Books

[Don Gately]

Thinking of getting Lonesome Dove for Xmas anyone read that here?

Also Eoin did you read Eyrie by Tim Winton I seem to remeber you starting it

[Eoin McLove]

Thinking of getting Lonesome Dove for Xmas anyone read that here?

Also Eoin did you read Eyrie by Tim Winton I seem to remeber you starting it

I did. It was good but maybe not quite as gripping as some of his others. But as with all of his stuff it's well worth a look.

[Pentagrimes]

Horsing through Stewart Home's "Fascist Yoga" currently, having just finished the Swiz biography, and dipping in and out of some Ligotti stories. Apparently it takes being out of the country for me to actually have time to read.

[Eoin McLove]

Getting through Annihilation. I've never read anything by Houellebecq and maybe something is getting lost in translation, but it's pretty fucking badly written. Just a mess in many ways. The way he jumps from character to character, the narrating voice uneasily moving between them making the reading a bit unclear. And his style isn't artistic so it stands out as being sloppy rather than being used for effect, or to create a sense of obscurity. Also some of the sentences (again, this might be down to translation issues) are just plain fucking bad.

"He was surprised to see Prudence break away from his grip..."

What? He saw her break away from his grip. Is that how you experience someone letting go of your hand? You observe the action with your disembodied eyeballs, like you are watching a scene on the telly, and your body, your fucking hand,  has no part to play? Just fucking annoyingly thick details like this all over the gaff, pissing in my shit.

[blessed1]

Flying through a second read of Memnoch The Devil by Anne Rice. This book is brilliant. It's like her version of Paradise Lost. A real pity her stuff turned kinda shit after this one.

[ochoill]

Getting through Annihilation. I've never read anything by Houellebecq and maybe something is getting lost in translation, but it's pretty fucking badly written. Just a mess in many ways. The way he jumps from character to character, the narrating voice uneasily moving between them making the reading a bit unclear. And his style isn't artistic so it stands out as being sloppy rather than being used for effect, or to create a sense of obscurity. Also some of the sentences (again, this might be down to translation issues) are just plain fucking bad.

"He was surprised to see Prudence break away from his grip..."

What? He saw her break away from his grip. Is that how you experience someone letting go of your hand? You observe the action with your disembodied eyeballs, like you are watching a scene on the telly, and your body, your fucking hand,  has no part to play? Just fucking annoyingly thick details like this all over the gaff, pissing in my shit.

I saw this in the bookshop at the weekend and thought about picking it up - didn't in the end because when I read the blurb on it, I was certain I background half-watched an adaptation of it while my wife had it on telly a few months back.  Anyway now glad I didn't if that's what it is like.

Picked up Paul Lynch "Prophet Song" instead, a friend told me it was great, but I am still slowly reading All The Pretty Horses (badly, it didn't take to me like all the other McCarthy I have read) so it'll be another week or so before I get into it.

Also ate through more volumes of Frieren over the last few days but I assume that is to be relegated to the very dead comic thread.

[Eoin McLove]

I didn't like All the Pretty Horses either. I don't think I even finished it. Wasn't into Prophet Song for that matter, but I thought Grace and Black Snow were very good. 

[Maggot Colony]

I'm almost finished Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. The prose is excellent as usual but the plot is convoluted as fuck. Looking forward to finishing it so I can start reading something with goblins in it like The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman.

Also reading Money by Martin Amis which is funny and disturbing. It's similar to American Psycho but without all the killing.

[Pentagrimes]

Embarrassed to say as a Waterford man that I didnt know until about 5 years ago that there's a plaque to do with Raymond Chandlers time in the town on the side of a building not far from  the Theatre Royal

[open face surgery]

I'm almost finished Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. The prose is excellent as usual but the plot is convoluted as fuck. Looking forward to finishing it so I can start reading something with goblins in it like The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman.

Also reading Money by Martin Amis which is funny and disturbing. It's similar to American Psycho but without all the killing.

Money is class. Have London Fields here but have yet to fully crack into it.

[Carnage]

Time's Arrow is the only Amis I've read, enjoyed it at the time but can't remember a lot about it now.

[Eoin McLove]

I've only read London Fields by Martin Amis and I didn't like it. I must try another because I know he is held in high regard.

[Don Gately]

Ok Prophet song for me was disappointing certainly not booker winning material.  Black Snow and Red Sky in morning are excellent. I love All the pretty horses, but my favourite McCarthy is Suttree and would recommend it. It was his last book before Blood meridian which is also great but the change in style is noticeable.
Martin Amis is hit and miss, I've read a good few of his bit nothing really stands out . Dead babies is funny but a bit thin.
Im on the last section of. The sound and thf fury,  its tough but very worthwhile.
I read Atomised and another Houllebeq book  i cant remeber was it Lanzarote?, both porn fests
What next?
 

[Eoin McLove]

I have Waiting for the Barbarians by JM Coetzee lined up next. He is an incredible writer so I have high expectations.

[Ollkiller]

Read Racket. Biography of our best ever tennis player Conor Neiland. Shows how the other 99% of tennis players live and it ain't a pretty life. Solid book.
Halfway through The Sisters Brothers. Good black comedy western. Very well written as is bounces along quite easily.