What's The Last Book You Read?

[Bespin 8,484]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

How many are by JW?

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

I just finished Charlie Kaufman's first novel, Antkind, the other day. Took me two months - it's long (700 pages) and disturbing. Fascinating though. All the usual Kaufman tropes are in there, but in a different mix, and in a way that deliberately makes the book supposedly unfilmable - one of its key components is a 3 month long animated film which the narrator-protagonist watches before it gets destroyed in a fire that also sends him into a coma resulting in memory loss, and the rest of the book is made up of him trying to remember as much about the film as possible (mainly via hypnosis) so he can remake it, because he believes it to be the most important film in history. This in turn involves various kinds of time travel, clones, a war in the distant future between an army of Trump androids and a fast food mega corporation, a single intelligent ant, and various forms of film criticism by the narrator, a film critic with an intense dislike of Charlie Kaufman films. And that's just scratching the surface. If the rough summary sounds bizarre, the full book is easily more bizarre than anything I've read before put together. With every new project, Kaufman seems to take one step further into Lynchian territory. I hardly have an idea what to make of it, but nevertheless I'm fascinated. Recommended, if you like that sort of thing. If not, you'll be bored and hate it.

[KK 3,307]

I read that last year! It is a confounding and fascinating work. It took a lot out of me to digest and process, but boy does he really maximize the potential of the medium in all sorts of ways. He is clearly a brilliantly perceptive mind and writer, though sometimes impenetrable.

 

And it is indeed, very much unfilmable. 

[Positivatee 327]

On 25/11/2021 at 4:08 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

How many are by JW?

 

Let us know. 

 

https://www.listchallenges.com/1000-recordings-to-hear-before-you-die

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

As far as I can see; none 

[bobfily 1]

I read a touching book called The Second Life of Uwe. Then I turned to the classics and read Hamlet. I usually read a lot and can already offer help writing essays. I have a lot of free time and I really enjoy writing. I started working on this service https://ca.edubirdie.com/essay-writing-help and I get pleasure from the fact that customers send me positive feedback. So if anyone is interested, feel free to contact me. I'm also happy to see new books that I haven't read yet, thanks for the recommendations.

[Jay 37,370]

I'm currently reading JW Rinzler's book about the making of the Indiana Jones trilogy.  I wish the whole thing was just about Raiders, it's so fascinating, I could read 300 pages about it.  Well, I'm 100 pages into the 300 page book and its still all about Raiders, so he definitely devoted more space to that over all the sequels at least.  

 

I just finished reading about the wrap of principal photography so haven't even gotten into the post-production yet.  Just about every page has some interesting fact or tidbit I didn't know.  I had no idea how much they improvised on set, like basically all of Indy and Belloq's tent conversation.  It was kinda shocking to read how many scenes Spielberg just cut on the fly on location without ever filming.  And even before all the that, the way the script evolved was fascinating to read about.  And even how long it took for them to cast Harrison Ford!

 

It's an awesome book

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

I have it on my to-read list. I just cant get to it! I got a pile of books on the list, that grows and grows.

 

this tear i have read the complete james herriot series, baudolino by umberto eco, some historial novels from spanish authors.

 

right now im reading the unbearable darwin’s origin of species (it is tedious, im reading it bit by bit), the complete sherlock holmes series and “the horse healer” by gonzalo giner another veterinarian turned writer.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

10 hours ago, bobfily said:

I read a touching book called "Uwe's Second Life".
And then I went through the classics and read Hamlet.

You can never properly appreciate HAMLET until you've read it in the original Klingon.

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

I was going to read The Book Thief, but someone stole my copy.

[Bespin 8,484]

Listen to it instead.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

19 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I was going to read The Book Thief, but someone stole my copy.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

...he had a bath, in Paris"?

[bruce marshall 1,315]

1 hour ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

...he had a bath, in Paris"?

You diseased maniac!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

It's how a warped brain like mine gets its kicks 

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

Current fiction read - The Vesuvius Club by Mark Gatiss, the first of the Lucifer Box (a kind of Edwardian-era Bond) trilogy. An absolute delight. 

Current non-fiction read - Hail To the Chin by Bruce Campbell, the second volume of the 'King Of The Bs' autobio. Very entertaining. 

