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Post by mawa on Apr 15, 2007 12:59:45 GMT -5
Haven't read anything new recently... No time left for reading (at all)! Drooling for "The Gulag Archipelago" (I borrowed it from my friend a week ago but have no time to read it). And I was thinking recently what to read - couldn't think of anything worth reading lately. Gotta make a note to finally read this one.
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Post by Aedh on Apr 21, 2007 1:23:32 GMT -5
Finished "Day of the Klesh," the third book of Mira's recommended trilogy. At the risk of introducing spoilers to those who may be reading it (or planning to soon), I'll confine myself to observing that--like with the other books--it labours under rather erratic construction and plotting; this one, especially, shows signs of being slowly and carefully conceived, but hastily finished. At times, characters' names are transposed, creating some confusion, and the final chapter shows unmistakable signs of having been written in one long sitting. And yet ... and yet ... his genius for creating believable and original environments, exquisite names (when he's not borrowing them from kitchen appliances), moments of almost hallucinatory detail, and pulling out genuinely deep thoughts from the material, almost overcomes the structural flaws. Still, overall, for most readers, reading "The Gameplayers Of Zan" as a stand-alone should suffice ... I would recommend going on to "Warriors Of Dawn" and "Day Of the Klesh" only if one finds "Gameplayers" really fascinating (as I did).
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Post by Aedh on Apr 25, 2007 9:34:59 GMT -5
Do let us know how "Wintersmith" goes ... frankly, I kind of trailed off on Pratchett; I got them and started reading them in order. It seemed to me that by about the eighth book they weren't quite a funny and creative as they had been early on. Or it that all moonshine?
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efiore
Resistance Member
Don?t feel...think.
Posts: 15
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Post by efiore on May 13, 2007 15:31:16 GMT -5
I´m reading now Dostoyevsky´s "crime and punishment"...coincidence or not, me being a huge fan of American Psicho AND mr. Bale, to read a book that has a story of a guy killing with a axe...well, fun!
And before that I readed Hamlet for the 5° time...
And before the five times of Hamlet I was reading 007 - Moonraker by Christopher wood.
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echo
Sense Offender
Posts: 9
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Post by echo on May 17, 2007 14:01:39 GMT -5
I actually prefer Terry Pratchett's later books...(apart from Wyrd Sisters which is still one of my favourites)...I never liked his character Rinsewind from the early books...I just found him annoying. Personally I think some of the funniest Discworld books were the ones involving Vimes and The Watch. I'll be sure to let you know what I thought of "Wintersmith" when I've finished it. Apparently this is the common viewpoint and the reason why the later books have more to do with the watch. My housemate is an avid early DW fan and can spend hours ranting about how the older books are more satirical, less commercial and are stand alone stories, personally I’m a Sam Vimes fan. I was a little disappointed by the humour in thud! and I haven’t read wintersmith yet but will as soon as I get hold of it. I wish I was a Nac Mac Feegle.
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Post by Aedh on May 17, 2007 21:35:00 GMT -5
I´m reading now Dostoyevsky´s "crime and punishment"...coincidence or not, me being a huge fan of American Psicho AND mr. Bale, to read a book that has a story of a guy killing with a axe...well, fun! HUGE fan of the man here ... my motto is and has always been: "FyoDo Lives." "Karamazov" is of course my favourite, with "The Possessed" not far behind, then "The Idiot" and "Crime And" more or less neck and neck. Can't say I cared much for "Poor Folk," though mind you it's still a mile ahead of anything that anyone alive to-day could write.
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Post by Aedh on May 30, 2007 13:52:10 GMT -5
Took a break from history ... have been dipping dipping into "The Complete Pegana" by Lord Dunsany (Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, to use his non-toff name) ... published by Chaosium. Great stuff!!
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Post by Aedh on Jun 10, 2007 7:35:44 GMT -5
Finally finished the history series! It's been, I dunno how long. Three years? It's not just that it's twelve volumes .... it's having to read them pencil in hand, correcting them as I go. I mean, really!! John Henry Newman born in 1810? I ... THINK ... NOT!!
