December 2010
32 posts
Misery By Steven King
I also watched this, before I read it.
Crazy woman. Obssessed with an author. Breaks his ankles with a sledgehammer. I’m sure we all feel like this when our favorite author kills off a beloved character, right? I always had a soft spot for the way she got just the story she wanted.
I received the book as a Christmas gift, so I’ll begin repenting for my sins as soon as possible.
...
I Watched It Before I Read It
The Talented Mr. Ripley [Patricia Highsmith]
There’s a place reserved in ‘Literature Hell’ just for me.
Gwen, Jude, Matt
I’m planning to read it before I die; hopefully that’ll save my soul.
The Golden Notebook (1962)
This is on my list. The Golden Notebook, by Doris Lessing, is a story about a woman recording her life in four different notebooks. Black for writing, Red for politics, Yellow for experiences, and Blue as a diary. The structure is fragmented, and the descriptions of post-World War Two London are raw. She reflects on her involvement with the Communist Party, Motherhood, Men, and her relationship...
Merry, Merry
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens $37,500
Via Abebooks.com
Secret Library, A Secret Room
Books for people who love cramped spaces.
periodscommas-deactivated201005 asked: lolita - vladimir nabokov
"well did i know, alas, that i could obtain at the snap of my fingers any adult female i chose,"
alas.
"well did i know, alas, that i could obtain at the snap of my fingers any adult female i chose,"
alas.
fromthelibrary asked: Store: The Bookshelf Thomasville GA
Aha moment with a classic: Catch-22 when Milo contracts with both sides in the Battle of Orvieto.
Aha moment with a classic: Catch-22 when Milo contracts with both sides in the Battle of Orvieto.
Cult Books
What the hell is a cult book?
Here’s the simple definition: A book with a vehement following from a specific (often small in relation to commercially ubiquitous books like Twilight or even Harry Potter, beloved by all) portion of the population. They books are adored for the folklore surrounding them, not just the book itself.
Examples: The Metamorphosis [Franz Kafka]
On the Road [Jack...
Recommend us?
It’s the only way for us to take over the planet.
National Library of Greece in Athens
Books for philosopher-kings.
notdulcinea asked: I remember reading that short story back in high school. I remember that we debated how sane he was. Was he really just daydreaming or was he having some sort of "episode." I vote he's just daydreaming.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939) James...
I read this short story a while back, and it’s one of my favorites by humorist James Thurber. Really, it’s one of my all-time favorite short stories.
A guy hates his life. He hates his job and hates his fat, overbearing wife. While most of us would can our wife, and quit our job (right?!), Walter Mitty sees another option. He retreats into the recesses of his imagination, and has a...
Library, Beauty & The Beast
Books for your imagination.
Abandoned Library, Detroit, Michigan
I know, I know. I can’t help it.
March & Meffre
Damn, That Was Good
Don’t you just hate when a book is so good, all you can do when you get to the end is sit there stupefied and think, “Damn, that was good.” I had that moment today with K.V.’s Slaughterhouse Five.
Anyone else have a ‘damn, that was good’ moment with a classic? Drop them here.
Abandoned Library, Russia
Weep for them, too.
Via English Russia
Recommend Us?
Thanks
karachiwalay asked: at the cost of probably making myself sound stupid: what's the brave new world reference you just made? i don't see the 'irony'?
College and Classic Works
I thought a bit about this post. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, so I’m going to preface it with some of my blabbering. I love college. College is an excuse to grow intellectually and socially. It’s next to necessary in this century, not because of what it teaches you, but because of what it supposedly entitles you to.
I went there, and learned a lot. Most...
Never Judge Exhibit @ Stolen Space Gallery
I’ve seen bits and pieces of this exhibit for a few weeks now, but hadn’t got a chance to obtain decent pictures to it justice.
Penguin Books asked several ‘street artists’, those who don’t have work the typically appear in high art galleries, to design cover art for classic works published by Penguin. There were no rules.
As an aside, I don’t subscribe to...
Abandoned Library, Naples, Italy
Weep for them.
Barry Crawston.
I Wasn't Ready
I am a Tralfamadorian, seeing all time as you might see a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is.
- Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
I’ve read some Kurt Vonnegut. This is supposed to be his masterpiece. I start anything and everything skeptical (who are they to tell me what is...
502 Followers
Just wanted to send a note of thanks. I haven’t been here for too long, but it’s clear there is a place for the type of things I post.
It’s a sort of experiment: Are people really as allergic to knowledge as ‘they’ say we are?
Can books of the past mean anything to us in the present?
If so, what do they mean?
It’s my belief that people want to think,...
El Ateneo Book Store, Buenos Aires, Argentina
There isn’t much to say about this one. The picture speaks for itself.
Your house is burning down....
You grabbed the pictures, your computer and grandma & grandpa’s (fill in the blank) that they gave you when you were (fill in the blank). You’ve got time to grab three books. Which ones do you grab, and why? They can be any books; things that are classics to you because of the enduring effect they’ve had. Drop answers here.
I thought this would be harder than it actually...
Shirts By Out of Print
Yet another thing on my Christmas wish list! This company is amazing. For every shirt sold, a book is donated through their partner called Books For Africa. They sell shirts with classic fiction, and specialize in out of print book covers. There are shirts for men, women and children.
The shirts I’m most interested in are the original works, created by designer Mikey Burton. You can find...
Oprah's Book Club
Hide your copies of A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.
They’ve just landed on Oprah’s Book Club list right on time for the holiday season. If there is indeed a shortage, hold on to yours tight, Oprah fans are notoriously agressive. They’ll have to rip them from your cold. dead. hands.
While your laughing at my corny jokes, if you don’t have the books, mosey...
Cover Story Post Cards From Penguin
Sometimes I post stuff I want on here. This is one of those times.
These post cards come in a set of 100, each printed with the cover art of a classic novel published by Penguin. They’ll cost about $25.00 from Anthropologie, which isn’t exactly cheap, but I think it’s worth it.
Now, if I could just think of a way to hint about this gift to one of my trillion family...
appreciatingnature asked: Just out of curiosity, are you from Berkeley? Or did you go there? I'm a senior at Cal and a lot of your posts had the Berkeley vibe, a lot of things I would expect from a Berkeley student ;)
Also, I don't think this is a classic (yet), but there's a great book you should read. It's called Pillars of the Earth (something like that)--now that's what I call a...
Also, I don't think this is a classic (yet), but there's a great book you should read. It's called Pillars of the Earth (something like that)--now that's what I call a...
Public Library, New York City, New York
Books for Dancers
Michelle Fleet, NY Public Library
Picture: JORDAN MATTER PHOTOGRAPHY / BARCROFT USA
Via The Guardian
Is This A Classic? Pt. 2
victoriajean asked:That Harry Potter book is a classic. I think the whole series is.
Interesting. When authors come out with a series of books, there is often this weird attachment to the very first book, as if it being first makes it better than the rest of the series. With Harry Potter, I don’t see that trend. The series is considered genius in it’s entirety, with little value...