November's Nascent Nurturing of Novelistic Nexuses

I didn't like Iron Dragon's Daughter much. It was way too tween-angsty for me, filled with irritating characters that made stupid decisions and grated my last nerve. It reminded me a lot of any number of high school based anime series, but with a stronger goth coating. It has some cool moments - especially during the first ~100 pages - bu after that not so much.

*****

Started The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick on Sunday. Man, what a truly dense read. It's like reading a testimony of a character trapped in a PKD book, wondering how in the heck all of this crazy stuff is happening. Only, the crazy stuff isn't happening to a character, it's happening to a real man.

It is entirely haunting, and wrought with emotion.

Thus far, the letters addressed to Claudia Bush have been the most insightful and poignant, and really do shed a lot of light on PKD the man and his stories. I'm really looking forward to going back and re-re-reading many of his books after finishing this tome.

I don't think this is a book I can devour, but, instead, it is one that I will pick at.

And so to compliment it, last night I started Vladimir Sorokin's The Queue. This is an entirely inventive novel full of energy and experimentation. Sorokin does away with almost everything we've come to expect from a book - narrative description, plot, character description - and presents to his readers a mass of people standing in a long line - for what they do not know - waiting...and waiting. Sorokin uses the microcosm of the queue to examine the broader aspects of Soviet Russia during the early 1980s. The entire "story" is told through subsequent lines of dialog detailing the various conversations happening while all of these people wait in line.

It is absolutely fascinating and beautifully executed. Sorokin is definitely becoming one of my favorite authors.
 
The Queue is quite good. It is remarkable that Sorokin conveys so much only using unattributed lines dialog - no narration, and no description of any kind. It is often times funny, almost entirely absurd, and a completely poignant examination of crowd mentality. I imagine it would be made even more relevant having been in Russia during the early 1980s to experience their mastery of the art and science of queuing.

I do feel, though, that the book is too long for what it is. I don't think the gimmick stand up to ~200 pages worth of material.
 
I spent the first half of this week reading Johannes Cabal the Necromancer which I thoroughly enjoyed...and today I started reading The Lies of Locke Lamora - quite refreshing to find an author that's not shy about using the odd expletive (or ten!) :)
 
I read The Alloy of Law in 2 days, IMO its Sanderson's worst book to date, but it was enjoyable enough. I do realize it is meant to be a "short" story of sorts.

I have moved on to Stephen Kings new one 11/22/63 and I love it so far, only 200 pages in but can't wait to keep going.
 
Took a break from the dissertation to read The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Sea under Red Skies both by Scott Lynch. Love these series really hope he finds his way back to it.

Starting Mieville's Perdido Street Station loving it so far. Mieville's heavily descriptive style is delicious.
 
So far i've read 1st Chronicles of Druss the Legend, The Legend of Deathwalker & now reading Winter Warriors (all by David Gemmell) which I was very surprised to realise I haven't read before.
Also read Storm Front & i'm a few chapters into Fool Moon by Jim Butcher.

Mountains more to read :eek:
 
I was celebrating Frederik Pohl's birthday without even knowing it. I finished The Gold at the Starbow's End (recommended - story-by-story take) yesterday and am reminded today that Fred Pohl turns 92 tomorrow. Happy birthday, Fred!
 
About half way through Ender's Game, and can only say WOW! One of the best books I've ever had the luxury of reading.
 
Just finished: 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Currently Reading: The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson
 
Rothgar said:
What did you think of the Stephen King book?
Click to expand...

I absolutely loved it. I've enjoyed his recent stuff like Duma Key and Lisey's Story, but this was a definite cut above anything he's done in years and years.
 
Spade said:
I absolutely loved it. I've enjoyed his recent stuff like Duma Key and Lisey's Story, but this was a definite cut above anything he's done in years and years.
Click to expand...


Good to hear, I'll have to pick it up.
 
Finished Corbenic. Now reading Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman.
 
Spade said:
I absolutely loved it. I've enjoyed his recent stuff like Duma Key and Lisey's Story, but this was a definite cut above anything he's done in years and years.
Click to expand...

I liked it, too. Although I don't think it's nearly as good as Under the Dome. Much better than Lisey's Story.
 
I started the newest Joe R. Lansdale book, All the Earth, Thrown to the Sky. It's great so far.
 
Wrapped up my first collection of Holmes stories... I'm going to have to invest in one of those complete works sets!

For now though, taking a crack at Snow Crash.
 
Taking a wee bit of time off from the research to read something which (I think) is totally unrelated: Blood and Judgment, by Lars Walker. I'd never heard of this writer until Extollager brought him up, and he kindly sent me a couple of his books a little while ago.

First impressions: I'm only a little more than a third of the way through it (began it about 2:30 last night, unable to sleep) and, while I have a few minor quibbles, it impresses me with its narrative drive and sense of place with both the modern setting and that of the world of Amlodd (Hamlet). The use of the Shakespeare play (not to mention the hints dropped concerning the Kyd version) and the earlier story by Saxo Grammaticus are well-done and play major roles in the story itself, so are by no means gratuitous. It also has some philosophical and religious aspects which it explores without a heavy hand. (This latter is one of the quibbles I have, as at one point characters do engage in a bit too long a discussion where the dramatic action is concerned, though even there it is relatively brief.)

At any rate, had trouble putting it down and even read another chapter this morning when I woke up, despite my eyelids being heavy... rare for me to do these days, and a hearkening back to earlier times....

If it continues on the level it has so far, and the next book matches it, I'll definitely be checking out more by Walker... and thanks, Dale, both for bringing these to my attention and providing me with the opportunity to read them....
 
For the GoodReads book group, I'm reading "Prince of Thorns" by Mark Lawrence.
 
Just finished Eric Brown's The Kings of Eternity, very enjoyable and well-written in the manner of an old scientific romance - a group of pre-war gentlemen happen across a fugitive alien and are granted immortality at a price...

Really highly recommended.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
GOLLUM November's Novelistic Nurturings of Natural Numquids Book Discussion 61
GOLLUM November's Noble Neutralising of Literary Nadirs Book Discussion 89
GOLLUM November's Nefarious Navigations of Notorious Novels (and other literary forms). Book Discussion 209
Sephiroth November's Photo Challenge Technology 62
H November's Photo Challenge Technology 92

Similar threads


Back
Top