/lit/ - Literature

>LAST THREE
BLEEDING EDGE
THE FIRE NEXT TIME
MCTEAGUE

>CURRENTLY
THE LONG GOODBYE
DON QUIXOTE

>NEXT THREE
GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
PRAGMATISM AND OTHER WRITINGS
CONCRETE

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>>2469154
sorry Koz, but you know it's true. Also, you're kind of a prick, while Capsguy is pleasant to read and interact with. just saying, you come off as a style-biter, as well as just contemptible generally.

i nominate "caps guy" as middlefielder

ITT: WE POST THE BOOKS WE PLAN ON READING IN THE NOT TOO FAR FUTURE. DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WHAT YOU RECEIVED FOR CHRISTMAS OF COURSE

A PERSONAL MATTER - OE
THE DAMNED - HUYSMANS
THE GATE/MON - SOSEKI
SKYLARK - DEZSO
THE GOOD PERSON OF SZECHWAN - BRECHT
TAIKO OR HEIKE (NOT SURE YET) - YOSHIKAWA
THE BOOK OF DISQUIET - PESSOA
GOODBYE TO BERLIN - ISHERWOOD
THE ENORMOUS ROOM - CUMMINGS
THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER - HOGG
PERE GORIOT - BALZAC
LOOKING BACKWARD - BELAMY
AN IDEAL HUSBAND - WILDE
MEMOIRS OF MY NERVOUS ILLNESS - SCHREBER
EARTH ABIDES - STEWART
CHROME YELLOW - HUXLEY
THE MOON AND SIXPENCE - MAUGHAM


http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4206268?shelf=currently-reading

FUCKYEAHCAPSGUYTHREAD

LAST FIVE
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT FIVE

LAST FIVE:
THE DECAY OF THE ANGEL - MISHIMA
THE TEMPLE OF DAWN - MISHIMA
JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH - VERNE
TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA - VERNE
THE DEBACLE - ZOLA

CURRENT
VITA SEXUALIS - OGAI
THE KILL - ZOLA

NEXT FIVE:
KAPPA - AKUTAGAWA
HELL - BARBUSSE
KWAIDAN - HEARN
LAUGHTER IN THE DARK - NABOKOV
THE MOON AND SIXPENCE - MAUGHAM

ALTHOUGH NEXT FIVE PROBABLY WILL CHANGE IF I PICK STUFF UP AT THE LIBRARY

LAST FIVE
CURRENT
NEXT FIVE

POST EM

LAST FIVE:
I, ROBOT - ASIMOV
THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES - BRADBURY
THE NUN - DIDEROT
HARD TIMES - DICKENS
THE BEAST WITHIN - ZOLA

CURRENT:
ROBINSON CRUSOE - DEFOE

NEXT FIVE:
THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD - LOVECRAFT
THE TEMPLE OF DAWN - MISHIMA
JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH - VERNE
HELL - BARBUSSE
TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA - VERNE

ESSENTIAL CAPSGUY READING THREAD

LAST FIVE READS
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT FIVE

DISCUSSION, ANALYSIS, RECOMMENDATIONS WELCOME.

LAST FIVE:
DANTE'S INFERNO - ALIGHIERI
RUNAWAY HORSES - MISHIMA
QUICKSAND - TANIZAKI
PALM-OF-THE-HAND STORIES - KAWABATA
NAOMI - TANIZAKI

CURRENT
SURVIVAL IN AUSCHWITZ - LEMI

NEXT FIVE
THE BEAST WITHIN - ZOLA
JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH - VERNE
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND - DICKENS
THE TEMPLE OF DAWN - MISHIMA
THE NUN - DIDEROT

TIME FOR ME TO GO TO UNI SO I MIGHT TALK ABOUT BOOKS LATER

LAST FIVE
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT FIVE

LAST FIVE:
NAOMI - TANIZAKI
THE OLD CAPITAL - KAWABATA
THE RESTAURANT OF MANY ORDERS - MIYAZAWA
NIGHT ON THE MLKY WAY RAILWAY - MIYAZAWA
SPRING SNOW - MISHIMA

