What Are You Reading 2013 - Page 32

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sam!zdat

United States5559 Posts

February 15 2013 18:53 GMT

#621

On February 15 2013 21:48 Syn Harvest wrote:

Show nested quote +

Ive never read Vonnegut. Is it excessively philosophical?

I don't think so, but I have to be honest and say that's not a question which makes a great deal of sense to me so perhaps others can say better

edit: I think this is one of the great american novels and everyone should read it

p4NDemik

United States13896 Posts

February 15 2013 21:45 GMT

#622

Vonnegut is excessively nothing in my opinion. Just the right amount of something.

Cambium

United States16368 Posts

February 16 2013 09:38 GMT

#623

Okay, finally finished reading Fall of Hyperion, and it was really really confusing. At the end, I had no idea what the hell the book was talking about any more. I think I am much more confused now than I was when I finished the first book. Anyone want to discuss the following points?

+ Show Spoiler +

Ok, what is up with this thing? Who built and sent the Shrike, and what are its motives? The book mentioned that the Shrike was either sent by the future humans or the future volatile UI as an attack on the alternate UI. Later, we learned that the Shrike was sent to kill humans (? really don't remember this any more, all the passages with Ummon were confusing to me).

Suppose the Shrike was sent to kill humans, so it was created by the AIs from the future, which is somewhat fitting with its roles in the stories, why did it show Dure what the AIs were doing with humans and crucifixes and send him back to warn the human race against the AIs. Also, the Shrike definitely could have killed Rachel many times over so that she could not become the future human leader, Moneta.

Now, suppose the Shrike was sent by future humans, then why would the humans in the future have a revolution to fight against the army of Shrikes? And what the hell was the Shrike doing putting the crucifix on Dure the first time around.

Then there is the Shrike tree. The Shrike put a bunch of random people on the tree (I'm guessing serving a similar function as the crucifix for the AIs to use the human neurons), in attempt to bait the future human UI with 'empathy', but no one came forward except Lamia but she's not really the one.

Then there is freaking Shrike church. What the hell was that? They knew about Lamia and her child, and sent her on the pilgrimage to destroy the Shrike? I still don't understand what they knew to pick the pilgrims in the first place. In fact, the entire pilgrim plot was largely unexplained: the seven pilgrims, one allowed to live, no-man's land, etc, etc. The whole purpose of the church was also never clear, what was their ultimate goal?

And Het Masteen, who went on the pilgrimage for the sole purpose of ergging the Shrike Tree, then either he or the Shrike (don't remember which) said 'fuck it' the last minute and he died?

And then there was the whole scene in the first book where Kassad, Moneta and the Shrike fought side-by-side against the 'ousters' which I now begin to think might be cybrids, not sure what the purpose of that was. In fact, Kassad's entire character seemed really contrived and unnecessary, other than the introduction of Moneta.

I'll stop typing now...

lungic

Sweden123 Posts

February 16 2013 10:18 GMT

#624

Cambium, you'll have most answers in the fourth book, and many of them are impossible to guess at this point, or at least very
hard to guess. But to get to them, you'll have to read the whole digression that is the third book in the series.

DauBo

United States20 Posts

February 16 2013 10:25 GMT

#625

The Cold Hard Truth About Men, Women and Money by Kevin O'Learly is pretty interesting so far. It teaches you how to invest and not to spend, pretty neat and a good way to look at how your money is being managed.

jbTensai

Germany26 Posts

February 16 2013 13:38 GMT

#626

On January 15 2013 22:19 elt wrote:

Next:
Still not quite sure.. Probably
[image loading]

very good book if you enjoy abercrombies style
recently finished it and wasnt expecting anything near as good as his first law trilogy but was a pretty fun read

sam!zdat

United States5559 Posts

February 16 2013 20:22 GMT

#627

well, this'll be interesting

[image loading]

dmnum

Brazil6910 Posts

February 16 2013 21:10 GMT

#628

Ok, so I finished "The Castle" by Franz Kafka about an hour ago. This book is going to haunt me for life, I enjoyed it a lot more than "The Trial"(Which is also very good), but since it was never finished I'll always wonder what Kafka would write between the 25th chapter and the end.

Also finished "Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas", by Machado de Assis. I re-read it every other year.

