Books

[Don Gately]

Just flew through Serhii Plokhy's book on the Chernobyl disaster. Astonishing that so many scientists and technicians were constantly overruled by people whose only qualification was being a bureaucrat or party member.

.
That's a great read. It was of course terrible but could have been worse had the water table been contaminated.

[blessed1]

Reading the phantom of the opera.
Much better than I thought it would be. Im normally a very slow reader but I'm flying through this.

[Eoin McLove]

I enjoyed Milkman and loved Swann's Way

I returned to, and finished, Milkman. I don't know what to make of it. The story and the insights into "The Troubles" were interesting but her style of writing was a bit of a chore to endure.

[kiehozero]

Just finished Ken O'Sullivan's (of Ireland's Deep Atlantic fame) book, a christmas present from the mother in law who lives in the same town as him (Lahinch, Co. Clare). It's mostly set as an autobiography, but he does give a bit of extra information on the animals and environments he was filming. There's some revealing parts about the pain of getting any cash for new series from RTE and being forced to go to the BBC (I've heard people like Blindboy complain about this as well). Not so fun is the close of the book where he just goes on a bit of a whine about climate change and 'urban lifestyles', whatever that means. I'm the first to agree that emissions should be reduced as far and fast as possible, but there's plenty of environmentalists who are happy to moan about mums doing the school run, while pretending that the flights they take are somehow more essential.

[Eoin McLove]

I bought that book for my oul lad for Christmas.  I might pick another copy up for myself too.

[blessed1]

finished up the phantom of the opera.
what a great book!
i thought it was going to be pure shit but a friend kept recommending it so i gave it a go.
glad i did now, its really quite gothic and dark.
theres some scenes in it that are really vivid and its not overblown or drawn out which is good
loved it!

[blessed1]

finished up the phantom of the opera.
what a great book!
i thought it was going to be pure shit but a friend kept recommending it so i gave it a go.
glad i did now, its really quite gothic and dark.
theres some scenes in it that are really vivid and its not overblown or drawn out which is good.
the graveyard scene is brilliant.
loved it!

[kiehozero]

Halfway through a book about the three Hank Williamses. Senior seems to have been completely exploited while he was alive and then also while he was dead. Junior was given some huge shoes to fill and reminded of it constantly, just up to the part where he basically gives up trying to be his dad.

[StrangersWithGuns]

Just finished "A Happy Death" by Albert Camus. I enjoyed it,  but preferred "The Stranger"  reading a few back to back existential books back to back kinda gives a bit of burn out.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Are you taking the existential piss with that embedded YouTube video in your signature? 

[Don Gately]

Reading a collection of Joy Williams' short stories. To be honest I'm scratching my head a bit here but will persevere for now.

[StrangersWithGuns]

Are you taking the existential piss with that embedded YouTube video in your signature? 

Haha I didn't know it would be that size. I removed it before I read this.

[nukeabuse]

Any Cormac McCarthy fans? Ive been reading a lot of his books the last year or two (The Road, No Country for Old Men & Blood Meridian) and just finished the Border Trilogy last night.

For each book in the trilogy i found it quite hard to get through the first section as it seemed there was a lot less going on than his other books, but how wrong was I. Once you get that flow going its hard to put down and in typical cormac style even the most innocent stories from the start (e.g. farm hand trying to get a girl) turns into something so visceral that you cant stop thinking about. Sat up for an hour unable to sleep last night it affected me so much.

I  thought i wasnt going to enjoy the trilogy as much as his other stuff but honestly its easily on par with any of his better known work.

I did a search to see Cormac had been chatted about before and the only other post was from Pedrito who summed his work up perfectly.

Quote "as with a lot of McCarthy, you're never quite sure if you really like the book until you start to reflect on it. It leaves a kid of imprint on you that lasts for a very long time. One of those where you look at the bookshelf and pause every time you see the name" Quote

[Carnage]

I've read a few of his alright, but yeah, not really sure what to think of him. Blood Meridian was horrible in every way, yet compulsive reading. I hope to christ they never bring it to the big screen. Didn't think much of The Road, though it had its moments. Really enjoyed No Country For Old Men and All The Pretty Horses. I've got another few on the shelf (Suttree, The Crossing, Cities Of The Plain), I'll get to them eventually.

I wish he'd use proper punctuation and quotation marks, though. Fucking annoying trying to read his stuff as it is.

[nukeabuse]

Id mixed feelings on Blood Meridian, half the time i found it hard to keep up with who was who or what was going on, but once i started it i finshed in a few sitting over a week. Open it to any random page and i guarantee it'll have some of the most beautifully brtual phrases you'll come across.

I think its the lack of punctuation etc. is actually what makes them such good reads. They are the worst books to drop in and read a few pages at a time but if you sit down for an hour or two that writing style allows you to get a flow going, which combined with his imagery makes it such compulsive reading.