Dan’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2009)

Dan’s comments from the fiction files redux group.

Brian is right, I have read a lot of this guy in the past year or so. I think about 9 novels total.

Murakami seems to be an expert of building a mystifying surreal world that seems as real or more real than the world I live in. Despite some of the events that take place, i think I would prefer living in his world. I feel that I have read too many of his novels too quickly and the have all blended together, except for Kafka on the Shore which I enjoyed the most.

All of his books are real page turners but I think that is as much of a problem as it is a blessing. I read through this story at an incredible speed and have probably missed much of the complexity.

I was really captivated by the conversation with the girl on the phone at the end of the story. This is just an amazing exchange:

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I said. "This may sound strange, but I called just to make sure you're still alive. That's all. Really."

I could feel her smiling into the phone.

"Thanks. That was nice of you," she said. "Don't worry, though. I'm still alive. And I'm working my tail off to stay alive. Which is why I'm dead tired. O.K.? Are you relieved?"

"I'm relieved."

"You know," she said, as if she were about to share a secret with me, "life is pretty damn hard."

"I know," I said. And she was right. "How would you like to have dinner with me?"

In the silence at her end, I could sense her biting her lip and touching her little finger to her eyebrow.

"Not right now," she said, emphasizing each syllable. "We'll talk later. You have to let me sleep now. Everything will be fine if I can just sleep a little. I'll call you when I wake up. O.K.?"

"O.K.," I said. "Good night."

"You, too. Good night."

She hesitated a moment. "Was it some kind of emergency¡ªwhat you wanted to talk about?"

"No, no emergency," I said. "We can talk about it later."

It was true we had plenty of time. Ten thousand, twenty thousand years. I could wait.
-------------------

I feel like this girl never wakes up again. That this is the end for her. I don't know why but it is something that I feel.

and the very last line of the quoted text reaches me on an emotional level I am not really able to understand.

I know I haven't really said anything about the story but I will likely reread it and try to respond more fully.

There was a revival in interest in Charles Portis sometime in the last year or so here in the Fiction Files, while doing some (unrelated) research I came across some interesting bits of information on Portis.

First of all it seems the Coen Brother's are going to be working on a new version of Portis' True Grit. Thought it won't be out for a few years as they are working on a movie based on Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union. More here: http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/artic...

I also came across an article on Portis' in an old Believer Magazine which can be found here: http://www.believermag.com/issues/200...

Aw Adrian, there's a sweet little Jesus Fish nestled into the G!

Kerry wrote: "My announcement today is I went by Cost Plus World Market and tis the season for Orange Blossom Cream Ale beer! Hooray! This is a great springtime beer, light and literal in it's orangeiness. I ..."

I have had their pumpkin ale before but not this one. I will look for it!

Martyn wrote: "Has anybody noticed that weird looking car park building near Yesler? It looks like it is sinking. What's the deal with that? I really liked Seattle...that music museum designed by Frank Gehry i..."


I remember that car park building! though I don't know what the deal is with it. I haven't been to that Music Museum either.

They in the middle of building a Global Music Instrument Museum here in Phoenix though. Pretty cool: http://www.themim.org/

It seems that we have to things going on here in defining 'literary'

I think we are seeking both a general definition that could go into a dictionary and a relative definition (what does literary mean to me?)

Age would play into the relative definition because it takes into consideration the reader and not just the work itself.

Is this distinction worth noting? I think so.

The guy's last name is Butt? Is that only because he puts out shit?

bad joke. my apologies.

Ok, I read the story. I think this was my third time reading it and I am still not sure how to approach discussing it. I often feel this was when reading Borges. I feel that I am often reduced to superlatives which is not really conducive to discussion.

I wish some of these characters (ie. fellow fictionphiles) would hurry up and prejudice this conversation so I can learn how to talk about this guy.

I have a neat link! Apparently there are author talks held by google on youtube.

Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=A...

Also, I learned of this sight from either Michael or Hugh and if you haven't seen it it is worth your time:

http://www.ted.com/

This is a great thread Ry.

I agree with Patty on this one. I think that 'Literary' is just a lazy term used to represent much more. I believe the term really exists to simply separate the types of works or perhaps even lit-snobs and the lay reader.

My goal is to venture into some of the genre stuff that I have snobbily avoided thus far in my life and I have been pleasantly surprised. Of course this is all thanks to this group and its members.

It seems to me that the Harry Potter books get enough recognition (or maybe a pass) from the lit snobs because Rowling can actually write and the Twilight can't (Stephen King said so himself a while back, not that he is to have the last judgement).

Michael wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Michael wrote: "
Dewey is actually the index to the v2 Fiction Files (after MySpace dropped the group's home page somehow). I know as well as anyone, that the original v1 Fiction..."

So you are talking about Backspace, not the old Files, right? I think it would be really easy to compile and edit the various posts from there. I would be interested in helping piece something together.

Oh, I sorta understand now. I actually don't know who shouts it other than myself of course.

what dude?

This is a fascinating thread. I know noext to nothing about Kafka. I remember, vaguely, reading the metamorphosis in in school bit that's about it.

I do have the castle and trial sitting around here somewhere to read but I haven't gotten to them yet.

I did read about the issues he had with his father. He wrote a long letter to his father detailing these issues.

You can check it out here if it interests you.

http://www.kafka-franz.com/KAFKA-lett...

There's some good stuff on this thread, keep it up!

I have been in a DFW state of mind recently. This started with his death last year. I have read many of his works before his death but never his magnum opus Infinite Jest A Novel. I am now reading it and finding it much better than I expected (I wasn't blown away by The Broom of the System).

I was casually browsing the news this morning when I came across this article about crabs feeling pain: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/2...

This of course reminded me of DFW's article Consider the Lobster. I located it on gourmet.com and thought I would share it with you.

http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s...

Enjoy.

Michael wrote: "
Oro's post in the Borges thread got me to thinkin about the left handed master from Prague. Let's start here, at Prague's new international airport:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video......"

What a great video to start a thread on Kafka. Hilarious!

I agree with Margaret that the polls be considered closed for this round. I mean 29 titles is certainly a large enough pool to pick form.

Jesika wrote: "Hi everyone!

I’m Jesika.

I wish when people asked me what I like to do for fun I didn’t get uncomfortable when I say, “Oh, I like to read.” I am not embarrassed that I spend most of my fre..."


Holy shit someone else in Arizona reads instead of spending all their free time digging tunnels to smuggle cocaine and eggs!

and I thought I was alone in this whole reading thing.

Thanks for this Martyn. Orwell seemed a little more Hemingway-esque than I previously thought.

Goddamnit, I just accidentally deleted Ben's comment saying "Boot Camp?"

I was trying to delete my comment. Sorry Ben!