books, books, books

[mood swung]

fascinating.

[verbal gymnastics]

If only we could do a Vulcan mind meld MDM

[BlueChair]

Hey Otis, have you read this one?



Truth be told, this is only my second Roth, and yet I already consider him one of my favourite authors. Fantastic stuff. This book is about a sixtysomething year old sex crazed demented puppeteer. I'm about halfway in and totally hooked.

Can't wait to finish this one so I can delve into the likes of Portnoy's Complaint and American Pastoral.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Another convert! I'm dying to get back to his stuff. I reckon I could his books back to back cos you never know when a bus might knock you off your bicycle, etc. Ain't read Sab's T, but must. Portnoys is a hoot. American Pastoral is awesome.

[StrictTime]

Just finished Vonnegut's Player Piano. Excellent, as expected, of course. I just got a library card, so hopefully I'll be able to add a lot more to this thread in coming weeks. Oh, and a charming book called Ana Cultiva Manzanas for Spanish.

[Otis Westinghouse]

Apple Farmer Annie! ¡Muy bien!

[mood swung]

It's sooo Oprah of me, but...

The Lovely Bones.


And it's pretty darn good.

[Otis Westinghouse]

How far are you? For me (and me missus) it was hypnotising for about 100 pages but then it seemed to lose it somewhat.

[mood swung]

Almost at the end. Yes it does lose steam, but I'm still enjoying it.

I am almost at the bottom of the pile. Bookstores, beware.

[pophead2k]

Re: Phillip Roth. I've only read Portnoy's Complaint, and, like the film of The Graduate, I'm sure it was ground breaking for its time, but seems very dated now. Because of that, I have not read anything else. Suggestions for Roth #2 for me? Do I jump into American Pastoral or is there an interim novel I should investigate?

[Otis Westinghouse]

I'd go straight for it. It's one of the Zuckerman books, with things like The Ghost Writer predating it, but you don't need to read these in order. It's not a chronological tale, it's just a device he uses to work himself into the novels in more or less fictional guise!

[Who Shot Sam?]

Re: Phillip Roth. I've only read Portnoy's Complaint, and, like the film of The Graduate, I'm sure it was ground breaking for its time, but seems very dated now. Because of that, I have not read anything else. Suggestions for Roth #2 for me? Do I jump into American Pastoral or is there an interim novel I should investigate?

I really liked The Plot Against America, which came out a couple of years ago. I have to say that I found Sabbath's Theater to be a massive turnoff. Hated the main character and it just seemed so incredibly juvenile and sex-obsessed. But that's part of what you get with Roth I suppose.

[BlueChair]

Mickey Sabbath is definitely an anti-hero at its worst. It gets a bit annoying at times, but I just really love Roth's way with words.

[Otis Westinghouse]

He uses words like an archer. Whatever he wants to nail, he can nail.

[alexv]

Wouldn't it be great, though unlikely, if Roth took a peek at the EC Forum books thread? No other author makes repeat appearances here more often than good old PR. And from the safety of our fetching cloak of anonymity we shower him with praise. Deservedly. One of the few great authors who becomes more prolific in his later years, with output that outdoes his early, fame-producing stuff. Amazing.

[StrictTime]

Finished Vonnegut's Mother Night. Very good, but then again, Vonnegut usually is. Now it's onto Deadeye Dick, then Kafka's Amerika. ...I feel like such a literature dork.

[Otis Westinghouse]

What a great status in life to attain! Don't expect too much from Amerika. My memory is very hazy, but I think it's fairly fragmentary and doesn't have the impact of his classics, but definitely worth checking out for a Kafka fan.

[StrictTime]

Finished Deadeye Dick yesterday, and sped through Chronicle of A Death Foretold last night through today. The Vonnegut was funny and engaging as usual, but CoaDF was horrendously boring. I really hope it's just lost in translation.

On a similar note, I think I might skip the Kafka for now and get some more Vonnegut; I'm on a roll.

[invisible Pole]

Read The Sirens Of Titan if you haven't yet.
Could be my favourite book of his.

[StrictTime]

Will do, provided they have it in the library.

[alexv]

Been immersed in early Christian era shennanigans. Just finished "What the Gospels Mean"; "What Paul Meant", both by Gary Wills, and"Jesus", by AN Wilson. Wills, a believer, has some interesting things to say about the construction of the Gospels, and the misunderstood nature of Paul's message. Wilson, a lapsed believer, takes a crack at the historical Jesus, and it ends up reading like one of his novels. Go figure. Before that had a great time with "Look at the Harlequins", by lusty old Vladimir Nabokov (his last completed book).

[invisible Pole]

Just started Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen.
I was reading the first two stories on a train and couldn't help crying with laughter at some of Woody's absurdities.
I must have looked strange with tears running down my cheeks.

[BlueChair]

And my summer reading list kicks off with this take on the Americanization of Chinese food:

[miss buenos aires]

Anybody read this?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/23/books ... 84&ei=5070

Anybody gone to the trouble of counting how many they've actually read?

I'll tell if you will...

[BlueChair]

I've read 25. I guess I'd better get reading!