Summer reading

[Kunio]

Originally posted by Cal Flavell
... Literature and Drama major...

sometimes folks with majors can fuck up on things ^_______^
having teachers who rant about their college professors is fun

[Kayl]

I haven't read House of Leaves, but I think this collection of people might be a tad more authoritative on the subject than Cal's girlfriend.

http://www.complete-review.com/revie...z/houseofl.htm

[Cal Flavell]

Originally posted by Dean Francis
Wait.. how photoshopped is this pic? It scares me.

The original is from this:



And yes, the trenchcoat photo is incredibly wanky. But I was fifteen, and far more of an idiot.

And Kayl, I merely agree with the NY Observer and Village Voice reviews. I didn't dislike the book in any way; I just found it incredibly bloated and overrated. As the Daily Telegraph reviewer said, "the novel is much more interesting to talk about than to read".

[Klown]

Originally posted by Sapone
. This assumption is very untrue, considering my imagination is more broad, over-active and genuinely complex than any reader I know.

Paraphrasing Sapone every time he posts
My opinion is better than yours and I am the best!

Originally posted by Sapone
I In fact, the majority of people I know who pride themselves in reading a lot are arrogant dickbags

WHOOPS.

[Kayl]

Originally posted by Cal Flavell
And Kayl, I merely agree with the NY Observer and Village Voice reviews. I didn't dislike the book in any way; I just found it incredibly bloated and overrated. As the Daily Telegraph reviewer said, "the novel is much more interesting to talk about than to read".

Can't comment, I haven't read it.

[Andres]

Originally posted by Cal Flavell
I only mentioned her because she actually studies literature, and thus has a more valid opinion than myself or either of you two...

Why the fuck would your girlfriend's opinion be more valid than mine or BR's? What, is Roger Ebert's opinion better than yours when it comes to movies? You're wrong. Again. Totally wrong. Read the fucking thread: I threw you the damn hints about the book yet you dismiss them and say Bret Easton Ellis, and by association everyone else who called the book deep and sophisticated, 'on crack'. Your girlfriend's opinion is WRONG. If Vladimir Nabokov came here and said Animal Farm is about farm life, he'd be wrong, regardless of whoever the fuck he is.

There's this theory I have, Cal. It says that the truly smart, when they see that their opinion is totally different from everyone else's, don't fight to the death for it, but actually ponder whether they just might be wrong.

And no, Cal. You don't just 'agree' with The Village Voice or whatever the fuck you think you're doing. You're saying that House Of Leaves, an incredibly rich and dense book, is just A STORY ABOUT A HOUSE.

I already threw you a million hints, but clearly you fail to understand that while the supernatural thriller aspect of the book is ONE PART, the whole book, its layout, its many different narrative threads, and what you consider 'gimmicks' are an exploration on the craft and meaning of narrative, or a critique/analysis on storytelling and writing itself. How neither you or your girlfriend can blatantly ignore this obvious, obvious thing is beyond me. I'm not saying you need to understand the whole book (I don't), but clearly these meanings are there.

this is, in terms of its layout, a resurrection of experimental fiction, perhaps the most impressive I've read -- as well as the essential appeal of its many referents, likely to remain hidden or disguised to the casual reader, and directed more towards academia and literature. Additionally, while obvious and more commonly occurring references -- biblical, literary and scholarly -- leaven the text liberally, as has become popular within certain literary circles over the last several decades, typified by authors such as Pynchon and Eco to name but a few, a merging of fictional and non-fictional elements is taking place, with a significant amount of space devoted to discourses in disciplines outside what is traditionally ascribed to fiction or the notion implicit for most in narrative, ranging from acoustics, psychology, architecture, photography, early American history to geologic timelines, mentioning just those that come immediately to mind. More obscure or erudite references are present as well, such as Zampano's blindness harkening that of Homer, Johnny's exploration of the pronunciation of an expletive mimicking Nabakov's opening lines to Lolita, or the style of writing present in the first half of chapter V, a section discussing echoes and seeming to parody that of Umberto Eco, the author's literary cleverness elsewhere within the novel too apparent to dismiss the possible connection. That any of this is meant to serve the genre reader is highly improbable.

[Andres]

BTW, stop being a complete cretin. Regardless of your opinion on the book being favorable or negative, to say it's not art is nothing short of mentally retarded. I take it you call bands 'not art' when you dislike them, too.

[Saxon]

Mario Puzo's The Godfather.

[Anthropophagus]

Originally posted by Crappy Klown
WHOOPS.

You're a stupid faggot. I don't see how being proud of my imagination (one of the few talents I have) is anything close to arrogant. I guarentee my imagination and capacity for creativity span beyond any avid reader's. I've spent the good majority of my time in grade school and - to an extent - high school day-dreaming class away. Brace, yourselves, here comes an amazingly witty Klown retort...

