gogo Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 If you haven't already, check out the short-story anthology Speaking With the Angel, edited by Nick Hornby. Dave Eggers' story in that is my favorite thing of his. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ms. yvon Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 *cough*fall avatars*cough* Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Oh, absolutely. The first time I read it I can remember thinking it wasn't that great, but the thing that kept me going was how I would periodically get completely lost in the rhythm of the thing. Finally, I realized that that WAS what was so great about it. At the end of my first time though I'm not sure I remembered much about what happened or what it was about, but dang it was an exhilarating ride! It's rhythm matches uop well with the Jazz tunes of the time that he (Sal) refers to so often throughout, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 I am not a fan of Austen, but Heathcliff is the ultimate Scorpio. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 I love Jane Austen. I have to read in a ways before I get into her mindset, since it was a very different time, but once there I love her sly humor and understanding of what makes humans tick. That hasn't really changed over the centuries, and she is so insightful and cuttingly funny in her appraisals of her characters' motives. When I finish an Austen book, I crave another Austen book. Her writing has such an elegance, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Yeah, I can't imagine not liking Jane Austen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 This always makes me chuckle. http://www.much-ado.net/austenbook/ This thread is pretty much the literary counterpart to the Musical Blasphemy thread from a while back, the one where people confessed to not liking something that everyone else loves. No one is bothering to trash books that we all agree are terrible (well, with the exception of The DaVinci Code ). The real killers are those books that we've been told are great. Oh, I've been told Danielle Steele books are great... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 That link is pretty funny, Christy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 I love Jane Austen. I have to read in a ways before I get into her mindset, since it was a very different time, but once there I love her sly humor and understanding of what makes humans tick. That hasn't really changed over the centuries, and she is so insightful and cuttingly funny in her appraisals of her characters' motives. When I finish an Austen book, I crave another Austen book. Her writing has such an elegance, too.Yes, exactly, Donna. Jane Austen is like the best bag of chips ever. Can't have just one. I'm currently reading On Beauty, by Zadie Smith, which is an homage to Howard's End. I'd never read HE before, so I read that before starting OB, and the difference that strikes me the most between these two books is that in Forster's world, there were fewer options for lifestyles and choices of correct behavior, so his story unfolds almost in shorthand. There's no question that these people are acting incorrectly, or that person is of a different social class, based on just a few obvious signifiers. In Zadie Smith's world, our world, race and class and physical appearance and political views can all be carved into ever thinner slices and combined in more surprising ways, so her book is necessarily a much heftier, more detailed work. Neither of these books suck, so I'm definitely going off-topic here; I'm just wondering what Jane Austen would do with our world, with a less-structured social sphere. And no, the re-telling in Bridget Jones' Diary doesn't count. (Although, maybe "Clueless" does work. ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 A bold piece of shit. Mawkish and blatant shite for the most part. Worst ending ever. Possibly the worst thing I have ever read. It was such a fucking trial to get through and when I had done with it I threw it out the porthole and into the Atlantic Ocean to die the awful death it deserved. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
austrya Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I loved Angela's Ashes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 I loved Angela's Ashes. A bunch of people did, especially gullible Americans with a tenuous connection to Ireland. Not that I am saying that is you. No offence! My father grew up in more or less the same time frame and he pshaw'd it when he read it. Everyone was poor, everyone had a shit life...that's the way Ireland was in those days...and is heading back to lol....but McCourt was nothing special. He fucked off to America and so did millions of others. I just hate the way this book is fawned over as if it is some sort of historical document. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 My father grew up in more or less the same time frame and he pshaw'd it when he read it. Everyone was poor, everyone had a shit life...that's the way Ireland was in those days...and is heading back to lol....but McCourt was nothing special. He fucked off to America and so did millions of others. I just hate the way this book is fawned over as if it is some sort of historical document.My mother grew up in that same time frame, on a small farm in Meath. They didn't have much either, but her life was worlds away from the McCourts. Still, she can appreciate the way that the book is written. It doesn't have to be a unique story, certainly it's in the way it's told, isn't it? But then, she fucked off to America, so what does she know? Note: I'm not a huge fan of Angela's Ashes either, but for different reasons than yours seem to be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Note: I'm not a huge fan of Angela's Ashes either, but for different reasons than yours seem to be. Well, obviously you are a Smarmy Condescending Hurtful Bitch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Erik Ritland Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 As a chick, I thoroughly enjoyed Catcher in the Rye but I think that has something to do with my being a bit of a self-absorbed, hypocritical, sad sack sometimes. You sound awesome! I found myself relating to Holden a lot. Catcher sort of altered my mind set and how I see the world...or it poisoned my mind...or something. But I can see why it could be an unlikeable book. Holden isn't exactly a likable character. I don't think I've hated any books that I've read. Had to read, even. I was pretty disappointed with Jonathan Lethem's "You Don't Love Me Yet", but I wouldn't say I hated it. It was just too cliche. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hollinger. Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 The problem with A Confederacy Of Dunces is that it is just impossible to not absolutely loathe Ignatius immediately. It's difficult to get into a book with a character so off putting, but it's absolutely worth it if you can make yourself stick with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 I found myself liking the guy right away, and his mom. But I still haven't been able to get through 50 pages. Like I said though, I'm sure I'll dig it someday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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