So, dipping into a friend's recommendation and reading "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris. Cleric Reveria: you can already write better than this Harris woman. Your challenge is to write a chick-lit that sells this well, despite being better.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 10, 2007 7:39:36 GMT -5
Cleric efiore ... don't forget to post your thoughts about "Crime and Punishment" here. It's possibly ... not quite as great a novel as "Chocolat," according to no less a publication than 'Literary Review' ... so poor old Dostoevsky will need a boost, I guess.
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Post by Walldude on Jun 11, 2007 16:38:19 GMT -5
GIGANTIC SPOILER IN HERE!!!
Star Wars: Legacy Of The Force: Sacrifice. Book 4 in the nine book series. Written by Karen Traviss who is turning out to be a good Star Wars writer. I especially like the way she has re-integrated Boba Fett as a major player.. I usually don't talk abut SW books because they are really for hardcore SW fans but this one has some major changes to the SW universe so I thought I'd mention it.. Read no further if you intend on reading the book... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ok so this new series has brought the Sith back into play. A new Emperor is coming. He's been slowly amassing power, and in some eerie parallels to our current political situation he has taken control of the Galactic Alliance Guard(The GA is what the New Republic became after the Yuzzhan Vong war) which is kind of like our new Homeland Security in the U.S. The GA is at war with Corellia (Han's home planet) and the Guard has been taking Corellians from their homes on Courscant and interning them in the GA version of Gitmo. This has been tricky business for the Solo's and the Skywalkers as the Jedi are sworn to uphold the laws of the GA, and Han and Leia's loyalties are divided between Corellia and Courscant. In this latest book the new rising emperor has managed, in a coup, to position himself as co-Chief of State for the G.A. It won't be long till he manages to fully take over and revive the Empire. In the last 10 pages after 4 books of build-up he has made his ultimate sacrifice and taken his Sith name. He is called Darth Caedus. His ultimate sacrifice will throw the SW fans into a tizzy not seen since the death of Chewie in Vector Prime. The life he took belonged to... Mara Jade Skywalker. The most popular expanded universe character ever has died. When I read it it was like losing an old friend. Very sad indeed.
Oh and in case you were wondering where this new Emperor came from, his real name was... Jacen Solo, son of Han and Leia. The series is expected to finish in the middle of 2008 the next book is due in September. This is turning out to be the most intense, heart wrenching, SW experience in history.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 12, 2007 0:27:07 GMT -5
Hey, Walldude. You might know this .... is there any truth to the rumour that Ron Goulart is the ghost-writer behind William Shatner's "Tek War" series?
In other news ... finished "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris. Rather odd book in my opinion ... it was all set up for a rather sad ending, but the ending it did have struck me as rather mawkish and forced. (Something rather Oprah-esque about that.) Still, not bad. I give it two stars. Next is one I won't discuss for the simple reason that it is about politics, a subject I avoid here.
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Post by ginxy on Jun 12, 2007 10:41:57 GMT -5
GIGANTIC SPOILER IN HERE!!! Star Wars: Legacy Of The Force: Sacrifice. Book 4 in the nine book series. Written by Karen Traviss who is turning out to be a good Star Wars writer. I especially like the way she has re-integrated Boba Fett as a major player.. I usually don't talk abut SW books because they are really for hardcore SW fans but this one has some major changes to the SW universe so I thought I'd mention it.. Read no further if you intend on reading the book... Thanks for the recap Walldude - I like that you gave a detailed review of it. I haven't read it yet but it's in my pile of reads. Just finished a few books Howl's Moving Castle By: Diana Wynee Jones: *** Perdido Street Station By: China Mieville : *** The House By: Daniel Steel: ** The Screwtape Letters By: C.S. Lewis: *** The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Novel (Stff we didn't actually do but could have and may yet) By: Jill Conner Browne: *** Finishing up Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Passionate Heart By: Christopher Phillips. Checked out Allison in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and a book on the History of Witches.
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Post by TheMacroprosopus on Jun 12, 2007 11:48:41 GMT -5
I'm kinda fuzzy on what the first post is requesting. Suggestions seemed the logical thing, but I also saw reviews. Methinks I shall try a blend.
