~Take a look, It's in a BOOK, Back She Goes~

by **TenuredVulture** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 15:34:16

swishnicholson wrote:
JUburton wrote:
Barry Jive wrote:
JUburton wrote:I'm reading On The Road and it is...not good?

Surprise!
I really knew nothing about it other than it's the 'Beat' generation and some consider it an American classic. The Beat generation seems like a bunch of assholes. My brother liked it a lot and we generally align but man, nothing happens and Dean and Sal are irredeemable.

I don't disagree with your take, but the reason it's considered an "American Classic" by some is because of its difference, and because of its influence, not because of its quality. The first two are pretty hard to deny. It may have emerged as part of the Beat generation, but was written way back in 1950, so it's more a catalyst than representative. Certainly Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs could all be considered assholes, if how you treat the bulk of people that cross your path determines whether you're an asshole. Burroughs and Ginsberg had the opportunity to grow out of this a bit.

Also, in terms of writing, Burroughs and Kerouac really are very different. I read a lot of Burroughs in my early 20s. Only ever read On the Road by Kerouac, and my take is pretty much like everyone else's here.

by **TenuredVulture** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 15:37:42

I thought I already posted this, but I really liked JK Rowling's Casual Vacancy a lot. Though there are no wizards, in many ways it takes up some of the themes of Harry Potter--adults are almost all jerks, most of the teens are struggling to get by in a world they didn't create.

by **smitty** » Thu Jun 29, 2017 19:10:44

TenuredVulture wrote:
swishnicholson wrote:
JUburton wrote:
Barry Jive wrote:
JUburton wrote:I'm reading On The Road and it is...not good?

Surprise!
I really knew nothing about it other than it's the 'Beat' generation and some consider it an American classic. The Beat generation seems like a bunch of assholes. My brother liked it a lot and we generally align but man, nothing happens and Dean and Sal are irredeemable.

I don't disagree with your take, but the reason it's considered an "American Classic" by some is because of its difference, and because of its influence, not because of its quality. The first two are pretty hard to deny. It may have emerged as part of the Beat generation, but was written way back in 1950, so it's more a catalyst than representative. Certainly Kerouac, Ginsberg and Burroughs could all be considered assholes, if how you treat the bulk of people that cross your path determines whether you're an asshole. Burroughs and Ginsberg had the opportunity to grow out of this a bit.

Also, in terms of writing, Burroughs and Kerouac really are very different. I read a lot of Burroughs in my early 20s. Only ever read On the Road by Kerouac, and my take is pretty much like everyone else's here.

Burroughs was married to Joan Vollmer. They were playing William Tell and she had a tumbler on her head. Burroughs missed the tumbler and the bullet went into her head and she was soon dead. Beat Generation. They were really beat.

by **TenuredVulture** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 15:00:10

I'm reading the final book of the three body problem trilogy and it is quite good. Same translator as the first book, who I think did a better job than the translator of the second book.

by **Stay_Disappointed** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 17:10:03

TenuredVulture wrote:I'm reading the final book of the three body problem trilogy and it is quite good. Same translator as the first book, who I think did a better job than the translator of the second book.

Loved the trilogy - especially the final book

by **Youseff** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 17:11:53

only read On the Road once, as an adult, a few years ago, and I really liked it. I'd have to flip through it to refresh everything I liked, but I like his descriptions of his drinking binges, jazz music, and the Bay Area stand out.

by **Bucky** » Tue Jul 04, 2017 21:06:31

so it's pretty much like daily life on BSG

by **CalvinBall** » Thu Jul 06, 2017 22:42:28

Been really enjoying 1776 the past few days

by **swishnicholson** » Thu Jul 06, 2017 23:30:38

CalvinBall wrote:Been really disappointed by 1776 the past few days

by **swishnicholson** » Sun Jul 09, 2017 22:23:51

A Few Corrections by Brad Leithauser was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in quite a while.

ymmv

by **JUburton** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 08:55:46

I'm reading An American Sickness now and it's good and sorta depressing.

Anyone (doc?) read it?

https://www.amazon.com/American-Sicknes ... n+sickness

by **pacino** » Mon Jul 10, 2017 08:57:57

so it's not the book version of The Big Sick? :dh:

by **Napalm** » Wed Jul 12, 2017 23:56:30

i've been playing around with the theme of death/immortality lately, i don't know if its more than usual, but i'm connecting with it at the moment. Thinking about giving the Epic of Gilgamesh a read. who's done it

by **CalvinBall** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 21:21:53

Started The Name in the Wind and I am hooked.

by **The Dude** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 21:26:02

Napalm wrote:i've been playing around with the theme of death/immortality lately, i don't know if its more than usual, but i'm connecting with it at the moment. Thinking about giving the Epic of Gilgamesh a read. who's done it

Just read it. It'll take a couple hours

by **jamiethekiller** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 22:04:21

CalvinBall wrote:Started The Name of the Wind and I am hooked.

you're such a Miranda shill.

Books great though. Really good themes on identity.

by **RichmondPhilsFan** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:43:52

I'd forgotten until I got an email yesterday that book three of Stormlight comes out in mid-November. Time to start that re-read.

by **slugsrbad** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:08:59

RichmondPhilsFan wrote:I'd forgotten until I got an email yesterday that book three of Stormlight comes out in mid-November. Time to start that re-read.

I just finished The Final Empire. It was excellent (as you obviously know).

by **Bill McNeal** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:16:04

Been reading Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany. It's interesting, but I'm feeling like it's a little tough to read for some reason. The descriptions of the battles are tough to read, and I've already read a lot about them anyway so I'm not that interested in the high level descriptions, but I want to read about the effects of the nazis being on meth!

by **momadance** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:19:39

CalvinBall wrote:Been really enjoying 1776 the past few days

Excellent book.

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