books, books, books

bobster · Post by **bobster** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:09 pm

Another lover of the movie of "Glengarry" -- and Alec Baldwin's part.

Yes, I too, have worked in sales -- mostly telemarketing. And you'd be surprised how much of that #$##@ goes on even in more or less legitimate operations.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 6:42 pm

On the books thang (I've never posted to this thread before) I just read Graham Swift's book THE LIGHT OF DAY. I picked it up at 8 pm last night and read it in two sittings. I love his stuff; there's always an element of a mystery, and the voice is just addictive. If you haven't read his masterpiece WATERLAND, you must.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:36 pm

Sorry to gang tackle, Blue, but I gotta go with the others. Glengarry Glen Ross is one of my favorite movies. I've noted elsewhere that Jack Lemmon is my all-time favorite actor, AND I've worked commission sales before (although in a much less intense environment!)

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 10:43 pm

I was waiting to board a plane a couple of months ago and a guy was on his cell phone and if you closed your eyes you would have sworn he was Shelly "The Machine" Levine. Great film.

I thinks it's about 7 to 1 BC.

Post by **BlueChair** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:09 pm

okay, okay, I get it already.

But honestly, the play did a lot more for me than the film.

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 12:00 am

So I had to back up BlueChair here - I found the movie version pretty annoying too (I've not read the play yet).....I think Alec Baldwin's bit gave a really obnoxious tone to the film - it turned me off right from the beginning.

So maybe we're still in the minority here, but I couldn't bear to see poor Blue all by himself on this one

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 12:03 am

Baldwin's character is supposed to be obnoxious. That's the tone of that kind of workplace to a "t." You're supposed to see that these guys are just legal street hustlers. And Al Pacino is the kingpin of the moment; still, they all know (including him) that in 20 years he'll be Jack Lemmon.

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:14 am

I got that he was supposed to be that way - but that didn't really make it any better somehow. Maybe I just haven't worked in the right environment to understand the 'genius' of the character...and hopefully never will if that's really what it's like

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:17 am

I hope you never have to work in that environment, either. It's awful. And it's totally worth not liking Glengarry Glenn Ross if it means you never have to experience it first hand!

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 10:19 am

Good to know

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 1:28 pm

Blue: Does your copy of the play include a list of the original cast? Go check.

Post by **BlueChair** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 2:19 pm

miss buenos aires wrote:Blue: Does your copy of the play include a list of the original cast? Go check.

I've been meaning to ask you about that

It shows the original London and Chicago casts, and I notice a familiar name playing George Aaronow at the Chicago premiere

miss buenos aires · Post by **miss buenos aires** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 2:05 pm

That's Grandpa Mike!

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 12:02 pm

Just read an interesting play called Top Dog | Under Dog by Suzan Lori-Parks.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 12:30 pm

Anyone here read Nick Hornby's SONGBOOK (it had a diff title in the UK, surely one that was too subtle for us braincell-challenged Yanks)? There was an edition that had an accompanying CD but sadly I didn't get that one. (Though may I brag that it was bought for me by my Dad who will be 80 soon? He's so cool.)

I don't agree with all his takes on the songs but it's a great read for the likes of this crowd.

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 1:56 pm

selfmademug wrote:Anyone here read Nick Hornby's SONGBOOK (it had a diff title in the UK, surely one that was too subtle for us braincell-challenged Yanks)? There was an edition that had an accompanying CD but sadly I didn't get that one. (Though may I brag that it was bought for me by my Dad who will be 80 soon? He's so cool.)

I don't agree with all his takes on the songs but it's a great read for the likes of this crowd.

I haven't read it, but skimmed through a bunch of it. I love the part where Hornby is claiming not to be a serious Dylan fan, while slowly revealing he actually owns quite a few Dylan CD's, but isn't the sort of person who camps out on the Expecting Rain website (http://www.expectingrain.com), like a certain friend of his.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 2:21 pm

This was my favorite bit, on people who categorically poo-poo (can you poo poo categorically?) all current pop music:

Does this mean that you never hear, or at least never enjoy, new songs, that everything you whistle or hum was written years, decades, centuries ago? Do you really deny yourselves the pleasure of mastering a tune (a pleasure, incidentally, that your generation is perhaps the first in the history of mankind to forgo) because you’re afraid it might make you look as if you don’t know who Harold Bloom is? Wow. I bet you’re fun at parties.

Guess who's at home today...

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Fri Feb 06, 2004 3:09 pm

I got it for Xmas but haven't read it yet. It is called 31 Songs over here, and I think the the accomanying CD is available on its own.

costellopunk · Post by **costellopunk** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 11:45 am

i have read and reread songbook (along with all hornby's other books), and i was amazed at how well it worked on so many different levels. i originally thought the book was going to be a bunch of anecdotes set to music and some of it was but what i didn't expect was the commentary and tangets that made the book something very special. and as always hornby is insanely clever(i love the bob dylan chapter) and some bits (especially the bits about his autistc son and his divorce) are very moving. oh and plenty of ec references.

speaking of insanely clever i just finished reading the complete hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy(all five books in one volume). fans of this book should check out good omens by neil gaiman and terry pratchet

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:21 pm

costellopunk wrote: some bits (especially the bits about his autistc son and his divorce) are very moving.

I agree, CPunk (so nice to see you back, btw!). He did a really nice interview on NPR about the book. The sort of thing Terry Gross would do though I don't think it was her, actually... shouldn't be too hard to find in their archive.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Sat Feb 07, 2004 6:24 pm

Well, whaddya know it was actually a local show-- here ya go:

http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003 ... b_main.asp

We are blessed with good public radio and television stations here in Boston, it must be said.

Post by **BlueChair** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:40 pm

I just read an excellent play by Brian Frield entitled Translations.

It's set in 1833 in an Irish-speaking community in Donegal and is essentially about what happens when the English army comes in and starts Anglicising Irish city names and trying to communicate with the locals. Very interesting.

pip_52 · Post by **pip_52** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 5:56 pm

I just read Penguin's Portable Sixties Reader with tons of interesting stuff.

I now have a strong urge to listen to Jimi Hendrix, protest something, and take peyote.

Not necessarily in that order . . .

pip_52 · Post by **pip_52** » Sun Feb 22, 2004 1:14 am

Recently picked up Nick Hornby's Songbook and also really dug it, a quick, fun read.

Also just finished Run With the Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader and was really impressed. I like his poetry a lot, but I am also a fan of the beat poets, so I guess its not too surprising. I dont think Ive read any of his stuff before this.

Just started one book called Breaking Open the Head by Daniel Pinchbeck. Mystical yearning run amok, but fascinating, nonetheless.

And another book called The Object Stares Back: On the Nature of Seeing by James Elkins. Its good so far, interesting but in a very academic, textbook sort of way.

Thats all.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 12:59 pm

pip_52 wrote:

I now have a strong urge to listen to Jimi Hendrix, protest something, and take peyote.

um, can I come?

just finishing David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day, which I found at the library and I'm just really surprised by that. You've all probably read it, but damn it's funny. Laugh out loud funny. PJ O'Rourke in his Nat'l Lampoon days funny. Also, just beginning Shakey, which is surprisingly readable and coherent and also has its funny moments. Viva la laughs.