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Author Topic: Rate the last book you read.  (Read 194354 times)

alexarch

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #150 on: June 26, 2009, 12:43:22 PM »
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Very, very engaging. The kind of voice that "How to Write a Book" articles are written about.  Full immersion into a foreign world. Unfortunately the story strayed so far away from Oscar for such long stretches that I got impatient more than once. Where O'Neill did the same thing in At Swim, Two Boys - venturing far afield of the central story - the story of two boys in love was interesting enough to me for me to hold on. I just wasn't as interested in Oscar's story. So by the time I got to Oscar's grandfather's story three-quarters of the way through the book, it lost me a bit. I just didn't really care that much.

That said, I pray, as usual, that I will ever be to write with such full immersion into a world. Heck, I'd be happy if I could write with an eighth of that kind of immersion.

worm@work

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #151 on: June 26, 2009, 01:08:50 PM »
I think I mostly agree with you on Oscar Wao. I wasn't as bored with the plot deviations but that was also because I knew nothing about the whole Trujillo regime stuff and was intrigued by all of that. I enjoyed the little sci-fi nerdy stuff too (like Oscar referring to the police as Nazgul and so on). Loved the voice most of all, I agree.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2009, 01:15:09 PM by worm@work »

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #152 on: June 26, 2009, 01:09:55 PM »
Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? (Edward Albee) - Talk about a masterpiece. While I still do not think it matches The Zoo Story or The American Dream, Albee certainly captures a ton of magic with this play. In what would have made him tied with hailed playwright Eugine O'Neill for the most Drama Pulitzer Prizes awarded to a playwright had the voting committee not be so easily offended and uppity, Albee presents a play of magnificent beauty. Following George and Martha has all the power of a navy man going down proudly with his ship captured in what seems like a meager three acts but actually spans almost 300 pages, in the revised addition for the recent productions that Albee has put on that are closer to his original vision. The dialogue is witty, as expected, and the narrative is incredibly engaging. Fantastically written all around and, I'm sure, a delight to watch performed on stage, Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf is a wonderful play.

A/A+ or 4.7788239105715082135023

alexarch

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #153 on: June 26, 2009, 01:13:26 PM »
I think I mostly agree with on Oscar Wao. I wasn't as bored with the plot deviations but that was also because I knew nothing about the whole Trujillo regime stuff and was intrigued by all of that. I enjoyed the little sci-fi nerdy stuff too (like Oscar referring to the police as Nazgul and so on). Loved the voice most of all, I agree.
Yeah, I loved that stuff. It made me all feel all smart and stuff because I got all the references. (As opposed to the rest of the time when I'd read something and go, "You know, I really ought to look that up... Naaaah."

FLYmeatwad

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #154 on: June 29, 2009, 02:33:56 PM »
Here's where I break out what most will consider hyperbole but will prove to be, in actuality, factual.

The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh) - Occasionally I am in a movie theatre and upon the conclusion of a film I am left completely satisfied and completely in awe of what I have just witnessed. I likely believe the last time this occurred was during There Will Be Blood. While I have been floored while reading or listening to music I have never really experienced this feeling before when dealing with literature. I've gotten damn close and my feelings for Poe, The Odyssey, the two Wilder Plays, and a couple of Albee ones are notable examples, but nothing rivals my reaction to Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. He pulls out all the stops in spectacular fashion. Witty, funny, utterly disturbing, emotional, packed with fully developed characters, and a plot that, while rather short, had me engaged from the first line to the very last stage direction. Gut wrenchingly tragic yet undeniably beautiful and incredibly funny throughout, the play is a masterwork that should not and cannot be missed by anyone with an sort of interest in theatre, the macabre, or literature in general. As the final few pages of the Third Act passed by I was nearly unable to finish the play as I had almost been brought to tears. I cannot really discuss or say much more without giving things away and while I could talk about the brilliant structure, sharp dialogue, and declare that, after only seeing In Bruges and reading this play that Martin McDonagh is likely the most captiviating writer currently working, I will simply say read it, see it (something I pray to have the chance to do at some point in the future), or do both if at all possible. It's an experience unlike any I have ever had.

A+ or 4.99

Holly Harry

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #155 on: June 29, 2009, 06:19:47 PM »
Here's where I break out what most will consider hyperbole but will prove to be, in actuality, factual.

