Author Topic: Fave Books / Currently Reading  (Read 947134 times)

AllisonLeGnome

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1020 on: September 30, 2009, 01:44:54 AM »
Reading A Farewell To Arms by Hemingway, about two-thirds through. I'm enjoying it, but some of the writing feels goofy and some of the dialogue, especially between the protagonist and the love interest, is cheesy.

Probably going into Cormac McCarthy's All The Pretty Horses after this, or maybe The Sun Also Rises.
I am completely unable to differentiate A Farewell To Arms from The Sun Also Rises in my mind- I have the differences between the locations okay, but that's about it- and I can never remember the titles. It's probably because we read them back to back in high school.

JustNicole

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1021 on: September 30, 2009, 06:19:54 AM »
I finally got an NY library card because, for the first time, I'm doing research for a project where I don't actually want to own the books (in this case, commercially successful "realistic" plays).  The first one was Neil LaBute's Fat Pig, which was offensive to me not because it's sexist or fattist or whatever but because it's shockingly fucking incompetent and moronic.  The second was Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter, which (aside from being deeply misogynistic, whereas Fat Pig just pretends to be) was actually a pretty good read.

I was trying to read a play a week, seeing as how I don't read enough of them, and started with "How I Learned to Drive" by Paula Vogel.  It disturbed me but I really wish I could have seen Mary Louise Parker in the role. 
Doing it Mentos style.

Petey

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1022 on: October 01, 2009, 05:15:36 AM »
Reading A Farewell To Arms by Hemingway, about two-thirds through. I'm enjoying it, but some of the writing feels goofy and some of the dialogue, especially between the protagonist and the love interest, is cheesy.

Probably going into Cormac McCarthy's All The Pretty Horses after this, or maybe The Sun Also Rises.

That's dissapointing. I only read For Whom and it's one of my favorite books. If even his most famous books are corny though, I probably shouldn't even bother listening to my Across the River and Into the Trees audiobook. =[

Reeleyes

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1023 on: October 01, 2009, 10:43:50 PM »
I just finished the David Cross audiobook which would have been like listening to his stand up without an audience and would have been fine but throughout the entire recording he constantly berated the listener for not buying the book (by the way, the audiobook was five dollars more than the hardcover). I understand that reading a book is better and cooler than listening to an audiobook but I work fifty hours a week (for a meager wage I might add) and have kids to raise when I get home so lately listening to audiobooks at work is really the only way I can "read". I like David Cross as a comedian and when he's in something besides the latest CGI kidfest movie I usually like him as an actor but does he just think that if your career and/or lifestyle doesn't permit one to read that they should just stay dumb?
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Pastor Josh

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1024 on: October 01, 2009, 11:17:32 PM »
I have a friend who loves comedy and also happens to be severely dyslexic.  He bought Cross's book from audible, and he was so angry that he was berated for listening instead of reading.  I think Mr. Cross might have lost two fans out of this.
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dnk

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1025 on: October 02, 2009, 12:33:35 PM »
I just finished the David Cross audiobook which would have been like listening to his stand up without an audience and would have been fine but throughout the entire recording he constantly berated the listener for not buying the book (by the way, the audiobook was five dollars more than the hardcover). I understand that reading a book is better and cooler than listening to an audiobook but I work fifty hours a week (for a meager wage I might add) and have kids to raise when I get home so lately listening to audiobooks at work is really the only way I can "read". I like David Cross as a comedian and when he's in something besides the latest CGI kidfest movie I usually like him as an actor but does he just think that if your career and/or lifestyle doesn't permit one to read that they should just stay dumb?

I have a friend who loves comedy and also happens to be severely dyslexic.  He bought Cross's book from audible, and he was so angry that he was berated for listening instead of reading.  I think Mr. Cross might have lost two fans out of this.

Yeah, that's messed up. How does he berate the listener? Just randomly interjecting that they should be reading? What else is changed from book to audiobook?

dave from knoxville

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1026 on: October 02, 2009, 12:40:36 PM »
You know, fans of alternative comedy are the last people I would expect to be offended by Mr Cross's politically insensitive anti-audiobook screed. In fact, given Cross's love of jokes that fold in on themselves, your reaction to this setup might be the punchline to his intentional joke that we wouldn't even know existed were it NOT for the discussion that follows this type or reaction.

Or something.

yesno

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1027 on: October 02, 2009, 01:24:53 PM »
I don't really see the difference between listening to an audiobook and reading something, provided you give the audiobook the same level of attention.

His standup sucks so I can't imagine the book is very good.

