Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 On 3/13/2019 at 5:06 AM, Holko said: MAUS, the graphic novel Third read and it's just now dawned on me how meta this book is. On first read you say the main narrative of Vladek teling his son of his Holocaust experiences is a good, if not terribly original story with a neat (though seemingly just attention-grabbing) gimmick, on second read you begin to notice how the metanarrative of the son interviewing his father and going shopping and stuff deepens his character and presents him how he's become, on third read all the layers unfolded and I concluded that it's basically a complex study on how utterly impossible it it to honestly and fully represent a person, his life, experiences and personality. Not a book for cat lovers I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,397 Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 Dracula by Bram Stoker Pretty damn good! Some parts dragged (let's spend 3 chapters on nothing but having each character read each other's diaries, which the reader just read; that bloody Varna and steamboat at the end) but I liked its atmosphere and style. Having seen about 5 adaptations, some multiple times, elements like Mr. Swales and Mrs. Westenra enriching the theme of death were a welcome surprise - and this is probably the closest I've gotten to understanding just what the damn point of Renfield was - having a vampire (-esque?) character and xplaining or rationalising their nature while Drac is still unknown to the characters, tracking his movement and progress - and ultimately of course inviting him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo 3,709 Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 3 hours ago, Holko said: Dracula by Bram Stoker Pretty damn good! Some parts dragged (let's spend 3 chapters on nothing but having each character read each other's diaries, which the reader just read; that bloody Varna and steamboat at the end) but I liked its atmosphere and style. Having seen about 5 adaptations, some multiple times, elements like Mr. Swales and Mrs. Westenra enriching the theme of death were a welcome surprise - and this is probably the closest I've gotten to understanding just what the damn point of Renfield was - having a vampire (-esque?) character and xplaining or rationalising their nature while Drac is still unknown to the characters, tracking his movement and progress - and ultimately of course inviting him in. Van Helsing probably didn’t need to have such a heavy accent portrayed in writing though . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,397 Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 Hehe I did struggle a bit to completely understand Swales, the wolf-keeper at the zoo and the captain of the Czarina! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,443 Posted June 1, 2019 Share Posted June 1, 2019 Got food, if anybody cares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Just finished Harvard Composers: Walter Piston and His Students from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski by Howard Pollack. And I just checked out Pollack's full-on biography of Piston from the library. Pollack also wrote the definitive Copland biography, which I own of course. He's a professor at the University of Houston. Go say hi to him for me @SteveMc I'm also thinking about reading one of Piston's textbooks. I'l probably try Harmony. SteveMc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 3 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: Pollack also wrote the definitive Copland biography, which I own of course. He's a professor at the University of Houston. Go say hi to him for me @SteveMc Really? Wow, who knows, I just might drop by one of these days. Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Unfreedom of the Press by Mark Levin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,443 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Is it too early for my GREAT EXPECTATIONS joke? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Great Expectations is my favorite novel. It inspired me to desire to write. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 You mean it inspired you to write? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveMc 2,674 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Richard said: Is it too early for my GREAT EXPECTATIONS joke? That depends. Is it great? 1 hour ago, Disco Stu said: I'm also thinking about reading one of Piston's textbooks. I'l probably try Harmony. If your primary goal is to learn more about the art of harmony, I'd recommend Kostka's Tonal harmony over Piston's book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,232 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Stu I would NOT rely on the Kostka Payne if it was the last harmony text on the planet. That is not a very well regarded resource. Start with Piston for academic, Schoenberg for philosophical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 20 minutes ago, Dixon Hill said: Stu I would NOT rely on the Kostka Payne if it was the last harmony text on the planet. That is not a very well regarded resource. Start with Piston for academic, Schoenberg for philosophical. Yep, I knew going into the summer that a Piston textbook would be on my summer reading list. Just checked Harmony from the library this afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 My boy Walt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 6 minutes ago, Nick Parker said: My boy Walt! I've been posting about him routinely! Nick Parker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 Nice! I haven't checked out a lot of threads in a while. I love that such a boring-ass stick in the mud as him could create such compelling music. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 1 minute ago, Nick Parker said: Nice! I haven't checked out a lot of threads in a while. I love that such a boring-ass stick in the mud as him could create such compelling music. He was a New England Republican! Get off his lawn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted June 20, 2019 Share Posted June 20, 2019 2 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: He was a New England Republican! Get off his lawn! I responded to one of your posts, and I might actually make one of my own now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,443 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 19 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said: That depends. Is it great? Fair-to-middleing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 26 minutes ago, Richard said: Fair-to-middleing That's how I like my jokes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Do any of you re-read books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Hilary Bray 235 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Relatively often but looking about, there's books I've managed to re-read after a 4-5 year period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,042 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I read Fight Club twice. And the Harry Potters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,278 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 On 6/27/2019 at 6:07 PM, JoeinAR said: Do any of you re-read books. Yes. JoeinAR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 I have a guy who reads them for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 4 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said: I have a guy who reads them for me. Me too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 887 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 On 6/28/2019 at 7:07 AM, JoeinAR said: Do any of you re-read books. Yeah, I've read The Hobbit a couple of times and The Lord of the RIngs three times. I recently reread A Game of Thrones, and might read the next book again soon. I read King's Dark Tower series twice, and Peter Hamilton's The Abyss Beyond Dreams a second time just before reading its sequel. I just intended to browse the first chapter but continued on. I also read Arthur's C Clark's Rendezvous with Rama twice. I think that's about it. Having said that, I read about 50-70 books a year, so it's quite rare to reread one. Just remembered some more: the first three Earthsea books. I reread them when I realized there were more books in the series written quite a while after the first three. Actually, I just finished another book by the same author about 20 minutes ago, The Telling by the late Ursula K. Le Guin. And for some reason I reread Steven King's The Tommy Knockers. Thinking of reading It again as I first read maybe more than 25 years ago, and I enjoyed the movie of the first half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 I could barely read LotR once, let alone thrice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Even the films are too long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete 887 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Quite a bit of time separated each reading. I think I first read it my early teen years and probably glazed over a lot of pages. I remember skipping the poems I think each time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 I gave up during the Tom Bombadil chapter. I'm still surprised I slogged it that far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 He's just misunderstood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,443 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 Even Tolkien admitted that he had trouble "shoehorning" Tom Bombadil into TLOTR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted June 30, 2019 Share Posted June 30, 2019 He's a complex man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted July 20, 2019 Share Posted July 20, 2019 I think its time to reread 11/22/63. Its one of my all time favorite books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Just started this book at archive.org https://archive.org/details/orpheusinmanhatt0000sway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 It wouldn't hurt to smile a bit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Yes, Schuman is not my personal favorite of that American era as a composer, a bit po-faced for my taste, but he was undeniably brilliant and an incredibly important figure of the 20th century. I mean, he was President of Juilliard when John Williams was a student there! He won the very first Pulitzer Prize for Music, plus he's one of a very select few composers (alongside huge names like Gershwin, Ellington, and Coltrane) to receive a special citation Pulitzer for his life's works. You can't tell the story of American music without him. Jurassic Shark 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 47 minutes ago, Disco Stu said: a bit po-faced for my taste Is that a synonym for pretentious looking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 I don't think he was pretentious, but his music was a bit too humorless (which is what po-faced is a synonym for) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 1,053 Posted August 17, 2019 Share Posted August 17, 2019 On 6/27/2019 at 5:07 PM, JoeinAR said: Do any of you re-read books. Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Ooooooh, I just discovered this 2017 book's existence. Definitely on my list to read this Fall! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jurassic Shark 11,956 Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Poor girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I'd love to read The Song of Fire and Ice. Are there any copies available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,304 Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Hallelujah Junction by John Adams Revisited this beauty and can't get over how much I love it. Adams clearly knows how to write prose. Brimming with wit and insight, this memoir sort of nails the crisis of the contemporary composer and offers a lot of fantastic insight on Ives, Riley, Glass/Reich, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Slominsky, Nancarrow, Beethoven, etc etc. And boy does he have some great stories up his belt. A must-have for any composer and music nerd. Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Attempting to juggle a few different books at once, not successfully. But I started this book last night: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo 3,709 Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 I’m listening to this Disco Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 *Sissel voice* Ooh ooh ooooooooooh ooh ooh ooh oooooh oooooooh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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