Books Ok for the high brow crowd what books you are reading - Page 52

big nasty kcnut · 03-11-2006, 10:37 PM

I'm reading The New American Revolution by tammy bruce. She is a great thinker and funny.

**Reaper16** · 01-22-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

It's not traditional post-colonial, but I think you'd like it if you haven't already read it:

Ishmael Reed's, Mumbo Jumbo. The heavy Caribbean and diaspora elements in it make it dovetail nicely with post colonial stuff, but it's also a weird, wild ride of a book more along the lines of Infinite Jest or Gravity's Rainbow in style.

My thesis director was a post colonial and postmodern wonk. He actually wrote The Chinua Achebe Encylopedia.

Cool. Thanks for the rec; I'll have to check that out.

PunkinDrublic · 01-22-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MWagg72

Just finished Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch by Jim Norton and am about to start up on I Hate Your Guts by Jim Norton. All in all they are great comedy books if you have that kind of humor. Also want to take down Patriot Reign and Next Man Up for book reports.

Great choice. Jim Norton is the funniest comedian working today IMO. You gotta love the guys brutal honesty. I definately need to get around to reading those books.

**Kyle DeLexus** · 01-22-2009, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PunkinDrublic

Great choice. Jim Norton is the funniest comedian working today IMO. You gotta love the guys brutal honesty. I definately need to get around to reading those books.

No doubt. Lil' Jimmy is amazing. I've been listening to him for over 4 years now, and he just gets better. The first threw me off at first. It's in essay form and just a bunch of short stories. Still one of the funniest books I have ever read.

**Reaper16** · 03-10-2009, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

More post-colonial lit:

Potiki by Patricia Grace

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

What have I read since this post?

The Corner by David Simon and Ed Burns
a dick-ton of Nietzsche
re-read all 4 of Calvin Trillin's food book for the umpteenth time

more post-colonial lit:
Translations by Brian Friel

Death and the King's Horsemen by Wole Soyinka

Swize Banzi is Dead by Athol Fugard

Playland by Athol Fugard

Midnight's Children by Salmon Rushdie

Age of Iron by J.M. Coetzee

Matigari by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o

NewChief · 03-10-2009, 06:43 PM

I've gone low brow. Been reliving my youth and reading fantasy. I'd always heard George RR Martin was good, so I decided to give the Fire and Ice series a try. I'm driving my wife crazy, because it's like I'm in junior high again: the book is always open and I'm constantly reading. I'm almost finished with Storm of Swords and will be moving on to the next one tomorrow.

Great low-magick, gritty fantasy that never fails to surprise, sometimes in heart wrenching, painful ways.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 03-10-2009, 06:45 PM

I'm trying to decide between Paradise Lost or Gravity's Rainbow.

keg in kc · 03-10-2009, 06:45 PM

I wouldn't call George RR Martin low brow. Not very 'youth' either.

NewChief · 03-10-2009, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keg in kc

I wouldn't call George RR Martin low brow. Not very 'youth' either.

Well, it's genre fiction, so it's low-brow by ivory tower standards. I think I'm far enough removed from those years that I can safely read fantasy once again and enjoy it without worrying that they're going to come and strip away my degree.

I get your meaning, though. It's very "adult" in theme, but I was reading the Thieves World series in Junior High, so I've always read harsh fantasy from an early age. My parents didn't like me reading all of that "garbage", but they never censored me, either.

blaise · 03-10-2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

What have I read since this post?

The Corner by David Simon and Ed Burns
a dick-ton of Nietzsche
re-read all 4 of Calvin Trillin's food book for the umpteenth time

more post-colonial lit:
Translations by Brian Friel

Death and the King's Horsemen by Wole Soyinka

Swize Banzi is Dead by Athol Fugard

Playland by Athol Fugard

Midnight's Children by Salmon Rushdie

Age of Iron by J.M. Coetzee

Matigari by Ngugi Wa Thiong'o

Did you like the Fugard? I have not read those two but I have read Master Harold and the Boys and liked it. I understand his other work is similar to Bertolt Brecht, who I like. And did you find those at a library or did you have to purchase them? If you could, let me know. I like reading plays but they're difficult to find sometimes.

keg in kc · 03-10-2009, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewPhin

My parents didn't like me reading all of that "garbage", but they never censored me, either.