CURRENT:
PALM-OF-THE-HAND-STORIES - KAWABATA

NEXT FIVE:
QUICKSAND - TANIZAKI
DEATH IN MIDSUMMER: AND OTHER STORIES - MISHIMA
SURVIVAL IN AUSCHWITZ - LEVI
RUNAWAY HORSES - MISHIMA
OUR MUTUAL FRIEND - DICKENS

LAST FIVE, CURRENTLY READING, NEXT FIVE

POST THEM, ENCOURAGED WITH THOUGHTS, RECOMMENDATIONS ETC.

HAVEN'T HAD ONE OF THESE IN SOME TIME, BETTER MAKE IT A SPECIAL ONE

LAST SIX READS
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT SIX READS

LAST SIX:
THE ANALECTS - CONFUCIUS
THE ELIXIR OF LIFE - BALZAC
THERESE RAQUIN - ZOLA
THE TEMPTATION OF SAINT ANTONY - FLAUBERT
TOMORROW - CONRAD
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS - VERNE

CURRENTLY READING
SANSHIRO - SOSEKI

NEXT 6
TAO TE CHING - TZU
AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS - LOVECRAFT (AS I AM TRYING TO READ ALL PRE 1950 NOVELLA CHART LISTED ITEMS)
HECUBA - EURIPIDES
THE BOOK OF FIVE RINGS - MUSASHI
MISANTHROPE - MOLIERE
THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK - DUMAS

LAST FIVE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT FIVE:

YOU'RE WELCOME TO POST THOUGHTS, REVIEWS, RECOMMENDATIONS, OR GENERAL DISCUSSION. I MAY PROCEED TO DO SO, BUT NOT IN OP.

LAST FIVE:
GOBSECK - BALZAC
MARKHEIM - STEVENSON (INTERESTING SHORT STORY TAKE ON THE DEAL WITH THE DEVIL PREMISE)
THE RED AND THE BLACK - STENDHAL
THE BLACK SHEEP - BALZAC
A COUNTRY DOCTOR - KAFKA

CURRENT:
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS - VERNE

NEXT FIVE:
TOMORROW - CONRAD
SANSHIRO - SOSEKI
THE FLOOD - ZOLA
THE TEMPTATION OF ANTHONY - FLAUBERT
TAO TE CHING - TZU

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

LAST THREE
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT THREE

LAST THREE:
THE ART OF LOVE - OVID
INN OF THE TWO WITCHES - CONRAD
THE TRAIN WAS ON TIME - BOLL

CURRENT:
LOUISE DE LA VALLIERE - DUMAS

NEXT THREE:
THE BLACK SHEEP - BALZAC
A COUNTRY DOCTOR - KAFKA
MARKHEIM - STEVENSON

LAST 3 READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE:

WITH DISCUSSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS IF YOU WANT

LAST THREE:
A TALE OF A TUB - SWIFT (1694-'97)
HIS FIRST WORK, PRETTY MEDIOCRE WORK SATIRISING OTHER SATIRE.

NARCISSUS AND GOLDMUND - HESSE (1930)
ANOTHER TYPICAL PHILOSOPHY 101 SPEND YOUR LIFE SEARCHING FOR SALVATION THROUGH RELIGION OR WORLDLY MEANS HESSE WORK. PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AS CLEARLY DISTINCTIVE BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT PARTIES' BELIEFS THAT YOU FOLLOW THROUGH THE ENTIRE TALE.

