To Philozovic or any French-speak person: have you read the English translation of the book yet and if you did then what is your opinion on the difference between the French and English version? Which one is better?

babylon

8765 Posts

January 14 2015 21:47 GMT

#84

Does anyone know of a good, easily obtainable, and not too expensive book that teaches you how to read Italian?

(I am learning a language whose only comprehensive grammar is written in inaccessible Italian. Help.)

corumjhaelen

France6884 Posts

January 14 2015 22:18 GMT

#85

Finished :
Absalom, Absalom ! which I found plain awesome. Certainly hard to read but I couldn't stop before knowing the end. The story is terrifying, but there's also a kind of strange noble beauty to it.
Bartleby the scrivener, a most excellent short story. And I get behind the Moby Dick recommandation, it's just a great book.
A Perfect Vacuum (Lem), discovered through this thread, excellent read too, might be my favorite from Lem all in all, which is saying something. Such a smart and interesting guy.
The Confusions of Young Törless, my first try at Musil. I guess it was quite good, but I'm not too enthusiastic. The prose didn't touch me much. Well worth a read though.

As for Kojeve, I in the middle of his commentary of chapter VIII of the Phenomenology. The form of the book is a problem (only 1 and a half lesson out of 6 or 7 are in full, the rest is notes that, while interesting, are still a bit cryptic), but the content is really interesting. I'll retry the Phenomenology after that, I feel better prepared. Hegel as an atheist -of the strangest sort- is really interesting, even though.
And now, suspens, has history ended ? Lol.

Paljas

Germany6926 Posts

January 14 2015 23:37 GMT

#86

The Confusions of Young Törless, my first try at Musil. I guess it was quite good, but I'm not too enthusiastic. The prose didn't touch me much. Well worth a read though.

Fucking imaginary numbers. How do they work???

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 00:45 GMT

#87

just got my first acceptance for school next year... so I don't have to run away to a farm!!! fuck yeah, what a relief

IgnE

United States7684 Posts

January 15 2015 00:46 GMT

#88

It's always a relief to be comfortable.

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 01:18 GMT

#89

i'm intending on enjoying the end of the world as comfortably as possible

it's sort of like the restaurant at the end of the universe

dmnum

Brazil6910 Posts

January 15 2015 01:27 GMT

#90

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 01:35 GMT

#91

how did you like androids

dmnum

Brazil6910 Posts

January 15 2015 01:37 GMT

#92

I haven't begun it yet, just got it today.

Zergneedsfood

United States10671 Posts

January 15 2015 01:52 GMT

#93

I quite liked it, but it always felt a bit underwhelming because I read it after I had seen Blade Runner.

iirc it was funnier though

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 01:54 GMT

#94

blade runner is all surface, do androids is some deep shit

Zergneedsfood

United States10671 Posts

January 15 2015 01:57 GMT

#95

On January 15 2015 10:54 bookwyrm wrote:
blade runner is all surface, do androids is some deep shit

you think so?

eh, maybe; it just never hit me I guess because I wasn't too invested into the writing. I should reread it when I have time though

oh, along with Letter to his father last week, I read The Judgment today. it was pretty interesting...for a while I thought the judgment was something about Georg deciding to send the letter or not, but the end hit and it was like "ooooooh, that's what it was."

it was kind of weird, but I now understand why reading Letter to his father helps understand where Kafka is coming in his writing.

dmnum

Brazil6910 Posts

January 15 2015 02:09 GMT

#96

Yep, dude had some serious daddy issues. And body issues, and intimacy issues...he's very funny, though.

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 02:10 GMT

#97

yeah, i mean, philip dick is probably my number one favorite writer. and that's one of his best books.

dmnum

Brazil6910 Posts

January 15 2015 02:13 GMT

#98

On January 15 2015 11:10 bookwyrm wrote:
yeah, i mean, philip dick is probably my number one favorite writer. and that's one of his best books.

Have you read Borges?

Zergneedsfood

United States10671 Posts

January 15 2015 02:17 GMT

#99

On January 15 2015 11:13 dmnum wrote:

Show nested quote +

Have you read Borges?

I want to so badly. I saw a copy of his short stories at the bookstore but it was way too expensive. But I read through at least five random ones (forgot their names) but I loved all of them. Borges seemed just like an amazing storyteller.

The only other thing I've read was a critical piece he did on Dante's Divine Comedy, talking about Ulysses's role in Inferno or something like that.

bookwyrm

United States722 Posts

January 15 2015 02:19 GMT

#100

yes. not a ton. I've taught "The Library of Babel"

Borges is a little too modernist for my taste however. Borges is a great writer and all. But Philip Dick is a true genius.