When I read Moby Dick as an undergrad I thought it was pretty rough going. I later read it again in a graduate course, along with a lot of other Melville works. I enjoyed it that time.
But even for all us English majors out there, I'm not sure it's must-read. It was written for a different time and different readership. Parts of it are brilliant and parts of it are tedious. And it takes forever for that damn whale to show up.
If you feel like you have to read some Melville, I'd go with Billy Budd. I think it's his best novel. Many of his short stories are good, too.
^^^ I remember reading that loooong ago when I was 14 or 15 and thinking what a crazy, wild, great little book it was. Had no idea it would become somewhat of a reality all of these years later.
Yeah..it's crazy that it was written back in the late 70's. I know that Stephen King has asked this book to no longer be printed due to the content and that over the past 15 years there has been an increase in school shootings, but to me this book could be used as a vehicle to get kids & teenagers talking. Charlie's actions in the book are not justified, but in his mind they are because of the things that have happened to him...I'm sure there's so many other kids & teenagers that have felt/feel the same way...maybe the book could be used to get those kids that identify with Charlie's character counseling or help..just my 2 cents.
Anyway, I finished Rage last night and just started this:
Finished Night Film over the weekend. Definitely worth the read...there were a few spots where it seemed to drag a bit, but I think that was done on purpose...I don't want to give too much away, but there were few fun twists and it was definitely a page turner at times.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
We were supposed to read A Modest Proposal but we've had like three or four classes cancelled because of bad weather that my professor had to take that off the syllabus. Reading the first chapter of Gulliver and I was wondering if Swift ever heard of paragraph breaks? He's got one paragraph that went on for 3.5 pages.
Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
We were supposed to read A Modest Proposal but we've had like three or four classes cancelled because of bad weather that my professor had to take that off the syllabus. Reading the first chapter of Gulliver and I was wondering if Swift ever heard of paragraph breaks? He's got one paragraph that went on for 3.5 pages.
It is very short, I would suggest noting to go back and read it at some point, he is a funny bastard.
Just got this in today. I have been waiting for it to come out and am jumping it ahead of the GASOB (giant ass stack o books) that I have queued up to read since I just finished Roger's (LukinFan) book The Big Hoot.
just finished PFR and have moved on to MM. I'm on a LeHane kick
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
When I read Moby Dick as an undergrad I thought it was pretty rough going. I later read it again in a graduate course, along with a lot of other Melville works. I enjoyed it that time.
But even for all us English majors out there, I'm not sure it's must-read. It was written for a different time and different readership. Parts of it are brilliant and parts of it are tedious. And it takes forever for that damn whale to show up.
If you feel like you have to read some Melville, I'd go with Billy Budd. I think it's his best novel. Many of his short stories are good, too.
A friend from this forum blogged this:
I tried, Moby-Dick
I will read anything. In the olden days I'd grab a volume from the World Book Encyclopedia and read J-K. Nancy Drew, War and Peace (not at the same time). Every MAD magazine I could get my hands on. Thomas Hardy novels in high school that were so brooding and gloomy they felt like, well, high school.
The point is - give me anything. And one day I thought, hey, I've never read Moby-Dick. Adventure, danger, obsession with revenge, life at sea on the whaling ship Pequod. I'd read and enjoyed the Patrick O'Brian books (Master and Commander, etc.). Moby-Dick would be exactly the same.
Except it wasn't. The language was difficult - it was like the Emperor saying to Mozart, "Too many notes." Moby-Dick had too many words. Sloggable words (okay, sloggable isn't really a word, but that's what Moby-Dick felt like). And oh so much description of whaling.
Now, while discoursing of sperm it behooves to speak of other things akin to it, in the business of preparing the sperm whale for the try-works. First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons- a wad of muscle- but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white-horse is first cut into portable oblongs ere going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.
It never quite clicked. But I didn't give up. Like Ishmael I clung to the Queequeg coffin of a book until I was rescued. And then I walked down to Pequod (what the founders of Starbucks originally wanted to call their coffee shop) and had a chai latte.
she's a funny girl....and her blog is great....but I'm going to protect her anonymity
If I had known then what I know now...
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Just started reading the Hunger Games Trilogy. Only about 100 pages into the first one, but so far I think it's a fairly poorly written book. Actually, it's really the editing that is poor. A lot of misplaced commas and shit like that, which bothers me. I like the movie better at this point, despite the fact that there is of course more detail in the book .... I will read them all though. Maybe I'll change my mind by the end of it.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Having never read the bible all the way through and only half-recalling old stories from my Sunday School days, this is really opening me up to some of the horrifying details of the Old Testament. I might have to pick up my bible after I finish this ...
