Bechuga Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 Eh. It's a book of its time i.e. long winded. Could definitely have been edited and you'd have been none the wiser. No wonder people found it boring at the time! I recommend reading abridged, as I'm sure it focuses on getting onto ship, meeting Ahab and the slow build up to meeting Moby Dick (only mentioned in stories so far). Currently feels like a mixture between a technical manual on how to whale in the 19th century and a bloody revenge story. Honestly, the latter is more interesting. Some aspects of whaling are interesting, but do I really want a chapter about a type of wood used to make a bar stool? Answer: no Compared to the level of hype given to the book vs. the excitement of reading it, I'd say it's a slog so far. Staying in it for the Moby Dick battle at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twelvetrees Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 I believe it starts at 99%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doublename Posted May 19, 2016 Share Posted May 19, 2016 (edited) These Moby-Dick posts are triggering the fuck out of me. Love that book so much. Is it a yanqui thing? Edited May 19, 2016 by doublename Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bechuga Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 I don't hate it--the texture / language of it is fantastic--but it's definitely digressive in a way I feel is distracting. Will finish it though, and I rarely finish books I hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxus Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Book of the New Sun gets really dense at times and I start to lose focus... but then it pulls me back in with some bizarre, juicy fantasy concept. Pretty much every character and plot device has a mysterious secret nature that I still haven't figured out. The whole concept is a lot of fun - a fantasy novel set millions of years in the future, when civilization has plunged back into dark age mentality. You get hints here and there at how the world of the books relates back to our present/future, with stuff like space travel and advanced sci-fi tech having been accomplished but largely forgotten and now reserved for the elite. Massive vocabulary in this book too, I end up googling words every 5 minutes. At first I thought he was just making up a lot of terms, like fantasy authors do.. but it turns out pretty much all of them are real or based on real English words of antiquity. Fucking human dictionary this guy. At least now I know what a Baluchitherium is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auxien Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 ^ Sounds pretty cool. I've been starting/toying with writing something with a few shades of things mentioned there. That idea seems a bit more like John Crowley's Engine Summer though, which was more fantasy but great. sent using magic space waves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Tarot Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Doing on Nadler's cover ov The Wire, curious about Apex's ambient works Vol 2 (33 and a 1/3) anyone read that? I'm sure I'll get around to it. want to read the 33 and a 1/3 on Kanye's Twisted Fantasy too, other than that it's liner notes for days, psychic bible and England's Hidden Reverse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alcofribas Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 (edited) Doing on Nadler's cover ov The Wire, curious about Apex's ambient works Vol 2 (33 and a 1/3) anyone read that? I'm sure I'll get around to it. want to read the 33 and a 1/3 on Kanye's Twisted Fantasy too, other than that it's liner notes for days, psychic bible and England's Hidden Reverse Aphex 33 book is not worth reading really. a genuine scarcity of ideas, dull writing, maybe one or two neat factoids otherwise the book's major points are the record has beats and the internet named the tracks Edited May 28, 2016 by Alcofribas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doublename Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 One of Us by Asne Seierstad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KovalainenFanBoy Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 (edited) If there's a 33 1/3 book that's worth reading it's the Celine Dion one http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Talk-About-Love-People/dp/1441166777 the guy mentions not owning a TV in the first page but it's worth reading Edited May 28, 2016 by ThatSpanishGuy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIII Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 (edited) Book of the New Sun gets really dense at times and I start to lose focus... but then it pulls me back in with some bizarre, juicy fantasy concept. Pretty much every character and plot device has a mysterious secret nature that I still haven't figured out. The whole concept is a lot of fun - a fantasy novel set millions of years in the future, when civilization has plunged back into dark age mentality. You get hints here and there at how the world of the books relates back to our present/future, with stuff like space travel and advanced sci-fi tech having been accomplished but largely forgotten and now reserved for the elite. Massive vocabulary in this book too, I end up googling words every 5 minutes. At first I thought he was just making up a lot of terms, like fantasy authors do.. but it turns out pretty much all of them are real or based on real English words of antiquity. Fucking human dictionary this guy. At least now I know what a Baluchitherium is. i think in urth of the new sun severians story gets pretty mind bending towards the end, even more so than the earlier novels... i tried reading some of gene wolfes other material outside of severians tale and it wasnt the same level of quality Edited May 28, 2016 by VIII Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bechuga Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 Finished Jane Eyre. Twas a splendid read. Now to start on these Nicola Barker books finally. It's interesting how much less words there are on a page in new novels then there were in the old: one page of Jane Eyre or Moby-Dick contains double that of Burley Cross Postbox Theft. Newer novelists are lightweights compared to the old. If there's a 33 1/3 book that's worth reading it's the Celine Dion one http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Talk-About-Love-People/dp/1441166777 the guy mentions not owning a TV in the first page but it's