Now Reading in the New New Year

[jimmyjimmy]

NR:

 

 

I've just been doing a lot of NY Times crosswords lately while waiting for either Eating Animals or the new Paul Auster to show up for me at the library.

 

 

Since I recall you, like I, am a pretty big Auster fan I'd reccomend you skip this one. I had to struggle through it.

 

NR:

 

[Sir Stewart]

Since I recall you, like I, am a pretty big Auster fan I'd reccomend you skip this one. I had to struggle through it.

 

Dammit, really? The only Auster I didn't enjoy reading was Brooklyn Follies. I tend to like his drier, more aloof stuff, like Book of Illusions. It seems from reviews that this one is kinda like that. What do you think?

[Analogman]

Phoenix Without Ashes - Harlan Ellison

The Legendary Joe Meek: The Telstar Man - John Repsch

Trouble in Paradise - Robert B. Parker

Chiefs: A Novel - Stuart Woods

Aftermath - Charles Sheffield

Curious Notions - Harry Turtledove

[jimmyjimmy]

Dammit, really? The only Auster I didn't enjoy reading was Brooklyn Follies. I tend to like his drier, more aloof stuff, like Book of Illusions. It seems from reviews that this one is kinda like that. What do you think?

 

I was thinking about this after I finished it: "Was it really the work (the novel/story) or is it the reader (me) and where I am right now. Because, honestly this is his first book I didn't enjoy.

 

I really liked "Book of illusions". I was interested in the main character, his life falling apart and then recovering by starting on the project with the "lost films".

That leading into the main part of the story with the resurrection of the long thought dead silent era star and elements of his back-story. That was compelling and interesting and it moved along at a good pace: Auster revealing elements of the the narrative a bit at a time to keep the reader engaged.

 

This one just felt..."meh" to me. I was indifferent about the main character, and after some sensational/ scandalous events of his past are disclosed I didn't feel repelled enough by them or sympathetic enough towards him to really care about how his part in the story resolved itself. The antagonist, while portrayed as horrible human being really could've used more fleshing out to be truly nefarious.

 

I dunno...I just kept finding myself throughout the book thinking of different ways I would've responded as these characters, and how I would have portrayed them differently had I written them. That's something I've never done w/regards to Auster before.

 

All that said, I loved "Brooklyn Follies" so you should probably read this one!

[fif1435]

I started reading this a few years ago, put it down and kind of forgot about it. Picked it up again recently and can't imagine how I ever forgot about it the first time.

[anthony]

 

 

I just finished reading David Foster Wallace’s epic novel Infinite Jest. I wanted offer my review and miscellaneous comments regarding this work of staggering genius (to borrow a DFW phrase).

 

--- By the way, several spoilers for those who have not read IJ; you are warned ---

 

First off, it is a daunting task to actually read. Not just because of the length; not just because of the density. I found the first 1/3 to be mentally taxing because of all the little unexplained things. Things that will not get explained until later on in the novel. You get confused reading about the Concavity or the Year of the Trial Size Dove Bar or Eschaton or O.N.A.N. (the heavy use of acronyms is especially infuriating).

 

The next thing that strikes you is DFW’s language. On one hand, his grasp of vocabulary seems unparalleled in contemporary fiction. Often I found myself looking up very obscure words on dictionary.com. On the other hand, his grammar often comes across as juvenile. His use of the word “like” and phrases like “and so but” are those of high schoolers. Also, he seems to love repeating the same word in the same sentence. This technique was used often throughout. I assume these grammatical flourishes were intentional with the purpose of defining the narrator’s voice, but, nonetheless, it was kind of distracting at first. Especially when combined with the OED vocabulary.

 

I did love how is writing changed voice with each character. For example, when a scene with Marathe was being described, the vocabulary changed to one whose English skills were not strong. When the drug addict was highlighted, the words were frenetic, slang-filled, and paragraph-less. Brilliant and engrossing.

 

However, with that said, I have to admit that Infinite Jest is by far one of the best novels I have ever read – which is really kind of surprising, really. After all, what is this book even about? Youth tennis? Addiction recovery? The nature of entertainment? These are not subjects that usually place a piece of art into the upper echelons. The brilliance of this book comes not from these surface skims of its subject matter. No, it is brilliant because of how it presents all these little mysterious wrapped around interconnected (yet ordinary/recognizable) characters that seem to transcend their archetypes. There are all these subtle parallels between characters who face the same problems – just with different perspectives and extenuating circumstances (for example, addicts who neglect their lives for their Substance, viewers who neglect their lives for the samizdat, kids who neglect their lives in pursuit of athletic greatness, fathers who neglect their families for their obsessions). To see DFW weave these lives around these themes is absolutely fascinating.

 

The best art is the kind that allows the observer to participate (albeit passively) in the experience. Infinite Jest is no exception. There are so many little mysteries that do not get explained – that DFW leaves up to the reader’s imagination (or literary sleuthing skills) to devise answers. What happens to Hal? Why did JOI eliminate his own map? What on the Entertainment is so lethal? Who is Mario’s father? Were Gately’s fever dreams real or imagined (especially fascinating the dream of JOI as ghost)? What’s the deal with Avril? And many, many more.

 

But my favorite unsolved mystery is PGOAT Madame Psychosis: is she deformed? Or is she too beautiful? Or is she both? This is what I mean by parallels. The Concavity faces a similar mystery: is it a toxic wasteland full of deformed skulls? Or a lush paradise? Or both?

 

The thing that really makes these you scratch your head throughout is DFW’s use of the Unreliable Narrator literary technique. It seems that no one in the entire book can be counted on as reliable due to mental problems, substance problems, CIA double-cross, ulterior motives, ignorance, hear-say, etc. Not to mention all the conflicting stories that different characters tell about the same scenario. Weaving through this maze is challenging and fascinating at the same time.

