What are you reading?

[zamb]

Yes, some of them are. But others have been demonized simply because they transcend partisan squabbles.

I usually would not put a non-fashion article on SZ, but since a few people seem to be interested, here you go.

Read it all,
Great piece,

Next time you can send me a copy

[Faust]

Thank you. I thought about it, but I don't know your email!

[zamb]

Thank you. I thought about it, but I don't know your email!

how come? its everywhere!

I even have a web page with up for the last three years!

Its dialogue@zambarrett.com

[Faust]

aaaittt.

[zamb]

aaaittt.

i just began reading the other book you loaned me, by Umberto Eco,

I am juggling between that and the Law of Civilization and Decay by Brooks Adams............

[Faust]

I would imagine Eco is the more palatable. This is the end, my only friend, the end. Ok, I am off to try to finish Augie March. What a book. What a writer.

[galia]

In the process of reading The Demon by Lermontov in the original russian
It is much harder than I thought it was going to be, but still extremely enjoyable

[Fade to Black]

Half way through Haruki Murakami 'The wind up bird chronicles', second Haruki book i have read the other was 'Norwegian Wood', and i have to say i love them both however wind up is looking like it is going to be the better of two.

I read Norwegian Wood, it's the first and only book of his I have gone through - coincidentally enough I read it at a time in my life when a book like that was pretty much perfect. Based on what I've been told about his others I have a feeling I'll stop there...my old lady loves his books, but reads the Chinese translations - wonder if those would've been closer to the original texts...

[Faust]

Everybody has to go through a Murakami phase :-) Same with guys like Palahniuk and Bukowski. You read them when you think you want to be cool before moving on to infinitely better authors. Which reminds me that it's time to rearrange my bookshelves (although I'd rather just buy a third bookcase) :-)

[Fade to Black]

Bukowski is like Ginsberg to me - I like the idea and cultural context surrounding them more than I have the will to sit through a lot of their material. If i want to get into a Bukowski-ish frame of mind I'd rather go and listen to some Tom Waits records.

[galia]

If i want to get into a Bukowski-ish frame of mind I'd rather go and listen to some Tom Waits records.

To me Tom Waits is more Burroughs than Bukowski
I have arguments to back it up should anyone feel inclined to disagree with me

[Faust]

I’d disagree with this actually (bold); I am not reading them as I am trying to be cool that would indeed be very shallow to think that a book would make me ‘cool’. A friend let me borrow Norwegian wood as she said I would probably like it (I had heard of Murakami before just never got round to reading anything), once completed I went to the book shop and bought Wind up bird because I enjoyed Norwegian wood, personally nothing to do with a ‘cool’ status what-so-ever.

It was not a dig at you. At a certain age we don't have much sense of perspective. Perspective comes with experience that comes with age. You hang out with your friends, who are same age, cultural level, etc. - you ask them to recommend a book and they recommend murakami. It's totally fine - no one is saying that they are bad or useless books. God, I sounds like such an old man.

[deius]

the depth of literary knowledge itt is amazing.
Dumas - The Count of Monte Cristo
I really had no idea how fresh and vigorous this novel is to read today. The plotting is brilliant.

finished the first novel of the Brent Weeks Night Angel trilogy on a friend's recommendation (mentioned on page 37). At first I was critical after going to it straight from Hemingway but it was actually a decent read.

[MaxM]

Yet to read The Black Swan:The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Seems really interesting

[Faust]

Ravelstein, Saul Bellow.