To start, I'd suggest the first three books in the Hannibal Lecter series, by Thomas Harris. Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal. Red Dragon, 1981, is a pretty good introduction, cementing Harris, at least, as a fantastic writer (six years after Black Sunday, 1975). There isn't much Lecter, but he is certainly called upon to help the main character catch a serial killer. Silence of the Lambs, 1988, is even better, throwing in even more Hannibal (still only a secondary character), and a new main character. This book/movie brought to us the now infamous Buffalo Bill. And, of course "Putthefuckinglotioninthebasket!!" Hannibal, 1999, is probably my favourite. The good doctor becomes a main character (alongside Special Agent Clarice Starling from Silence), and is running rampant throughout Italy at the start of the novel. The violence of previous installments is increased exponentially, now that the nation's most beloved cannibal is free, and it's as twisted as anyone could hope (Intestines from a window? Lobotomy for dinner? Certainly!). It's also got a pretty fascinating idea for retaining memories.
Now, I don't suggest Hannibal Rising, 2006. I found that it was poorly written, and didn't even really touch on what I'd hoped to see. I wanted to know if Hannibal was just born nuts; did he always see the world through warped perception? Or, did something make him snap? While it was probably the cannibalistic murder of his sister by German soldiers (German? Russian? Either way, soldiers, WWII, Lithuania), there's never a specific point where the chemicals in his brain decide to revolt. The story becomes that of a young Lecter's fight for revenge against the men involved in his sister's death, with various brutal deaths littering the pages. I still wasn't satisfied. It seemed rushed, given the movie. I think they wanted them both out at the same time, so Harris was forced to be quick. It was decidedly shorter than the other books, and horribly weak.
As for nonfiction, these two guys named Julian Sher and William Marsden have done a few books based around the Hells Angels in Canada. The first one I read (and the first in the series, I believe) is The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs are Conquering Canada (2005). It was a slow start, but ended up being really fascinating. Lots of insight into laws and why they were created. The book was written using previously classified court documents and police reports, centered around one biker (Dany Kane) who became an informant for Quebec investigators. It covers the Angels in Canada (and rival/sub gangs) from their inception to their near-eradication in the early years of this decade. I've also been given another book in the series, from my uncle, called Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers' Global Crime Empire (same authors, 2006). I've not yet read it, but I do plan to start soon. Apparently, there's another book out that focuses on Kane, but I can't remember the title.
I'm also a huge fan of pretty much all things Mario Puzo. But, that's almost a given. Subsequent to Puzo is Mark Winegardner's work with the Godfather sequels. The Godfather Returns was published in 2004, and served as a pretty great start to Winegardner's Godfather work. The first half of the book was a bit of a challenge, because I found it to be somewhat messily written. But, suddenly, Winegardner changed style, it seemed, and I loved the second half. It fills in the gaps between the movies quite well, fleshing out the issue with Fredo. Then came The Godfather's Revenge in late 2006. This book continued Winegardner's captivating writing, describing how a man, presumed dead by many, is trying to bring down the Corleone empire. It plods in some spots, but I find it a challenge to read a single book that doesn't once or twice. Both entries into the series are really worthwhile reads.
Then there's Eldest (2005), by Christopher Paolini. It's the sequel to Eragon (2004), which was turned into a rather poorly done film. I've yet to read Eragon, having only seen the film. I liked the movie the first time. Then I read Eldest, and was shocked at what I appeared to have missed with the film. There is so much to this book, from back story, to subplots, to the inner workings of elf colonies. It's fascinating. Great twist, too. I really enjoyed this one.
What else is in the pile I just grabbed? Oh! In 2004, Metallica released what could be called a coffee table book. If only most Metallica fans knew of such furniture. So What! The Good, the Mad, and the Ugly is a great compilation of various articles/Q&As/all sorts of other stuff from the years of the magazine of the same name (So What! is Metallica's way of interacting with the fans, and was started sometime during the Load/Reload sessions of the mid '90s). Featuring really amusing anecdotes, and a pretty well done bit on Cliff Burton, and various other issues throughout the band's existence (Napster, alcoholism, Jason Newsted's departure, Rob Trujillo's admission into the band, etc), the book is an excellent accessory to the documentary Some Kind of Monster.
