Poetry wh book you read (Read 11706 times)

  • Avatar of Doktormartini
  • Stop Radioactivity!
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Apr 24, 2003
  • Posts: 1949
NO WAY Doktor! That's the one of the FOUR GREAT CHINESE CLASSICS that I haven't read! Is it good? I've really wanted to get ahold of a copy for a while, but finances have been bleak.

Have you read OUTLAWS OF THE MARSH, ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS, or JOURNEY TO THE WEST / MONKEY? They're the others and each is pretty fantastic (plus they've each inspired pretty fantastic videogames also).

Are there any games based on Dream of the Red Chamber, or is it too much FAMILY POLITICS or whatever to translate to pressing buttons?


PS: Oh yeah, book I'm reading at the moment is EUROPE: 1815 - 1960. While I'm enthralled by most historical periods, the nineteenth century is time which I've pretty much only skimmed over in my reading. It's been pretty fantastic so far, especially as it's separated into almost article style/length sections on each of the major events, revolutions/political changes, and international policies of each decade. I'ma read some fiction again soon, but I have to reward myself with a history book every so often lest I burn all my books in a fit of rage.
I've read Outlaws of the Marsh and I read like 300 pages of Journey to the West.  I own all four classics.  I really like the Foreign Language Press versions they're cool. 

Dream of Red Mansions (lol it has like 5 different titles) so far is really good.  It can get a little confusing because they keep switching between the two mansions and different characters and stuff, but I like how they describe everyday life back then.  Like culture, religion, and stuff like that.

Journey to the West is really cool too because if you didn't know it's based on a real story.  Xuanzang was a real monk who really travelled to the West (India) for scriptures and a biography was actually written about him.  This book is a fictional account with so much mythological aspects.

After reading Dream of Red Chamber I plan on finishing Journey to the West and then starting Romance of the Three Kingdoms.  I loved the video game series and Dynasty Warriors.
Dok Choy
  • Ultimaweapon9
  • PipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jul 25, 2004
  • Posts: 322
I ordered Bruce Campbell's autobiography a couple of days ago so when that gets here, I'm gonna plow into that.  That's about as far as my recreational reading goes.
  • Avatar of the_bub_from_the_pit
  • Power to the flowers
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Dec 17, 2005
  • Posts: 1608
Which architecture books are good? i've been meaning to read some since foreverrrr but don't know where to start. i read Militant Modernism a while back and liked it and flipped through one called The Architectural Uncanny or something but whenever i look up photos of this stuff i just go hrm yes that is definitely a building no doubt about it. take me from crib. Invisible Cities is excellent though.

i'll get back to you on that, I have a list of books my studio professor who's a great guy recommended for me. as far as other books, s, m, l, xl is a great book so far. i picked up another one called architecture at the edge of everything else by esther choi and it has a lot of shit garble architecture lingo but there are some other really interesting articles dealing with projects being built right now

i stole another great book from school called the history of postmodern architecture by heinrich klotz and it provides a really extensive overview over great postmodern architects like mies and rossi.
  • Avatar of noise
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Apr 10, 2011
  • Posts: 33
last book i read in full was house of leaves. i read it at the same time when i was settling into a new apartment and holy shit did that make things scary.


i started reading the girl with dragon tattoo because of the hype but it was really boring and i stopped after a hundred pages of exposition.
  • Avatar of DoctorEars
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jan 10, 2005
  • Posts: 1070
i started reading the girl with dragon tattoo because of the hype but it was really boring and i stopped after a hundred pages of exposition.

My girlfriend almost stopped reading because of that, but she reckons if you can get past the first book (which is pretty much exposition for the second and third) that the rest of the trilogy is pretty great.
  • Avatar of Vellfire
  • TV people want to leave
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Feb 13, 2004
  • Posts: 9602
I am reading uh TOO MANY BOOKS AT ONCE atm.  I'm reading The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer (as in Twin Peaks) and Journey to the West.  Also as of today I am reading The Great American Novel by Keith Malley and I have never laughed so hard at a book in my life.
I love this hobby - stealing your mother's diary
BRRING! BRRING!
Hello!  It's me, Vellfire!  FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER! ... Bye!  CLICK!  @gidgetnomates
  • Avatar of Barack Obama
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Jun 16, 2008
  • Posts: 5244
moby dick and volume 3 of capital
  • Avatar of thecatamites
  • clockamite
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: May 6, 2007
  • Posts: 1445
I just finished Embassytown by China Mieville, it was pretty fantastic [pun ][/pun] and definitely the best book of his that I've read so far. I really like his stuff for being huge tangled masses of ideas but I thought there was a level of focus here and a slowly building tension that really brought it home. I'd definitely recommend it if anyone wants a good scifi book that's more focused on imagination and neat ideas than uh starwars stuff.
http://harmonyzone.org
  • Avatar of Warped655
  • Scanner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Mar 25, 2004
  • Posts: 2416
Under The Dome. Stephen King.
  • Avatar of DoctorEars
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jan 10, 2005
  • Posts: 1070
Under The Dome. Stephen King.

