Mal: Ready? Zoe: Always.

'Serenity'


Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.

There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."


beth b - Jun 25, 2007 2:59:02 pm PDT #3037 of 28195
oh joy! Oh Rapture ! I have a brain!

kiki strike was good fun


justkim - Jun 25, 2007 3:04:20 pm PDT #3038 of 28195
Another social casualty...

I finished the Chabon about a week ago. I got it from the library, and I'm conisdering buying it so I can have it with me all the time. I really enjoyed it, but I didn't quite have the time or paitence to appreciate the way I think it should probably be appreciated.

It seemed that the first two-thirds of the book were focused on character development and the outline of a plot. The plot rushed forward rather quickly during the last third. I'm not that familiar with the noir genre or detective stories in general, so maybe that was intentional. I can't tell you if it's true to the genre, but it felt like exactly what I would expect noir to be.

Chabon's writing is just gorgeous. Metaphors and similes were just pouring out at every turn, and I could feel the air and see the quality of the light. It was so dense and rich and flavorful. And then I wanted him to stop with the prose and get on with the story.

Yiddish words and phrases are used heavily, and the meaning is pretty clear by context. The use of Yiddish gave me a strange double vision feel of watching this segregated culture from the outside, but, by being outsider, I understood their feelings of isolation and exclusion from the world.

I loved Landsman, in that way that made me want to kick him a few times, strictly for his own good.

Overall, I don't think I would recommend it for people who need a lot of action in their plots, but I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who wants to get to know characters, warts and all.


Gris - Jun 25, 2007 4:59:18 pm PDT #3039 of 28195
Hey. New board.

The new Chabon book The Yiddish Policeman's Union.

I liked it a lot. It felt like a real alternate universe, and a pretty interesting one. There were definitely times when I was thinking "There's no way this is based in reality... is it?" I do agree that there's a lot of writing around the plot, but part of that, I feel, is necessary to make the world come across.

Basically, I'd put it slightly below Kavalier and Clay because, well, it's not about comic book people and NY, and it's a mystery (not my favorite genre). But I read it due to faith in Chabon, and I was not disappointed. By contrast, I am not currently loving Mysteries of Pittsburgh which is disappointing - Chabon novel with back-cover comparisons to Catcher in the Rye and On The Road felt like it had promise. But... eh. I don't know if I'll get around to finishing it.


DavidS - Jun 25, 2007 5:27:22 pm PDT #3040 of 28195
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

Have you read Wonder Boys, Gris?

I think you'd like that a lot. It's much better than Mysteries of Pittsburgh.


Polter-Cow - Jun 25, 2007 7:24:32 pm PDT #3041 of 28195
What else besides ramen can you scoop? YOU CAN SCOOP THIS WORLD FROM DARKNESS!

There were definitely times when I was thinking "There's no way this is based in reality... is it?"

It is, apparently. At least the basic idea.


erikaj - Jun 25, 2007 7:55:08 pm PDT #3042 of 28195
Always Anti-fascist!

Wonder Boys was so fricking hilarious. At least if you've taken creative writing.


Scrappy - Jun 26, 2007 7:39:34 am PDT #3043 of 28195
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

My mom, former bookstore owner who reads everything, highly recommended the Chabon book. I am looking very much forward to it.


Gris - Jun 26, 2007 11:45:18 am PDT #3044 of 28195
Hey. New board.

Have you read Wonder Boys, Gris?

Nope, but I'm sure I will. So far Chabon has two "fantastic!" and one "eh" in my list. Certainly cause to read that and Summerland, at least.


Aims - Jun 26, 2007 4:10:50 pm PDT #3045 of 28195
Shit's all sorts of different now.

I just finished reading Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood.

*sniff*

I would like to take this opportunity to both thank and curse meara for introducing me to Carmen, Lena, Bee, and Tibby.

Thank you, Goddamn you.


meara - Jun 26, 2007 7:03:24 pm PDT #3046 of 28195

I did? Huh! I had no idea.

Though I was pimping several books to Kristin in the bookstore earlier...and made Cass buy a bunch at Powell's..;)