Analogman Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Farewell Summer: A Novel by Ray Bradbury Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock by Richie Unterberger Link to post Share on other sites
kathyp Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I just finished Superstud. Funny as hell. (Make sure you read the chapter he warns you not to read.) Link to post Share on other sites
nalafej Posted January 27, 2007 Share Posted January 27, 2007 I am glad you all liked superstud. I found it unreadable. I am reading Underworld right now and enjoying it. I know some others on the board have recommended this. I guess I just had a bad time with superstud. Link to post Share on other sites
Hodie Posted January 28, 2007 Share Posted January 28, 2007 My travel reading this weekend: I can't talk about the plot, because there are surprisey bits, but I can say that I love it love it love it. I've still got about 50 pages left, so it's possible it'll go sour, but I don't think so. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted January 29, 2007 Share Posted January 29, 2007 Interesting stuff. Link to post Share on other sites
jahilia Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 The cover makes it look really bland, but the subject matter is captivating. Jaynes' theory is that the aiodoi, or bards of the Illiad, and also stories in the Old Testament - such as Moses and the burning bush - had no consciousness. Defined by Jaynes, consciousness is the ability to make decisions or introspect - and when the gods spoke to people it was actually themselves making decisions, but they had either visual or aural hallucinations that instructed them in what to do. He cites many interesting studies conducted on schizophrenics and epileptics (a common "cure" used to be severing the hemispheres of the brain), that is pretty convincing evidence - or at least intriguing reading.Julian Jaynes is also a psychology professor at Princeton, so he does have some credentials. I don't know if I buy his theory yet (I'm only 150 pages in), but it's very interesting and well written. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Just finished this...it's a great story, very unusual and fascinating. I read until I was bleary-eyed last night, wanting to know how it all turned out. Highly recommended. Next up, some wonderful books from a certain secret Santa. Oh Boy! Jahilia, that Jaynes book looks intriguing! Link to post Share on other sites
summertweedy Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 i've been 'ing the whole time. an amazing, amazing book. Link to post Share on other sites
kathyp Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 (Note to self: Do not go on a Dave Eggers rant. It got up into a heap of touble some other place. Be nice.) Just started this this morning: Not too sure yet. Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyjimmy Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Eggers previous stuff....so feel free. I have read an excerpt from " What is the What" and I'm willing to give it a shot. At some point, way down the road. NR. Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 NR.I love that book ... Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 I'm a big fan of Auster, but for some reason I can't figure out, I've never been able to finish that one. Link to post Share on other sites
WildMercurySound Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 (Note to self: Do not go on a Dave Eggers rant. It got up into a heap of touble some other place. Be nice.) i love his work but would like to hear your thoughts on him. Hopefully people here are able to hear an opposing view on books and not flip out. NR:Daniel Handler - Adverbs Link to post Share on other sites
kathyp Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 Mostly, the problem I have with Eggers is that he's sarcastic to the point that I cannot feel empathy for him, even when I want to. I tried to read Heartbreaking Work... multiple times, and I couldn't get past the first thirty pages or so. Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Always wanted to read something by him but haven't, so this will be my first. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted February 3, 2007 Author Share Posted February 3, 2007 Mostly, the problem I have with Eggers is that he's sarcastic to the point that I cannot feel empathy for him, even when I want to. I tried to read Heartbreaking Work... multiple times, and I couldn't get past the first thirty pages or so.I've read A Heartbreaking Work... and You Shall Know... and I really WANT to like Dave Eggers, but I just don't. I think he's done great things with the tutoring programs he's running across the country, he seems like a very cool guy the few times I've seen him in person, but his books sound to me like they were written by a complete asshole, and I really can't get past that. And yet the subject matter of this new one wouldn't seem to lend itself to that, so I may go ahead and give him another try anyway. Link to post Share on other sites
WildMercurySound Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Always wanted to read something by him but haven't, so this will be my first. two of my favourite books are Lethem's Motherless Brooklyn and The Fortress of Solitude. I cannot recommend them enough. I haven't read that one though. Link to post Share on other sites
KNevitt Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 i've been 'ing the whole time. an amazing, amazing book. Just finished it. It was phenomenal. Completely different than Eggers other novels. Not a bit of sarcasm to be found. Despite the topic, Sudan, it never plays for sympathy, it is well written with a wonderful voice. Which is actually that of it's subject, Valentino Achak Deng. Really, really fantastic. Just for the record I love Heartbreaking Work..., but thought Eggers was trying to hard on his others, couldn't finish the second, If you kind of like him, or want to, give this a chance. Link to post Share on other sites
Hodie Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Always wanted to read something by him but haven't, so this will be my first. New Jonathan Lethem!!? Yay, thank you! Link to post Share on other sites
kathyp Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Always wanted to read something by him but haven't, so this will be my first. Damn. This won't be officially released until March. How did you get an early copy? Are you in the publishing industry? (I read a little of the Amazon description, and I'm a little leary. I have no middle ground when it comes to books about rock bands.) Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Nope, I grabbed an advance reading copy off ebay. Link to post Share on other sites
la* Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 I read the new Lethem and liked it a lot, but it hasn't stayed with me the way his previous books have. The main female character reminded me of Mirabelle from Steve Martin's Shopgirl. The music content is interesting and I loved the scene where the band plays their first show. My favorite of his books remains Fortress of Solitude Now reading for school: Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Indeed, to look at the chemical composition of any common food plant is to realize just how much complexity lurks within it. Here Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts