Currently I'm sludging through Schindler's List. I take it to the top of parking garages and read it in the shade. I saw the movie and the book is agonizing so I'm taking my time. Each chapter gets exponentially worse. I'll probably go read when I'm done here.

Breezed through Needful Things and am reading another agonizingly repetitive King book.

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:

trompuss wrote:Hey Brett, did you ever read, and if so enjoy, "You can't win" by Jack Black?
I don't know why I am curious about this.

Fuck yeah--loved it! I loaned it to my dealer when I lived in Missouri, however, and never got it back. I even planned to teach it at one time, having concocted a course in American autobiography that focused on less literary texts like You Can't Win, Black Elk Speaks, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, When Rabbit Howls by The Troops for Truddi Chase, and The Basketball Diaries, as well as more adventurous memoirs like A Fan's Notes, Frank Conroy's Stop-Time, Jim Harrison's Wolf, and, uh, that's all I can remember right now.

There's a similar hobo memoir by a guy named Jim Tully. I can't recall the title, and I haven't read it, but I'm told it's akin to Jack Black's book.

Cool, thanks. There's another book I read several years ago that I have wondered if you had any liking for. A short story collection called Poachers, I think the guy's name is Tom Franklin? Your pal Dave Berman put me on that, it was just what I was looking for at the time.

Lately I read either "Where the wild things are" or various Dr. Suess books, around 10pm a couple nights per week.

burun wrote:

Ace wrote:Just finished "The Master and Margarita" by Bulgakov.

I am ashamed to say I have never read this book.

Is there a particular translation that is considered the best?

I read Michael Glenny's translation for the everyman's library, which most Russians believe captures the flow of the text the best; however, he has taken a few literary liberties. The most accurate translation is said to be the translation by Diana Burgin and Katherine Tiernan O'Connor, but again, as wiki says, russian speaking readers think the glenny has the "desired effect"

Enjoy!

trompuss wrote:

Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:

trompuss wrote:Hey Brett, did you ever read, and if so enjoy, "You can't win" by Jack Black?
I don't know why I am curious about this.

Fuck yeah--loved it! I loaned it to my dealer when I lived in Missouri, however, and never got it back. I even planned to teach it at one time, having concocted a course in American autobiography that focused on less literary texts like You Can't Win, Black Elk Speaks, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, When Rabbit Howls by The Troops for Truddi Chase, and The Basketball Diaries, as well as more adventurous memoirs like A Fan's Notes, Frank Conroy's Stop-Time, Jim Harrison's Wolf, and, uh, that's all I can remember right now.

There's a similar hobo memoir by a guy named Jim Tully. I can't recall the title, and I haven't read it, but I'm told it's akin to Jack Black's book.

Cool, thanks. There's another book I read several years ago that I have wondered if you had any liking for. A short story collection called Poachers, I think the guy's name is Tom Franklin? Your pal Dave Berman put me on that, it was just what I was looking for at the time.

Lately I read either "Where the wild things are" or various Dr. Suess books, around 10pm a couple nights per week.

I know Tom Franklin--an excellent guy--and love Poachers. His first novel, Hell at the Breech, was a disappointment, though. One of the few books I haven't finished. It kinda felt like a half-baked imitation of Cormac McCarthy. I think he has a newer book, but I haven'y checked it out.

If you dig Poachers, I recommend that you check out Brady Udall's Letting Loose the Hounds and anything by Pinckney Benedict. Sherman Alexie's first book of stories, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist-fight in Heaven, is also really good. It was the basis for the film Smoke Signals.

Shit man, I just knew you probably knew Tom Franklin. Just had a feeling.
Thanks for the other suggestions.

mrdfnle wrote:Currently I'm sludging through Schindler's List. I take it to the top of parking garages and read it in the shade. I saw the movie and the book is agonizing so I'm taking my time. Each chapter gets exponentially worse.

Yo MOTHERFUCKER !!!!!!!!
Can't believe you're a fucking human !
You might as well go to Auschwitz & scrap all the flesh stains from the ovens to take back as souvenir !!!!!!!!

itchy mcgoo wrote:Also just finished Joe Meno's 'The Boy Detective Fails', which was so lovely. About a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-esque character, fresh out of a ten year stay at a mental hospital. There's a delicateness to it that reminds me of Murakami. But so strongly and wonderfully written--cathartic, Noir-esque characters and some spectacularly laid out pages. Haven't read his other things, but I'm looking forward to all of them.

A solemn and sincere high-five to Itchy Mcgoo for this. I skimmed through this thread for something to make an Amazon order up to free-postage, and took a punt on this book. It's wonderful. I couldn't stop with it and I'm sort of sad that I've finished it - it will be read again. Written last year? Good. Restored my faith that people are still capable of writing beautiful books in this day and age.

daniel robert chapman wrote:

itchy mcgoo wrote:Also just finished Joe Meno's 'The Boy Detective Fails', which was so lovely. About a grown-up Encyclopedia Brown-esque character, fresh out of a ten year stay at a mental hospital. There's a delicateness to it that reminds me of Murakami. But so strongly and wonderfully written--cathartic, Noir-esque characters and some spectacularly laid out pages. Haven't read his other things, but I'm looking forward to all of them.

A solemn and sincere high-five to Itchy Mcgoo for this. I skimmed through this thread for something to make an Amazon order up to free-postage, and took a punt on this book. It's wonderful. I couldn't stop with it and I'm sort of sad that I've finished it - it will be read again. Written last year? Good. Restored my faith that people are still capable of writing beautiful books in this day and age.

i prefer giant boy detective.

The other part of that Amazon order was my parent's Christmas present this year (shhh... don't tell them!):



Amazon link.

Normally I would give short shrift to a graphic novel, but this has got more to it. It's set around a real theatre in Sunderland, and proceeds to tell vast swathes of Sunderland and north eastern history. I've only dipped into it so far, but I've read more about the Venerable Beade than I had for a long while before.

With my mum and dad being from the north east I think they'll dig it (my mum'll enjoy hunting out historical inaccuracies, at least) and I know that a good number of the PRF membership come from Tees, Tyne and Wear so I thought I'd chuck this up here for yers.

daniel robert chapman wrote:

Amazon link.

... I know that a good number of the PRF membership come from Tees, Tyne and Wear so I thought I'd chuck this up here for yers.

I'm waiting on someone to finish this so I can have a read. Heard good things about it though I also have a similar prejudice against the graphic novel. (though have appreciated a few. 'Palestine' by whoever it was was outstanding.)

For my part I just finished reading a Ellman's Joyce biography. It's great if you're at all interested in Joyce though did leave me with that slightly awkward feeling you get when you realise someone you admire was actually a bit of a twat (you know - like Woody Allen).

Now I read 'I'm OK - you're OK' by Thomas Harris - self help classic.
I actually think it's really good and makes a lot of sense.