[Literature] Currently Reading (discussion)

CJD · Postby **CJD** » Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:09 am

Mr. Tines wrote:and the total lack of cultural context for it made it incomprehensible.

That is not surprising at all. :lol:

Oz · Postby Oz » Sun Nov 17, 2013 6:42 am

Sgt. Griff wrote:It astounds me that they go out of their way to choose the least interesting books they possibly can. Gems like "Nervous Conditions" pop to mind.

Well, if anything, your teacher is certainly experimenting by choosing African post-colonial literature. I guess what he/she is trying to do it is to expand your perspective by exposing you to various sorts of English-language literature. I don't think I would have appreciated a novel like that before the university course on contemporary/post-colonial literature I took this year. From what I have heard, Nervous Conditions should be damn interesting for analysis, but I doubt many high school students will find it a fun reading experience.

Joy Evangelion · Postby **Joy Evangelion** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:23 pm

Dr. Talos wrote:I'm now working my way through Light in August by Faulkner. It's a more accessible work of his though his use of steam of consciousness is very much present. Both the style and the fascinating character of Christmas make for a quite compelling read.

I'm actually working my way through Faulkner's short stories right now, which are pretty rad. Light in August was the second Faulkner novel I read(after As I Lay Dying) and it made me realize that Faulkner is my favorite writer, hands down. No one else even comes close to him in my mind.

I a lot of people like to say that Light in August is one of his four great works, along with The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom! and As I Lay Dying. If you like Light in August I highly recommend The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom!. People like to say they're complicated and all that, but if you don't have trouble with Light in August you shouldn't have trouble with his other works either; you just have to concentrate on the work and keep an open mind. I think the thing is that lazy readers without a lot of reading comprehension have needlessly complicated Faulkner, just like how a lot of haters say Eva is too confusing or leaves too many unanswered questions.

Dr. Talos · Postby **Dr. Talos** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:21 pm

Joy Evangelion wrote:If you like Light in August I highly recommend The Sound and the Fury and Absalom, Absalom!. People like to say they're complicated and all that, but if you don't have trouble with Light in August you shouldn't have trouble with his other works either; you just have to concentrate on the work and keep an open mind. I think the thing is that lazy readers without a lot of reading comprehension have needlessly complicated Faulkner, just like how a lot of haters say Eva is too confusing or leaves too many unanswered questions.

I think I'll probably read The Sound and the Fury next. I'm enjoying Light in August and I like a good challenge in my literature so Sound and Fury sounds like a good bet. I only started reading Light in August when i happened across a battered copy in the back of my bookshelf. Glad I did as I've really been missing out by not reading Faulkner till now. His prose is so rich and layered and his use of such complex language to capture the nature of the chaotic stream of consciousness is sublime.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 11:02 am

caragnafog dog wrote:I've been going through a collection of Steinbeck's short novels, have read The Red Pony, Cannery Row, and Tortilla Flat. Liked the first two very much but Tortilla Flat was great, the Paisanos were all such interesting characters.

I finished this a few days ago and, unknowingly following the trends of this thread, picked up Absolom, Absolom! at the behest of a friend. It's my first experience with Faulkner so I'm taking it slow, but as a purveyor of southern butthurt I'm enjoying it quite a lot. I know it doesn't employ stream of consciousness like his other novels but I like the style.

chee · Postby **chee** » Thu Nov 21, 2013 11:10 am

Gravity's Rainbow: take three.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Sat Nov 23, 2013 8:10 pm

Has anyone here read Confessions of a Mask?

Joy Evangelion · Postby **Joy Evangelion** » Sat Nov 23, 2013 10:00 pm

caragnafog dog wrote:Has anyone here read Confessions of a Mask?

I started it, but I found it to be a little dry so I didn't finish it, but I'm still hoping to pick it up again. I got it in a three novel collection along with The Temple of the Golden Pavilion and The Sailor who Fell From Grace..., so I switched over to reading Golden Pavilion, which I actually really enjoyed, although it too has its dry parts. I wasn't crazy about the characters or story, but the ideas Mishima brought up in it were pretty interesting and rewarding to read about.

Sorry I responded to your post without having fully completed Confessions of a Mask ... -o-;

Atropos · Postby **Atropos** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 8:53 pm

I recently read The Epic of Gilgamesh; I read it pretty quickly, so I'm sure there are things I missed, but I marked key sections for rereading later.

Stryker · Postby **Stryker** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 9:01 pm

Gilgamesh is awesome.

Currently reading Agamemnon.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Sun Nov 24, 2013 9:18 pm

Joy Evangelion wrote:I started it, but I found it to be a little dry so I didn't finish it, but I'm still hoping to pick it up again. I got it in a three novel collection along with The Temple of the Golden Pavilion and The Sailor who Fell From Grace..., so I switched over to reading Golden Pavilion, which I actually really enjoyed, although it too has its dry parts. I wasn't crazy about the characters or story, but the ideas Mishima brought up in it were pretty interesting and rewarding to read about.

Sorry I responded to your post without having fully completed Confessions of a Mask ... [/i]

Nah that's good to hear, I've thought about picking up Temple of the golden Pavilion too but figured I'd start with his earliest translated work.

Kazuki_Fuse · Postby **Kazuki_Fuse** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 1:14 am

Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. I do so love W40k fluff and fiction, especially the Horus Heresy series and this is one of my favorites so far. Nothing better than reading about the World Eaters legion descent into Chaos.

Shinoyami65 · Postby **Shinoyami65** » Sun Dec 01, 2013 8:04 am

Been reading a fair bit of Angela Carter recently. Started re-reading The Bloody Chamber and I'm halfway through Wise Children as well.

LegionWrex · Postby **LegionWrex** » Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:04 pm

Currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Really liking it so far.

Watership Down is next on my list.

Blue Monday · Postby **Blue Monday** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:25 am

Kazuki_Fuse wrote:Betrayer by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. I do so love W40k fluff and fiction, especially the Horus Heresy series and this is one of my favorites so far. Nothing better than reading about the World Eaters legion descent into Chaos.

Only really good 40K stuff IMO is Abnett.
Come to think of it; I still need to read the final part in the Eisenhorn Trilogy.

Started It by Stephen King a couple weeks ago. So good.
King is a master of his craft for sure.

Tankred · Postby **Tankred** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:31 am

Blue Monday wrote:Only really good 40K stuff IMO is Abnett.

Second. I enjoyed his Eisenhorn trilogy so much I bought the sequel and his Gaunt's ghosts books, he improves as he goes along.

Chuckman · Postby **Chuckman** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:31 am

Dembski-Bowden is easily on Abnett's level. The difference between him and, say, Graham McNeill is jarring.

McNeill has been improving, though, and what he lacks in narrative or prose he almost makes up for in the sheer insanity of some of the shit he comes up with.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:13 pm

Finished Absalom, Absalom! yesterday. Holy hell, I feel like I've aged 40 years. What a draining and complicated tragedy. Definitely going to reread it soon; I got used to Faulkner's style after a chapter or so but there were still plenty of sections and extended metaphors that I didn't completely grasp.

I'm reading Confessions of a Mask now, when I'm done with that I'll read The Sound and the Fury since I've heard that deals with the Compson family.

Kazuki_Fuse · Postby **Kazuki_Fuse** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 6:36 pm

Chuckman wrote:Dembski-Bowden is easily on Abnett's level.

So much THIS! His Night Lords trilogy is some of the best sci-fi material I have ever read.

Chuckman · Postby **Chuckman** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:35 pm

I love those books so much. He made a berserker sympathetic. That's a feat.

[Literature] Currently Reading (discussion)

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