Anyway, it's no wonder you percieve my posts as being arrogant, rude interjections. You're stupid, duh. Any posts which don't conform to some meek, selfless standard are branded "arrogant"? No, I'm just opinionated. I like to project my opinion and, conversely, smash others' opinions. Not because I'm arrogant, but because I disagree and enjoy perpetuating conflict. Especially conflict which transforms into an actual debate, although - typically - it fizzles out into a pathetic war of words.

I don't know where I'm going with all of that, but you're still a stupid faggot.

[Skittlebrau]

Dude, fuck Klown. You make this so easy, I could pull it off.

You're a stupid faggot. I don't see how being proud of my imagination (one of the few talents I have) is anything close to arrogant.

You're completely right! That isn't an arrogant statement at all!

THIS, however, IS:

I guarentee my imagination and capacity for creativity span beyond any avid reader's.

...WHAT? What the goddamn fuck are you prattling on about?

I've spent the good majority of my time in grade school and - to an extent - high school day-dreaming class away.

OH. I SEE. So, because of your seeming deterance of reading (which is completely normal), you instead spend your free time gazing into the wild blue yonder. Which is, of course, a very unique trait, considering avid readers have no imagination, instead relying on books to entertain themselves while you chuckle to yourself and are entertained by the facinating thoughts of your own mind.

Shut the goddamn hell up. YEAH. IT IS KIND OF ARROGANT TO SAY THAT YOUR IMAGINATION IS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSES. So you keep yourself busy when the going gets slow by enjoying your mind. Thats just fine. But don't you dare go around comparing your mental dick to anybody elses just because you're the only one whipping it out of your pants all the time.

Oh, and about that last little shpiel? All I have to say is this: I know of only two people who do this as much as you do. One is Andres, who I have a considerable amount of respect for. He makes intelligent arguments to quickly and easily shut the other person down. The other is Jatz, who posts just to piss off those who resent that fact, and to propagate arguments for no reason other than his own personal self-wankfest. Pick and choose which parts of those belong to you.

In short, next time you want to musturbate your fucking ego, don't get any jizz on us.

[Skittlebrau]

Oh, and if I may wax egotistical for a moment...

Sprwned.

[Andres]

Sapone, everyone spends school daydreaming class away.

[Kayl]

Originally posted by Sapone
I guarentee my imagination and capacity for creativity span beyond any avid reader's.

Like Shakespeare? The famously big fan of Ovid? Or how about Morissey of the Wilde fixation? I think you'll find most people hailed as creative genii tend to fall in the 'avid reader' category, or at the very least acknowledge reading as more than a waste of time.

Can you back-up your claim of having a more active imagination than any reader's?

[The Chinese Jew]

When you guys read books............how many of you actually visualize the happenings of the novel in your head...in moving pictures?

I can't do that.

If I could, I'd enjoy reading fiction novels a lot more.

That's why I can't really get into an action novel. Because I can't visualize what's going on. The last book I read was "Bridget Jones's Diary"...now that was a good book!

[Deano]

I have such a curiosity for other people's visual interpretations of books. I like to study the pictures and point out where they went wrong or where they went right.

[Kayl]

Originally posted by The Chinese Jew
When you guys read books............how many of you actually visualize the happenings of the novel in your head...in moving pictures?

I can't do that.

If I could, I'd enjoy reading fiction novels a lot more.

That's why I can't really get into an action novel. Because I can't visualize what's going on. The last book I read was "Bridget Jones's Diary"...now that was a good book!

I get images in my head and see how I think it's happening, though I never get faces. I get feelings and sounds a lot more, though.

[Con Stiletta]

I plan to read my compilation of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe, cuz he's a badass.

[Klown]

Originally posted by Sapone
words

Oh... So you're an arrogant opinionated cunt. Ok thanks.

[Scatterbrain]

Originally posted by Kayl


I get images in my head and see how I think it's happening, though I never get faces. I get feelings and sounds a lot more, though.

Same, though I often see it from a first-person perspective in my head. I often see faces too, though they're usually people I either know or have seen in films of the book I'm reading. For example, Harry Potter...

[Kayl]

One of the reasons I categorically refuse to see the films.

[Chris Killmore]

Originally posted by Con Stiletta
I plan to read my compilation of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe, cuz he's a badass.

Do so. The Masque of the Red Death is brilliant. As is Berenice.

[Melonhead]

Originally posted by Loopy
the da vinci code is not a book i ever want to read. just like i never want to read tuesdays with morrie or see the notebook. after 230782387 girls list it as their favorite book, i've lost interest.

animal farm is better, i think.

The Da Vinci Code is truly an absolutely brilliant book. Surely if a book is popular that's an indication of how good it is...

[Jonny Anson]

I'm going to read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, I really need to get caught up with the classics.

[Rabid Dinosaur]

Originally posted by Loopy
after 230782387 girls list it as their favorite book, i've lost interest.

Please.

P.S. Most of my friends like reading, but I'm with Sapone. I do like reading some things that I find interesting, but if you give me the name of a good book, I'll probably never read it.

[HMC]

I finally started reading The Golden Compass/Northern Lights/Whatever. I kinda like it. Has anyone read the other two books? I may read them afterward.