what are you reading now?

Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I'm reading a William Gibson novel that's set in "the year" 2005 - damn thing was only written in 1993! Seriously, what's the point of setting a sci-fi novel twelve years in the future? It's got that now rather quaint mid-90s obsession with 'virtual reality', they still use fax and so far I don't think anyone's made a mobile phone call or used the internet once. Prophet of the information age, my arse. Oh yeah, and he has one character recognise a pop song by "that black guy who turned white and then his face fell in" - oh William you muppet, it's already "the year" 2010 and people still remember the name of that handsome bloke who got really fat and died on the bog.

Still, I can't help liking the way all the characters are far too cool to speak in complete sentences. :cool:
 
S

Sick Boy

All about pride and egos
Mr. Tea said:
Looking forward to reading something modern and American afterwards by contrast, however. I've read some whopping books over the last few years, so any suggestions on something good and not too long would be most welcome.
Click to expand...

David Foster Wallace, but not Infinite Jest because it fails the "not too long" criterion in a big way. I am reading his collection of essays, Consider the Lobster, right now and it is excellent.
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
Seem to be going on a Richard Brautigan bender at the moment - good 'cause his books are so short you can go from never having heard of him to having read everything he ever wrote in about a week. So far read Hawkline Monster - pleasant and a bit weird but I followed it with Trout Fishing In America which is far superior and made its precursor seem almost boringly normal in comparison. It's an amazing book with no real narrative as such but which somehow manages to get across the sadness and melancholy of being poor and/or homeless in the US by making lots of stupid jokes and false (or possibly genuine) naive statements. Now I'm on A Confederate General From Big Sur which is similar although more conventionally structured. Next up is this one (I think)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_and_His_Bowling_Trophies:_A_Perverse_Mystery
 
B

Brother Randy Hickey

formerly Dubversion
IdleRich said:
Seem to be going on a Richard Brautigan bender at the moment - good 'cause his books are so short you can go from never having heard of him to having read everything he ever wrote in about a week. So far read Hawkline Monster - pleasant and a bit weird but I followed it with Trout Fishing In America which is far superior and made its precursor seem almost boringly normal in comparison. It's an amazing book with no real narrative as such but which somehow manages to get across the sadness and melancholy of being poor and/or homeless in the US by making lots of stupid jokes and false (or possibly genuine) naive statements. Now I'm on A Confederate General From Big Sur which is similar although more conventionally structured. Next up is this one (I think)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willard_and_His_Bowling_Trophies:_A_Perverse_Mystery
Click to expand...


i managed to get into a standup row with a pompous fuck in an Oxford bookshop who claimed that Brautigsan's books were out of print because they were dated, whimsical nonsense.

My favourite is The Abortion.
 
F

faustus

Well-known member
Sick Boy said:
David Foster Wallace, but not Infinite Jest because it fails the "not too long" criterion in a big way. I am reading his collection of essays, Consider the Lobster, right now and it is excellent.
Click to expand...

the two collections of short stories 'oblivion' and 'brief interviews with hideous men' are brilliant. one or two of the stories are some of the best stuff i've ever read.

infinite jest is very long but worth it. i want to read it again
 
luka

luka

Well-known member
tea did you finish v? i recently read to halfway then suddenly thought, why am i bothering with this and put it down again. its still by my bed but i dont think i'll pick it up. ive been reading rex stout.
 
M

michael

Bring out the vacuum
Just gave up on finishing Richard Ford's The Sportswriter.

Before that gave up half way through Russell Hoban's Pilgermann.

Not on a good stint, I almost never give up on a book if I've bothered to start it.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
I want to read Lowboy, is it good?

Currently on The Peregrine, by J. A. Baker.

Never could get on with Brautigan. Maybe time for another go?
 
Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
luka said:
tea did you finish v? i recently read to halfway then suddenly thought, why am i bothering with this and put it down again. its still by my bed but i dont think i'll pick it up. ive been reading rex stout.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did - I think the later bits are better, actually. The chapters to do with Stencil/'V' I liked better than the chapters on Benny Profane and the Whole Sick Crew, which I found sort of aimless in a way that reminded me of On The Road (which I didn't enjoy and didn't finish, which is rare for me). There's a real interweaving of conspiracies and obscure subplots that develops as the book goes on.

What's this Stout guy like?
 
IdleRich

IdleRich

IdleRich
"i managed to get into a standup row with a pompous fuck in an Oxford bookshop who claimed that Brautigsan's books were out of print because they were dated, whimsical nonsense."
Click to expand...
Good work! I guess the books are sort of whimsical but I think that disguises a darker, harder centre. They may be making jokes about having no food but it's about having no food, it's people trying to cheer themselves up I suppose. Maybe it's knowing that he killed himself that makes me think that way but I don't believe it's just that.
 
STN

STN

sou'wester
I didn't know he'd killed himself. He was from my mother's hometown, which makes me want to like him.

Rex Stout - "Trio for Blunt Instruments". What a title!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top