The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh) - Occasionally I am in a movie theatre and upon the conclusion of a film I am left completely satisfied and completely in awe of what I have just witnessed. I likely believe the last time this occurred was during There Will Be Blood. While I have been floored while reading or listening to music I have never really experienced this feeling before when dealing with literature. I've gotten damn close and my feelings for Poe, The Odyssey, the two Wilder Plays, and a couple of Albee ones are notable examples, but nothing rivals my reaction to Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. He pulls out all the stops in spectacular fashion. Witty, funny, utterly disturbing, emotional, packed with fully developed characters, and a plot that, while rather short, had me engaged from the first line to the very last stage direction. Gut wrenchingly tragic yet undeniably beautiful and incredibly funny throughout, the play is a masterwork that should not and cannot be missed by anyone with an sort of interest in theatre, the macabre, or literature in general. As the final few pages of the Third Act passed by I was nearly unable to finish the play as I had almost been brought to tears. I cannot really discuss or say much more without giving things away and while I could talk about the brilliant structure, sharp dialogue, and declare that, after only seeing In Bruges and reading this play that Martin McDonagh is likely the most captiviating writer currently working, I will simply say read it, see it (something I pray to have the chance to do at some point in the future), or do both if at all possible. It's an experience unlike any I have ever had.

A+ or 4.99

Simultaneously the funniest and most disturbing play I've ever read. Amazing.

I'm reading "The Great Gatsby". This Fitzgerald guy is pretty good. Who woulda thunk it?
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FroHam X

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #156 on: June 29, 2009, 06:26:02 PM »
Slaughterhouse-Five

My god this was a fantastic book. The style is accessible, yet so different from anything else I've read. I loved the jumping through time. It was sad and life-affirming and truly evocative of what it is to live life through memory. As a piece of existentialist sci-fi it also manages to convey extremely well the idea that there while there is no inherent meaning in the universe that does not take away from the meaning in our having lived. Also, it's clear influence on Lost makes it a total winner.

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FLYmeatwad

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #157 on: June 29, 2009, 06:31:49 PM »
Here's where I break out what most will consider hyperbole but will prove to be, in actuality, factual.

The Pillowman (Martin McDonagh) - Occasionally I am in a movie theatre and upon the conclusion of a film I am left completely satisfied and completely in awe of what I have just witnessed. I likely believe the last time this occurred was during There Will Be Blood. While I have been floored while reading or listening to music I have never really experienced this feeling before when dealing with literature. I've gotten damn close and my feelings for Poe, The Odyssey, the two Wilder Plays, and a couple of Albee ones are notable examples, but nothing rivals my reaction to Martin McDonagh's The Pillowman. He pulls out all the stops in spectacular fashion. Witty, funny, utterly disturbing, emotional, packed with fully developed characters, and a plot that, while rather short, had me engaged from the first line to the very last stage direction. Gut wrenchingly tragic yet undeniably beautiful and incredibly funny throughout, the play is a masterwork that should not and cannot be missed by anyone with an sort of interest in theatre, the macabre, or literature in general. As the final few pages of the Third Act passed by I was nearly unable to finish the play as I had almost been brought to tears. I cannot really discuss or say much more without giving things away and while I could talk about the brilliant structure, sharp dialogue, and declare that, after only seeing In Bruges and reading this play that Martin McDonagh is likely the most captiviating writer currently working, I will simply say read it, see it (something I pray to have the chance to do at some point in the future), or do both if at all possible. It's an experience unlike any I have ever had.

A+ or 4.99

Simultaneously the funniest and most disturbing play I've ever read. Amazing.

I'm reading "The Great Gatsby". This Fitzgerald guy is pretty good. Who woulda thunk it?

Yes, it is one of the best, if not the best, I have ever read. The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite novels as well.

Junior

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #158 on: June 29, 2009, 09:59:10 PM »
Slaughterhouse-Five

My god this was a fantastic book. The style is accessible, yet so different from anything else I've read. I loved the jumping through time. It was sad and life-affirming and truly evocative of what it is to live life through memory. As a piece of existentialist sci-fi it also manages to convey extremely well the idea that there while there is no inherent meaning in the universe that does not take away from the meaning in our having lived. Also, it's clear influence on Lost makes it a total winner.



This was your first time? I always thought I was slow reading it in 8th grade...
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FroHam X

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Re: Rate the last book you read.
« Reply #159 on: June 29, 2009, 10:11:29 PM »
Slaughterhouse-Five

My god this was a fantastic book. The style is accessible, yet so different from anything else I've read. I loved the jumping through time. It was sad and life-affirming and truly evocative of what it is to live life through memory. As a piece of existentialist sci-fi it also manages to convey extremely well the idea that there while there is no inherent meaning in the universe that does not take away from the meaning in our having lived. Also, it's clear influence on Lost makes it a total winner.



This was your first time? I always thought I was slow reading it in 8th grade...

It was an incredibly quick and easy read. No doubt helped by the style, humour, and the 255 page-count with pretty large font.
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