A Watcher's Reading Club. Any interest?
Moderators: Orlion, Dragonlily
I'm open for anything. I had in the past interest reading Brothers Karamazov or Slaughterhouse Five. But I know those have been widely available or possibly read to death by all of you - so nothing stuck in stone.
Not every person is going to understand you and that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it.
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Brothers Karamazov has been on my radar for a while.
Slaughterhouse 5 sounds, well, a bit........slaughterhousey!
Yes - the time taken on a book will perforce be determined by it's length. No worries there.
I've not read any Goethe so I come to 'Werther' pretty much blind except for the subject of unrequited love. Guessing that could get pretty heavy by its very nature. Can I change and second my vote in support of Karamazov?
(If you've read this Av, or spot something on PG that strikes your fancy, I still think a draw might be fun. I like the idea of giving 'fate and fortune' their say in the process! )
Slaughterhouse 5 sounds, well, a bit........slaughterhousey!
Yes - the time taken on a book will perforce be determined by it's length. No worries there.
I've not read any Goethe so I come to 'Werther' pretty much blind except for the subject of unrequited love. Guessing that could get pretty heavy by its very nature. Can I change and second my vote in support of Karamazov?
(If you've read this Av, or spot something on PG that strikes your fancy, I still think a draw might be fun. I like the idea of giving 'fate and fortune' their say in the process! )
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
Illume brought this 'reading club' discussion to my attention!
I've become the world's slowest reader and I have a LOT of reading to get through for my theology studies. I also run a book club and read for that. And also I like to read some things for fun or curiosity. So adding further reading isn't something I could commit to, unless the readings are short!
I've become the world's slowest reader and I have a LOT of reading to get through for my theology studies. I also run a book club and read for that. And also I like to read some things for fun or curiosity. So adding further reading isn't something I could commit to, unless the readings are short!
Thanks for correcting me Menolly. My apologies!
Regarding reading, I've begun my second read of "Seventh Decimate" and I hope to read all three Great God's War books over the (Australian) summer. I haven't read "War within" or "the Killing God" before, so my reading may be slow going. Reading SRD to me is like sipping a good Scotch, not like downing beer after beer. It's a plan.
Regarding reading, I've begun my second read of "Seventh Decimate" and I hope to read all three Great God's War books over the (Australian) summer. I haven't read "War within" or "the Killing God" before, so my reading may be slow going. Reading SRD to me is like sipping a good Scotch, not like downing beer after beer. It's a plan.
- Avatar
- Immanentizing The Eschaton
- Posts: 61735
- Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:17 am
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Has thanked: 15 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
Where the hell did you spring from? (Nice to see you around.)
Sorry, been distracted, haven't put much thought into it...
I am drawn more to say, sci-fi or fantasy stories than dour Russian fatalists... PG has collections of both...
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
(I was very pleased to see Pohl's novella "The Tunnel Under The World" which I highly recommend if anybody hasn't read it. Strangely apropos for all it was written nearly 70 years ago...)
--A
Read it many years ago. I'm a fan of Slaughterhouse 5, but obviously also read that.peter wrote:(If you've read this Av, or spot something on PG that strikes your fancy, I still think a draw might be fun. I like the idea of giving 'fate and fortune' their say in the process! )
Sorry, been distracted, haven't put much thought into it...
I am drawn more to say, sci-fi or fantasy stories than dour Russian fatalists... PG has collections of both...
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
(I was very pleased to see Pohl's novella "The Tunnel Under The World" which I highly recommend if anybody hasn't read it. Strangely apropos for all it was written nearly 70 years ago...)
--A
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Read that one as a schoolboy Av - great stuff! Always remember a Pohl and Kornbluth novella "Wolfbane" as one of my favourites - perhaps the book that got me into sci-fi and ultimately led me into fantasy (which to a degree, alas, overtook my interest in the former).
In respect of my reading club suggestion, it was always a bit of a long shot and I'm not sure that the four or so that we have mustered is going to be enough to make it viable.
I'm massively grateful to Sarge, samrw3 and StevieG who agreed to join - and of course to Av who is always to be relied upon when reading is the subject (given his ability to consume books at the rate of about one every ten minutes), but alas I'm thinking that it was a good shot that hasn't quite hit the mark.
