kido Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Im reading Walden for like the 20th time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_El Mamerro Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Originally posted by Weapon X I hear you. Ever read those formulaic books? I mean, I’m down for some bestsellers like Tom Clancy and Ken Follett, but what about John Grisham? I’ve read two books of his, and have watched three or four of his movies. Every single story line is exactly the same. And I swear, there’s people who just eat that shit up! It's called entertainment. I eat paperbacks up like a maniac, I love em. You know who my favorite author is? Clive Cussler. Do I think it's good literature? Nope. Each book on his Dirk Pitt series is EXACTLY the same, and I love every second of it. That said, I agree with you... everytime there's a thread on books around here it's flooded with trendy stuff. There's usually a good amount of classics also, but not on this particular post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_El Mamerro Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Oh, and I'm about to pick up "The Footprints of God" by Greg Iles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Originally posted by Weapon X Yo, thanks a lot for that info. Have you heard of W.E.B. Griffin? My buddy was telling me that his military series are pretty good to get into. In a previous book thread, I was asking people about books like that. It’s funny how a couple of book threads later, I get a response. Sorry I must've missed your request. Oh yeah I've heard W.E.B. Griffin is good. I forgot to mention him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIPHER_one Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 A friend of mine read Choke, and suggested it to me. I really liked it, so I read all of Palahniuk's other books. And I liked all of them. My grandfather bought me The DaVinci Code, and I really liked that too. So, I read his other books. I suppose they are trendy, but I'm a picky reader. If I don't enjoy a book, I can't just trudge my way through it, I really have to be into it. So, it helps a lot when people recommend books. I can't just randomly pick one...because, chances are, I won't be into it. And I guess the books people recommend to me are popular...oh well. I don't think it matters what a book's content is, just as long as you're reading. Sure, it's good to challenge yourself, but I would never insult someone who just reads children's books. I might encourage them to broaden their horizons, though. So, what kind of books are better to read? What are the "classics"? And don't say Ishmael...that book has been recommended to me more than any other book ever. Its as though if someone hears you're a big reader, they instantly ask what you thought of Ishmael. It's not required reading, asshole. And why is it better to be reading the "classics"? I imagine they are all pretty well known and cliche to read at this point anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentBob Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Right now I'm reading "The Little Company" by elanor dark. It's not the worst book in the world. But I'm only reading it because I have to. If I had a choice I'de probably be reading "The Crimson Petal and The White" by Micheal Faber. I've only read the opening it goes: "Watch your step. Keep your wits about you; you will need them. This city I am bringing you to is vast and intricate; and you have not been here before. You may imagine, from other stories you've read, that you know it well, but those stories flattered you, welcoming you as a friend, treating you as if you belonged. The truth is that you are an alien from another time and place altogther" ^^ In terms of literally device and what I can only describe as "the aethetics of words" that shit is just fucking ill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dusty Lipschitz Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 i think bookslists here are alot like music. alot of people want to be edgy and underground... i can read grisham and listen to justin timberlake.i can read hunter thompson and listen to mf doom. i can read mishima and listen to the liars. theres a time and place for each. i read and listen to what i like. no need to impress. since noone answered my question about gravity's rainblow, anyone read henry millers sexus/nexus/plexus? like silentbob said: "In terms of literally device and what I can only describe as "the aethetics of words" that shit is just fucking ill." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunm Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 I'm waiting to read Stephen kings "Wolves of the Calla" but it needs to come out in paperback. I'm not throwing down thirty bucks for a hardcover...ridiculous. But right now, i'm reading "Men and Women of the Corporation" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon X Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 Originally posted by CIPHER_one So, what kind of books are better to read? What are the "classics"? And don't say Ishmael...that book has been recommended to me more than any other book ever. Its as though if someone hears you're a big reader, they instantly ask what you thought of Ishmael. It's not required reading, asshole. And why is it better to be reading the "classics"? I imagine they are all pretty well known and cliche to read at this point anyways. Dear Lord, I would never, ever suggest Ishmael by Daniel Quinn to you. If people hear that you’re a big reader and suggest this to you, you are definitely hanging out in the teenage, ‘cultural’, fashion district of your city too much. I fucking hated that book. I remember some random woman on the bus was reading that book, and I had to tell her that she was wasting her time. I think I gave her the creeps. As for what’s good in the classics, I’m not the one to ask. I respect your idea that one should read what they enjoy, but I feel that if you live by this, you will miss out. I mean, a lot of the books I’ve read are a friggin’ chore to read, but when I was done, I knew it was worth it (like getting exercise). If you want to get a taste of a ‘classic’ writer’s style, try reading a collection of