Books

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SS1535
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Re: Books

Post by SS1535 »

I am currently a little over halfway through Celine's Guignol's Band. It is good, but not as great as his early masterpieces. Next up is either Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities or the last of Mishima's "Sea of Fertility" series.
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chryptusrecords
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Re: Books

Post by chryptusrecords »

nearly finished with Lynette Fromme's Reflexion, hypnotic and sort of monotonous memoir, very interesting look into the "family" before the murders, the layers of social accretion by which all these drifters and fuck-ups come together.

recently started Brian Daizen Victoria's Zen Terror in Prewar Japan, the third in his series examining the cross of zen buddhism and japanese totalitarian militarism (most famous of which is his other book Zen at War). this part 3 focuses on the life of Nissho Inoue, terrorist leader and lay-practitioner of zen buddhism. the book is a bit expensive but hopefully will see a softcover reprint soon. Victoria is himself an ordained Soto Zen priest, and so the work is recommended both from history angle and from involved religious criticism. I've pulled a funny excerpt:

"Inoue was, however, disturbed by the attitude of Gempo's disciples at Ryutakuji. Whenever Gempo gave him something, they would all say, 'I wish I had one, I wish I had one.' Inoue regretted that the disciples who weren't favored as he was were so consumed with envy that the only way they could think to conceal their disappointment was to ridicule him with the nickname 'Swinging Balls.'"
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Re: Books

Post by Ineffable Slime »

Currently reading "The Aesthetics of Resistance" by Peter Weiss; very awesome. Just like a massive stream of consciousness about a group of students resisting the Nazi party in Germany, but told in this kind of kaleidoscopic flurry of references to art, history, etc. I have to skim a bit because he goes off on artists I know nothing about, but it's very compelling - fans of Krasznahorkai would enjoy this.

I have a lot on the way...just got Hunchback 88, have Ani.mystic by Gordon White & The Secret Life of Puppets by Victoria Nelson en route.
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Re: Books

Post by zmb.cpu »

theworldisawarfilm wrote: Tue Feb 01, 2022 11:17 am Have two books on the go proper: Colin Wilson's bio of Wilhelm Reich and David Grubbs 'Records Ruin the Landscape.'

Frequently taking obscure things out from the university library from casual perusal/use in projects. Recent highlights would be Christopher Simpson's 'Science of Coercion' (examining the role of the emergent field of communications studies in the cultural cold war), a collection of interviews with Jerzy Kosinski ('Conversations with Jerzy Kosinski') and G.H. Estabrooks' seminal and sus text on hypnotism titled, simply, 'Hypnotism.'
Ive always wanted to read more on Wilhelm Reich and his strange explorations in psychology and the sciences . His experiments with Orgone / Cloudbusting seem quite fascinating although dubious in their validity. I did read Colin Wilson's Book "The Outsider " years ago and enjoyed it quite a bit , although at times quite dry in style. At the moment Im reading a brand new book out this year titled " Time Loops " by Eric Wargo. So far its a good read but I have a long way to go as its quite a brick. The book deals with the phenomena of precognitive dreams , the unconscious and makes some interesting assertions on the nature of synchronicities and what the hells actually going on with them. Other than that I just finished a book by Gary Lachman entitled " Dark Star Rising : Magick and Power in the Age of Trump".He also happens to be a big fan of Colin Wilson's style and subject matter. Highly recommend any of Gary's work as he seems to have way with making otherwise obtuse subjects easily comprehensible ,while maintaining a very fluid ,intelligent and fun style. This book eventually delves into the subject of Alexander Dugin's ( current political advisor to Putin ) Esoteric influences and geopolitical agendas. Written in 2015 after the after the Russian overtaking of Crimea, it is quite an unfortunately poignant read !
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Re: Books

Post by puffy »

The best book i read last year was "Hurricane season" by Fernanda Melchior. One hell of a book, really recommended. On Wednesday she will be here at the House of Culture in Stockholm for a talk. Looking forward to hear what she has to say!
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Re: Books

Post by apneicvoid »

Currently reading My Struggle (Book 1) by Karl Ove Knausgaard - my second genuine attempt. Still waiting to lock-in to its cadence.

Recently completed A Confederacy of Dunces for the first time; not sure if I would have re-read it now if I had been required to read it in high school (which I wasn't). Made me want to visit New Orleans, if nothing else.

Better was The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton, which I completed last year; an absolutely stunning novel with some viciously hilarious dialogue.
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holy ghost
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Re: Books

Post by holy ghost »

Currently reading Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It’s okay. Pretty good. Kind of ridiculous!

Just finished Thinner by King/Bachman. It was okay. One of the few King novels from the 80’s I hadn’t read.

