-------------------------------------------------- I have no race prejudices, and I think I have no color prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. All that I care to know is that a man is a human being—that is enough for me; he can't be any worse.
Posts: 4605 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005
I wish I could, but for as much as I read, I honestly cannot remember a book I finished the same year it was released. I do want to check out the new Philip Roth though, so you never know...
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3139 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Memories Of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a fine book, as I have stated elsewhere, although maybe it's late 2005. Anyway, year of publication is of minor importance really. Isn't it?
Posts: 354 | Location: Havana, Cuba | Registered: 14 March 2006
The John Hodgman almanac spoof The Areas of my Expertise is a really entertaining read in doses. I'd recommend it for anyone who's a fan of his comedy on The Daily Show and on the recent PC vs. Mac commercials.
I'm going to go ahead and say The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Admittedly, I have not yet read this. It just came out Tuesday, and when I do read it, it will be the only book I've read this year that was released this year. But I am confident this book will not let me down. McCarthy is one of the greatest living American authors, and I think he will be able to add this to his list of triumphs. I am buying it Friday and will report back once finished.
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3139 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Originally posted by PRG: I'm going to go ahead and say The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Admittedly, I have not yet read this. It just came out Tuesday, and when I do read it, it will be the only book I've read this year that was released this year. But I am confident this book will not let me down. McCarthy is one of the greatest living American authors, and I think he will be able to add this to his list of triumphs. I am buying it Friday and will report back once finished.
Ok I read it, and I stand by my above assertion. The prose, much like the setting of the novel, is stark. The dialogue is terse and absolutely heartbreaking. The greastest feat McCarthy accomplishes is weaving a vein of hope in a world of utter despair. Highly recommended.
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3139 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Originally posted by PRG: I'm going to go ahead and say The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Admittedly, I have not yet read this. It just came out Tuesday, and when I do read it, it will be the only book I've read this year that was released this year. But I am confident this book will not let me down. McCarthy is one of the greatest living American authors, and I think he will be able to add this to his list of triumphs. I am buying it Friday and will report back once finished.
Ok I read it, and I stand by my above assertion. The prose, much like the setting of the novel, is stark. The dialogue is terse and absolutely heartbreaking. The greastest feat McCarthy accomplishes is weaving a vein of hope in a world of utter despair. Highly recommended.
Yeah, I'm definitely checking that one out. It got an amazing review in this month's Paste Magazine, and it's been too long since I read a novel.
Posts: 838 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: 22 October 2005
Best books of the past 2 years 1. Murakami: Kafka on the Shore 2. Kunkel: Indecision, A Novel 3. Iweala: Beasts of No Nation 4. Gaitskill: Veronica 5. Eisenburgh: Twilight of the Superheroes
Posts: 71 | Location: Dalian, China | Registered: 21 July 2004
The recently acquired Catching Big Fish, penned by David Lynch, is a warping vortex that enters the mind of Lynch, and never exits.
Thomas Pynchon's repudiation of America's literary standard is a 1,000+-page novel that convolutes the mind. Extremely difficult to access, it is a story of days, lives, and people; that interconnect with each other through various stages of their lives. Aside from his epic, Gravity's Rainbow, this is the most non-standard literary practice that he published.
After his poetic, visionary piece, No Country For Old Men, Cormac McCarthy releases his new collection of poetry. This poetry, The Road, is through the eyes of a father and son, both who attempt to connect with each other through God, and soul.
Terrorist by John Updike (the grand-daddy of American humor) is a nice effort. He usually sticks with writing humoristic fiction, and he always plunges into the mind of the human (with Couples and Brazil.) This effort is different. He does focus literally on the mind of the protagonist--the terrorist--whose mind works in the stream-of-consciousness. But he never really tackles the crisis that the protagonist is facing. It is however, one of the finest written pieces that were released this year.
The other "best" book of the year is Failed States by Noam Chomsky. As usual he focuses on imperialism--his main concern with America. It is intriguing. A bonus is, Chomsky still has his jaunty prose.
Murakami is great. I love Kafka on the Shore. I just started reading Female Chauvinist Pigs and so far it is very interesting. I have to say the book that has been a disapointment to me so far this year was the Discomfort Zone. I loved The Corrections but I just can't seem to get into Franzen's new book.
Posts: 4 | Location: Atlanta | Registered: 19 December 2006
Originally posted by in limbo: The Road wins for me, but Cormac McCarthy is probably my favorite living writer, so he might have had a slight advantage going in :-)
Not argument from me. Of course, The Road is the only book written in 2006 that I read last year, but along with you, McCarthy is arguably my favorite living writer.
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3139 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
