llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2024 7:43 pm Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. It’s alright

I’ve read it 3 or 4 times. One of my all-time faves. Something about the idea of walking into the woods with nothing and amassing something appeals to me. Then there’s the complexity of amassing too much.

mrcancelled wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 11:15 am

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2024 7:43 pm Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. It’s alright

I remember really liking it back in college but I don't remember much about it at this point. I'd like to revisit it some time.

I'm about half way through DeLillo's Mao II at the moment. It's been great so far, enjoying more than others I've read of his (though I did like White Noise a good bit). I have some time off work so I'll probably finish this one and start on Underworld in the next couple of days.

If you haven't, make sure you read The Body Artist. His finest imvho.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Mon Oct 28, 2024 1:07 am

mrcancelled wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 11:15 am

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2024 7:43 pm Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. It’s alright

I remember really liking it back in college but I don't remember much about it at this point. I'd like to revisit it some time.

I'm about half way through DeLillo's Mao II at the moment. It's been great so far, enjoying more than others I've read of his (though I did like White Noise a good bit). I have some time off work so I'll probably finish this one and start on Underworld in the next couple of days.

If you haven't, make sure you read The Body Artist. His finest imvho.

I'll grab a copy!

Ringmaster by Abraham Riesman.

It's about Vince McMahon, one of the biggest pieces of shit to ever live.

It's great!

Just finished "Creation Lake" by Rachel Kushner (INCREDIBLE)

Just Started "Polestan" by Neal Stephenson

I am currently reading 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline.

His thesis is essentially that the bronze age collapse was due to climate changes and the region getting hotter and dryer as a result, causing mass migrations that came down to us as "invasions" by the "Sea People", who archeologists have never been able to identify and who appear to be many different ancient peoples, not one monolithic invading culture. No doubt that conflicts happened but this provides more depth to the history. He maps out correspondence between Kings, as well as trading patterns, showing how interconnected the eastern Mediterranean was, and how culturally and economically advanced they were.

I love history.

The Tombs of Atuan : Ursula Le Guin

I recognize this style now, and I really like it.

Dave N. wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:56 pm

llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sat Oct 26, 2024 7:43 pm Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. It’s alright

I’ve read it 3 or 4 times. One of my all-time faves. Something about the idea of walking into the woods with nothing and amassing something appeals to me. Then there’s the complexity of amassing too much.

Yeah, it was fucking great. I started to appreciate more as the civilization outside of the farm slowly started to reveal itself. Plus I have a soft-spot for sort of multi-generational epics.

Many times I was reminded of Cormac McCarthy’s first novel, which I have a sublime dislike for, even if he is one of my fav authors. Growth of the Soil kicks its ass walking.

Gramsci wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 4:48 am Grinding through The Sillmarilion… Christ it’s tough. Like reading the bible but less crazy. The first third is almost unreadable. The “story” kicks from there but it’s still a hard read.

Reading it is very much like that. It is like reading a translation of an ancient text, like The Iliad and Odyssey or Livy's Roman Histories or Caesar's Gallic War reports or Greek classics. A stilted translation of a dead language.

kokorodoko wrote: Fri Nov 01, 2024 1:24 pm The Tombs of Atuan : Ursula Le Guin

I recognize this style now, and I really like it.

One of her very best.