/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.412660]

What are you currently reading?

I'm enjoying it so far, not as good at The Long Walk though...

[Anonymous No.412697]

>>412660
Cool, no one else is reading now!

[Anonymous No.412698]

I didn't know Stephen King did Novelisations
awesome

[Anonymous No.412715]

>>412698
It's the other way around mate...

[Anonymous No.412721]

I just finished Fahrenheit 451.

Right now I'm reading A Game of Thrones (because of /lit/).

And afterwards I plan on reading The Idiot.

[Anonymous No.412723]

>>412721
Yeah, I read Fahrenheit 451 too, as per suggested multiple times on /lit/. The Running Man and The Long Walk were also recommended here.

[Enigma !lYJ.haF3Ac No.412736]

Well written, quite enlightening.

[Anonymous No.412765]

>>412736
bad brains! yeah

[Anonymous No.412769]

gawain and the green knight
fuck yeah

[Anonymous No.412838]

Yeah. Never read it before.

[Anonymous No.412846]

Really enjoy his stuff, actually, though I hear he's something of a jerk in person.

[Anonymous No.412858]

I like it
it's a bit odd though

[Anonymous No.413036]

Red Seas under Red Skies

not far into it, but seems pretty good so far.

[Anonymous No.413042]

The Light Fantastic. Good stuff!

[Anonymous No.413063]

I am a Cat -Soseki Natsume

[Anonymous No.413456]

Great Stories... always fun to read Ellison

[Anonymous No.413627]

I'm enjoying it so far. Maurice is so delightfully average. Perhaps that is the entire point.

[Anonymous No.414419]

Not too bad, for zombie...

[Anonymous No.414435]

I'm reading this. Ask me if you have any questions..

[Anonymous No.414438]

>>414435
Hey cool! That's on my 'to read' list.

It's a short read, isn't it?

[Anonymous No.414456]

>>412660
Great novel. Try reading 'Rage' next. It's about a school shooting.

[Anonymous No.414458]

It's like a mega long blog post by Fjodor where he just generally rants with his cunning mind. He's saying that everything can be predicted even "predictions of predictions". And that the man is really stupid. he is truly ruthless with what he says. But sometimes he regrets his politically incorrect sayings, only to cover his ass. It's often tempting to put the book away for a while and think about what he said.

Yes it's a short book, but very intensive and you will read it extra slowly. Maybe in 50% of your original speed.

[Anonymous No.414460]

just started after finishing something wicked this way comes

[Anonymous No.414462]

This
>>414458

is a response to:
>>414438

[Anonymous No.414466]

[Anonymous No.414471]

Just finished reading The Book Thief and cried like a baby. Not sure what to pick up next.

[Anonymous No.414490]

Ass kicking, realistic; another good Flynn novel.

[Anonymous No.414491]

>>414471
Have you red "the diceman" ?

[Anonymous No.414495]

>>414490
> title contains executive and power
> cover shows seaking helicopters
> clearly not a good book

[Anonymous No.414496]

>>414495
you forgot
> has Dan Brown recommendation on cover

[Anonymous No.414501]

>>414495
Show a good one then.

[Anonymous No.414505]

Thanks for the suggestion to read 'Rage' next. Since I enjoyed The Long Walk and am enjoying The Running Man, I may as well try Rage!

[Anonymous No.414506]

>>414495
hehe didn't think about that. Now i'm definitely not reading that one.

[Anonymous No.414513]

[Anonymous No.414514]

>>414496
it's also a BESTSELLER. That has to mean something since "If many believe so, it is so"

[Anonymous No.414515]

>>414501
well, I admit I was great fan of those kinds of books, but I outgrew them I guess, or I just got bored, because you can vary only so much.
Ok, here is one I liked, now you can ridicule me in return

[Anonymous No.414518]

>>414490
Why can't a cover just look like this.

[Anonymous No.414519]

>>414518
Because that's a study?

[Anonymous No.414521]

>>414515
I like those. Paul Auster's very meta.

[Anonymous No.414523]

>>414518
because thats not really a book-"cover". thats a title page, you [insert slightly offensive swearword here]

[Anonymous No.414532]

>>414523
you mean its a cover resembling a title page.
I seriously doubt that there is an institute of "bad ecology"

[Anonymous No.414535]

I have that book.

But it's by some dude named Richard Bachmann.

[Anonymous No.414543]

>>414515
So it's about people that right shit in the streets with old pens and routinely bleed on the sidewalk? Just a second must google...

Oh I think I gathered that it's a detective series, from wiki's very confusing page. Anyway I suppose I could ridicule you, but I rather like detective novels, so that one might go onto my long list of 'to read in future'. Post something I don't like, if you wish for me to ridicule you, good sir.

[Anonymous No.414548]

>>414518
Because that's boring, and it sucks. Other than that, no reason at all really.

[Anonymous No.414550]

>>414535
Here you go

[Anonymous No.414556]

>>414513
Mine arse on a bandbox, I thought I was the only one who read that series.

[Anonymous No.414561]

Flannery O'Conner - Wise Blood

So far I'm loving this. Probably the best book by a female author I've ever read. Its got some great humor, and it's got this redcurrant theme of nihilism that's really interesting. I highly recommend it.