Now I'm going to re-read "The Old Man and the Sea", by Ernest Hemingway. After that I'll probably read some mystery novels. I'm leaning towards Raymond Chandler. Has anyone read it? If yes, is it good?

sam!zdat

United States5559 Posts

February 16 2013 21:49 GMT

#629

I've read a few Chandler stories, it's pretty cool, I should get back to it. It's not exactly lyrical however. But he's a big influence on Gibson so I suppose I should read more of him.

WhatsInAName

United States49 Posts

February 16 2013 21:51 GMT

#630

McLuhan and Joyce

Syn Harvest

United States191 Posts

February 16 2013 22:10 GMT

#631

On February 17 2013 06:49 sam!zdat wrote:
I've read a few Chandler stories, it's pretty cool, I should get back to it. It's not exactly lyrical however. But he's a big influence on Gibson so I suppose I should read more of him.

My girlfriend loves Raymond Chandler she says The Long Goodbye and The Little Sister are fantastic. I have still yet to read them myself though. Never really got into mystery crime novel stuff.

Harvey18

Netherlands165 Posts

February 17 2013 01:05 GMT

#632

I am currently rereading IT by stephen king and I am kinda looking for stuff thats like it, not other stephen king novels because I'm already planning on reading them

Bwaaaa

Australia969 Posts

February 17 2013 03:23 GMT

#633

I am reading the masters of Rome series by Collen McCullough. I am on the last book and I am kind of burning out of the books(understandable because I think I have read 2.5k to 3k pages so far) but they have been very enjoyable. They are a decent read if you want a decently historically accurate summary of the history of Rome from Gaius Marius to Julius Caesar. I don't think I will read her book about what happens after Caesar's death(I don't think this could ever count as a spoiler right?) but I had similar sentiments about not wanting to read the current book 'The October Horse' so I might get hooked again.

Edit: I should say that if you have neglected your Roman history and you do not have the patience to slog through history books I heavily recommend this series.

frogrubdown

1266 Posts

February 17 2013 04:01 GMT

#634

On February 17 2013 05:22 sam!zdat wrote:
well, this'll be interesting

[image loading]

You could always just fill in this Latour template on your own and save some time:

1. Scientists (either in general or a specific scientist) have always believed [obviously false nonsensical exaggeration] (citation needed).
2. [Indecipherable rhetoric and an argument with no clear force]
3. Therefore, [goofy metaphysical conclusion that far outstrips the denial of obviously false nonsensical exaggeration]

sam!zdat

United States5559 Posts

February 17 2013 04:08 GMT

#635

I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit so far froggy

He's taken some pains to point out that he is not a constructivist or a relativist. Too bad his fans didn't read that part.

edit: but I like your template. I'll forward it to my reading group :D

frogrubdown

1266 Posts

February 17 2013 04:43 GMT

#636

On February 17 2013 13:08 sam!zdat wrote:
I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit so far froggy

He's taken some pains to point out that he is not a constructivist or a relativist. Too bad his fans didn't read that part.

edit: but I like your template. I'll forward it to my reading group :D

You can't blame those readings entirely on misguided fans. If Latour really wanted to minimize the risk of being so construed he'd have thousands of edits to make.

Why does he have to be so damn coy all the time? Why is he almost always speaking through someone else rather than giving his own views? (Here, "someone else" is generally not a specific person but a group or movement that he has defined without actually showing that any individuals fit that definition). He has next to no interest in being clearly understood.

aZealot

New Zealand5447 Posts

February 17 2013 04:55 GMT

#637

Hasn't that been a long time trend in continental philosophy and sociology? Incomprehensibility masks the paucity of argument. Anyway, back OT, I've completed Clarissa Oakes by Patrick O'Brian (a fantastic re-reading), am wrapping up We (which has not been as good as I expected, and lost some of its lustre about halfway through), and am a third of the way through O'Brian's Wine Dark Sea. After this book, I shall be leaving Aubrey and Maturin for a little while.

Based on some of the recommendations here I shall be reading Kafka's The Trial. I shall also begin reading some Hayek. Can anyone recommend a good Hayek book to start with? I have only read The Road to Serfdom (a few years ago now at University), and his seminal article on "The Uses of Knowledge in Society". Any suggestions?

sam!zdat

United States5559 Posts

February 17 2013 05:02 GMT

#638

I recommend starting with this excellent book by Hayek:

http://www.amazon.com/Capital-Critique-Political-Economy-Classics/dp/0140445684

@froggy, yeah, I feel you man. Luckily, I have a +5 ticonderoga pencil of obscurantism piercing

Cambium

United States16368 Posts

February 17 2013 07:04 GMT

#639

On February 16 2013 19:18 lungic wrote:
Cambium, you'll have most answers in the fourth book, and many of them are impossible to guess at this point, or at least very
hard to guess. But to get to them, you'll have to read the whole digression that is the third book in the series.

