Books Thread

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Yeah, to be honest I'm not entirely sure why you'd want to! It would be pretty hard to follow. Though I guess they've made that 8-hour adaptation of Satantango, so nothing is impossible.

I take it it wasn't your favorite?

Not necessarily, it's just been a good while since I read it and beyond the major plot lines I don't recall it in sharp detail. I do recall it was a demanding read, which I like. I hope I still have my copy. Unfortunately my "to-be-read" stack is pretty high right now as it is, so regardless I doubt I'll be able to reread this again any time soon

[StormandStatic]

It seems like a book you could reread in sections, though, just picking chapters here and there. I feel like I could just go over everything Koroviev and Behemoth again right now.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

After years of recommendations (and even more in the bookstore yesterday), I finally picked this up.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

After years of recommendations (and even more in the bookstore yesterday), I finally picked this up.

let us know what you thing! Have read it many times, but it's been awhile so I need to revisit it

[beantownbubba]

After years of recommendations (and even more in the bookstore yesterday), I finally picked this up.

Some of it is inevitably dated, but I think you'll enjoy it. As WWCD says, let us know.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

After years of recommendations (and even more in the bookstore yesterday), I finally picked this up.

Some of it is inevitably dated, but I think you'll enjoy it. As WWCD says, let us know.

Can't believe there hasn't been a Lester Bangs documentary or biopic (Almost Famous didn't even come close to scratching the itch)

[beantownbubba]

(Almost Famous didn't even come close to scratching the itch)

True, but Philip Seymour Hoffman was pretty damn definitive.

I thought there was a documentary a few years ago, so I looked it up. Turns out there was, at least of his "formative years:" A Box Full of Rocks: The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

(Almost Famous didn't even come close to scratching the itch)

True, but Philip Seymour Hoffman was pretty damn definitive.

I thought there was a documentary a few years ago, so I looked it up. Turns out there was, at least of his "formative years:" A Box Full of Rocks: The El Cajon Years of Lester Bangs.

good to know, but I'm talking about the full-on definitive documentary

As for Almost Famous, the issue is just how little the Bangs character is on screen.

Perhaps even better would be a massive doc on the essential rock critics of the era- and there are some giants- done all Ken Burns/Scorsese style

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Perhaps not surprisingly, the topics I read about most are music-related but after two excellent music bios (Peter Guralnick's Last Train To Memphis and Eddie Huffman's John Prine: In Spite of Himself), I aim to read one of these next as a change of pace.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Perhaps not surprisingly, the topics I read about most are music-related but after two excellent music bios (Peter Guralnick's Last Train To Memphis and Eddie Huffman's John Prine: In Spite of Himself), I aim to read one of these next as a change of pace.

I wasn't even aware of that Prine book- how is it?

[chuckrh]

I had Springsteen's book in my hand today, someone jumping the gun. I can wait a few more days & pay 40% less. Colbert last night with Bruce as the only guest was very good.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

I had Springsteen's book in my hand today, someone jumping the gun. I can wait a few more days & pay 40% less. Colbert last night with Bruce as the only guest was very good.

I was hoping mine would arrive today, but no dice

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I wasn't even aware of that Prine book- how is it?

I enjoyed it. To my knowledge, it's the first ever book about him. Unfortunately (or fortunately), depending upon how you look at it, Prine did not participate in the writing of the book. When he (and his people) were originally approached about it, the author was told there was a documentary in the works about Prine so they declined to take part in the book. To this day, it remains to be seen if there is actually a documentary being filmed. The author, Eddie Huffman, proceeded with the book, relying on interviews he and others had conducted with Prine over the years. If I have any complaints about the book, it's only that it's too short. Otherwise, nearly his entire life is covered in detail with lots of stuff you may not have known about him. The reason the book is so short (roughly 200 pages) is because that's part of the criteria for the American Music Series of books that are being published by University of Texas Press (others have included bios of Ryan Adams, Ray Benson, Dwight Yoakam, etc.).
This is a review of the book from No Depression if you care to give it a looksee. I agree with the reviewer in that it's an evenhanded recounting of Prine's life and does not show bias on the author's part as far as him being a fan, nor is it a tell-all, gossipy type book. I know some of the hardline Prine fans were up in arms over it when they first learned that Prine had declined to cooperate with the book. I would imagine many of these same people have since read it but I have no idea what their thoughts on it are. I'm about as big a Prine fan as you're likely to find and I found nothing salacious about the book. Sometimes, when you are able to include the source in the book as a participant, you may get a retelling of the story that suits their needs instead of the actual truth. I'm not saying that would have been the case here, as I have no idea how Prine would have handled it. I'm just saying as it is, I thought it turned out well without his participation. Same for David Menconi's book in the series on Ryan Adams (Ryan Adams: Losering, a Story of Whiskeytown) as Ryan also refused to cooperate with the writing of the book. I'm anxious to read Tamara Saviano's book on Guy Clark (in which he did participate), Without Being Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark which was published on Friday. She also has a documentary due on Guy (of the same name) that should be out in 2018. To clarify, Tamara's book is not part of the American Music Series.

[beantownbubba]

Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation by Edward Humes. The subtitle is silly and not my fault. And it would probably be a stretch to think that anyone else would think this book to be fascinating. What can I say? I'm slightly along the path to being a transportation wonk and eat this kind of thing up. But it would not at all be a stretch to say that this is a well written "popular" approach to a technical subject which is hugely important, affects virtually everything we do individually and collectively and is either totally misunderstood or simply not understood by the average person. I highly recommend this book. Yes, there are weaknesses, particularly the endless chapter on car-involved deaths, but this is good storytelling and excellent popularizing that leaves nobody w/ an excuse not to become better informed about an important subject that gets way too little attention to our collective regret. Imagine having an informed opinion on a subject your friends know nothing about! Soon they'll be throwing money at you asking you to invest for them.

