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    Book Thread

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    Post by C-poots Mon Mar 03, 2014 12:37 am

    I'm taking my time with Gravity's Rainbow but it has so far been a reading experience far unlike most I've encountered. I feel it is a book I will want to revisit every n years and will likely re-discover some aspect forgotten and find something new.

    just re-reading the chapter about the White Visitation freaks, Gavin Trefoil's skin pigmentation's communication about going up to the surface during autochromatism activation. So odd, but really just engaging beyond all hell.
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    Post by yancy Mon Mar 03, 2014 1:26 pm

    Even the wikipedia entry for Gravity's Rainbow intimidates me. Don't think I have the attention span for 400+ characters. Although if Pat Benatar and some guy from Klaxons can slog through it, what does that say about me.
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    Post by techno raj Mon Mar 03, 2014 3:08 pm

    I burned through the first 50 pages or so of Wittgenstein's Mistress but have really been slogging since Sad
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    Post by C-poots Mon Mar 03, 2014 6:20 pm

    This was listed in Amazon's buy-three-at-a-time promotional thing they do, when searching for JR and The Recognitions - Gaddis, so there is a good chance I'll be picking up that Markson soon enough. Already "read" This Is Not a Novel, which was sort of fun at times but not something I want to return to any time soon.
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    Post by zappo Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:10 pm

    raj bigson wrote:I burned through the first 50 pages or so of Wittgenstein's Mistress but have really been slogging since Sad

    This makes me sad.
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    Post by techno raj Tue Mar 04, 2014 2:45 pm

    I'm sticking with it. I expect a crazy M Night Shyamalan twist at the end.
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    Post by C-poots Fri Mar 07, 2014 2:40 pm

    Book Thread - Page 7 839433

    This is not the most exciting read, and I expected Hume's scientific approach towards the concept of morality to be less rooted in making up hypothetical societies, but I'm not too deep into it. Still continuing with the Pynchon, which is still great and I highly recommend it.
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    Post by C-poots Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:19 pm

    Book Thread - Page 7 2666

    just picked this version up, used but clearly never used. I've so many huge books in line to be read so I'm not completely sure when I'll get to this one, but it looks good on the shelf nonetheless. Has anyone read this yet?
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    Post by Gene Bootcut Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:43 am

    raj bigson wrote:I burned through the first 50 pages or so of Wittgenstein's Mistress but have really been slogging since Sad

    Keep going it's worth it.
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    Post by techno raj Mon Mar 10, 2014 1:19 pm

    only 25 pages of rambling solipsism to go, and then a David Foster Wallace afterword to elucidate everything study 
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    Post by WP64 Tue Mar 11, 2014 1:36 am

    C-poots wrote:Book Thread - Page 7 2666

    just picked this version up, used but clearly never used. I've so many huge books in line to be read so I'm not completely sure when I'll get to this one, but it looks good on the shelf nonetheless. Has anyone read this yet?
    I've been meaning to for a while. Last summer I started reading The Savage Detectives. I think I stopped about 300 pages in and can't exactly remember why. I know that I really liked the first 100 pages or so and then I must have gotten sidetracked or something.

    The New Yorker piece that ran on him after his death was really great. You've probably read it but if not you should track it down. Good stuff.
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    Post by C-poots Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:56 am

    I haven't read anything else of his, and I've no real idea when I might get around to 2666 but it sure does look great on the shelf. Also, I will track that down as I don't believe I've read what you are referencing. I did read the Jonathan Lethem 2666 review in the NYTimes which stroked my interests further, but again will check out the New Yorker piece.

    Going to buy this today and quite pumped about it I might add.

    Book Thread - Page 7 Gaddis
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    Post by WP64 Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:14 pm

    You're reading list is pretty inspiring, C-Poots. I am going to finally step-up my reading game once I finish this mini-dissertation on Althusser (which isn't until May  Mad ).

    New Yorker Piece
    (Edit: Just re-read this myself. I really want to pick up The Savage Detectives again and I have a copy sitting on my shelf. Damn my lack of free time!)

    Also, have you read any Borges? Or any other Latin American authors?
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    Post by WP64 Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:36 pm

    It is also very interesting that he considered himself a poet and didn't turn to prose until the last decade of his life. The amount of literary material this guy produced in such a short time (as his body started failing) is pretty remarkable.

