What Did You Just Finish? - Page 4

CHUCK LIDELOL · 23rd July 2008, 12:30am

He wasn't a villain at all, I thought.

Having said that, I'm not sure I followed everything, like, was it Rant or Green who killed the elder family members?

endless psych · 23rd July 2008, 12:34am

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHUCK LIDELOL

He wasn't a villain at all, I thought.

Having said that, I'm not sure I followed everything, like, was it Rant or Green who killed the elder family members?

I haven't read it in a while - goo excuse to re-read it I suppose.

But The reason Rant goes back in time is to stop a version of himself from raping his Mother. A version of himself closer on the road to being a historian. Green is a version of Rant. Bit of a headfuck all in all.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 23rd July 2008, 12:40am

Yeah, that's what I thought you mean.

I still don't see how the Rant ... hmm, the real-time? Recently 'deceased' Rant? The one we hear about for most of the book! I don't see how that dude's a villain. A tragic hero if anything. Wait, was Green another version of him? I thought that was another dude?... Ah fuck.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 23rd July 2008, 10:51pm

Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange

Splendid! Fantastic stuff. Grotesque at times. Disturbing, with the use of mangled English / Russian slang but eerily beautiful (phrases such as "horrorshow", "vidi" and "babooshka" made me smile). Ending was interesting aye, different to the movie. Quick enough read too, when you get used to the language (which isn't that difficult, especially if you've seen it). I liked the youth aspect of the novel that the film didn't pick up on. The governmental elections too was an interesting sub-plot. 7/8.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 28th July 2008, 1:20am

The Search for the Dice Man - 'Luke Rhinehart'
I can't do my hatred of this book any justice. I just can't sum up, now, here, the vitriol and rage that this novel stirred from my usually pleasant being.

I don't really know where to begin with this. Which aspect did I hate more? The unlikable roundtable of cunts that compile the main characters here? The condescending nature of the author through out the book. The stupid diceliving theory. The constant sexualizing of everything. The artwork. The ending? The inserts by 'Luke'... I can't do it.

The plot is utterly flippant and transparent. Larry, son of Luke Rhinehart, is looking for his dad (for some reason, not really well indicated) to... Hmm, well, it doesn't really make clear why he's after his dad. His two dimentional fiance, Honoria is the 'straight' woman clearly indicating the life of structure and conformity, his equally two dimentional and infuriatingly annoying bit on the side is Kim, the chaos of his life. The book actually states this in black and white many times. KIM IS CHAOS, HONORIA IS STRUCTURE, LOOK!!

God. It's so fucking preachy too. Open ur eyes to the life of randomness?!!

Fuck it. Life's too short for this garbage.

-2422333 out of 5.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 28th July 2008, 1:26am

Fuck Off.

*LesMTS* · 28th July 2008, 1:43am

I can't finish a book I'm not enjoying. A lot of people I know see this as a flaw. I don't see why this should be the case, though.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 28th July 2008, 1:47am

I only had 100 pages left and it was a really easy read. It was either finish that, and get it out the way, or plough into Tropic of Capricorn or Babylon is Burning. Couldn't be arsed with those hung over. Yer right though, there's nowt wrong with quitting a shite book.

Bunnylingus · 29th July 2008, 11:54am

Past Mortem by Ben Elton.

Its about a detective trying to solve some grisly murders, and at the same time hes contacting old school friends.

Maybe Ive read too much of his stuff, but I knew who it was about a quarter of the way in, if that, and the rest of it wasnt anything amazing. The sex scenes were overly fucked up in a 'im trying too hard to be subversive here' way. Entertaining enough, but hes written much better.

2/5.

corky · 29th July 2008, 11:55pm

Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
Brilliant book,

CHUCK LIDELOL · 30th July 2008, 12:06am

Great aye.

Esme · 30th July 2008, 1:43pm

'The Testament of Gideon Mack' by Paul Robertson. 'Tis about a Church of Scotland Reverend who spends 3 days with the devil.

It was interesting, but not very gripping. The reviews said it was funny, but it wasn't. The denouement wasn't enough really to answer the questions left - I felt either answer it or don't, enough of the vague allusions.

3/5

CHUCK LIDELOL · 30th July 2008, 1:58pm

"But let mind beware, that though the flesh be bugged, the circumstances of existence are pretty glorious."

Jack Kerouac - The Dharma Bums

Finally finished this. Hmm, it was a bit of a chore really, especially compared to On The Road. Beautiful, though, as it was, it felt a little meandering (which isn't good for a 200page book). I read this in work though where I was constantly interrupted so the true beauty of his phrases didn't really stick with me as much as they could have. Ho hum. 3/5.

corky · 5th August 2008, 3:28pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHUCK LIDELOL

Anthony Burgess - A Clockwork Orange

Splendid! Fantastic stuff. Grotesque at times. Disturbing, with the use of mangled English / Russian slang but eerily beautiful (phrases such as "horrorshow", "vidi" and "babooshka" made me smile). Ending was interesting aye, different to the movie. Quick enough read too, when you get used to the language (which isn't that difficult, especially if you've seen it). I liked the youth aspect of the novel that the film didn't pick up on. The governmental elections too was an interesting sub-plot. 7/8.

Love it.

CHUCK LIDELOL · 6th August 2008, 12:15am

Bret Easton Ellis - The Informers

Didn't know this book existed. It practically doesn't (disappear here). Aye, this is alright. Reminds me of Less Than Zero... It's again slightly typical Easton Ellis apathetic "I am nothing, so what" anti-ramble. Nothing happens in the first half of the book. This made it really difficult for me to feel any connection with any characters or with the book itself. It gets genuinely disturbing though in the latter pages and a series of interesting, vapid, grotesque tales emerge. Whole book should've been this way, I feel. Alright, short read. No harm done. 3/5.