What are you reading

Started by Tenebracid, January 15, 2012, 08:40:21 PM

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BlackCavendish

Currently reading:

Archeofuturism by Guillame Faye: Some really insightful thoughts in here, especially considering the book was written in 1998. Some predictions were right, some others were wrong but nevertheless it's worth reading. But his reflections on technolgy related matters are definitely the weakes point of the book.

The three impostors by Arthur Machen: Definitely a small masterpiece by one of the best author in the weird/fantastic literature.


RyanWreck

Quote from: holy ghost on September 10, 2019, 04:25:57 AM
Quote from: RyanWreck on September 07, 2019, 01:10:28 AM
One of my favorite books ever, have read it a handful of times through-out my life. Have you read "Melmoth, The Wanderer"? If you enjoy Lewis' work you would certainly enjoy ol' Melmoth.

Both of these are really enjoyable. I distinctly remember especially enjoying Melmoth the Wanderer.

Have you seen the movie version of "The Monk" with Vincent Cassel? Usually I'm not a huge fan of modern directors taking on classic Gothic materials (i.e. the joke that was the 1992 Bram Stoker's "Dracula") , but they did "The Monk" exceptionally well.

Balor/SS1535

I just started reading "A Wile Sheep Chase" by Haruki Murakami today.  I just began reading his novels this summer, and have enjoyed all that I have read so far.  Anyone else like his books?

wonderland_media

Secret Societies and Psychological Warfare by Michael A. Hoffman.

nowirehangers

I'll Be Gone In the Dark Michelle McNamara

Cocaine Nights JG Ballard

Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining David Haskell  (This is for my job, but still a great read)

simulacrum

Started Derrida's Writing and Difference (with Sarah Wood's reading guide in conjunction) after finishing Of Grammatology. I'll probably be staying away from fiction for a while until the new Lazslo Krasznohorkai and the new batch (or at least New Juche) from Amphetamine Sulphate comes out.

Acne

Quote from: simulacrum on September 20, 2019, 08:30:48 PM
Started Derrida's Writing and Difference (with Sarah Wood's reading guide in conjunction) after finishing Of Grammatology. I'll probably be staying away from fiction for a while until the new Lazslo Krasznohorkai and the new batch (or at least New Juche) from Amphetamine Sulphate comes out.

check out the big brain on brad! ;)
JK... where do you think I should start on Derrida? - always wanted to dig in but its a bit intimidating.

Quote from: nowirehangers on September 17, 2019, 07:04:32 PM
I'll Be Gone In the Dark Michelle McNamara



got this on my "to read" shelf is it good, it came out before they caught him right?

simulacrum

haha if my brain was worth a shit I wouldn't have needed to spend the sheer amount of time on it that I did and need to read a companion guide and watch loads of videos/lectures on the material.

Derrida is intimidating, but with (A LOT) of patience and a lot of time spent really closely and carefully reading, it'll come together. If you won't be able to make that sort of investment into a book then I wouldn't bother. I tried reading his Gift of Death maybe two years back and quit halfway through when I realized I couldn't even tell what the fuck he was writing about.

If you are VERY interested and passionate about writing/reading/language, I'd say give Of Grammatology a shot. It's his most well-known book, and so there are far more study resources and materials like podcasts, youtube videos, etc. that could help you along. But be warned: If you're not at least roughly familiar with Heidegger, structuralism/post-structuralism, semiotics, and so on, it will make it that much harder to understand.

With all that said, it was personally worth the sheer amount of work it was to get through it.

But as for further Derrida recs, I'm not familiar with his other works.

Frataxin

Quote from: RyanWreck on September 07, 2019, 01:10:28 AM
One of my favorite books ever, have read it a handful of times through-out my life. Have you read "Melmoth, The Wanderer"? If you enjoy Lewis' work you would certainly enjoy ol' Melmoth.

Haven't read Melmoth, although I've heard good things about it. Definitely will check it out.

Finishing up Philosophy In The Boudoir by de Sade. Really enjoyable. Straddles the line between political commentary, smut, and absurdist humor.

Ivan

THE TENANT by Roland Topor (you might know the Polanski movie). Great book about paranoia

Recent reads:

VERNON SUBUTEX by Virginie Despentes (also BAISE MOI)- satirical portrait of modern France, style quiet reminiscent of Houellebecq 
TALES OF THE PECULIAR by Ransom Riggs; folkish fantasy- clean and easily digestible

xerographia



I just finished 2 graphic novels yesterday, been on a big kick lately.


HITLER

Written & illustrated by Shigeru Mizuki. Published by Drawn & Quarterly, 2015.


