Books! What are you currently reading or just finished?

[tejomay]

I’m reading Bleeding Edge right now. I agree it’s “Pynchon-lite,” but that label absolutely does not lessen it in any way. “Easy breezy” ain’t easy!

One thing I love about Pynchon is that his ceaseless references actually enrich the text rather than detract from it. A book like Bleeding Edge would, in the hands of a lesser author, easily dissolve into aimless Family Guy-esque throwaway gags — not that Pynchon is above such stupidity, though . I also love that this 80 year old man knows more about gaming and hacker culture than I do lol.

Gravity’s Rainbow is definitely next on my reading list; only question is how, where, and when to find the time…

[dailybells]

I’m finally digging into Finnegans Wake. I don’t always read it out loud but it really makes it a lot more fun. Such beautiful language, even just stumbling through it out loud at my cat. (Who seems to enjoy when I read it to him.)

[disquiet]

@dailybells

I don’t always read it out loud but it really makes it a lot more fun.

I think this is the way to read it, and much if not all the rest of Joyce.

[Loitering]

I read the whole thing out loud to finally get through it and it made me realize that it was kind of like a Marx Bros film…

[dailybells]

There are totally tons of laughs, it gets crazy beautiful often too…

[ceedotgeedot]

I was feeling pretty cocky after finishing Ulysses and thought, “How hard can Finnegans Wake be?” Then this word on the first page put me right in my place:

Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunnt-rovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk

[dailybells]

I think it feels difficult if you read it like a code to crack… this time around, I’m reading it the way I listen to a piece of music and it’s actually very fun. Sometimes vague meaning coalesces out of nowhere but I’m not trying to get obsessed with cracking the code as I read, just enjoying the reading of it. The shape of the sounds and the language has enough meaning without trying to extract a conventional narrative from every passage… the “narrative” kind of appears as a daydream as you read imho…

[atlas]

john cage had similar views on finnegans wake. he mentions it frequently in his book “silence” if i remember correctly.

[dailybells]

Ah cool, not surprised to hear that.

[tyleretters]

Amazingly satisfying read, @disquiet. I’ve pondered the mysteries of this album for most of my life. Your analysis and reflections were an absolute joy. Thank you.

[angel]

A book review of mine about Thor Magnusson’s “Sonic Writing. Technologies of Material, Symbolic and Signal Inscriptions” just came out on jar-online.net. Thought it might be of interest here . https://doi.org/10.22501/jarnet.0029

[pleurodesis]

Back in to the dismal 20th century European mire after a brief sci-fi sojourn.

[robotfunk]

Just Finished:

Never been disappointed with any of Neal’s work.

Now finally started:

[outoftunewolf]

half way through this and keep thinking about it constantly. Interesting read for the times.

[Whinger]

I’m 3/4 through REAMDE and really enjoying it. I’ve got two other books that cut in line before I continue with more Stephenson. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and the other is Roadside Picnic by Arkady Strugatsky.

[Byzero]

@Whinger

Roadside Picnic

I enjoyed Roadside Picnic. It was not what I expected (although I had no preconceptions).

[Whinger]

I know nothing about it, a friend that has very similar taste in books to me recommended it, so i thought I would go in blind and read nothing about the book. Looking forward to it.

[dailybells]

Still working through Finnegans Wake and some other things…

But this lovely work of generative art just arrived recently which I am saving for the weekend:

[Starthief]

I’m caught up on Brandon Sanderson’s stuff (aside from the White Sand graphic novels and Arcanum Unbound which I’ve got on reserve at the library) and have started the next-to-last book in the Expanse series.

Just finished this one and loved it:

It’s really clear and coherent.

[hermbot]

If anyone’s interested or game, here’s my Goodreads account: Feel free to add me. I like seeing what others are reading or have read.

Michael