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| Topics | | messages | Last message | | | 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Books dcozy Read in 2009 | | 185 | dcozy, Today 1:40am |  |
| Awful Lit. : Jump ship or go down with it? | | 93 | lbradf, Wednesday 1:20pm | |
| 999 Challenge : Moneybeets' | | 94 | moneybeets, October 30 | |
| The Prizes : The National Book Award | | 38 | kidzdoc, October 14 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of September 26, 2009? | | 216 | jnwelch, October 3 | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : cameling's reading list for 2009 | | 264 | cameling, September 25 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : bonniebook's 50 book challenge in 2009, chapter 2 | | 265 | nannybebette, September 13 | |
| Club Read 2009 : rebeccanyc's 2009 reading | | 197 | rebeccanyc, September 1 | |
| Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now - June 2009 | | 100 | cmt, July 1 | |
| Literary Snobs : Writers with no style | | 151 | ejj1955, June 23 | |
| Literary Snobs : That 10% | | 81 | benjclark, June 22 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You Are Reading the Week of 6-12 June 2009 | | 228 | bookymouse, June 14 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of 30 May, 2009? | | 231 | FicusFan, June 8 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the week of 2 May. 2009 | | 226 | SomeGuyInVirginia, June 5 | |
| Club Read 2009 : **Post 9/11 Literature | | 52 | janeajones, June 1 | |
| Club Read 2009 : ClubRead Recommendations - Fiction | | 13 | reading_fox, May 20 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What books are next on your reading list? Part 2 | | 155 | pologal, April 29 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Favorite New-To-You Author in 2008 | | 97 | pmarshall, April 27 | |
| The Prizes : The Pulitzer | | 89 | Mr.Durick, April 21 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Favorite 5 Fiction Reads of 2008 | | 109 | pm11, March 2 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Share a line or passage from your current book, part 2 | | 309 | ophlia, February 21 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : Your BEST BOOKS of 2008 | | 174 | MissTeacher, January 18 | |
| Books I Hated : That Everyone Else Loved | | 63 | mpalotay, January 12 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : First Few Books of 2009 | | 11 | davefromnyc, January 10 | |
| 50 Book Challenge : scojos 50 book challenge | | 6 | bonniebooks, January 6 | |
| Reading Globally : Where in the World are You Now? December 2008 | | 126 | marietherese, January 4 | |
| Club Read 2009 : Your 2008 Reading - Looking Back | | 51 | Nickelini, January 2 | |
| 250 book challenge : Dyrfinna's 2008 Reading | | 36 | Dyrfinna, January 2 | |
| Club Read 2009 : lriley's early projects for 2009. | | 28 | lriley, January 2 | |
| Book talk : 2008 Year in Review | | 3 | ajsomerset, January 1 | |
| 75 Books Challenge for 2008 : Rebeccanyc's 2008 Books -- Joining Late | | 102 | rebeccanyc, December 2008 | |
| Book Nudgers : Nov.12 polutropos needs a nudge | | 20 | avaland, November 2008 | |
| Reading Globally : Where in the world are you now? October | | 97 | englishrose60, November 2008 | |
| Canadian Bookworms : Oct /08: What are we reading? | | 44 | Cecilturtle, November 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of 18 October 2008? | | 188 | bakersfieldbarbara, October 2008 | |
| The Prizes : United States Regional or State literary awards | | 7 | dchaikin, October 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 20 September 2008 | | 216 | mckait, October 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the week of October 11? | | 207 | beebowallace, October 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the week of October 4 | | 201 | thioviolight, October 2008 | |
| Book talk : Can anyone suggest books for a short stay in hospital? | | 20 | Jodyreadseverything, October 2008 | |
| Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? Sept 2008 | | 114 | CD1am, September 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 13 September 2008 | | 203 | mckait, September 2008 | |
| Writer's Brag and Rag Bag : marketing your babies | | 13 | CliffBurns, September 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today? - JUNE 2008 | | 221 | CharlesBixx, August 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 21 June 2008 | | 193 | Whisper1, June 2008 | |
| Book talk : N Y Times Best Books of 2007 - Statistics | | 8 | christiguc, June 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 17 May 2008 | | 187 | Cariola, May 2008 | |
| Dormant: Reading Globally : Describe your reading year | | 27 | almigwin, March 2008 | |
| Dormant: King's Dear Constant Readers : King's Top Books of 2007 | | 4 | sodapopinski, January 2008 | |
| Dormant: Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? December 2007 | | 85 | juliette07, January 2008 | |