[Holko 9,529]

After this year's Hunchback hype and letdown, I was curious to read Hugo's Notre-Dame de Paris, and after reading the preface I bought a copy. And holy hell did I enjoy the crap out of this bloated meandering masterpiece - though I guess you could only apply those terms to it if it was plot-focused, which it is not. It's more about the characters, the era, the architecture, the era, the city, the era, its population, the era, Hugo's personal grievances with city planning and renovation policies, and the era. Did I mention the historical era? He's a great narrator though, and I loved every bit of it - okay, maybe I skipped a paragraph or two about where this old city wall was, going from which building to which building, today (his today) this street to this street. I was initially ready with my phone to google up images of the buildings, maps, whatever to help guide me, but in the end the text is flowery and picturesque enough that I didn't need to.

 

Which are the best adaptations? I'm planning to watch the Lon Chaney one.

[Jurassic Shark 12,080]

8 minutes ago, Holko said:

Which are the best adaptations? I'm planning to watch the Lon Chaney one.

 

Make sure you watch the release with Roy Budd's score. Also buy the magnificent score.

 

https://www.panamint.co.uk/blog/the-phantom-of-the-opera-roy-budd-score

[Holko 9,529]

2 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

 

https://www.panamint.co.uk/blog/the-phantom-of-the-opera-roy-budd-score

Uhhh wrong movie but one I was also  planning to watch sometime

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

Notre Dame was one of the most tedious books I've read. I remember Hugo describing for one long chapter the entire facade of the cathedral from bottom to top, and when you finally finish that chapter, he continues with a view from the top on medieval Paris, stopping at the roads to the next village and saying that that would be too much detail… and then continuing to describe just that for another whole chapter. It doesn't help that I'm not familiar with modern Paris, which made it even more confusing to consider that Hugo was describing medieval Paris from the POV of someone familiar with 19th century Paris…

 

But the last 100 pages or so are totally worth it.

 

I only know two film versions - the 1939 Dieterle film with Charles Laughton and a brilliant Newman score, and the Disney. I like both, but both leave out a lot of major parts of the novel (including much of the drama of the finale). Everything considered, the Disney might actually be more faithful to the novel than the Dieterle version.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Finished a study in scarlet and halfway through the sign of four. 
 

im shocked how openly is described holmes taking a cocaine shot as if was common practice (watson dissarpoves so it was not normal). I thought holmes smoked things but not injected them….

 

it also funny some old fashioned vocabulary, as watson usually ‘ejaculates’ words when he says something  quickly….

 

im imagining them as cumbertbach and freeman btw 😄

[Holko 9,529]

28 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I remember Hugo describing for one long chapter the entire facade of the cathedral from bottom to top, and when you finally finish that chapter, he continues with a view from the top on medieval Paris, stopping at the roads to the next village and saying that that would be too much detail… and then continuing to describe just that for another whole chapter.

Yes, I loved that! He's self-aware enough to make fun of it himself, once after describing Phoebus' background and personality and outlining some contradiction, he finishes with "How does all that fit together? Don't ask me, I'm just the chronicler".

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

1 hour ago, Luke Skywalker said:

Finished a study in scarlet and halfway through the sign of four. 
 

im shocked how openly is described holmes taking a cocaine shot as if was common practice (watson dissarpoves so it was not normal). I thought holmes smoked things but not injected them….

 

A 7-per-cent solution.

 

1 hour ago, Luke Skywalker said:

it also funny some old fashioned vocabulary, as watson usually ‘ejaculates’ words when he says something  quickly….

 

 

I read a couple of the shorter stories years ago, but I've had a complete edition lying next to my bed for several years. The first story is so tedious that I got stuck quite early and never picked it up again. I should put it on my list for next year again.

[Holko 9,529]

15 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

I've had a complete edition lying next to my bed for several years. The first story is so tedious that I got stuck quite early and never picked it up again. I should put it on my list for next year again.

I have one too and been slowly going through it for a couple years. The first is definitely the worst with that neverending flashback, skip it or soldier through.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Yeah…i thought is this another doyle story in the middle that has nothing to to about the holmes story… i didnt even noticed the surnames of the badguys were the same as the holmes story until the end….

