What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (9 Viewers)

[Mitchum]

Ah I lurve Pip Roth. One of my very favourite writers of all time. Haven't read Deception yet though! Sorry! *blush*
How good was Everyman? He's been on a great run of form since American Pastoral and shows no sign of getting less angry at the world despite his advancing years.

Pynchon's always been a tough nut to crack but that's part of his charm-takes you from the lip of 1940s women's stockings to the mechaics of making a bomb all done in brilliant constructed prose and sly humour. Even his characters have cool names.

 

[Unicron]

The Third Policeman. I burst out laughing in the pub last week while reading it as I was waiting for people to arrive.

"Is it about a bicycle", now that's funny.

 

[Corey]

I'm on a steinbeck buzz. Flickere'd through Cannery Row a whiles back and damned'f it t'werent a mighty fine way to pass th'time. On 'Grapes a Wrath presently; t'would teach y'th'ways a hard livin' an how to curse The Man proper sure.

 

[Bladez]

The new collection of short stories from Murakami. It's alright.

 

[Bladez]

Ah I lurve Pip Roth. One of my very favourite writers of all time. Haven't read Deception yet though! Sorry! *blush*
How good was Everyman? He's been on a great run of form since American Pastoral and shows no sign of getting less angry at the world despite his advancing years.

Pynchon's always been a tough nut to crack but that's part of his charm-takes you from the lip of 1940s women's stockings to the mechaics of making a bomb all done in brilliant constructed prose and sly humour. Even his characters have cool names.

Deception is my least favorite of the Roth books I've read. I don't know why, but I just didn't get into it the way I did with the others. Everyman was amazing - best book I read last year by a long way. Absolutely blew me away. The guy's a living legend.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

The Plot Against America was great. I really loved American Pastoral. Some of the others are a bit hit and miss. The Anatomy lesson and Portnoy's Complaint I found allright not mindblowing by any means.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Pynchon's always been a tough nut to crack but that's part of his charm-takes you from the lip of 1940s women's stockings to the mechaics of making a bomb all done in brilliant constructed prose and sly humour. Even his characters have cool names.

I must have started mason and Dixon 3 times now at this stage. I think I need to take it on holiday or something and build up a bit of momentum with it cause I never get a goodenough run at it to get into it properly.

 

[Squiggle]

The Third Policeman. I burst out laughing in the pub last week while reading it as I was waiting for people to arrive.

"Is it about a bicycle", now that's funny.

That is my favourite Flann O'Brien book. Really good.

 

[coraline]

The new collection of short stories from Murakami. It's alright.

I'm reading this now too. Not impressed really, it's all a bit random and pointless, and I've loved all his novels.........Disappointing.

Just started Nightwatch by Sarah Waters. V good so far.

 

[Bladez]

I'm reading this now too. Not impressed really, it's all a bit random and pointless, and I've loved all his novels.........Disappointing.

Just started Nightwatch by Sarah Waters. V good so far.

Yeah...exactly. Each one is a bit pointless and just leaves you with a feeling of 'meh'. It's a shame, because I really enjoyed The Elephant Vanishes. My trouble with Murakami is that although he is excellent at setting up a story, once he gets there, he doesn't seem to know what to do with it. Kafka On The Shore and the Wind Up Bird Chronicle both seemed to fall flat. I'm not too far through it, so I hope the stories get better. But so far they are a bit forgettable. I'll persist anyway...

 

[BC]

The Third Policeman. I burst out laughing in the pub last week while reading it as I was waiting for people to arrive.

"Is it about a bicycle", now that's funny.

my favourite novel ever ever. the moment where the footnotes take up more space than the actual narrative is wonderful.

the mood of it changes everytime i read it: it can be hilarious, it can be disturbing, it can be morbid, it can sardonic. beautiful stuff.

today i read: "the job" by william burroughs (for the hundredth time). certainly the most essential, insightful, crystal-clear and thought-provoking of his works (though "the cat inside" still remains my personal favourite). his views on a myriad of subjects - including the creative process, drug addiction, social and political methods of control, the work of wilheim reich, scientology, revolutionary thought, and philosophy - are expressed with utter precision and given examples taken from his own literary output. its incredible, inspiring stuff. the only negative aspect to it are his misogynistic statements, which are not only objectionable but their basis is biologically and scientifically incorrect. these views, however, were due to the influence of brion gysin, and were later in burroughs' life abandoned. it is amusing to see him dismiss the idea of "love" as "a con" in this book, when he was later to admit to it being "the best painkiller there is". regardless, it is one of the greatest books i have ever read.

 

[MDR]

I'm on a steinbeck buzz. Flickere'd through Cannery Row a whiles back and damned'f it t'werent a mighty fine way to pass th'time. On 'Grapes a Wrath presently; t'would teach y'th'ways a hard livin' an how to curse The Man proper sure.

Steinbeck is deadly. If you liked Cannary Row, I'd recommend Tortialla Flat. He once said that the length of his short novels was a private joke between him and his wife.

 

[nEiLo]

Started Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh last night. Funny stuff.

 

[david jatt]

"One train later" by Andy Summers. He was already a veteran of sorts before joining the Police.

 

[rape the drummer]

Steinbeck is deadly. If you liked Cannary Row, I'd recommend Tortialla Flat. He once said that the length of his short novels was a private joke between him and his wife.

read of mice and men recently, currently reading grapes of wrath- really good stuff. Preferring grapes of wrath i must say

 

[niallmc]

just finished Joe Strummer and the legend of the Clash by Kris Needs - not written too well but the subject matter is intriguing

 

[IFF]

Ah I lurve Pip Roth. One of my very favourite writers of all time. Haven't read Deception yet though! Sorry! *blush*
How good was Everyman? He's been on a great run of form since American Pastoral and shows no sign of getting less angry at the world despite his advancing years.

i've read two books of his "everyman" and "plot against america". i must say i liked both and in the future will buy more of his stuff. maybe i'll try pastoral next

lately i was reading:
death of an ordinary man - glen duncan
angels & rabies - Machan Magan
on your bike - Matt seaton

recently i've finished: "big book of bertie" by martyn turner, "autumn of the patriach" by gabriel garcia marquez and "worms can carry me to heaven" by alan warner

 

[BC]

"the sluts" by dennis cooper. remarkably entrancing writing, his use of interweaved characters once again very remarkable and precisely crafted. the influence of de sade's "sodom" looms heavily over this unforgetable and wonderful novel.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

Steinbeck is deadly. If you liked Cannary Row, I'd recommend Tortialla Flat. He once said that the length of his short novels was a private joke between him and his wife.

The Pearl is good too. Was on the 'modern novels' section for the leaving.

 

[MDR]

he pearl shpuld be compulsory reading for every lottery winner to warn them of the dangers of excessive good fortune.

I finished the Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy last night. He finished it ten years after he first got the idea for it, and perhaps had too long to think about the plot, which takes a lot of turns. It also suffers from not having a single hero/heroine, a la Jude the Obscure or Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Nevertheless, it's probably the best example of hime telling a coherent story from multiple perspectives and the woodland setting is probably second only to the return of the Native in the way it frames the story.

Am now starting Women in Love by DH Lawrence.