Books

[Pedrito]

Dune: I've read the first 5 and the 6th is om the shelf. Just too bloody hot for reading where I am but intending to finish it. Conceptually they're amazing. Yes, sometimes the actual writing can be a bit of a letdown. But overall very much worth reading beyond the first book. The end of the first book is so, almost typical, once you move on and begin deconstructing it, well it kills the magic and adds to it also. Huge references to Nietzsche, Campbell, Jung, Freud, Christ, Buddha, Islam, psychology, religion, society, ecology, all sorts of cool and interesting shit that it can lead you down roads I, for one, never believed sci fi could lead me. I will definitely read them again some day. What I've read so far had a huge effect on me.

[Emphyrio]

Did he do the first 6 himself? I'm not surprised someone couldn't imitate the style properly, there's some really great mental flexing going on there in places. Some of the passages are utterly brilliant and very thought-provoking

arakis is where we live btw

Yeah I copped it was analogous very early in the book

Ya, he died before he finished the series but his son used outlines and had discussions about the direction. It's very deep alright but the son's ones are much lighter, for good or ill....

Fuck it, if I get the first 6 in to me, I won't be able to resist going on I always want to know what happens next.

Actually in general if I like a book, it always kills me to get to the end. I always think, but where did it end up after that fuck sake. When they go off into the sunset I want to know what is going on in the sunset. Even ones with a proper final ending I want to know what happened next in that universe even if the protagonists are well finished off.

it's always the first half of a book that's the best, it seems almost impossible to make an ending match the concepts and small implications of a narrative when it's just starting out.

what do you think will happen to Emphyrio when he discovers basically ALL books and films and music are partly distractions, partly a means for reflection, and partly ways of telling you where you live? there's almost no way in which anything couldn't be allegorical really.

Fortunately I'm in the Goldilocks zone where I neither seek to understand more than my lot or worry about not knowing enough about it.  Find joy where you can, it is there to be found.

[astfgyl]

Dune: I've read the first 5 and the 6th is om the shelf. Just too bloody hot for reading where I am but intending to finish it. Conceptually they're amazing. Yes, sometimes the actual writing can be a bit of a letdown. But overall very much worth reading beyond the first book. The end of the first book is so, almost typical, once you move on and begin deconstructing it, well it kills the magic and adds to it also. Huge references to Nietzsche, Campbell, Jung, Freud, Christ, Buddha, Islam, psychology, religion, society, ecology, all sorts of cool and interesting shit that it can lead you down roads I, for one, never believed sci fi could lead me. I will definitely read them again some day. What I've read so far had a huge effect on me.

Do you find it's a letdown at times because it's so convoluted? Like I had to read certain parts of the first book 2 or 3 times before I got the hang of it. I'm only on book 3 at the minute but I'm flying through it now

[Pedrito]

Hmmm maybe I didn't choose my words well. The story doesn't hop off the page the further you read, I suppose, but it's definitely worth sticking with. The first three are very cool. God Emperor is a very different read altogether. Slower and really getting into the 'why' of things. It's really good, but very different. I enjoyed the 5th too. I'd honestly say just keep going if you're enjoying so far.

[mugz]

Dune: I've read the first 5 and the 6th is om the shelf. Just too bloody hot for reading where I am but intending to finish it. Conceptually they're amazing. Yes, sometimes the actual writing can be a bit of a letdown. But overall very much worth reading beyond the first book. The end of the first book is so, almost typical, once you move on and begin deconstructing it, well it kills the magic and adds to it also. Huge references to Nietzsche, Campbell, Jung, Freud, Christ, Buddha, Islam, psychology, religion, society, ecology, all sorts of cool and interesting shit that it can lead you down roads I, for one, never believed sci fi could lead me. I will definitely read them again some day. What I've read so far had a huge effect on me.

Do you find it's a letdown at times because it's so convoluted? Like I had to read certain parts of the first book 2 or 3 times before I got the hang of it. I'm only on book 3 at the minute but I'm flying through it now

it's toss up whether it's better that stuff is written in the language style of the story itself, or in conventional English, telling that story from afar.

[StrangersWithGuns]

I'm reading Andy Lee's autobiography "Fighter". Very good book.
I've also ordered "Last Exit to Brooklyn". Read this years ago, great book but it literally fell apart in my hands.

I still reckon the Teddy Atlas autobiography is the best boxing related book I read. Read duran's and a few others. Lee always struck me as boring.

Finally after all this years of knowing and hearing about it got around to reading "Junkie" by William Burroughs. Really liked it. On to Naked Lunch now, hasn't caught me in the same way yet.

Re-read Al Jourgensen's book again. How that man is still alive. I'd love Gibby Haynes to write an autobiography or Leary. But I think they have all really left that in the past.

[StoutAndAle]

I still reckon the Teddy Atlas autobiography is the best boxing related book I read. Read duran's and a few others. Lee always struck me as boring.

Have you read Norman Mailer's "The Fight"? about The Rumble In The Jungle? Or "... Sting Like A Bee" by José Torres?

If you like books about boxing both of those are worth your time.

And also "Dark Trade" by Donald McRae. I would highly recommend this book.


Currently reading Mark Lanegan's memoir - "Sing Backwards & Weep" - it's good so far and fairly warts & all.

[Don Gately]

Well compared to Burroughs, Leary, Jorgensen et al, Lee is pretty straight laced!
Dark Trade is great as is Hugh McIlvanney on Boxing. The David Remnick book on Ali is excellent.

[Pedrito]

Mike Tyson autobiography well worth a read. A truly mental childhood and life

[astfgyl]

Read that Tyson one, it was indeed mental stuff

[astfgyl]

Re-read The Essential Kafka over the last couple of days.

I enjoyed it a lot more on the second read. I think my favourite out of it is The Trial, but all of the stories are very bad-dream-like. The ambiguity of it all made the re-reading very enjoyable anyway.

[Eoin McLove]

Ploughing through The Count of Monty Cristo and loving it. Going to begin Carmilla by J Sheridan la Fanu as my lunch time read tomorrow. When that gothic stuff is well done it's the business.

[Pedrito]

Re-read The Essential Kafka over the last couple of days.

I enjoyed it a lot more on the second read. I think my favourite out of it is The Trial, but all of the stories are very bad-dream-like. The ambiguity of it all made the re-reading very enjoyable anyway.

I'd be lying if I didn't say I found it a slog, and it was a small book. Of course it was probably groundbreaking in its time.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I honestly think it's supposed to be a slog. A powerful work; the ending floors me by its bleakness every time I read it. The Metamorphosis and other short stories is a more "enjoyable" read.

Being considered one of the classic existentialist authors, tis quite funny there's a collection of his works called the "essential" Kafka.

[Pedrito]

Yes it is is meant to be a slog..good point. And in that regard it works very well. You're kinda worn out by the end of it.