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/lit/ - Literature

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1900051 No.1900051 [Reply] [Original]

We are now more than halfway through the year, how has this year been for you /lit/?
reading wise?

what have been your favourite books?

what did you like so much about them?
what books are you looking forward to reading in the 2nd half of 2011?

Are there any new releases you're excited for, have you pre-ordered/reserved them? Dance with Dragons? The new Murakami maybe?

How do you feel your attitude and feelings towards literature have changed since browsing /lit/ and reading? Was this board, perhaps, your first taste of reading critically? Have the threads on that transferred to your own reading for enjoyment?

Have you been reading less? More? Do you feel you spend too much time here and not enough time reading?

Please refrain from merely listing all the books you've read this year, that isn't discussing literature, i want this thread to be about your fav books and stuff like that!

mine coming in the next post!
pic unrelated

>> No.1900061

I would like to read some Richard Yates. Or something.

>> No.1900076

I definitely spend too much time here, but if I'm being honest the ridiculous amount of time I spend on the internet is kind of a constant and wasting time here probably has a less detrimental effect on my RL activities than that summer where I fell down the wrong hole of the pop music blogosphere and Dr. Luke became my God.

I wanted to read The Pale King and Joyce Carol Oates' memoir of her widowhood, even though I'm not a big fan of the latter, but the second they showed up on bookstores I began to feel like I could probably wait for the paperbacks to show up in used bookstores 15 months from now.

I became obsessed with Cynthia Ozick and George Eliot this year. I am currently reading The Infernal Desire Machines of Dr. Hoffman by Angela Carter and it's really sending delicious throbs of passion down the undying boner for purple prose I tried to deny all the years I spent in school.

>> No.1900082

>>1900061
>>1900061

yeah some guy uploaded it, but then CAPSGUY decided to leave a little blog comment for Tao to read telling him about it, so the uploader took it down

>> No.1900094

>>1900082
Really? I've missed that. I've heard just that the guy uploaded something unusable by the others.

>> No.1900102

>>1900094
>>1900094

yeah then he tried to strip the DRM i think, like so others could use it? But CAPSGUY decided to send Tao a little blog comment because you know, it's copyright infringement on a living author with not a lot of money so legal repercussions could be severe.

he thought it'd be funny i guess

>> No.1900105

Favourite Books: Under the Volcano, Notes from the Underground, Gravity's Rainbow, Tao Lin

You recommended Under the Volcano to me: it was very dense, but had excellent stream of conscious
Notes from the Underground I enjoyed mostly because the narrative was realistic
Gravity's Rainbow I enjoyed because it was like an adventure: you would have to pick apart individual bits of the book and analyze them to continue comprehending.
Tao Lin is grate book yb Richard Yates

>> No.1900115

>>1900105
Forgot the other half:
Going to reread Ulysses, read Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, read Against the Day, reread Confessions of a Yakuza ( a wonderful read )
No new releases for me, unfortunately. I'm just waiting patiently for Paolini to finish his "Cycle" because I just want to know how poorly he will end it, I don't like him at all.
My attitude and feelings toward literature have changed in that I am now reading far more challenging literature and reading for enjoyment much more than I used to, instead of playing video games or whatever else I could do. This board was possibly the first STRONG taste of critical reading, as I had heard vague mentions of it prior. The threads have influenced my perception of things.
As I stated above, I have been reading more in terms of content, but less books total due to the density of my recent readings. I do spend a substantial amount of time here, but not enough to warrant the idea that I don't spend enough time reading.

>> No.1900117
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1900117

>>1900102
>helping Tao Lin
>2011
Ok, good reason to hate caps.

>> No.1900118

>>1900051
I'm waiting for yours now, bb

>> No.1900120

>>1900102
No one's gonna blame that guy if his first intentions were good but he freaked out by the end. That's okay, I guess...

>> No.1900126

>>1900117
Capsguy sucks but I do kind of feel for Tao, clinging to a Brooklyn address by the skin of his teeth while trying to make a living as an artist/friend of Carles

>> No.1900140

>>1900126
let's not forget all the oxycontin..

>> No.1900181
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1900181

haven't read that much, about 20 books this year so far i think, 2 were non-fic literary theory books too, gonna try and read a lot more over these holidays

my favourite books i've read this year would be Dance Dance Dance by Murakami, the first i've read by him and a very enjoyable intro to his writing style, very easy reading and interesting, also nicely paced.

Ferdydurke - Wiltold Grombowicz, my first Polish novel, sent by a friend of mine, really enjoyable and surreal, although the translation felt a little ruddy and hard to get through at time, i think it worked well overall, some great parts in this. Definately a recommendation for someone who likes modernist literature!

The invention of Morel - Adolfo Bioy Casares, a 103 page masterpiece, a great and unexpected little treasure a friend recommended to me, about a man who is escaping the law on an island who feels he may be slowly losing his mind when he falls in love with a women who pretends never to see him. COULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH. loved it, 5/5

not exicted for any new releases really, gonna start ASOIAF soon so maybe Dance with Dragons with excite me, who knows?

i read a lot less now because of /lit/ i think, i spend more time here than i should, but i also think i read better books because i come here, so it's kinda not such a bad thing

>> No.1900183

Whatever. There are on repercussions for uploading a file to a filehost. It will just be removed if someone files DMCA and that's it. Then you just reup or, if you use a filehost with a copy button, you just repost.........Now where is that book you promised, BROWNBEAR?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=tao+lin&am
p;x=8&y=12

>> No.1900184

>>1900140
also he might need to upgrade his macbook. i mean you get apple discount when upgrading but it still aint cheap.

>> No.1900198

>>1900117

This year so far the only book I've read that I really really liked was Queer. Honestly it is W.S.Burroughs best fucking book, I've read about 6 by him. It isn't written in his Crazy cutup style it's just straight forward and autobiographical. He basically just chills in mexico bar-hopping and trying to seduce college freshmen age boys. Then he takes a trip with a gay boy to south america in search of a drug that supposedly give you telepathic abilities and they transverse rainforests and shit. I recommend it here every burroughs thread but I have yet to see anyone here other than me talk or mention having read it, which is depressing it really is his best.

I started reading the following:
Evasion- Published by crimethinc so if that doesn't tell you everything right there, it's about a dude who dumpster dives and wanders around as a homeless vagabond. IT SUCKS. It was given to me as a gift and I read the first 50 pages out of courtesy but I will never finish this pile of shit.

Little Red Book - Basically just quotations about Mao's opinions on different things. It makes the ideas much easier to understand, and is written for people like me that really don't want to read all of Marx's writings but we want the gist of it. It is alright so far, they have an interesting take on Marxist-Leninism.

I've been writing mostly this year, I wrote two complete spec scripts, and I'm working on two books at once at the moment. So I haven't had time for much reading.

>> No.1900204
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1900204

>>1900183
>>1900183

>there's no reprecussions for uploading to a filehost

proof?

>> No.1900211

>>1900204

I used to make threads here back when this first started, where I would upload files to mediafire, I checked on it recently and half of my files were still up there, A couple got taken down and a notice popped up that said that they were taken down for copyright issues.

MFW they didn't even close my account on mediafire over it!

They really won't do anything but ask you to take it down. It's kind of like uploading a movie onto youtube, nobody is going to sue you over putting it up there, they will just ask that it gets taken down, ect.

>> No.1900213

>>1900211
>>1900211

but the difference is, there are NO tao lin ebooks online, at ALL

imagine being the first person to get your hands on a movie and you put it on youtube, could you be fucked them?

>> No.1900214

>>1900204

they just remove it. they can't give away your name. the only way it can be taken to another level is if you file a counter dmca claim.........then shit gets real.

>> No.1900215
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1900215

>BB makes a thread
>Not replying to the nature of the thread
>"Where's Tao's book brah"

This is going to be a worthwhile thread.


I haven't done much reading this year. Picked up The Pale King and read a few books I bought a while back, a grand total of about 10.

Plan to pick up the Murakami novel in November though.

>> No.1900218
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1900218

i would have mad respect for Tao if he tweeted this thread.

>> No.1900219

>>1900213

Not really, if you are that scared send the file to me over the email posted here and I'll post it myself.

>> No.1900221

>>1900219
>>1900219

when the guy who uploaded it last did it, someone decided (CAPSGUY) to send tao a blog post telling him that people were stealing his work and putting it online.

p sure i can get fucked as the original owner of the book who then shared it, if you prove me otherwise then fine

>> No.1900225

>>1900221

how could you get fucked? just upload anonymously ie don't sign into the account.

i just checked my fileserve account because they don't give you an option to erase files that have been removed due to dmca...........323 removed due to dmca and not a fucking thing has happened.

fact is, you're just making fucking excuses.

>> No.1900229

>>1900221

send it to nhtownconnect@husmail.com and i'll post it.

