Slothrop
Tight but Polite
They've got his actual opium scales at Dove Cottage. Literary history right there.
I'm on The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Quite good so far.
what are you reading now?
They've got his actual opium scales at Dove Cottage. Literary history right there.
I'm on The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Quite good so far.
viktorvaughn
Well-known member
I think those other things stood out to me as actually breaching the laws of physics whereas this earlier stuff is just very silly/tongue in cheek but yep I agree really it's not a major thing.
Gregor XIII
Well-known member
I'm a huge fan of American 'Postmodern' literature, and I think DFW was hugely aware of the tradition when he wrote IJ, so I love a lot of the parts like the setting and the separatism, for the way that it plays with and changes the 'genre' somewhat.
Yes, the future setting doesn't really tribute that much to the themes and stories in the book. And I think that is the sad, sad point. There are so many inventions and new posibilities in this future, yet human life continues to be governed by our own psychological limitations. We're still done in by our addictions and fears. No matter what happens in the future, we will probably continue to be miserable, for that is how we are.
As far as I remember, it is insinuated that the MR-stuff is actually (SPOILER) supposed to be caused by the ghost of Hal's father, right? (/SPOILER). If so, then it would be more correct to connect it to the genre of ghost stories, and horror fiction in general. As such, I find it connected to the separatism-plot (which is an example of another postmodern trope: The conspiracy), in that it is located in the same human impulse: The fear of the unknown. DFW let's so many things in the novel remain 'unknown': The characters never realizes the separatist conspiracy, we never realize the characters fates, and mysterious creatures invade the novel in it's last sections. Also, the epynomous cartridge take on the trappings of a horror-invention itself. It renders it's victims catatonic, and it is impossible to know (for seeing it renders you incabable of retelling the experience). It functions kinda like the V2 rocket in Gravity's Rainbow.
I hardly read anything at the moment. I've bought Kafkas The Castle and Glenn Duncanns I Lucifer at a used books store, and should probably read them. Just not really in a reading mood at the moment.
Yes, the future setting doesn't really tribute that much to the themes and stories in the book. And I think that is the sad, sad point. There are so many inventions and new posibilities in this future, yet human life continues to be governed by our own psychological limitations. We're still done in by our addictions and fears. No matter what happens in the future, we will probably continue to be miserable, for that is how we are.
As far as I remember, it is insinuated that the MR-stuff is actually (SPOILER) supposed to be caused by the ghost of Hal's father, right? (/SPOILER). If so, then it would be more correct to connect it to the genre of ghost stories, and horror fiction in general. As such, I find it connected to the separatism-plot (which is an example of another postmodern trope: The conspiracy), in that it is located in the same human impulse: The fear of the unknown. DFW let's so many things in the novel remain 'unknown': The characters never realizes the separatist conspiracy, we never realize the characters fates, and mysterious creatures invade the novel in it's last sections. Also, the epynomous cartridge take on the trappings of a horror-invention itself. It renders it's victims catatonic, and it is impossible to know (for seeing it renders you incabable of retelling the experience). It functions kinda like the V2 rocket in Gravity's Rainbow.
I hardly read anything at the moment. I've bought Kafkas The Castle and Glenn Duncanns I Lucifer at a used books store, and should probably read them. Just not really in a reading mood at the moment.
slowtrain
Well-known member
McCullers is absolutely amazing.
That book will knock your figurative socks off.
Also read The Ballad of the Sad Cafe if you like the ole' Southern Gothic thing, its really really good. I re-read it every so often. Short. Possibly better than THIALH because its shorter and I thought some of the stories in Heart... would have been better off excised and it should have focussed more on Mick because she had the best story.
IdleRich
IdleRich
Not had much chance to read this cos I got distracted by a book of Cortasar short stories (A Change of Light if anyone is interested) but I wanted to mention this bit of literary criticism which seemed relevant having just read Perec's e-less novel, A Void.
Then going on to describe what an empty and tedious victory that is. A pretty good smackdown a hundred and fifty years before the book was written I'd say - although the problem is the Perec thing really is so clever you can't help but admire it even against your best wishes.
