Book Thread, v2...[]

So I'm almost done with the book The Things They Carried

Holy shit guys. If you want to know about the Vietnam War (at least, from an American soldier perspective) this book will tell you everything you need to know. It's beautiful.

Dewmann wrote: Vietnam War.

Dewmann wrote:It's beautiful.

Are we thinking of the same Vietnam War?

Yes. Yes we are.

"The truths are contradictory. It can be argued, for instance, that war is grotesque. But in truth, war is also beauty. For all its horror, you can't help but gape at the awful majesty of combat. You stare out at tracer rounds unwinding through the dark like brilliant red ribbons. You crouch in ambush as a cool, impassive moon rises over the nighttime paddies. You admire the fluid symmetries of troops on the move, the harmonies of sound and shape and proportion, the great sheets of metal-fire streaming down from a gunship, the illumination rounds, the white phosphorus, the purply orange glow of napalm, the rocket's red glare. It's not pretty exactly. It's astonishing. It fills the eye. It commands you. YOu hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a killer forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle or bombing raid or artillery barrage has the aesthetic purity of absolutte moral indifference--a powerful, implacable beauty--and a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly," (O'Brien 80).

That quote is MLA formatted. Does that not show you how seriously fantastic this book is to me?

Has anyone read Ender's Game? I have read it twice now and I think it is one of the best books I have ever read.

Dewmann wrote:Yes. Yes we are.

"The truths are contradictory. It can be argued, for instance, that war is grotesque. But in truth, war is also beauty. For all its horror, you can't help but gape at the awful majesty of combat. You stare out at tracer rounds unwinding through the dark like brilliant red ribbons. You crouch in ambush as a cool, impassive moon rises over the nighttime paddies. You admire the fluid symmetries of troops on the move, the harmonies of sound and shape and proportion, the great sheets of metal-fire streaming down from a gunship, the illumination rounds, the white phosphorus, the purply orange glow of napalm, the rocket's red glare. It's not pretty exactly. It's astonishing. It fills the eye. It commands you. YOu hate it, yes, but your eyes do not. Like a killer forest fire, like cancer under a microscope, any battle or bombing raid or artillery barrage has the aesthetic purity of absolutte moral indifference--a powerful, implacable beauty--and a true war story will tell the truth about this, though the truth is ugly," (O'Brien 80).

That quote is MLA formatted. Does that not show you how seriously fantastic this book is to me?

That. Was. Beautiful.

Trying to get into classic Science/Speculative Fiction. Starting, of course, with Phillip K. Dick. Also thinking about reading Battle Royale.

I've been expanding my fantasy collection today. I got the whole First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie and the first three books of Wheel of Time. Even without them, there are still 40 other books in total on my "to read" list.

Icriex the Hyperbolic wrote:Trying to get into classic Science/Speculative Fiction. Starting, of course, with Phillip K. Dick. Also thinking about reading Battle Royale.

Have you read The Handmaid's Tale?

I'm going over Logicomix again for my dissertation. Wonderful book. I recommend it if you like maths, history, philosophy or just something quirky and challenging.

Recently read Scar Night by Alan Campbell; may get the next book in the series at some point, but now I have to re-read A Storm of Swords because Game of Thrones is back on HBO (second episode tomorrow night!). []

I read A Clockwork Orange the other day. The first section reads like eating a brick and leaves a similar taste in your mouth, but it's really an excellent tale. Brutal as all hell, but I liked it.

Has anyone here read Redwall?
Excellent book.

Rarebug wrote:

Because I love reading books a little to much. Included are the LOTR and HP series, HP Lovecraft, and all Terry Pratchett.

Um, how did you get all of that?

I'm sure completely legally. []

With e-readers, or electronic libraries. You can download stories (You buy Ebooks from Amazon and Ebook specific websites) onto your tablet or computer and read books electronically. Want me to send you the link of the one I use?

Ziggy the Parabolic wrote:You can read books more than once!

THANK YOU. I second that emotion with games and movies.

I've been enjoying Vonnegut lately. I read Slaughterhouse-Five and Timequake. He is amazing.

I noticed that Feynman bio on your list, Rare. My copy's all donked up but I love that book. I stole it from my brother while he was moving apartments.

Haha yeah. I didn't think I'd like the book but it was recommended to me by my college biology teacher.

I'm trying to find a copy of House of Leaves - I had a copy on my computer but the file got corrupted. I heard it's really good, too, and it's often mentioned in Slenderman forums suc as 'books that slenderman reminds you of'.

Vonnegut! Slaughterhouse-Five is my favorite book of all time alongside H2G2. The hobo freezing to death on the ride to the Nazi camp was one of my favorite parts. Darkly humorous and it gives you do many lessons. If it doesn't kill you the first time, don't give it a second chance. Never underestimate your enemy and never overestimate yourself. Most of all, everyone loves to see a braggart fail. Hell, every passage is like that. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Also, Rare, have you checked the library?

I'm sure they'd have it, but I'd have to renew my library card and I'd rater have an electronic copy. I probably shouldn't be to picky though. Has anyone here read it? I heard it's pretty surreal.

I decided to add a huge list of Discworld novels to my "to read" list. Tally is up to 70 now.

I'm kind of blazing through The First Law though, I got them not three weeks ago and I'm already partway through the final book of the trilogy. It's a really good read. Political machinations, wars, barbarians, demons and magic and all really well written. One of the viewpoint characters is Sand dan Glokta, crippled torturer and professional heartless bastard but he's my favourite character so far.

Catch-22 is hilarious.

It's humor is kinda false though. Everything hilarious then turns out to be horrible.

That just makes it more hilarious.

Catch-22 makes me giggle like a chipmunk.

I recently re-read The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Hurry up and write the sequel, goddamnit!

Rolling Like A Bigshot wrote:With e-readers, or electronic libraries. You can download stories (You buy Ebooks from Amazon and Ebook specific websites) onto your tablet or computer and read books electronically. Want me to send you the link of the one I use?

Yes please.