>> No.1900233

>>1900225
>>1900225

because i bought the book from the kindle store, not sure if this has been implemented yet but there IS afeature where you can trace it back the the original owner (JK Rowling is going to be using this for her Pottermore website to stop the illegal sharing of her ebooks)

excuses?
Tao Lin is a LIVING author who browses this board, if i uploaded an ebook and it got traced back to me, THE FIRST EBOOK OF HIS ON THE WEB, i could definitely be held liable for loss of earnings.

you STILL haven't proved Tao wouldn't have grounds to sue my ass,

>> No.1900236

>>1900221
You removed the DMCA from it already! If you are so damn worried about it I will copy-paste all the text from the pdf into a textfile and make my own pdf file from it so that it won't originate at all from your computer.

mfw, I'm a law student and I know nobody in their right mind would bother with all the work and time and money that would go into prosecuting something like this! You are the most paranoid person I have ever met!

>> No.1900240

you're a law student?
then please tell me 100% honestly that Tao would NOT be able to sue me for loss of earnings relating to me sharing his ebook, honestly, just prove that, and the only reason i'm paranoid about it is that CAPSGUY decided to contact Tao directly about it after someone shared it

>> No.1900245

I really want to read a Tao Lin book bad. Obviously BB is new to the internet. If you don't post this BB I can honestly say that I will lose all respect for you. FUCKING GROW A PAIR! I would post this if you sent it to me.

I have threatened peoples lives on the internet and people have called the cops about it, AND GUESS WHAT? They haven't knocked at my door yet. You know why? because nobody gives a fuck.

>> No.1900249

>>1900245
>>1900245

i'm p sure it will be posted sometime tomorrow, i think the poster was just confused about removing DMC because the megaupload another poster sent wasn't very good at explaining.

>> No.1900255

Seeing as we're talking about ebooks and drm, I have a question: Can an Epub file with DRM be cracked from any computer? Or does it have to be from the one that bought it (like the Amazon ebooks). Because my friend has a few books he bought from Waterstones but gets confused by shit like removing DRM. He's no good with computers.

>> No.1900258

>>1900249

hey, since you erased your post that stated you would provide a lin book, and if your really not making excuses, please provide proof that a file can be traced to the original owner?

because if i'm able to read it, and you bought it, then it has been stripped of its encryption ie anything that can be traced to the original owner and i say your full-of-shit.

>> No.1900264

>>1900258
>>1900258

i got banned actually i didn't delete it
and also i'm asking whether it CAN be traced down to it's original owner, i don't know either, i just know JK rowling is doing it for her ebooks on pottermore, but that's her own ebook site, not like the amazon ebook store

i'm not full of shit because i haven't said anything, i'm just asking for proof that the uploader of an ebook from a living author like Tao Lin, is unable to be held legally responsible for loss of earnings.

>> No.1900266

>>1900255

well, if he has $30 bucks and doesn't mind spending it, then he can buy this software

http://drmremove.info/how-to-remove-drm-from-epub.html

which will probably be easier if your dumb-as-shit.

but the method offered here >>1891851 is simple enough.

>> No.1900270

>>1900240

Here is the rundown, although it has never been done before, technically he could have grounds for a case against you. BUT now heres the fun part. (wait until you see the bill at the end, I'm actually looking up the prices based on similar cases)

First off, you and I would both be equally liable, the difference between the ripper and the uploader is none, so you, me and everybody who uploads the file is liable. For you he would have to get the co-operation with several websites, their datastations, as well as the ISP, and since you are in the UK they couldn't even begin to start without the permission of the UK government which could easily take several years as has been shown in similar cases (these cases were for major movies leaking before they came out in theatres not some crappy book nobodys heard of)

Now since none of the datastations would co-operate as they usually don't in these cases, the case would probably end there. UNLESS of course he files for them to be subpoenaed via a judge order, and in order to do that he would have to have absolute proof that you did it before they even consider, which is practically impossible.

>> No.1900271

>>1900264

the file CAN'T be traced back to the original......how many times do i have to tell you that? i can't prove it because it's not true, so it's never been addressed.

also, provide link to the article which states that jk rowling is tracing her ebooks.

>> No.1900272

>>1900270


The only cases where people have actually been caught have been students doing this on a university computer. And the only reason hwy they were caught is because the university gave them up to make examples of them. They signed away their right to internet privacy when they started on using the colleges private internet services. Whereas in most cases even colleges will refuse to give up the students identities, these few colleges where students were taken to court for torrenting music were the exception. And there has never been a single case where a private ISP such as comcast has given up records except in the case of terrorism, ect.

