captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Oct 22, 2007 21:54:19 GMT -5
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe (re-read) 10/10 Not quite the book I remembered so long ago. It is much less coherent then I recalled it being and the order of the book is very odd as well. However, the pace and prose fit the spastic nature of the hippie generation perfectly.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Oct 27, 2007 16:09:55 GMT -5
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (re-read) 10/10 Brilliance..
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Oct 30, 2007 21:17:54 GMT -5
The Invisible Man- H.G. Wells (re-read) 9/10 Chilling 19th century horror...
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Nov 29, 2007 19:26:05 GMT -5
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 10/10 Another brilliant Vonnegut work.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Nov 29, 2007 22:56:00 GMT -5
Oooh yea, forgot about this one: Catch-22 (re-read) 7/10 I don't connect with it at all. I'm sure it is very popular for a reason, so I can't totally dismiss it. Plus, it is very well written. However, the prose is dry and the story uninteresting. I find Vonnegut's war satire much more entertaining.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Dec 3, 2007 22:13:54 GMT -5
Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich 6/10 Enjoyable, though not the best in the series.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Dec 20, 2007 18:51:55 GMT -5
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 9/10 Very engaging book about the middle-ages in England. It was kind of a change of pace for Follett who usually had written WWII spy novels when this book came out. It is a bit long for my tastes but overall, I really enjoyed it.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Dec 27, 2007 16:23:40 GMT -5
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 7/10 Enjoyable with a good storyline. However, the prose is fairly weak and the ending is too good to be true after such a grounded book.
The Real Americans by Sally Jenkins 3/10 A nonfiction book about the 1912 Carlisle Indians football team and what happened to bring them to their championship season. Very boring and written like a newspaper article rather than engaging the reader with an interesting style.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy 10/10 A perfect piece of apocalyptic fiction. McCarthy tells his story simply and lets the emotions of hope and love breathe through an impossibly bleak scenery. Deserves its Pulitzer Prize.
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ie
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Post by ie on Dec 29, 2007 17:39:48 GMT -5
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (re-read) 10/10 Brilliance.. How does it compare to the movie? Oooh yea, forgot about this one: Catch-22 (re-read) 7/10 I don't connect with it at all. I'm sure it is very popular for a reason, so I can't totally dismiss it. Plus, it is very well written. However, the prose is dry and the story uninteresting. I find Vonnegut's war satire much more entertaining. I still like it better than the movie.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Dec 29, 2007 23:13:19 GMT -5
The book destroys the movie when it comes to Slaughterhous- Five. There is not even any comparison.
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ie
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Post by ie on Dec 30, 2007 1:24:59 GMT -5
The book destroys the movie when it comes to Slaughterhous- Five. There is not even any comparison. Hmm... I did feel there were parts to the movie that were a little, I guess I might say "lumpy," but I thought it was pretty well made. I'll just assume, though, that you saw this at some point as an assignment or as a requirement, rather than for personal enjoyment, so that may have hurt things (as well as having your own mental image of these characters; I'm not really bothered by this as much). I hadn't read the novel when I saw this, still haven't, so it's not like the movie is HORRIBLE. Maybe it is better done in written format, but it still doesn't mean novel=10/10, book=1/10. In other words, I'd like to hear more objective thoughts, if possible. Civility is a must as well.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Dec 30, 2007 18:29:10 GMT -5
Well, you are correct about being MADE to watch Slaughterhouse-Five. I was subjected to it in English class in 7th or 8th grade. The problem with the movie is that it cannot really encompass the writing of Vonnegut. Vonnegut often drops into narration as the writer, offering tidbits of dry wit and things that cannot be easily translated into images. This is my main gripe with the movie, as well as the omission of probably the most famous scene from the book (the one where the bombing is showed in reverse with the bombs floating back into the planes) While the film isn't dreadful, its probably a 5 or 6 out of ten in my book, it doesn't come close to the brilliance of the book (IMO).
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ie
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Post by ie on Dec 31, 2007 21:18:09 GMT -5
Well, I think with most adaptations, you're doing what everyone else does. You compare it too much to the source material. Like with video game movies. 90% of reviewers are unable to watch a movie like Hitman without comparing it, in some way, to the video game. They can't detach the two.
But you made some good points. After I get back into reading fiction, I'll give Slaughterhouse-Five a go and see how it compares to the movie. Thanks for the continued output, though.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Jan 1, 2008 12:41:49 GMT -5
No problem. I realize that I am probably unfair to the movie. But it is pretty tough not to take in account the book when watching the film adaptation.
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ie
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Post by ie on Jan 2, 2008 16:56:39 GMT -5
No problem. I realize that I am probably unfair to the movie. But it is pretty tough not to take in account the book when watching the film adaptation. True, true. I might suggest rewatching Slaughterhouse-Five when you are more willing to accept it for its faults (like all movies).
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sacrilegend
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Post by sacrilegend on Jan 6, 2008 6:23:38 GMT -5
If Andy Warhol had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace "Allow me to introduce you to Alison Pace, who has just published her first novel, If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend; it's a humorous story about Art-gallery assistant Jane Laine, whose life has recenlty taken a downward turn after her boyfriend dumps her for another girl. As if that wasn't bad enough, she's then forced to go on a five-month international art tour with famed sculptor Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons, a guy whose art she doesn't quite understand, and whom she suspects is just a big fraud. But perhaps the trip won't be a complete nightmare, since she at least will be getting away from the clutches of her wretched boss, Dick Reese. What starts off as a punishment in Jane's eyes ends up being a liberating learning experience in art, travel and love." storms.typepad.com/booklust/2005/02/if_andy_warhol_.htmlIt's quite enjoyable but without much weight in my opinion. I liked reading it, but it was nothing life-changing, or even close, and it's probably only because I have these few days before I have to start worrying about school again. 6/10
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sacrilegend
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Post by sacrilegend on Jan 6, 2008 6:26:07 GMT -5
The Kite Runner 10/10 I had to read it for english and usually it sucks when you are forced to read a book (even though I had been wanting to read it), but I thought it was . It is really shit, being forced to read a book, but luckily schools are cathcing on and making us read better books. I'm so happy I got to read this, I've been meaning to for a while. One of my favourite ever books!