And, finally, I don't think any suggestion session from me is complete without mentioning the very early work of Ian Fleming. Casino Royale, the first book in the 007 series, published in 1953 (I have a copy from 1955. Mmmm, used book store) is really one of my favourite Bond stories, if not my very favourite. Not only does it feature the only torture scene (to my knowledge) written by Fleming, but it's also his very first tale involving the world's favourite spy. It even gives the ingredients for Bond's signature martini! It's been a while since I read it, but I do know that I quite prefer the book to the movie, as is always the case. Various little things that I enjoyed were removed, and the recent film was made far too modern.
I...think that's pretty much it. Oh, and Stone Fox. Amazing "kids'" book I read many years ago. One of the few stories to make me cry.
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Post by ginxy on Jun 13, 2007 10:06:43 GMT -5
Thanks for the recap Walldude - I like that you gave a detailed review of it. I haven't read it yet but it's in my pile of reads. Just finished a few books Howl's Moving Castle By: Diana Wynee Jones: *** Perdido Street Station By: China Mieville : *** The House By: Daniel Steel: ** The Screwtape Letters By: C.S. Lewis: *** The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Novel (Stff we didn't actually do but could have and may yet) By: Jill Conner Browne: *** Finishing up Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Passionate Heart By: Christopher Phillips. Checked out Allison in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and a book on the History of Witches. I'm truly awed that you can have such a busy job and still find the time and inclination to read! I'm concerned that I seem to have lost the will to read at the moment....not good. Oh and my daughter read Perdido Street Station and loved it. LOL - Well, some of those are quick reads and I do usually read every night. And some of them aren't that long of a book to get through or they are page-turners. Plus it's the summer time and I seem to read more in the summer - strange because it would make more sense to read more in the winter since you're inside more? lol. I didn't count any of the graphic novels I've read in there - lol - maybe I should? Two or three (Watchmen and two that a friend lent to me that has artwork by Tim Sale (Heroes)) I make time to read because it helps me get my mind off work. And I didn't read those in a week or anything - there's a big gap in time from my last post to this one lol.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 13, 2007 11:53:07 GMT -5
I didn't count any of the graphic novels I've read in there - lol - maybe I should? Two or three (Watchmen and two that a friend lent to me that has artwork by Tim Sale (Heroes) I suppose graphic novels could count ... but I'd have to say they count for men mostly ... you know ... us chest-beating, tree-swinging, beer-guzzling, football-obsessed things; anytime we pick up something with pages (that's not mostly diagrams of car engines, or photos of naked tarts), that ought to be duly noted ...
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Post by ginxy on Jun 13, 2007 15:15:27 GMT -5
I didn't count any of the graphic novels I've read in there - lol - maybe I should? Two or three (Watchmen and two that a friend lent to me that has artwork by Tim Sale (Heroes) I suppose graphic novels could count ... but I'd have to say they count for men mostly ... you know ... us chest-beating, tree-swinging, beer-guzzling, football-obsessed things; anytime we pick up something with pages (that's not mostly diagrams of car engines, or photos of naked tarts), that ought to be duly noted ... WHAT???!!! Graphic Novels just for boys - hell no you just didn't say that!!!! [slap] lol @ naked tarts
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 16, 2007 13:22:51 GMT -5
I didn't count any of the graphic novels I've read in there - lol - maybe I should? Two or three (Watchmen and two that a friend lent to me that has artwork by Tim Sale (Heroes) I suppose graphic novels could count ... but I'd have to say they count for men mostly ... you know ... us chest-beating, tree-swinging, beer-guzzling, football-obsessed things; anytime we pick up something with pages (that's not mostly diagrams of car engines, or photos of naked tarts), that ought to be duly noted ... And guns, don't forget guns... ...Hee. You're so cute when you're being a wiseass. (Didja miss me?)
