LitTalk: Last 35 Posts

meesh on "girls night out group"

meesh — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:57:28 +0000

We just read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and are now reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran." We are going to Nafisi's CMU lecture next week.

Finemingler on "Mysterious Teaser Post"

Finemingler — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 06:05:37 +0000

Yeah that's kinda funny, because although I was appalled and aghast at the reported changes to the plot of the aforementioned film, I thought that the casting of that particular character was inspired, all things considered.

PandorasBox on "Da Vince Code big lemon"

PandorasBox — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 18:49:47 +0000

I loved the book. Just couldn't put it down. There was great food for thought. Now the movie...not so much. Pretty bad, in fact. I am so over Tom Hanks. His being cast in th lead role just did NOT work for me. Now, Daniel Craig...hmmmm!

Swerv on "Devil in the White City - Erik Larson"

Swerv — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:30:25 +0000

Our book club read this book a year ago and really enjoyed it. in parts we felt the author was a little too technical, although it was interesting.

KareAnderson on "To End All Wars"

KareAnderson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:27:58 +0000

The movie was shown in the Mill Valley Film Festival 5 years ago. As the audience of strangers walked out into the sidewalk that fall night, we gathered and talked about the movie for a good 30 minutes. I still remember fur scenes from that movie - and went back to re-read the book

KareAnderson on "Mind Wide Open"

KareAnderson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:25:30 +0000

I'm gazing into a pair ofeyes, sanning the arch of the brow, the hooded lids, trying to gauge whether they're signalling defiance, or panic.

... from Dan Pink, ever the engrossing trailblazer

KareAnderson on "opening line: Is it still possible ...."

KareAnderson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:22:11 +0000

Is it still possible to learn something about falling in love?
- Discover Your Inner Economist

KareAnderson on "books I am reading from murder mystery to the economy"

KareAnderson — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:19:04 +0000

Elizabeth George's newest book just came out and it is one of her best... am 20 pages in: What Came Bfore He Shot Her

Also loved Fareed Zakaria's The Future of Freedom (half way through)He is so articulate and balanced on George Stephanopolus's (spelled?) Sunday morning political round-up

Enjoyed my young friend Ben Casnocha's My Start-Up Life - every college student and entrepreneur should read it and reflect on how one an be an intellectual an entrepreneur... guess someone of any age will be a little in awe of what Ben's done - before starting college this Fall.

Tyler Cowen's brilliant Discover Your Inner Economist. If you liked Freakonomics I bet you'll also like this fascinating book, check full of everyday examples of the quirks of our thinking and choices.

janlewz on "Aliquippa Book Club"

janlewz — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:36:08 +0000

We're reading Chris Bohjalian's Midwives for our September meeting. It's a great read!!

janlewz on "Devil in the White City - Erik Larson"

janlewz — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 23:35:29 +0000

I have a coin from the 1892 Chicago World's Fair with Columbus on it as it was the 400th b-day of his expedition. Cool!

busreader on "Devil in the White City - Erik Larson"

busreader — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:09:19 +0000

This is the most fascinating book I've read in a very long time. It made me want to go out and look up every piece of information that I could on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the architects that designed it and H.H. Holmes, the serial killer who made it even more famous.

babyjane on "My favorite"

babyjane — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:10:03 +0000

"It was at a love-spinning that I saw Kester first." It's and oldie, but still a wonderful book about country life, and an opening line I'll never forget. Write if you want the title.

mizzfrizz on "A clunker-worst opening line and worst book"

mizzfrizz — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:28:51 +0000

DaVinci Code (cool subject, bad writing): and here's the AWFUL first line: Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery. OHMYGAWD. How did he get away with that? And make a fortune to boot?

mizzfrizz on "Anybody guess this one?"

mizzfrizz — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:20:23 +0000

Yeah, uhhh... wait a minute.... it's Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca.

Reader on "Anybody guess this one?"

Reader — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:06:01 +0000

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again.

litbabe on "How about Pride and Prejudice?"

litbabe — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:03:31 +0000

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. That is soooo funny!

greatmom on "Moby Dick's got the best opener."

greatmom — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 14:54:29 +0000

Call me Ishmael--doesn't get better than that.

gmiask on "Anything by Michael Crichton"

gmiask — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:42:24 +0000

I dated Michael Crichton's niece.

gmiask on "Peter Esterhazy"

gmiask — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 15:00:55 +0000

It's a novel, although I think that term would only loosely apply to the book.

babyjane on "Can't get through Moby Dick"

babyjane — Wed, 30 May 2007 18:28:43 +0000

Probably. But have to tell you I haven't read it either...but of course it is the great AMERICAN novel...and I am European sort of...so it will be less important for me to get through it. However, it's summer, perhaps I will try and then you truly will have to stop teaching.

litbabe on "Pride and Prejudice is the best"

litbabe — Mon, 28 May 2007 11:23:10 +0000

If you DON'T love this book--you need counseling! I love P&P too. I never thought about the cinderella theme before. How is Elizabeth cinderella? It's not like she was ugly or poor or made to carry water for her sisters.

