Topic: What are you reading? (Read 152261 times)

tweek · « **Reply #425 on:** April 26, 2007, 11:49:43 AM »

I finished with The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists: A Novel about a week ago. Definitely worth it. I'm thinking about moving onto The Pirates! In an Adventure with Communists: A Novel next.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #426 on:** April 26, 2007, 01:23:36 PM »

The Baroque Cycle has pirates in it.

Pizmir · « **Reply #427 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:52:29 PM »

The Eldarn Sequence

xolik · « **Reply #428 on:** May 09, 2007, 10:16:02 AM »

Just finished "Confessions of a Shopaholic" (total chick-lit) and am now reading "Cell" by King.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #429 on:** May 09, 2007, 10:21:26 AM »

I read a bit of that in Entertainment Weekly, it seems cool.

minorDemocritus · « **Reply #430 on:** May 15, 2007, 02:37:57 AM »

i'm currently working on The End of Faith by Sam Harris.

it's quite good, but i've noticed a few flaws in his logic.

Quote from: pbsaurus on April 26, 2007, 01:23:36 PM

The Baroque Cycle has pirates in it.

i've only read The Confusion but it was damned good. Stephenson's books haven't come close to boring me yet.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #431 on:** May 15, 2007, 05:28:41 PM »

Finished Dearly Devoted Dexter last night (apparently I read at approximately 1 page/min.) in a single sitting, it kicks even more ass than the first since it isn't really connected to the show that I've already seen, save for a few elements. Now I'm back to Telecommunications Essentials.

Socrates · « **Reply #432 on:** May 16, 2007, 02:33:06 PM »

Just picked up and haven't started reading Day Watch yet,
Which is a sequel to Night Watch which was great. There is also a movie of the same name available on netflix.

The movie was recommended either here or back on HN by someone and it wasn't bad. The book is much, much better. I think a Day Watch movie is also due out soon. The trailer is up at Quicktime.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #433 on:** May 16, 2007, 04:19:25 PM »

Started 'NO LOGO' today.

Zephyr · « **Reply #434 on:** May 16, 2007, 09:04:31 PM »

I'm reading "Written on the Body" by Jeanette Winterson. Pretty interesting so far.

ivan · « **Reply #435 on:** May 17, 2007, 12:38:37 PM »

Just finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.

Did not like.

Romanticists are just not my cup of tea, I suppose.

Victor was such a goddam useless weenie.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #436 on:** May 17, 2007, 12:44:59 PM »

Quote from: ivan on May 17, 2007, 12:38:37 PM

Just finished Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.

Did not like.

Romanticists are just not my cup of tea, I suppose.

Victor was such a goddam useless weenie.

Cuncurs, the whole thing was pretty lame and that little sub-plot was unbelievable and stupid/

ivan · « **Reply #437 on:** May 17, 2007, 01:17:10 PM »

So Mary is sitting there in a boat with Byron or Shelly or someone, languidly dipping her elegant fingers into the slow dark waters, musing thusly:

"Let me see... The Creature is created complete in form and endowed with a natural ability to survive in the wild; yes, that will fly. He also immediately possesses the capacity for speech and the most profound mental analyses, but, to be believable, must at the same time be completely ignorant of any language with which to form thoughts and communicate. So far so good. Now... By what means may I contrive to grant him the ability to speak and understand? Hmmm... Wait! I have it! He hides out in some kind of shed or lean-to or something attached to a cabin and spies through a peephole upon its inhabitants! And the inhabitants are... wait, I've got it... I've got it... Exiles from Paris, because the patriarch of this family defended an Arab, you see, who was mercilessly persecuted by the French for being a Muslim, so the old French guy helps the Arab escape, and as a result his whole family has to flee Paris and live in a cabin somewhere far away, and then the Arab guy's daughter, who is in love with the young man of the French family, leaves her Arab dad because she decides being an Islamic woman totally blows, so she becomes a Christian and finds the young French man in exile, and after she shows up out of the blue the French family takes her in and... THAT'S IT! They teach her how to speak French while the monster spies on them and learns along with her!!!"

Exhausted, Mary succumbs to fever for 3 months, and when she recovers Byron or Shelly or whoever says, "That's all very well and good, my dear sweet sensitive wonderful &c. Mary, but how will you explain the device by which Frankenstein is able to create such a creature in the first place?"

"Oh, my dear Byron or Shelly or whoever, I am far to weakened by the rigors of my previous torturous plot twist to even begin to contemplate such devices. Suffice it to say that it is so horrible a secret that none dare whisper the merest hint of its nature. Yes. Yes. I believe that will work admirably."

