What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (10 Viewers)

[Jim Daniels]

Renata Adler - Speedboat

Loving this. Beautiful luminous observations on life. The writing is dazzling, yet very easy to read.

How have I only now found her now?!

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Authority, the second instalment of the Southern Reach trilogy. Not as weird, gripping or original as the first part. There’s a bit too much exposition in the first half but it picks up in the second half and there’s some terrifically creepy moments towards the end. It definitely feels like the middle piece of a larger story though. Having said that it’s whetted my appetite for the final instalment which is published in September.

Finished Authority this morning. It picked up considerably in the second half and the last 100 or so pages were excellent but it was about 80 pages too long and could have done without a lot of the main character's back story.

 

[hugh]

Nearly finished this and it's the first of six volumes. Satisfyingly bleak. Banal. Very engrossing when it picks up a head of steam though. It's a memoir but its classed as a novel, not quite sure why. Narrator (writer?) is a bit of an asshole and reveals a lot of horrifically uncomfortable stuff about his relationships with family members. I'm liking it a lot.

 

[Lili Marlene]

A small good point lost in a land of patronizing, uninformed garbage -

Against YA: Adults should be embarrassed to read children’s books.

 

[magicbastarder]

Yeah, nearly positive you will come across him if they talk about 1924.

yep, he did show up and put in a good showing.
absolutely fabulous book, a bit of a doorstop.

 

[rettucs]

Jesus' Son blew me away the first time i read it.

took a break from Neil Young to read this. I thought it very good, but kind of frustrating in a way cos I really wanted the stories developed a bit more. Will definitely read more of his stuff.

Now, back to Neil Young's insufferable bore of a book.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

took a break from Neil Young to read this. I thought it very good, but kind of frustrating in a way cos I really wanted the stories developed a bit more. Will definitely read more of his stuff.

Now, back to Neil Young's insufferable bore of a book.

That's what I loved about it. It left you wanting more. He's not written a bad book.

 

[Jim Daniels]

Nearly finished this and it's the first of six volumes. Satisfyingly bleak. Banal. Very engrossing when it picks up a head of steam though. It's a memoir but its classed as a novel, not quite sure why. Narrator (writer?) is a bit of an asshole and reveals a lot of horrifically uncomfortable stuff about his relationships with family members. I'm liking it a lot.

Hearing a lot about this lately - mostly echoing your comments. A lady on the radio yesterday say it was horrific but the experience of reading it was mesmerising.

It's nominated for the Impac this year

International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Hearing a lot about this lately - mostly echoing your comments. A lady on the radio yesterday say it was horrific but the experiencing of reading it was mesmerising.

It's nominated for the Impac this year

International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award

I read one of his books which is about the history of angels and their interactions with humans. I thought it was very strange and very good.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

If anyone wants my copy of My Struggle giz your address. I hated the bit of it I read. Pure shite.

 

[xsteox]

Frank by Jon Ronson. Easy to read short story about his time with Frank Sidebottom. Read it while waiting to board plane. "We need to talk about Kevin" storey of a mother coming to terms with her son after he goes on a mass killing in his school, and their testy relationship. Now Punisher anthology. Only ever read one of these as a teenager. It's ok I guess?? Never got into graphic novels tbh...

 

[hugh]

If anyone wants my copy of My Struggle giz your address. I hated the bit of it I read. Pure shite.

Someone take him up on this excellent offer. It's great. Looking forward to getting stuck into book 2 but think I will hold off until I'm on my holidays.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Mason & Dixon. Erm… I haven’t managed to finish a Pynchon book yet and it looks like this will be no different. I haven’t a clue what’s going on.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I know Donna Tartt has some fans on here. What do ye think of this?
Why Are Literary Critics Dismayed by Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and Its Success? | Vanity Fair

 

[Lili Marlene]

I'm still only halfway through the Goldfinch. I'll let you know in about 6 months

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I'm still only halfway through the Goldfinch. I'll let you know in about 6 months

There’s no spoilers in the article as far as I could tell.

 

[Lili Marlene]

There’s no spoilers in the article as far as I could tell.

Cool, just read the article there. It's similar to what i was talking about just up there -

A small good point lost in a land of patronizing, uninformed garbage -

Against YA: Adults should be embarrassed to read children’s books.

although "YA" (a fucking nonsense term at the best of times) is supposedly crippled by default whereas Donna Tartt is being accused of just being straight up second rate. @Jim Daniels often comments about how much he likes her actual writing itself so I'd be curious to know what he thinks?

The literary elite =

 

[David Kronenbourg]

My initial reaction was - sour grapes. I’m glad it was so popular. I think she deserves the success.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

The literary elite =

hahah

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[Jim Daniels]

Cool, just read the article there. It's similar to what i was talking about just up there -



although "YA" (a fucking nonsense term at the best of times) is supposedly crippled by default whereas Donna Tartt is being accused of just being straight up second rate. @Jim Daniels often comments about how much he likes her actual writing itself so I'd be curious to know what he thinks?

The literary elite =

I agree with @Bernie Lomax - that's just typical sour grapes from literary snobs, for all the achievements mentioned in the first paragraph there. If it was a debut novel, they would probably would be all over it. Or maybe not, I don't really know where they are coming from. I suppose I like her as a novelist rather than as a writer - her ability to create great characters and sustain great atmosphere and mood throughout. I'm guilty of being quite snobbish myself at times and have little patience for the poor clunky style of many best selling authors, but having a go at Donna Tartt's writing is ridiculous - she's hardly Dan Brown in fairness.

She could have done with an editor all the same!