Really interesting book. He approaches his reading as an agnostic with a Jewish background, so he has some interesting insight from time to time. It doesn't totally pick the Bible apart, but it likewise doesn't whitewash it. Good read.
Now I'm on to this:
I have a feeling it's going to make me wish I studied math more in school ...
When I read Moby Dick as an undergrad I thought it was pretty rough going. I later read it again in a graduate course, along with a lot of other Melville works. I enjoyed it that time.
But even for all us English majors out there, I'm not sure it's must-read. It was written for a different time and different readership. Parts of it are brilliant and parts of it are tedious. And it takes forever for that damn whale to show up.
If you feel like you have to read some Melville, I'd go with Billy Budd. I think it's his best novel. Many of his short stories are good, too.
A friend from this forum blogged this:
I tried, Moby-Dick
I will read anything. In the olden days I'd grab a volume from the World Book Encyclopedia and read J-K. Nancy Drew, War and Peace (not at the same time). Every MAD magazine I could get my hands on. Thomas Hardy novels in high school that were so brooding and gloomy they felt like, well, high school.
The point is - give me anything. And one day I thought, hey, I've never read Moby-Dick. Adventure, danger, obsession with revenge, life at sea on the whaling ship Pequod. I'd read and enjoyed the Patrick O'Brian books (Master and Commander, etc.). Moby-Dick would be exactly the same.
Except it wasn't. The language was difficult - it was like the Emperor saying to Mozart, "Too many notes." Moby-Dick had too many words. Sloggable words (okay, sloggable isn't really a word, but that's what Moby-Dick felt like). And oh so much description of whaling.
Now, while discoursing of sperm it behooves to speak of other things akin to it, in the business of preparing the sperm whale for the try-works. First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons- a wad of muscle- but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white-horse is first cut into portable oblongs ere going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.
It never quite clicked. But I didn't give up. Like Ishmael I clung to the Queequeg coffin of a book until I was rescued. And then I walked down to Pequod (what the founders of Starbucks originally wanted to call their coffee shop) and had a chai latte.
she's a funny girl....and her blog is great....but I'm going to protect her anonymity
I've read Moby-Dick at least three times.
It's been a few years now. I might have to pick up that beast again.
I will read anything. In the olden days I'd grab a volume from the World Book Encyclopedia and read J-K. Nancy Drew, War and Peace (not at the same time). Every MAD magazine I could get my hands on. Thomas Hardy novels in high school that were so brooding and gloomy they felt like, well, high school.
The point is - give me anything. And one day I thought, hey, I've never read Moby-Dick. Adventure, danger, obsession with revenge, life at sea on the whaling ship Pequod. I'd read and enjoyed the Patrick O'Brian books (Master and Commander, etc.). Moby-Dick would be exactly the same.
Except it wasn't. The language was difficult - it was like the Emperor saying to Mozart, "Too many notes." Moby-Dick had too many words. Sloggable words (okay, sloggable isn't really a word, but that's what Moby-Dick felt like). And oh so much description of whaling.
Now, while discoursing of sperm it behooves to speak of other things akin to it, in the business of preparing the sperm whale for the try-works. First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons- a wad of muscle- but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white-horse is first cut into portable oblongs ere going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.
It never quite clicked. But I didn't give up. Like Ishmael I clung to the Queequeg coffin of a book until I was rescued. And then I walked down to Pequod (what the founders of Starbucks originally wanted to call their coffee shop) and had a chai latte.
she's a funny girl....and her blog is great....but I'm going to protect her anonymity
)
Like I said, parts of it are brilliant, parts of it are REALLY tedious. I'd love to say that when you get to those last 40 or so pages, the action almost makes you want to forgive Melville. As long as you can forget that it took about 650 pages to get there!
(I think Pequod might have been a better name for a coffee shop but it has about as much to do with drinking coffee as Starbucks does.)
Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer. This followed Into Thin Air & Into The Wild. Obsessed with creative nonfiction at the moment , does anyone have any recommendations? I have this on preorder. Has anyone read any excerpts?
I just finished up Dharma Bums by Kerouac. In typical Kerouac fashion, this is a great book for self-reflection and how one views society and appreciation for the outdoors and nature.
I just started Firestarter last night...my hubby got me a 1st edition copy of this book for my birthday I watched the movie years ago, but I've never read the book. So far, so good...