GERMINAL - ZOLA (1885)
MY FIRST CHECK OUT OF ZOLA, AND MAYBE TOP 5 NOVELS I HAVE READ. PRETTY GRITTY PROSE THAT ZOLA THREW OUT HERE ON A CERTAINLY RELEVANT AND STILL DEBATED ISSUE. SETS THE SCENE PRETTY WELL FOR THE STRUGGLE AGAINST BOURGEOIS IN FRANCE/EUROPE AT THE TIME AS THE FIRST CORPORATIONS AND MEGA-COMPANIES BEGAN CHEWING UP ALL OPPOSITION AND UTILISING THEIR POWER TO BE RUTHLESS ON THEIR WORKERS AND FORCE THEM INTO POVERTY AND SUBSERVIENCE. HAVE SINCE DECIDED THAT MY GOAL IS ALSO TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH HIS WIDE ARRAY OF NOVELS UNTIL COMPLETION. INTERESTING HOW ANOTHER NATURALIST AUTHOR HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVOURITES TOO (TOLSTOY), PITY ZOLA MET SUCH AN UNBECOMING ENDING

LAST THREE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE:

GENERAL DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATIONS COOL TOO

LAST THREE:
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - TOLKEIN. DECIDED TO RE-READ THIS SINCE I HADN'T READ THE SERIES SINCE I WAS A KID AND FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS WRITTEN PRE-WW II. NOTHING REALLY TO SAY SINCE EVERYONE ALREADY KNOWS

THE ADOLESCENT - DOSTOEVSKY
OFTEN IGNORED COMPARED TO HIS OTHER LONGER TITLES, THE ADOLESCENT TELLS THE TALE OF AN ILLEGITIMATE 19 YEAR OLD. ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T HAVE THE GRAND PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS AKIN TO MANY OF HIS LONGER WORKS, THE COUNTLESS PLOT TWISTS THAT WILL AT TIMES LEAVE YOU FRUSTRATED, JOYFUL AND COUNTLESS OTHER EMOTIONS AS TOLD THROUGH THE (SLIGHTLY OFF) 19 YEAR OLD'S PERCEPTION. CERTAINLY WORTH READING AFTER DEMONS AND THE IDIOT, AS MANY OF DOSTOEVSKY'S CHARACTER TYPES ARE SEEN REPLAYED HERE.

THE JEW OF MALTA - MARLOWE
QUITE A COMICAL PLAY THAT EXPLORES THE THEMES OF ANTISEMITISM AND REVENGE. EVEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AVID READERS OF PLAYWRITES THIS WILL CERTAINLY KEEP YOU GRIPPED, WITH ALL THE BLOODBATH

CURRENT:
CONTINUING MY D'ARTAGNAN ROMANCES WITH TEN YEARS LATER BY DUMAS.

NEXT THREE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
IMMENSEE - STORM
THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU - WELLS
A STUDY IN SCARLET - DOYLE

TESTING

LAST THREE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE:

LAST THREE:
THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO - WALPOLE (1764)
OFTEN REGARDED AS THE GRANDPA OF GOTHIC FICTION, THIS SOMEWHAT ENTERTAINING ROMANTIC TALE OF THE TIME OF THE CRUSADES LEAVES THE READER WITH A FEELING OF SOMETHING MISSING. THIS COULD BE RESULTANT ON THE ABSURDITY OF THE TEXT/PLOT (READS LIKE A SOAP DRAMA), UNBELIEVABLE CHARACTERS AND THE LACK OF REASON. STILL, FOR THE SHORTNESS OF THE TEXT AND ITS INFLUENCE, WORTH CHECKING OUT

THE SECRET AGENT - CONRAD (1907)