| What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Have You STOPPED Reading? | | 229 | ejj1955, Yesterday 3:14am |
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| Book talk : A STUPID GAME TO PLAY......OLD ONE IS TOO LONG TOO! | | 316 | rolandperkins, November 6 |
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| 50 Book Challenge : whitewavedarling's 2009 challenge.... | | 194 | whitewavedarling, September 24 |
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| 999 Challenge : bonniebook's 999 challenge, Turn to Chapter 2 | | 115 | RidgewayGirl, September 13 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Rebeccanyc's Reads for 2009! | | 197 | rebeccanyc, September 1 |
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| 50 Book Challenge : bonniebook's 50 book challenge 2009 | | 313 | billiejean, June 25 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the week of June 13 2009? | | 248 | koalamom, June 20 |
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| Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now? May 2009 | | 100 | teelgee, June 7 |
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| Literary Snobs : Your current reading for the 2nd Quarter , 2009 ? | | 411 | kswolff, June 2 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : VisibleGhost's 2009 Journey Thru The Bookosphere | | 210 | dchaikin, June 1 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : petermc - 75(?) for 2009 | | 310 | petermc, May 1 |
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| 999 Challenge : bonniebook's 999 challenge - 2009 | | 207 | bonniebooks, April 20 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2009 : AlcottAcre's 2009 Reads, Take 2 | | 352 | laytonwoman3rd, February 26 |
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| Book talk : Another Silly Game, part 18 | | 390 | moibibliomaniac, January 18 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2008 : The Best of Books, the Worst of Books | | 19 | Whisper1, January 3 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2008 : Torontoc's Books Read in 2008 | | 255 | Whisper1, January 3 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today?--December 2008 #2 | | 115 | richardderus, January 1 |
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| 75 Books Challenge for 2008 : What Are We Reading - Nonfiction | | 222 | alcottacre, December 2008 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : Top Five Books 3rd quarter 2008: July - Sept. | | 78 | MarianV, October 2008 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : Book Roots! How we come to have the books we read! | | 100 | grelobe, September 2008 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 6 September 2008 | | 203 | madpoet, September 2008 |
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| Thing(amabrarian)s That Go Bump in the Night : What scary book are you reading right now? What do you think of it so far? | | 326 | jseger9000, July 2008 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : Top Five Books, 2008, Q2: April - June | | 110 | Medellia, July 2008 |
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| What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 28 June 2008 | | 219 | Cariola, July 2008 |
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| Art is Life : Lines from works that you love. | | 74 | hemlokgang, May 2008 |
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| Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 15 March 2008 | | 158 | Storeetllr, March 2008 |
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| Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : Top Five books read during 2007 | | 255 | RcCarol, March 2008 |
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| Dormant: What did YOU buy today? : December 2007 edition | | 58 | thioviolight, January 2008 |
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| Dormant: Book talk : Reading trends for 2007? | | 13 | vpfluke, January 2008 |
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| Dormant: What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 20 October 2007 | | 174 | melsmarsh, October 2007 |
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... been a lng time since I posted, but that doesn't mean I havent been reading right along.
Right now I'm half-way through Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. Hard to say I love it because of the subject, but I can't wait to pick it up every night. The two seperate stories are weaving together ... Tree of Smoke was one of my top reads for last year. I think your review captures its essence. Michiko Kakutani loved Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke, so I was a little hesitant to open it, but seeing that B.R. Myers loathed the book, and he's even more consistently wrong about contemporary fiction than Kakutani, encouraged me to give it a try.