worth reading lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxus Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 Book of the New Sun gets really dense at times and I start to lose focus... but then it pulls me back in with some bizarre, juicy fantasy concept. Pretty much every character and plot device has a mysterious secret nature that I still haven't figured out. The whole concept is a lot of fun - a fantasy novel set millions of years in the future, when civilization has plunged back into dark age mentality. You get hints here and there at how the world of the books relates back to our present/future, with stuff like space travel and advanced sci-fi tech having been accomplished but largely forgotten and now reserved for the elite. Massive vocabulary in this book too, I end up googling words every 5 minutes. At first I thought he was just making up a lot of terms, like fantasy authors do.. but it turns out pretty much all of them are real or based on real English words of antiquity. Fucking human dictionary this guy. At least now I know what a Baluchitherium is. i think in urth of the new sun severians story gets pretty mind bending towards the end, even more so than the earlier novels... i tried reading some of gene wolfes other material outside of severians tale and it wasnt the same level of quality I just finished the 2nd book, I gotta keep going cause so much of the plot is still a complete mystery to me. What the fuck is up with the Autarch? Taking a break though, and reading Michael Crichton's Sphere. More of a smooth pageturner kinda book. Refreshing. Still pretty trippy tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro Tarot Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 If there's a 33 1/3 book that's worth reading it's the Celine Dion one http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Talk-About-Love-People/dp/1441166777 the guy mentions not owning a TV in the first page but it's worth reading I saw this used at the bookstore and didn't buy it. but I also don't own a TV, so we have something in common. Canadians though, geese/// Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berk Posted June 2, 2016 Share Posted June 2, 2016 Couldn't really get into the beginning of War & Peace for some reason so I now started reading Madame Bovary first, which is a pretty nice book so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bechuga Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 Finished Moby-Dick: the beast is slain! Blood and thunder! Forty barrels of sperm all round! Now to start on Franzen's Purity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bechuga Posted June 5, 2016 Share Posted June 5, 2016 Also, can I say that I'm tearing through Nicola Barker's Burley Cross Postbox Theft and it's fantastic. Spiral, I really think Nicola Barker is right up your alley. I'm probably going to read all her other stuff too, if it's anywhere near as enjoyable as this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spratters Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 (edited) Finished Kafka's "The Trial" the other day. Quite a strange book where you find that some of the time it just waffles on about something insignificant for no real reason. Almost like he's got a word limit to get to. Maybe that was always his style? I may read him again if anyone has any recommendations? I'm curious. Gonna get onto the next Patterson WMC (6) next. Edited June 6, 2016 by spratters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doorjamb Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 (edited) wow, what an odd reaction to The Trial… Did you like it at least? I avoided Kafka for years after the ubiquitous high school experience of having The Metamorphosis utterly ruined with vapid classroom overanalysis. When I finally gave him another shot I fell in love, & I'd definitely rank the Trial among his better long-form works. I just reread Joyce's Portrait of the Artist & now I want to run away from home to write poetry & be a dick to people by only speaking in Latin. Edited June 7, 2016 by doorjamb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juiceciuj Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 not high literature but kept hearing that ready player one was really good. got about 70 pages in and whoa buddy is this bad so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doublename Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 not high literature but kept hearing that ready player one was really good. got about 70 pages in and whoa buddy is this bad so far Somebody lied to you, m8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juiceciuj Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 you've read it? it doesn't get better? it's going to be the next spielberg movie i think. i hoped it would be at least around the same level of decency as like, enders game or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caze Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 you've read it? it doesn't get better? it's going to be the next spielberg movie i think. i hoped it would be at least around the same level of decency as like, enders game or something yeah, was surprised about the huge praise it got. I thought it was fine, but nothing particularly innovative, a quick read and relatively engaging story. could make for a decent movie though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juiceciuj Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 the first 70 pages basically sounds like the author writing about himself except for he's an ultra cool millionaire that invented the matrix. all the 80s wank is really getting old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spratters Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 wow, what an odd reaction to The Trial… Did you like it at least? I avoided Kafka for years after the ubiquitous high school experience of having The Metamorphosis utterly ruined with vapid classroom overanalysis. When I finally gave him another shot I fell in love, & I'd definitely rank the Trial among his better long-form works. I just reread Joyce's Portrait of the Artist & now I want to run away from home to write poetry & be a dick to people by only speaking in Latin. I must say I did enjoy it. Not sure it'd be high on my list to read again straight away but maybe in years to come. What else would you recommend, I'd like to read another of his and compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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