Author Topic: Fave Books / Currently Reading  (Read 947101 times)

Christina

  • Administrator
  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2387
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #870 on: August 11, 2009, 02:50:24 PM »
I'm currently reading The Crying of Lot 49 since I thought it might function as a Pynchon gateway and so far it's delivering.

Yeah, that's a good way to put it ... I've given up on the last couple (Mason Dixon, Against the Day) but I hear Inherent Vice is purty good and way less ... Pynchon-y ... than his other books.
Remember how he couldn't stop his leg?

Big Plastic Head

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 977
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #871 on: August 11, 2009, 03:30:33 PM »
My two favorite parts of Gravity's Rainbow:

The Disgusting English Candy Drill

The Story of Byron the Bulb
Congratulations. You are now a mouse cursor inside a graphics program that the client can control by speaking, emailing and instant messaging.

Pat K

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 722
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #872 on: August 11, 2009, 03:42:16 PM »
About a month ago, in a used bookstore in DC, I found a copy of Robert A. Heinlein's 1980 novel The Number of The Beast, which I read and liked when I was 11.  It is the worst piece of shit I have ever read.  I got about 150 pages in, thinking I could find whatever I liked about it as a kid (probably just parallel universes and descriptions of boobs), and eventually got so outraged that I tore the goddamn thing in half. 

I just had sorta similar experience reading through Naked Lunch for the first time. That is, I feel like if I had read it in grade school my mind would have been completely blown. But as an adult who is not that impressed with constant aimless descriptions of sexual torture and ejaculation, my verdict is: BAN IT AGAIN.

On the positive side, I'm reading Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird right now and really enjoying it.
I'm warning you with peace and love.

Christina

  • Administrator
  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2387
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #873 on: August 11, 2009, 04:24:59 PM »
I just had sorta similar experience reading through Naked Lunch for the first time. That is, I feel like if I had read it in grade school my mind would have been completely blown. But as an adult who is not that impressed with constant aimless descriptions of sexual torture and ejaculation, my verdict is: BAN IT AGAIN.

QUICK LITERARY QUIZ!

Steely Dan is either (choose one):

a) A dildo in Naked Lunch, or
b) two dildos from Bard College

buh-dump-BUMP-tsssst!

I think you don't read Naked Lunch so much as you turn the pages, mimicking the act of reading. It's really the only way to get through it.

On the positive side, I'm reading Jerzy Kosinski's The Painted Bird right now and really enjoying it.

I've never seen "Painted Bird" and "positive" used in the same sentence, but there you go.
Remember how he couldn't stop his leg?

masterofsparks

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3323
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #874 on: August 11, 2009, 04:43:04 PM »
I think you don't read Naked Lunch Burroughs so much as you turn the pages, mimicking the act of reading. It's really the only way to get through it.

Fixed.
I'll probably go into the wee hours.

B_Buster

  • Tattoo Addict!
  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 1164
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #875 on: August 11, 2009, 06:40:13 PM »
Junky was all right, if that's your bag.
See God, Kai

buffcoat

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 6213
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #876 on: August 11, 2009, 07:10:47 PM »
Junky is worth reading.  Queer is interesting, too.  Probably my favorite Burroughs book was by Bill, Jr. though.

The stuff with the little Mexican boys bothered me too much, eventually, so I dropped WSB.
I really don't appreciate your sarcastic, anti-comedy tone, Bro!

Reeleyes

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 609
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #877 on: August 12, 2009, 12:39:13 AM »
Do comics count for this thread?
You look like a really healthy Arthy Lang.

DoodleJump!

  • Achilles Tendon Bursitis
  • Posts: 793
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #878 on: August 12, 2009, 12:44:23 AM »
Do comics count for this thread?
I would think so, since the thread title is Favorite Books/Currently Reading. Comics would fall into the "currently reading", so I would say you're safe. There are comic threads, though.
"Enough with the bandana, already." -Trace Atkins to Donald Trump

fletcher munson

  • Tarsel tunnel syndrome
  • Posts: 490
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #879 on: August 12, 2009, 09:14:11 AM »
Do comics count for this thread?
Yes, and so do lifestyle magazines.
veni dixie vici

Steve of Bloomington

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2262
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #880 on: August 12, 2009, 09:49:51 PM »
My two favorite parts of Gravity's Rainbow:

The Disgusting English Candy Drill

The Story of Byron the Bulb

I like when he goes down the toilet and can diagnose all his classmate's psychological problems based on what he sees there...

Steve of Bloomington

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2262
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #881 on: August 12, 2009, 09:50:58 PM »
The movie of Naked Lunch was pretty amusing.

Shaggy 2 Grote

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 3892
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #882 on: August 14, 2009, 01:59:56 PM »
It's been quite a while since I read The Crying of Lot 49 but I don't remember enjoying it that much. The only previous Pynchon book I read with enjoyment was Vineland and that's considered one of his worst. Gravity's Rainbow was over my head and Mason and Dixon wore me down (even though it contained some very good bits).

Take this with a grain of salt (I heard it from a guy I only know on the internet, and he said to take it with a grain of salt himself - like, his nephew played on a softball team with Pynchon's son, one of those kinds of stories) but anyway according to him Vineland is Pynchon's favorite of his own novels.

Also, a Naked Lunch aside -- I still have the copy I read at age 19, and my wife had to read it for grad school.  But then she noticed that like 30 pages were missing from the last third.  So I said, oh no, it's not going to make any sense now!  I crack myself up.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Steve of Bloomington

  • Space Champion!
  • Posts: 2262
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #883 on: August 14, 2009, 10:03:02 PM »
I quite liked Vineland. 'You're running around doing all this hippie clown shit, but one day you're going to have to die just like everybody else.'

dnk

  • Policemans heel
  • Posts: 62
Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #884 on: August 16, 2009, 06:49:43 PM »
Currently reading:
AS SHE CLIMBED ACROSS THE TABLE by Jonathan Lethem
Grant Morrison's run on DOOM PATROL

On deck:
V by Thomas Pynchon

I've been wanting to read Pynchon for a long time. I read THE CRYING OF LOT 49 last summer and liked it, but I've been putting off reading his longer books because of how I read about how they're such endeavors. Hopefully I'll be able to read it before classes start up again. How long does it generally take you guys to finish a Pynchon novel? (maybe also include average time to finish a book of similar length by another author)