[Anonymous No.414565]

[Anonymous No.414566]

For fuck's sake. I fucked up again. :(

The Running Man cover as 'Writing as Richard Bachman' on the cover...

[Anonymous No.414580]

>>414543
well, it borrows from the detective genre, but it isnt a detective series.

OK, here, I bet you wont like that, I was searching for the douchiest cover I could find and what I actually liked

[Anonymous No.414593]

>>414580
> has power and glory in title
> shows badly drawn brownish negro on cover
> "The mighty novel of a simple man torn between the flesh and the spirit" is tagline
> indicates cost on cover: 35 cents
> not a good book!

although I read that once, wasn't really that bad. Cover is awful nonetheless.

[Anonymous No.414595]

Essays of Montaigne, Cool stuff realy, but it's a bit heavy reading

[Anonymous No.414602]

>>414580
My whole point is you really can't judge a book by the cover, like the first book in Harry Turtledoves world war series looks fucking gay. I hadn't seen the cover, because it was a library hold, so when I got it I was like FFFFFFFUUUUUUUU when I saw the cover, but it turned out to be a great book. Honestly if I had seen that cover first I would've probably passed the book over.
I'm not sure what offends so much about the Flynn cover I posted, but so far it's been a good read.

[Anonymous No.414611]

[Anonymous No.414628]

[Anonymous No.414631]

>>414602
And here's the example to illustrate my point.

[Anonymous No.414640]

>>414602
The cover did not offend me, but I am familiar with these kinds of covers. You can judge a book by its cover (but you might be wrong about it). If it mentions New York Time Bestseller on it, a quote from Dan Brown, it depicts symbols of political and military power (helicopters, seal of president or some department...) than it is clearly a "political-thriller". Many of those are rubbish. I know that because I have read shit tons of these (how do you think I know those helis are most likely SH-3 Sea Kings.) Tastes are different. And since I am a pretentious faggot, I am now above that plebeian stuff and only read books my professor will respect me for.

[Anonymous No.414641]

>>414628
that book really picks up at the end.

Also, did you know that he wanted it to be called "Panasonic" but the electronics company wouldn't let him use their corporate name so he used "White Noise" instead?

[Anonymous No.414653]

WTF, one guy gets ridiculed by another for his taste. verbal skirmish seems to be imminent. but the two neither become overly personal nor batshit crazy, hatespouting trolls. instead they kind of reconcile.

seriously, /lit/ is a pretty strange board for 4chan

[Anonymous No.414665]

>>414641
I liked the book, even if I found it to be almost ridiculously exagerated, didn't know that story about the title.
Underworld, now thats an awesome, long and slightly confusing book encircling Post war USA untill the end of the 20th century.

[Anonymous No.414667]

>>414548
Well, if one is to observe pictorials why not read a comic then, if illustrations are so pleasing?

It's not as if the competence of the designer has any relation to the competence of the writer. In fact most writers chose unfamous designers to get that "fresh" look.

[Anonymous No.414668]

[Anonymous No.414677]

>>414640
Which is exactly what I wanted really. I love a good political thriller, but I hold my authors to pretty strict standards of accuracy and realism, and so far Flynn hasn't disappointed with that.
I'm the exact opposite, those professor types rather annoy me, how they'll go on about Shakespeare, Dickens, etc, and all these other ancient, medicore authors whos only claim to fame is the fact that they wrote in an era when people were bored shitless and desperate for some form of entertainment. I think your professor would hate me haha. Oh well, read and let read, that's what I say :)

[Anonymous No.414680]

>>414641

Yeah I read that and other trivia about it somewhere in an interview where he annoted the very first page. I really like the book so far, and i want to move on to Underworld. I'm basically preparing myself for Infinite Jest (summer projekts!)

[Anonymous No.414684]

[Anonymous No.414690]

>>414667
well the point of the cover you two are referring to is to imitate the title sheet of an academical study. This would hardly work for every book, because it has not much visual stimuli and without the context its just artistic surrender

[Anonymous No.414695]

>>414491
I haven't, is it good?

[Anonymous No.414702]

>>414677
yeah, that part about my professor was not really serious, he still might hate you though.
I see the appeal you get from those books, because I did once myself, and I am pretty sure that you will also might at least take a break from this genre when you go on for a while

[Anonymous No.414722]

>>414690
I agree, It is artistic surrender. But surrender to what? To the content of the book, thats what. The only purpose covers have is to exploit your sensual desires and market itself as something obviously pleasing.

Just imagine how many good books gets crappy designs just because they haven't scored and/or learned to be snakeoils yet.

No, I promote the words, and the art of the words. That's everything I need, and not some childish illustration represented to me because of my chronic laziness of thoughts.

[Anonymous No.414746]

>>414702
I've been alternating between the aforementioned Flynn series, an 18th century navy drama, a sci-fi series, and a fantasy series. In conclusion I have quite strange reading tastes I suppose.

