Thread: What book are you reading right now?

^V.good

Sharpes Rifles - Bernard Cornwell. One of a series of great novels about the adventures and heroics of a fictional British soldier in the early 1800s. Sharpe is a tad too much of the hero, but the historical accuracy combined with the superb descriptions of military engagements makes for a ripping yarn.

A great book for the beach....

....especially when you are sitting on a train going to work.

I'm currently reading an advanced copy (.pdf) of Michael Boatman's collection "God Laughs When You Die". He wrote a great story called "Bloodbath at Landsdale Towers" that I included in Badass Horror and he was a regular in the TV shows Spin City and Arli$$. Hopefully I'll be able to dig into this one after hospital.

Just picked up copies of "Sexus" by Henry Miller and "Factotum" by Charles Bukowski. henry miller is a favorite of mine I've read the "Sexus," "Nexus" & "plexus" trilogy before Looking forward to it all over agin.
Bukowski is someone I've read in short stories and some old reproduced magazine articles. Looking forward to this one too. These guys were writing cutting edge stuff long before the beats thought they'd be cool.

Now what to read first?

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Do you not like it?

I suppose it doesn't seem to have a coherent plot so far, just a series of events connected to the one family - a bit of a soap opera effect. I read through the first of the sub-stories (Pension Grillparzer) but skipped the second one as I couldn't see that it was adding anything that could not have been covered in a short paragraph.

Garp's several affairs with baby sitters seem to be glossed over and I can't see a woman of Helen's supposed character accepting those affairs quite so lightly.

Garp has a number of what I suppose would be called eccentricities but they seem like the sort of thing I might do if I were less lazy or perhaps less British, yet I don't see from the book what has made him the way he is and so I don't learn anything about myself.

Well I'm 75% through "Factotum" by Bukowski. Guess I could take a few lines from Dougal's views of "Garp"

Originally Posted by Dougal

I suppose it doesn't seem to have a coherent plot so far, just a series of events connected to the one family -

Substitute "family" with "man" and there you are. But who really gives a fuck? The book is a wonderful read through one underachievers life, a few months/years in the life of one dude that got it where he could and toughed it out when he couldn't.

No puzzles to solve, no ticking clock; just good writing, about seemingly mundane things. You find youself reading not because the plot's got you all wound up in a knot, but for the sheer pleasure of the read. Fuckin' guy can string words together, tell a simple story and make it some thing you want to know, something you enjoy listening to with your eyes & mind.

It's a simple book; no deep thoughts forced upon you, no pontification, no racing pulse or pounding heart. An underlying plot does develop; it really is of the reader's own making.

I imagine most folks reading the book will have different ideas on what it's all about. Not sure it's about anything, really.

It's more music for the mind than some convoluted plot designed to draw you in, excite you. This is what reading should be. Don't really care what happens, can put it down anytime; but I find myself reading for the sheer joy of the words.

I've read, and re-read, this authors short stories and articles; I'm sure I'll do the same with any of his books I can get my hands on.

Factotum is a keeper. one to read over and over again and ponder, just what makes it so fucking good?