What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (5 Viewers)

[TrueLoveWaits]

Mr Vertigo is brilliant - very different to his others. Also loved Leviathan and the Brooklyn Follies is good too (it's one of his most recent ones). Oracle Night was *really, really* disappointing, and I got half way through his latest one, Travels in the Scriptorium, before I had to put it down because it was wrecking my head a little. It's a strange book, not typical Auster at all - perhaps that's what threw me.
My favourite is Book of Illusions, it's fantastic
I bought The New York Trilogy in hardback which was a mistake as it's HUGE so I lent it to my granny (who introduced me to Auster - she's 83 and she rocks!!) but I bought a paperback recently so must get started on that.

Currently reading Mark Oliver Everett's autobiog, What the Grandchildren Should Know.

I'm still waiting for you to lend me Book of Illusions so I can be convinced that Oracle Night was a once off disappointment...completely pointless story I have to say.

 

[Jim Daniels]

I'm still waiting for you to lend me Book of Illusions so I can be convinced that Oracle Night was a once off disappointment...completely pointless story I have to say.

Moon Palace is really fantastic. And Timbuktu, narrated by a dog is very sweet.

Its his endings that seem to annoy people. My sister goes bats the way his books seem to end mid sentence, with the main character just driving off someplace...

 

[TrueLoveWaits]

Moon Palace is really fantastic. And Timbuktu, narrated by a dog is very sweet.

Its his endings that seem to annoy people. My sister goes bats the way his books seem to end mid sentence, with the main character just driving off someplace...

I would have to agree, it was the ending that really annoyed me with Oracle Night...he spent the whole book building this elaborate premise and then it just ended...very bizarre. It's like he realised half way through that he had started something he couldn't competently finish so he just decided to ignore it. Having said that people rave about his other books so I'm willing to give himn another go...when I can actually read again that is, my concentration is gone to pot lately

 

[sweetoblivion]

I'm still waiting for you to lend me Book of Illusions so I can be convinced that Oracle Night was a once off disappointment...completely pointless story I have to say.

like I said though, that is my least favourite book of his, and it has a crap ending.

the rest of the ones I mentioned are much better! i'll dig out some for you.

 

[TrueLoveWaits]

like I said though, that is my least favourite book of his, and it has a crap ending.

the rest of the ones I mentioned are much better! i'll dig out some for you.

Cheers! Btw I found two copies of Cat's Eye on my bookshelf there recently, I think one of them may be yours! oopsie...

 

[BonsaiSuperstar]

It's like he realised half way through that he had started something he couldn't competently finish so he just decided to ignore it.

like lost?

 

[TrueLoveWaits]

like lost?

A bit yeah

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

this week i read MaoII by Don DeLillo and The Book Of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera. I thought a few years ago that I was finished with DeLillo, MaoII was ok, I enjoyed it well enough but it wasnt deadly or anything. i probably wont bother with him again. Milan Kundera can fuck off too. I was kinda half enjoying the book of laughter and forgetting until he started going on about the idiocy of guitars and the death of good music.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Dracula Unbound by Brian Aldiss

Deadly! Frankenstein Unbound was better maybe but still. Aldiss pisses all over all other sci fi writers.

 

[Squiggle]

"Young Men in Spats" by P.G. Woodehouse. Short stories told by Eggs and Crumpets in the Drones Club about the adventures of some other Eggs, or are they Crumpets. Woodehouse never fails to have me laughing out loud.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

this week i read MaoII by Don DeLillo and The Book Of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera. I thought a few years ago that I was finished with DeLillo, MaoII was ok, I enjoyed it well enough but it wasnt deadly or anything. i probably wont bother with him again. Milan Kundera can fuck off too. I was kinda half enjoying the book of laughter and forgetting until he started going on about the idiocy of guitars and the death of good music.

I'm making my way through Underworld by DeLillo at a snails pace. It's gobsmackingly brilliant in parts, arse clenchingly boring in others. I've been dipping in an out of it for the best part of a year and I'm only just past the halfway mark. Determined to finish it. I hate not finishing books.

A friend gave me a loan of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Kundera. Got about 10 pages in before I decided it wasn't for me. Boring and pretentious.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

underworld is magnificent alright, i'd have no complaints with that one. white noise is another good one of his. i read the unbearable lightness of being too however i cant remember a thing about it

 

[Kermit McDermott]

I'm going straight to hell.

 

[sugar_referee]

"Young Men in Spats" by P.G. Woodehouse. Short stories told by Eggs and Crumpets in the Drones Club about the adventures of some other Eggs, or are they Crumpets. Woodehouse never fails to have me laughing out loud.

Oooooh , where'd you get that?I wish I had some money for Wodehouse. I read the same sentences and paragraphs over and over, so it takes me hours to read one of his, and they're not long.

 

[Squiggle]

Oooooh , where'd you get that?I wish I had some money for Wodehouse. I read the same sentences and paragraphs over and over, so it takes me hours to read one of his, and they're not long.

I bought it second-hand. It's a good way to pick them up relatively inexpensively, bought 5 or 6 a couple of weeks ago.

I'm really enjoying it too. Just starting a story about Pongo's Uncle Fred. I think Uncle Fred is one of Wodehouse's most underrated characters.

 

[eclectichoney]

Finally getting around to that fuck-off tome of Granta short stories edited by Richard Ford. It's a keeper but not one for th eback pocket on the train like.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Finally getting around to that fuck-off tome of Granta short stories edited by Richard Ford. It's a keeper but not one for th eback pocket on the train like.

got that a a present for Christmas. i'm not mad on short stories generally but it has stuff from some of my favourite american writers. check out the story by john cheever, reunion. it's only three pages long but it's fucking fantastic. there's also a story by denis johnson in it which was originally published in his collection jesus' son. it's also pretty amazing.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

i remember there was a lot of hype surrounding this book when it came out last year. it's easy to see why. it's very funny and painfully accurate. anyone who has ever worked in an office should read this. anyone who hasn't should too cos it's a wicked good read.

 

[The Paw]

Just finished 'The Life and Times of Michael K' by JM Coetzee...read it after discovering the masterpiece that is 'Disgrace' earlier this month...really recommend his stuff.
Have just started 'Slow Man' now...bit tougher to get into, mind.

 

[ruttiger]

Just finished 'The Life and Times of Michael K' by JM Coetzee...read it after discovering the masterpiece that is 'Disgrace' earlier this month...really recommend his stuff.
Have just started 'Slow Man' now...bit tougher to get into, mind.

Totally forgot about this guy. I've only read Youth which was such a great read. Must definintely get more of his stuff.