cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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RULES FOR THIS THREAD:
Do NOT post spoilers without making them supersmall. C'mon people, don't ruin the fun for everyone else.
Also, book discussions (or at least some I've sat down for) can get pretty heated. Politics is over thataway, so try to keep it civil; we don't need a book club troll.
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f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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They didn't have the book in the sci-fi area, I had to go to literature, alphabetical by author. Lah-dee-fucking-dah! The book's cover is pink, I don't want people on the subway thinking that I'm reading a girl's book so I will spend the rest of my work day painstakingly covering the pink with a thick black sharpie marker.
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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Accidentally read the first sentence. We don't have to read anything by Melville if it makes you happy.
You bastard. |
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Samwise
Moderator
Posts: 19324
sentient yeast infection
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Stickied. By when are we all expected to have read the book?
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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01/23 01/17. Perhaps I should've been more specific.
Edit: 01/17 for spoiler-free discussion/reading deadline. 01/23 for discussion deadline.
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« Last Edit: January 10, 2008, 12:15:10 PM by cmlancas »
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f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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Samwise
Moderator
Posts: 19324
sentient yeast infection
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So we read for two weeks, discuss for a week, then pick a new book? I'm a book club virgin.
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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You're more than welcome to start discussion as soon as you finish. I'm already done.  I was just hoping not to start on Noir until 01/23. |
f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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Samwise
Moderator
Posts: 19324
sentient yeast infection
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Except it has to be spoiler-free discussion until we think everyone's done, right? Which means I'm going to just keep my mouth shut until the read-by deadline.
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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I think I see your point now. Perhaps it should be a week to read and a week to discuss. Originally I posted to only describe spoilers in supersmall text, but it doesn't seem feasible to do that for two weeks. Therefore, I propose we only run this spoiler free until 01/17.
This is a better idea.
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f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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Rendakor
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10138
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Gonna run out and get this tonite, will start reading tomorrow.
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"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
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Samwise
Moderator
Posts: 19324
sentient yeast infection
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I think I see your point now. Perhaps it should be a week to read and a week to discuss. Originally I posted to only describe spoilers in supersmall text, but it doesn't seem feasible to do that for two weeks. Therefore, I propose we only run this spoiler free until 01/17.
This is a better idea.
You should put the deadline in the thread title and/or first post, methinks. |
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Rendakor
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10138
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Local borders didn't have it  Ordered from amazon though, should be here Mon. |
"i can't be a star citizen. they won't even give me a star green card"
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Local Library does'nt have it, but uni does. I have to return a book there anyway (it's holidays till march!) so it's not that annoying... I have tried to read Vonnegut before and felt though. |
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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I have tried to read Vonnegut before and felt though. Good. You're halfway to complete understanding.  |
f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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Margalis
Terracotta Army
Posts: 12335
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For people too lazy to read you can watch "The Recruit" instead.  Edit: I have this sitting on a shelf at my mom's house. Hmm...probably also have it in one of my 20 or so unopened boxes of books. Bleah, guess I'll get a third copy. |
vampirehipi23: I would enjoy a book written by a monkey and turned into a movie rather than this.
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Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542
The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid
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So, you guys plan on plowing through these things in a week? Am I the only person still posting on this game site that also still plays games?  Pre-Post edit: 304 pages? Oh, not as bad as I would have thought. |
Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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I don't see why you have to close the discussion on the 23rd. You can keep discussing this book while reading the next one. It's only once you start discussing the next book (one week after you start reading it, IE the 30th) that you want to close this discussion up.
That also gives people a longer time to read the book if they're busy.
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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So, you guys plan on plowing through these things in a week? Am I the only person still posting on this game site that also still plays games? Pre-Post edit: 304 pages? Oh, not as bad as I would have thought. It's fairly large type and they were generous with the margins too. I think the publisher wanted it to be over 300 pages and did whatever was necessary to make it happen. There is also a lot of whitespace because there are so many chapters. I don't see why you have to close the discussion on the 23rd. You can keep discussing this book while reading the next one. It's only once you start discussing the next book (one week after you start reading it, IE the 30th) that you want to close this discussion up.