Who knows - perhaps our new presented website will pull a few members back and remind them of what a good place this is to be (in comparison with the often - I'm told - toxic environment of Facebook and Twitter) and there will be more traffic for the idea in the future.
But for now, I think we have to put it down as a chicken that won't fight (for the moment at least).
Hey. It is what it is.
In respect of my reading club suggestion, it was always a bit of a long shot and I'm not sure that the four or so that we have mustered is going to be enough to make it viable.
I'm massively grateful to Sarge, samrw3 and StevieG who agreed to join - and of course to Av who is always to be relied upon when reading is the subject (given his ability to consume books at the rate of about one every ten minutes), but alas I'm thinking that it was a good shot that hasn't quite hit the mark.
Who knows - perhaps our new presented website will pull a few members back and remind them of what a good place this is to be (in comparison with the often - I'm told - toxic environment of Facebook and Twitter) and there will be more traffic for the idea in the future.
But for now, I think we have to put it down as a chicken that won't fight (for the moment at least).
Hey. It is what it is.
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Hey Sarge! Hope you're feeling better man!
The Naked Lunch eh?
Got a feeling I saw a film of that one at some point - seemed to involve giant insects crawling around iirc? Odd, to say the least!
The Naked Lunch eh?
Got a feeling I saw a film of that one at some point - seemed to involve giant insects crawling around iirc? Odd, to say the least!
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- Avatar
- Immanentizing The Eschaton
- Posts: 61735
- Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:17 am
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Has thanked: 15 times
- Been thanked: 21 times
That'll be the one. Burroughs, the man who made drugs cool before they were cool.
The film was, if anything, even more disjointed than the book. I also wouldn't be surprised if it had at least influenced Burgess' Clockwork Orange, written a few years later.
On a related and more contemporary note, that is perhaps of interest to you, there is a cult classic game, "Disco Elysium: The Final Cut" (recommended to me by JemCheeta) puts me very much in mind of his writing. It is available on console too, probably fairly inexpensively (and frequently in my experience on sale).
It won a ZA/UM Game award for Best Narrative in 2019, and a BAFTA Game award for Narrative in 2020.
Very weird game.
Also, ah well, we'll keep nominations open in that case. My major worry was that I hate reading on my computer screen. So I would prefer to own the book.
(And I was the other way around...I started with Fantasy (The Hobbit) and then went on to sci-fi. (Probably Isaac Asimov, gifted to me by my Uncle.) And lots of YA sci-fi (and fantasy for that matter) too, much of which I still enjoy.)
But I have no particular preference for one over another. (The GF is only lately come to sci-fi, but prefers so-called "hard sci-fi."
--A
The film was, if anything, even more disjointed than the book. I also wouldn't be surprised if it had at least influenced Burgess' Clockwork Orange, written a few years later.
On a related and more contemporary note, that is perhaps of interest to you, there is a cult classic game, "Disco Elysium: The Final Cut" (recommended to me by JemCheeta) puts me very much in mind of his writing. It is available on console too, probably fairly inexpensively (and frequently in my experience on sale).
It won a ZA/UM Game award for Best Narrative in 2019, and a BAFTA Game award for Narrative in 2020.
Very weird game.
Also, ah well, we'll keep nominations open in that case. My major worry was that I hate reading on my computer screen. So I would prefer to own the book.
(And I was the other way around...I started with Fantasy (The Hobbit) and then went on to sci-fi. (Probably Isaac Asimov, gifted to me by my Uncle.) And lots of YA sci-fi (and fantasy for that matter) too, much of which I still enjoy.)
But I have no particular preference for one over another. (The GF is only lately come to sci-fi, but prefers so-called "hard sci-fi."
--A
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Just been checking out Disco Elysium and I like the look of it.
With a games voucher burning a hole in my pocket, I think you might just have nailed the beast down Av!
Cool!
(Edit: Duly ordered and winging its way toward me as we speak! )
With a games voucher burning a hole in my pocket, I think you might just have nailed the beast down Av!
Cool!
(Edit: Duly ordered and winging its way toward me as we speak! )
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Now in my possession, I'm deliberately not watching any advance clips of game play or anything. I haven't even read the blurb on the back of the case.
