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On June 20 2013 05:10 farvacola wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:09 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 20 2013 03:31 farvacola wrote:On June 19 2013 23:36 blubbdavid wrote:
Have picked up "The Black Swan" by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, after reading Kahnemann. It's exactly what I need for my life.
But I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone French. Taleb is a total badass, I would highly recommend all of his major books. Can't speak for the Frenchies though, I'd think that many would enjoy him all the same! What's the thing with Taleb and French people ? oO That's the thing, I don't know myself.
Wat
In other news, finished A midsummer's night dream, in a bilingual edition. Absolutely lovely and charming, even though some puns went over my head. Lysander is pretty good.
Now my pile of book is composed of the following :
A Rebours (K-J. Huysmans), The Quest of the Absolute (Balzac), Aurélien (Aragon), Crito (Plato), Nietzsche and Philosophy (Deleuze), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche), Either/Or (Kierkegaard), De Rerum Natura (Lucrece), Annals (Tacitus), History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides). I'm tempted to go for Huysmans in parallel of Plato, but I'm not decided yet.
Will have to finish Lem before though !
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On June 20 2013 05:16 xDaunt wrote:
I just finished reading Heart of Darkness for the first time since I read it in high school over ten years ago. Man, what an awesome piece of literature. I generally was not a fan of what they spoon-fed me in English class, but this was a big exception then, and I appreciate it even more now. The prose is just so beautiful. I don't think that I have ever read anything that is so well-written. Not bad for an author whose native language isn't English.
I've said it in this very thread before, but the last 2 or 3 pages of Heart of Darkness are some of my absolute favorite passages ever written.
Corum, I strongly recommend Either/Or as soon as you can. It is delightful.
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On June 20 2013 05:22 farvacola wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:16 xDaunt wrote:
I just finished reading Heart of Darkness for the first time since I read it in high school over ten years ago. Man, what an awesome piece of literature. I generally was not a fan of what they spoon-fed me in English class, but this was a big exception then, and I appreciate it even more now. The prose is just so beautiful. I don't think that I have ever read anything that is so well-written. Not bad for an author whose native language isn't English. I've said it in this very thread before, but the last 2 or 3 pages of Heart of Darkness are some of my absolute favorite passages ever written.
Agreed, they are "pretty good" 
Edit : especially for something not written in French !
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On June 20 2013 05:21 corumjhaelen wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:10 farvacola wrote:On June 20 2013 05:09 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 20 2013 03:31 farvacola wrote:On June 19 2013 23:36 blubbdavid wrote:
Have picked up "The Black Swan" by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, after reading Kahnemann. It's exactly what I need for my life.
But I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone French. Taleb is a total badass, I would highly recommend all of his major books. Can't speak for the Frenchies though, I'd think that many would enjoy him all the same! What's the thing with Taleb and French people ? oO That's the thing, I don't know myself. Wat In other news, finished A midsummer's night dream, in a bilingual edition. Absolutely lovely and charming, even though some puns went over my head. Lysander is pretty good. Now my pile of book is composed of the following : A Rebours (K-J. Huysmans), The Quest of the Absolute (Balzac), Aurélien (Aragon), Crito (Plato), Nietzsche and Philosophy (Deleuze), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche), Either/Or (Kierkegaard), De Rerum Natura (Lucrece), Annals (Tacitus), History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides). I'm tempted to go for Huysmans in parallel of Plato, but I'm not decided yet. Will have to finish Lem before though !
Read Lem's GOLEM XIV, utterly awesome.
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Reading:
![[image loading]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41YLLbR0RpL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg)
and
![[image loading]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41jrKsL3y2L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg)
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![[image loading]](http://media.moddb.com/images/groups/1/6/5319/9780446697965_388X586.jpg)
Just finished the above. Incredibly enlightening book. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Hitchens, the ideas and arguments he puts forth are both undeniable and fascinating.
Must read.
![[image loading]](http://www.pdxqcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DoesJesusReallyLoveMebookcover.jpg)
Just started this. It's a bit slow so far but it's still interesting. I wasn't sure what exactly the book would be about, but so far it's a collection of stories attempting to reconcile their sexuality and their religion.
I've been on a bit of a religion and philosophy kick lately and these two have been excellent.
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On June 20 2013 05:16 xDaunt wrote:
I just finished reading Heart of Darkness for the first time since I read it in high school over ten years ago. Man, what an awesome piece of literature. I generally was not a fan of what they spoon-fed me in English class, but this was a big exception then, and I appreciate it even more now. The prose is just so beautiful. I don't think that I have ever read anything that is so well-written. Not bad for an author whose native language isn't English.
I dunno, the weird thing about it is that even though its billed as being very anti colonial, its still pretty racist in its descriptions of african people. Not a single african that you meet is intelligent seeming in the slightest, and the reason conrad thinks that europeans should stay out of africa is because they might become tainted by their savagery (e.g. the guy that he goes out there to meet becomes a cannibal and stuff). It was really well written, but I think it gets too much credit for taking a progressive viewpoint.