I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THE LENGTH OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN CULLED BY ABOUT 1/5TH WHICH WOULD'VE MADE IT THAT MUCH OF A BETTER READ. ALTHOUGH, PRETTY INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO HOW TERRORISM WAS DEALT WITH IN LATE 1800'S EUROPE IN COMPARISON TO OUR OWN "WAR ON TERROR". ESPIONAGE, BOMBS, AND ANARCHISM ALONE ARE LIKELY TO KEEP THE READER IN SUSPENSE. CONRAD SHINES THROUGH HERE SHOWING THAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF WRITING A TALE OF POLITICAL INTRIGUE AWAY FROM THE SEA WHILE MAINTAINING HIS TRADEMARK DESCRIPTIVE TONE. THIS IS A PRETTY DARK BOOK, SO FANS OF DOSTOEVSKY WILL PROBABLY ENJOY THIS. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE REFERENCE TO THE AMERICAN POLICE FORCE BEING WILLING TO VIOLATE CIVIL LIBERTIES TO GET THE JOB DONE

THE UNKNOWN MASTERPIECE - BALZAC (1829)
ANOTHER STORY BY BALZAC DEALING WITH PAINTING AND MADNESS IN GENIUS, AND LET ME TELL YOU, IF YOU DON'T REALLY APPRECIATE PAINTING/AREN'T INTERESTED IN IT, THEN A LOT OF THIS NOVELLA WILL BE LOST ON YOU. ***SPOILER SPOILER I TOLD YOU SPOILER***
PRETTY INTERESTING HOW THE ARTIST SO CAUGHT UP IN DEPICTING THE PERFECT PORTRAIT ENDS UP DOING ANYTHING BUT.

CURRENT:
CONTINUING MY D'ARTAGNAN ROMANCES WITH THE VICOMTE DE BRAGELONNE BY DUMAS (1847)

NEXT THREE:
THE JEW OF MALTA - MARLOWE (1589)
THE LITTLE DEMON - SOLOGUB (1907)
THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU - WELLS (1896)

RECOMMENDATIONS AND GENERAL DISCUSSION ALWAYS WELCOME.

LET'S DO IT

LAST THREE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE READS:

DON'T FORGET TO RECOMMEND AT LEAST ONE THING PRIOR TO POSTING YOUR OWN LIST.

LAST THREE:
THE MISER - MOLIERE 4/5 (1668) THIS IS THE SECOND PLAY I HAVE READ BY MOLIERE, WITH THIS ALSO HAVING THEMES OF MATERIALISM AND MEN USING THEIR OWN FAMILY FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT, EVEN IF IT IS AGAINST THEIR WILL. INTRIGUING HOW RELEVANT HIS WORKS ARE TO THIS DAY. GREAT TO USE WHEN PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT: "PEOPLE THESE DAYS HAVE BECOME SO GREEDY AND MATERIALISTIC, WAH WAH WAH, WHY IS SOCIETY SUDDENLY SO BAD?"

DAPHNIS AND CHLOE - LONGUS 4/5 (2AD) SHORT TALE OF TWO ADOLESCENTS IN LUST TO MAKE LOVE WITH EACH OTHER, WITH NO ONE TO TELL THEM WHAT LOVE IS. PRETTY INFLUENTIAL TEXT FOR MODERN NOVELS, AND YET IT HAS ONLY 166 RATINGS ON GOODREADS, VERY DISAPPOINTING.

RESURRECTION - TOLSTOY (1899) 4/5. HIS LAST MAJOR WORK, WHICH MANY HAVE CLAIMED AS HIS SEEPING INTO CRAZY OLD MAN TOLSTOY, WITH HIS CONTINUAL RELIGIOUS PREACHING THROUGHOUT THE NOVEL AND OTHER SHORTER TEXTS HE WROTE AROUND THE TIME, AS A RESULT OF HIS OWN RELIGIOUS ENLIGHTENMENT. AND YET, IT IS NOT AS BAD, NOR PREACHY AS EVERYONE MAKES IT OUT TO BE. FROM WHAT I GATHERED FROM THE STORY IS THAT BEING RELIGIOUS IS NOT AN INTEGRAL FACTOR FOR ONE'S OWN REDEMPTION. VERY INTERESTING WORK WITH THE DISCUSSIONS TOWARDS THE LATER END OF THE WORK SIGNALLING THE UPCOMING REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA.

