Brian's profile

91 ratings | 17 reviews
avg rating: 4.09

Brian's bookshelves

read (92)

currently-reading (4)

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Brian is currently reading

	07/11 Brian is currently reading: The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style (Hardcover) by Nicholas Antongiavanni bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	05/23 Brian is currently reading: Steps (Paperback) by Jerzy Kosinski bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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	03/06 Brian is currently reading: Like You'd Understand, Anyway: Stories (Hardcover) by Jim Shepard bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
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Brian's recent updates (rss)

August 26

New comment on Brian's review of Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide

Brian wrote: "Seriously, what the hell is gingham? "

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July 11

Brian is currently reading:
The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style (Hardcover)
by Nicholas Antongiavanni
bookshelves: currently-reading

my rating:

add a comment

June 25

New comment on Chad's review of What Men Live By And Other Tales

Brian wrote: "I like Checkov and Turgenev, but Tolstoy's never quite boiled by borscht.

(I really have nothing i...more "

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New comment on Chad's review of Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer

Brian wrote: "You recommend this book for anyone who "has the lofty goal of achieving an open-water experienc...more "

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Brian read and liked Chad's review of Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer:

"Lynne Cox was a very ambitious child and I can't recall ever reading of someone more couragious at such a young age. The writing isn't stellar, but I think that helps to portray the honesty that comes out of this book--like she has been holding it i...more "

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June 23

New comment on Brian's review of Me Talk Pretty One Day

Brian wrote: "Sanjeev,

Google "David Sedaris" and "truth" to get an idea. While James Frey wa...more "

(see all 14 comments)

June 12

Brian read and liked Alice's review of One Hundred Years of Solitude:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

""One Hundred Years of Solitude" is widely renowned as a masterpiece / a classic, is one of the most oft-listed favorite books on Facebook, and has been called the "first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be requ...more "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is widely renowned as a masterpiece / a classic, is one of the most oft-listed favorite books on Facebook, and has been called the "first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race."

So it may be utter sacrilege for me to say this, but, oh well: I haven't read the Book of Genesis, but if it's anything like "One Hundred Years of Solitude" it's going to be long and boring. Marquez's style in this book has been described as "hypnotic." Well, true. I fell asleep pretty much every time I opened this book. I finally managed to finish last night, out of a sense of obligation more than any particular enjoyment.

On some level, I sort of appreciate what he was trying to do here, constructing a town, characters, and a whole fabric outside time and reality, hitting up a litany of Important Themes along the way. The vicious shortcomings of capitalism. The pointlessness of warfare. The inevitability of fate. The cyclical/repetitious/fluid nature of time. With the goal of exploring such themes, and delivering his insights in that rambling narrative style, Marquez couldn't really have done it any other way, I suppose.

But on the other hand, a reader has to stay interested, and that, for me, was the biggest problem. There goes Ursula or Fernanda or Amaranta trying to save the house from the ravages of the red ants again. There goes Jose Arcadio or Aureliano or who-cares pining after his relative and having wild intercourse again. There goes Melquiades appearing randomly to Jose Arcadio or Aureliano or who-cares as he goes through the manuscripts again. Yawn.

I had the same problem - to a much lesser extent - with "Love in the Time of Cholera": in the end, or, really, by the middle of the book, I just didn't care about anybody or anything in the book.

Oh, also, a minor gripe about Marquez's 'hook' first sentence - it's used again later, with names substituted, in "Chronicle of a Death Foretold."

I will admit that I did crack a smile when the last Buendia was, as Ursula feared, born with a pig tail, so for that one moment of interest alone, I anoint this book with 2 stars, and not 1. Yipes, I feel as if I've just committed one of the newly minted 14 mortal sins by writing this review. ...less "

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June 09

Brian gave

to:
After Dark (paperback)
by Haruki Murakami

my rating:

read in June, 2008

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Brian gave

to:
The Essential Marcus Aurelius (Paperback)
by Jacob Needleman

my rating:

read in June, 2008

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May 23

Brian is currently reading:
Steps (Paperback)
by Jerzy Kosinski
bookshelves: currently-reading

my rating:

add a comment

see all 92 of Brian's books »

Brian's writing

Tangents (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated 09/28/2007 09:22AM

description: Originally published in the Toasted Cheese Litary Journal.

Tone Deaf (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated 09/28/2007 09:20AM

description: Originally published at Somewhat.org

Soft White (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated 09/28/2007 09:16AM

description: An expirement in which I attempt to sound like Hemingway.

Brian's groups (recent posts)

Quirky humour — 55 members — last activity 7 days ago, 10:22AM
A group dedicated to Quirky Humour. Talk about wry, witty, quirky books. Or basically, books with an unusual or unconventional sense of humour. Don´t...more

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Brian's friends (9)

	Lance 56 books 414 friends
	Deborah 716 books 208 friends
	Jenni 394 books, 21 friends Friend details Through a friend
	Patricia 15 books 87 friends
	Kimberly 257 books 15 friends
	Watt 374 books 99 friends
	Chad 79 books 9 friends
	Derek 35 books 3 friends
	Michelle 8 books 5 friends

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