Siete Cuentos is such a good book i reread it last summer. La Noche Boca Arriba and La Isla a Mediodia which are in that book are amazing stories. i recommend it if u liked A Change of Light. Rayuela is also a good book but it's more of a novel.
luka
Well-known member
generally i dislike everything south american, the food, the drink, the music, the art and particularly the poetry. they inherited too much hysteria from the spanish, hysteria and machismo. i hate travlling and i hate travellers but pople who travel in south america tend to be the worst of the lot. i agree the people aree often handsome and charming and i like borges.
i finished the illiad this morning, an unambitious modern prose translation. i read it out of a sense of duty of course and the exprince as largely unsatisfying but there is certainly something verey powerful buried away in that book. i might give logues 'war music' another chance as it seems the best way to deal with the material to me. i'd lik to try something similar one day. the romance of proper nouns is something im verey affectd by and i like the catalogue of the ships. the romance of proper nouns is what made me pick up the declin and fall of the roman empire. ive just spnt 3 hours rading it in the bath and now its almost dissolved. i am unlikely to ever finish it.
i finished the illiad this morning, an unambitious modern prose translation. i read it out of a sense of duty of course and the exprince as largely unsatisfying but there is certainly something verey powerful buried away in that book. i might give logues 'war music' another chance as it seems the best way to deal with the material to me. i'd lik to try something similar one day. the romance of proper nouns is something im verey affectd by and i like the catalogue of the ships. the romance of proper nouns is what made me pick up the declin and fall of the roman empire. ive just spnt 3 hours rading it in the bath and now its almost dissolved. i am unlikely to ever finish it.
It's been a really long time since I've read a book that's made me laugh without being able to help it - maybe Adrian Mole or something like that.
But I'm reading a short novel by Eduardo Mendoza about an alien who lands in Barcelona in the late eighties and is bewildered by everything he sees, and as a result am getting stared at on the tube by entire carriages as I splutter about twice a page.
It's called No Word from Gurb. It's great.
But I'm reading a short novel by Eduardo Mendoza about an alien who lands in Barcelona in the late eighties and is bewildered by everything he sees, and as a result am getting stared at on the tube by entire carriages as I splutter about twice a page.
It's called No Word from Gurb. It's great.
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
I'm gonna pick this one up next week, saw it in a shop the other day and I remembered you recommending it. Just finishing up reading Ann Frank's diaries which was a good choice to read in spanish for me, lots of small bite-sized chunks.
It is fantastic and really Spanish - lots of very sharp satire. You'll like it I'm sure.
But on second reading (I zoomed through it when I was learning and didn't understand much), the language is really hard! My girlfriend says it uses lots of outdated words and very over-the-top pijo expressions to make fun of the kind of falangista remnants in society and Spanish pretentiousness. Maybe comedy needs more complicated writing that 'literary' stuff - all I know is that I find myself checking lots and lots with her to see if I've got the right end of the stick.
Also, cos it's written from the perspective of an alien it uses needlessly weird words. for example he repeatedly eats things that people give him - flowers, business cards, etc. - para no parecer descortés
but he uses the word 'ingerer' instead of 'comerse' but read it, it's honestly brilliant
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
It is fantastic and really Spanish - lots of very sharp satire. You'll like it I'm sure.
But on second reading (I zoomed through it when I was learning and didn't understand much), the language is really hard! My girlfriend says it uses lots of outdated words and very over-the-top pijo expressions to make fun of the kind of falangista remnants in society and Spanish pretentiousness. Maybe comedy needs more complicated writing that 'literary' stuff - all I know is that I find myself checking lots and lots with her to see if I've got the right end of the stick.
Also, cos it's written from the perspective of an alien it uses needlessly weird words. for example he repeatedly eats things that people give him - flowers, business cards, etc. - para no parecer descortés
but read it, it's honestly brilliant
Sounds great, I'll give it a go. i may have to call upon you for some linguistic support though.
no worries. how's the teaching going, by the way?
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
Was lucky to land a job at a really good school in Sevilla, they have reallly nice facilities there, interactive whiteboards and the like. Nice staff, paid holidays. Can't complain really.