I'm coming to this game with only two words of advance knowledge - 'Disco' and 'Elysium'!
I've seen the picture on the box as well.
I'm currently doing the Dragonborn dlc from Skyrim and I'm going to finish this first, but when I do Disco Elysium is going to be next into my consul and I'll give an update then.
I'm coming to this game with only two words of advance knowledge - 'Disco' and 'Elysium'!
I've seen the picture on the box as well.
I'm currently doing the Dragonborn dlc from Skyrim and I'm going to finish this first, but when I do Disco Elysium is going to be next into my consul and I'll give an update then.
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Well, a solution of sorts.
I've just finished reading my first classic of the year, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
I've read the book before and I simply love it. It's a book that takes you and holds you from page one. There is no padding, no wasted prose and never a page where you are not waiting almost baited breath, for what is going to happen next. The construction of the book to a degree gives a clue as to its original publishing in serialised form, but the minimal editorial work necessary to get it into single book form has been done expertly with no deleterious consequences.
It's very interesting that Collins chooses to use two female heroines, two male villains and one male hero. In effect, the two female heroines are mirror images of each other, as are the two male villains. In both cases the characters could almost be put together to make an composite character that would be a more 'real' rendition of a human being, but to lesser effect in the story.
To our modern ears, the story is to a degree 'quaint' in its assumptions about the roles of males and females in society, but just read as a good story it races along at a cracking pace and probably qualifies as the best melodrama ever written.
(Quite what the essential difference between a melodrama and a Gothic novel is eludes me, but I'd have a stab at guessing which is which.)
Of the characters in the book, Count Fosco is probably the standout individual. Pompous and proud to an almost caricatureish level, he nevertheless stands in a class of his own as a villain, and despise him as you will, like the other characters in the novel, you will find yourself swayed by him and almost liking him at the same time as being repelled. As he would say in drawing himself up to his full height and pronouncing in his bass Italian voice, "Fosco! The one word sums it up. No more need be said!"
Now, I love this book. I'd be pleased beyond question if someone had directed me to it before I'd found it for myself.
On this basis, I'm throwing down the challenge. Find me another Woman in White! Don't steal too much of my time by recommending a book that will take two labourers a morning to move into my house. Keep it of reasonable length - but most of all love it!.
It wants to be a classic, modern or old. It wants to be something that you will take pleasure in knowing that someone else is reading and that it is down to you. If you have the candidate for me that you genuinely believe will take me, and do for me what it did for you, then you have my word that (always assuming I can get access to it) I will read it front to back.
Then I'll post what I think of it and perhaps we'll talk.
As for me, I've done my bit. If you pick up a copy of The Woman in White I believe you'll get one of the reading experiences of your life. It takes courage to avail yourself of someone else's valuable time - we all have too little of it - and I wouldn't make this recommendation if I didn't truly believe that you'd thank me for it.
There you have it.
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- peter
- The Gap Into Spam
- Posts: 11564
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:08 am
- Location: Another time. Another place.
- Been thanked: 6 times
Will do Sarge.
(Hope you're fully recovered from your recent poorly spell BTW!)
(Hope you're fully recovered from your recent poorly spell BTW!)
The truth is a Lion and does not need protection. Once free it will look after itself.
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'
We are the Bloodguard
- Wosbald
- A Brainwashed Religious Flunkie
- Posts: 6126
- Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2015 1:35 am
- Been thanked: 2 times
+JMJ+
Somethin' tells me no one is gonna be reading the stuff I'm gonna be reading regardless of what everyone else here is reading. Especially since I'm currently reading Hegel's Science of Logic and I wouldn't punish any of y'all like that, even if any willingly offered themselves for the sacrifice.
I've never been a member of what one might call the Literary Cognoscenti, anyways. I'm just lucky that — considering my relatively small pool of literary experience — there was a fansite for SRD, period.
Somethin' tells me no one is gonna be reading the stuff I'm gonna be reading regardless of what everyone else here is reading. Especially since I'm currently reading Hegel's Science of Logic and I wouldn't punish any of y'all like that, even if any willingly offered themselves for the sacrifice.
I've never been a member of what one might call the Literary Cognoscenti, anyways. I'm just lucky that — considering my relatively small pool of literary experience — there was a fansite for SRD, period.