I'm glad I did.
I ... ... of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery (12/30/08)
05. Strange as This Weather Has Been - Ann Pancake (12/31/08)
06. Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson (1/01/09)
07. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (1/02/09)
08. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford (1/04/09)
09. ... ... Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son in a list of lately published potential classics. (It packs more punch, for me, than his Tree of Smoke, which is 20 times as long.) ... "coolth" factor could "like" this nekkid emperor. Narratively unoriginal, I think...Jesus's Son was the first and Tree of Smoke the second of his books I read and made it to 75pp in the second. Returned to the youthful enthusiast who insisted I read them, with thanks and still ... As an addendum to my earlier post where I raved about Denis Johnson's Nobody Move. I am a great fan of his and loved Tree of Smoke. Possibly one of the best war novels I have ever read.
Right now I'm really in a reading mood, and like so many other things, these moods occur less and less as ... #110, msf59, I've read both Nobody Move and Tree of Smoke (which is not Denis Johnson's first novel but which received so much publicity it might seem that way). I really enjoyed both of them but they are very different. Tree of Smoke is a very complex novel, in terms of character, plot, ... ... of Nobody Move. I've heard very good things about it. I have still not read Denis Johnson's1st novel either,Tree of Smoke,have you?
I finished Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower. If you like short stories and are interested in hearing a strong new ... Just the thought of Dennis Johnson's Tree of Smoke makes me unable to begin to contemplate reading it . That book is so long and apparently so complex that I don't see the point.
I struggled with a Margery Allinghamfor months,
I got to the last five pages and finally threw it away.
I ... I continue listening to Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson and I am reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. ... in the dark of night with The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and I also continue in the Phillipines listening to Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. ... loved it! I am about to start The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins for an LT group read, and I continue listening to Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson hoping I will begin to like it more than I do so far. My cousin read Tree of Smoke and told me to save it for a day when I was feeling crabby (who me?!) and in no mood to read anything scintillating #88: No idea. Tree of Smoke was an OK read for me, but nothing special, so I am not sure what that big fuss was about either. I have no interest at all in reading anything more of his. To be perfectly Barbra (as opposed to Frank), I think Denis Johnson is pretty durned overrated. I do not get the fuss. Tree of Smoke hit the donate pile before p50 (pace Pearl Rule), and there was a relieved sigh echoing the clang of the bin.
Can someone tell me wherein his greatness ... #86: It sounds as if Johnson's Tree of Smoke is much better than the one you read. I think I will give The Stars at Noon a pass.
I recently received one of Rayburn's books. I will have to bump it up on the Continent! I am in the Phillipines in a Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, and also in Germany with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. ... need to be read in BIG CHUNKS so they sustain their narrative drive. That's why I don't really think I gave Denis Johnson's TREE OF SMOKE a fair shot. Should have devoured that one over the course of 3-4 days. Instead it took 2 weeks and the novel never really hooked me, I finished it more out ... My list of books to look at/buy is now in my library under, appropriately enough, Wish List. ... of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery (12/30/08)
05. Strange as This Weather Has Been - Ann Pancake (12/31/08)
06. Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson (1/01/09)
07. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (1/02/09)
08. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford (1/04/09)
09. ... ... Thiong'o (and also Wizard of the Crow)
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Tree of Smoke and Nobody Move by Denis Johnson
Some Favorites besides the Obvious -- Off the Top of My Head
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Light Years ... ... like he was trying to write in diary form and other times it read more like a novel? I'm curious, too, since I read Tree of Smoke this year what books about Vietnam that you would most recommend? I zipped through Nobody Move by Denis Johnson, very different from his Tree of Smoke, which was one of my favorite books of last year, but with the same excellent writing and sense of humanity in even the most unappealing characters.