The actual teaching was a complete headfuck at first, teaching 9 year olds and teenagers but things have been getting gradually easier. Still get stressed at times though and the late working hours take some getting used to. But yeah, I'm getting there...first observation next week!
Seville itself is a great city, love it. The first two weeks here (before I started work) was one of the best holidays of my life, met so many people. I'm really glad I chose Sevilla over Madrid now. Cheap beer, good food, beautiful buildings everywhere, weekend trips to the beach etc...look me up if you ever come down here mate. Looking forward to the Feria!
you
Well-known member
reading loads right now, mostly random theory, but loving crime and punishment.... proper dosto gripper... Sonya gets some shit doesn't she, everyone is taking her lowly societal position as a tool for proving their own 'risk' in dealing with her - poor wench - I still fancy her though.
Luhzins a total tool.
Luhzins a total tool.
Mr. Tea
Let's Talk About Ceps
Just finished it yesterday. Fucking amazing. Yeah, Luzhin's the tooliest tool ever, but Svidrigailov is just fascinatingly evil.
It's funny actually, from what it says in the intro to the translation I've got, some liberal critics considered the novel a bit reactionary at the time because it shows Raskolnikov's crime as having proceeded from his radical 'theories', the likes of which were apparently quite widespread among students and intellectual in radical circles at the time. (The time being 1866 when various strains of anarchism, socialism and nihilism were floating around, still a good 50 years before the great soviet revolution.)
But really, R's ideas seem very individualistic, perhaps Nieztschean, in fact closer to proto-fascism than to socialism. He idolizes Napoleon - hardly a notable lefty. And while Semyenovich, Luzhin's radical socialist roommate, is presented as a slightly comical character, hopelessly idealistic and not very clever, he nonetheless has the courage to expose Luzhin's attempt to frame Sonya and we cannot doubt that he is fundamentally a very brave and principled man.
And at the very end, [Tristam, avert your eyes if you haven't finished it!] when Raskolnikov finally has his great redemptory breakdown and reads Sonya's Bible, there's no clear statement that he has 'found God' in any genuine way. He is spiritually rehabilitated by Sonya's love and by her belief in him and in God - but not by his own belief. That's how I read it, anyway.
Awesome stuff, all round.
It's funny actually, from what it says in the intro to the translation I've got, some liberal critics considered the novel a bit reactionary at the time because it shows Raskolnikov's crime as having proceeded from his radical 'theories', the likes of which were apparently quite widespread among students and intellectual in radical circles at the time. (The time being 1866 when various strains of anarchism, socialism and nihilism were floating around, still a good 50 years before the great soviet revolution.)
But really, R's ideas seem very individualistic, perhaps Nieztschean, in fact closer to proto-fascism than to socialism. He idolizes Napoleon - hardly a notable lefty. And while Semyenovich, Luzhin's radical socialist roommate, is presented as a slightly comical character, hopelessly idealistic and not very clever, he nonetheless has the courage to expose Luzhin's attempt to frame Sonya and we cannot doubt that he is fundamentally a very brave and principled man.
And at the very end, [Tristam, avert your eyes if you haven't finished it!] when Raskolnikov finally has his great redemptory breakdown and reads Sonya's Bible, there's no clear statement that he has 'found God' in any genuine way. He is spiritually rehabilitated by Sonya's love and by her belief in him and in God - but not by his own belief. That's how I read it, anyway.
Awesome stuff, all round.
IdleRich
IdleRich
I really enjoyed Confessions of an English Opium-Eater anyway, even if there was very little opium eating in it. He's a great writer, a terrible prude but with a fantastic sense of humour, I'm tempted to try this, anyone read it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspiria_de_Profundis
Apparently it was the inspiration of a number of Argento films including (obviously) Suspiria.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspiria_de_Profundis
Apparently it was the inspiration of a number of Argento films including (obviously) Suspiria.
I tried to get through Crime and Punishment earlier this year and had to put it down about half way in. His prose is so dry and bleak and unrelentingly detached. He does go on a bit, doesn't he?
I'll try and finish it when I have more time and patience for that sort of thing. I've heard he's Kind Of A Big Deal.
I'll try and finish it when I have more time and patience for that sort of thing. I've heard he's Kind Of A Big Deal.