short stories by a particular author, or a collection of a number of authors’ stories. That’s how I got into Fyodor Dostoevsky. That man is brilliant. One of my favourite writers ever is Alexandre Dumas. The first book I ever read of his was The Count of Monte Cristo, and I flew through that, even though I was ten years old. I’ve read it about six times since. I then picked up Three Musketeers (great book) and flew through it as well. I figured, ‘what the hey, I’ll read the rest of the series’, so I commenced reading Twenty Years After, then Le Vicomte de Bragillone (sp), then Louise de la Valliere. Let me tell you, I have never struggled so hard to read a fiction book (these books are the type that you gotta check the footnotes at the back at least three times a page just to know what the heck is going on). But I plowed through, and felt a feeling of accomplishment when I was done. Next in the series is The Man In the Iron Mask. Too bad some Ukrainian dude at the bar told me who dies and I lost a lot of interest. Maybe sometime in the next couple of years I’ll pick it up just so I can say I finished Dumas’ Musketeer series. Classics are labeled as such for a reason. They have withstood the test of time, and are still loved by millions. There is nothing cliché about a lot of them, or they wouldn’t be so revered by professors and housewives alike. Ask some well read people in that department, and they’ll give you a good suggestion, I’m sure. Villain: thanks again for those suggestions you gave me. I asked my friend to look up some of them in the library he works at. I can’t wait until school is done so I can start my summer reading. El Mammero: You make a very good point. I’m not familiar with the Dark Pitt series, but I remember back in the days when I would read Star Wars books and nothing else. It was limiting, but darn fun. I enjoy those NY Times bestseller paperbacks, but Crichton or Clancy at least have some variation in their novels. Grisham had the exact same thing in each of his. I can understand a 2Unlimited album with a formulaic approach in each song, but a book takes a lot longer to read. I can’t handle that shit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest imported_El Mamerro Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 ^They're making a Dirk Pitt movie due out this summer, "Sahara", based on the book by the same name. It's one of my fave's of Clive Cussler's, yet I'm not excited cause I'm almost certain they're gonna fuck it up. I've read almost every Crichton book there is, and while there are a few exceptions, I don't think there's really much variety either. The variety usually pertains to the settings and the form of emerging technologies that goes wrong, but the characters and structure are basically the same. That said, "Prey" kicked an unbelievable amount of ass, even if it's just "Jurassic Park" with nanotech. The only Dostoevsky I've read was Crime & Punishment, and while I found him to be a very intelligent and excellent writer, the stuff was almost mindnumbingy boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 No problem Weapon X. That should keep you busy for a while. I haven't read too many classics honestly. Like the required shakespear of course. And 1984. The Prince by Machiavelli. That might be it. My real interest as far as reading for entertainment goes has always been sci-fi/fantasy. I've read a million of those books.... Asimov, Piers Anthony, Heinlein, Terry Brooks.... a ton.... Of course JRR Tolkein. I don't really like NY Times bestsellers too much... they are often boring to me. I need something challenging. Though of the NY Times bestsellers I'd say some of my favorite authors are Micheal Crichton and Tom Clancy.... Usually I'm way deep underground though. That seems to be where I find the real buried treasures.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mental invalid Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 edward gibbon's "the decline and fall of the roman empire" and holy fuck its a hard read, but its good. only 700 hundered pages to go. before that tom robbins, villa incognito, hes always great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon X Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 You should check some of Tolstoy’s short stories. I was thoroughly impressed, although I’m wary of picking up something like War and Peace ‘cuz it’s so big. Picked up from this site: http://www.darkhorizons.com/2004/sahara.php Plot: Based on the Clive Cussler novel. Searching for a treasure on the Nile, Dirk Pitt thwarts the attempted assassination of a beautiful U.N. scientist investigating a disease that is driving thousands of North Africans into madness, cannibalism, and death. The suspected cause of the raging epidemic is vast, unprecedented pollution that threatens to extinguish all life in the world's seas. Racing to save the world from environmental catastrophe, Pitt and his team, equipped with an extraordinary, state-of-the-art yacht, run a gauntlet between a billionaire industrialist and a bloodthirsty West African tyrant. In the scorching desert, Pitt finds a gold mine manned by slaves and uncovers the truth behind two enduring mysteries -- the fate of a Civil War ironclad and its secret connection with Lincoln's assassination, and the last flight of a long-lost female pilot....Now, amidst the blazing, shifting sands of the Sahara, Dirk Pitt will make a desperate stand -- in a battle the world cannot afford to lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon X Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 I have yet to read The Prince, but if you’re interested in the Borgia family, perhaps try reading Mario Puzo’s The Family. I’ve always read of Donna Lucrezia (Cesare’s sister) to be a poisonous, backstabbing whore, but Puzo’s take on her and the rest of the family was quite different. After doing some research on the net, I found that what Puzo had to say about the Borgia family and Pope Alexander (VI, I think) was that they were good people – far different than what the history books say, though. As we all know, however, it’s the people who come out on top that write the history. Hell, I remember in Dumas’ short story collection, Celebrated Crimes, he made the Borgia