The official book club
Posted by Allychristine on Aug 24, 2008 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
I modified this thread..so that we can come here and talk about all books!
This is like our book club!
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From original post (about Brothers K):
I don't know how to start since I just finished, and I'm still quite wrapped up in it..
If you're planning on reading it, be wary of visiting this thread until you're done....then come back and discuss!
It's my favorite book.
Hmm.. I'm reading Anna Karenina... close.. but not quite the same russian author or K name.
Oh. I should point out...this is The Brothers K by David James Duncan................a play on literature...
Now you have to meet him, AC. He lives by you! He wrote me a letter once.
I'm so glad you liked the book! Who turned out to be your favorite character and why?
He just randomly wrote you? :o (SARCASM ;)) What did you say to him?
My favorite character...........either Papa or Kade....Kade was just the rock...Papa was pretty solid (I cried)........I feel like I can't talk about it b/c it might ruin it for someone!!! I really loved it. P is going to read it next, and maybe my dad.
Well, I read that book my freshman year of college. I was also so moved by it.....that I wrote a letter to him. I think I wrote it in like, December.....and then on the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL I got a reply from him. Handwritten! He had actually been in Kearney, which is where I went to school. His letter was really funny, he was making fun of people who talk on cell phones when they drive. He has a big wooden "phone" sculpture, and when he passes people, he sticks it on the side of his truck with suction cups.
My favorites are Irwin and Freddie. Irwin because I think he is the most like me.....kind of happy-go-lucky, always trying to help people, but yet naive and prone to getting himself in difficult situations. And the transformation he goes through in Vietnam is incredible.
Freddie because I admire her analytical mind and guts in questioning the religion she was brought up with. I wish I had her cojones.
So, since reading Brothers K (and loving it), I've read Franny and Zooey, Still Life with Woodpecker, and I'm now reading Anthem We The Living by Ayn Rand.
Franny and Zooey (Sailinger) is good...it's just a short story (two stories..), and not my favorite of his..but good.
Still Life with Woodpecker (Robbins) is weird........but good......it's pretty unexplainable..but captivating.
Anthem We The Living (Rand) is fabulous..as all of her books are. I'm not done yet..but loving it.
Goooooo!
....
Anthem We The Living (Rand) is fabulous..as all of her books are. I'm not done yet..but loving it.
...
Ayn Rand.....*giggle *SNORT*
sorry, I just read Anthem, and it made me think A LOT....not just about what she wrote, but about the context in which it was written (current events, background, etc.) and how it translates/does NOT translate well today.
Anthem liked to accuse communism/socialism of completely eradicating the individual spirit by taking away their freedom to think/create/invent, their freedom to say "I" or "Me," and by forcing them to adopt to a rigid, pre-packaged design of life built on primitive technology and oppression. At the time, this was a fair analogy, and it was worth encouraging every person to embrace his or her individuality and desires.
NOW, however, a lot of people disambiguate the idea of socialism/communism into something ONLY oppressive and evil, and think that social and government-aided programs are all terrible solutions to our problems of poverty, health-care, etc.
So when Rand suggests to our current audience that they should break free from such governments and take control of their lives by ignoring anything that doesn't affect them directly ( basically "choose your friends, have nothing to do with those who aren't at your "level" or part of your desires"), this alienates people and perpetuates our current problems.
The US government is in need of some MAJOR reform, and I'm talking all the way down to the manner in which ideas are exchanged, laws are passed, and government agencies run....Bring back some fucking ethics already and make the basic rights/needs of all of our citizens a priority (and not just how much $$ will be made on doing such-n-such). DO NOT be afraid of embracing new systems...do NOT fear "turrrrism" or "commie rule" if we adopt some more socialist approaches to certain things like healthcare, research the methods and intended outcomes, then decide if it's really so dangerous for the US to try....okay?
....Rand was great in her time, but she might have been somewhat misled or biased due to personal experience, hardship, or whatever. Again, her ideas must be taken in context and not assumed as fact for today's world.
I admire all of you reading such intelligent books. I prefer silly books. My fav author right now is Tim Dorsey. He writes about this character named Serge who is a completely crazy serial killer who lives in Florida & meets all of these wacky chacters.... but his next book doesn't come out until January. Can anyone recommend anyh silly books for me to read in the meantime? Someone recommended that I read "I hope they serve beer in Hell" but Barnes & Nobles didn't have it. Maybe I'll order it online.
I am going to highly reccommend (again) that everyone check out Dr. Will Tuttle's The World Peace Diet. It is intensly awesome and will prepare you for the rest of your life to answer the old question of "why are you vegan??" As well as a lot of the other lame-o questions we get. Serioulsy, this is one of those books you read and you get frustrated that everyone else is not reading it. The research and welath of knowledge is amazing--it's one of those books you wll want to be mandatory reading for everyone in the world (well duh...it is called The WORLD Peace Diet ;D )
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa268/soul4ce/TheWorldPeaceDiet.jpg
The Reader by B. Schlink is a magical book.
http://www.amazon.com/Reader-Bernhard-Schlink/dp/0679442790
Mmm, I love that book.
I admire all of you reading such intelligent books. I prefer silly books. My fav author right now is Tim Dorsey. He writes about this character named Serge who is a completely crazy serial killer who lives in Florida & meets all of these wacky chacters.... but his next book doesn't come out until January. Can anyone recommend anyh silly books for me to read in the meantime? Someone recommended that I read "I hope they serve beer in Hell" but Barnes & Nobles didn't have it. Maybe I'll order it online.
have you ever read Janet Evanovich's books? they are silly and fast reads. The main character is a private detective that always finds herself in trouble.