 

DFW also confuses you with Too Much Information. Do you really need to know which pharmaceutical company copyrighted what drug under what name? There are so many character back-stories that it gets absurd. He throws a brand new back-story on page 967 (Barry Loach)! Twenty before the end of the novel! Do you need to know how many times the trainer wrapped taper around Hal’s ankle? DFW is the anti-Hemmingway in this regard. All this wealth of information can be infuriating, yes, but there is a lot of subtle brilliance in these details. JOI’s filmography in footnotes, for example, took me two or three reads to really grasp all the nuances.

 

DFW is also a clever literary prankster. Take this passage on page 16 (page 16!!): “I think of John N.R. Wayne, who would have won this year’s WhataBurger, standing watch in a mask as Donald Gately and I dig up my father’s head.” Seriously?!? He gives the most important sentence in the book on page 16! Before you know enough about any of those characters to pay attention?!? Wow. This sentence also opens a flood gate of unanswered questions: How do Hal & Gately meet? Why do they collaborate on this venture? Why did JW drop out of WhataBurger and why is he in a mask? What do they do next? My goodness.

 

I really, really enjoyed this novel. When the pieces start falling into place about 2/3 of the way through, it becomes impossible to put down. I highly recommend it.

[RainDogToo]

 

Still need to pick that one up!

 

NP:

 

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

I won't pretend I'm highbrow...

 

I am really reading this

 

[alison the wilca]

just finished:

 

now reading (finally... i got this for Christmas of 2008):

[Spawn's dad]

[gogo]

just finished:

Alison, that looks cool. What did you think?

[alison the wilca]

Alison, that looks cool. What did you think?

Even though I've read Bellairs' books with the same "cast of characters" (Johnny Dixon, Professor Childermass and Byron Ferguson), this one was pretty different. It was a little oddball (without giving away too much, there is an Egyptian god with a sense of humor and a crazy trip to the fall of Constantinople) but very interesting. Bellairs is obviously in love with ancient history, especially Egyptian and thereabouts, and this book kind of brings that to life. I prefer some of his other books (The House with the Clock in Its Walls, The Curse of the Blue Figurine, etc) but I just love his old fashioned style and childlike wonder, which made this enjoyable like the rest.

 

Also, it is fairly short with big print... it would probably take you 2 hours or less to read, Maudie

[explodo]

Wow. I forgot all about the Curse of the Blue Figurine. Good one, that.

[gogo]

Even though I've read Bellairs' books with the same "cast of characters" (Johnny Dixon, Professor Childermass and Byron Ferguson), this one was pretty different. It was a little oddball (without giving away too much, there is an Egyptian god with a sense of humor and a crazy trip to the fall of Constantinople) but very interesting. Bellairs is obviously in love with ancient history, especially Egyptian and thereabouts, and this book kind of brings that to life. I prefer some of his other books (The House with the Clock in Its Walls, The Curse of the Blue Figurine, etc) but I just love his old fashioned style and childlike wonder, which made this enjoyable like the rest.

 

Also, it is fairly short with big print... it would probably take you 2 hours or less to read, Maudie

Excellent, thanks!

 

I've never read any of his books, but will definitely check them out. Looks like something my nephew would love, too.

[MattZ]

I just finished reading David Foster Wallace’s epic novel Infinite Jest. I wanted offer my review and miscellaneous comments regarding this work of staggering genius (to borrow a DFW phrase).

 

glad you liked it anthonyc007, and cool review, but I've got to give you a tiny bit of grief for borrowing a Dave Eggers phrase and attributing it to Wallace.

[anthony]

glad you liked it anthonyc007, and cool review, but I've got to give you a tiny bit of grief for borrowing a Dave Eggers phrase and attributing it to Wallace.

D'oh!

 

What a dumbass I am.

 

 

I guess I got Eggers on the brain because I am now reading "What is the What".

[gogo]

 

[u2roolz]

 

I was about to give this as a gift to my cousin's 4 year old son and I loved the "bite-sized" paragraphs regarding each president.

Hopefully, he doesn't color over the text.

[gogo]

Still working on Ulysses (we're taking the train back from Vancouver, so I'm looking forward to a long full day of reading that, while looking out the window and watching the rainy Pacific Northwest flying by...).

 

But for the short plane trip up there, the bus rides to Whistler, waiting around before events, etc., I've got this:

 

 

The author is the son of the writer of Chicken Soup for the Soul. I first became aware of him while reading Gimme Something Better: The Profound, Progressive, and Occasionally Pointless History of Bay Area Punk from Dead Kennedys to Green Day. His part of that oral history deals with his time living in punk squats in San Francisco, on his own, while still a kid. At the time, his parents were into a "do your own thing" deal, so he literally ran away and joined the circus. Just a few chapters in, but so far so good.

 

I'm also heading to the library today to pick up a few John Bellairs books, based on Alison's recommendation.

[gogo]

Oh, and here's a literary event you won't see every day: Dave Eggers serving grilled cheese sandwiches at City Lights on Ash Wednesday.

[Preferred B]

Why doesn't that kind of thing happen in Madison?

[gogo]

I really like that the title of the event sounds like a Mad Lib. Or the winning hand in Clue.

[Oil Can Boyd]

 

I am actually enjoying this more than I thought. I am one of those people who read it (more than once) in high school and really liked it, but I haven't read it since. I was worried that after all that time, I wouldn't enjoy it but I still do.

[alison the wilca]

I'm also heading to the library today to pick up a few John Bellairs books, based on Alison's recommendation.

yay!!

[anthony]