    Once I finally start learning Spanish my goal is to read some of his stuff in its original language, which is how he wanted it to be.
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    Post by C-poots Wed Mar 12, 2014 1:23 pm

    I have not read Borges, though he is somewhere on my mental to-read list. I've only read a bit of Gabriel Garcia Marquez but can't really recall any other Latin American works I've gotten myself into.

    Thanks for the link too, will read that tonight.
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    Post by WP64 Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:38 pm

    C-Poots, you inspired me to pick up The Savage Detectives and start up again from the first page. I'm now 100 pages in and can't put it down. The reality of my impending finals week is seriously cramping my desire to dip into some serious fiction reading.

    Either way, let me know what you think of that article once you finish it. I'd love to talk to Bolaño with you.
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    Post by C-poots Wed Mar 12, 2014 11:02 pm

    Edit II: Finished Edition

    It was an interesting read and did make me want to pick up 'The Savage Detectives'. I'd be curious to hear your take on the novel. I'll admit I only have a passing familiarity with guys like Borges and Cortazar too so drawing a line of influence is difficult for me. I'm not sure I agree with his sentiments on Marquez and magical-realism -- when done with a skillful and unique voice it is just as strong a style of story telling as 'visceral realism' (though the humor of the name doesn't escape me). It seemed like the piece was largely background on 'The Savage Detectives' and how it related to Bolaño's life so I might get more from it in reading TSD first.
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    Post by vIv Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:30 pm


    C-Poots: In terms of Gaddis, I'd say "A Frolic of One's Own" is by far a more enjoyable read than "The Recognitions."

    No one writes the way people actually talk like Gaddis. It's pretty incredible.

    "I don't want your fucking Pinot Grigio and your carrots in the mother fucking SPANISH STYLE!!!"

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    Post by C-poots Thu Mar 13, 2014 8:43 pm

    I'll note that. If I enjoy The Recognitions I'm planning to pick up 'JR' and 'A Frolic of His Own' regardless but I've already made the purchase and have been anxiously awaiting reading this beast for some time now.

    Side question, which Nabokov would you recommend, Lolita aside, for the uninitiated?
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    Post by WP64 Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:36 pm

    I'm now too pages into The Savage Detectives and can't stop. It's awesome. I have a lot to say about Bolaño but I'd rather wait until I finish the whole book, which will probably be very soon.
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    Post by C-poots Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:43 pm

    I'd be interested in hearing your take on the book.
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    Post by Michael K. Fri Mar 14, 2014 5:27 am

    C-poots wrote:I'll note that. If I enjoy The Recognitions I'm planning to pick up 'JR' and 'A Frolic of His Own' regardless but I've already made the purchase and have been anxiously awaiting reading this beast for some time now.

    Side question, which Nabokov would you recommend, Lolita aside, for the uninitiated?

    I obviously don't have a Nabokov anagram/in joke as my former handle, but I'd say Speak, Memory is - sort of surprisingly - an excellent gateway drug. Pale Fire is the bee's knees though. If you can find your way through the poem at the beginning - which is really, truly, and incredibly interesting once you figure out what's up - the book becomes a a wonderful investigation of the complicated relationship between author and critic. My favorite Nabokov outside of Ada, which I would certainly not recommend reading until you've sauntered your way through at least most of his native English catalogue.
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    Post by C-poots Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:49 am

    Thanks for the rec. I was actually looking towards Ada but did not realize it wasn't written in English, haven't actually done much research into the fellow's catalog beyond skimming the synopsii, so I'll likely gravitate towards Pale File/Speak Memory and Lolita first.
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    Post by reuben Fri Mar 14, 2014 11:16 am

    It was written in English.  I think Michael K. is just suggesting you read some of his other English works before trying to tackle Ada since it's like a million pages about brother-sister fucking.

    I'd second Pale Fire.  You can even skim the poem on the first go around it won't ruin the book for you.  Despair is also a good quick introduction to Nabokov's preoccupations.
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    Post by Michael K. Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:15 pm

    I'd say Ada is the culmination of VN's English works, and it plays w/ a lot of the themes simultaneously that are laid out singly in the groundwork of his other native English books. It's also a hulking behemoth of a book - which does seem to be the theme of this thread lately, so maybe that's your bag - but I myself prefer an appetizer and martini before my steak.

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