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mixed
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Post by mixed on Jan 7, 2008 19:20:31 GMT -5
That's a really decent point about trying to detach a book and it's film. They are separated entities. It is very easy to get pissed at one or other though. I've just read the shining, this is a prime example, and my view of the film is downed, it misses out so much and has things that weren't even in the book! I still think that Jack Nicolson made a good Jack Torrance though but I don't think Shelley Duvall was right to play Wendy. No not at all. I hate that womans face
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Jan 17, 2008 16:07:34 GMT -5
All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy 8/10 An excellent western. McCarthy is able to enthrall you even when nothing significant is going on. And the interesting way of tackling the prose of the novel works very well too. The book does take a while to get going though and the middle of the book was slow. But overall, it was a great introduction to The Border Trilogy.
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mixed
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Post by mixed on Jan 17, 2008 17:58:23 GMT -5
The Shining...finished
Really good and the desciprtions at the end are enough to make one flinch. It really slouches before the finale though, as all King books seem to. In other news, the new King book called Duma Key is out on the 24th over here. I'd totally forgotten! Hopefully it's not another liseys story....
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Jan 17, 2008 18:07:37 GMT -5
Yea, King hasn't written a decent book since Cell. I'm hoping this new one breaks the trend.
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Post by PTAhole on Jan 18, 2008 3:24:19 GMT -5
Yeah, he's become fairly hit or miss in the past ten years or so. He's so prolific that it's understandable that he would have a few bombs.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Jan 20, 2008 19:06:01 GMT -5
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut 8/10 This book is a more serious one for Vonnegut. The traditional black wit is present, but it takes a back seat to an introspective narrative about WWII. This is the book's weakness in my opinion. Vonnegut strays too far from what he is good at, biting satire. The surprise ending is awesome though and the book should be read just for the final page.
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mixed
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Post by mixed on Jan 21, 2008 14:11:20 GMT -5
Blind willow, sleeping woman.
A mysterious and enticing selection of Haruki Murakamis short stories. Some are better than others but none could be called bad. My complaint with some of them is that they are left without closure and it was occassionally frustrating. But generally Murakamis style and character build is so impressive it doesn't even matter that some of the stories feel a little underdeveloped.
8/10
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ie
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Post by ie on Jan 26, 2008 1:56:05 GMT -5
I read through Last Man on Earth a few weeks back. Short story, but still. I thought it was decent, but I can't really remember too much about it. 7/10ish
And I just plowed through Persepolis 1 earlier this week. Excellent stuff. I just finished watching the movie, and I must say the movie was kind of like crib notes in comparison; it just kind of lightly brushes over everything, whereas the graphic novel really gives you a sense of it all. Both are good, though, and I'd like to check out Persepolis 2 shortly. 10/10 on all fronts, I guess.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Jan 28, 2008 9:47:01 GMT -5
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy 10/10 On an equal platform with the film. The Coens found much of what made their film work in the pages of this book. Even some of the dialogue is the same, such as Llywellyn and his wife's encounter in the trailer. The imagery is mindblowing and the characters are even more developed then they are in the film. There are several things in the book that I wish had been included in the film, but no matter. Fans of the movie should definitely check out the source material.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Feb 9, 2008 11:20:18 GMT -5
Frankenstein (re-read) 10/10 The pinnacle of Gothic horror, just as good on the third read as it was on the first one.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Feb 18, 2008 21:56:01 GMT -5
The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth 5/10 The idea behind this book is very interesting, Roth set out to write an alternate history of America during the early 1940's. What would have America been like if Lindbergh had won the Presidential election rather than FDR? Its a shame this idea is botched in Roth's execution. The prose of the book is too bland and the semi-autobiographical look into the time period should have been eliminated. I would have much rather seen Roth focus more on the political aspects of the book and tone down on the personal aspects.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Feb 25, 2008 19:31:08 GMT -5
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 7/10 Hosseini's follow-up novel to the Kite Runner is very good but it falls short of the standard he set with his first book. Set in the same setting, Afghanistan from the 70's to 00's, the novel follows two separate story lines that weave together in the novel's second half. The book takes awhile to get going, about a hundred pages, and at first, you think you are in for a dud of a novel. But the story picks up tremendously and keeps you enthralled until the book's climax. However, just like in the Kite Runner, Hosseini has trouble ending his story and the book has two or three endings instead of one definite one. But, for fans of his debut work, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a must read.
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captainofbeef
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Post by captainofbeef on Mar 5, 2008 17:22:13 GMT -5
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 9/10 A very deep and effective novella. Conrad succeeds in plunging through the depths of the human mind and bringing out its worst qualities. Its even more amazing that Conrad was not a native speaker of English, yet he wrote in his second language with such dexterity. The book is a bit too dense and a bit wordy at times, but overall, its a deserved classic
The Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad 7/10 Another decent novella from Conrad. It deals with finding the inner soul as well, but less effectively. The story deals in duplicity and the finding of a career. However, because it is ambiguous and open ended, it doesn't hit quite as close to home. Not to mention that its a bit too short at barely 60 pages.
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