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On June 20 2013 06:00 packrat386 wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:16 xDaunt wrote:
I just finished reading Heart of Darkness for the first time since I read it in high school over ten years ago. Man, what an awesome piece of literature. I generally was not a fan of what they spoon-fed me in English class, but this was a big exception then, and I appreciate it even more now. The prose is just so beautiful. I don't think that I have ever read anything that is so well-written. Not bad for an author whose native language isn't English. I dunno, the weird thing about it is that even though its billed as being very anti colonial, its still pretty racist in its descriptions of african people. Not a single african that you meet is intelligent seeming in the slightest, and the reason conrad thinks that europeans should stay out of africa is because they might become tainted by their savagery (e.g. the guy that he goes out there to meet becomes a cannibal and stuff). It was really well written, but I think it gets too much credit for taking a progressive viewpoint.
I agree with this completely. I think the book is very anti-colonial but not for moral and ethical reasons. Like you said Conrad sees the Europeans as far superior to the Africans and believes the white people are being tainted by the savagery of Africa.
So I definitely agree the book is very racist. That being said it is a fantastic piece of literature and like stated the last few pages are brilliant.
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Finished Atlas shrugged and The cat who walks through walls, out of books I'm in the middle off at the moment.
'Atlas shrugged' was interesting. I'm think it's message is that one needs to validate one's existance by producing items, thus increasing material wealth of oneself and the nation. Government should abstain from redistribution of wealth and regulating business. On a personal level one should be egoistic, materialistic and agnostic.
As a theory it is, in my opinion, a bit silly, because it excludes international trade, the environment, and pluriformity. And crime, education, international politics including warfare. Of course it is a simplification of reality, but I can't really take it to be more than a plea for an absolute free market.
While the alternate universe of 'Atlas shrugged' proposes a government refraining from interference in business and trade, it supposes business and trade to abstain from meddling in government. Which is not going to happen, ever, while we're homo sapiens.
The question, who is to be responsible for 'failures', people who can't support themselves, I think is valid, and the solution, being that there is no solution, equally so.
'The cat who walks through walls' was delightful. Written by Robert Heinlein as a kind of sequel to 'The moon is a harsh mistress' (a book not unlike 'Atlas shrugged', but much more positive). 'Kind of sequel', because while its predecessor is a rather straightforward plea for anarchism, exploration and personal responsibility, the sequel is a opaque mesh of crime novel elements, sex fantasies, time paradoxes, woven in an abbridged style similar to the prequel's, but laced (and saturated) with literary metaphors from roman history till 20th century space exploration.
Apparently it all terminates in the idea that multi-spatial-temporal-dimensional reality is but a construct of the mind, and we need a sentient supercomputer (Mike, from the prequel) to formulate a long term purpose of life.
I should read more old science fiction, the optimism that it's all going to be ok and mankind will live happily ever after in space is just grand. Not to mention the great cover paintings. I'm a bit opposed to posting covers, but as an SF cover aficionado, I stuck one at the end of this post.
up next
Got some Shakespeare left to do, also have some essays by Gore Vidal that are rather interesting. Public opinion on the USA over here and on the internets has become rather polarised and superficial, it's all become so frantic, detracts from the great things the USA was and is. Also got the latter half of 'Mein Kampf' to do, left it two years ago because I got bored to tears, Malory's arthurian epics in Middle English, also bought the 'Canterbury tales'. And of course there's Ossian left. And a collection of 'Iphigenies'. Got a pile of Camus too, a book on the dead sea scrolls... Aaand frankly I haven't got a clue. Writing this way too long post instead of doing something useful with the start of the weekend.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/c3VY4Qr.jpg)
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On June 20 2013 05:52 Fix637 wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Just finished the above. Incredibly enlightening book. Regardless of whether or not you agree with Hitchens, the ideas and arguments he puts forth are both undeniable and fascinating. Must read. + Show Spoiler +Just started this. It's a bit slow so far but it's still interesting. I wasn't sure what exactly the book would be about, but so far it's a collection of stories attempting to reconcile their sexuality and their religion. I've been on a bit of a religion and philosophy kick lately and these two have been excellent.
Anything outside the expected in the latter?
On June 20 2013 05:21 corumjhaelen wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:10 farvacola wrote:On June 20 2013 05:09 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 20 2013 03:31 farvacola wrote:On June 19 2013 23:36 blubbdavid wrote:
Have picked up "The Black Swan" by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, after reading Kahnemann. It's exactly what I need for my life.
But I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone French. Taleb is a total badass, I would highly recommend all of his major books. Can't speak for the Frenchies though, I'd think that many would enjoy him all the same! What's the thing with Taleb and French people ? oO That's the thing, I don't know myself. Wat In other news, finished A midsummer's night dream, in a bilingual edition. Absolutely lovely and charming, even though some puns went over my head. Lysander is pretty good. Now my pile of book is composed of the following : A Rebours (K-J. Huysmans), The Quest of the Absolute (Balzac), Aurélien (Aragon), Crito (Plato), Nietzsche and Philosophy (Deleuze), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche), Either/Or (Kierkegaard), De Rerum Natura (Lucrece), Annals (Tacitus), History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides). I'm tempted to go for Huysmans in parallel of Plato, but I'm not decided yet. Will have to finish Lem before though !