A very brilliant piece of work that caught my eye at the Drawn & Quarterly bookstore here in Montreal. It follows Hitler from the time he was a young boy, right up until his death. The most interesting aspect of this novel is that it is from the perspective of a Japanese citizen who actually saw combat in WWII, and not some 40 year old dude from the western world who wasn't even born when the war took place. I read in what I believe was the preface, that a lot of people's perspective on the war (and other important historical events) differ greatly from region to region. It seems so obvious, and in hindsight it is, but being a kid who was born in the 90s in the Americas, its easy for me to forget that sometimes. Anyways, what sets this adise from most other things I have read about Hitler is that Mizuki absolutely does not shy away from showing how human Hitler was. It seems like all I hear and read is how evil and non-human and other worldly he was, and I think that is an issue which almost reads like an alleviation of accountability; even an excuse: "  ~this man was pure evil, he wasn't even human, he was a monster  ~"  And to me that is just not what I am interested in reading. Mizuki shows time and time again Hitler's emotions. His fucking whiny moods, his infantile ways, his most personal feelings and not only through the writing, but in the art as well.

Speaking of which, the art is very fascinating. Black and white -thank god- and follows a very specific style: insane amounts of detail in the background, the buildings, the nazi flags and the towns, the statues, the cars, the large groups of people, etc, while COMPLETELY contrasting it with the most childish looking people and characters that take up the foreground. Very well done. Mizuki was brilliant. Excited to start his massive 5 volume magnum opus- A history of Japan spanning from the early 1900's right up until just before the turn of the century.



GREEN RIVER KILLER: A TRUE DETECTIVE STORY

Written by Jeff Jensen, illustrated by Jonathan Case. Published by Dark Horse, 2011.

Let me start with a confession. I tried to read this thing while listening to a very particular album, and I think we all know which one I am talking about. Needless to say, it wasn't working out. I don't think I even made it to The First Whore before I turned that shit off. It was way too fucking cheesy of a moment and I couldn't follow through. I felt a slight wave of embarrassment sitting in the bookstore as I took my headphones out and stuffed them back in my pocket for even thinking that it would be an option. So I sat there and read the book in one sitting. Jeff Jensen is the author, but he also happens to be the son of the lead investigator who was directly responsible for putting Ridgeway away for life. This was written with inside knowledge that the lead investigator only shared with his son for the sake of this novel, and so in turn, it's more of a testament to the investigation, Jensen's father, and not really an insight into Gary himself. Sure, we see aspects of the mass murderer's character bleed into the story, like when interviews are being conducted; but that is kind of inevitable. This reads similarly to how it feels to watch a solid biopic on law enforcement catching a killer... Not that surprising I know, but it is a pretty good read. I was a fan of how it jumped back and forth from 2 story lines; one taking place in the 80's and the other taking place in the early 00's when they had him trotting around town trying to find the bodies he claimed they never found.

The art, all handled by Jonathan Case is great. Also black and white, and thankfully no shading here. Nothing against shading at all, but just not for this. I like this style. All outline with pitch black fill in. No bullshit. One of the first scenes is Gary standing over the very first child he ever tried to kill, after leading him into the woods. The look on the poor kids face is seared in my brain already. The drool, the blood and spit, the confusion and freckles and the look of absolute confusion and betrayal on the kids stupid fucking mug; I won't forget it. Very well drawn. This could have been a very corny book, and at times it does seem like that is the case, but overall I fuck with it.


Both recommended!

PuddysJacket

That green river killer book/graphic novel sounds awesome.

Currently reading Little Boy Blue by Ed Bunker, great read so far. Equal parts sad and funny. It's about a boy going through the juvenile detention system in 1940s California.

Soloman Tump

#777
I have a few on the go.

AUDINT - Unsound:Undead

"Tracing the the potential of sound, infrasound, and ultrasound to access anomalous zones of transmission between the realms of the living and the dead. "
A comprehensive gathering of short essays, some fictional, some based on facts  I just read one about a notorious prison camp in Syria that uses silence as a form of torture for its prisoners.  
Very much recommended  - https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/audint-unsoundundead

Also reading Folklore in Oxfordshire which is exactly what it says on the cover, very well researched so far.

Just finished James Herbert - ASH which was easy on the brain and cost me 50p from a charity shop.  Apparently it shocked / offended a few people with its themes (spoilers include hitler, royal family etc) but its typical Herbert and his last completed novel before he died.

NO PART OF IT

Alchemist of the Avant-Garde:  The Case of Marcel Duchamp. 
A caterpillar that goes around trying to rip the wings off of butterflies is not a more dominant caterpillar, just a caterpillar that is looking for a bigger caterpillar to crush him.  Some caterpillars are mad that they will never grow to be butterflies.
 
https://www.nopartofit.bandcamp.com

holy ghost

The Kremlins Candidate - the first Red Sparrow novel was pretty good. Lots of cool spy shit happening, some tantalizing sexy bits and a good ending. A good cottage read for sure. The second one was okay and the third one is so fucking stupid I'm having a hard time reading it. Truly this dude is fucking phoning it in. I'm actually bored of the lurid descriptions of lusty sex and sweaty heaving bosoms. I'm about 80 pages away and I need to see this thing to it's conclusion but what a disappointment.