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Post by Aedh on Jun 16, 2007 18:13:14 GMT -5
And guns, don't forget guns... ...Hee. You're so cute when you're being a wiseass. (Didja miss me?) What a cunningly barbed question, Cleric ... you are to be congratulated on your vigilant patrol for feeling even among senior Clerics: no one is exempt. I will say that you absence was logged, as your return has been. Your desk, complete with red rose, awaits. *point briefly*, then return to studying latest printouts*
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 16, 2007 19:37:50 GMT -5
What a cunningly barbed question, Cleric ... you are to be congratulated on your vigilant patrol for feeling even among senior Clerics: no one is exempt. I will say that you absence was logged, as your return has been. Your desk, complete with red rose, awaits. *point briefly*, then return to studying latest printouts* Complete with RED rose, Cleric? Such attempts at humor are considered EC-10 and thus forbidden. That said, it is agreeable to be back. My thanks for your capable handling of matters during my absence. *seats self at desk and picks up papers*
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Post by Aedh on Jun 17, 2007 8:20:13 GMT -5
Complete with RED rose, Cleric? Such attempts at humor are considered EC-10 and thus forbidden. *Stifles a chortle* *indicating Mirabilis with a nod* See Cleric Gothic ... Now you've gone and got the Lancastrian riled up again ... pretty soon the air will be thick with "Ee bai gum" and boiled puddens!! ;D
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 17, 2007 12:38:47 GMT -5
*indicating Mirabilis with a nod* See Cleric Gothic ... Now you've gone and got the Lancastrian riled up again ;D We all need a hobby. ;D *tosses a white rose to Cleric Aedh* ...I guess I should mention books, since this is a book thread. The latest new book I read was Laurell K. Hamilton's The Harlequin. I really like LKH's world, especially her vampire characters, buuut... well, this book was better than her last few. However, that's not saying a whole lot. :-P (Which is why I'm currently engrossed in writing a nearly novel-length fanfic based on her world, but with different main chars. Ha!)
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Post by Aedh on Jun 17, 2007 16:27:25 GMT -5
Fascinating ... you'll have to share a sample chapter with us. I'm meditating a Star Wars fanfic, adjusted to my taste; none of the main characters--in fact none of the charas at all. And set in a different galaxy, and in the future rather than the past. And no "Force." Ok .... it's a fancfic that uses basically nothing. So it's a sci-fi story, period.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 18, 2007 23:23:05 GMT -5
Finished my book on politics ... I'm in the luxuriant position of actually being in the middle of reading NOTHING .... getting to choose ... oh ... ohhhhhhhhhhhh .... so SLOOOOWWWLY ... uh! yeahhh!!
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 18, 2007 23:25:49 GMT -5
Fascinating ... you'll have to share a sample chapter with us. I'm meditating a Star Wars fanfic, adjusted to my taste; none of the main characters--in fact none of the charas at all. And set in a different galaxy, and in the future rather than the past. And no "Force." Ok .... it's a fancfic that uses basically nothing. So it's a sci-fi story, period. Heh. A Star Wars story with no Force. Eeeeenteresting! Have you read any of Hamilton's books? I know what a big fan you are of modern writers... *wink* I think I've written the story so that you can understand it without being familiar with the original books, but I can't swear it's perfectly stand-alone. But if you really want to risk it... www.pommedesang.com/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=6105
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Post by Aedh on Jun 19, 2007 10:16:16 GMT -5
I read twentieth-century books--some. I never said I didn't. I said I seldom read twentieth century English literature. You can't read much of something that barely exists to start with. You can't spend much time reading the works of Ichiyo Higuchi, for example. Her complete work consists of nine short stories. (Each one a treasure by the way ... ) The only Hamilton I've read recently is Alexander ... I've embarked on the long-delayed reading of Andrei Platonov's "Chevengur." Since it's a rare book, and since I mentioned it earlier, no one but GF gave any indication of being familiar with it .... and being a rare book, the chances of anyone BECOMING familiar with it are slim .... I'm going to give some highlights as I go. I may even type in a few excerpts for flavour. It's a eminently excerptible book ... in fact, different parts of it were published as no less then five "short stories" between Platonov's official rehabilitation in 1958 and his slide back into official disapproval in 1969. (He had died in 1951.) Oh any by the way .... I want to risk it.
