I could write a great novel if my neighborhood weren't so upscale (book thread)

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

Just read Trout Fishing in America.








I didn't get it.

[alex]

What do we think of Pierre Bourdieu?

We like Pierre Bourdieu! But have no time to post about him in detail right now, alas.

I thought I'd discussed Bourdieu with someone on here before and could link you to that discussion, but the only instance I can find now is this, which doesn't go into as much detail as I thought: http://www.lastplanetojakarta.com/forums/index.php/topic,9026.msg396750.html#msg396750

[jebreject]

Just read Trout Fishing in America.








I didn't get it.

I don't know that there's really anything to "get."

I liked Trout Fishing in America a lot, but In Watermelon Sugar is my all time favorite Brautigan.

[ellaguru]

I had a big Brautigan phase in highschool, and I ended up with first editions of several of his novels, which are pretty sweet to have on my shelf.

Also, my grade 12 province-wide final exam featured not only a Leonard Cohen poem to analyse, but also the "Kool-Aid Wino" chapter of Trout Fishing in America to do some prose analysis on. I guess I would have been among the very select kids in B.C. to think this was the coolest exam ever.

[Maaik]

Oh wow, I was thinking about my Brautigan phase yesterday.  My dad gave me his copies of his books, so I read Trout Fishing in America, In Watermelon Sugar (I'm with Jeb on that being my favorite), and The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, which is one of his books of poetry--all in high school.  I performed the "Kool-Aid Wino" story for literary competition as a monologue.

The Abortion is also really good.  I loved the hell out of his stuff and the fact that it was passed from my dad made it all the more special.  I didn't know anyone else who read his stuff or knew of him.  It was all mine.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

When I wrote poetry and lived in poetry communities, I'd spend a lot of internet energy hating on Brautigan. His sensibilities seemed entirely opposed to mine, at least with poetry.

I wonder what I'd think of him now.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

Meanwhile I'm reading DeLillo for the first time (White Noise) and I keep having to stop to breathe heavily or laugh. So many great sentences. This is when readernaut fails me, when a book requires me to type up the whole of it.

He also executed 25 years ago what I've long been aiming for in my own writing, which is alternately depressing and encouraging.

[Maaik]

Dude's prose always worked better for me.  He basically wrote poetry at first to kind of warm up stylistically for prose.  I can see why serious poets would hate on Brautigan, he was on the outskirts of the beats, his lack of discipline is readily apparent.

I found it charming.

[davy]

Was extremely pleased to begin my full-scale Vonnegut revisitation by purchasing these two gorgeous books yesterday (Borders had a coupon):

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

I am such a fan of the Vonnegut redesigns. Galapagos is probably my favorite.

[davy]

Yeah, it might be the best. Mother Night is great, too.

[G.C.R]

Oh wow, I was thinking about my Brautigan phase yesterday.  My dad gave me his copies of his books, so I read Trout Fishing in America, In Watermelon Sugar (I'm with Jeb on that being my favorite), and The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, which is one of his books of poetry--all in high school.  I performed the "Kool-Aid Wino" story for literary competition as a monologue.

The Abortion is also really good.  I loved the hell out of his stuff and the fact that it was passed from my dad made it all the more special.  I didn't know anyone else who read his stuff or knew of him.  It was all mine.

The Abortion is the only one of his I've read. It was a long time ago, but I remember quite liking it, which baffled my boyfriend, who seemed to think it was IMPOSSIBLE that I could identify as a feminist and yet still find ANYTHING to like aout Brautigan. When I first told him I was a feminist he said "but... well, just so you know, I am a big Bukowski fan," as though this sealed forever that we were in the long run, mutually incompatible as a couple. I mean, we were, but not because he liked Bukowski and Brautigan.

[Good Intentions]

This is one of my favourite novels written by anyone ever. I'm sure I've mentioned that before, but I can't help but sing my love for that book from the rooftops.

[davy]

I'm excited to revisit it! Something didn't click the first time around. I was like 15, new to Vonnegut, new to science fiction, new to pretty much everything. I rushed through it and missed the point entirely. I'm really excited to take another crack at it.

[elpollodiablo]

Also just started

which, quality aside, has my favorite jacket of the moment.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

Both of those jackets are incredible and contain things I want to read.

[Black Amnesia of Heaven]

I'm excited to revisit it! Something didn't click the first time around. I was like 15, new to Vonnegut, new to science fiction, new to pretty much everything. I rushed through it and missed the point entirely. I'm really excited to take another crack at it.

I revisited Slaughterhouse-Five earlier this year and reached the first reiteration of "mustard gas and roses" and I thought, "Man, fuck anybody who has ever told me that Vonnegut sucks. They fucking suck."

This is the usual content of my thoughts, really, if you replace Vonnegut with, like, Blind Guardian, or Gilmore Girls, or certain strains of alcohol.

[cold before sunrise]

All I want for my birthday is a book list. My brother says if I want to be a writer that I've got to start reading more than NYLON so if anybody has a half a heart and wants to make it up to me for not wishing me a good one yesterday, send me your must-reads.

[Bernard]

Oh, that Fanon book is a fucking corker, you're going to love it.

Edit: I should say a little more than that. You know how a lot of theory can be? ie great, interesting ideas, written in the most lethally fucking boring language? Fanon's not like that. All the great brains, but an easy read, not tedious at all.

[elpollodiablo]

Yeah, it's super excellent for sure. I'd already read ch. 4, on the Mannoni book, for an undergrad course. But I love the prose in the earlier chapters; it very much approaches the level of prose poem, at points. It's certainly more formally radical than The Wretched of the Earth.

[davy]

I'm excited to revisit it! Something didn't click the first time around. I was like 15, new to Vonnegut, new to science fiction, new to pretty much everything. I rushed through it and missed the point entirely. I'm really excited to take another crack at it.

I revisited Slaughterhouse-Five earlier this year and reached the first reiteration of "mustard gas and roses" and I thought, "Man, fuck anybody who has ever told me that Vonnegut sucks. They fucking suck."

Get a load of this bit I just came across:

She was driving fast through the stunted, mean, and filthy business district of Ilium. Streetlights were faint and far apart. Tracks of a long-abandoned streetcar system caught at the wheels of the old station wagon again and again.

Dude could write. I'm having a fucking blast reading Look at the Birdie. These stories are fantastic, almost as good as the ones in Welcome to the Monkeyhouse, which is one of my favorite books EVER.

[ellaguru]

I'm a Breakfast of Champions man, if I must pick.

[davy]

Bluebeard was my favorite the first time through--and the one I've remembered as my favorite all these years.

Can Bluebeard defend its title a second time around? Stay tuned!

(I hope it gets the redesign treatment soon.)

[jm]

I'm a Breakfast of Champions man, if I must pick.

Word.  That was the first one I ever read, and to date my favorite.

[davy]

I've also got maaaaaad love for Mother Night. I think, story-wise, that's probably his strongest book.