Books

[Thorn]

Reading Moby Dick for the first time, wasn't prepared for pondering the possibility of death by drowning in sperm at the bottom of the ocean.

[kiehozero]

Reading Moby Dick for the first time, wasn't prepared for pondering the possibility of death by drowning in sperm at the bottom of the ocean.

That is some read, I've seen people make decent arguments for the inclusion of all those chapters on whale biology and migration patterns, but they still feel utterly superfluous to me. Not read it in a few years so let me know how you go.

[Thorn]

I don't mind those chapters at all, just means suspending the narrative to get a little education into ya but I am wondering about the accuracy concerning whale biology given when it was written or has this part of it been updated at all.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I think the unbreachable gap between knowledge and experience is at least part of it. They're a bit of a slog sometimes while reading, but once I'd finished it I didn't regret their inclusion.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I don't mind those chapters at all, just means suspending the narrative to get a little education into ya but I am wondering about the accuracy concerning whale biology given when it was written or has this part of it been updated at all.

The idea isn't to be accurate, since he insists on calling them fish rather than whales with a rather lengthy totally unscientific explanation. So, no, they haven't been updated

[Thorn]

They certainly succeed in portraying the whale as a truly awe inspiring creature rather than it just all being about the hunt so ,no,I wouldn't leave them out either. Not sure that he doesn't differentiate between the two species so much, a number of references to the difference in respiratory systems come to mind.

[Eoin McLove]

I've never read it but I'll have to pick it up.  I've a mountain of books to get through first though.  Currently working on Great Expectations (brilliant), Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins (fascinating) and Apeirogon, A Novel by Colum McCann (undecided- 200+ pages in and it's finally,  FINALLY, becoming engaging). I have The Tower and The Square by Niall Ferguson sitting there eyeballing me and I'm dying to get stuck in so that'll be next up.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

[blessed1]

Starting to reread The Stand. Seems the right time, what with the current plague panic.

That book is brilliant. Even though its really long it doesn't feel like it.
Im reading under the dome by him now.
Seems good so far. 300 pages in.

[Caomhaoin]

Niall Ferguson the historian, Andy? I've read a few of his, including 'War of the world' which was immense but the topic was just too enormous to cover in one (huge, granted) book.

Took about 150 pages but Dune is motoring now. I reread train spotting in two sittings in the meantime. Such a comforting laugh of a book. Ace.

[Don Gately]

That's about 20 years old isn't it? Just wondering if it's the one I've read, if so it was enjoyable.

Yes by Richard Preston. Very good read. 

[Pedrito]

Anyone read No Country For Old Men? Is it still worth reading even if the film is imprinted on my mind?

Reading The Crossing at the moment..Christ what a writer!

[Eoin McLove]

No Country for Old Men is incredible. I saw the film twice before reading it and loved the film, too. The book was still completely enjoyable, surprising and satisfying. One of McCarthy's best books, I think. I must reread it at some stage.

[Carnage]

I read it before seeing the film, enjoyed it immensely - despite the lack of proper punctuation.

[Pedrito]

Cheers chaps, that'll be next so.

[Pedrito]

Just throwing this up again. A Yale Course on Modern American Literature since 1945 completely recorded and free on Youtube. The lecturer covers Roth, Kerouac, Salinger, McCarthy, Nabokov, Pynchon among others. I've watched quite a bit of it, really excellent stuff. This is the Blood Meridian lecture:

https://youtu.be/FgyZ4ia25gg

If you go to the Open Yale Courses website they have full series of lectures on literally everything you could ever wish to learn. An amazing resource really.