Literally Dead Book Club discussion
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Chapter Nine - make sure you have extra braincells for it, it's a maze chapter and its a lot of small figure-outing
https://www.deviantart.com/pyrsin7/ar... for when you have to read through the Whalestoe Letters and the one that needs to be decripted. I believe in chapter 8.
MJ wrote: "https://www.deviantart.com/pyrsin7/ar... for when you have to read through the Whalestoe Letters and the one that needs to be decripted. I believe in chapter 8."I used this as well ! I had started to decode the letter myself, but then a few sentences in I realized how long it was going to take and turned to Google instead. Haha
I think I'm closer to 3/4 way through. I was not feeling the greatest yesterday, so I was able to knock out a good chunk of reading. The Navidson Record is definitely my favorite part. There is a bunch of shit going down, and people are losing their minds.
I am also enjoying the bizzare formatting more than I thought I would. When big things are happening in the story there will only be a few words on the page at a time, or a word stretched out over a few pages. I find this very atmospheric, even if I have a voice in my head saying, "omg, this is a huge waste of paper !".
I think this is going to be a book that I will not be able to assign a rating to. It's more about the experience than the content really, and with it being a story within a story within a story, I just don't think I can rate it all as one entity.
Thoughts so far:1. It’s never taken me longer to read the first 120 pages.
2. This is something I would normally DNF, but now I feel like it’s my own personal challenge. My Everest.
3. I like reading about the house. It’s a bit of torture getting through Johnny’s sections.
4. The joy that came when I got to page 182 and there was only minute text on each page, for the next 50 pages. That joy was real.
5. For some reason I’m still intrigued to see where this goes.
I am pretty sure I am halfway through....pretty sure, maybe? lolHiding it in my freezer is a thought. But I am not defeated that easily. I really enjoy the unique way this book is written. I thought my brain may explode at the beginning, I was working so hard to annotate and look everything up I didn't understand. But after chapter 6 I gave up on all that and just decided to read it. I have told several people about this book. I have basically described it as a plot within a plot. It reminds me a lot like the movie Momento. Now that I am halfway, or more than halfway, I am not sure I could say much more without giving something away. The only thing I am not really appreciating about this book is the footnote tangents that are supposed to be "countering evidence, professional opinion, or supportive documentation or articles" to the Navidson Record. I just don't care for it.
I'm not sure that I'm quite half way through yet. I just thought it was interesting that we're intended to read the book from the outside in. Almost like the story ends in the middle of the physical book and the author wants you to get lost in it.
So, I'm about halfway thru. Again. This isn't my first, or even tenth time, trying to get thru this book. However, I stopped trying around fifteen years ago (I got this book the year it published) when life got hectic.When I saw this come up on LaLas channel as a group read, I realized this book now has a big old fan base and so much more info on it available. So I thought why not? Maybe this time I'll get it finished!!
And I think I actually might! I referenced the net, found out about so many ciphers that i have never even thought to look for before, discovered better synopses on it, and so much more info to broaden my overall understanding of this book. I'm very grateful to the fans of this book.
I'm now in chapter nine, which I've titled to myself as The Labyrinth. And it is a very visual representation of one, in my opinion. And it's going to be a time suck to get finished with too i think.
So far: most enjoyable read of this book yet!
I think I’m actually a little passed the halfway point. But it depends if you count all the stuff in the back. I’m DETERMINED to finish this book. I enjoy the storyline with the house. I do not like all the mumbo jumbo explaining about that storyline. I also enjoyed our narrators escapades. But I could not bear his rambling. I skimmed a lot of it. I think by the end I’ll just be relieved to be finished honestly.
chapter 9 is tearing my last brain cell to shreds...
@Cosy don't worry the next 150 pages pass in no time o.o I'm definitely passed half way now - Chapter IX i think - and I'm just having such a weird experience which is exactly how this book intends to make you feel I think. I've kind of been circling a few things here and there and marking down some questions I still have, but I know that there's zero significance to anything I'm picking up on lol.
I just can't wait to delve into forums and discussion rooms once I'm finished
discussion posts are definitely a rabbit hole! i regularly stop reading to look things up bc I’m too dumb to figure them out on my own and i want to know NOW, and then i just end up on my phone for an hour. also, when you got to footnote 138 and it told you to reread an earlier footnote and then skip to footnote 249, did you skip ahead? or just keep reading normally? idk which path i want to take 😭😭
I'm on page 134 . is that halfway?! I'm going mad. lol. I always wondered about the checkmark at the bottom of page 97. But thanks to @MJBarrette for sharing the Whalestoe Letters. It's confusing still but captivating . it's taking so long to read this but I'm enjoying the experience.
I’m on 384. I think that’s more like 3/4 what with having read the appendices as indicated. I’m both super frustrated and super enjoying myself haha. The writing for the navidson part is so freaking good. I can really imagine every facet of what’s described. I am a weirdo who enjoys academic writing styles so I’m not having the boredom some people have mentioned with those parts. I can tell that Johnny is supposed to be gross and insufferable, but I’m not sure why we needed someone gross and insufferable to guide us through. Maybe that will become clear later or maybe the author just felt like it, haha.
I'm about to start chapter XI, seems about halfway. I am really liking this reading experience although I need to really be able to concentrate. Chapter X was a dream to read, after reading all the other chapters so slowly. Johnny's parts are definitely more difficult (and sometimes less interesting) to read. I'm captivated, I need to know how the story further unfolds.
I’m calling it here. I’m not DNFing it, because I really do like it, but there is no way I’m going to be able to finish it this month. I am really glad that this group put this book on my radar 💜
I am halfway through I think, and my brain is in pain. That is all. Thank you.
I’m not even sure if I’m half way. Let’s see if I can finish this book today🤣
Was not able to finish this... will have to pick it up again in the summer when I’m not in classes! This book needs all the attention I can give it.
Denise wrote: "Thoughts so far:1. It’s never taken me longer to read the first 120 pages.
2. This is something I would normally DNF, but now I feel like it’s my own personal challenge. My Everest.
3. I like re..."
This! I feel like I should've DNFed but I'm too far in now and I weirdly keep thinking about the connection to the content. I want to know how it ends but I'm also tired. Not sure how I'm continuing but I want it to finish. But I'm not not enjoying it haha.
do you feel like you're half way through the book?
how are you choosing to read it?
Have you thrown it across the room? Hid it in your freezer?
If you had to describe this book to someone and what the storyline is so far, in your own words, what would you say?
What is your favourite aspect of the writing/story so far?