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comment by kleinbl00
kleinbl00  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: August 31st: What are you reading this week?

Hell, since the book was written we've crossed 400ppm atmospheric carbon dioxide. I like it because it isn't about "ZOMG we must change things immediately or we are teh doomz" it's about "since we probably aren't going to fix this in time, here's what you can expect" without sugar-coating or doomsaying.

As for me, I'm still cranking through The Twelve Million Dollar Stuffed Shark and enjoying it dearly. I worry it's going to make me insufferable in discussions about art (crafty - you're still due). I also plowed through The Men Who Stare At Goats and found it every bit as enjoyable and disheartening as Ronson's books tend to be.

I tried to start Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian but I'm unconvinced.





Herunar  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I couldn't get through Blood Meridian in the end. I got about halfway and just put it done because frankly while it was a good read in a sense it wasn't very enjoyable.

kleinbl00  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I'm into Chapter 2 and my sense is "here is a bleak story about bleak people in a bleak place doing bleak things." As it's a Western I'm not terribly impressed.

b_b  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I invested probably about 200 pages into BM (pun intended) by the time I decided to cut my losses. I only got that far, because I was stuck in jury duty with lots of down time, and it's what I had picked up for the Hubski book club that month. Otherwise, I think I would have quit around page 50.

kleinbl00  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Good to know. I think I may cut bait on this one.

b_b  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I've never read any of his other stuff. I know that there are people whose opinions I respect who like him, and I know that there are film adaptations of a couple of his stories that I like. But so far, they only things I've gotten direct are this and The Counselor, which he wrote the original screenplay for, if I'm not mistaken. I'm pretty sure that movie would have been terrible even if Cameron Diaz were replaced by a competent actor. So that brings to 2 out of 2 things of his that I've consumed and hated. Think I'm done unless someone puts together a really compelling case for me to try again.

user-inactivated  ·  3397 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Blood Meridian doesn't change abandon ship

What'd did you think of the Movie Who Stare at Goats?

kleinbl00  ·  3397 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Haven't seen it, actually.

user-inactivated  ·  3397 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Well I haven't read the book. Bit of a role reversal.

Can't particularly recommend the movie. Meandered. Funny every once in a while.

kleinbl00  ·  3397 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I have no idea how you'd adapt it effectively. It has zero arc.

user-inactivated  ·  3397 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Yeah.

crafty  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I must say, I look forward to even the most insufferable discussion of art; it is one of the few topics I'm slightly knowledgeable of. There's only a very tiny handful of artists and art that I dislike, and I must admit, I'm not a Hirst-hater, although I recognize him for what he is.

kleinbl00  ·  3399 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I have had my understanding about Hirst completely revised by this book.