What are you reading right now?

mervi · 07-21-2012, 01:15 PM

I've been reading some Russian classics lately (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy...) 'cause I wanted to know what's the fuss about. Right now I'm reading War and Peace but I haven't gotten very far with it 'cause my copy is in English and I read a whole lot faster in Finnish. Can't say I can recommend these to anyone, unless you're a masochist like me who enjoys to be bored out of their right minds. They're not bad, but they're quite heavy. For future reference: I've read the Bible from cover to cover, so I can deal with boredom quite well. And no, I'm not religious. Also, normally I read less "serious" books.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-21-2012, 07:52 PM

I just finished this:

I really, really liked it.

currently reading

WWWP · 07-21-2012, 08:58 PM

I finally finished Crime and Punishment yesterday and started One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich earlier today.

I had a hell of a time this morning trying to decide what to read next, I have way too many titles on my high-priority list. It was between this, Brothers Karamazov, Confederacy of Dunces or Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I picked this because it was short haha.

Paedantic Basterd · 07-22-2012, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermione

They're really horrible and a bad portrayal of BDSM. I mean ffs the guy pulls out her tampon and just ****s her, wants complete control of her life, and while he's ****ing her while she's knocked up he tells her the fetus already likes sex

Going back to this, from my understanding, it's basically a graphic version of Twilight, which is probably why it's garnered the exact passionate love/hate reaction it has.

I weep for humanity.

OOS · 07-22-2012, 09:15 AM

Speaking of 50 Shades Of Grey, has anyone else heard about this new line of 50 Shades-inspired takes on classic literature?

Quote:

digital publisher Clandestine Classics has now taken the recent "Jane Austen plus zombies" formula to its dismally logical conclusion with Fifty Shades-inspired versions of books like Jane Eyre, Pride And Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Sherlock Holmes: A Study In Scarlet, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, all with added sex scenes and—to quote a passage from the "enhanced" Pride And Prejudice—steamy descriptions like this one of Mr. Darcy: "Hot, spicy, and all man."

Fifty Shades Of Grey*now also ruining classic literature | Books | Newswire | The A.V. Club

I have to say, i'm kind of interested to see how exactly these turn out.

LoathsomePete · 07-22-2012, 10:50 AM

The unfortunate downside of the Internet, give any idiot an outlet and soon any idiot is churning out garbage like this for other idiots to buy. Best advice I can offer is to just ignore it and go about your day, I've been doing it for pop music for the last 8 years and it's worked like a charm.

Paedantic Basterd · 07-24-2012, 03:27 PM

Anybody have book recommendations about mass suicides, mind control, human experiments, or cults?

Don't look at me like that, and thanks!

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-24-2012, 03:34 PM

^ this

LoathsomePete · 07-24-2012, 03:39 PM

There's a decent little hardboiled detective novel called Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg that deals with a Satanic Cult. It was made into an equally decent movie in 1987 called Angel Heart, but with the setting moved from New York to New Orleans. Your best bet is to try used bookstores or order it online because this book is out of print.

Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly is a good book for mind control and can be pretty trippy at times, definitely took me more than one read to fully get everything.

For human experimentation I'd recommend Stuart B. MacBride's novel Halfhead which deals with a society that surgically mutilates and lobotomizses their convicted criminals, and then sends them out to do menial tasks in the community. It was okay for one of those pulp fiction, "read on the bus" kind of books that doesn't require a lot of thought and doesn't enrich you, but is perfectly harmless.

As for books on mass suicides... I think your best bet would be a non-fiction book on Jonestown Massacre.

Paedantic Basterd · 07-24-2012, 04:16 PM

Thank you!

07-21-2012, 01:15 PM	#4261 (permalink)
mervi Groupie Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Finland Posts: 30	I've been reading some Russian classics lately (Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy...) 'cause I wanted to know what's the fuss about. Right now I'm reading War and Peace but I haven't gotten very far with it 'cause my copy is in English and I read a whole lot faster in Finnish. Can't say I can recommend these to anyone, unless you're a masochist like me who enjoys to be bored out of their right minds. They're not bad, but they're quite heavy. For future reference: I've read the Bible from cover to cover, so I can deal with boredom quite well. And no, I'm not religious. Also, normally I read less "serious" books. __________________ I am the imaginary friend of the kid next door. If you care enough to write a song about how you don't care, you actually care.

07-22-2012, 10:50 AM	#4266 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	The unfortunate downside of the Internet, give any idiot an outlet and soon any idiot is churning out garbage like this for other idiots to buy. Best advice I can offer is to just ignore it and go about your day, I've been doing it for pop music for the last 8 years and it's worked like a charm. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

07-24-2012, 03:39 PM	#4269 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	There's a decent little hardboiled detective novel called Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg that deals with a Satanic Cult. It was made into an equally decent movie in 1987 called Angel Heart, but with the setting moved from New York to New Orleans. Your best bet is to try used bookstores or order it online because this book is out of print. Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly is a good book for mind control and can be pretty trippy at times, definitely took me more than one read to fully get everything. For human experimentation I'd recommend Stuart B. MacBride's novel Halfhead which deals with a society that surgically mutilates and lobotomizses their convicted criminals, and then sends them out to do menial tasks in the community. It was okay for one of those pulp fiction, "read on the bus" kind of books that doesn't require a lot of thought and doesn't enrich you, but is perfectly harmless. As for books on mass suicides... I think your best bet would be a non-fiction book on Jonestown Massacre. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

07-21-2012, 07:52 PM	#4262 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	I just finished this: I really, really liked it. currently reading

07-24-2012, 03:27 PM	#4267 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Anybody have book recommendations about mass suicides, mind control, human experiments, or cults? Don't look at me like that, and thanks!

07-24-2012, 03:34 PM	#4268 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	^ this

07-24-2012, 04:16 PM	#4270 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Thank you!