mountain bed Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I would like to put in a plug for Taylor Branch's trilogy of America in the King years. I am on volume two and it is really great. If you only have a chance or patience for one, Parting of the Waters is really worth checking out. LouieBOh hell yes. William Manchester's "The Glory And The Dream" (1932-1972) is an excellent chronicle of that time period as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Brothers Karamazov was an assignment in college and I laughed at it's heft and figured I'd never get through it. I started it and really got into it and finished it. I had to lead a small group discussion on it and the discussion (certainly not because I lead) was one of my most memorable from English classes back then. Finishing that book made tackling Moby Dick a year later an easier mental task. I should clarify that David James Duncan's "The Brothers K" is not the same book as "The Brothers Karamazov", though the reference is intentional. In fact, the brothers in "The Brothers K" do not even have a last name beginning with K...their last name is Chance. My son Tom had to read "The Brothers Karamazov" at one point in school, so he was able to tell me that there are reasons Duncan named his book as he did. I've never read "Karamazov" myself, but now I want to because of "The Brothers K". It's got me curious! Do you think I'd survive it, Lammy? After that, "War and Peace" and "Moby Dick". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Well geez now I feel like a fool. I didn't know y'all were referencing another book. I think you'd survive The Brothers Karamazov if you were pressed to. Otherwise, it may be a grand challenge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mollyegan Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The two books that I am always pushing are A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and The Cider House Rules by John Irving. While I enjoyed the movie "Cider House", I think it actually did a huge disservice to the book...as is usually the case, I suppose. I have a few extra copies that I force on friends. As for the former, I have a young Ignatius in my 8th grade class. True story. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 The two books that I am always pushing are A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and The Cider House Rules by John Irving. While I enjoyed the movie "Cider House", I think it actually did a huge disservice to the book...as is usually the case, I suppose. I have a few extra copies that I force on friends. As for the former, I have a young Ignatius in my 8th grade class. True story. Confederacy of Dunces is an enigma to me. I know people who say it's their favorite book ever and just as many people said they could not even get through it and gave up. I loved that book. I still give the edge to Owen Meany but Cider House was good. I was actually reading Cider house when I was about 16 at the airport and Stevie Ray Vaughan walked by. I ran up to him to get his autograph but like a dork I couldn't find a blank page in the book (I was nervous) so now I have his autograph on top of one of those "Critics rave about Cider House Rules" pages. He was super cool by the way. Signed it: Marshal,Soul to SoulStevie Ray Vaughan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I had David Lee Roth sign my copy of Huckleberry Finn. John Irving-wise, Garp is a close second to Owen Meany for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I had David Lee Roth sign my copy of Huckleberry Finn. That's interesting. If you have read his book - then you know that he has a thing for Huckleberry Finn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I had David Lee Roth sign my copy of Huckleberry Finn. John Irving-wise, Garp is a close second to Owen Meany for me. I heard David Lee Roth is still doing EMT work in New York. How strange to be laying there after an accident and have Diamond Dave taking care of you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 That's interesting. If you have read his book - then you know that he has a thing for Huckleberry Finn. I brought it with me to the event. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I heard David Lee Roth is still doing EMT work in New York. How strange to be laying there after an accident and have Diamond Dave taking care of you. He is - and Van Halen are supposedly going to do a new album this year. Speaking of great books - Crazy From The Heat is a great book. I would not pay 117 bucks for it though. I think I bought it for 4 bucks - years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Crazy From The Heat may be the quickest read ever for me. Maybe two days. So enjoyable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I think you'd survive The Brothers Karamazov if you were pressed to. Otherwise, it may be a grand challenge.I don't mind the occasional grand challenge, and besides, Duncan's Brothers K has me curious to see why he named it so similarly to Brothers Karamazov. I may have to see whether Tom still has his copy of The Brothers Karamazov....otherwise, the library will do. Though that might mean I'd have to renew several times! The two books that I am always pushing are A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and The Cider House Rules by John Irving. While I enjoyed the movie "Cider House", I think it actually did a huge disservice to the book...as is usually the case, I suppose. I have a few extra copies that I force on friends. As for the former, I have a young Ignatius in my 8th grade class. True story.I've just finished reading The Cider House Rules and Molly's right...while the movie wasn't awful, it couldn't begin to capture the depth and scope of the book! Really a beautiful story, and I love that Irving takes the time to really let you get to know his characters. It results in very lengthy books, but is rewarding in that the characters don't fade away as soon as the book is read. He makes them memorable enough, and you live with them inside your head long enough that they tend to hang around ever after. My head is crowded with fascinating characters. I haven't read A Confederacy of Dunces. I'm adding it to my list. Thanks, Molly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 i read 'Go' by John Clellon Holmes awhile back and loved it. it was similar to Kerouac's 'On the Road' but was a little more involved or something, hard to explain. 