what are you reading?

[Horus]

Since you like American lit, I would suggest Saul Bellow, the Rabbit series and any short stories by Updike, early Philip Roth, Poe, the short stories of Hemingway (only--his novels are pretty horrible), Melville, and Hawthorne. American writing is best in short story form, and worst in novel form. Not a fan of Faulkner at all, and I think after reading As I Lay Dying, you may discover you will not care for him either.

I've just never really liked American Literature too much. I don't know what it is, but it's just missing something that other places seem to have.
Then again, I'm a person who lovs reading the classics, Philosophy books, mythology, and anything about Atlantis.

Right now, I just interrupted reading Faust Part 2 to read Plato's Symposium. I LOVE it!!

Next, I'm restarting Atlantis: The Lost Continent Finally Found by Arysio Santos.

 

[NegativeVolume]

I tried reading "A Scanner Darkly", it didn't suit me, it's just far too weird, "...Electric Sheep" was odd, but I get the impresson that Dick was at the lowest point of his drug addiction when he wrote "Scanner". Infact that's probably why he wrote it in the first place.

I'm pissed because I can't find "A Scanner Darkly" anywhere. So instead I picked up "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch." I had a blast reading this schizo story of...something. I couldn't really tell what was real and what wasn't most of the time, but I think that's what Mr. Dick was aiming for, and he succeeded in making me feel trippy. About a week after I finished reading this I went to go see a Scanner Darkly and it had similar ideas as I had seen in "The Three Stigmata..." I liked the movie, and Keanu Reeves ruled that role in my opinion.

Unfortunately, as it is now time to be in school and read 46 books at the same time, all in different subjects, I can't really read a good novel. But I am having a blast reading this book "Islam and War: The Gulf War and Beyond" by John Kelsay. Mr. Kelsay is actually a contemporary of a professor I have and it's really interesting stuff to read. The class is a giant comparative look at the ideas of war in religious thought.

Ok, I'm done.
/Rant

 

[speed]

I've just never really liked American Literature too much. I don't know what it is, but it's just missing something that other places seem to have.
Then again, I'm a person who lovs reading the classics, Philosophy books, mythology, and anything about Atlantis.

Right now, I just interrupted reading Faust Part 2 to read Plato's Symposium. I LOVE it!!

Next, I'm restarting Atlantis: The Lost Continent Finally Found by Arysio Santos.

I'm with you on that.

Many a respected writer and commentator (including no less than Updike and Bellow) has stated the problem you describe with American literature can be attributed to two things:

1) A lack of knowledge and understanding of philosophy, art, culture, etc.; especially as most philosophy etc. is European in origin; and the cultural and artistic tradition that was once understood here (with Hawthorne, Poe, Melville) has been lost to middle class practical pursuits and understanding. Our philosophical tradition is built upon pragmatism and analytical philosophy; two things that are impossible to make good literature out of (Ayn Rand is a perfect example of the nonsense that is created when some fool tries).

2) A total inclination towards storytelling, rather than inspiration, enchantment, creation of new worlds, ideas, form, etc. The schools all preach Faulkner, Hemingway (a terrible novelist), and Fitzgerald. And all were excellent storytellers, but nothing more. There will be no Joyce's, Flaubert's, Kafkas, Tolstoy's, or even Borges and Becketts in American writing; only second rate Chekovs and first rate short stories. And even worse, the prevailing wisdom, is one has to portray a story of total realism; give a voice to the common man, or some other nonsense. How dull and drab, and obviously the death of literature.

 

[General Dildo]

isaac asimov - Foundation and Earth

 

[METAL GOD]

No True Glory: a Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah.

 

[Powers]

I'm pissed because I can't find "A Scanner Darkly" anywhere.

Mate if you're on ebay I'll sell it to you lol.

 

[hibernal_dream]

isaac asimov - Foundation and Earth

Asimov is ridiculously good

 

[Satanstoenail]

Ludmila's Broken English - DBC Pierre

Very funny book, about conjoined twins who get seperated and let loose in the world aftert being in an institution for 33 years.

Review HERE

His first book, "Vernon God Little" is also excellent.

 

[Tongue_Ring]

I've just never really liked American Literature too much. I don't know what it is, but it's just missing something that other places seem to have.
Then again, I'm a person who lovs reading the classics, Philosophy books, mythology, and anything about Atlantis

i love mythology as well but i prefer psychology to philosophy

 

[derek]

I'm with you on that.

