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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Why don't we talk about books?

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11:27 / 01.07.04

Clever White Male, 26, seeks either for discussion of David Foster Wallace. Into math, footnotes, and really obscure poop references. No Derridians, please!

Books Personal?

11:38 / 01.07.04

There's a Book Personals thread here -kind of the step before the Book Club, you say what you're going to be reading and see if there's anyone interested in reading it with you.

ONLY NICE THINGS

13:04 / 01.07.04

for instance I haven't a clue what 'the Aeneid' is about or who it's by or anything, so it's impossible for me to join in the conversation and say I would like to read it with the possible Book Club.

I don't know - I think that's a great situation in which to plunge into a Book Club. Because you'll have the support of other people reading it, you'll be able to ask them questions (like who is Marcellus - also a handy question in the Pulp Fiction Film thread) and maybe answer some of theirs...

22:38 / 01.07.04

That's a really kind thing to say.

I'm not sure I'll ever be at a point where I could answer anyone else's questions, but if people don't mind inane, "Er...what?" type posts from me then I'd love to read 'The Aeneid' with the book club.

06:06 / 02.07.04

Well, let's do the show right here. I wouldn't mind jumping in. Tann should start the thread and set a date and give us some pointers.

07:04 / 02.07.04

Also - Olulabelle - I don't think you need to worry about not having sufficiently literary taste for the forum - my goodness, I hope that's not how everyone feels about it... I can kind of see why, but I would hope that people can talk about any old books in here and not feel that everyone else was feeling superior... Some of the most successful threads have been about people talking about how much they dislike things they are meant to have read, after all. What do you like to read, anyway?

I find reading classics with the other posters helpful precisely because I spend most of my leisure reading time engrossed in children's books and ting. It gives me enough of a kick up the arse to get on with reading things I've meant to start for ages but have never got round to looking at, e.g. Ulysses.

09:19 / 02.07.04

I would hope that people can talk about any old books in here and not feel that everyone else was feeling superior

I think it's actually the reverse. People seem more comfortable starting threads around books that aren't considered difficult, becasue then there's less pressure. Hence the large number of S-F threads versus more "literary" books. Note that I'm not saying S-F is a high or low genre, but I would argue that it is not perceived as being high culture and thus has less associated baggage.

BTW, KCC, I'd be up for reading more Hill. I read Mercian Hymns a few years ago but couldn't see what the fuss was about. I also read his selected poems which I liked more IIRC. Don't have it with me over here though I'm afraid. Perhaps you could clue me in a bit if we read something else of his?

And another yes to the Aeneid, especially if Haus can recommend a good, approachable edition. And as long as people stick with it! I joined up to a Barbelith bookclub thingy on Marx's Capital and not one single person actually contributed once we started reading it. So now I have a part-read copy of it on my bookshelf leering at me. The eyes! And the beard!

wembley can change in 28 days

11:08 / 06.07.04

Our Lady, just think how I feel: my Big Thing is theatre, and I don't mean the literature (although that's interesting enough). How many of you saw Castorf's production of Forever Young, or have caught enough of Wilson/Glass' Einstein on the Beach to want to talk about it? Did you see Mark Rylance as Queen Victoria? I didn't! I wasn't in London! Nor did I see Avenue Q 'cause I'm not in New York! It's sooooooooo lonely when Amazon.com can't deliver performances to my mailbox.

To be relevant, too: I'm just too lazy to write dissertations on most books. And, I get kinda cheesed off when I do and no-one replies with what I consider a relevant response. Or I get annoyed if someone disagrees with me. All because I'm human.

14:39 / 06.07.04

I am happy to commit to reading the Aeneid, though (as with Inferno) the actual reading may take me a wee while.

Shall I start a thread, then? Haus has told me, several times, of a good edition, but I can never remember what it is (probably because I usually accost him about it when drunk).

On Hill (I really don't know much about him, btw, other than that he was at my college) - I actually like Mercian Hymns, though can see it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Not quite Basil Bunting. The ones I have to read are Speech! Speech! and The Orchards of Syon, both of which are long poems, and both of which I find rather intimidating... I want to tackle them on a stanza-by-stanza basis as I can't see myself ever getting to grips with them otherwise. But perhaps this isn't the sort of thing one does on a public forum...

09:05 / 12.07.04

Shall I start a thread, then? Haus has told me, several times, of a good edition, but I can never remember what it is (probably because I usually accost him about it when drunk).

Yes, please do. I'm keen to read the damned thing too.

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