Books

[CorkonianHunger]

Got a load of books in Chapters a few weeks ago for next to nothing in a closing down sale and got a copy of Heart of Darkness as well.

Is this the cover? https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S_-fW0aumw0/WlecI1HKLCI/AAAAAAAAHrM/paK8KjjyVhULjCcVmM95NqbumacDBaFPQCLcBGAs/s640/HeartofDarkness01.jpg

No, but had the choice between two, a more minimal similar one and this one, a more tongue in cheek pulp style. Half the price and cooler imo.

[open face surgery]

Ah, so that's where they got the name from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJajFENTXTk

[Eoin McLove]

Horsing through Baracuda by Christos Tsiolkas for a second time at the moment. I really enjoyed it when I read it a few years ago and I'm enjoying it as much this time around, although most of the story has gone out of my head at this stage. I know what it's building to which has me on edge... it ain't pretty.

[Caomhaoin]

About half way through 'A Clergyman's Daughter' as part of my Christmas Orwell binge. Does any fucker describe rural scenery better than him? Possibly an early form of and the inspiration for what we today call 'poverty porn'

[Caomhaoin]

Finished book four of the Christmas Orwell-athon, 'Keep the Apidistra Flying'. Magnificent novel! Very uncomfortable reading in parts and a 'maddening' protagonist but it's so real and visceral is it's portrayal of poverty, a poverty just a fanny hair above destitution.

I was surprised to read that the author was ashamed of it and it was written purely for cash.

Reread 'The Road to Wigan Pier' during this week too which is a tremendous read, of course . I'm going to ruin a book Chris probably cherishes by adding that it's one of Dr Peterson's most cherished too

[Eoin McLove]

I'm burning through 'Nosferatu The Vampyre' by Paul Monette. It's based on the screenplay for Werner Herzog's film (which incidentally inspired 'Stop the Black Coffins' by WOTH) and it's really good. It's one I picked up some time ago second hand for half of nothing and had forgotten about so I'm glad I found it again. The writing is great and the sense of dread comes across brilliantly. Not bad for €4 

[Thorn]

I finished The Hunchback of Notredame a while back, absolutely brilliant stuff apart from one section early on which gets bogged down in the architecture of Paris. The cheapness of human life in medieval times never fails to make an impression. Great story.

[Caomhaoin]

Got a copy of the complete works of Marx and Engels for 2 quid the other day, including Lenin's mini biography of both. I'm reading Engels one about the origin of state, family etc. It's as dated as you'd expect it to be, and some of the historical 'facts' in the opening bit are dubious at best, but he's a readable auld bastard all the same.

Got a Henning Mankell novel in French too, because he's easy reading in English and therefore logic dictates that I won't tear it to shreds in frustration like I've been close to doing with a couple of others I bought, arrogantly, which are way above my level.

[Eoin McLove]

I finished The Hunchback of Notredame a while back, absolutely brilliant stuff apart from one section early on which gets bogged down in the architecture of Paris. The cheapness of human life in medieval times never fails to make an impression. Great story.

Must give that a go.

[Eoin McLove]

I picked up Moby Dick today so when I finish up Nosferatu I'll bate into it and try not to get myself too triggered by the racist, patriarchal, misogynist, whale-ist tone of writing 

[Blackout]

That's hilarious because lot of the feminists you see around have a fair amount of blubber.

[Born of Fire]

I'm burning through 'Nosferatu The Vampyre' by Paul Monette. It's based on the screenplay for Werner Herzog's film (which incidentally inspired 'Stop the Black Coffins' by WOTH) and it's really good. It's one I picked up some time ago second hand for half of nothing and had forgotten about so I'm glad I found it again. The writing is great and the sense of dread comes across brilliantly. Not bad for €4 

Have you read Bram Stoker's Dracula? I've only seen the film which is a chaotic mess but I'd love to get more into the Dracula lore, (closest I've read so far is a biography of Vlad Dracul), but all I've seen online is massively conflicting reports over whether Dracula or Nosferatu nails the creepy atmosphere better.

[Eoin McLove]

Bram Stoker's Dracula is both brilliant and irritating. It is written as a sequence of letters going back and forth between Jonathan and Mina and often gets bogged down in sentimental waffle. That said, the horror sequences are second to none. Nosferatu strips away much of the padding and goes for the throat (ah yeah), and is beautifully written and highly evocative. But the Dracula character in Dracula is so inhuman he makes your blood curdle. Read both,  that's my advice. The stories are similar but far from identical with very different outcomes.

Ps. Carmilla is worth a look too. Not as good as Dracula, but historically interesting in that it pre- dates it and is still good in its own right as well.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

That's hilarious because lot of the feminists you see around have a fair amount of blubber.

Excellent contribution. You should think about writing a book yourself.

[Caomhaoin]

The better looking ones tend not to be too feminist though (with the exception of some idiots in show business). Can't be denied