Now Reading

[poblequadrat]

 

 

Simulacra and Simulation. Seems to have a lot of interesting thoughts. I will probably read it twice to feel satisfied with it. I picked it up, because SR4 referenced Baudrillard in the Zimmerman thread.

 

You can read it here if you like.

 

https://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/baudrillard-simulacra_and_simulation.pdf

YES

 

Baudrillard is the man. Check out Passwords if you're interested in more, it outlines a lot of his key concepts - i don't always follow what he's saying but he is phwao

 

 

Yeah, he sort of goes on tangents with obscure analogies sometimes. I also think the translations might be a bit odd. Definitely one of those books that it helps to be next to a computer to reference things. It is rewarding to read nonetheless. I think I still like more straight forward stuff like Nietzsche and Thoreau, but only time will tell.

 

That book is... is nice to read, and as you say full of interesting thoughts, but it is quite horrible at the same time. It's essentially everything that's bad about Guy Debord and then some. I liked the text about the Beaubourg building, though... I don't know, I always enjoy reading Baudrillard but I'm too much of a left wing loony not to want to punch him in the face (especially when he was alive). That he was telling people to give up, that "history was over", that we should wait until hyperreality "implodes", talking about "the garbagebin of history" (a phrase coined by Marxists in a very different context, by the way), in the time of a not-hyperreal-at-all Thatcherism and Reaganomics, or of a not-hyperreal-at-all dissolution of the French left wing into bland Miterrandism, is simply disgusting. Basically I think he was sort of clever pointing at various cultural phenomena of our times (what he would have termed "ideology" before he went postmodern...), but not a fan of his conclusions nor his non-politics. And his later stuff on perversity and seduction I don't give a shit about.

 

If you're interested in postmodernism, what it is, where it comes from and most of all what it does, I'd check Fred Jameson's "Postmodernism" out - a bit heavy at times, but definitely worth it, plus for all his cultural criticism he genuinely is interested in postmodernist forms of culture.

 

I'm reading Freud at the time, taking notes on narcissism. Today I'll read some David Harvey too, I think.

Edited July 25, 2013 by poblequadrat

[goffer]

The Martian Chronicles - Bradbury

[Bob Dylan]

Just finished Gombrich' A Little History of the World. It was a fun roller-coaster. I'll be starting Invisible Cities by Calvino next.

Edited July 26, 2013 by Philip Glass

[KovalainenFanBoy]

Just finished Slaughterhouse Five. Didn't like it.

[hello spiral]

Just finished Slaughterhouse Five. Didn't like it.

 

[jeremymacgregor87]

finally got to reading gravity's rainbow. long sentences, long sentences, long, sentences, long sentences, rattling off some things, the sentences they are long.

 

 

cool so far I guess

[hello spiral]

Stick with it. One of those books that I'm really glad I persevered with.

[Guest zaphod]

just tried to read sirens of titan. vonnegut is the most overrated writer i know of besides philip k dick, and at least pkd has worthwhile ideas. can't stand vonnegut's style, that grandfatherly tone, he's really quite terrible.

[baph]

just tried to read sirens of titan. vonnegut is the most overrated writer i know of besides philip k dick, and at least pkd has worthwhile ideas. can't stand vonnegut's style, that grandfatherly tone, he's really quite terrible.

 

Yeah, and did a semicolon rape his mother or something?

[pattern recognition]

 

What's not to love in a book that has an author's illustration of an arsehole by page five?

 

"breakfast of champions", eh? I do like a good arse in the morn, oh aye.

 

 

Watmm Book Club anyone?

No one can withstand that much Cormac/Lovecraft/Dick. No one.

 

 

as much as I hate to admit it, there is such a thing as too much Dick.

 

i feel like this deserved at least one lol.

 

 

lol

 

[MadameChaos]

 

Again...

[Leon Sumbitches]

I'm a good way through Electric Eden by Rob Young, it's a history of British music, mainly folk-based stuff. It really digs into the old pagan origins of folk tunes and stuff, it's pretty fascinating. Comes recommended. Also reading a bunch of classic short stories on the side... Sherlock Holmes and MR James mainly. I ordered From Hell by Alan Moore, it arrived yesterday. Haven't started reading it yet but it's fucking enormous, so I'm psyched for that. Got the collected writings of Hunter S. Thompson pretty cheap (not Fear and Loathing/Campaign Trail, other bits and pieces) and that's going down very nicely indeed. Also about 30 issues into an excellent comic series called Fables.

