Paid Members Carbomb Posted June 28, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 28, 2016 On the flip side of that I'm also reading Mark Z.Danielewskis 'The Familiar'. Which has me fucking stumped. I bought 'House of Leaves' by him about a year ago and I can't bring myself to read it as it looks like it would frazzle my brain even though I've heard that it's amazing. I'm still trying to get through "Only Revolutions". It's great stuff, but it needs a lot of concentration just to keep track of both story threads, their similarity, and the news ticker down the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) I'm onto Nineteen Eighty Four at the moment, which so far in very interesting. You'll love it. It genuinely is one of the best ever works of fiction (IT'S NOT FICTION!!! THE ILLUMINATI!!) ever as far as I am concerned. Now I'm not working 12/14 hours every day, I'm able to devote stupid amounts of my life to reading again. Chugging through The Scramble For Africa by Thomas Pakenham, wonderfully written and authoritative account of the European rush to colonise Africa from about 1870. Also reading two books on the history of Poland and another on wider Balkan political history. Also dipping into a really interesting account of the Chechen Wars of the late 90's-early 2000's by Anna Politkoskaya. She was a superb Russian journalist, highly critical to regime and was later assassinated, probably under the auspices of Kaydrov (leader of Chechnya). It's absolutely harrowing some of the things she writes about. Edited June 29, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.E Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm onto Nineteen Eighty Four at the moment, which so far in very interesting. You'll love it. It genuinely is one of the best ever works of fiction (IT'S NOT FICTION!!! THE ILLUMINATI!!) ever as far as I am concerned. I'm enjoying it very much at the moment, mainly just little hings about the way he thinks about things, basically like we all about how some things aren't right and so forth, and how we're all kept busy with little problems whilst bigger things happen etc. I can see how its been the big go-to book when people relate to the modern world. I've not read any of his other books either, so I'll get a few more once this done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted June 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted June 29, 2016 I read 1984 for the first time a few months back, think I mentioned it in this thread. I have since read a few more of his books and they are all great. A tremendous writer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) Animal Farm was always my favourite. I read it for the first time when I started to get really into Russian/Eastern European history and politics and it really is just the most wonderful allegory for Communist leadership. What other ones of his have you read, Chest? Edited June 29, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted June 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted June 29, 2016 I read Animal Farm, and then I read Burmese Days. I was in Myanmar at the time when I read the latter, so that was nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.E Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 A friend of mine has recommended "The Road to Wigan Pier", although has said its worth reading, but no buying. Has read this one at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Houchen Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm reading, or am about to start, What Curse by Bobby Johnson. It's a diary type book about the 2004 Boston Red Sox and their World Series winning season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Astro Hollywood Posted June 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted June 29, 2016 I waited years and years to read House of Leaves — sounded right up my alley. Wasn't. Load of tosh. I absolutely love it. It's just the right side of being wanky for the sake of it, but the elaborate layout does contribute to the central labyrinth story and general schizophrenia. Not to everyone's taste for sure. House of Leaves is probably my favourite ever book, but you do kinda have to be 'all in' for it to work, and I can see why people might not be into it. Like many people, I loved the house-based stuff way more than the Johnny Truant sections, so skipped the Truant chapters on a second read, but oddly, it didn't work half as well without. Weird. But it's the only book to ever genuinely creep me out, which is always my favourite reaction to art. Laughter, tears, jump scares; they all go ten minutes after you're done, but that feeling of being unclean, and things lurking in the shadows, or behind your back, that sticks around for days. Did with House of Leaves, anyway. "Which is exactly when Karen screams." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Tommy! Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) I'm about 3 chapters from the conclusion of 1984, and it has been absolutely outstanding. I'm thinking of trying American psycho after. How close is the film to the book, as it's one of my favourite films. Edited June 29, 2016 by Tommy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm about 3 chapters from the conclusion of 1984, and it has been absolutely outstanding. I'm thinking of trying American psycho after. How close is the film to the book, as it's one of my favourite films. Much more graphic, much more grim. I found it a bit too much for me. It was as close to a snuff film as I have seen in a book. I'm a bit of a blouse when it comes to stuff like that though and I have friends who loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted June 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted June 29, 2016 I thought the book was great. They did a good job of capturing the character really well in the film, but the book delves a lot deeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Tommy! Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 Does it keep the underlying suggestions he's the good guy thrust into a world of commercialism he's not really sociopathic enough for and so escapes to a fantasy world, or was that a film only deal? I'll be honest, I don't want graphic violence for the sake of it, but I doubt I'd find it uncomfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted June 29, 2016 Paid Members Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) I don't know about good guy, but there is definitely still a duplicity to the character in spite of his actions. I think you end up connecting, whether you want to or not, to a certain extent due to it being first person. The feeling that everything is somehow superficial very much comes across. I personally did find some of the violence a bit gratuitous. But, I'm genuinely crap with stuff like that and no one else I know had this issue, so I definitely give it a read. It is a very good book. Edited June 29, 2016 by Gus Mears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Astro Hollywood Posted June 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted June 29, 2016 I'm reading American Psycho right now, as it happens. About halfway through. It's one of my favourite films (I am a cliche), but it took me a while getting around to it, as Bret Easton Ellis has exposed himself as the worst type of show-off sixth-former Ironic Review manbaby in recent years ("That thing you think I'd like? Actually, I hate it. And that other thing you'd expect me to hate is actually my favourite thing ever. Also, cum and piss."). I'm finding it great. The common complaint, that it's just reams and reams of lists of clothes or restaurants, really works in terms of putting you inside Bateman's head, and his spiraling madness, especially when you're eventually getting to the point when it's another long list of clothes and interchangable dinner dates, but there'll suddenly be a line casually slipped in the middle about some terrible act he's committed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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