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Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:34 pm
by Lurker13
jwar wrote:I'm starting to think no one here likes the same shit I do with books.
LOL
Horror? Well maybe not the same specific ones, but I think I've read everything H.P. Lovecraft ever wrote, and some of his disciples, too. I've also read some Stephen King. King is good, but Lovecraft was a god, despite his peculiar lack of dialogue.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:46 pm
by Lurker13
kaeth wrote:Do you guys ever read books that fly way over your head? I want to get better at reading / understanding / retaining, but I'm not sure immersing myself in convoluted language is an effective way to go about that. Part of me wants to power through, hoping that by the end, some vague understanding will stick, even subconsciously. The other part of me thinks I'm just wasting time jacking off, frustrated, to no climax.
I'm halfway through Alfred North Whitehead's Process and Reality, and I'm not sure I've understood a single sentence in it. I'm interested in the concept, so I've read through related wikipedia articles, and watched some youtube vids, which has given me a broad idea, but there's still a huge disconnect between what has been explained to me, and what I'm reading in the book.
I also just got Alfred Korzybski's Science and Sanity (because of Robert Anton Wilson), which upon cursory glance seems just as dense, and twice as long. I should probably just go back to reading comic books.
I do this all the time too.
$harktoootth's advice is excellent. I would only add that you might keep a legal pad and a pen handy so you can take notes, jot down definitions, etc. Writing down what you are reading reinforces is it in your mind, and gives you a handy reference if you forget something. And memorize. One of my favorite math teachers in college told me "Memorize first, and the understanding will follow." And you know what? It's true. When you have the pieces of the puzzle memorized, it becomes much easier to see how they fit together.
Also, keep in mind that the things in life that are worthwhile are usually
hard. You have taken on a challenging but doable task. Think of it as infusing intellectual jet fuel into your intellect, even if it is a difficult infusion process.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 2:32 am
by PeteeBee
^^^ also some stuff is vague on purpose. I just finished "I and Thou" by Buber which is probably not all that hard of a book, but I struggled with it, and many of the most tricky sections were parts where no one really knows what was meant, some Buber even admitted later in his career that he didn't know what he meant exactly.
I'm currently reading "the Jewish gospels" by Daniel Boyarin and "sirens of titan" by Vonnegut. Really digging both.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 3:29 am
by kaeth
That all makes sense, and sounds like good advice, thanks. I'll have to push through, and maybe just slow down and pay closer attention.
People have been telling me to read different Vonnegut books left and right lately. I've only read Cat's Cradle, but I dug it quite a bit.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:42 am
by Iommic Pope
This has been said before, but Vonnegut is always good.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:47 am
by Iommic Pope
jwar wrote:I'm reading The Last Motel by Brett McBean. He's an awesome Aussie author. If you're into horror, check him out! I loved his book Mother, which I won in a drawing from him.
I gotta suss this out, thanks man!
Also, I'm upping my reading game again seeing as im trying to wind up to giving writing a serious crack.
Gonna finish this Asimov jam if it kills me, and I've got a Dr Strange collection (the Oath) on the way along with The City and The City FINALLY.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:38 am
by sears
OldGeorge wrote:Just grabbed 'Of Human Bondage' by Maugham. Slow going because the guitar is constantly calling but good in a depressing sort of way... good song material
That's my least favorite Maugham. Try "The Moon And Sixpence" or the collection of his short stories and novellas.
I am reading "Joyland" by Stephen King. It's fun.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:24 am
by facelessfx
The Machine Stops by E.M.Forster. Slowly...
I go through phases of reading a lot and then not. I think I'm in a 'would like to read but don't have time' phase at the moment, hence the short story read at a snail's pace. I can usually whizz through a book in a few days if I read in the evening, but (good) life changes mean I'm not doing that at the moment.
I've got a decent list of books yet to read. Maybe I should read instead of deciding I should hang on here more.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:34 am
by $harkToootth
kaeth wrote:That all makes sense, and sounds like good advice, thanks. I'll have to push through, and maybe just slow down and pay closer attention.
People have been telling me to read different Vonnegut books left and right lately. I've only read Cat's Cradle, but I dug it quite a bit.
Pretty sure I have read every Vonnegut book. They're all wonderful. Some more substantive than others but at the very least they are usually funny/sly/coy.
I need to catch up on my Chuch Palahniuk. I was reading a lot of his stuff in between Vonnegut and at one point had read all of his books too but I have not read anything since SNUFF (which was garbage). To this day, RANT is one of the coolest novels I have ever read.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 11:39 am
by Chankgeez
sears wrote:OldGeorge wrote:Just grabbed 'Of Human Bondage' by Maugham. Slow going because the guitar is constantly calling but good in a depressing sort of way... good song material
That's my least favorite Maugham. Try "The Moon And Sixpence" or the collection of his short stories and novellas.
I am reading "Joyland" by Stephen King. It's fun.
I read
Of Human Bondage years ago. Liked it. Maybe I should read more Maugham?
I just read
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee. It was good, but not as good as
The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati.
facelessfx wrote: Maybe I should read instead of deciding I should hang on here more.
You can post here when you take breaks while reading.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:21 pm
by reckon luck
I read this several times a week:
I don't speak Spanish; my brutalizing of the language drives my wife nuts. Baby boy loves it.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:28 pm
by raj007
Just started Dune. Never read before.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 4:32 pm
by coldbrightsunlight
Love Dune.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 6:04 pm
by OldGeorge
kaeth wrote:That all makes sense, and sounds like good advice, thanks. I'll have to push through, and maybe just slow down and pay closer attention.
People have been telling me to read different Vonnegut books left and right lately. I've only read Cat's Cradle, but I dug it quite a bit.
I love Vonnegut! He's my favourite author next to Dostoyevsky. Personally I swear by Player Piano, well worth the read and far underrated
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 6:06 pm
by OldGeorge
sears wrote:OldGeorge wrote:Just grabbed 'Of Human Bondage' by Maugham. Slow going because the guitar is constantly calling but good in a depressing sort of way... good song material
That's my least favorite Maugham. Try "The Moon And Sixpence" or the collection of his short stories and novellas.
I am reading "Joyland" by Stephen King. It's fun.
I'll throw that in the ever growing "read it next" list. Is it as pressing?