[Literature] Currently Reading (discussion)

Yeah. You read right. This is for everything that doesn't have anything to do with Eva.

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Dr. Talos
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Postby Dr. Talos » Thu Jan 09, 2014 12:50 am

Recently finished Litany of the Long Sun. Unfortunately I didn't find I half as engaging as Book of the New Sun. The prose is simpler, the characters less interesting and the lack of ambiguity made the religious subtext rather more direct and less palatable.

I'm starting the Children of Hurin by Tolkien which should be a good read and I think I'll also pick up his Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun which should well accompany my recent foray into Germanic myth and legend.

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Postby doonchlando » Thu Jan 09, 2014 9:04 pm

I have been reading Man's Search For Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. I am assuming it is a rather famous book based upon the description on the back of the book, but basically it concerns the trials and tribulations that the author experienced living in the Jewish concentration camps during World War II. It has been a rather fascinating read for me as he not only tells the tale but elaborates upon the psychological implications of the prisoners in the search for meaning within a, seemingly, meaningless situation. Highly recommended!

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Postby Blue Monday » Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:39 am

Managed to knock out half of The Hobbit in one sitting during the week. Great, fun little book with vivid imagery and distinct, quirky characters - Looking forward to finishing the rest of it this weekend.

Still meaning to move onto another King or Murakami novel before starting The Fellowship of the Ring.


Also just ordered in hardcover:

Image
House of Leaves by MZD is my all-time favourite and having noted recently (in the 'Artistry that blew you over' thread) it's been on my mind a lot since. I tried Danielewski's Only Revolutions once but couldn't get into it at all. Keen to give this one a try though, as summaries and reviews all sound pretty interesting. Apparently he continues some more of the ergodic content but not near as much as his debut.

Order is also coming along side a long overdue hardcover version of House of Leaves, as my old, tattered and ragged paperback copy probably won't do for another reread this year.
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Postby Shinoyami65 » Sat Jan 11, 2014 10:10 am

^Looks interesting, if it's any good I might try and get a hold of it after my copy of House of Leaves arrives.
E̱͡v͈̙e͔̰̳͙r̞͍y͏̱̲̭͎̪ṱ͙̣̗̱͠h̰̰i͙n̶̮̟̳͍͍̫͓g̩ ̠͈en̶̖̹̪d̸̙̦͙̜͕͍̞s̸̰.̳̙̺̟̻̀

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Postby Chuckman » Sat Jan 11, 2014 11:45 am

View Original PostBlue Monday wrote:

Order is also coming along side a long overdue hardcover version of House of Leaves, as my old, tattered and ragged paperback copy probably won't do for another reread this year.


Mine fell apart, too. I think they made them that way on purpose.
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Postby Blue Monday » Sat Jan 11, 2014 9:00 pm

View Original PostShinoyami65 wrote:Looks interesting, if it's any good I might try and get a hold of it after my copy of House of Leaves arrives.

Make sure you post your thoughts or let me know what you think of the book, Shino.

:thumbsup:


View Original PostChuckman wrote:Mine fell apart, too. I think they made them that way on purpose.

Yeah, wouldn't surprise me, haha.
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Postby Dream » Mon Jan 13, 2014 8:38 am

So i just finished reading (hearing) "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens.

... Yeah, not really sure what to say about the book. It was great, well written, with some engaging characters and story (if rather predictable, not that it's a big deal) but somehow i didn't really feel much of anything by the time the third book rolled around. Maybe it's because i couldn't understand pretty much anything of what was being said from around half of the first book until the start of the third book, or the fact it all got so extended and convoluted (or at least it felt that way) i didn't care as much as i did at first, but the novel feels like it didn't make as much of an impression as it should have. As an aside, the person who voiced Louisa was great, a nice voice and able to convey the proper restraint and emotion of the character.

Anyways, i'm starting Tales of Old Japan which i might accompany with either Go Rin No Sho or Hagakure.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Wed Jan 15, 2014 9:12 pm

I just finished my favorite book, again. It's His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. It's amazing, sorta like a rehashing of The Chronicles of Narnia, which is, in turn, a retelling of Milton's Paradise Lost. In this contect, though, the Fall from grace is treated as natural and beautiful, and the story weaves elements of multidimensionality, the nature of souls and daemons (in the classical hellenic sense, not like devils), and a seige on the false Abrahamic god. If you've ever seen the movie called "The Golden Compass", that's a way toned down and childish version of the first book of the trilogy. Definitely a story worth checking out.

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Postby caragnafog dog » Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:23 pm

His Dark Materials was my favorite thing ever in middle school, I should reread them soon.

I finished rereading The Odyssey in preparation for Ulysses a few days ago and am now about 150 pages into the latter. It's definitely tough, but the bits I don't understand are fun to read and what I do understand is wonderful. Joyce writes some really funny and perceptive characters.
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Postby Blue Monday » Thu Jan 16, 2014 8:38 am

Image
Read the rest in a second sitting. Fantastic little book and can see why it was such a hit in its own time and even now. Quite an impressive feat too managing to make the story feel so epic in such a short amount time. Only quarrel was how some parts towards the end weren't built up enough.

SPOILER: Show
In example; with Bard - This guy turns out being the blood descendant of Girion and kills Smaug in the single chapter he's introduced, but it's as if all out of nowhere.

