ideas within Roadside Picnic. That will most likely never be anything any of us will ever have to deal but the imagination involved is so amazing and original. Would love to know more and read more about and by these brothers.

another novel that will always be in the back of my mind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Adder

K W Jeter is Kevin in VALIS for those that have read it.

Chalmers Johnson - "MITI and the Japanese Miracle". Found this for 3 bucks in a second-hand book shop. Still one of the best analyses of the amazing economic growth Japan underwent in the '60s and '70s.

Mishima's Spring Snow. I usually have no patience for really froufrou courtly literature, but this has been pretty engrossing so far.

Haruki Murakami - South of the border

I read another book of him and I've seen the Norwegian Woods (noruwei no mori) movie, really great writer.

Danial Suarez's new techno thriller "Kill Decision" is getting e-released in 30 minutes

His other two books "Daemon" and "Freedom" are my favorite scifi reads in the last few years so I am shitting in buckets excited to read this new one.

some good bits in there i think?

  Quote

“Older and less planned quarters of cities and towns are profoundly woodlike, and especially in this matter of the mode of their passage through us, the way they unreel, disorientate, open, close, surprise, please.”

I know this isn't a YT thread but probably some science fiction fans can appreciate this video of hugo award winning author Vernor Vinge giving a talk to google about "singularity" which is a term he himself coined.