You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Chit Chat About Books
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What Are You Reading? - 2017.1
I got the audio version of Slaughterhouse-Five and it is going much better. Though it is still a somewhat confusing book. James Franco is the narrator and I can't really say anything particularly good or bad about him. When I first started listening I thought he sounded bored, but after a little while I decided that fits with the tone/mood of the book. One thing is sticking out to me everytime I hear it and is sort of bothering me. Have you ever browsed through the buzzfeed or facebook articles of literary tattoos? On every single one of those lists I've looked at, "so it goes" is there. I knew the quote "so it goes" was Vonnegut, but didn't know the context of it. Now that I do, I realize it is a very hopeless seeming statement. It always follows a sad or depressing statement. This is not an actual quote, but it'll be something like: "The house collapsed on top of him and he died painfully. So it goes."
What is bothering me about this is that I never thought about this being such a hopeless statement and now I can't figure out why anyone would want that tattooed on their body.
I've never seen those tattoos, but we have that expression in Dutch too and I always thought of it as accepting things you cannot change. But it isn't neccessarily used in such depressing examples as yours.I'm reading All Quiet on the Western Front for the survey challenge.
I think of it the same way Peggy does, Kimey. It basically means that's just the way it is, so you might as well accept it, don't stress over it, etc. Accept the things you cannot change.
That's a heavy book Peggy. Prepare for post war depression upon completion
Yes, very gripping story so far Travis.
That is how I interpreted it before reading this book. I thought it was like C'est la vie, not really hopeful but not hopeless either. Like you said, accept the things you cannot change and the prayer for serenity. But it becomes so much darker to me when every time it is said in this book is when something horribly depressing has happened. "...[She] died of carbon monoxide poisoning. So it goes."
"... was shot dead by a friend while they were out hunting deer. So it goes."
"He died there of pneumonia. So it goes."
"[They] carried the corpse out. The corpse was [deleted name]. So it goes."
"...they were missing in action and probably dead. So it goes."
"...the candles and soap were made from the fat of rendered Jews and Gypsies and fairies and communists, and other enemies of the State. So it goes."
Those are actual quotes and just so depressing. I get the why of the statement in the context of the book because of the Tralfamadorians... it's just that the phrase has taken on such a hopeless and depressing connotation now that I'm in the process of reading it.
Hm, depressing indeed..I think maybe with the tattoos people take one without knowing where it comes from, or just based on how they interpret the expression.
I finished reading Circle of Bones. I really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I want to continue the series. I will start Kafka on the Shore tonight.
I loved that Kristie! My mom, sister and cousin loved it too after I recommended it to them.
I read the first 25 chapters (about 44%) in one day and didn't want to put it down, Peggy! It's so good.
There's also a sort of sequel, Glory over Everything. I haven't read it yet but it's been sitting on my real life book shelf for a while.
I'm doing a buddy read of Kitchen House and we plan to read that one next. I don't think I own that one yet though. I hope it's as good as this one.
I finished A Prayer for Owen Meany this morning. I agree, Travis. The audio was great!
Started Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection thought I was reading short stories, apparently novellas though. At the start Sanderson explains how most of his books are linkid to a greater universe called the cosmos and in years to come will start crossing over with each other into one . Intriguing. This is a yearly challenge book
I had not realized that there was a second book related to The Kitchen House. I have to check it out. I enjoyed TKH.
I finished the wonderful Days Without End for the monthly challenge. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...Next up is another Walter Scott Historical Prize for Fiction nominee, Golden Hill
Travis sivarT wrote: "Started Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection thought I was reading short stories, apparently novellas though. At the start Sanderson explains how most of his books are linkid t..."I am waiting to finish the Mistborn series before I jump in to this one. Wondering if the Stormlight Archive needs to be read first too.
Mistborn stormlight and elantris primarily make up the large cosmere world. That said in the prologue he says if a story contains spoilers he says before that story make sure you have already read such and such. Story 1 was in Elantris world but stood alone. Story 2 still in Elantris but he says story takes place after Elantris. Spoilers read Elantris first. To my knowledge Warbreaker is the only book I haven't read so I'm pretty safe. I started the Alcatraz books for toppler. Great fun geared for young audience but easily read by adults as well
That's great that he mentions which books need to be read first before the novellas. Very thoughtful and helpful.
On a similar topic as Sfott Lynch, just seen that Patrick Rothfuss is rereleasing Name of the Wind as it's 10 years since first published and it has wuite a few extras in it. His blog post announcing this addresses why it's notbthe 3rd book being released. He links to a video he did a ehile back which explwine in more detail. He is still editing dialogue etc. With the last book, he felt guilty it took longer than thebplanned year to complete. So much so it effected his health and mental hewlth and he had to see a counsellor. It made me feel guilty for being desperate for him to release his book. I guess authors are only human and have to have a life too. I'm going to moan less about books not being released. Or try to anyway. Lol.
Sarah wrote: "On a similar topic as Sfott Lynch, just seen that Patrick Rothfuss is rereleasing Name of the Wind as it's 10 years since first published and it has wuite a few extras in it. His blog post announci..."I saw that Rothfuss was rereleasing The Name of the Wind for its 10th anniversary, but I haven't yet watched the video he linked so I had no idea that his mental health suffered during the writing and publication of the second book. That's a real shame. I too now feel a bit guilty for moaning about the third book taking so long.