For the most part, lord of the rings and chronicles of narnia aside, I didn't read fantasy until I was an adult. I read science fiction growing up, and while they didn't understand why I read that 'crap', they kept on buying it for me. I assume it was a "*shrug* at least he's reading" thing.

And I did read a lot of low brow stuff. Tons of star wars and star trek novels. Although I read asimov and clarke and a few others, too.

**DeezNutz** · 03-10-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

More post-colonial lit:

Potiki by Patricia Grace

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

Must reads:

Burmese Days
Jewel in the Crown
Train to Pakistan
Passage to India (of course)
Kim (of course)
Heart of Darkness (of course)

irishjayhawk · 03-10-2009, 10:37 PM

I finished Predictably Irrational a few weeks ago. It's mediocre. I loved the experiments and results portions of the book, but if you strip that out you're left with a 75 page book. And the analysis on top of it seems like filler. I enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and, of course, the legendary Freakonomics better.

Currently, I'm trying to read Paul Revere's Ride, which is mentioned in The Tipping Point. I hope it's like Gladwell's style of prose rather than straight history as it has been in the introduction.

**noa** · 03-10-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reaper16

A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

I really enjoyed A Bend in the River. I've been meaning to read A House for Mr. Biswas for a while.

**CosmicPal** · 03-10-2009, 10:40 PM

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
by
Christopher Moore.

An absolute riot of a read!

**Reaper16** · 03-10-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blaise

Did you like the Fugard? I have not read those two but I have read Master Harold and the Boys and liked it. I understand his other work is similar to Bertolt Brecht, who I like. And did you find those at a library or did you have to purchase them? If you could, let me know. I like reading plays but they're difficult to find sometimes.

I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Fugard. ("Master Harold and the Boys" is an achievement.) Drama is my main scholarly interest, and Fugard's plays are ripe with structuralist juiciness. The man can seriously construct a piece of literature. You're spot-on with the comparison to Brecht, too.

I purchased most of these books (I'm in a graduate class in 3rd world post-colonial lit right now). I probably wouldn't have trouble finding them in the library, at least in MO with its state-wide college and university inter-library loan system.

03-11-2006, 10:37 PM
big nasty kcnut The pizza king of kansas Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Somewhere in the u.s.a. Casino cash: $1640900	Ok for the high brow crowd what books you are reading I'm reading The New American Revolution by tammy bruce. She is a great thinker and funny.
Posts: 18,832

03-10-2009, 06:43 PM	#770
NewChief In Search of a Life Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Fayetteville, AR Casino cash: $9730204	I've gone low brow. Been reliving my youth and reading fantasy. I'd always heard George RR Martin was good, so I decided to give the Fire and Ice series a try. I'm driving my wife crazy, because it's like I'm in junior high again: the book is always open and I'm constantly reading. I'm almost finished with Storm of Swords and will be moving on to the next one tomorrow. Great low-magick, gritty fantasy that never fails to surprise, sometimes in heart wrenching, painful ways. __________________ In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. - H. L. Mencken
Posts: 21,758

03-10-2009, 06:45 PM	#771
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $8009572	I'm trying to decide between Paradise Lost or Gravity's Rainbow. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,825

03-10-2009, 06:45 PM	#772
keg in kc oxymoron Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: OP/KC/Whatever Casino cash: $9556299	I wouldn't call George RR Martin low brow. Not very 'youth' either.
Posts: 58,682

03-10-2009, 10:37 PM	#777
irishjayhawk Feelin' Alright Join Date: Aug 2004 Casino cash: $10004900	I finished Predictably Irrational a few weeks ago. It's mediocre. I loved the experiments and results portions of the book, but if you strip that out you're left with a 75 page book. And the analysis on top of it seems like filler. I enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and, of course, the legendary Freakonomics better. Currently, I'm trying to read Paul Revere's Ride, which is mentioned in The Tipping Point. I hope it's like Gladwell's style of prose rather than straight history as it has been in the introduction. __________________ "Think about how stupid the average person is. Then remember that half the people in the world are stupider than that." --George Carlin
Posts: 16,887

03-10-2009, 10:40 PM	#779
CosmicPal Learn it. Know it. Live it. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: St. Petersburg, FL Casino cash: $10004900	Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. An absolute riot of a read! __________________ - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - Four blessings upon my fellow planeteers: Older whiskey, younger women, faster horses, and more money.
Posts: 10,840