Also did I mention that the average cost incurred for those students who were taken to court was millions in lawyer fees? When the students themselves were only charged with around 13k for what they pirated! lol

There has to date never been a sucessful anti-pirating case from anyone who wasn't backed by a multi-national corporation.

>> No.1900278

>>1900270
>>1900270
>>1900272
>>1900272

thanks, i have a feeling it will be on #bookz tommorrow at some point

>> No.1900284

LOL its so funny as if Tao would have the money from his meger book sales to take you to court because you lost him 200$ in earnings! Who on earth would even read a Tao Lin ebook?

>> No.1900285

>>1900284
>>1900284

i've read some of it, it's fucking shit

>> No.1900292
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1900292

>mfw your still making excuses and still haven't posted it.

also, he referenced dakota fanning in that preview you gave us rotfl

>> No.1900301

>How has this year been for you reading wise?
Read more books than I have my whole life, plan to read even more. It's the year I realized I wanted to be a writer and decided to brush up, so it's been pretty life-altering.
>What have been your favourite books?
Breakfast of Champions, Catch-22, The Shining, Lord of the Rings.
>What did you like so much about them?
The first for how much I related to it, the second for it's ability to make me laugh more than any movie or series, the third for it's psychological manipulation, the fourth for it's impressive breadth.
>Are there any new releases you're excited for, have you pre-ordered/reserved them?
I'm excited to get into Murakami, but 19Q4 probably won't enter my hands for a while.
>How do you feel your attitude and feelings towards literature have changed since browsing /lit/ and reading?
I'm familiar with more aspects of the culture on a periphery level, that's about it.

>> No.1900317

>>1900292
>>1900292

his main character is called Dakota Fanning, the other one is also named after a famous child actor

>> No.1900325

>>1900285

Well, at least most of us will be able to laugh about it when that kind *cough* anon posts it.

>> No.1900329

Fuck you, Brownbear. You are spouting shit now. JK Rowling can't trace ebooks - but those you will be able to get at Pottermore will have your name watermarked on them, so if one spreads, all will know from whom. Post the damn Tao shit already.

>> No.1900335

>>1900329
>>1900329

that's what i was asking.
i'm sure it will be uploaded to #bookz tommorrow bro, don't worry

>> No.1900339

i finished like 1 or 2 books in my own time

>> No.1900342

>>1900329

>He said he has a feeling it will be on #bookz tomorrow.

>people here to stupid to take hints.

>BB gets tingling sensations in his anus when he feels a book about to be leaked.

>> No.1900360

To be honest, I don't stay up-to-date with new releases on books. I have Neil Gaiman, Jhonen and David Wong on facebook, but that's it. I pretty much depend on friends and /lit/ to recommend me new books.

As for literature, I have read more since coming to /lit/, and I must say I don't see what all the fuss is about, and 'literature' is a woefully poor term to describe what literature is. Books are arbitrarily assigned to literature, whereas others are disregarded due to some silly contrivance like subject matter or [yes] mainstream popularity. In the end, I think it is a very elitist thing, literature. I just read books and don't bother with the classification anymore. /lit/ showed me that by showing me examples of what I never wish to become.

>> No.1900694
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1900694

Here's a picture of what I've read so far this year.

I'd say it's been a great year so far for me - I've already read as much as I did last year, as I only started reading seriously again in like June of last year (yeah, I was a summerfag). I've read a ton of new authors and read more by authors I love. While at the beginning of the year I was mostly reading Japanese authors and things for class, I've switched gears a bit during the summer. Bit more variety now.

Some favorites would be the Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Kenji Miyazawa, and Kyoka Izumi books, Botchan, and Run, Melos and Other Stories. Akutagawa and Miyazawa I think are more or less masters of the short story, though in entirely different respects. Miyazawa got me into Japanese children's lit, which I've also been reading around on, and Akutagawa I've already re-read several times. I will never tire of his "Hell Screen" or "In a Grove."

For the second half of the year, I'm hoping to gorge myself on stuff from New York Review Books Classics. I've picked up 6 from the library and have ebooks of a few more, so I'm set in that respect. At least, for a month or two. From there on, who knows what interests I'll have.

I don't really follow new releases too much, so no comment there, really.

