A friend posted this link on Facebook today (Warning: Includes not-safe-for work/grandmothers/small children-language). Hysterical. My favorite is the retitle of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Really...is anybody cooler than Atticus Finch?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
All I Can Say Is...Read It!
I finished Bonfire of the Vanities yesterday. I don't even know if there should be much more to this post than, "Read it." I liked it that much.
Tom Wolfe is definitely not the best writer on this list (I thought he was never going to stop repeating the words "gloaming" and "snout"). But his characters and the storyline were so interesting and layered and deliciously complex that I could hardly put the book down (which is really saying something - if you'll recall, the only version I could find was a hefty large-print edition that probably weighed 10 lbs). Read it!
The novel follows the derailment of bond tradesman Sherman McCoy's charmed life after he is involved in a hit-and-run accident in the Bronx. A sleazy reporter's newspaper articles quickly magnify the case into a local sensation, charged with racial tensions and political intrigue. Many people behave badly, but Wolfe's genius is that most of the character's motivations are so complicated that it becomes increasingly difficult to say who the "good guys" are...if there are any at all. My description doesn't do it justice. You should really read it.
Disclaimer: The back of my book contained critics' remarks raving about the book's hilarity. The satire is amusing, but I didn't find it to be laugh-out-loud funny. In case it bothers you when book jackets don't necessarily match up to the contents (and sometimes it does me), you have been notified.
What's the last book you read that you would definitely recommend "Just read it!"?
Reading man photo found here. Bonfire movie photo found here.
Tom Wolfe is definitely not the best writer on this list (I thought he was never going to stop repeating the words "gloaming" and "snout"). But his characters and the storyline were so interesting and layered and deliciously complex that I could hardly put the book down (which is really saying something - if you'll recall, the only version I could find was a hefty large-print edition that probably weighed 10 lbs). Read it!
 |
| I looked like this. Except that I didn't wear a suit or glasses, and I'm not a man. Almost entirely unlike this, actually. |
The novel follows the derailment of bond tradesman Sherman McCoy's charmed life after he is involved in a hit-and-run accident in the Bronx. A sleazy reporter's newspaper articles quickly magnify the case into a local sensation, charged with racial tensions and political intrigue. Many people behave badly, but Wolfe's genius is that most of the character's motivations are so complicated that it becomes increasingly difficult to say who the "good guys" are...if there are any at all. My description doesn't do it justice. You should really read it.
 |
| I have been told not to watch it though. Evidently not a good adaptation. |
Disclaimer: The back of my book contained critics' remarks raving about the book's hilarity. The satire is amusing, but I didn't find it to be laugh-out-loud funny. In case it bothers you when book jackets don't necessarily match up to the contents (and sometimes it does me), you have been notified.
What's the last book you read that you would definitely recommend "Just read it!"?
Reading man photo found here. Bonfire movie photo found here.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
On fire for Bonfire
I am having so much fun reading Bonfire of the Vanities. Tom Wolfe's writing is fast-paced and often funny, and I haven't read a good crime drama in a while. And perhaps best of all, the story is set in the 80s, which means I get to picture fun visuals like these:
So can't wait to figure out what will become the "what were they thinking???" trends of today.
My vote is definitely cuffed sandals. What's yours?
Computer photo found here. He-man photo found here. Amazing 80s dresses found here.
 |
| Green letters on a black screeen? I remember you. |
 |
| The protagonist calls himself a Master of the Universe. Thankfully he wears a suit and not tiny briefs. |
 |
| The description of the socialites' clothing is a-mazing. Only eclipsed by descriptions of their shoulder pads. |
My vote is definitely cuffed sandals. What's yours?
Computer photo found here. He-man photo found here. Amazing 80s dresses found here.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Definitely Not Jumping on the Bandwagon
Do you ever want to like something just because people that you respect do? I had a weekend full of those moments. I rented Ratatouille, despite having seen it a few years ago and remembering it as lackluster. My friends and family like it. Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars! Maybe on that initial viewing several years ago I was tired/worried/not in the mood for animation? Nope. I still think it's the most boring of the Pixar films (I know, I know, this is almost as bad as admitting that I didn't like Inception).
After turning off Ratatouille right in the middle, I told myself that I'd plow through the remainder of Cat's Cradle. Several readers whose taste I respect have told me that they loved Vonnegut, so perhaps upon finishing the novel I, too, would find this love.
Nope.
I can't put my finger on what it is specifically that I just can't connect with in Vonnegut's work, because I've certainly read more off-the-wall satire and more bizarre science fiction. Something about him is just not for me. And here I am applauding myself publicly for giving writers a second chance and finding other works that I liked. Maybe I jinxed myself?
Cat's Cradle is an apocalyptic tale that examines the role of technology, science, and religion in our lives. It definitely has funny moments, and it's a quick read. Other people like this book (actual people I know, not just random reviewers on amazon.com). The University of Chicago liked it so much they awarded Vonnegut his Master's Thesis for it. So maybe you will, too.