CURRENT:
TWENTY YEARS AFTER - DUMAS (1845). PRETTY MUCH JUST STARTED, NOT MUCH TO SAY

NEXT THREE:
THE IMAGINARY INVALID - MOLIERE (1673)
SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION - FLAUBERT (1869)
VIRGIN SOIL - TURGENEV (1849), OR ANOTHER PLAY BY MOLIERE TO GIVE ME A BREAK FROM TWO PRETTY INTENSE WORKS.

LAST THREE READS
CURRENTLY READING
NEXT THREE

LAST THREE:
HEDDA GABLER - IBSEN
MEDA - EURIPIDES
SOME PREFER NETTLES - TANIZAKI

CURRENT:
THE PRECIPICE - GONCHAROV

NEXT THREE:
DAPHNIS AND CHLOE - LONGUS (STILL WAITING ON SHAREMATE TO FINISH IT)
THE MONKEY'S PAW - JACOBS
PROBABLY THE CREATED LEGEND BY SOLOGUB, OR A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE BY WILDE

MAKE SURE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ETC.

LAST THREE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE:

LAST THREE:
EUGENIE GRANDET - BALZAC
THE MASTER BUILDER - IBSEN
ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE - IBSEN

CURRENT:
THE GIRL WITH THE GOLDEN EYES - BALZAC

NEXT THREE:
BEL-AMI - MAUPASSANT
THE BOOK OF TEA - OKAKURA
STEPPENWOLF - HESSE

LAST THREE READS:
CURRENTLY READING:
NEXT THREE READS:

LAST THREE:
THE BRIDGE BUILDERS - KIPLING
THE HAIRY APE - O'NEILL
A LETTER TO A HINDU - TOLSTOY

CURRENT:
THE BEAUTIFUL AND DAMNED - FITZGERALD

I CAN'T JUST HELP FEELING THAT I'M READING THIS FLOWERY PROSE FOR NO SUBSTANTIVE REASON. BEAUTIFUL PROSE ON ITS OWN DOES NOT EQUATE TO A GOOD BOOK. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE AFTER HIS INITIAL SUCCESSES HIS PUBLISHER WAS LIKE: "YOU'RE A CASH COW NOW FITZGERALD, I'M FINE WITH ANYTHING YOU WRITE"

NEXT THREE:
THE IRON HEEL - LONDON
THE LEAR OF THE STEPPES - TURGENEV
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE - IBSEN

I'M ALSO GOING TO RETURN SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION BY FLAUBERT TO THE LIBRARY
1. BECAUSE THE COPY WAS CRAPPY
AND
2. I BELIEVE IT'S MY LAST MAJOR WORK BY HIM FOR ME TO READ, SO I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE NICER IF I WAITED UNTIL I WAS BETTER ACQUAINTED WITH FRENCH LITERATURE.

ALSO FOUND A COUPLE INTERESTING TITLES ONLINE TODAY:
THE STORM (1859) BY OSTROVSKY (AN AUTHOR I HAD NO IDEA OF HIS EXISTENCE UNTIL TODAY, VERY EXCITING FOR ME)

NOVEL WITH COCAINE (1935) BY AGEYEV.
COPY-PASTE FROM GOODREADS:
"As his desire to experiment with narcotics grows stronger, so too do his feelings of worthlessness and isolation; and his ultimate physical surrender to cocaine mirrors his nation's psychological capitulation to a world where morals no longer apply"

THIS SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING FOR MANY USERS HERE, I'LL CHECK IT OUT WHEN I CAN

AND

CURSED DAYS: DIARY OF A REVOLUTION BY BUNIN. OUT OF THE THREE AUTHORS IT WAS ONLY BUNIN WHO I WAS AWARE OF, BUT I'VE YET TO READ ANYTHING BY HIM TOO.

MY THREAD JUST DELETED AS I WAS POSTING THIS REPLY, MUST HAVE BEEN ON PAGE 15.