In fact, I guess that's just the way/nature of the book. It explains nearly everything in narrative retrospect and the handling of the above example isn't much different.

Needless to say, gotten me all excited to begin my first ever Lord of the Rings read-through. Can tell I'm in for a treat. But going to be reading Stephen King's The Shining beforehand (as mentioned).
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Postby Shinoyami65 » Thu Jan 16, 2014 11:01 am

View Original PostSleigh Lain Fish wrote:I just finished my favorite book, again. It's His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. It's amazing, sorta like a rehashing of The Chronicles of Narnia, which is, in turn, a retelling of Milton's Paradise Lost. In this contect, though, the Fall from grace is treated as natural and beautiful, and the story weaves elements of multidimensionality, the nature of souls and daemons (in the classical hellenic sense, not like devils), and a seige on the false Abrahamic god. If you've ever seen the movie called "The Golden Compass", that's a way toned down and childish version of the first book of the trilogy. Definitely a story worth checking out.


I read the books ages ago and really enjoyed them, but never really understood what I was taking in at the time (the finer details of the plot escape me). I should remember to add the series to my ever-growing "must-reread" pile.
E̱͡v͈̙e͔̰̳͙r̞͍y͏̱̲̭͎̪ṱ͙̣̗̱͠h̰̰i͙n̶̮̟̳͍͍̫͓g̩ ̠͈en̶̖̹̪d̸̙̦͙̜͕͍̞s̸̰.̳̙̺̟̻̀

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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Thu Jan 16, 2014 1:38 pm

I love how His Dark Materials is like, fantasy merged with quantum sci-fi. Things like Tolkien and other traditional fantasies, I don't know, I just can't bring myself to ever finish... The language, it's like reading would-be Shakespeare to me, far too classical.. I speak the bastard tounge, thanks. I can appreciate classical works for in the formal and critical sense, Istudy linguistics, and my love of language comes from the structure and form of composition. But when I read a story, I need to enjoy it. The Illiad and Odyssey prove to be minor exceptions, only because of my interests in mythological symbolism. Interesting that the Battle of Troy was real. Electric Universe theory and the Velikovsky theory actually allow literal interpretations of the fantastic imagery in these hellenic works though! Crazy thought, eh? (:

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Postby Kazuki_Fuse » Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:39 pm

View Original PostBlue Monday wrote:But going to be reading Stephen King's The Shining beforehand (as mentioned).


The Shining is fantastic, one of my favorite King books. I'm actually currently reading Doctor Sleep, which is his new novel and a sequel to The Shining that takes place when Dan Torrance is in his 40's. It's got a different vibe from it's prequel, but still equally amazing.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:48 pm

Considering how prolific King is, is it strange I've never actuallyread a Steohen King novel?... Guess that's on the to-do list now lol.
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Postby Gorbatschow » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:17 pm

View Original PostSleigh Lain Fish wrote:Considering how prolific King is, is it strange I've never actuallyread a Steohen King novel?... Guess that's on the to-do list now lol.


I wouldn't recommend reading much by Stephen King. He made some really, really good stuff, but also huge amount of generic, uninspired books. Just my opinion though. The books which really worth the time are: It, The Stand, The Dark Tower Series (Although many dislike the ending, I loved it) and Misery. If we talk Shining, etc. I would recommend the movies rather than the books.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:18 pm

That's what I've heard lol. I'll go find The Stand at the library later maybe.
"In the land of a thousand fathers, she was born on the Fourth of July. But that don't mean she was made in America.. She was gone in the blink of an eye. She belongs, but she acts like a stranger. She can laugh, but she ain't free. I am my only devil, because they'll believe what they want to believe." - Josh Scogin.

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Postby caragnafog dog » Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:25 pm

You should try Different Seasons. Some good novellas in there.
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Postby Sleigh Lain Fish » Thu Jan 16, 2014 4:06 pm

Thanks, I'll read blurbs and decide soon.
"In the land of a thousand fathers, she was born on the Fourth of July. But that don't mean she was made in America.. She was gone in the blink of an eye. She belongs, but she acts like a stranger. She can laugh, but she ain't free. I am my only devil, because they'll believe what they want to believe." - Josh Scogin.

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Postby Lavinius » Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:23 pm

The Divine Comedy is so very well written, even though the premise placed it at such risk of awfulness and extreme tediousness it avoids that. Because it's literally a story where the self-insert gets saved by his senpai because his waifu loves him and with this senpai has an episodic and formulaic journey and see the self-insert's enemies in many sadistic situations before he is reunited with his waifu to be together forever. So all the glory to Dante that it turns out to be like the best thing ever written. Dante has such a style that is brief without feeling brief, he does not fail to give every creative and beautiful detail but it comes like a thought that is succinct and meaningful. In a sentence Dante tells a scene that lesser writers would take pages to convey, but nothing at all is missing.
Also Dante and Virgil-senpai have so many cute interactions oh my god! :kimochi:
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Postby caragnafog dog » Fri Jan 17, 2014 7:15 pm

They have the best underclassman-senpai relationship of any epic. All this talk of Virgil makes me want to reread The Aeneid.
On 11/10/14, at 8:43 PM, Merrimerri wrote:
fhycjubg beat tge sgut iyt if gun
On 6/2/15, at 10:14 PM, Delispin wrote:
> Wow. I've disgusted even myself.

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