Can someone recommend a book for me? I need to get back into reading. I could scroll and pick out a book...but I guess I don't feel like it. I'm a Kerouac/Beats fan for anybody willing to help.
I've been fortunate enough to see Pearl Jam live.
I am hanging in the balance of a perfect finished plan
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.
Can someone recommend a book for me? I need to get back into reading. I could scroll and pick out a book...but I guess I don't feel like it. I'm a Kerouac/Beats fan for anybody willing to help.
Given your description of what you like....if you have not read Naked Lunch (Burroughs) or Post Office (Bukowski) I would suggest either of those.
If you just want to read a great book? Highly recommend all of these, see which one sounds best to you.
James Ellroy - American Tabloid Chuck Palahniuk - Choke Clive Barker - The Great and Secret Show George RR Martin - A Game of Thrones Jon Krakauer - Into Thin Air
Comments
But even for all us English majors out there, I'm not sure it's must-read. It was written for a different time and different readership. Parts of it are brilliant and parts of it are tedious. And it takes forever for that damn whale to show up.
If you feel like you have to read some Melville, I'd go with Billy Budd. I think it's his best novel. Many of his short stories are good, too.
I just started this last night:
Next up for me, by one of our own, LukinFan / Roger:
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
A Modest Proposal is great.
We were supposed to read A Modest Proposal but we've had like three or four classes cancelled because of bad weather that my professor had to take that off the syllabus. Reading the first chapter of Gulliver and I was wondering if Swift ever heard of paragraph breaks? He's got one paragraph that went on for 3.5 pages.
"Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
But only when I'm still awake enough to read
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
I tried, Moby-Dick
I will read anything. In the olden days I'd grab a volume from the World Book Encyclopedia and read J-K. Nancy Drew, War and Peace (not at the same time). Every MAD magazine I could get my hands on. Thomas Hardy novels in high school that were so brooding and gloomy they felt like, well, high school.
The point is - give me anything. And one day I thought, hey, I've never read Moby-Dick. Adventure, danger, obsession with revenge, life at sea on the whaling ship Pequod. I'd read and enjoyed the Patrick O'Brian books (Master and Commander, etc.). Moby-Dick would be exactly the same.
Except it wasn't. The language was difficult - it was like the Emperor saying to Mozart, "Too many notes." Moby-Dick had too many words. Sloggable words (okay, sloggable isn't really a word, but that's what Moby-Dick felt like). And oh so much description of whaling.
Now, while discoursing of sperm it behooves to speak of other things akin to it, in the business of preparing the sperm whale for the try-works. First comes white-horse, so called, which is obtained from the tapering part of the fish, and also from the thicker portions of his flukes. It is tough with congealed tendons- a wad of muscle- but still contains some oil. After being severed from the whale, the white-horse is first cut into portable oblongs ere going to the mincer. They look much like blocks of Berkshire marble.
It never quite clicked. But I didn't give up. Like Ishmael I clung to the Queequeg coffin of a book until I was rescued. And then I walked down to Pequod (what the founders of Starbucks originally wanted to call their coffee shop) and had a chai latte.
she's a funny girl....and her blog is great....but I'm going to protect her anonymity
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
It's the only book of his I've ever read ... I really should look into getting some of his others, too ...
"Let's check Idaho."
Now I'm on to this:
I have a feeling it's going to make me wish I studied math more in school ...
"Let's check Idaho."
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
I didn't feel that way (I should have studied math more) when I read it back when it came out. Hated the movie but loved the book.
It's been a few years now. I might have to pick up that beast again.
"Let's check Idaho."
Like I said, parts of it are brilliant, parts of it are REALLY tedious. I'd love to say that when you get to those last 40 or so pages, the action almost makes you want to forgive Melville. As long as you can forget that it took about 650 pages to get there!
(I think Pequod might have been a better name for a coffee shop but it has about as much to do with drinking coffee as Starbucks does.)
I have this on preorder. Has anyone read any excerpts?
I was really looking forward to reading this but I'm having a lot of trouble getting into it. Anybody read it?
I just started Firestarter last night...my hubby got me a 1st edition copy of this book for my birthday
I am hanging in the balance of a perfect finished plan
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.
I am hanging in the balance of a perfect finished plan
Like every sparrow falling, like every grain of sand.
If you just want to read a great book? Highly recommend all of these, see which one sounds best to you.
James Ellroy - American Tabloid
Chuck Palahniuk - Choke
Clive Barker - The Great and Secret Show
George RR Martin - A Game of Thrones
Jon Krakauer - Into Thin Air