The Books/Reading Thread

[EspaDa]

I am really into Kafka now and I found The Castle (Das Schloss) extremely difficult. I mean, it was not the language or vocabulary he used, but the plot. These unnecessarily prolonged monologues which led into nowhere. At some points it felt like I was reading The Trial (Der Process), but a longer and more complex version. It was a decent read, but the atmposphere of his works is fucking unforgettable. Now I'm getting through his next novel, America.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

Reads from the last few weeks:

 

[Einherjar86]

^Very nice. What did you think of Butler?

On a totally different note, has anyone here ever head Burroughs's Naked Lunch? I'm about seventy pages in, and holy shit this novel is fucked the fuck up. Probably one of the most disgusting and absolutely repulsive books I've ever read.

 

[unknown]

I thought The Soft Machine was more fucked up and just...dirty. Not like sexually dirty (though it is) but just like it had rolled around in mud and left me feeling unclean. I loved it

 

[viewerfromnihil]

^Very nice. What did you think of Butler?

On a totally different note, has anyone here ever head Burroughs's Naked Lunch? I'm about seventy pages in, and holy shit this novel is fucked the fuck up. Probably one of the most disgusting and absolutely repulsive books I've ever read.

I thought it was very good. Many of the discussions were over my head because I'm not very familiar with 20th century feminist intellectualism and, of course, her writing is difficult, but I kept up and enjoyed her conclusions. She seems to stand on the Continental side of philosophy, which is to my liking.

If you haven't read Fanon before, I'd recommend him. The guy's style of rhetoric is great. He reminds me of Nietzsche in that he shifts from the formal and informal often and frequently runs off into sarcastic tirades. His insights are profound.

I haven't read it, but I'll check it out.

 

[Einherjar86]

I thought The Soft Machine was more fucked up and just...dirty. Not like sexually dirty (though it is) but just like it had rolled around in mud and left me feeling unclean. I loved it

That could have been the title for Naked Lunch too. Burroughs's is super interested in how substances and other prostheses invade human bodies, and in how these constructs can be used as instruments of control for an authoritarian state.

One thing I keep noticing in Naked Lunch is his interest in how the body participates in modes of communication (and I use that word very broadly) that exceed human consciousness or intention.

I thought it was very good. Many of the discussions were over my head because I'm not very familiar with 20th century feminist intellectualism and, of course, her writing is difficult, but I kept up and enjoyed her conclusions. She seems to stand on the Continental side of philosophy, which is to my liking.

If you haven't read Fanon before, I'd recommend him. The guy's style of rhetoric is great. He reminds me of Nietzsche in that he shifts from the formal and informal often and frequently runs off into sarcastic tirades. His insights are profound.

I haven't read it, but I'll check it out.

I've read Fanon for class. I agree, his work is fantastic. He was also influential in Continental circles; I believe that Sartre actually wrote the preface for Fanon's book The Wretched of the Earth.

Butler received a lot of criticism for Gender Trouble. She's often viewed as the epitome of a postmodern tradition of theory that subordinates everything to language and discourse.

It's my opinion that these criticisms result from a misreading. If you're at all interested in pursuing the debate, there's a book by Toril Moi called What is a Woman? that really takes shots at Butler. Then, if you're really interested, you can read Butler's follow-up (which was actually published before Moi's book) called Bodies That Matter. It's a great rejoinder to much of the criticism sent her way.

 

[TageRyche]

If anyone is interested, you can check out the Meet the Author article I wrote on mystery writer Ingrid Thoft via this Pop-topia.com link.

 

[Astrum]

Funny, a few posts on this page about Naked Lunch, which is exactly what I came to this thread to talk about. Didn't like it at all until about halfway through, when I realized there was a very specific way to read it. Then I realized it was probably brilliant genius. I enjoyed some parts of it, though definitely not "enjoyable" overall.

 

[Einherjar86]

It's an important text for surveying the shift from Beat writing to the high postmodernist fiction of Pynchon. Naked Lunch doesn't have the cohesiveness that Gravity's Rainbow does, but it definitely has some amazing parts.

In other news, FUCK THIS FUCKING BOOK:

 

[CiG]

 

[The Ozzman]

That looks interesting.

 

[Dak]

Fluff for the new GW line of fantasy miniatures?

 

[J.]

picked up Cloud Atlas yesterday. lets see how this goes

 

[CiG]

That looks interesting.

Fluff for the new GW line of fantasy miniatures?

It's part of the Time of Legends series, books that deal with figures in the Warhammer fantasy mythos.
This one is about Sigmar, a man who went on to found the empire.
http://whfb.lexicanum.com/wiki/Sigmar


Anyway, finally getting around to reading this, found it at a thrift store for $1 along with a Deadpool one about a year ago.

 

[The Butt]

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

The Dark Knight Returns is the shit. Frank Millers wrote some killer stuff in the 80's. Year One is a must read for any Batman fan and his legendary Daredevil run is pure gold.

Currently reading:

 

[CiG]

his legendary Daredevil run is pure gold.

Yeah? I'll be sure to check it out man, cheers.

 

[Einherjar86]

picked up Cloud Atlas yesterday. lets see how this goes

This is one of the most impressive and beautiful novels I've ever read. I don't usually resort to aesthetics when talking about books, but this one deserves it. Really great read.

 

[TageRyche]

I've got this in my to read pile.

 

[Einherjar86]

Well, had to put down An American Tragedy after some odd 450 pages. God, what a boring book.

On the other hand, this is fantastic:

Conrad is really amazing. I've read Heart of Darkness, Under Western Eyes, The Secret Agent, and Lord Jim. They are all incredible works of literature.