[Flea]

I had Springsteen's book in my hand today, someone jumping the gun. I can wait a few more days & pay 40% less. Colbert last night with Bruce as the only guest was very good.

I was hoping mine would arrive today, but no dice

Mine arrived Monday, started today. It's quite easy to imagine his voice as you read his words.

[jr29]

I had no idea about the Prine book. It's on my list.
I did read the Yoakam book released by UT Press and I did wish it was a longer read.

[disgruntledgoat]

About half way through the Springsteen book at the moment. It's worth it to piggy-back on his years of therapy, there have been a few lightbulb moments and I'm only up to The River so far.

[chuckrh]

About half way through the Springsteen book at the moment. It's worth it to piggy-back on his years of therapy, there have been a few lightbulb moments and I'm only up to The River so far.

i bought it. next up to read. will probably start tomorrow or so as i'll be recovering from the rock show (DBT) tonight!

[StormandStatic]

Only have a couple days to finish this before I head out of country for a bit.

[phungi]

Finally finished King's Dark Tower Series...

“The man in Black fled across the Desert, and the Gunslinger followed.”

Need to read some JD Salinger to immerse myself in neuroticism...

[jr29]

[Flea]

[jr29]

Come October


Photo by Jim McGuire

A copy was delivered to my doorstep this afternoon. I can't wait to get into it.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Come October


Photo by Jim McGuire

A copy was delivered to my doorstep this afternoon. I can't wait to get into it.

I believe you'll be impressed, I know I have been so far. Lots of detail and mementos from Guy's personal and family archives.

[Cole Younger]

I don't see what yall are seeing. I've never run across dialogue that was so over the top that I thought nobody talks like that. Are yall all from big cities. If so that may be why you think that.

I was just wondering for other reasons if you'd ever read this:



Now, I think that's maybe the best novel I've ever read. It impresses me in every possible way. But I wondered for a long time if that was truly how folk in Oregon talked at that time. Then I read more about the history of Oregon, and I'm pretty darn sure it's accurate.

Never read this but now I will. Love Cukoo's nest so that plus this rec means I will definitely read this.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

any T.C. Boyle fans up in here? Big fan here. He has a new release that just came out on the 20th

[beantownbubba]

Cross posted from the politics thread:

Robert Wilson is one of the greatest crime fiction writers in the world. His best known work is probably A Small Death In Lisbon (very, very highly recommended!!) but he's written a bunch of first rate crime/thriller novels including the Inspector Falcon series. I just finished his latest, Stealing People which is the 2nd box in Wilson's Charlie Boxer series. The Boxer series is particularly notable for its exploration of moral issues and the choices people make under extreme pressure. The books are fiction. I don't mention any of the following because I think any of it is true. The reason I think it's worth mentioning is because I think it indicates the incredible difficulty the rest of the world is having understanding the US of A these days and I think it's incredibly sad and symptomatic of how far we've sunk. Again, not literally. It's not a question of the author's speculations being true, it's a question of the need to seek answers to the inexplicable and apparently irrational.

The plot is centered on a series of kidnappings of the children of very wealthy, very connected parents around the world. In the course of developing the plot, the motivations of various characters stem from the causes and effects of a far right conspiracy to infiltrate the CIA and influence foreign policy to the benefit of the defense industry and various ideological causes associated with the right. An example of the cabal in action is that crucial intelligence about the coming Benghazi attack is w/ held specifically in order to make Secy Clinton look bad and derail her presidential aspirations. The anti-heroes of the book are largely disillusioned ex military or ex spook types seeking to expose the cabal/wrest control of the country away from the evil doers.

Again, it's not about these things being true. To me, it's about an intelligent, informed European observer trying to make sense of an America he can 't fathom and seeking explanations wherever he can find them or create them. It is, I think, a fair measure of how far we've fallen in the world's esteem and how off track we've gotten as we blunder through one failed foreign policy initiative/theory after another. I don't like it. Really good book, though.

[sactochris]

any T.C. Boyle fans up in here? Big fan here. He has a new release that just came out on the 20th

I've read Budding Prospects. I've always wanted to read Road To Wellville because I really liked the film. I remember seeing him on Charlie Rose in 86 or 87 and he was really funny.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

any T.C. Boyle fans up in here? Big fan here. He has a new release that just came out on the 20th

I've read Budding Prospects. I've always wanted to read Road To Wellville because I really liked the film. I remember seeing him on Charlie Rose in 86 or 87 and he was really funny.

Budding Prospects was the first one I read, either that or Tortilla Curtain, and while it was good it was nowhere near my fave. In no order, faves are Water Music, World's End, Drop City, and Road to Wellville. He's one of my all-time favorite writers of fiction.

[Smitty]

Don’t make fun of renowned Dan Brown

The critics said his writing was clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive and repetitive. They said it was full of unnecessary tautology. They said his prose was mired in a sea of mixed metaphors. For some reason they found something funny in sentences such as “His eyes went white, like a shark about to attack.” They even say my books are packed with banal and superfluous description, thought the 5ft 9in man. He particularly hated it when they said his imagery was nonsensical. It made his insect eyes flash like a rocket.