I haven’t read anything this year that’s really blown me away. I’ve got my vacation reads lined up, Bill Brufords bio and hopefully the new Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archive book is out in paperback by then.
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sunandsteel
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Re: Books

Post by sunandsteel »

Picking up Interwar Articles by Ernst Junger again after starting it a while back and getting sidetracked with other books. Fiery prose that is a bit more mature than Storm of Steel without losing any of the spirit. As the title suggests, it's a collection of some of his interwar writings. His writing style really draws you in and although he is mainly occupied with issues of that time (which are still fascinating), the soul of what he conveys is rather timeless.

Also reading the third Vampire Hunter D manga when I'm in the mood for fantasy/something lighter. Visually and thematically stunning. This one is based of the novel which the second film is sourced from.
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xIncorruptibleCorpse777x
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Re: Books

Post by xIncorruptibleCorpse777x »

A friend ordered me this, which I have yet to start:

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization
by Franklin Foer
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holy ghost
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Re: Books

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holy ghost wrote: Tue Mar 15, 2022 11:01 am Currently reading Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. It’s okay. Pretty good. Kind of ridiculous!
I said this last week and after I finished it I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. The bleakest dystopian fiction I’ve ever read, maybe a bit improbable but sure, given the last few years I wouldn’t put it past this dumb world to become a society of cannibals and the whole thing the become politicized. That fuckin’ ending…. What an interesting book!
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Re: Books

Post by thevomitarsonist »

just finished "art sex music" by cosey fanni tutti. highly recommended. really made me rethink my stance on GPO.
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junkyardshaman
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Re: Books

Post by junkyardshaman »

Started rereading Beckett's The Unnamable again. One of the best books that exists.
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Re: Books

Post by Joie de la Blumpy »

Much love for this chap and his seemingly limitless capacity for dives into the irrational, the obscure, and the irrelevant, always testing my resolve to laugh, cry, shit the pants.

edit
fergot the choice pearl:
There are those, for example, who are merely ‘fleshed on spec,’ which is the ontological equivalent of being offered a ‘house jacket’ before being accommodated at a fine establishment with a dress code (again, an upsetting proposition for some, but in its role as metaphor, there is no exclusionary implication involved as with our prior statement).
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Capers
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Re: Books

Post by Capers »

Finished W.G. Sebald's Vertigo last week. I oddly started with his poetry, for which he's much less known, but finally took on a novel. I loved it.all the blurbs says it's haunting, in one way or another. I agree to some extent, but I found it rather tranquil, melacholy... Looking forward to read the rest of the novels!

In the middle of Fernanda Melchor's Paradais. Very much in the same style as the superb Hurricane Season (mentioned by Puffy a few scrolls up), but I find this one to be not as abysmally dark, and, at least to me, with the humorous turned up just a little notch.

And as always I have a stack of Swedish poetry at hand, old and new, classic and experimental. Right now I'm lost in one of Gunnar D Hansson's rabbit holes, Lunnebok from1991 (Puffin book). A mix of poetry and texts investigating the presence and eventual disapperance of puffin birds in the west-Swedish archipelago of Bohuslän. As usual, Hansson ends up citing parts and encounters from early medival scribes and adventurers touching on the subject. Amazing beautiful stuff, believe it or not. Not sure if he's ever been translated to english, but I hope so!
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Re: Books

Post by 33033 »

Just started The Listeners by Jordan Tannahahill. People effected by a constant low rumbling noise begin to get a little nutso at the seams. Fitting I guess...?
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Re: Books

Post by Brian O'Blivion »

Just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men. By far the best book I've read in a while. Rewatched the movie adaptation, which still holds up, but the pacing felt a bit inappropriate compared to the book's slower, eerier rate.
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Re: Books

Post by housepig »

thevomitarsonist wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:45 pm just finished "art sex music" by cosey fanni tutti. highly recommended. really made me rethink my stance on GPO.
Same! My bandmate gifted me an extra copy that he had ended up with, and I tore through it in about three days. Definitely made me realize that the lion's share of my TG etc info was straight from GPO (RE/Search books, Wreckers of Civilization, Rapid Eye, etc.) and not much from Cosey, Sleazy or Carter's perspectives. Totally worth the read.

also just finished my every-few-years re-read of David Friedman's A Youth In Babylon, about his coming up in the exploitation film world of the 50's and 60's, including his work with Herschell Gordon Lewis. An absolute must if you have any interest in exploitation cinema. This has also prompted me to dip back into Ian Grey's Sex, Stupidity and Greed, RE/Search's Incredibly Strange Films and Bill Landis & Michelle Clifford's Sleazoid Express.
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SS1535
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Re: Books

Post by SS1535 »

I just finished Mishim's The Decay of the Angel, and am currently reading his "Sun and Steel." After that is de Sade's 120 Days in Sodom and Dennis Cooper's Gone (at least the introduction/interview!).
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Re: Books