Man I really enjoyed that book.
  • Avatar of Warped655
  • Scanner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Mar 25, 2004
  • Posts: 2416
Glad to hear that. You read any other Stephen King stuff?
  • Avatar of DoctorEars
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jan 10, 2005
  • Posts: 1070
Not really, Under the Dome was the first King novel I read.
  • Avatar of Warped655
  • Scanner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Mar 25, 2004
  • Posts: 2416
OH! Well, I've read a decent bit of Stephen King, When I finish I'll let you know of some of his other good stuff (comparing to Under the Dome) but right off the bat:

-Firestarter (first book of his I read, loved it, Got me into Kings other stuff)
-The Stand (considered his best book by many)
-The Dark Tower Series (his only book series, pretty good, Book 4 was kind of meh though, rest were great)
-Cell (Stephen Kings Zombie book, I personally love zombie stories, or any apocalyptic stories for that matter)

Any authors you've read that are similar? I tried Dean Koontz with mixed results thus far. 1 good, 1 very bleh.
  • Avatar of Faust
  • Comedy Bronze
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Global Moderator
  • Joined: Nov 27, 2001
  • Posts: 1018
I just read 'Z for Zachariah' - stayed up all night reading it, in fact.

It's aimed at teenagers so it isn't HIGH END FICTION, but I found it really enthralling. It's about a girl surviving post-nuclear holocaust alone, until one day a stranger shows up in a radiation suit. BUT IS HE FRIEND OR FOE!?

It concentrates on the relationship between the two and gets pretty tense at times. I'd suggest it for anyone wanting a light read in terms of literary style, but still having depth.
Hey hey hey
  • Avatar of Carrion Crow
  • I need to watch things die
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Apr 5, 2006
  • Posts: 3516
You gotta read Carrie and Christine first, work your way up to The Stand because it is awesome. Don't wanna SK-peak too early.

I've not read Insomnia but I'm told on good authority that it's also awesome.

The last novels I read were:
The Quantum Thief
The War of the Rull

Enjoyed both thoroughly. The former will make your head explode a bit at first but once you understand how the characters are communicating it will all make sense. The latter is a good psychological survival and one of the fruits of my I-will-buy-shitto-sci-fi-from-oxfam phase that I've been going through for about a year now.
  • Avatar of Warped655
  • Scanner
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Mar 25, 2004
  • Posts: 2416
I suppose your right Ed. It probably would be good to "build up' to The Stand.

I was just suggesting the stuff I know is good and that most people liked. Personally I thought Christine was just OK. I enjoyed it but yeah not among his best. I've only read half of Carrie so I can't comment. but I already know how it ends (not just because its referenced all the damn time, I actually saw just the ending of the movie, though I suppose it's possible its different in the book)

Is Cujo any good?

I'm glad to hear Insomnia is good, as I have it and haven't got to reading it yet.
  • Avatar of TheMonster
  • .....
  • Pip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jan 31, 2005
  • Posts: 172
Reading: Phikal, A Chemical Love Story

By Ali Shulgin the guy who synthesized the whole 2c-X family of psychedelics drugs and some other MDMA like drugs. Its part auto-biography and part chemical encyclopedia. Pretty interrested read so far, and a handy guide when trying out some new chemicals.
so you've come here for pointless ego boosting and happy sunshine glee? this aint deviantart man.
  • Avatar of Mateui
  • GW Staff: Article Alcoholic (Current Mood: Happy!)
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Aug 20, 2002
  • Posts: 1685
Just started A Clash of Kings after finishing up A Game of Thrones. Loving it so far since it just feels like I'm continuing the first book which really grabbed me at the last hundred or so pages.
  • Avatar of cowardknower
  • The MONSTER that lives inside of your COUCH!
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Aug 7, 2002
  • Posts: 1807
Wow, this thread is still alive.
  • Avatar of goldenratio
  • now das fresh
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • Group: Member
  • Joined: Jun 27, 2002
  • Posts: 4550
just finished Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk this morning. I like his books, Invisible Monsters and Survivor so far being my favorites. Choke was good. I have Diary that I'll crack into later, and I really want to get Pygmy but I haven't found it at any stores yet.

So now that I've finished I'm going to finish up Exile and the Kingdom by Camus, which I started but got interrupted halfway through. I also bought a Gilgamesh book that I'm kind of excited to start.

Got some more Hemingway and Dubliners that I'm looking forward to.
yes coulombs are "germaine", did you learn that word at talk like a dick school?