That also gives people a longer time to read the book if they're busy.
I think the two week deadline means you should be done by now and all spoilers are fair game not when discussion ends. I hope someone is making an elaborate diagram of the character relations that I can cheat off of. |
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Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542
The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid
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I just hope you guys are not gonna choose some longer behemoths. During the week, I wouldn't be home and ready to read anything until at least 7pm, if I am also not working a Gamestop evening as well.
Sure, I can read fast enough. I did it very well in college, but it's always preferable to take a more relaxed pace and really enjoy the work.
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Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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I don't see why you have to close the discussion on the 23rd. You can keep discussing this book while reading the next one. It's only once you start discussing the next book (one week after you start reading it, IE the 30th) that you want to close this discussion up.
That also gives people a longer time to read the book if they're busy.
I meant that we'll be starting another book on the 23rd. Sorry if it was confusing. You can keep talking about this book for a year if you want, I don't care. |
f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Oh it was confusing allright!
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Lt.Dan
Terracotta Army
Posts: 758
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I bought a copy today too. Quite looking forward to this.
Normally I just read for the story. For all you arty types, do you have any hints on reading a book in order to have a cogent discussion about it?
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hal
Terracotta Army
Posts: 835
Damn kids, get off my lawn!
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I think it is all about the raised eyebrows and pinky action. Tweed jackets and bent pipes and all like that.
I could be wrong though.
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I started with nothing, and I still have most of it
I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are still on backorder.
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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Vonnegut strictly smoked cigarettes. Marlboro Reds, I think. |
f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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stray
Terracotta Army
Posts: 16818
has an iMac.
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This is the first Vonnegut book I ever read. Good choice. Will probably make fans out of those new to him.
Unless you're stupid.
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Tebonas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 6365
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Screw Amazon.de
2 to 5 weeks delivering time.
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sigil
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1538
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I'll pick this up today.
I was surprised to see I didn't have it.
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cmlancas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2511
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Sigil, I have to do the same. Apparently I lent it out to someone who never returned it. Motherfucker. |
f13 Street Cred of the week:
I can't promise anything other than trauma and tragedy. -- schild
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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They probably burnt it, with your best interests at heart.  |
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NowhereMan
Terracotta Army
Posts: 7353
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I went through this in a few hours, my copy's only got about 180 pages in it. I'll keep off returning it to the library until we actually start discussing it though.
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"Look at my car. Do you think that was bought with the earnest love of geeks?" - HaemishM
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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I think book club people should get a "Granfalloon Member" title.
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Got it. Looks like a short book (big text, heaps of white space and only 260 pages) especially compared to another I picked up at the same time (700 pages, bigger book, smaller text, little white space) but well... I'm 30 pages in to it and I just don't care. I hope it gets better.
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Well, it's didn't get any better, but it sure was easy to finish. You've got some explaining to do cmlancas. I will refrain from commenting for the moment as I'd probably slip in some accidental spoilers in my ranting, and will hang on to the book for the discussion later. Anyone who thinks the book is funny...  |
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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I thought it was pretty good. Most of the funny is dark humour, one liners and such, plus the whole Bokononism. I did some searching and I don't understand how he used this book as his thesis for an M.A. though...
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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I thought it was pretty good. Most of the funny is dark humour, one liners and such, plus the whole Bokononism. I did some searching and I don't understand how he used this book as his thesis for an M.A. though...
The dark humor is not original, it's just that boring ugh stuff. I think I chuckeled about three times and didn't laugh out loud once. Maybe it's because I've read other books that do it better, or maybe it's just because I found the characters so lifeless that I didn't get engaged enough to see the funny of the situations, but it didn't work for me. The whole Bokononism was a trial. Bad poetry and silly theology/philosophy are only funny if done really well and in moderation. A whole book of it? Not so great. I believe for a M.A. in English you can possibly do it in 'Creative Writing'. So he'd have the novel and an exegisis, I expect. |
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