@Max_Fisher Of his work I’ve only read Artist of a Floating World and thoroughly enjoyed it (I know, I’ll get to the others… at some point), but this trailer, without knowing about the story at all has successfully destroyed any will I had to read it. Horribly done.
@synekura_audio Never understood why so many feel that Updike was, as Nabokov called so many here, “second rate”. I find Rabbit to be among the most seminal characters in post-war American Literature, and his short stories too are very well-crafted. But I do like the “penis w/ a thesaurus” line!
@W_Shadbolt There are times where Morning Star approaches the genius of My Struggle (doesn’t quite get there) in a way that, for example Wolves of Eternity never does. A Time For Everything is unique in that it shows some of the seeds of his future, early on. Just re-read My Struggle. Easy.
@Logo_Daedalus We do not. The best literature does not allow itself to be dumbed down for the masses in cinematic form. The further reduced and diluted such a work becomes, the more disrespectful it is to it’s author. Precisely why Little Women film was bad…because it shouldn’t have been made.
@sivori I work with a guy who, when traveling for work (we do it somewhat often, maybe 7 - 10x a year) tells people we meet that he is a location scout in Hollywood. Guess what… he’s not. But it leads to interesting conversations and opens doors (harmlessly) that were unavailable b4.
@benaveryisgood@Logo_Daedalus The Piazza is one of the best short stories of all time. Not just of Melville’s, but ever, and always gets overlooked… partly because Billy Budd, Bartleby, and others are so top notch (not to speak of his longer novels). Very very very deserving of more appreciation.
@daniel_dsj2110 Book about childhood, growing up, addiction, family, love, the mystery and beauty of the ordinary, widely heralded by folks of any and every background. And she treats it as the scribbles of “an extremely average straight white” man. Reeks of jealousy and resentment. Despicable.
@Perez_Writes His first work was wonderful, but it seemed to me that later on he wanted to become more of a “left-leaning-warrior-writer”, a sort of icon for the “everything is politics” crowd of modern readers. The ones who read Paris Review and, well, McSweeey’s.
@StephenPiment Part of the genius of some writers is they are so far ahead of their time. Coupland especially had a clearer vision of the (at the time) future. Generation X was in 1991! He was 30-40 years ahead of everyone else. He saw THIS already percolating… all the way back then.
@ponyfaceddog Football (sp) is a frequent theme in Knausagaard’s work; watching, playing, enjoying it. He even published a book of letters between him and a friend discussing the sport.
@robbermaniac Been a long while since I last saw Prestige, but generally agree that his other stuff is not impressive as art. It relies on tricks, tropes, and cinematic “wow” to glaze over poor plot / character construction, dialogue, and sheer bullshit.
@michelletandler@cremieuxrecueil Anyone who consistently rides the subway to and from work every day, or every other day, etc., knows this is objectively the case. Only the ones who don’t (I.e. don’t or never lived in NYC, or don’t use it everyday) are the “it’s not THAT bad” crowd. It’s that bad.
“Through long association with the persons in these pictures I have learned to know and love them. It is, therefore, with a feeling of regret that I now part with them and send them out into the world. Take them in and be good to them. They need it.” O.E. Rølvaag (1921)