Comments on: 52 Books in 52 Months?

By: Hippie Killer

Hippie Killer — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:04:56 +0000

Some one gave me the Alchemist to read once…but I never read it. I ended up giving it back to him, but pretending I read it.

Alas, our friendship was never the same.

Sorry Dave.

By: Bill Lynch

Bill Lynch — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:19:22 +0000

I’m reading Coehlo’s The Alchemist… It’s like a hundred easy pages and a sharp contrast to Murakami in every possible way. It’s pleasant, though a little preachy. So far, I’m conflicted about that one. On the one hand, the book suggests to get to your destiny, you should follow the omens… On the other hand, a friend of mine was recently sent on an insurance company sponsored vacation for following omens …and also having an unnatural relationship with God and wrapping her doors in aluminum foil in attempt to keep the devil out of her house.

By: Brooke Brown

Brooke Brown — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:25:57 +0000

I highly recommend Bill Buford’s “Heat” as your next read. It’s fast paced, funny, informative, adventurous, and extremely well-written. One of my favorites of recent years.

By: Iremonger

Iremonger — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:32:13 +0000

You can do it! I suspect if I were reading ‘wordy’ books right now, I wouldn’t have gotten very far. Suspense and horror novels are easier to get through. You’re both making me curious about Brett Easton Ellis – I noticed that the audiobook is read by James Van Der Beek and may have to give it a try!

Oh, and thanks for bringing Shelfari to my attention.

By: Bill Lynch

Bill Lynch — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:30:23 +0000

Something always gets lost in translation, I figure. At points, the dialogue was a bit stilted and sounded phony, but since I know very few people from Japan, it’s hard to say if that’s just my western ear or the way they actually talk.
I liked the building strangeness of the entire book. It was big on mood, like Ellis’s “Less than zero” and “Lunar Park,” which both have a dreamlike quality to them. I didn’t care anything for Glamorama by the way, gave up on it after the first ten pages.
What I liked the best about this book, however, was I felt like it gave me a look into the psyche of a familiar culture that is still very alien. Something was lost in the translation, but a lot wasn’t.

By: Raging Red

Raging Red — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:19:13 +0000

Well, I’d be interested to hear/read what you have to say about it when you’re finished, because I’m still mulling it over. The only Bret Easton Ellis I’ve read is part of Glamorama, which I picked up after liking the movie American Psycho, but which I couldn’t finish because the constant listing of celebrity names became too tedious. Unfortunately I have never read any Anais Nin, because I have been meaning to for a long time. Thanks for reminding me.

By: Bill Lynch

Bill Lynch — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:31:28 +0000

Not that I’m stalking or anything, but I saw this one by chance at the library back a couple of weeks back. I picked it up. Reminds me a little of the moodiness of Brett Easton Ellis, without all the soul staining brutality. I’m down to the last hundred pages. I’d be done, but I got sidetracked by Delta of Venus by Anais Nin.

By: Hippie Killer

Hippie Killer — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:45:28 +0000

Oh. I’ve been itching to use it for so long, I jumped the gun.

By: Raging Red

Raging Red — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:56:07 +0000

No, I thought it was 52 books in 52 years for you.

By: Hippie Killer

Hippie Killer — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:55:09 +0000

You stole my 52 books in 52 months joke.

Sigh.