What are you reading?

shoreman1782 · Jun 9, 2009

Originally Posted by milosz

Kavalier and Klay fell apart when WWII hits. Chabon writes beautifully about being young and stupid, but I never get on with him when he tries to tackle Big Themes.

Just started Richard Price's Bloodbrothers.

Fell apart's a little strong, but I agree that the beginning of K+K is the best.

Did anyone read Jonathen Lethem's "You Don't Love Me Yet"? NOT A FAN.

Octavio Interrupted · Jun 9, 2009

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud. Depressing and naturalistic in the best mid-20th century way. It's about an aging Jewish grocer and his wife and grown daughter, and what happens when a drifter shows up and starts working at their failing grocery store. So far it's great -- really enveloping and real. I can see this little store, like a place I've been to before.

The Age of Pericles by (no kidding) Don Nardo. Great little introductory volume, apparently written for teenagers, but a good way in for ignorant grownups like myself as well.

Billy & the Boingers: Bootleg. Classic volume of maybe the greatest newspaper strip of the 80s, Berke Breathed's Bloom County. Pass the "Spam."

rach2jlc · Jun 9, 2009

Originally Posted by johnapril

Literal and significant aren't connected at the hip. Embrace the universe Faulkner created, as he created it, for a more productive reading.

I know being pithy and cryptic is sort of "de rigeur" on SF (okay, actually I've just been wanting to use 'de rigeur' in a sentence for YEARS), but what exactly do you mean? It seems to me that such an embrace and a discussion of literal/significant is exactly what GoSurf is talking about.

From what you said above, I don't know whether you are wanting us to read it that Caddy smells like trees simply because she climbs in trees and rubs leaves all over her hoo-hah... or whether it is Benjy's attempt to connect some ephemeral sense of being to a word or a concept that can evoke to others that unspeakable sense.

AntiHero84 · Jun 9, 2009

delirium · Jun 10, 2009

Originally Posted by Dedalus

Fukuyama the neocon guy? Huh. I'll definitely have to check these out.

let me know what you think. i think it's a pretty interesting area to explore and think about.

fossil8412 · Jun 10, 2009

Originally Posted by fossil8412

Clancy Martin's "How to Sell."

Great coming of age book that I could see a lot of people on here enjoying. John Updike-ish; Its a quick read, and I highly recommend looking it up.

Finished this. Moved on to Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise."

Rambo · Jun 13, 2009

This was the funniest book that I've read since Yes Man. Very quick read, sharp, and really hilarious. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good laugh. A+

jhao · Jun 13, 2009

El regreso del PRI by Carlos RamÃrez.

dragon8 · Jun 14, 2009

Fool's Gold by Gillian Tett

lawyerdad · Jun 14, 2009

Originally Posted by rach2jlc

I know being pithy and cryptic is sort of "de rigeur" on SF (okay, actually I've just been wanting to use 'de rigeur' in a sentence for YEARS), but what exactly do you mean? It seems to me that such an embrace and a discussion of literal/significant is exactly what GoSurf is talking about.

From what you said above, I don't know whether you are wanting us to read it that Caddy smells like trees simply because she climbs in trees and rubs leaves all over her hoo-hah... or whether it is Benjy's attempt to connect some ephemeral sense of being to a word or a concept that can evoke to others that unspeakable sense.

I took the comment to mean that there's only so much to be gained by trying to take the delicate mechanism apart and figure out why Faulkner chose to have her smell like trees to Benjy when she's a virgin. Benjy perceives what he perceives. Is there some association with the "naturalness" of youth, innocence, tree-climbing, etc.? Sure. Is there some sense of the "differentness" of Benjy's conceptualizing of things? Sure. But ultimately, it is what it is.

whacked · Jun 16, 2009

Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson

kwilkinson · Jun 16, 2009

Originally Posted by whacked

Henry Hazlitt's Economics in One Lesson

Hey, I'm reading that too.

whacked · Jun 16, 2009

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Hey, I'm reading that too.

I actually got the audiobook version. Great to listen to during a run or just trekking around town.

Lachy · Jun 16, 2009

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I didn't think I'd like it at first, but now I'm getting into it.

What are you reading?

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