Vernon God Little - DCB Pierre - It was decent, enjoyed a lot of the language in it, rather playful - reminded me of Catcher in the Rye at times. Lost me in the last third though, and gradually becamke disinterested. Worth reading though.
Just finished re-reading (as I do almost every year) Mel Tormé's autobio, It Wasn't All Velvet. Great memoir, it's too bad that 'ol Mel didn't get around to writing a second memoir about the years after 1988.
Now I'm reading the Peter Kane stories in the compilation Bottled In Blonde, by Hugh B. Cave.
After that, I'm going to try James Ellroy's L.A. Confidential.
Zelig have you read Black Dahlia and Big Nowhere? They are before LA Confidential chronologically. It doesn't really matter if you haven't read them but some charcters from the first two books do appear in various forms.
Zelig have you read Black Dahlia and Big Nowhere? They are before LA Confidential chronologically. It doesn't really matter if you haven't read them but some charcters from the first two books do appear in various forms.
Yes, I knew that and I also know that the movie sort of painted itself in a corner regarding Dudley Smith, among other things. I'm more interested in the character backstory that the novels provide.
Yes, I knew that and I also know that the movie sort of painted itself in a corner regarding Dudley Smith, among other things. I'm more interested in the character backstory that the novels provide.
Groovy. Just making sure yez weren't depriving yerself off extra goodness.
Currently reading Retorikk i vår tid: En innføring i moderne retorisk teori (roughly translated "Rhetorics of Our Time: A Study of Contemporary Rhetorical Theory") from 2004 by Danish philosopher Jens Kjeldsen. It's part of the preparation to a course I'm holding next semester. As I've said before, I hardly have the time or "reading stamina" to read fiction these days.
Currently reading Retorikk i vår tid: En innføring i moderne retorisk teori (roughly translated "Rhetorics of Our Time: A Study of Contemporary Rhetorical Theory") from 2004 by Danish philosopher Jens Kjeldsen. It's part of the preparation to a course I'm holding next semester. As I've said before, I hardly have the time or "reading stamina" to read fiction these days.
Thanks for the tip Thor. I'll let you know if it worked in the morning!
Windblown World, a compendium of excerpts from the journals of Jack Kerouac
Douglas Brinkley has corrected some errors, but introduced some of his own in the footnotes. He also has been criticized for cutting valuable material.
Still, this is a great inspirational book for writers. Even Kerouac had doubts and stumblings, and as you can see here, the thing a writer does to become a great writer is WRITE.
MOCKINGBIRD - a dystopian sci-fi novel by Walter Tevis about a future in which no one can read. Flawed but fascinating, with sequences that are absolutely stupendous.
JULIAN - a biographical novel by Gore Vidal about the Roman Emperor Julian, "the apostate", who attempted to stem the tide of Christianity and bring back the old gods. Excellent; well-written, insightful, and quite amusing in many of its observations (although it is certainly not a comedy).
CLARA BOW: RUNNIN' WILD - biography of the silent-era star by David Stenn. Like many of her Hollywood contemporaries, she was a real mess!
Just started A TIME TO LOVE & A TIME TO DIE by Erich Maria Remarque.
MOCKINGBIRD - a dystopian sci-fi novel by Walter Tevis about a future in which no one can read. Flawed but fascinating, with sequences that are absolutely stupendous.
Wow, I just read that a few weeks ago after having the hardcover for YEARS.
I liked it, but felt it needed a rewrite. The second half of the book is pretty darned fine, though I could have done without the umpteenth Religious Fanatic Community.
I liked it, but felt it needed a rewrite. The second half of the book is pretty darned fine, though I could have done without the umpteenth Religious Fanatic Community.
Agreed that it needed a rewrite. Aspects of the Religious Community section I liked, others I didn't. The book needed to show something of what was going on outside the city and I didn't find it beyond belief that a community such as this one would exist. The speculation on what had happened to religion once people could no longer read I found interesting. Some of it was cliched, but not all.
I really enjoyed the sequence in the toaster factory and found it perfectly placed. On the other hand, the protagonist's "bonding" with the thought bus almost ruined the whole thing for me - too silly.
Spofforth and his dilemma kept me thinking of BLADE RUNNER (the film).
I really enjoyed the sequence in the toaster factory and found it perfectly placed.
It was a perfect illustration of the ultimate flaws in systems such as socialism--one "part" not working flawlessly and... I loved how he fixed the problem.
I agree on the Blade Runner similarities. I may have to read Tevis' Man Who Fell to Earth. He wrote a marvelous short story called "Rent Control" about lovers who, when they touch, literally make time stand still.
