What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (4 Viewers)

[coast to coast]

that book was about 450 pages too long

So which 200 pages were worth it, please explain!

 

[David Kronenbourg]

So which 200 pages were worth it, please explain!

nah i just thought it was too long and boring. i ditched it 3/4 of the way in. actually, i didn't finish the yiddish policemen's union either come to think of it. i guess i'm not a fan

 

[Mormon Nailer]

I've always loved the film, the book though....jesus....on one hand it's unflinching etc.. all of the things you would like in this sort of novel.

On the other had I can't fucking stand the author's voice. He is a hateful misanthrophic, mysoganistic arsehole.

 

[Kermit McDermott]

 

[Jill Hives]

Erm, not quite.
'Vox' and 'The Fermata' certainly deal with sexual subject matter, but I don't think they could be called 'erotica' to be honest. Is 'Lolita' erotica?

'The Everlasting Story of Nory' isn't a children's book, it's a book written from the perspective of a child.

It wasn't meant as a dig, I like his writing. Just saying that the subject matter between some of them is strange when sitting together on the shelf. Most libraries would catalogue The Fermata under erotic fiction. FACT. As for the Everlasting Story of Nory it was inspired by his daughter and since it's through a child's perspective is indeed in most cases considered a childrens book. Not all childrens books have pictures and rhyme. On the Road and Catcher in the Rye are considered young adult fiction, are they not? Perhaps John should clarify.

 

[rettucs]

Is 'Lolita' erotica?

god no. Its the most uncomfortable read ever. And its boring, and long, and drawn out.

Its a book that didn't need to be written IMO

 

[Lili Marlene]

As for the Everlasting Story of Nory it was inspired by his daughter and since it's through a child's perspective is indeed in most cases considered a childrens book. Not all childrens books have pictures and rhyme. On the Road and Catcher in the Rye are considered young adult fiction, are they not? Perhaps John should clarify.

well I haven't read that Nory book but if you are saying that a book inspired by children and from a child's perspective is children's fiction then, um, you're very wrong. Hideous Kinky, for example, is not a children's book despite being written from the perspective of a 5 year old.

Although I dunno, could a child read that book? If you think so then it could be considered.

Spend 5 minutes studying this kind of thing and it all falls apart anyway. It's basically the study of other people's ignorance and snobbery.

 

[Jill Hives]

well I haven't read that Nory book but if you are saying that a book inspired by children and from a child's perspective is children's fiction then, um, you're very wrong. Hideous Kinky, for example, is not a children's book despite being written from the perspective of a 5 year old.

Although I dunno, could a child read that book? If you think so then it could be considered.

Spend 5 minutes studying this kind of thing and it all falls apart anyway. It's basically the study of other people's ignorance and snobbery.

No, I don't think child could read it. It's not written as children literature, as in for a child to read. However, written from that perspective I would still consider it childrens book because it puts you in the mindset of being a child. The same as I would personally classify The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time or Alice in Wonderland. At any rate, terminology aside, all I meant was his subject matter was far reaching, more so than most contemporary writers.

 

[Lili Marlene]

No, I don't think child could read it. It's not written as children literature, as in for a child to read. However, written from that perspective I would still consider it childrens book because it puts you in the mindset of being a child. The same as I would personally classify The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time or Alice in Wonderland.

ok, well, you're on your own in that definition to be honest. What I Was by Meg Rosoff is a young adult novel written from the perspective of someone over 100 years old. Should we consider it Elderly and Infirm fiction?

And while i'm at it Alice in Wonderland was specifically written for children. The fact that most children would run a mile from it is not the point.

At any rate, terminology aside, all I meant was his subject matter was far reaching, more so than most contemporary writers.

cool, thanks for that, I should check him out

 

[coast to coast]

god no. Its the most uncomfortable read ever. And its boring, and long, and drawn out.

Its a book that didn't need to be written IMO

Can i check your list of books that needed to be written?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

things are hotting up in here today!

 

[rettucs]

Can i check your list of books that needed to be written?

ha ha.

On the other argument, Tumbuktu is written from the perspective of a dog.

 

[Jill Hives]

ok, well, you're on your own in that definition to be honest. What I Was by Meg Rosoff is a young adult novel written from the perspective of someone over 100 years old. Should we consider it Elderly and Infirm fiction?

And while i'm at it Alice in Wonderland was specifically written for children. The fact that most children would run a mile from it is not the point.

I just used Alice as a point of reference because it does involve a lot of more adult themes than one would expect in a childrens book. I suppose 'childrens' came to mind because she (nory) is 9, which is pre-teen but come to think of it, it's a young adult novel. Even if not marketed as one. Yes, I could see kids (YA) reading this the same as they read Twilight or Harry Potter. I actually checked a few catalogs and it's listed with subjects, Girls--Fiction ; School children--Fiction. However, like I said, going from giving women orgasms on public trains with vibrators to the inquisitive mind of a 9 year old in boarding school back to back it not the norm for most writers. Baker is entertaining, no doubt.