I'm started Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass ... #28 Nobody Move by Denis Johnson
I was eager to read this book because Tree of Smoke was one of my favorite books of last year, and so snapped it up as soon as I saw it in a bookstore. And then, once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It is almost completely different from Tree of Sm ... #28 Nobody Move by Denis Johnson
I was eager to read this book because Tree of Smoke was one of my favorite books of last year, and so snapped it up as soon as I saw it in a bookstore. And then, once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It is almost completely different from Tree of Sm ... ... affected by the attacks to some extent. On the other hand, they were pretty out of touch to begin with, too.
Tree of Smoke -- Certainly by extension, our cluelessness in Vietnam is analogous to our cluelessness in Iraq & Afghanistan. ... Molly Gloss (7/12/09)
6. Recent Prizewinners and "Short Listers" now in paperback 9/9
Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson - Natl. Book Award, 2007 (1/01/09)
A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif (2/12/09)
Yiddish Policemen's Union - Michael ... ...
Of course, this is meaningless since I've only read 4 of the 15 listed and since I would have given last year's award to Tree of Smoke. ... Last year's model ranked the winner, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, #3, and a finalist, Tree of Smoke, #5.
These are the 15 books the model predicted, in order of probability:
1. Home by Marilynne Robinson
2. The Widows of Eastwick by John Updi ... TREE OF SMOKE wasn't terrible (not possible with Johnson) but it lacked focus and needed cutting. Some good sections but the book required more cohesion and narrative drive.
Count me out as far as Bukowski goes. Some of his poetry was good but his fiction was undisciplined, sloppy and ... ... Johnson's JESUS SON' so good? The depth of characterization with a relatively lean style. I have to say his last book, TREE OF SMOKE (winner of the Pullitzer?) seemed overlong and bloated by comparison. And make sure you see the movie because it features a fearless performance by Billy Crud ... ... sale, as well. (I recently found Sir Walter Scott's The Antiquary in the bargain bin along with Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke and maybe a couple of others I can't recall off the top of my head.)
Also, of course, it's always worth trawling Kanda-Jimbocho for used books. ... Adding the layer of writing style to 'fit' the book title was just sublime. A perfect title. Reading the reviews of Tree of Smoke show a very diverse opinion of the book. I thought is was brilliant. But many didn't. Johnson has a 'western' coming this spring. I am curious to see how that ... Stasia, I don't think your feelings after finishing Tree of Smoke are at all unusual. Johnson used concrete descriptions and scenes in the book. Very few pages are so metaphorical as to be lost in the clouds. The writing is vivid, disturbing,and graphic but not tricky or obtuse. When the book ... ... recollection of what it was about (after all, I probably read it about 45 years ago!), but I remember loving it!
As for Tree of Smoke, I also didn't quite know what to make of it (and I was sure I missed a lot of the allusions), but it was one of my favorite books of last year. I agree with ... ... - typical Baldacci and a fun read (especially on a night where I just could not stand to read anything heavier)
83. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - I read this book towards my Vietnam reading for the year - it won the National Book award a couple of years ago, but honestly, I do not ... ... Island
Dog Man
The March - I promised Joyce not to read this one!
Peace Like a River
Tree of Smoke - Read 02/21/09
And in honor of Richard (because I was just going to leave the tickers where they were):
scojos in 50 Book Challenge : scojos 50 book challenge (Jan 6, 2009, 2:22pm) ... by Drew Gilpin Faust
43. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
44. Touch the Top of the World by Erik Weihenmayer
45. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
46. Watchmen by Alan Moore
47. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
48. Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong
49. The World is Flat by Thomas Fried ... I will be reading Tree of Smoke in the next month or so. Glad to see you liked it. 4. Jesus' Son, Denis Johnson
I was impressed with Johnson's epic Vietnam novel, Tree of Smoke, when I read it in 2007. I wanted to try some of his earlier short stories since he's done a lot of work at that length. Jesus' Son features throw-away males at a loss of how to function in a ... Thank you for quoting Tree of Smoke. It's kind of having the book write its own review. Looking forward to your thoughts on the others you read.