[tec]

 

Pretty messed up.

[Sprillian]

Peter Pan.

I run the kids section at the bookshop I work at, figured I should read some of the titles I recommend so frequently.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Sprillian

[doorjamb]

^^^ I went on a children's literature kick a few months back, mostly stuff I never read as a kid: Tarzan of the Apes, the Prince & the Pauper, Treasure Island, etc. The Wind in the Willows is one I'd like to revisit, & perhaps the Pooh stories as well.

 

Just finished Heinlein's the Moon is a Harsh Mistress (gift from my brother) which I irked him by finding mostly bland, & occasionally infuriating. I could rant about this one, but I won't.

Am now about 75 pages into Infinite Jest & enjoying it. My first experience of DFW's work; it reminds me of DeLillo a bit, though perhaps more linguistically deliberate(?)

[Redruth]

 

Pretty messed up.

 

curious

[hello spiral]

^I've got the second volume (I think). Awesome stuff.

[Sprillian]

^^^ I went on a children's literature kick a few months back, mostly stuff I never read as a kid: Tarzan of the Apes, the Prince & the Pauper, Treasure Island, etc. The Wind in the Willows is one I'd like to revisit, & perhaps the Pooh stories as well.

 

Just finished Heinlein's the Moon is a Harsh Mistress (gift from my brother) which I irked him by finding mostly bland, & occasionally infuriating. I could rant about this one, but I won't.

Am now about 75 pages into Infinite Jest & enjoying it. My first experience of DFW's work; it reminds me of DeLillo a bit, though perhaps more linguistically deliberate(?)

One of my favourite's to reread was The Iron Man and The Happy Prince. Awesome books. I'm also planning on getting hold of all of Anthony Browne's picture books. They're exquisite.

 

Hate to admit it, but I gave up on Infinite Jest about halfway through. I don't know why exactly, it wasn't a deliberate choice, because I found it very enjoyable to read when I got the chance. I guess I still get put off by very big books which I put down to being a very poor, slow reader as a kid. Also, finding enough time to read a decent chunk of it was difficult- it's not a book to dip in and out of.

 

I like to think it will lose it's current place as coaster atop the radiator (apologies DFW, your masterpiece of modern literature is a little wine stained) and I'll manage to finish it.

[Guest trananhhung]

Inherent Vice because of PTA. I can't imagine the hardwork of adapting something so confounding to a script. It's quite hilarious and hopefully the film will be too. The book will make PTA go back to the Boogie Nights/Magnolia style of multiple characters directing Scorsese style.

[Guest disparaissant]

just finishing up the second book in the hyperion cantos by dan simmons. good stuff.

[peace 7]

Reading classic Tales From The Crypt related series comics (Tales From The Crypt and The Crypt Of Terror). So good. But cheezy and retarded, though, which really pushes for suspension of disbelief necessity. It is this quality which brings to life a sense of "fantasy" for me. I feel modern works (video games, tv, film, etc.) are too concerned with the idea of portraying some sort of "real-reality", which is bullshit. I bought a Tales From The Crypt comic compilation in elementary school after enjoying the HBO series and was just blown away. The full classic stuff has some crap stories in it, but I suppose it can't all be gold. Love the twisted angle on the human condition (as opposed to just pointless violence, gore, etc.). Also totally dig the high contrast style illustrations. Good shit, yo. Highly recommended.

 

/

(4/5 decapitated wolf heads)

[Sprillian]

Continuing the kids books kick. Finished Peter Pan, then read Wonder by Palacio, and this morning finished The Railway Children.

 

The Phantom Tollbooth is prob next on the list.

[logakght]

Bought Stephen King's Nightmares And Dreamscapes, which are some short stories.

Edited August 15, 2013 by logakght

[Soloman Tump]

Bought Stephen King's Nightmares And Dreamscapes, which are some short stories.

 

I recently got the DVD of the tv series from a local charity shop, seriously hideous crap I don't wanna give any of the plots away if they follow the book.... but man, howlers..... probably a good book though knowing Mr. King?

 

 

 

Currently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Started off well, be interesting to see where it goes.

[hello spiral]

That series is fucking awful but the book is one of my favorites.

 

I've just started rereading SK's Dreamcatcher. It's one of his more maligned books but I quite enjoy it. But then I am a huge fanboi.