Pastor Josh

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1028 on: October 02, 2009, 03:04:57 PM »
You know, fans of alternative comedy are the last people I would expect to be offended by Mr Cross's politically insensitive anti-audiobook screed. In fact, given Cross's love of jokes that fold in on themselves, your reaction to this setup might be the punchline to his intentional joke that we wouldn't even know existed were it NOT for the discussion that follows this type or reaction.

Or something.

It could be, but I think it's just more likely that David Cross is a dick.  Nothing I've seen of his suggests he has any skill at subtlety.
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Steve of Bloomington

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1029 on: October 02, 2009, 04:05:52 PM »
I picked up The Watchmen at the library. I hear it's a lot better than the movie.

Also 'Kafka Americana', short stories from Carter Scholz/Jonathan Lethem re: what if Kafka came to America? So far I've only read the 'Kafka moves to Hollywood and writes the initial draft of 'It's a Wonderful Life'', and I liked that well enough. 'The Judgment' gradually mutates into the much-loved Christmas movie.

fonpr

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1030 on: October 02, 2009, 04:49:16 PM »
Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies

Dean Sluyter.


I'm halfway through and I like it a great deal.

I may modify my anti-Hollywood stance for a while.
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Reeleyes

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1031 on: October 02, 2009, 08:43:12 PM »
I just finished the David Cross audiobook which would have been like listening to his stand up without an audience and would have been fine but throughout the entire recording he constantly berated the listener for not buying the book (by the way, the audiobook was five dollars more than the hardcover). I understand that reading a book is better and cooler than listening to an audiobook but I work fifty hours a week (for a meager wage I might add) and have kids to raise when I get home so lately listening to audiobooks at work is really the only way I can "read". I like David Cross as a comedian and when he's in something besides the latest CGI kidfest movie I usually like him as an actor but does he just think that if your career and/or lifestyle doesn't permit one to read that they should just stay dumb?

I have a friend who loves comedy and also happens to be severely dyslexic.  He bought Cross's book from audible, and he was so angry that he was berated for listening instead of reading.  I think Mr. Cross might have lost two fans out of this.

Yeah, that's messed up. How does he berate the listener? Just randomly interjecting that they should be reading? What else is changed from book to audiobook?

He would just mention that in a certain section of the book a word was in quotes and that the listener should have bought the book. Then he would describe the way something appeared on a page and say something like "I don't understand why you didn't just buy the book, it's kind of lazy and rude". At one point I think he said something to the effect of "It's ridiculous that i have to hold your hand through this" I don't know it could have been a joke at the very end of the last cd after the audio credits there is a conversation between he and the producer about a part of the book that he apparently had not recorded and he said "I don't want to read it, no, fuck 'em" BUT the one redeeming factor is that there was a section of the book that was 6 pages long of his suggestion for quirks in quirky indy film characters, he didn't want to read it so he had Les Savy Fav compose a song with that section as lyrics. Made it kind of worth while. I did see he and Todd Glass live recently and it was a great show. I DO like his stand up and thought it was the best of his stand up yet. He's one of those guys that I like but never want to meet because it seems that he'd be a giant asshole and ruin Mr. Show and Arrested Developement for me forever.
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Martin

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1032 on: October 07, 2009, 02:09:55 PM »
Just to offer a different perspective to the "David Cross is an asshole" thing: I've met the man in London when he was performing there, and he couldn't have been nicer or more generous to me. Superfriendly, bought me beer and chatted for a good hour. Maybe I caught him on a particularly good day, but there it is.



Anyway, that's not why I checked out this thread. What I was supposed to say was that Amazon is finally introducing the Kindle here in Europe, and I sort of want to try it. Anyone got one? Tried it? Good/bad experience?

yesno

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1033 on: October 07, 2009, 04:44:16 PM »
I use the Kindle (and Stanza) apps on my iPhone for convenient anywhere reading. I can't see lugging around an extra device. Maybe good for vacations, but vacations for me always include book shopping. In any event the screens aren't that great. Grey on grey. The big one would be killer for comics if it were color.

Christina

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Re: Fave Books / Currently Reading
« Reply #1034 on: October 07, 2009, 04:48:26 PM »
I use the Kindle (and Stanza) apps on my iPhone for convenient anywhere reading. I can't see lugging around an extra device. Maybe good for vacations, but vacations for me always include book shopping. In any event the screens aren't that great. Grey on grey. The big one would be killer for comics if it were color.

I have a Sony eReader and I hate it. I don't need any more things to carry around.
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