Great Expectations was the book that brought me back to Charles Dickens. I'm going to read another of his this year, maybe Hard Times. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson ... I'm kind of balancing on the bare edge of 2008 and 2009 (not quite finished 2008, but wanted to start 2009 already).
Tree of Smoke was a book I began on CD, but had to quit because I couldn't understand the narrator well (I'm hard of hearing). It sounded great so I'll be looking for the ... Best novels:
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Nobody's Angel by Thomas McGuane
De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage
Best story collections:
My White Planet by Mark Anthony Jarman
Oblivion by David Foster Wallace
Best non-fiction:
Empty Casing by F ... Well, I finished the last one hundred pages of Tree of Smoke after midnight so this is my first official 999 challenge book! A quote from the main character: "In South Vietnam I thought I'd been sidelined. Removed to a place where I could think about the war. But you can't be sidelined ... ... for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson ... People by Dale Carnegie
Final Cut Pro HD for Dummies by Helmut Kobler
How Fiction Works by James Wood
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Introducing the Enlightenment by Lloyd Spencer and Andrzej Krauze
Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writing ... De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
My White Planet by Mark Anthony Jarman
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Nobody's Angel by Thomas McGuane 4. Tree of Smoke. Bought this book for my son and wouldn't continue with it, but want to know what my son is going to be reading. Yes, this is a good, complicated story and I haven't finished it yet, but have to say: There are too many wanna-be-heroes and messed-up men (boys, really) ... In Vietnam with Denis Johnson in Tree of Smoke. My real-life personage in 1964 didn't know yet that my government was getting us into this unwinable, and unconscionable war. (Is that a word?) Too bad we keep making the same mistakes! :(( ... 1949) (completed 3/09/09) ****
3. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie (Booker Prize 1981) (completed 5/19/09) ****
4. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson (National Book Award 2007)
5. Catherine, Called Birdy, Karen Cushman (Newbery Medal 1995) (completed 7/20/09) ****
6. The Scarlet Gang of A ... 1. Tree of Smoke. OK, I'm cheating by starting early, but I have to cheat because I bought this book for my son's Christmas stocking so have to read it before he takes it away. The quote I wish my son who would listen to: "War is ninety percent myth anyway, isn't it? In order to ... ... ogy
Ivo Andric for The Bridge on the Drina
Elizabeth von Arnim for The Enchanted April
Denis Johnson for Tree of Smoke
Richard Price for Lush Life From Audible:
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Dracula by Bram Stoker "And who never made it because the bastards shot me down?"
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson #193: I have Tree of Smoke home from the library now and will be reading it over the next week or so. Thanks for the recommendations on the others. I will see if I can get copies of them. ... I know this is the nonfiction thread, but you can't beat The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien for fiction; Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson is also excellent. For nonfiction, I haven't read it since it came out (contemporaneously with the war), but I was very impressed by Fire ... ... recommend from me. We must be reading the same reviews!!
The book on your list that I really want to read is Tree of Smoke which has been very heavily praised by many.
nohrt4me - I imagine you have already read The Secret River - I really enjoyed that book and must get to T ... ... of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery (12/30/08)
05. Strange as This Weather Has Been - Ann Pancake (12/31/08)
06. Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson (1/01/09)
07. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (1/02/09)
08. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford (1/04/09)
09. ... ... more new fiction than I usually do.
New Fiction
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
Lush Life by Richard Price
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano
The Clot ... ... I don't finish books I don't like.
New Fiction
Netherlandby Joseph O'Neill
Lush Life by Richard Price
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano
The Clot ... ... up for wrong touchstones -- sorry.