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Starting the Rózsa autobiography tonight!

 

[Jay 37,370]

On 21/06/2021 at 4:35 PM, Jay said:

Ever seen a trailer for a book before?

 

 

 

 

Here's another trailer for a book

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of ULYSSES.

Happy birthday 

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE

by Robbie Krieger

[pete 907]

I finished the fourteenth and last Wheel of Time book last week. The last three were completed by Brandon Sanderson - using piles of written and recorded notes left by Robert Jordan before he died. I've only so far read one of Sanderson's own books, but given this news - his kickstarter to self-publish four novels written in secret over the past two years is just about to hit 20 million after a few days....I think I'll read more sooner than later. I've been keeping an eye on the kickstarter. And for the fist day, the numbers were spinning like a slotmachine!

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/03/brandon-sanderson-kickstarter-tops-19-million-in-two-days.html
 

And finishing a popular series after the death of the original author is almost an impossible task in terms of pleasing the fans, but Sanderson did that. I've seen only really positive comments, and personally I flew through the last few books and hardly noticed any change in writing style. I would never have guessed a new author was on board if I hadn't known. 

 

A few slower books in the middle of those 14, but the last couple of books and the last one in particular made the journey more than worthwhile. 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

A few excellent books I've read recently in my continued obsession with American musical history of post-Civil War to the 50s

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

Not "read", but I'm currently reading DRACULA. It's good. I'll let you know how it ends.

[Bespin 8,484]

@Naïve Old FartIt ends by having 125 years of adaptations, remakes and sequels!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

Is it possible to remake a film which is based on a book?

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

54 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

Is it possible to remake a film which is based on a book?

 

Yes, by making a new film from the same script, or a script directly based on the previous one.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,549]

Thanks for that, Marian. Good anorak question, good anorak answer.

[Marian Schedenig 8,206]

Reminds me of how I was slightly annoyed when I first read about Karajan's "remakes" in a Gramophone review, years ago, because how can a new recording of a Beethoven symphony be a remake of an earlier recording of the same symphony? But it makes sense, of course, if e.g. the conductor and/or the performers involved are the same and it's not a complete re-approach but a new snapshot of the same, ongoing process of exploring that work.

[bollemanneke 3,349]

A brief history of Britain, all 4 books. Phew. Finally time to start with the Salem Witch trials now.

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Salem is in America

[bollemanneke 3,349]

I know that... Also, finished re-reading Harry Potter, took me a year. I must say I'm surprised to find I didn't like the end of DH that much. McGonagall & Harry reads like fanfiction, the way Harry gets to be master of the Elder Wand is cheap and far-fetched and the epilogue is SO corny and unnecessary. Also, why did Ginny allow Harry to name all their children? I get the whole trauma thing, but honestly, she shouldn't have been so submissive.

 

Next up: how to be right in a world gone wrong by James O'Brien. Love that guy.

[Holko 9,529]

Finished Rinzler's amazing Making of SW trilogy, capping each book with a rewatch of its subject (theatrical unedited). Though I enjoyed them all, I definitely have to say the first is the best - maybe primarily because it makes for the best story! Little guy with a vision fighting through against all odds, even losing belief in himself by the end but still managing to change the industry with a groundbreaking masterpiece. But also I felt it was the one that showed the progression of the scripts most consistently etc. - though my single favourite bit would probably have to be the transcription of the evolution of the carbonite scene's evolution with Kersh wired up. Marquand has little presence in the official docus for obvious reasons but here the impression I got of him wasn't the most positive either so that might be another reason, not just George's ego that grew considerably in the decades since.

[Jay 37,370]

I'm really enjoying Rinzler's book on the Indy trilogy, gotta finish that one

[Holko 9,529]

Is he/are the interviewees negative on ToD like in the dvd docu and like in the RotJ book? That'd take a lot of my enjoyment away.

 

If you love Alien, his book on that one's great too!

[Jay 37,370]

No, not really.  He doesn't spend nearly as much time talking about it (or Last Crusade) as he does Raiders, though

[Holko 9,529]

Hmm, thought so. Weird that it has no digital edition.

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Started John Mauceri’s new book “The War on Music” last night.

 

[Bespin 8,484]

Which war? The loudness war?