2 other novels that are coming to mind are Brendan Behan's 'Borstal Boy' and 'Confessions of an Irish Rebel.' i only mention the latter due to it being the sequel to 'Borstal Boy.' oh, Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums' and 'Desolation Angels' blew me away when i first read them! im getting into Dostoevsky now, 'Notes From the Underground' and 'Crime and Punishment,' and am really digging this guy's views, especially regarding religion being the saving grace of life...its beautiful. btw, anyone read 'Ulysses' by James Joyce? wanna venture into that next. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 i read 'Go' by John Clellon Holmes awhile back and loved it. it was similar to Kerouac's 'On the Road' but was a little more involved or something, hard to explain. 2 other novels that are coming to mind are Brendan Behan's 'Borstal Boy' and 'Confessions of an Irish Rebel.' i only mention the latter due to it being the sequel to 'Borstal Boy.' oh, Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums' and 'Desolation Angels' blew me away when i first read them! im getting into Dostoevsky now, 'Notes From the Underground' and 'Crime and Punishment,' and am really digging this guy's views, especially regarding religion being the saving grace of life...its beautiful. btw, anyone read 'Ulysses' by James Joyce? wanna venture into that next. I apparently lack the brain capacity for Joyce. Tried reading Ulysses a few times and it was futile. I don't feel like reading a translation along with the book. I also have Pynchon's "gravities rainbow" that I have not tackled yet. I heard his books are full of very obscure historical references and things so I want to make sure I can google things as I read them. It's not a sit on the beach book. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 i read 'Go' by John Clellon Holmes awhile back and loved it. it was similar to Kerouac's 'On the Road' but was a little more involved or something, hard to explain. 2 other novels that are coming to mind are Brendan Behan's 'Borstal Boy' and 'Confessions of an Irish Rebel.' i only mention the latter due to it being the sequel to 'Borstal Boy.' oh, Kerouac's 'Dharma Bums' and 'Desolation Angels' blew me away when i first read them! im getting into Dostoevsky now, 'Notes From the Underground' and 'Crime and Punishment,' and am really digging this guy's views, especially regarding religion being the saving grace of life...its beautiful. btw, anyone read 'Ulysses' by James Joyce? wanna venture into that next.Go is a fun book. So is his novel, The Horn, which is about jazz. I have read Ulysses, but not for a number of years... LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigshoulders Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 The Sound and The Fury - Wm. FaulknerSlaughterhouse Five - VonnegutThe Same River Twice - Chris OffuttGeek Love - Katherine DunnA Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving edit: A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole (couldn't bear not to list this one after seeing it mentioned above) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Snow Angels- Stewart O'NanA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius- Dave EggersThe Know-It-All- A.J. Jacobs Jesus' Son- Denis JohnsonThe Laughing Matter- William Saroyan honorable mention:So Long, See You Tomorrow- William MaxwellPortnoy's Complaint- Philip Roth Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 I ran up to him to get his autograph but like a dork I couldn't find a blank page in the book (I was nervous) so now I have his autograph on top of one of those "Critics rave about Cider House Rules" pages. He was super cool by the way.I have Jim Carroll's (The Basketball Diaries) autograph in my copy of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Jesus' Son- Denis Johnson Ooooo Jesus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NightOfJoy Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ooooo Jesus Quote Link to post Share on other sites
augie Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 The Road-Cormac McCarthyMiddlesex-Jeffrey EugenidesAbout A Boy/High Fidelity-Nick Hornby The Catcher in the Rye-SalingerIt Happened in Boston?-Russell H. GreenanStones of Summer-Dow Mossman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Just out of curiosity, has anyone tackled Proust? In search of lost time? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Go is a fun book. So is his novel, The Horn, which is about jazz. I have read Ulysses, but not for a number of years... LouieB oh, i forgot about 'The Horn!' i believe that story is about one of the minor characters from 'Go,' could be wrong tho. think i'll mosey on over to Amazon and pick that up along with 'Ulysses' which seems like its a pretty hit/ miss type of book. if push comes to shove, i can carry it around, along with Proust's 'Things of Remembrance Past,' and attempt to impress the ladies. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 Just out of curiosity, has anyone tackled Proust? In search of lost time? i read like 1/10 of 'Swann's Way' if that counts! i'd def. like to read more and am also interested to see if anyone has been able to read the entire set and if so, what they have to say about it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Moby-Dick - MelvilleEast of Eden - SteinbeckVonnegut. If I have to choose, I'll go with Cat's Cradle just because too many people chose Slaughterhouse Five already.The Sun Also Rises - HemingwayContinental Drift - Russell Banks Any one of those books on the list could easily be substituted for another one by the same author. Except Melville, maybe. I mean, Typee is interesting and all, but the big whale story pretty much crushes everything. Putting Steinbeck and Hemingway on there seems almost too obvious, but its hard not to include them. For newer stuff, if you haven't read anything by Russell Banks, you should. If this were a "books that changed my life" thread instead of "best", I'd sub in To Have and Have Not. That was my first Hemingway, and while it is generally considered a more "minor" work, the scene at the end with the boat pulling into the marina remains etched into my memory. This might be why I majored in English. Also, Russell Banks' Rule of the Bone, which I discovered at the end of college and it felt like giving the finger to all the stuff I was tired of reading by that point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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