Books

Julian, wrote:

K8teebug wrote:
I really liked The Girls. Loved her language and the description of the friendship. A little on the nose, but still an enjoyable read. I would be interested to know if men enjoy this book, or if it's more for women.

Finished this on Saturday. I'm sort of of two minds about the book. She's obviously an immensely talented writer. She has a talent for layering short descriptive sentences about something one after another and weaving this really well-written tapestry. But on the other hand, I sort of found the overriding story not that great. She's someone who I think will put out an amazing book at 36, but probably she isn't full cooked at 26. I did not think it was only for women although I think women will probably more immediately relate to the "Suzanne-obsession" element more than men.

Started A Little Life and obviously that's going to take me a few weeks at 720 pages of very, very small font. It hasn't gotten brutal yet but several people have warned me its just gratuitously awful to the main character so I'm bracing myself.

Agree. Some of her sentences just knocked me dead. But, that is what I meant by a little too "on the nose". The overall story was just ok.

I just read "the Power of the Dog" at the beach - an oldie but a goodie

Julian, wrote:
Started A Little Life and obviously that's going to take me a few weeks at 720 pages of very, very small font. It hasn't gotten brutal yet but several people have warned me its just gratuitously awful to the main character so I'm bracing myself.

This book is just fucking brutal.

Bagley wrote:

Julian, wrote:
Has anyone read Paul Beatty's The Sellout or Emma Cline's The Girls and have thoughts/recommendations on either?

I highly recommend The Sellout.  Brilliant satire!

Just got on the Man Booker shortlist. It's up next if I ever can bring myself to finish the literary torture porn that is A Little Life.

Finally finished A Little Life. That was a tough read. Excellent book but very depressing.

Started White Teeth by Zadie Smith which I somehow have never gotten around to reading. (My order for The Sellout and Brief History of Seven Killings is taking forever to get delivered so The Sellout isn't up next like I said but they're the next two in my literary queue.)

Does anyone else use GoodReads?

Two books about the Boss.

Just finished "Bruce" by Peter Ames Carlin.

Currently reading "God is not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything" by Christopher Hitchens.

Both good reads.

Just started this one:

These are the ones I've recently finished and liked a lot

Fags, punks, and blue-bloods intersecting in NYC between the Bicentennial and the Great Blackout of 1977.  It's a long book but the writing is spectacular.



Crap.  Pure and utter crap.  NPR Best Book of the Year.  Agatha Christie comparisons.  Turns out its really just incredibly flat characters, strained dialogue, and predictable plotlines.  I blame this book's success on this whole Gone Girl, Girl on a Train thing going on.  This will be a mediocre film at some point.  Perhaps I'll watch the film, because I abandoned the book after 150 pages, which I almost never do.



8 out of 10.  Great writing.  Almost all character development with the plot a conscious afterthought.  Some find it pretentious, but I get the sense it is a purposeful pretension that speaks to the characters.

david lynch

catching the big fish




read it, bitch

I was not impressed with the Carlin book on the Boss…. it was too much an official unofficial bio.

ggw wrote:


8 out of 10.  Great writing.  Almost all character development with the plot a conscious afterthought.  Some find it pretentious, but I get the sense it is a purposeful pretension that speaks to the characters.

This is on my To Read shelf in GoodReads. Your positive review will bump it up in my reading order.

walkie,talkie wrote:
david lynch

catching the big fish




read it, bitch

That means it's been 10 years since I saw him at AFI Silver? Ugh.

City on Fire…not pretentious at all? I was worried I would feel how I felt about Infinite Jest.

Infinite Jest might stand alone as the most controversial book of all time. Controversial, in that no one can figure out whether it sucks or not.

walkie,talkie wrote:
Infinite Jest might stand alone as the most controversial book of all time. Controversial, in that no one can figure out whether it sucks or not.

Its near-universal acclaim would disagree. Where is this Infinite Jest sucks movement you're citing?

K8teebug wrote:
City on Fire…not pretentious at all?

I wouldn't call it "pretentious" but I would call it "ambitious," arguably overly so.  It's long and some parts drag.  Some characters could use a little more color.  Some of the intersecting plot lines are a little too neat.  Some of the symbolism comes up a little ambiguous.  Does it live up to its hype as the next Great American Novel?  Certainly not.  But wherever it comes up a little short it does so trying.  Wherever the plot drags or the coincidence strains credulity the writing more than compensates.  It was probably the easiest 900+ page book I've read.

walkie,talkie wrote:
Infinite Jest might stand alone as the most controversial book of all time. Controversial, in that no one can figure out whether it sucks or not.

I understood what it was trying to do, it was just way too pretentious for me.

Thanks for the City on Fire review. I'll attempt it this winter.

A well deserved Man Booker winner

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/business/media/paul-beatty-wins-man-booker-prize-with-the-sellout.html

Bagley wrote:
A well deserved Man Booker winner

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/business/media/paul-beatty-wins-man-booker-prize-with-the-sellout.html

I'm halfway through this and its uproarious. It's The Director: The Book. I told him that the other day.

Glad to see the Man Booker finally giving it to an American. I would like to see this become the de facto "best English language work of fiction" award over the Pulitzer.

Bagley wrote:
A well deserved Man Booker winner

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/business/media/paul-beatty-wins-man-booker-prize-with-the-sellout.html

I should be read side-by-side with Ta Nehisi Coates'  Between the World and Me