Good reads

[Tusk!]

xmattx wrote:

i really dislike dharma bums. not only is kerouac sexist as shit, the book was kind of boring. the whole 'dharma bums' concept is kinda lame.

xmattx, i can understand how you dislike the dharma bums but please take in consideration this book was published in '58 & written in kerouacs' own style of "stream of consciousness" creating an unique description of the time in which this young man lived. throughout his work, kerouac never attempts to obscure his own sexism & alcohol abuse through his fictitious alter-ego, ray smith, leaving his books with an essence of truth. the dharma bums is accredited with launching the "rucksack revolution" inspiring thousands to look for something more in life than just the nine to five.

anyways, one flew over the cuckoo's nest by ken kesey is an amazing novel. "Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is based largely on his experiences with mental patients. Through the conflict between Nurse Ratched and Randle Patrick McMurphy, the novel explores the themes of individuality and rebellion against conformity, ideas that were widely discussed at a time when the United States was committed to opposing communism and totalitarian regimes around the world. However, Kesey’s approach, directing criticism at American institutions themselves..."

 

[Bendixontherails]

true.
over the cuckoo's nest rocks.

and absolutely check out the "Ender's Game" series by Orson Scott Card.
Amazing. will change how you look at some things, especially you're preconcieved notions of others.


and... while it can be hard to find as a whole anymore, because of the topic of one of the stories, (school shooting)...
I HIGHLY reccomend a book of 4 short stories called " The Bachman Books" they were actually written by Steven King, under his Richard Bachman pseudonym. this book was formative for me in my school years. the stories in the book were, "Rage", "Road Work", "The Long Walk", and "The Running Man".

I copied the book Rage, (a student takes over his algebra class and changes all the kids to his side for life) and put a copy in the mailbox of every teacher in my highschool. B)

Post edited by: Bendixontherails, at: 2007/04/14 14:40

 

[Bendixontherails]

okay... I never looked for it online till now... just in bookstores.

I red this through three bindings of ducttape after the original went.

http://tinyurl.com/2tzm5w

and if anyone could tell me how to do that cool tinyurl thing that some of yall do so it dosen't look so damn big, that'd be cool.

answer from matt pist: just go to tinyurl.com, and follow the instuctions there!

Post edited by: MattPist, at: 2007/04/16 04:43

 

[repulsive_culture]

otgetdw wrote:

5ifth wrote:

when did he die? and where did he write that "the only proof he needed..."?

That is in his newest, and now his last book, a man without a country

he died last wednesday

Post edited by: repulsive_culture, at: 2007/04/15 04:09

 

[repulsive_culture]

haha i really fucked up that quote thing

 

[snor]

"still life with woodpecker" is a pretty good one...forget the author Tom...something?

 

[Code Name Mary]

Tom Robbins

 

[blackmatter]

I really like james baldwin, im reading giovannis room right now which is about his relationship with this dude in paris back in the 50s baldwin fled with alot of others during the 50's to paris to escape the extreme racism and violence going on, then he came back to harlem to right about it so yeah real good shit im also into alot of radical feminist writing i.e. Susan brownmillers' "Against our will: men womyn and rape"
Andrea dworkin, john stoltenberg, germaine greer. and ted conovers the shit hes this journalist whos written abook about being a prison guard at sing sing prison and hopping trains as well as being a taxi driver in aspen and crossing the border with migrant worker illegally sweet shit peace

 

[smegmabreath]

mike wrote:

A friend of mine got this book a while back called the alphabet of manliness, its pretty rediculous but I thought it was funny.

hilarious, a friend gave a copy for my birthday

 

[rocksy]

what about non fiction sort of anarchy books? i just finished "Tearing Down The Streets: Adventures in Urban Anarchy" by Jeff Ferrell. It told some of the history of anarchy, and wove it in with his own experiences with busking and rides with Critical Mass.

 

[TBone]

Last book I read that I just could not put down was Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson. I cashed my chips in and took a Greyhound last summer I read that book in about a day and a half. A Greyhound will make the worst book seem interesting though haha although this is a really great read.

 

[Kagu]

For basically a better and more interesting version of Kerouac check out Ginsberg's "Junky" or Burrough's "Naked Lunch". Its along the same lines of what most of Jack's books were but I think they were a little bit better. Louis Ferdinand Celine wrote some amazing books like Journey To The End Of The Night and Death On The Installment Plan that basically started the whole beat generation that Kerouac and Ginsberg were doing...Only Celine was by far the most bitter and humourus about it which in my mind made it better. And A+ on the Thompson book TBone. That was a good read.

 

[Kagu]

Thought I might add a disclaimer and one more good book as well. There is a current author Dan Chaon who wrote an amazing book called Among The Missing that is really good as well. And with Celine, later on in his years he did write a couple manifestos that were anti-semetic that caused him to get exiled from france. Its definitly odd that a man so good at writing could embrace such a b.s. idea. If you read Journey..... or Death.... however there is no mention of his bigotry and are still incredible books despite Celine's political leanings and what not that came later in his life.

 

[Kagu]

haha, sorry, one more post. Burroughs wrote Junky, I was thinking of Howl by Ginsberg that was really good.

 

[xBarbie In Bondagex]

Ive been reading omnivores dilema, its fucking amazing, gives you another perspective on food, which is great! Also i really recoment the alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, sorry if i spelled that wrong

 

[Clay]

i've said it before on a differnt forum, but i highly recommend days and nights in love and war by eduardo galeano. totally badass south american writer from uraguay--pretty certain this predates the crimethinc book with the suspiciously similar name. it's written in short (1-5 paragraphs generally) vaguely connected pieces that come together to form this really radical (politically) mosaic. Tons of ideas about revolution, oppression, history, love, sex, ect... all written using tiny flashes from different peoples experiences. very subtle but effective.

The guy has written tons of books though, the 4 or so that i've read have all been awesome.

 

[Clay]

double post

Post edited by: Clay, at: 2007/06/13 18:53

 

[Clay]

just adding, he is kind of like a south american howard zinn but, his writing is extremely poetic rather than academic. ok, thats all.

 

[Clit Comander]

THE NAKED LUNCH is amazing.

HUNTER S. THOMPSON
EVERY MATHA FUCKING BOOK IS FANTASIC... FUCKING FATASIC.

after getting that out of the way.
I have never read one flew over the coo coo nest. but i saw the movie and that was one of the better films i've seen in my day. Books are ussualy better, so im sure its a mighty fine read

Post edited by: Clit Comander, at: 2007/06/13 19:09

 

[A better World]

smack! is a good book its pretty short but its a fun read its about 2 teenage runaways that get into squatting, punkrock, and then eventually into terrible heroin addiction

another fun book is Never mind the pollacks by neil pollack its a fictional journey through rock and punk history from the point of view of a drugged up homeless underground traveling rock critic

also the outsiders is a very good book if you read alot youve probably already read it