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August 16
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Jason
took the never-ending book quiz.
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Jason
gave
to:
Things Fall Apart (Paperback)
by Chinua Achebe
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Jason said:
"This is a masterpiece. The prose is sparse yet magical perfectly displaying the scenery, sounds and smells of tribal life. Achebe brings up so many themes one of which is exactly whose society is deemed as being the correct one. This has been called ...more
This is a masterpiece. The prose is sparse yet magical perfectly displaying the scenery, sounds and smells of tribal life. Achebe brings up so many themes one of which is exactly whose society is deemed as being the correct one. This has been called the greatest African novel and I can see why. Things Fall Apart is pure magic but tragically men will always be men. ...less
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August 11
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Jason
gave
to:
The Good Soldier Svejk: and His Fortunes in the World War (Penguin Classics)
by Jaroslav Hasek
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in August, 2008
Jason said:
"I really wish I could give this five stars but for the following reasons I can't even though this is most definitely a classic. First, in the edition I had (the Everyman's Library one) the translation is real rough even though I basically saw what th...more
I really wish I could give this five stars but for the following reasons I can't even though this is most definitely a classic. First, in the edition I had (the Everyman's Library one) the translation is real rough even though I basically saw what the translator was trying to say but that's only because i have a familiarity with the Czech language. Second, at 800 pages Hasek should have trimmed it down a bit.
Other than that this is a brilliant book. It's been called the first anti-war novel but it also employs biting satire (to emphasize the stupidity of war) and, like Hasek, it's also very anti-religious. Svejk is a brilliant character and Joseph Heller said he would've never written Catch-22 if he hadn't read this book and that's a hell of a co-sign. ...less
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July 22
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Jason
gave
to:
Last Evenings on Earth (New Directions Paperbook)
by Roberto Bolaño
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Jason said:
"I really wish I could give this a 4.5. The hype machine came hard with this dude and I can see why. This is the first thing I've read by him (but definitely not the last) and I feel it could be the best place to start with him.
As other people ha...more
I really wish I could give this a 4.5. The hype machine came hard with this dude and I can see why. This is the first thing I've read by him (but definitely not the last) and I feel it could be the best place to start with him.
As other people have said Bolano just throws this strange fog over everything and I'm not sure how he does it and I consider myself a pretty attentive reader. Characters float in and inexplicably just float out. It's like you're constantly in a realistic dream. This dude is magical and if you're looking for a good starting point with him this is highly recommended. ...less
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July 12
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Jason
added Middlesex
to the book list Best Books of the Decade: 2000's
add a comment »
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Jason
gave
to:
The Echo Maker: A Novel (Hardcover)
by Richard Powers
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in July, 2008
Jason said:
"I alternated through phases of really loving this book to not liking it to really liking by the time Powers wraps everything up. This isn't the easiest of books to get into as it is somewhat psychologically rough (both on the reader and especially th...more
I alternated through phases of really loving this book to not liking it to really liking by the time Powers wraps everything up. This isn't the easiest of books to get into as it is somewhat psychologically rough (both on the reader and especially the characters). It even took me a few days after finishing it to totally judge but I suppose the sign of a well-written book is when the characters and their problems still linger long after you've put it down. The (sometimes) subtle Wizard of Oz references are also really cool. First time reading Powers and I will definitely be checking for him again. ...less
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June 16
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Jason
marked as to-read:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel (Hardcover)
by Michael Chabon
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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May 23
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Jason
marked as to-read:
The Lay of the Land (Hardcover)
by Richard Ford
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Jason
marked as to-read:
The Essential Tales of Chekhov (Paperback)
by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Richard Ford, ed. , Constance Garnett, trans.
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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