Post by adult human »

housepig wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 1:47 pm
thevomitarsonist wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 4:45 pm just finished "art sex music" by cosey fanni tutti. highly recommended. really made me rethink my stance on GPO.
Same! My bandmate gifted me an extra copy that he had ended up with, and I tore through it in about three days. Definitely made me realize that the lion's share of my TG etc info was straight from GPO (RE/Search books, Wreckers of Civilization, Rapid Eye, etc.) and not much from Cosey, Sleazy or Carter's perspectives. Totally worth the read.
Loved this book too. Really interesting to learn more about how much Carter was responsible for. There would have been no TG without his soldering abilities for sure. Then of course there is the obvious nasty dirt which absolutely should make fans of GPO have a big think. Beyond the key salacious stories I reckon it paints a pretty convincing picture of GPO as a chancing blagger, the type of which one often encounters in life. It's something I've not been able to shake since reading. Still, it's a good thing to devolve the legacy of TG back in the direction of all the people who took part in it rather than one central figurehead.
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Re: Books

Post by Brian O'Blivion »

SS1535 wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 9:55 pm After that is de Sade's 120 Days in Sodom
Looking forward to your thoughts on this one. I read it while on tour several years ago and remember not being able to finish it because I felt so disgusted. And at the time, I thought of myself as Mr. Extreme who welcomed any and all disturbing subject matter, so it was the first time I came across material that I couldn't actually handle. I'd love to read it now and see how I fare.
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SS1535
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Re: Books

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yullowteef wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:08 am
SS1535 wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 9:55 pm After that is de Sade's 120 Days in Sodom
Looking forward to your thoughts on this one. I read it while on tour several years ago and remember not being able to finish it because I felt so disgusted. And at the time, I thought of myself as Mr. Extreme who welcomed any and all disturbing subject matter, so it was the first time I came across material that I couldn't actually handle. I'd love to read it now and see how I fare.
I will post my feelings as I get through it! Some of the reviews I read also said that people stopped reading because the book became to repetitive. I skimmed through it a bit and found some of the violent portions, so I think I have an idea of what I am in for. Have you seen Salo? I am sort of curious to watch it after I finish the book.

Was that the only de Sade that you read?
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Re: Books

Post by Brian O'Blivion »

SS1535 wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 2:01 pm I will post my feelings as I get through it! Some of the reviews I read also said that people stopped reading because the book became to repetitive. I skimmed through it a bit and found some of the violent portions, so I think I have an idea of what I am in for. Have you seen Salo? I am sort of curious to watch it after I finish the book.

Was that the only de Sade that you read?
Guess I understand the complaint about repetition, but I think it's meant to be cyclical. Maybe you have to convince yourself to accept that as the form and then enjoy the degrees of nuance in change. But who knows, maybe I'd share that complaint if I re-read it now.

I hesitate to use the word "love" in relation to my enjoyment of Salò, but I think it's an important movie. Not many films like it. There's another de Sade themed movie that I really enjoyed called Marquis (https://letterboxd.com/film/marquis/). Much different in tone but almost as extreme. Would be fun as a group watch.

The only other de Sade I've read was a little bit from Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings, but that's now so long ago that I can't tell you what I thought of it.
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Re: Books

Post by Scream & Writhe »

yullowteef wrote: Sat Jun 04, 2022 12:52 pm Just finished reading Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men. By far the best book I've read in a while. Rewatched the movie adaptation, which still holds up, but the pacing felt a bit inappropriate compared to the book's slower, eerier rate.
I like both in mostly equal measure, but I do think the film is somewhat better. It's a rare thing when the adaptation is at least as good as the source material. 2001 is another (I might actually like the book better, but they were written concurrently and meant to be slightly different, so maybe that can be seen as just an apples and oranges thing). Crash also comes to mind.
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SS1535
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Re: Books

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yullowteef wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 9:52 pm
SS1535 wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 2:01 pm I will post my feelings as I get through it! Some of the reviews I read also said that people stopped reading because the book became to repetitive. I skimmed through it a bit and found some of the violent portions, so I think I have an idea of what I am in for. Have you seen Salo? I am sort of curious to watch it after I finish the book.

Was that the only de Sade that you read?
Guess I understand the complaint about repetition, but I think it's meant to be cyclical. Maybe you have to convince yourself to accept that as the form and then enjoy the degrees of nuance in change. But who knows, maybe I'd share that complaint if I re-read it now.

I hesitate to use the word "love" in relation to my enjoyment of Salò, but I think it's an important movie. Not many films like it. There's another de Sade themed movie that I really enjoyed called Marquis (https://letterboxd.com/film/marquis/). Much different in tone but almost as extreme. Would be fun as a group watch.

The only other de Sade I've read was a little bit from Justine, Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Other Writings, but that's now so long ago that I can't tell you what I thought of it.
That other movie is a new one to me, and that description certainly makes it seem even stranger than Salò, so I will have to read up on it/watch it too sometime! I have heard that Justine is his best novel, but I am going to wait and see until after I finish the one I have if I dare go further. Did you notice any meaningful difference in quality/writing in his finished works?
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Re: Books

Post by SS1535 »

I like the review of Marquis as well: "lost brain cells watching this" He didn't necessarily say it was a bad thing, though!
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