New Fiction
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
Lush Life by Richard Price
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carre
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano
The Clot ... ... With all I do, and the fatigue factor, my attention span is very limited now. I looked briefly at Dennis Johnson's opus, Tree of Smoke 600+ ambitious pages, and could not tackle it. Looked at the LeClezio and Laxness from you and went, "it will have to be later". I am trying to read Dostoevs ... ... Pip by Lloyd Jones
The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews
The Last Train to Kazan by Stephen Miller
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
... - Peter Walsh (240)
145. Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson (258)
146. Shortcomings - Adrian Tomine (108)
147. Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson (614)
148. The Gospel According to Larry - Janet Tashjian (227)
149. Born Standing Up - Steve Martin (209)
150. Slam - Nick Hornby (30 ... ... world. Many people adore his style.
The others I have not read, although Denis Johnson has made a name for himself with Tree of Smoke - waiting on my TBRs too. I also really recommend Tree of Smoke. There are some particularly violent parts that I found hard to take (it is a war book, after all) but most of it is much more psychological and metaphorical -- and I know I missed a lot of the allusions. As torontoc said, the writing is gorgeous. Torontoc - what a great line up of books. Many are on my TBR, but especially Tree of Smoke which comes highly recommended from several quarters. I have hesitated to read it because of the violence aspect, after having recently read a few African books that made my hair curl.
I just mooched ... Tree of Smoke has been on Continent TBR for a while now. Looks like I need to bump it up some. Thanks, Whisper1! You know, I found out about Tree of Smoke from the "What Are You Reading" group here on LT. I may have read a review in The Globe and Mail Saturday Book Section or The New York Times Sunday Book Review. Both newspapers have good selections and articles. ... 220 pages into it now, and at the moment I like it a lot.
Counter to most post posts above, count me as one who thought Tree of Smoke was only brilliant in parts, and enjoyed On Beauty. In Tree of Smoke, the two main characters fell flat for me. But then I found several characters ... #109, torotoc, I loved Tree of Smoke too, although I fear I didn't get all of the allusions in it.
I sped through A Most Wanted Man by John le Carré. I haven't read anything by him in years, but this is up to his old standards: great plotting, pacing, characters; moral ambiguity; and ... I finished Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson- fabulous! - and am now reading De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage. I just finished Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. What an excellent book!
I have just started DeNiro's Game by Rawi Hage. 91. Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. This book is so good. I almost appauded after I finished it. The writing style is excellent and poetic in places although the subject matter becomes violent at times. The characters are not necessarily likable. In fact the whole book might be a metaphor for ... ... insightful, thought-provoking and moving. I came upon after reading about it in an article in The New Yorker.
#4, Tree of Smoke -- fascinating, and I'm quite sure I missed a lot of the symbolism, etc.
#5, Petals of Blood is older, written in 1977 shortly and dealing with the ... Welcome - I am reading Tree of Smoke now and I really like it. ... Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists by Gregory Curtis
6. The Breezes by Joseph O'Neill
7. *Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
8. The Girl from Foreign: A Search for Shipwrecked Ancestors, Forgotten Histories, and a Sense of Home by Sadia Shepard
9. Traffi ... ... complete title...)
Returning To Earth
by Jim Harrison, who spends part of his year in Paradise Valley, Montana
Tree of Smoke
by Denis Johnson of Northern Idaho
Dancing With Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer’s
by Lauren Kessler of Eugene, OR
The God of Anima ... I am reading Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. ... Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar. I am now in the Phillipines, and will be in Vietnam with Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. ... that are over-hyped: they tend to be OKAY but little more than that. Junot Diaz's BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO and TREE OF SMOKE by Denis Johnson were like that for me. Big award-winners, critical darlings but (to this author's eyes, at least) structurally flawed and a bit dull. ... interesting mystery story incorporating information about the Pre-Raphaelite artists and Lizzie Siddal. I have just started Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. Thank you to LT readers on this thread who have recommended this book! ... Iraq by Ariel Sabar. Excellent story of a son's search for his father's past and understanding.
