Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
And for those who want to sample some David Foster Wallace essay-writing before buying the book, here's a link to an article he did in Harper's Magazine reviewing Bryan Garner's A Dictionary of Modern American Usage (subsequently revised as Garner's American Usage -- an amazing book in its own right).
DFW's essays (like his fiction) contain incredible amounts of detail and aren't for everyone. But some of us love this poop. The title essay in Consider the Lobster was an article he was asked to write for Gourmet magazine about a lobster festival in Maine that evolved into an incredibly thorough discussion of the lobster's nervous system and the ethics of boiling them alive.
I really enjoyed this essay, too. I have about three more to go in Consider The Lobster, with the title essay being what I am about to start, and I love his writing so far. He has the uncanny ability to take something seemingly mundane, or at least something I typically wouldn't be interested in, and make it come alive. It's incredible, really.
I particularly enjoyed the last one that I read, Up, Simba, which is an in-depth examination of a week on the 2000 campaign trail, following McCain around during the Republican primaries. I do not follow politics at all and typically find it all mind-numbing, but DFW really wrote it in a way that makes me very interested. I am excited to get into some of his other works. I will probably read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again before digging into his fiction.
Reading my new Bonnaroo book out on the front porch on this beautiful afternoon. Getting my mind right. Focusing on what's important.
I love you whoreshack. Let me tell you why, I forgot I had ordered my Bonnaroo book until you said you were reading yours. Then I remembered that mine was supposed to be here on Wednesday....but packages are always early here. So I went out to my mailbox and there it was, sitting pretty just waiting for me!
Had you not mentioned it I probably wouldn't have checked my mailbox for another couple days!
Ha. Glad I could jar your memory. What's funny is I must've ordered mine in a semi-drunken splurge last week. It showed up as a complete surprise yesterday. I should really try to do stupid, impulsive things more often.
Okay cool, I will look into that. What's next for you?
Finished this last night, excellent read. Hard to pick up at points because one of the narrator's an alcoholic, so the reader has trouble putting stuff together some times.
Now,
Which is really great so far. Sparse short stories in the same vein as Carver.
I finished Consider The Lobster. I am going to miss his writing. I will definitely need to pick something else of his up soon. I'm starting a recommendation from my girlfriend next. She loves recovery memoirs and insists I will love this one. I am hoping it's not too depressing.
Isn't that the one that there was a huge controversy over after it was discovered that it was fiction?
Yeah, A Million Little Pieces is totally made up for a lot of it. I've heard it's still a good book for fiction though. You may want to try Dry by Augusten Burroughs.
Yeah i figure it's probably entertaining enough in whatever realm of literature it needs to be filed under, which is all I am really looking for anyway. She actually just picked up Dry when we got our B&N membership, so maybe I'll give it a shot.
Yeah i figure it's probably entertaining enough in whatever realm of literature it needs to be filed under, which is all I am really looking for anyway. She actually just picked up Dry when we got our B&N membership, so maybe I'll give it a shot.
He wrote Running With Scissors as well. Dry is just his book about going to rehab. I would throw Tweak by Nic Sheff out there as well. When I worked at the rehab, a lot of the patients read it and said they could really relate to large portions of the book.
A Million Little Pieces... A Million Little Reece's Pieces!
That reminds me of the [url=A Million Little Reese's Pieces... sorry, but I'm reminded of the #literaryproductplacement hash tag that's trending on Twitter. I kinda went overboard the other nite penning new ones. (Oh, I'm nerdy & I know it!)
twitter.com/search?q=%23literaryproductplacement]#literaryproductplacement[/url] hash tag that's trending on Twitter. I went waaaay overboard the other night penning new ones. Yes, I'm a book nerd *and* a sucker for games. We could probably turn this into an Arcade game but I sense its 15 minutes of notoriety have already begun ticking... Still, it's a hoot - not to mention addictive!
I'll pass that along. She eats that type of sh*t up, for whatever reason. She actually just got Beautiful Boy, which is about Nic Sheff, written by his father. I think she even mentioned Tweak. She's on top of it, haha.
I'll pass that along. She eats that type of sh*t up, for whatever reason. She actually just got Beautiful Boy, which is about Nic Sheff, written by his father. I think she even mentioned Tweak. She's on top of it, haha.
Everyone's got their go-to genres when all else fails.
Finished this, one of the most interesting books I've ever read. The book is centered around this one idea, the re-enactment of past events, that just builds and builds until it eventually gets super crazy. Highly Recommended.
Now,
I've read the Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, so I expected this to be outstanding, but didn't know just how great it would be. Love this so far.
Post by theshining on Mar 24, 2012 17:53:53 GMT -5
I finally finished Matterhorn and wow! I can't say enough good things about the book and at the same time what a completely horrific and depressing read throughout. If you can stomach the horrors of war this is pretty much a must read.
I finished Consider The Lobster. I am going to miss his writing. I will definitely need to pick something else of his up soon. I'm starting a recommendation from my girlfriend next. She loves recovery memoirs and insists I will love this one. I am hoping it's not too depressing.
Despite the controversy surrounding this, which I found out about after reading it, I still found A Million Little Pieces to be a great read! I mean the lead in to James arrival to the hospital was a good hook and Leonard is a great character.
I finished Consider The Lobster. I am going to miss his writing. I will definitely need to pick something else of his up soon. I'm starting a recommendation from my girlfriend next. She loves recovery memoirs and insists I will love this one. I am hoping it's not too depressing.
Despite the controversy surrounding this, which I found out about after reading it, I still found A Million Little Pieces to be a great read! I mean the lead in to James arrival to the hospital was a good hook and Leonard is a great character.