 

[Lili Marlene]

I just used Alice as a point of reference because it does involve a lot of more adult themes than one would expect in a childrens book.

*splutter*

I am outraged.

I suppose 'childrens' came to mind because she (nory) is 9, which is pre-teen but come to think of it, it's a young adult novel. Even if not marketed as one. Yes, I could see kids (YA) reading this the same as they read Twilight or Harry Potter. I actually checked a few catalogs and it's listed with subjects, Girls--Fiction ; School children--Fiction. However, like I said, going from giving women orgasms on public trains with vibrators to the inquisitive mind of a 9 year old in boarding school back to back it not the norm for most writers. Baker is entertaining, no doubt.

I have my dou--- no, never mind.

 

[The Traveller]

*splutter*

I am outraged.



I have my dou--- no, never mind.

I is John and Ann Post are one and the same. Your kiddin nobody boss..

 

[St. Fechin]

It wasn't meant as a dig, I like his writing. Just saying that the subject matter between some of them is strange when sitting together on the shelf. Most libraries would catalogue The Fermata under erotic fiction. FACT. As for the Everlasting Story of Nory it was inspired by his daughter and since it's through a child's perspective is indeed in most cases considered a childrens book. Not all childrens books have pictures and rhyme. On the Road and Catcher in the Rye are considered young adult fiction, are they not? Perhaps John should clarify.

I didn't interpret it as a dig. I replied like this because you gave (what I view as) an very inaccurate answer to a question John asked directly of me. I should probably state at this point that I have no particular gripe with children's literature, or indeed erotica. I just happen to strongly believe that to categorize these books in this way, is simply inaccurate, reductive and misleading.
I haven't read 'Nory' in a couple of years so I'm not going to risk summarizing off the top of my head, but it's certainly not children's fiction, and it's not young adult fiction either. Here's what's on the blurb of my Vintage paperback edition:

"The Everlasting Story of Nory is a funny, captivating, complicated book for grown-ups about the wisdom and strangeness that can exist in a child's mind."

From what I recall, I honestly don't think a decent, attentive reading of the novel could lead to any other conclusion.
The "FACT" that "most" libraries would catalogue a book a certain way is pretty meaningless to be honest, believe me, I know quite a bit about the eccentricities and imperfections of library cataloguing systems. Is 'What Maisie Knew' (very probably an influence on 'Nory') catalogued as young adult fiction? Is 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' catalogued under erotica? And as for wildly varying subject matter, surely subject matter is one of the least relevant things when it comes to fiction? I know it's way, way down, at the point of near irrelevance on my list of considerations.
I think you need to stop approaching it (literature) as a librarian, and instead, approach it as the sensible reader I'm sure you really are.

I hope none of this comes off as aggressive/over-earnest/patronizing (although I must say your own comment: "Not all childrens books have pictures and rhyme" is itself *extremely* patronizing), it's really not meant to be, tone is so tricky here though... and I'm quite tired...excuses, excuses...

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

if its fiction it all goes into "fiction" when im cataloging. thats if i bother to look at the book and dont just take a number from the internet. stupid cataloging.

 

[worthit]

I'm a big fan of Chuck Palahnuik and his wacky characters / writing style but this book is an absolute can of piss.

The book is written as a series of reports by a spy from an undisclosed Communist country and each report written is his own pigeon English stlye so even reading the fucking book is a hassle then the plot goes nowhere, the characters aren't engaging and it's like a Palanuik piss take or something....

I used to worship him. His first 7 or so books were great. But I couldn't get past the first few chapters of Pygmy. It's fucking awful.... I thought it couldn't get worse until I got his new book. It's atrocious.

 

[Anthem]

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell.

Great read a bit depressing in bits. Tis true tales of his poverty in guess where?
Read 1984 a few weeks back for the first time so now I'm a wee bit obsessed and have to read all.

I enjoyed Down and Out in Paris. I thought the part where he befriended the Irish destitute was great reading and his description of working in the catering industry hasn't changed abit even after all these yrs!. Anyway 1984 - one of my all time favorites. Scarily prescient IMO.

 

[jonah]

I dropped 'Man in the Dark' pretty quickly, which annoyed me since I like to finish everything I start, regardless of quality (see: utter timewaster) but it wasn't my cup of tea. It was fine though. I moved on to this, which a friend bought me for my birthday (Along with 'Camp Concentration' by Thomas M Disch - Stunningly wonderful, enjoyed every word, even the incoherent) and I hadn't got around to reading... anyway, so far so excellent.