Fred
liked a trivia question:
Which author was an advocate for temperance? see if you know the answer »
Which author was an advocate for temperance? see if you know the answer »
Fred
took the never-ending book quiz.
| questions answered: | 119 |
| correct: | 100 (84.0%) |
| skipped: | 62 |
| best streak: | 14 |
| questions added: | 0 |
Fred
read and liked
vladimir's
review of The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image:
"Ok, for bibliophiles, this book is like being told that the parents you've admired and cherished and emulated for so long were drunken, abusive, misanthropes.
But if you tough it out, accept the possibility that this habit, this passion th...more "
"Ok, for bibliophiles, this book is like being told that the parents you've admired and cherished and emulated for so long were drunken, abusive, misanthropes.
But if you tough it out, accept the possibility that this habit, this passion th...more "
by Nicholson Baker
Chris, I don't disagree with all that much you've written about fighting fascism, and I'll have to admit your use of Orwell was very well done.
But, I think it's safe to say that virtually everyone who reads this book has been exposed to the conventional history of WWII, and it's in that context it makes a valuable contribution, not as a definitive history of the period.
Also, I could certainly be wrong, but I'm not aware of anyone refuting the veracity of the snippets Baker's used, as is definitely the case with most of the potential snippets about the Iraq war. (A shameful period for mainstream American journalism, as far as I can tell.) I'd say they've withstood the test of time.
Finally, I would hope to see this technique used more widely, especially by people of Baker's caliber. ]]>
This is my favorite book of all time. When I started reading the book, I had to put it down. It seemed too crazy. It overwhelmed me with its madness. I picked it up again later, and by the time I had finished it, it had thoroughly exposed me to the absurdity of life.
(Speaking of absurdity, how can the first edition of a book be published in 1961, and the book be "first published 1955"?)
The only way I could do justice to the greatness of this book would be to include the text of the book here and have you read it. My words can't possibly capture how good it is. ]]>
Fred
added a quote:
"[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers." — Judy Blume
"[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers." — Judy Blume
Fred
added a quote:
"Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love." — John Steinbeck
"Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love." — John Steinbeck