Many a respected writer and commentator (including no less than Updike and Bellow) has stated the problem you describe with American literature can be attributed to two things:

1) A lack of knowledge and understanding of philosophy, art, culture, etc.; especially as most philosophy etc. is European in origin; and the cultural and artistic tradition that was once understood here (with Hawthorne, Poe, Melville) has been lost to middle class practical pursuits and understanding. Our philosophical tradition is built upon pragmatism and analytical philosophy; two things that are impossible to make good literature out of (Ayn Rand is a perfect example of the nonsense that is created when some fool tries).

2) A total inclination towards storytelling, rather than inspiration, enchantment, creation of new worlds, ideas, form, etc. The schools all preach Faulkner, Hemingway (a terrible novelist), and Fitzgerald. And all were excellent storytellers, but nothing more. There will be no Joyce's, Flaubert's, Kafkas, Tolstoy's, or even Borges and Becketts in American writing; only second rate Chekovs and first rate short stories. And even worse, the prevailing wisdom, is one has to portray a story of total realism; give a voice to the common man, or some other nonsense. How dull and drab, and obviously the death of literature.

Interesting comments.

 

[Rozenrot]

I'm currently a third through Johnathon Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Its really very good, it quiet an old fashion style of writing which is what I think gives it its edge.

Recently finished the Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, okay good book but not a great book.

 

[fah-q]

I am just finishing up The Truth About Hillary by Edward Klein. After that, I am probably going to pick up Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I have read it before, it is just one of the few books I will read over and over.

 

[derek]

Plutarch's Greek/Roman Lives.

The dual narratives of his paired Greeks/Romans are very, very informative and ace reading, in general. I've been meaning to be properly familiar with this work for a while, and finally I managed it.

Agesilaus and Alexander are my two favourite thus far. Although the Cicero and Caesar ones are fascinating too.

The life of Agesilaus in particular relates some fantastic little anecdotes.

 

[speed]

Plutarch's Greek/Roman Lives.

The dual narratives of his paired Greeks/Romans are very, very informative and ace reading, in general. I've been meaning to be properly familiar with this work for a while, and finally I managed it.

Agesilaus and Alexander are my two favourite thus far. Although the Cicero and Caesar ones are fascinating too.

The life of Agesilaus in particular relates some fantastic little anecdotes.

Shakespeare used quite a bit of Plutarch's Lives as structures for some of his characters or for the plot and characters of whole plays.

 

[derek]

Shakespeare used quite a bit of Plutarch's Lives as structures for some of his characters or for the plot and characters of whole plays.

Of this I am aware.

Shakespeare is indebted to Antiquity no end.

 

[Karasu]

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik. Part of a pretty cool series involving the Napoleonic wars with dragons.

That, and my bloody English textbooks...

 

[RockMyMonkey]

The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster:

Book Description
CAN I GET A “RAMEN” FROM THE CONGREGATION?!

Behold the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), today’s fastest growing carbohydrate-based religion. According to church founder Bobby Henderson, the universe and all life within it were created by a mystical and divine being: the Flying Spaghetti Monster. What drives the FSM’s devout followers, a.k.a. Pastafarians? Some say it’s the assuring touch from the FSM’s “noodly appendage.” Then there are those who love the worship service, which is conducted in pirate talk and attended by congregants in dashing buccaneer garb. Still others are drawn to the Church’s flimsy moral standards, religious holidays every Friday, or the fact that Pastafarian heaven is way cooler: Does your heaven have a Stripper Factory and a Beer Volcano? Intelligent Design has finally met its match–and it has nothing to do with apes or the Olive Garden of Eden.

Within these pages, Bobby Henderson outlines the true facts– dispelling such malicious myths as evolution (“only a theory”), science (“only a lot of theories”), and whether we’re really descended from apes (fact: Humans share 95 percent of their DNA with chimpanzees, but they share 99.9 percent with pirates!)

 

[Radioflyer]

I recently read Vladmir Nabokov's Lolita, a book about a pedophile and his love for a little girl named Dolores. Yup, it's pretty much even more awesome than it sounds. There are also two movies, a play, and a musical made from the book but I haven't seen any of them.

The book was named fourth best novel of the century by Modern Library but my real motive for reading it was that Alizée's first song, Moi... Lolita, was based on the book.

 

[DarkBliss]

Anatoliy Ribakov-Prach i Pepel-3rd book in the series(Dust and Ashes, tentatively translated from Russian)- about the USSR under Stalin's regime during the late 30s. Very well writen, interesting and captivating, can't put it down.

 

[Satanstoenail]

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Liking it very much. I saw the film "Truman" a couple of weeks ago and discovered my g/f has a copy of the book.