[Anonymous No.414751]

>>414722
I agree with you that the cover is not necessarily in connection with the content it enfolds. But when you disregard, why is it even bothering you? Some people buy books for affirmation, if the covers are designed stereotypically they save themselves a lot of time (look at the thriller cover discussion of those two love birds above, they are all made in a certain style), and they would be bored by something that is not what they expect, hope. TItles can be just as misleading as cover art.
I bet you read many books because they were recommended or held in high regard by someone (friends, canon, whatever). Thats how many people chose their books.
Besides that, I can enjoy nice cover-art and I do not care much about bad ones. I do not really see how covers fuck up the words. Demanding a reductionist uniformation is ridiculous, excessive in thought and ignorant of the relation of art, entertainment and commerce.

[Anonymous No.414757]

>>414746
not really, because this is all "genre-fiction". Most people arent exclusively reserved to just one genre.
(to whoever wants to start a stupid genre vs proper-lit bullshit discussion, note the " I put genre-fiction in. thank you)

[Anonymous No.414758]

>>414746
On and also an early 20th century detective series, with some western elements in it.

[Anonymous No.414764]

>>414677

>Shakespeare, Dickens, etc, and all these other ancient, medicore authors whos only claim to fame is the fact that they wrote in an era when people were bored shitless and desperate for some form of entertainment.


That has to be one of the greatest things I've ever read on the internets. I stood up and cheered.

[Anonymous No.414788]

>>414758
well, I lately read political pamphlets of 1860/70 washington, personal experiences of corrupt government officials in court and jail, books about the functionality of violence in the concept of the state, nihilistic novels written by a dutch dude that encompass solitude, eroticism and death, a series of contemporary novels written from the perspective of a sickly old man and the satirical account of a 17th century mercenary.... so I guess we all have weird genres we indulge in

[Anonymous No.414792]

>>414788
how much of that is for school tho

[Anonymous No.414807]

>>414751
I'm the one you responded to and Excellent response! I suppose you are right on most parts, words can be blinding as well. Maybe we should just let all the books be blank and submit to flipism lol. You are correct on the part where most books we read are recommended to us by friends. Many of the books were recommended to me here trought /lit/.

The thing is that lately a lot of books that I passionately hate has become very popular, such as Twilight, the Secret and the Alchemist. They are all very sensualistic and have incredible covers. And I'm not talking about taste, i'm talking about the psychology behind the covers. But I suppose great books deserve great covers, why shouldn't they? Greatness with more greatness is great :P

[Anonymous No.414815]

>>414751
how about this cover for an ebook?

EVERYBODY OPEN THIS PICTURE

[Anonymous No.414822]

>>414792
only the pamphlets (they are really fucking boring)...

I am studying history though, the line between shit I gotta read and shit I want to read on my own is not really precise. I live and breathe history, I guess I am really fun at parties when sober

[Anonymous No.414826]

>>414822
I enjoy historical naval fiction, and you learn good things. Like if I was transported back to the 1790s I know that I could flip people off, and tell them 'fuck you!' and there'd be no questioning my meaning. History is great :)

[Globulous !ZOOo.CSHRA No.414827]

2010

Bitches don't know 'bout my theoretical science

[Anonymous No.414836]

Anyone else reading?

[Anonymous No.414842]

>>414827
is if there were a science that has no theory

[Anonymous No.414845]

>>414842
dude, you forgot the implying and the greentext, lrn2lit

[Anonymous No.414847]

>>414807
>Twilight

Twilight really does have a good cover. Too bad the book is complete shit, but to each his own, one man's trash, another man's treasure, that's just, like, my opinion man, &c.

[Spastic !!MJLGk/Jybyb No.414848]

I just finished The Grapes Of Wrath.

Taking recommendations.

[Anonymous No.414850]

>>412660
The great thing about that book is that the sequel is even better.

I loved "The Man Who Was Out Of Breath".

[Anonymous No.414866]

>>414850
What sequel?

[Anonymous No.414885]

>>414848
Did you read Of Mice and Men?
If not, read it. John Steinbeck is brilliant
Also, Fitzgerald and Hemingway have some good literature.

[Anonymous No.414896]

>>414850
>>414866
I lol'd.

Just started Ender's Game for the first time ever.

[Anonymous No.414899]

>>414896
I seriously didn't know there was a sequel :S

[Anonymous No.414900]

>>414896
I just read that book.
Isaac Asimov and Gene Wolfe are authors you should consider if you enjoy it.

[Anonymous No.414908]

>>414899
Idunno if there's a sequel or not, but get it, the man was running, and then he's "the man who was out of breath"

[Anonymous No.414912]

>>414885
I was thinking about starting For Whom the Bell Tolls (Hemingway).

As for Of Mice And Men, I think I've had enough of that type of writing (Steinback) for a while.

I'm looking for a modern classic. Something post 1980.

[Anonymous No.414916]

Dune the first novel

[Anonymous No.414917]

>>414912
For Whom the Bells Toll is worth reading in my opinion.

[Anonymous No.414937]

>>412660
the long walk...shit, i forgot about that story. that story was so good.

[Anonymous No.414962]

Alright, Crime and Punishment vs. The Master and Margarita vs. For Whom the Bell Tolls.

Which should I go for first?