It was a very good read. I felt very connected to James and the rest of the patients he interacts with throughout, and he did a good job of depicting his changes within, just through his behavior and interactions with people. It's a cool message too; though not discounting what AA has to offer myself, but that he found and continues to find the strength within only himself and his decisions is very powerful.
Post by nodepression on Mar 27, 2012 10:29:33 GMT -5
Read a couple books since last checking in,
Collection of short stories, mostly published in The Atlantic, by a young writer who killed himself when he was 26-27. The stories take place in West Virginia, and I've never really read anything that brings a setting to life like this. Great stuff.
Then, The Journalist- Harry Mathews
The story is based around the journal the main character keeps after a previous mental breakdown. The journal gets more and more complicated and involved as it gets further and further along. Mathews is one of the best and also accessible experimental fiction writers, I've read him before, but this would make a great starting point for those who haven't.
Recently read "11/23/63". Of King's more recent works, I think it's the better of the bunch. Still not on par with his best work but a good read nonetheless.
Picked up "A Game of Thrones" on Saturday. I'm about halfway through it now. I can definitely see how it would make a good TV series.
I've been reading a lot lately but have yet to read something that grabs me.
Recently read "11/23/63". Of King's more recent works, I think it's the better of the bunch. Still not on par with his best work but a good read nonetheless.
Picked up "A Game of Thrones" on Saturday. I'm about halfway through it now. I can definitely see how it would make a good TV series.
I've been reading a lot lately but have yet to read something that grabs me.
I also really liked 11/23/63. I think it dragged a bit at times, and with such an intriguing concept I don't really think there was need for that. A lot could have been left out and I would have ok, I much rather would have had another failed attempt and redo. But if that is as little I have to complain about in a read, I'll take it every time. I still enjoyed Under the Dome much better though. Have you read The Dark Tower? I keep trying and trying to start it, I'm really having a hard time getting into The Gunslinger. I'm also about to start Game of Thrones this weekend. I ended up watching the whole first season Sunday.
I also really liked 11/23/63. I think it dragged a bit at times, and with such an intriguing concept I don't really think there was need for that. A lot could have been left out and I would have ok, I much rather would have had another failed attempt and redo. But if that is as little I have to complain about in a read, I'll take it every time. I still enjoyed Under the Dome much better though.
I forgot all about Under the Dome. We actually had an inforoo thread dedicated to that book when it came out. I was disappointed. King is a such a strong writer but he so often fails when it comes to ending a story.
Full Dark, No Stars had good stories though. Maybe I just prefer King's short stories as opposed to his novels?
Have you read The Dark Tower? I keep trying and trying to start it, I'm really having a hard time getting into The Gunslinger.
Ahhh, yes, I read The Gunslinger a few years ago. It literally took me two months to get through it. I haven't been brave enough to read the rest of the series, though I hear it gets better as it goes along. The Gunslinger was just such a struggle though.
As disappointed as I was with the ending of Under the Dome, I enjoyed it way to much though for it to detract from my overall opinion. I can't wait for the TV series that is supposedly in the works. My biggest fear going into 11/23/63 that he would screw the pooch on the ending. While it definable felt rushed, I didn't hate it.
Also glad to know I'm not the only one.... I have started it on like 4 separate occasions and can't seem to make it to page 100.
Post by billypilgrim on Mar 27, 2012 17:18:22 GMT -5
My latest read was Don Delillo's Libra. Written in 1988, it's a fictional account of the JFK assassination. [Remind anyone of the premise of a recent Stephen King novel?] The novel includes actual historic events and players, but tells of a (hopefully) fictionalized CIA conspiracy intended to lay blame on Cuba and stoke American sentiment to take out Castro. If you're a Delillo fan you probably know all about this book. If you're not, I'm not sure this is where I'd start tackling his work unless I was already interested in early-60s US history.
Before that I read The Sweet Hereafter by Daniel Woodrell. Like most of his other works (most notably Winter's Bone), this takes place in the Ozarks. It involves a school bus crash and is told from the perspective of different participants. I love this guy's writing. He has a great grasp of down and out.
Before that I read What It's Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes. Up above somewhere I talked about his novel Matterhorn based on his experiences as a Marine in Viet Nam. I expected this to be the non-fiction equivalent. But more than recounting his experiences, he talks about how they affected him psychologically, emotionally, philosophically, etc., and how the military can do a better job of helping young combat soldiers prepare for, deal with, and return to society from the battlefield. He's obviously a very smart guy (he got a scholarship to Yale and was a Rhodes scholar) and has an interesting perspective on the topics he tackles.
If any of you are looking for something really intense, I just reread this:
As a warning, this book is extremely deep and difficult to read. I blow through about a book or 2 a day when I am on a reading kick, but this takes me about 1-2 weeks, since I am constantly looking up references and reading about them. Having said that, it is one of my favorites. Anybody who does read it, let me know what you think.
As a warning, this book is extremely deep and difficult to read. I blow through about a book or 2 a day when I am on a reading kick, but this takes me about 1-2 weeks, since I am constantly looking up references and reading about them. Having said that, it is one of my favorites. Anybody who does read it, let me know what you think.
Post by nodepression on Mar 28, 2012 20:20:16 GMT -5
I'll have to check it out. Lots of stuff to get through first though, Underworld's around 830 pages, and I'll probably tackle Hopscotch by Cortazar next.
So I failed miserably at expanding my horizons with The World Is Flat; instead I decided to finish Keith Richards' Life. I had read half of it around Christmas, and set it down for whatever reason. It was a great read, and though the '80s onward were not the most important times in his career, it would have been nice to have given them a bit more of the depth he had given to the years prior.
I decided to go with a novel this time around. Joining noD in the DeLillo tip.
