Mike's comments (member since Feb 22, 2008)

Mike's comments from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die group.

I just read my first McEwan book and was not at all impressed with his prose, characters, etc. People love Atonement but I don't think I can drum up the interest to pick it up.

This is a surprisingly better 5 than I expected. Until now I would not, for a second, imagine Oprah ever recommending Beckett.

*SPOILERS!*

I think you could entertain a reading of Quixote as a Christ figure, though that isn't necessarily the reading I would go for. And if you were to do that you would probably have to assume a fairly cynical (or at least human) reading of Christ himself on Cervantez's part--as though Christ were fighting a pointless battle based on personal delusions which on his deathbed he renounced...that's probably not the Christ figure most people read into books.

But while I'm here, let me just put this out there: Don Quixote is one of the best books I've ever read. I read this back to back with Death on the Installment Plan, and The Magic Mountain--that was a VERY good period of reading.

Working on Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. First time reading an entire Joyce novel, but its going quite well so far.

Wow, I wish I knew about this earlier. I live in San Jose, but I'm going to be in Florida at the time.

That sounds like good ground to begin with. I'll check out the Rainbow and then Women in Love, most likely. Thanks!

I've been wanting to read Lawrence, but I'm not sure which to start with. Have a recommendation?

I wasn't too fond of the book, though I think that it employed some original and cool ideas. The problem, I felt, was that the ideas were very gimmicky, showy, and, for being a book which tries to defy conventions, ended up being mired in them. It also felt like there was really nothing on the line in the book--not to say that there needs to be a hook or a sellable plot for a book to be good--and ended up just feeling very fluff. A little too cute and clever for my tastes, I think.

Nascar and I will miss him.

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nas...

As will his girlfriend.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/277...

I have a hard time swallowing Ayn Rand's "philosophy" because, from what I can tell, it seems to just be co-opted straight out of Nietzsche, removed from his rich context, and given a different name. I do see what you're saying about having a pro-capitalist voice in the mix, though. I'm sure there's some in there somewhere, though--that list is (flawed but) expansive.

I think John Cheever should be on the list. He's a Pulitzer Prize winner and Bullet Park, which I'm reading right now, is absolutely fantastic.

To reiterate my previous sentiment, Goethe's Faust should absolutely be on that list.

It's actually been my experience that the people who like her are not at all in the minority. She seems to be lauded by almost everyone who I've met that reads. Her prose is very readable, and I can understand why people like her, but I just think she's a windbag.

Honestly, a part of me is really pleased that Ayn Rand is not on the list. The cockles of my cynical heart are warmed by that fact.

1. Journey to the End of the Night
2. The Trial
3. Cat's Cradle
4. The Magic Mountain
5. The Book of Evidence
6. The Joke
7. Hunger
8. Cancer Ward
9. The Tin Drum
10. Don Quixote

No particular order.

Starting New Grub Street by George Gissing.

I see what you're saying about the sadness, I just think its all pretty hamfisted on Palahniuk's part (even the "comedy"). By this point in his writing he seems to have gotten into a complete formula: alienated quasi-nihilist has some weird scam, alienated quasi-nihilist finds a girl who he hates but gets involved with, followed by twist. Also I just found the character of Denny to be very poorly written, easy and uninteresting. Up until reading this I thought I might like Palahniuk (I had only read Fight Club [which I was somewhat disappointed with] and Survivor) but after completing Choke I just gave up on him. He writes too much in tired punchlines and overdone ennui for me to find anything likable, clever, or even passable.

And this is coming from someone who likes anarchic characters! I think if anyone is sort of into Palahniuk they should just read Celine, Hamsun, Vonnegut, Bukowski, Böll, or Jünger and they'd find everything they liked in him except done better and with actual feeling behind it.

But in the words of Lavar Burton: "Don't take my word for it!"

I think it has moments of real strength, and the general mission of the book (to write about the things inbetween what people normally write about) is great, but that it just gets bogged down by the prose more often than not. Some of the "erotic" sections are just a touch ridiculous, as well. More so in Capricorn than in Cancer, but definitely in Cancer as well.

Deanna,

I think this list is pretty transparent in that the books they chose aren't necessarily fantastic in and of themselves, but ones which cast a shadow and were influential. There was so much controversy surrounding Tropic of Cancer, what with it being banned in America forever, and it was obviously a big influence on the beats, so I see why they included it. That being said, I wasn't all too impressed with it myself.

Choke. Just not a very good book.