mizzfrizz on "Pride and Prejudice is the best"

mizzfrizz — Sun, 27 May 2007 20:36:13 +0000

I love this book! The cindarella aspect gets me every time. You know, we're all Cinderellas deep down--an inner worth far lovelier than our outer selves. Ah....sigh. Elizabeth is an amazing heroine, so self-confident. It's a wonder she was created when she was. How many times can you re-read the book without seeking counseling?

greatmom on "Loved Marley and Me"

greatmom — Sun, 27 May 2007 20:23:27 +0000

Wept like crazy at the end. The dog becomes so enobled. I didn't like him at first, couldn't figure out why the couple put up with him. But eventually you come to adore the creature. I loved the part toward the end when the dog waits all night for Grogan to come home. He finally ends up (the dog, that is) sleeping by the side of the bed in his usual spot because the pillows are bunched up as if it were Grogan himself. Touching.

Reader on "Can't get through Moby Dick"

Reader — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:47:27 +0000

What if I don't need to be a better person?

RedHairedKidsRock on "Can't get through Moby Dick"

RedHairedKidsRock — Fri, 18 May 2007 15:46:07 +0000

Suck it up! You can do this. It'll make you a better person!

Reader on "Can't get through Moby Dick"

Reader — Thu, 17 May 2007 22:38:48 +0000

I teach English. I love to read. I love to read big, complicated stuff. I love to read Moby Dick. But I've never gotten to the end of it, and I've tried 3 times. Do I have to turn in my teacher's badge?

radioscooter on "Mysterious Teaser Post"

radioscooter — Thu, 17 May 2007 20:13:37 +0000

Actually Tommy Lee Jones has denied that he was ever roomates with Gore, and that really his only roomates were John Lithgow and a cheetah cub. However, he said that the perpetually half-lidded Gore was constantly stopping over to "borrow" snacks, sodas, and visine.

mizzfrizz on "Mysterious Teaser Post"

mizzfrizz — Thu, 17 May 2007 02:42:13 +0000

I wish you would tell...

Remember Al Gore, the former "Next President of the United States"? Poor guy claimed the Ryan O'Neal character in "Love Story" was based on him, but author Segal denied it. Oh well, the fact that Gore was friends/roommates with Tommy Lee Jones more than makes up for the gaff.

radioscooter on "Mysterious Teaser Post"

radioscooter — Wed, 16 May 2007 19:06:42 +0000

Okay, this is slightly off topic but sorta kinda related.

A character in a novel is actually partially based on me. I was friends with the author back in the day. I used to only drop this tidbit when it would help er...close a deal that might have been going south.(decide for yourself what that's a euphamism for)

It never actually helped land me any tail at all, but it did serve as a nice conversation piece with whomever I was chatting up. (or rather "killing time till they went home with one of my friends")

Long story made painfully longer: I stopped telling the story about a year ago when the book was butchered into a horrible screenplay, characters and parts were completely made unrecognizable and my character was cast for an actor that I don't particularly like.

I mean it's one thing to be able to say "Hey, you know that book - ___________________? Well the ___________ character is me!" but it's another thing to try to fight down the expectations associated with a specific well-known actor playing the part of you.

(oh and - no, I'm not telling)

Reader on "Peter Esterhazy"

Reader — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:51:22 +0000

Is A Little Hungarian Porn fiction or non-fiction?

gmiask on "Peter Esterhazy"

gmiask — Tue, 15 May 2007 18:27:46 +0000

Yes, but much much better. Esterhazy's writing is far more powerful, stylized and nuanced than Kundera, who uses a more direct style that he borrows from other Czech writers and Gombrowicz (Poland's Kafka-esque novelist from the 20th century).

greatmom on "Peter Esterhazy"

greatmom — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:29:53 +0000

Is this anything like Kundera's Unbearable Lightness of Being?

mizzfrizz on "I just loved Fight Club"

mizzfrizz — Sat, 12 May 2007 13:35:08 +0000

Good one-radioscooter. I am Joe's amygdala. Heh, heh. I didn't even know what an amygdala was till Fight Club. Had to go to med school to find out.

greatmom on "Da Vince Code big lemon"

greatmom — Fri, 11 May 2007 22:56:16 +0000

i liked da vinci code too. i think the whole idea of an underground religion that existed side by side Christianity for 100s of years is fascinating. something we never learned about in history class or in sunday school.

and what if dan brown is right? what if Jesus really married mary magdalene? and what if they really had a child. in the culture of that time, jesus would have been married. it would have been strange if he had been unmarried. the book gave me a lot to think about.

radioscooter on "I just loved Fight Club"

radioscooter — Fri, 11 May 2007 19:17:16 +0000

"I am Jack's complete disdain for this screenplay."

I really didn't like the movie at all. I agree the book was way better.