what are you reading today?

[weinfeld]

I finally got my hands on some fiction.

[NESK]

just started the new amis novel, prgnant widow. good so far. really want that ellis book to come out.

[ericdw]

june 15 homie. just enough time to reread less than zero

[NESK]

cant do it, ive read his 1st 3 novels over 10 times each by now.

[viv1984viv]

Ha, glad im not the only one waiting for BBE!

Going to be epic.

[avenue_st]

Reread

and

Dietar Rams

[Subculture]

Ha, glad im not the only one waiting for BBE!

Going to be epic.

Same here.

I first read Less Then Zero when I was maybe 16 and at such a young age I had never read anything as disturbing and dark. The characters and themes of the book stuck with me and damn near haunted me for years. Some of those images from the book are just hard as fuck to get out of your head. As an adult Ive re-read it maybe 6 times now. The part about it being disturbing has been pretty much been replaced with awe for the actual narrative. Can not wait for the sequel.

[viv1984viv]

I think Less Than Zero isn't the most disturbing of books, American Psycho is pretty bad. But the difference between a piece like American Psycho and Less Than Zero is that the latter has an intrinsic poignance and heartfelt sensitivity that mixes the melancholic power of existentialism with the chronic desperation of nihilism - and all in a contemporary setting. Sheer imagery and capacity to disturb is not what make ellis great - these qualities can be found in many writers ( palahniuk ) - but its the subtleties of his realism and the entrenchment of nihilistic existential torments within his realism that create such devastating effects.......

Ill write more after a good read of it on my blog.

[monkop]

Just started reading Pygmy.

[capa]

I actually just read Less Than Zero for the first time a few weeks ago. I actually thought it wasn't written that well TBH. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

Reading now:

Plus this book of short stories all set in Los Angeles. It's really great, maybe one of my favorite books in the last year. I'd definitely check it out.

Also, how do you guys feel about Philip Roth? I'm not planning on reading anything else by him anytime soon (took a class on him this semester, read about ten of his books), but I really have a lot of respect for him.

[jwsach]

yea i am reading all 3 cus im essentially homeless and live at the library from 9-9

[echoepidemic]

[monkop]

+1 for a separate peace

I had to read that for AP English in high school; loved it.

[viv1984viv]

I actually just read Less Than Zero for the first time a few weeks ago. I actually thought it wasn't written that well TBH. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

Brilliant, disinterested ambivalence - just what Ellis is all about. Meta.....

[Dom]

Prey by Michael Crichton

[weinfeld]

Taking a break from some philosophical work:

[Vampyrvargfesten]

[Leeacto]

[capa]

Just finished Franny and Zooey.

On my desk I have

- This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

- Ham on Rye by Bukowski

- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

which should I start reading now?

[jl.1212]

Extremely Loud was a fun read and written in a clever way, you probably can't go wrong with it

I just finished Journey to the End of the Night by Celine. Fucking ace.

[whizkit]

[american_hearts]

Can anyone recommend other books on style and usage? I'm looking at Fowler's next.

[redX]

a fun read and an interesting life

[viv1984viv]

Reading a selection of cultural theorist and intellectual pop journalist's essays on Michael Jackson. One of the best non-fictions reads for a while now.

Bukowski is one of life guilty pleasures....

[i like turtles.]

[Dead_Wizard]

Even though that book has been largely debunked, it's a fascinating read. You can see it's influence in the works of Philip K Dick and Neal Stephenson (not really a mystery, he cites the book a few times)

Just read No Country for Old Men. Interesting how the book follows the sheriff as it's main character yet the movie seems about as true as you can get in an adaptation.

Started Reading "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" by David Foster Wallace. I forgot how arduous his essays can be, but the pay off is usually worth it.

Went to the Strand yesterday and picked up Karmic Traces by Eliot Weinberger, The Shape of Things to Come by Marcus Griel, and 2666 by Roberto Bolano. I've been thinking about American history a lot, and how much of it seems like brand building versus actual advancement. Griel seems like he's right up my alley.

[weinfeld]

^^^^^

2666 is an amazing read. That was the first Bolano I had read, and I really enjoyed it.

Also, I'm finally returning to fiction reading now that school is out. Up first, my last long-ish Russian novel left:

I'm only on Chapter IV but I love it.

[Baeyer-Drewson]

^I know I will get neg-raped in here... My name is Baeyer-Drewson and I have a problem. I'm a scientist by training, never took a single Arts faculty course (unless you count Psychology 1) at university. I love literature and I read widely but I just can't get into Russian lit.

Please help me. I'm sure I'm missing out on truly great works. I have Crime and Punishment, as well as Brothers Karazamov, sitting on my shelf. Have tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get into either.

[weirdnjfan1]

Not really into nonfiction, but so far it's pretty damn good and funny also.

[weinfeld]

^I know I will get neg-raped in here... My name is Baeyer-Drewson and I have a problem. I'm a scientist by training, never took a single Arts faculty course (unless you count Psychology 1) at university. I love literature and I read widely but I just can't get into Russian lit.

Please help me. I'm sure I'm missing out on truly great works. I have Crime and Punishment, as well as Brothers Karazamov, sitting on my shelf. Have tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get into either.

No worries. It took me awhile as well. While both C & P and B K are great reads, they're rather long and challenging for the beginning Russian reader. If you're interested, I would suggest some short stories to get a feel for it. Here are my favorites:

The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Tolstoy

Lady with the Little Dog - Chekhov (part of larger book of his short fiction. Highly recommended: http://www.amazon.com/Little-Stories-1896-1904-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140447873/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275324414&sr=8-2)

Fathers and Sons - Turgenev (one of my favorite short novels ever)

The Overcoat and Other Short Stories - Gogol

The Master and Margarita - Bulgakov (This one is a little later than the others, but is seriously one of the best satires of the 20th century.)

Hope that helped.