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 19, 2007 17:58:04 GMT -5
I read twentieth-century books--some. I never said I didn't. I said I seldom read twentieth century English literature. You can't read much of something that barely exists to start with. You can't spend much time reading the works of Ichiyo Higuchi, for example. Her complete work consists of nine short stories. (Each one a treasure by the way ... ) The only Hamilton I've read recently is Alexander ... I've embarked on the long-delayed reading of Andrei Platonov's "Chevengur." Since it's a rare book, and since I mentioned it earlier, no one but GF gave any indication of being familiar with it .... and being a rare book, the chances of anyone BECOMING familiar with it are slim .... I'm going to give some highlights as I go. I may even type in a few excerpts for flavour. It's a eminently excerptible book ... in fact, different parts of it were published as no less then five "short stories" between Platonov's official rehabilitation in 1958 and his slide back into official disapproval in 1969. (He had died in 1951.) Oh any by the way .... I want to risk it. I know, I was only teasing you. ;D If you're feeling so dedicated, you could transcribe the Platonov book and donate it to the Gutenberg Project. As long as it is old enough that the copyright has expired, they'll archive it so many more people can read it. And by the way... You are a brave man, Cleric Aedh. *salutes you* (I have gotten good reviews, but I suspect you will be a more... discerning reader than most of my audience.)
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Post by Aedh on Jun 19, 2007 23:40:29 GMT -5
Interesting ... though it's of a genre that's designed to appeal to a very different demographic than me. That being the case, I didn't feel qualified to write a review. You have talent. Permit me to encourage you in your endeavours. My own take on vampires is to be found in my first novel, "Karasevdah" ... to be found at: www.karasevdah.com. It's not exclusively devoted to vampire shenanigans, though they play a role in it. Though in "Karasevdah" vampires are not called such, but are known by the Serbian term vulkodlaki. They are different than the traditional vampires of modern Western popular fiction.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 25, 2007 12:00:54 GMT -5
In the public interest, so that some people at least can sample it, I took the liberty of transcribing a bit of "Chevengur" by Andrei Platonov. I've done so without the permission of the original translator. The copyright situation on that book would be interesting. It was written in 1927, but its author did nothing with it during his lifetime. I mentioned above how the novel's mansucript was "pirated" for short stories, and in one case a novella entitled "Origin Of A Master." This was because Platonov had been savagely criticised during the Stalin era, and so many of his old critics were still alive that a publication of "Chevengur" as a whole book would certainly have provoked another reaction against him.
An "entire" Russian edition of "Chevengur" was published by YMCA Press in 1972. However, the edition was defective, since the entire text of what had by then become "Origin Of A Master" was omitted, and there were other problems. This was based on the so-called "Paris MS." which had been smuggled out of Russia many years earlier. The edition I have was based on a copy of Platonov's own copy as revised and finished by Platonov himself. This was then translated by Anthony Olcott and published by Ardis Press in 1978. This remains, to to the extend of my limited knowledge, the only complete published edition of "Chevengur" in any language including Russian. But translators' copyrights, as I understand it, depend upon the copyright of the original, and with a story this complicated, one isn't sure where the "original" is, or even if there IS such a thing properly speaking.
At any rate ... hopefully it's OK with JenGe ... I seriously doubt Ardis Press (if they're still in business), or Mr Olcott, who is a busy, happy, and respected worker, would take exception to a short excerpt being put here for curiosity's sake. Full disclosure: I've polished it a bit ... Mr Olcott's translation does show some signs that he might have been working under a tight deadline.
So here goes ...
There are finges of decay around old provincial towns. People come here to live straight out of nature. One such man appeared, his piercing face exhausted to the point of melancholy. He was able to fix or equip any manner of thing, but himself lived life unequipped. Nothing, from frying pan to alarm clock, has failed in its time to pass through the hands of this man. Nor had he ever refused to resole shoes, cast wolf shot, or stamp out phony medals to sell at old-fashioned country bazaars. But for himself he had never made anything, neither family nor dwelling.