I had no idea it's 10 years old already!
KimeyDiann wrote: "That is how I interpreted it before reading this book. I thought it was like C'est la vie, not really hopeful but not hopeless either. Like you said, accept the things you cannot change and the pra..."I think, he says that in the book more in the mood "nothing really changes", or "there is nothing new under the sun"
And I also think is a literary resource, to make you feel the sting of the necessity of change; he tries to arouse the hopelessness to make you feel the need of change...
Peggy wrote: "I had no idea it's 10 years old already!"Same here!
For those of you who haven't seen the literary tattoo lists, heres a couple of links. The first one has one titled Kafka, which I can only assume is Kafka on the Shore that some of you have been reading recentlyhttps://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashabl...
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/t...
Mariab wrote: "KimeyDiann wrote: "That is how I interpreted it before reading this book. I thought it was like C'est la vie, not really hopeful but not hopeless either. Like you said, accept the things you cannot..."I guess that is one of the things that is bothering me about Slaughterhouse-Five, inside the world of the book (view spoiler) This is some deep stuff! And until I'm sitting here typing it out, I didn't even realize how deep! Good job Mr. Vonnegut, good job!
KimeyDiann wrote: "For those of you who haven't seen the literary tattoo lists, heres a couple of links. The first one has one titled Kafka, which I can only assume is Kafka on the Shore that some of you ..."Thanks for linking the lists, Kimey. Some of those tattoos are beautiful! I think if I were to get a literary tattoo, I would probably just go for a quote from one of my favourite books.
I'm pretty sure the kafka one refers to The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. There are some nice ones in there and others that aren't so good. I would so have "not all those who wander are lost". I know I've said I love that quite before.
Finished The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid
My review: www.goodreads.com/review/show/2026197698
I started The Storied Life of AJ Fikry yesterday, for the survey challenge.
Peggy wrote: "I started The Storied Life of AJ Fikry yesterday, for the survey challenge."I hope you enjoy it, Peggy! :)
Can't link because I'm in the app but I finished The Lies of Locke Lamora and have made a dent in the second book in the Gentlemen Bastard series, Red Seas Under Red Skies. The first got my 5 stars.
Cherie - I'm glad you loved The Lies of Locke Lamora. I own it on Audible, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Roz - I don't recall hearing about The Ballroom, but 10 of my GR friends have read it and they all rated it 4 or 5 stars. I guess I wasn't paying attention! It looks really interesting to me and I look forward to seeing what you think.
I'm currently trying to find some time to finish up The Kitchen House for a buddy read and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty for the monthly challenge. I feel like I've been getting nowhere with my reading lately; I've been so busy at home. I'm also reading (listening to) How to Train Your Dragon with my grandson and so far it's really cute. I just had the opportunity to explain that the book is the "real" story and the movie was based off the book. He thought the book had some events and facts wrong.
KimeyDiann wrote: "This is some deep stuff! And until I'm sitting here typing it out, I didn't even realize how deep! Good job Mr. Vonnegut, good job!...";-))
Kristie wrote: "Roz - I don't recall hearing about The Ballroom, but 10 of my GR friends have read it and they all rated it 4 or 5 stars. ..."It's an interesting story and I still think about it. I picked it up because of the toppler.
Yesterday I've finished Blue Monday by Nicci French. That was just so good! I've read thier older books, but this...Review will follow.Now i'm reading Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser.
Kristie wrote: "I'm also reading (listening to) How to Train Your Dragon with my grandson and so far it's really cute. I just had the opportunity to explain that the book is the "real" story and the movie was based off the book. He thought the book had some events and facts wrong."That book was so funny to read! My son is too young for the book, but he loves the movie.
Roz wrote: "I'm reading The Ballroom set in a mental asylum."I read that last year. I thought it was pretty good.
Roz wrote: "I'm reading The Ballroom set in a mental asylum."I used to have a fear of mental asylums, more specifically being locked up in one when I have nothing wrong with me and no one believes me. Lol. Off to check this one out. Bit of exposure therapy through fiction works wonders :-)
I can relate. Being locked up anywhere (asylum, jail) wrongfully would be frightening. In this one, taking place in 1911, there wasn't much done to really treat the patients. But some of the theories surrounding poverty and mental illness are interesting in a horrifying way. So far I'm enjoying it. And I realized I can use it for the Year-long (#22).
I just finished The Kitchen House and I thought it was an excellent book. I plan to read Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House soon. I'm still working on A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty and it's good, but I'm taking forever to get through it. I'm not sure I'll finish in time for the monthly challenge.
I finished A Crucible of Souls on audiobook today. I will definitely continue that series.I started Deadline, book 2 in a series I started a long time ago. Thankfully, Mira Grant does a good job of recapping without being annoying.
I listened to The Girl Before last week and would recommend it as an unusual thriller. 4 star for me but only because the the ending wasn't as good as the body of the book. It rarely is *sigh*I have started and dropped a fair few books over the last few days but The Likeness seems to have caught my attention. I do like stories that are set in places familiar to me.
I really like Tana French, and I hope you enjoy The Likeness.
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
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I'm pleased you have been enjoying the Murakami rereads Travis. I have Kafka on audio too so I think at some point I will listen to it too. I would definitely do that for Hardboiled. To tell the truth, I've not looked at the reviews for 1Q84. It's gotta be read at some point. But I have others of his that I already own which I'll work my way through first.