As for me, I'm moving on to Bonfire of the Vanities, and trying not to feel ridiculous that the only version I could track down has GIANT large type and weighs almost as much as I do.
What's something popular that doesn't do much for you - books, movies, etc.?
Cuter rat than the one in my garage image found here.
 |
| To be fair, the rat that we just caught in our garage may be influencing me negatively. |
After turning off Ratatouille right in the middle, I told myself that I'd plow through the remainder of Cat's Cradle. Several readers whose taste I respect have told me that they loved Vonnegut, so perhaps upon finishing the novel I, too, would find this love.
Nope.
I can't put my finger on what it is specifically that I just can't connect with in Vonnegut's work, because I've certainly read more off-the-wall satire and more bizarre science fiction. Something about him is just not for me. And here I am applauding myself publicly for giving writers a second chance and finding other works that I liked. Maybe I jinxed myself?
Cat's Cradle is an apocalyptic tale that examines the role of technology, science, and religion in our lives. It definitely has funny moments, and it's a quick read. Other people like this book (actual people I know, not just random reviewers on amazon.com). The University of Chicago liked it so much they awarded Vonnegut his Master's Thesis for it. So maybe you will, too.
As for me, I'm moving on to Bonfire of the Vanities, and trying not to feel ridiculous that the only version I could track down has GIANT large type and weighs almost as much as I do.
What's something popular that doesn't do much for you - books, movies, etc.?
Cuter rat than the one in my garage image found here.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Another Perspective
I'm not the biggest Woolf fan in the world by any means, but I enjoyed this article's perspective on Virginia Woolf and happiness.
Oh, and I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan, so I'd definitely encourage you to poke around elsewhere on her blog while you visit! :)
Happy reading.
Oh, and I am a huge Gretchen Rubin fan, so I'd definitely encourage you to poke around elsewhere on her blog while you visit! :)
Happy reading.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Sons and Lovahs
Yes, it's true. I couldn't say the title of the book without thinking of the Will Ferrell/Rachel Dratch sketches on SNL. Sadly, I couldn't find the videos on Youtube to share (although my search terms did yield a lot of interesting and slightly scary results). These book titles are really triggering some random associations in my brain.
On to Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I really liked this book! Maybe my taste is becoming warped at this point in the experiment, but I found it refreshing to read about a character whose flaws and personal tragedies seemed like something that could actually happen to someone I know. For comparison let's consider Jurgis in the The Jungle: dad dies, wife dies, kid dies, he loses his job, loses his house, he starves, his cousin turns to prostitution, etc. Very sad. Relatable? Not really. At least I hope.
Sons and Lovers gives us the tale of Paul Morel and the complications that result in his romantic life from his too-close relationship with his mother. I'm not talking incest or anything inappropriate here - just a man who allows his mom to occupy the primary position of female importance in his life. And really...who hasn't met a guy like that? Evidently, Lawrence considered himself to be one (the work is semi-autobiographical).
This is yet another case where I didn't care for the first book I read by an author, and then I ended up liking the next one, so I definitely encourage anyone trying to get into the classics to attempt more than one work by the same novelist. I don't really care for early Beatles pop, but I love their later stuff, so maybe I can muster the same open attitude with the literary greats? Except James Joyce. Sorry Joyce, I just...don't like you.
What do you prefer in your novels - relatable characters or larger-than-life drama?
Bonus: Find the full text of Sons and Lovers here.
Baby man image here.
 |
| Lovahs. |
On to Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. I really liked this book! Maybe my taste is becoming warped at this point in the experiment, but I found it refreshing to read about a character whose flaws and personal tragedies seemed like something that could actually happen to someone I know. For comparison let's consider Jurgis in the The Jungle: dad dies, wife dies, kid dies, he loses his job, loses his house, he starves, his cousin turns to prostitution, etc. Very sad. Relatable? Not really. At least I hope.
Sons and Lovers gives us the tale of Paul Morel and the complications that result in his romantic life from his too-close relationship with his mother. I'm not talking incest or anything inappropriate here - just a man who allows his mom to occupy the primary position of female importance in his life. And really...who hasn't met a guy like that? Evidently, Lawrence considered himself to be one (the work is semi-autobiographical).
 |
| Exhibit A |
This is yet another case where I didn't care for the first book I read by an author, and then I ended up liking the next one, so I definitely encourage anyone trying to get into the classics to attempt more than one work by the same novelist. I don't really care for early Beatles pop, but I love their later stuff, so maybe I can muster the same open attitude with the literary greats? Except James Joyce. Sorry Joyce, I just...don't like you.
What do you prefer in your novels - relatable characters or larger-than-life drama?
Bonus: Find the full text of Sons and Lovers here.
Baby man image here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)