Summers he simply lived in nature, carrying his tools in a sack and using the sack as a pillow, more for the safekeeping of his tools than for comfort. He protected himself from the early morning sun by sticking burdocks to his eyes in the evening. Winters, he lived on the remnants of his summer earnings and paid the church watchman for a room by ringing the night hours. He was not unduly interested in anything, not in people or nature, except for mechanical things of all sorts. Because of this he regarded people and fields with indifferent tenderness, not infringing upon the interests of either.
On winter evenings he occasionally made unnecessary things such as towers of wire, ships cut from pieces of roofing tin, paper dirigibles, and so on, exclusively for his own pleasure. It often happened that he even delayed filling someone’s chance commission, so that, for example, when he was given a vat to fix with new handles, he spent the time instead building a wooden clock which he intended to run without works, powered just by the rotation of the earth.
These unpaid activities did not please the church watchman. “You’ll go begging in your old age, Zakhar Palych,” he scolded. “That vat there’s been standing all day, and all you do about it is bang the ground with a hunk of wood … and no way of knowing for what!”
Zakhar Pavlovich remained silent. The human word was for him the same as the whispers of a forest for its inhabitants, something which was no longer heard. The watchmen smoked and calmly looked into the distance. He did not believe in God after so many worship services, but he new for certain that nothing would come of Zakhar Pavlovich’s work. People has been living in the world for a long time and have already invented everything. However, Zakhar Pavlovich thought just the opposite: as long as any natural raw materiel goes untouched by human hands, people are far from having invented everything.
Every fifth year, half the village used to leave for the mines and the cities, and the other half went into the forest, because of crop failures. It had been known for ages that even in dry years grass, vegetables, and grain ripened well in the forest clearings, and the half of the village that stayed threw themselves on these clearings to save their greens from being snatched away by floods of greedy wanderers. This time, though, the drought repeated itself a second year too. The village locked its huts and went out on the high-road in two detachments, one to beg its way to Kiev, the other to Lugansk to work. Some few villagers returned to the forest and the overgrown gulches and went wild, eating raw grass, clay, and bark. Virtually all those left were adults; the children had either died off of their own accord earlier, or had run away to become beggars. Mothers who were nursing gradually tormented their infants to death by not allowing them to nurse their fill.
There was an old woman, Ignatevna, who cured children of hunger. She gave them a potion of mushrooms cut with sweetgrass, and the children died peacefully away, foam flecked on their lips. The mother would kiss the child on its prematurely aged, wrinkled forehead and say, “He’s through suffering now, praise God.”
Ignatevna stood there and said, “He passed on, the quiet little thing … he’s better off than the living, laying there like that. Now he’s listening to the silver winds in heaven.”
The mother admired her child, believing its sad lot to be cured. “Here, take my old skirt for yourself, Ignatevna. I’ve got nothing else to give … and thank you.”
Ignatevna spread the skirt out to the light and said: “Cry a bit, Mitrevna, you really should … this skirt though … it’s worn clear through. Throw in a scarf at least, or maybe give me your iron.”
Zakhar Pavlovich remained in the village alone. He liked deserted places. Nevertheless, though, he lived more in the forest with a hermit. The hermit had a dugout and they ate boiled grass, the benefits of which the hermit had learned earlier. In order to forget his hunger, Zakhar Pavlovich worked all the time. He taught himself how to make in wood everything he had ever made in metal.
The hermit, though, had done nothing his entire life, and now did even less. Until he turned fifty he did nothing but look around, to see how things were, waiting to see what could come of the general fuss in the end. Then he would be able to start action at once, as soon as the world had calmed down and been explained. He was not at all afflicted by the world, so he had not lifted his hand, not to a wife for marriage nor to any generally useful activity. He had been startled at birth, and lived so into old age, blue eyes on his youthful face. When Zakhar Pavlovich carved an oak frying pan the hermit was astounded, since nothing could be fried in it. Zakhar Pavlovich, though, poured water into the wooden frying pan and succeeded in bringing the water to boil over a slow fire without burning the pan.