My reading has become a lot more varied, but I think I've developed some kind of pretension about it all. Whenever someone tells me they love to read in real life and say their favorite author is Dan Brown or Rowling or something, I get so extremely internally judgmental, and that never used to happen. But oh well!

>> No.1900698

Brownbear, you finally making an on-topic thread to try to divert the attention away from your lies?

I'm just asking, because it seems very odd.

>> No.1900712

HERE I WAS THINKING THAT I SENT TAO LIN A MESSAGE SAYING HOW WE'RE ALWAYS WITH HIM AND LOVE HIM, AND ASKING HIM IF HIS MARRIAGE IS POLYGAMOUS WITH A WINK SIGN

BUT YOU CAN KEEP SPREADING LIES, LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO, JUST TO INCREASE YOUR REPUTATION ON /LIT/

YOU FUCKING IDIOT.

DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THIS FUCKWIT SAYS. MY COMMENT WAS NEVER PUBLISHED ON HIS BLOG, I DON'T BELIEVE I EVEN POSTED WHAT I SAID, ALL I POSTED WAS THE "USER HAS TO CONFIRM YOUR COMMENT BEFORE IT IS SHOWN MESSAGE"

YOU CALL ME AN IDIOT FOR NOT BEING THE MOST LITERATE USER, BUT I'D RATHER SUCK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAN SUFFER FROM YOUR RETARDATION.

>> No.1900721

http://www.goodreads.com/user_challenges/87587

>> No.1900724

BROWNBEAR IS JUST A FUCKING PUSSY

THE PAST FEW DAYS HAVE PROVEN IT

AND FROM SUCH A HARDCORE MUAY THAI FIGHTER TOO.

OH MAN BROWNBEAR, YOU REALLY SHOT YOURSELF ON THE FOOT ON THIS ONE.

>> No.1900739

>>1900712
>>1900712

tom harper said you told him about the piracy thing
why would you post on his blog anyway?

>> No.1900741

>>1900698
>>1900698

i explianed in ANOTHER thread that the person who bought it will be uploading it tommorrow

get it?
got it?
goooooooooood

>> No.1900743

>>1900724
AND FROM SUCH A HARDCORE MUAY THAI FIGHTER TOO.
huh

>> No.1900746

>>1900698
>>1900698

actually i'm wrong IT'S THIS THREAD
read it you retard

>> No.1900747
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1900747

>>1900712
>>1900724

>> No.1900750

>>1900743
>>1900743

did muay thai for like 2 years, capsguy gets into racist fights against drunk black guys.

go figure huh?

>> No.1900765

>>1900739
>Tom Harper
that fat fuck lives for internet drama

why would you listen to a thing he said

>> No.1900771

>>1900765
>>1900765

because capsguy posted something about Tao Lin's blog and i know he's extremely jealous of me so of course would do something like that!

can we get this back on topic?

>> No.1900914

ITT: Tightfisted cunts.

If you want to read Tao Lin's work then a) there's a pretty representative sample on his muumuu website, all free, so you can decide if you like his execrable, shallow drivel If you then like it, then buy some of his longer work, and put a few quid in the cunt's pocket so he can write you some more stuff that you might like, and I will hate.

What the fuck is wrong with just putting your hand in your pocket and paying a tenner for the fucking shit? I'm no fan of Tao, but he deserves to eat from his work.

And stop being such a fucking fairy about the fucking legal consequences, Brownhole - if you pirate books yourself you've got an obligation to give something back to the jewish pirate bay or wherever you people get these things from. If you're going to post it, post it, and if you're not, then tell these fucking leeches to do one and go back to your usual up-your-own-arse sneering cunt of a persona.

Fuck pirates - fuck you all. Except cool pirates like Teach and his posse.

>> No.1900960
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1900960

>>1900694
Your goofy Stuff I Read collage inspires a Mentos thumbs-up from me, but snobbery is never a good look on anyone. Maybe try to keep in mind that gorging on (awesome!) NYRB classics is pretty much the book version of the ritual semi-mindless plow through the Criterion Collection that every dickhead in slim corduroys does during their sophomore year of college.

>> No.1901017

>>1900960
Well, you've definitely succeeded in making me feel horrible! I want to hope my reading of them isn't a mindless plow.

I never actually vocalize any of the snobbery though. And to be honest, I've only interacted with two people in real life who've talked to me about leisure reading (with their favorites being Brown and Rowling). I'll get over it though, I'm sure. I know how annoying it can be, especially when I get the "I will only ever read English-language authors" thing constantly from people who I try to recommend stuff to.