I'm reading Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult right now, I love her books
i'm reading survivor by chuck palahniuk right now. but i just finished the twilight saga by stephanie meyer. i know that's really silly that i read that, but it was surprisingly good. sometimes i need a little escapism in my literature.
also, i found out a couple days ago that david foster wallace, one of my favorite authors, killed himself friday. i'm kind of at a loss... infinite jest was a life changing book. i feel kind of like my brother did when kurt cobain killed himself, except i'm not 16 and locking myself in my bedroom for 2 days.
i'm reading survivor by chuck palahniuk right now.
That's an awesome book.
i'm reading survivor by chuck palahniuk right now.
That's an awesome book.
yeah, it's good so far. his books always leave me feeling slightly queasy, so i have to read em slow. i'm in the middle of this one right now. it's such a weird/cool way to write that everything will be hunky dory (albeit kinda strange) and then wham! all of a sudden you're so grossed out/horrified that you have to put the book down for a minute. he's so awesome in a shocking kind of way.
have you ever read Janet Evanovich's books? they are silly and fast reads. The main character is a private detective that always finds herself in trouble.
Thanks! I just read a sample of her latest book & I liked it! Bonus that it takes place in Jersey!
i'm reading survivor by chuck palahniuk right now.
That's an awesome book.
yeah, it's good so far. his books always leave me feeling slightly queasy, so i have to read em slow. i'm in the middle of this one right now. it's such a weird/cool way to write that everything will be hunky dory (albeit kinda strange) and then wham! all of a sudden you're so grossed out/horrified that you have to put the book down for a minute. he's so awesome in a shocking kind of way.
Yeah, he's definitely one of my favorite authors. I LOVE his writing style. I need to do a lot of catching up on his books, though. ::)
sorry, I just read Anthem, and it made me think A LOT....not just about what she wrote, but about the context in which it was written (current events, background, etc.) and how it translates/does NOT translate well today.
Anthem liked to accuse communism/socialism of completely eradicating the individual spirit by taking away their freedom to think/create/invent, their freedom to say "I" or "Me," and by forcing them to adopt to a rigid, pre-packaged design of life built on primitive technology and oppression. At the time, this was a fair analogy, and it was worth encouraging every person to embrace his or her individuality and desires.
NOW, however, a lot of people disambiguate the idea of socialism/communism into something ONLY oppressive and evil, and think that social and government-aided programs are all terrible solutions to our problems of poverty, health-care, etc.
So when Rand suggests to our current audience that they should break free from such governments and take control of their lives by ignoring anything that doesn't affect them directly ( basically "choose your friends, have nothing to do with those who aren't at your "level" or part of your desires"), this alienates people and perpetuates our current problems.
The US government is in need of some MAJOR reform, and I'm talking all the way down to the manner in which ideas are exchanged, laws are passed, and government agencies run....Bring back some fucking ethics already and make the basic rights/needs of all of our citizens a priority (and not just how much $$ will be made on doing such-n-such). DO NOT be afraid of embracing new systems...do NOT fear "turrrrism" or "commie rule" if we adopt some more socialist approaches to certain things like healthcare, research the methods and intended outcomes, then decide if it's really so dangerous for the US to try....okay?
....Rand was great in her time, but she might have been somewhat misled or biased due to personal experience, hardship, or whatever. Again, her ideas must be taken in context and not assumed as fact for today's world.
I disagree with you some, CW..but I'll write about that after work! :)
When I want to read a "silly" book, I read Roald Dahl!
I've never read a Chuck P. book, but have you two read any Tom Robbins?
John Irving is one of my favorite authors...I think I've read all/most of his books.
I've never read a Chuck P. book, but have you two read any Tom Robbins?
Got a recommendation? Didn't some of you tell me that I needed to read some Ayn Rand books as well?
I've never read a Chuck P. book, but have you two read any Tom Robbins?
Got a recommendation? Didn't some of you tell me that I needed to read some Ayn Rand books as well?
Well, I've only read Still Life with Woodpecker. It's pretty crazy, very different. He is my IRL BFF's favorite author. She recommended Skinny Legs and All. You definitely need to read Ayn Rand too! Probably The Fountainhead would be a good, first read.
.... eradicating the individual spirit by taking away their freedom to think/create/invent, their freedom to say "I" or "Me," and by forcing them to adopt to a rigid, pre-packaged design of life built on primitive technology and oppression. At the time, this was a fair analogy, and it was worth encouraging every person to embrace his or her individuality and desires.
This is her philosophy..and the basis of all her writings. Objectivism-Living for one's self, with one's own happiness as the purpose of life. All of her books do not relate this to communism/socialism (some do), but I still think it is a worthy analogy as a whole. I mean, I think we agree that she was definitely writing from the truth of her time (and of history), but I think that her philosophy can also be brought forward into the modern world. This (I) am not saying that all government programs are horrible, by any means.
I guess it really all comes down to how one interprets her writings/philosophy.
The US government is in need of some MAJOR reform, and I'm talking all the way down to the manner in which ideas are exchanged, laws are passed, and government agencies run....
Yes.
....Rand was great in her time, but she might have been somewhat misled or biased due to personal experience, hardship, or whatever. Again, her ideas must be taken in context and not assumed as fact for today's world.
Of course she was biased. I don't think any philosophy can be "fact." This is of course the beauty of interpretation!
Have you read Atlas Shrugged?
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