What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (3 Viewers)

[therealjohnny]

Sad announcement from Iain M Banks

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...3/04/03/a-personal-statement-from-iain-banks/

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Sad announcement from Iain M Banks

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.iain-banks.net/2013/04/03/a-personal-statement-from-iain-banks/

that's blocked here. could you copy and paste? thanks

 

[therealjohnny]

From Iain M Banks

"I am officially Very Poorly.

"After a couple of surgical procedures, I am gradually recovering from jaundice caused by a blocked bile duct, but that - it turns out - is the least of my problems.

"I first thought something might be wrong when I developed a sore back in late January, but put this down to the fact I'd started writing at the beginning of the month and so was crouched over a keyboard all day.

"When it hadn't gone away by mid-February, I went to my GP, who spotted that I had jaundice. Blood tests, an ultrasound scan and then a CT scan revealed the full extent of the grisly truth by the start of March.

"I have cancer. It started in my gall bladder, has infected both lobes of my liver and probably also my pancreas and some lymph nodes, plus one tumour is massed around a group of major blood vessels in the same volume, effectively ruling out any chance of surgery to remove the tumours either in the short or long term.

"The bottom line, now, I'm afraid, is that as a late stage gall bladder cancer patient, I'm expected to live for 'several months' and it's extremely unlikely I'll live beyond a year. So it looks like my latest novel, The Quarry, will be my last.

"As a result, I've withdrawn from all planned public engagements and I've asked my partner Adele if she will do me the honour of becoming my widow (sorry - but we find ghoulish humour helps).

"By the time this goes out we'll be married and on a short honeymoon. We intend to spend however much quality time I have left seeing friends and relations and visiting places that have meant a lot to us. Meanwhile my heroic publishers are doing all they can to bring the publication date of my new novel forward by as much as four months, to give me a better chance of being around when it hits the shelves.

"There is a possibility that it might be worth undergoing a course of chemotherapy to extend the amount of time available. However that is still something we're balancing the pros and cons of, and anyway it is out of the question until my jaundice has further and significantly, reduced.

"Lastly, I'd like to add that from my GP onwards, the professionalism of the medics involved - and the speed with which the resources of the NHS in Scotland have been deployed - has been exemplary, and the standard of care deeply impressive. We're all just sorry the outcome hasn't been more cheerful.

"A website is being set up where friends, family and fans can leave messages for me and check on my progress. It should be up and running during this week and a link to it will be here on my official website as soon as it's ready."

 

[David Kronenbourg]

: (

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

Real sad. I read a ton of his books as a younger man.

 

[Richie]

Ahh shit, very sad to hear about this. Was a big fan for years though I have to admit not keeping up with his more recent stuff. The Bridge and Feersum Endjinn are my favourites still I think.

 

[Jim Daniels]

AM Homes - May We Be Forgiven

Only on page 30 (out of 480) and while it has totally kicked off from the get-go, the hard, grim, unpleasant writing and unlikable characters has me wanting to chuck it.
How many pages in, is it to soon to abandon a book?

 

[St. Fechin]

I quit 'The Hermit' by Eugène Ionesco after the first page, but only because that first page was so good I couldn't see how the remainder could possibly live up to it. I'll go back to it eventually.

 

[Jim Daniels]

I quit 'The Hermit' by Eugène Ionesco after the first page, but only because that first page was so good I couldn't see how the remainder could possibly live up to it. I'll go back to it eventually.

Ah here, thats hilarious!

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Isn't it funny that ditching a book is seen as a failure, but not a film, even though a film represents a much smaller investment of time. And you'd never find yourself thinking about a film "perhaps I should slog it it...perhaps it gets better..or perhaps this drudgery is in some way good for me....like all bran"

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Getting all the way through a film is hardly an achievement in any sense. Changing your mind about going to the shop when you get as far as the gate is not a failure but dropping out of a marathon after the first mile might be.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Already Dead: A Californian Gothic by Denis Johnson. Ghoulish, Lynchian crime story full of memorably despicable characters from one of my favourite American authors. Initially hard to follow - it jumps back and forth between the first and third perspective from the point of view of multiple characters - but worth sticking out. His descriptions of the Californian scenery are incredible and his portrayals of lost souls, disturbed and addicted, are uncanny. Not as good as his masterpieces Jesus' Son and Angels but very very good indeed.

 

[rettucs]

reading this and its great. Thats 2 great books in a row. On a roll after so much crap!

finished this and loved it.

reading Strumpet City now. Also wonderful but I have this bad feeling that its gonna get dark.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Getting all the way through a film is hardly an achievement in any sense. Changing your mind about going to the shop when you get as far as the gate is not a failure but dropping out of a marathon after the first mile might be.

Reading as an endurance sport - that was half of the point I was trying to make.
What good it it supposed to do you to slog it out with a shit book you are not enjoying?
Why is that improving in some way?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

It's not that its an endurance sport or a slog, it's just a greater investment in time with nothing to show for it if you give up. (i'm not anti-giving up books although I do prefer to finish them if they're not too shit)

 

[washingcattle]

Reading as an endurance sport

Well worth it in the end, but the middle section is like being force fed the daily obituary section for 250 pages. The quintessential literary endurance test.

 

[rettucs]

Well worth it in the end, but the middle section is like being force fed the daily obituary section for 250 pages. The quintessential literary endurance test.

fantastic book. I reckon I must have read everything by Bolano at this stage and thats by far and away his best IMO.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Well worth it in the end, but the middle section is like being force fed the daily obituary section for 250 pages. The quintessential literary endurance test.

i read this recently. i thought it was an astonishing and brilliant book. i became a bit obsessed with it. couldn't get it out of my head for weeks after.

 

[washingcattle]

Yup it's pretty much the masterpiece everyone says it is. Parts of it still pop into my head now (especially the WWII section) and I read it 6 months ago.

 

[IFF]

yes, that's an excellent read though "the part about the crimes" was grueling.

recently finished "the dream of the celt" by mario vargas llosa and "morvern callar" by alan warner.