The hermit was frozen with amazement. “A mighty business … I ask you, where do you go to figure that out?” And the surrounding universal mystery made the hermit’s hands fall away. Not once had anyone explained to the hermit the simplicity of events, or perhaps he was after all slow-witted. In fact, when Zakhar Pavlovich tried to tell him why the wind blows, instead of air sitting in one place, the hermit was even more amazed and understood nothing, even though he accurately felt the wind coming up.
“No really? Tell me, tell me … the sun’s overcooking, must be? A pretty business!”
Zakhar Pavlovich explained that overcooking was not ‘a pretty business,’ but simply heat.
“Heat?!” The hermit was astounded. “Says you, you warlock!” The recluse’s amazement only hopped from one thing to another, but nothing in his consciousness was transformed. Instead of a mind, he lived with a trusting feeling of universal respect.
During the summer Zakhar Pavlovich remade in wood all the things he knew. The warren and its manorial lands were established with the items of Zakhar Pavlovich’s technological art—a full assortment of agricultural tools, machines, instruments, and household devices, all completely of wood. It was strange that there was not a single item that repeated nature, such as horses, wheels, or the like.
In August, the recluse went into the shade, lay belly down, and said: “Zakhar Pavlovich, I’m dying. Yesterday I ate a lizard. I brought you two mushrooms, but fried the lizard for myself. Wave some burdocks over my outsides … I like the wind.”
Zakhar Pavlovich waved the burdocks, brought water, and helped the man drink. “You aren’t going to die after all—it only seems that way to you.”
“I’ll die, I swear to God I’ll die, Zakhar Pavlovich.” The recluse was afraid to tell a lie. “My innards won’t hold anything … an enormous worm is living in me, he’s drunk up all my blood …” He turned onto his back. “What do you think? Should I be afraid, or not?”
“Don’t be afraid,” answered Zakhar Pavlovich positively. “I’d die right now myself, but you know how it is, when you’re working on two projects …”
The recluse was glad for the sympathy, and towards evening died without fear. Zakhar Pavlovich was bathing in the spring, and when he returned found the hermit dead.
Zakhar Pavlovich woke up in the night and listened to the rain. It was the second rain since April. The recluse would surely be surprised, thought Zakhar Pavlovich. That person, however, was soaking by himself in the darkness of the streams pouring evenly from heaven.
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Post by Gothicgds on Jun 26, 2007 21:49:55 GMT -5
Interesting ... though it's of a genre that's designed to appeal to a very different demographic than me. That being the case, I didn't feel qualified to write a review. You have talent. Permit me to encourage you in your endeavours. That's a very diplomatic way of not saying you hated it. I'll definitely read your novel when I have time to give it the proper attention. It looks very cool.
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Post by Aedh on Jun 26, 2007 22:29:10 GMT -5
Interesting ... though it's of a genre that's designed to appeal to a very different demographic than me. That being the case, I didn't feel qualified to write a review. You have talent. Permit me to encourage you in your endeavours. That's a very diplomatic way of not saying you hated it. Good god ... *clutches head* No no no no ..... look. I'm a writer. I can recognise good writing when I see it. I don't care to read ... oh ... Westerns for example. Not a Western fan. And yet, my hat is off to those who DO read Westerns ... they're fine folks. Reading Westerns is good; it's just not my favourite, nor am I qualified to critique a Western ... I don't know a pinto pony from a palomino, nor an Angus cow from a Holstein, nor do I know if they have red dirt in New Mexico or not ... or at what time of year the tumbleweeds tumble ... all things that would have to be got right for habitual Western readers. And yet, I CAN recognise a Western that's well-written in terms of narrative technique and literary construction, because I know the basics of writing (of all genres, whether I happen to like them or no). And so it is in this instance. Your story is well-written technically. You have a gift for creating charas and writing good dialogue. But with this genre, as with the Westerns ... and romances, and certain other genres .... I don't have the abilility to criticise for content. That's all I meant. * pant ... pant ... pant .... crawls away*
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