Sheesh. At least in the movie version we had some kind of explanation of how Frankenstein did it, and they skipped the whole Arabian Nights thing (which, I believe, is the sub-plot you refer to, is it not, my dear Agent-Tachyon?).

Great. Now I'll be talking and writing like an 18-century fop for WEEKS.

It occurs to me, however, that the French Arabian sub-plot does mesh with an overall theme of the story. Frankenstein and the old French guy both sacrifice their families' well-being for what they decide is a higher cause. Arrogant, self-righteous weenies. PFUI!

Naibaf · « **Reply #438 on:** May 27, 2007, 01:09:53 PM »

I am reading an "English" book called Från jorden till månen".... well its not english I guess

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #439 on:** May 27, 2007, 08:25:16 PM »

Quote from: ivan on May 17, 2007, 01:17:10 PM

So Mary is sitting there in a boat with Byron or Shelly or someone, languidly dipping her elegant fingers into the slow dark waters, musing thusly:

"Let me see... The Creature is created complete in form and endowed with a natural ability to survive in the wild; yes, that will fly. He also immediately possesses the capacity for speech and the most profound mental analyses, but, to be believable, must at the same time be completely ignorant of any language with which to form thoughts and communicate. So far so good. Now... By what means may I contrive to grant him the ability to speak and understand? Hmmm... Wait! I have it! He hides out in some kind of shed or lean-to or something attached to a cabin and spies through a peephole upon its inhabitants! And the inhabitants are... wait, I've got it... I've got it... Exiles from Paris, because the patriarch of this family defended an Arab, you see, who was mercilessly persecuted by the French for being a Muslim, so the old French guy helps the Arab escape, and as a result his whole family has to flee Paris and live in a cabin somewhere far away, and then the Arab guy's daughter, who is in love with the young man of the French family, leaves her Arab dad because she decides being an Islamic woman totally blows, so she becomes a Christian and finds the young French man in exile, and after she shows up out of the blue the French family takes her in and... THAT'S IT! They teach her how to speak French while the monster spies on them and learns along with her!!!"

Sheesh. At least in the movie version we had some kind of explanation of how Frankenstein did it, and they skipped the whole Arabian Nights thing (which, I believe, is the sub-plot you refer to, is it not, my dear Agent-Tachyon?).

Indeed, the whole thing was quite convoluted and did offend both my literary tastes and bowels. I suppose I was expecting more because of all the Frankensteinian awesomeness I've come to expect in every other media save the source.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #440 on:** May 29, 2007, 02:16:05 PM »

I'm reading The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe by Douglas Adams

ivan · « **Reply #441 on:** May 29, 2007, 02:18:59 PM »

For the first time?

pbsaurus · « **Reply #442 on:** May 29, 2007, 02:20:26 PM »

ivan · « **Reply #443 on:** May 29, 2007, 02:31:33 PM »

Gosh. That's like finding a whole cornchip in the bottom of the bag. Or a C-note in a pair of pants you haven't worn in years. Or... or... Gosh.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #444 on:** May 29, 2007, 03:11:52 PM »

Yeah back when those books came out I was in a long non-fiction phase and eschewed all the popular works of fiction. I finally read HHGTTG in 2005 after I saw the movie (that way the movie was more enjoyable). Now I need to read the rest. But since then I've done Baroque Cycle and Diamond Age, plus a bunch of others that have been in my queue. Too many good books to read, too little time.

xolik · « **Reply #445 on:** May 29, 2007, 03:51:48 PM »

Abbey Normal.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #446 on:** May 29, 2007, 04:26:15 PM »

I'm reading Anarchism: Political innocence or social violence? and The Silent World (again, it kicks ass).

teh_d3ck_k1ng · « **Reply #447 on:** May 30, 2007, 05:55:19 PM »

I am currently reading Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut. It is probaly one of the most interesting books I've read in a while. I never really got into reading Kurt Vonnegut's books until I learned of his death. Hopefully over the summer I can read more of his fine works of literature.

Agent_Tachyon · « **Reply #448 on:** May 30, 2007, 09:38:35 PM »

Check out Harrison Burgeron if you get the chance. It's about the only thing he wrote that I recall reading, but it kicks ass.

pbsaurus · « **Reply #449 on:** June 05, 2007, 07:28:48 PM »

Yesterday I started reading How We Eat: Appetite, Culture, and the Psychology of Food by Leon Rappoport

Interesting read so far.

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Author Topic: What are you reading? (Read 152261 times)