Member: dczapka

I believe my uncle told me the story of 42 when I was about ten or twelve, and I had no idea where it came from until I chose H2G2 off the list for a book report on satire in high school. And I enjoyed it immensely. But I can understand your anticipointment: that was my very reaction to the movie version that came out in 2005.

posted by lithoglyphic at 3:10 pm (EST) on Apr 5, 2009

I have to say, when it comes to The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, if I could have written as good a review, I would have said the same thing. Especially the ending--ridiculous! Sometimes I wonder who's picking the prize winners.

posted by fromthecomfychair at 5:51 pm (EST) on Mar 20, 2009

"Anticipointment" is a great word. You really hadn't read H2G2 until now?

posted by lithoglyphic at 6:16 pm (EST) on Mar 4, 2009

Good morning! I checked out your library this morning and we share quite a number of books and clearly like some of the same authors. I noticed Margaret Atwood's "The Blind Assassin,"which I thoroughly enjoyed due to the author's exceptional talent and I think the fact that I listened to it. It may have been a more intimidating read, in it's length and Atwood's sometimes excessive description. Sometimes, I just don't know what she's gettin at! I have some Philip K. Dick, Chuck Pahlaniuk, in fact quite a few of the same authors I found on your pages. I haven't gotten to catalog quite a bit of my library yet, as my husband and I are getting our former home ready to rent, and showing it at the same time. He works all day, we own a construction company and work together on that, and I am trying to get some freelance writing work out there. My next project will I hope, be day-trips that won't bankrupt you. We have some very nice areas close by, and I plan on checking them out. Well, happy reading. My next book will be "Eric" by Terry Pratchett.MB

posted by mmignano11 at 11:30 am (EST) on May 25, 2008

Me again-"No Country..." was an audiobook for me and I think it makes a difference in how you critique an author's work when it comes in another form. I listen to different kinds of titles than those I choose to read, and it changes how they can be reviewed."No Country" was good, but sad. Anyway,night!MB

posted by mmignano11 at 2:24 am (EST) on May 25, 2008

Hi, In re-reading my post from 5/24, I can only say that I have been sleep-deprived and it really did make sense to me at the time. I finally took one of those wonderful afternoon naps, woke up completely refreshed, no achy bones. Between the weather and lack of sleep, these old bones feel it. It's almost time for my monthly B shot, too. As for Cormac Mccarthy, I've heard that "The Road" is not a favorite amongst McCarthy's fans. More prefer "Suttree"and"Blood Meridian." I know that I enjoyed his western writing in "The Border Trilogy. I meant to comment on the way he uses place as a device of setting in his writing, and "The Road" seemed almost bogged down in it. Maybe time to lighten up,
Cormac. I am anxious to read "Suttree" The description that I found sounds great. Well, hopefully, I am off to sleep, and will keep my surplus safe another day. Also,I don't think I meant to respond to you on adding me to your interesting libraries. I think I saw something you said on another thread and just bounced onto your page to see who wrote it. That's what I love about LT. I usually don't look through the person's library right away either, but usually go back to everyone's page later. There's so much to see, and I'm usually on here late at night. The other night I woke up with 4 lines of ddddddd's across the box then fffff and then back to dddd for 2 lines, I woke up, had a good laugh and shut the laptop down. And so it goes. Goodnight, Mary Beth

posted by mmignano11 at 2:12 am (EST) on May 25, 2008

Good morning and thank you for the interesting library nod. I see we are both interested in Nabokov. Also, I agree wih your review of "The Road." It didn't compare to his other books for me, like "The Border Trilogy" I felt as though his spare prose served the purpose of portraying the environment and the relationships between his characters effectively, in his other work, where in "The Road" it simply contributed to a certain dark setting that made reading it a chore. There is a certain beauty in allowing the actual scene and/or its environs to portray what is going on throughout the story. His later books seem to lose the descriptive/worshipful handling of the natural setting and admiring (Border trilogy)tone towards characters which I felt can help the reader to understand the tone he is trying to set in his story. He chooses difficult themes so it is important that his writing carries the reader into the story without causing the reader to feel that the sense of hopelessness is their own and not the characters. A good author can tell the story and allow the reader to "get" it. I slogged through the book, as a challenge to myself. I respected several of his other books in terms of his craft, but not so, with "The Road."

posted by mmignano11 at 10:08 am (EST) on May 24, 2008

Thanks for the advice! I got Adjunct today!

posted by budrfly9 at 10:29 pm (EST) on Apr 28, 2008

Would you mind sharing the Adjunct copy with me?

posted by budrfly9 at 9:00 pm (EST) on Apr 16, 2008

Just dropping by to say I AGREE with your review of McCarthy's The Road and I really don't get what all the fuss is about either. I reviewed it recently as well and I was astounded at the acclaim this book is getting here and everywhere else. So you're not alone :-P

~ww

posted by wisewoman at 11:41 am (EST) on Mar 21, 2008