Where do you get all that stuff? That stack looks dangerous to me, heavy metal all the way.
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On June 22 2013 02:26 nepeta wrote:Show nested quote +On June 20 2013 05:21 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 20 2013 05:10 farvacola wrote:On June 20 2013 05:09 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 20 2013 03:31 farvacola wrote:On June 19 2013 23:36 blubbdavid wrote:
Have picked up "The Black Swan" by Nicholas Nassim Taleb, after reading Kahnemann. It's exactly what I need for my life.
But I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone French. Taleb is a total badass, I would highly recommend all of his major books. Can't speak for the Frenchies though, I'd think that many would enjoy him all the same! What's the thing with Taleb and French people ? oO That's the thing, I don't know myself. Wat In other news, finished A midsummer's night dream, in a bilingual edition. Absolutely lovely and charming, even though some puns went over my head. Lysander is pretty good. Now my pile of book is composed of the following : A Rebours (K-J. Huysmans), The Quest of the Absolute (Balzac), Aurélien (Aragon), Crito (Plato), Nietzsche and Philosophy (Deleuze), Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzsche), Either/Or (Kierkegaard), De Rerum Natura (Lucrece), Annals (Tacitus), History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides). I'm tempted to go for Huysmans in parallel of Plato, but I'm not decided yet. Will have to finish Lem before though ! Where do you get all that stuff? That stack looks dangerous to me, heavy metal all the way.
Err, bookstore or Amazon ? (not sure that's your question^^) And "heavy metal" = wat ??
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Read some interesting article in Time. They took the top ten book list from about 125 of the world's top authors, and compiled it into a singe top ten. At number one? Anna Karenina. Bought the book years ago, but never actually read it. I've been inspired to finally start.
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On June 22 2013 03:08 datcirclejerk wrote:
Read some interesting article in Time. They took the top ten book list from about 125 of the world's top authors, and compiled it into a singe top ten. At the top? Anna Karenina. Bought the book years ago, but never actually read it. I've been inspired to finally start.
It's a fucking great book, no doubt about it. What were the other nine, just out of curiosity ?
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John Green - The fault in our stars
![[image loading]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a9/The_Fault_in_Our_Stars.jpg/200px-The_Fault_in_Our_Stars.jpg)
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On June 22 2013 03:10 corumjhaelen wrote:Show nested quote +On June 22 2013 03:08 datcirclejerk wrote:
Read some interesting article in Time. They took the top ten book list from about 125 of the world's top authors, and compiled it into a singe top ten. At the top? Anna Karenina. Bought the book years ago, but never actually read it. I've been inspired to finally start. It's a fucking great book, no doubt about it. What were the other nine, just out of curiosity ?
http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1578073,00.html
1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
7. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
9. The Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov
10. Middlemarch by George Eliot
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Finished Kite Runner, now my favorite book.
Don't know what I'm going to read next (I need something for a six hour flight I've got tomorrow, and usually I need something very easy to read because I can't concentrate well when flying), but I want to start Count of Monte Cristo soon
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On June 22 2013 03:32 datcirclejerk wrote:Show nested quote +On June 22 2013 03:10 corumjhaelen wrote:On June 22 2013 03:08 datcirclejerk wrote:
Read some interesting article in Time. They took the top ten book list from about 125 of the world's top authors, and compiled it into a singe top ten. At the top? Anna Karenina. Bought the book years ago, but never actually read it. I've been inspired to finally start. It's a fucking great book, no doubt about it. What were the other nine, just out of curiosity ? http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1578073,00.html1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 4. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 6. Hamlet by William Shakespeare 7. The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald 8. In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust 9. The Stories of Anton Chekhov by Anton Chekhov 10. Middlemarch by George Eliot
Thanks !
Flawed list though, Mme Bovary might be more important historically, but the great Flaubert novel is obviously Sentimental Education.
Well, that and because a top ten list can only be flawed
On June 22 2013 03:33 TheRealPaciFist wrote:
Finished Kite Runner, now my favorite book.
Don't know what I'm going to read next (I need something for a six hour flight I've got tomorrow, and usually I need something very easy to read because I can't concentrate well when flying), but I want to start Count of Monte Cristo soon
Count of Monte Cristo is really good, read it 15 years ago or something, but I really need to reread it one of those days !
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just started with this series after finishing the last asoiaf book.
like it a lot so far, hope it doesnt decrease in quality.
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No Joyce, Woolf, or Pynchon on that list? Psshaw, 'tis irrevocably flawed!
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I've always felt bothered when the authors' name is larger and more prominent than the book title...
On June 22 2013 03:39 farvacola wrote:
No Joyce, Woolf, or Pynchon on that list? Psshaw, 'tis irrevocably flawed!
It's easy to add names to a list. The hard part is taking names off.
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EPT