I heard Endymion and Rise of Endymion aren't nearly as good the Hyperion books, so I think I'm going to pass. I read the summaries of the other books, and the stories didn't seem too interesting. I'm glad the first two books covered most of the stories with regards to the AIs, Hegemony and Ousters.

On February 17 2013 12:23 Bwaaaa wrote:
I am reading the masters of Rome series by Collen McCullough. I am on the last book and I am kind of burning out of the books(understandable because I think I have read 2.5k to 3k pages so far) but they have been very enjoyable. They are a decent read if you want a decently historically accurate summary of the history of Rome from Gaius Marius to Julius Caesar. I don't think I will read her book about what happens after Caesar's death(I don't think this could ever count as a spoiler right?) but I had similar sentiments about not wanting to read the current book 'The October Horse' so I might get hooked again.

Edit: I should say that if you have neglected your Roman history and you do not have the patience to slog through history books I heavily recommend this series.

Thanks, I just might start this series. I've heard good things.

Cambium

United States16368 Posts

February 17 2013 07:21 GMT

#640

On February 04 2013 00:27 Cambium wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +

On January 25 2013 01:12 Cambium wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +

On January 15 2013 20:00 Cambium wrote:
+ Show Spoiler +

Gave up on:
Destiny of the Republic

Another exceedingly dry book, I really don't know why I even started reading it.

Reamde

I read over 60% of this book, and finally decided to give it up as well. I've really enjoyed Stephenson's previous works like Snow Crash, and to a lesser extent, The Diamond Ages. This book is excruciatingly long at over 1000 pages, and there were just passages after passages about irrelevant events that neither add anything to character development nor drive the plot forward. As a native speaker of Mandarin Chinese, I found the random Chinese phrases and names (loads of those) in the book as gimmicky nuisances, as they served no purposes other than to appeal to the 'nerdy' crowd who'd perchance find random Chinese phrases fascinating and chic.

The story itself was decent, but the book was just too long and uninteresting for the most part.

Reading:
Mao's Great Famine

So far so good, I've always had a keen interest in North Korean and Chinese histories.

Next
The Fault in our Stars

Just finished:
Mao's Great Famine

This was initially really interesting, but then it read too much like a history/fact book than a novel. The author only had a handful of sources and stories, and he kept on re-using these same examples to proof different points under different section of the book. I did learn a lot about modern Chinese history, of a period I've only heard stories of. While this book only offered one opinion, it did broaden my perspective, and made me realize how lucky I -- nay, China as a whole -- was that China did not turn out to be like North Korea.

While I was reading this book, I read a ton of wikipedia articles on the same topic, which interestingly frequently cited this book.

Strongly recommended for those who wish to learn more about 'the Great Leap Forward'.

Reading:
Hyperion

The Mao book was too dark, need something that pull me away from reality for a while... I might finish the entire series if the this one proves to be captivating enough.

Next
The Fault in our Stars

Just Read:
Hyperion

Okay, that was a great read. There were a lot of times when I couldn't put the book down until I had finished the whole chapter (and those are long, since there are only six of them).

I enjoyed the different writing styles, but, at times, the style would seem really contrived, and obviously not something the author is used to write.

Some of the stories were a lot better than the others, but overall, it was a very pleasant read.

Reading

Okay, the first book was great, except it leaves you with the biggest cliffhanger ever...

Next
The Fault in our Stars

Just Read
The Fall of Hyperion

This was a slight let down from the first book, albeit still a very pleasant read. I read the last 1/3 of the book in one sitting because I was dying to find out what happened to the characters and the fate of their world.

The Hyperion series was not an easy read. The write style was often times overly descriptive, but ultimately, the overarching plots were very complex, and often times, thought-provoking. What I didn't like about the second book in particular, was that, Simmons would, in certain chapters, state his ideals and philosophies point-blank through his characters, rather than leaving them for my interpretation through the stories themselves.

In any case, these were great books with lots of mind-fucks and inconsistencies, well worth a read.

Reading
Nothing to Envy