family out to be so damn grossly disgusting and evil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weapon X Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 YO THAT I, ROBOT MOVIE LOOKS WACK! THE AUDI IN IT LOOKS SWEET, THOUGH. HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU GONNA PUT WILL SMITH IN AN ASIMOV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIPHER_one Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Originally posted by Weapon X Classics are labeled as such for a reason. They have withstood the test of time, and are still loved by millions. There is nothing cliché about a lot of them, or they wouldn’t be so revered by professors and housewives alike. Ask some well read people in that department, and they’ll give you a good suggestion, I’m sure. I understand what you're saying about challenging one's self to gain a lot from a book and all that. But, just because a college professor says a book is a classic, doesn't mean that I'm wrong for disliking it. Just because 99% of the world's population think a book is great, that doesn't make it a fact. I do agree with your other point(s) and will attempt to look into books which may be a struggle to get involved with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Quickwood Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Intensity, Dean Koontz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ment2 Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 turn of the screw by henry james for school, dharma bums for pleasure. just finished a book called the whiteboy shuffle by Paul Beatty, it was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mental invalid Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 intensity was the only koontz book ive read and i loved it. dharma bums may be my fave, it may be jack at his best before he eventualy becomes the greek tragedy dying of alcoholism on his mothers couch. ill never grasp the divergence. but jaffey ryder is great, who is really gary snyder. he wrote a great book of poetry called turtle island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CIPHER_one Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Originally posted by mental invalid dharma bums may be my fave, it may be jack at his best before he eventualy becomes the greek tragedy dying of alcoholism on his mothers couch. yeah. I just started the Tesseract...its good...but I'm not totally into it yet. Less Than Zero may be next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firsttake Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 should finish Miles : the autobiography (miles davis) today and then tomorrow starting Visions of cody by kerouac... supposed to be in the same vein as On the road, which is highly recommended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BROWNer Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 count of monte christo is an awesome book. i can't remember it worth squat, but i flew through it too. and crime and punishment failed to hold my attention, so i never finished it. i'm gettin' all trendy for my next book... either fast food nation or no logo..i've read a puny amount of the former, and a tad more of the latter....not sure which one to pick yet.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricitySucks Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 kingdom of fear by homer s. thompson. enough said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atrocks Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 the lil critter collection... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graf muse Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Finishing up "Sacred Contracts" by Caroline Myss Next I'd like to read "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez anyone read this book yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intercept Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 woo these like barely visible characters are in the back round of every page its dope...nice job....anyways I’m reading utopia by Sir Tomas More...just finished the republic and irrational man one by Plato the other William Barrett.....:lick: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanity Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 started hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy... bout 40 pages into it, not too impressed. but i was never much of a science fiction fan, so i might be missing a lot of the jokes. and whoever wanted to know aobut some classics, i've read a grip.. lemme know what you're into, i might be able to drop something... or you could check out some sites from publishers like penguin or bantom? or google college english home pages Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabo 2 Posted April 27, 2004 Share Posted April 27, 2004 children of dune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Mask Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 Just finished "The Silent Cry" by Kenzaburo Oe. I'm getting sick of this guy's endings. I fucking love his writing, but the endings always kill me, he's gotta wrap things up neatly and make sure everyone does the respectable thing in the end. ugh. no more for now. next book for work: Fundamentals of Insurance - Basic Qualification and Licensing Course (its in a 3-ring binder and it weighs more than my head) next book for me: "The Unvanquished" by William Faulker, unless I find somthing better and the bookstore this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanity Posted May 8, 2004 Share Posted May 8, 2004 hitchiker's guide ended up being pretty funny.. and that's not even counting the stuff u didn't get, cause im not a sci fi nerd about 100 deep into journey to the center of the earth... at first, i felt alll the attempts to make the trip suspenseful (sp?) were pretty transparent and not convincing enough... now that the journey has begun, it's a bit more interesting. the dialogue is a bit over the top, but it's a bit refreshing, i suppose. i suppose, also, that the book doesn't seem as interesting now as it did when it came out, since the center of the earth isn't as interesting or mysterious Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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