I am now starting Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson and some mysteries. Some of the absorbing and well written novels I've read recently are Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, In Hazard and A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes, Netherland by Joseph O'Neill, and Lush Life by Richard Price. The last two take place in contemporary NYC, the ... ... Since I have more than 5, I'm cheating by dividing them into groups!
New Fiction
The Condition by Jennifer Haigh
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson
Older Fiction
In Hazard by Richard Hughes
A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
A Way of Life Like Any Other by D ... ... I've just bought some other books by Ngugi wa Thiongo and am looking forward to reading it.
I am definitely adding Tree of Smoke to my list (#4), but I'll hold off on a completely final list until the end of the month. I finished Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson which was beautifully written, complex (not sure I got it all), and haunting. Some parts of it were a little overly and graphically violent for me, but that's hard to avoid in a book about war.
Now reading The Breezes, an early novel by Joseph O' ... ... the World's First Artists by Gregory Curtis -- bought after reading an article in The New Yorker that mentioned it.
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson -- interested in this since I read reviews when it first came out, but waited for paperback.
The Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepherd ... ... Track by Joseph O'Neill
The Dark Side by Jane Mayer
I am likely to add the two books I'm reading now, Tree of Smoke and The Cave Painters, and maybe will finish something else before the quarter is over, so this is a work in progress.
Edited in the hope that the ... I'm in Vietnam in the middle of the Tet offensive in Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson, and more peacefully in the prehistoric caves of France and Spain with The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis. ... Out Stealing Horses, it's my favorite book of the year.
#50: rebeccanyc - I'd also like to hear your thoughts on Tree of Smoke as you continue. I was mixed on it when I read it earlier this year, but then I don't think I really got it.
Finished The Gargoyle yesterday, in ... #22 msf59, About Tree of Smoke. It is beautifully written, but it's taken me a while to get into it. There are several stories/character groups and at first the connections aren't clear. Now, about 1/3 of the way through, I'm beginning to get a better sense of what's going on. 11: richard- I promise I will never use the A-word again. By the way,that mini-tirade was very funny!
#6 rebecca- How is Tree of Smoke? I've heard great things about that book! I am continuing to read Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson and The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis. I'm a third of the way through Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke, and it's already developing into a major ass kicker. One of those books that I hate to put down, and has made me late for appointments and kept me up way too late. ... parts of south India and in Pakistan with The Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepard and I'm now in the Philippines with Tree of Smoke. ... I was away I read The Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepard and Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt and I'm now reading Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson and The Cave Painters by Gregory Curtis. Hope to catch up with the 122 posts above this later. . . "And who never made it because the bastards shot me down?"
Tree of Smoke Denis Johnson ... been meaning to read this for awhile, partially inspired by the movie Apocalypse Now. I bought it about two years ago.
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - I picked this up at the library based on awards (national book award) and a NY Times review.
Over the Mountains by Michael Colli ... #81, dchaikin: Tree of Smoke was pretty special I thought, one of my favorites from last year. I particularly liked the Vietnam portions of it, as I spent a little time there myself, and knew several folks involved in off-the-book special ops, some very similar to those Johnson described in the ... Finished Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. Interesting, but...um, something. I can't quite put into words my reaction. I had to read reviews to help me figure out the point what I had just read. (LT happens to have some nice reviews of this book).
I also "read" Over the Mountains by Mic ... #40 pm11 -Ok, I just finished Tree of Smoke... it falls in the interesting-but-I-didn't-really-get-it category (not sure if anyone else has that kind of category. It covers a lot of books I've read). Two for Tree of Smoke? Hope I agree when I finish. I'm just over half way now, and have no idea where it's going. ... anyway. In no particular order:
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World - Haruki Murakami, always a favorite
Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson, took me a while to get into but definitely worth it
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee, yes, a first read for me and so worth the "hype" :) ... from Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. This conversation takes places in some obscure place in the Philippines.
The priest seemed to sense Skip’s disarray. He was solicitous. “We all have a spiritual trial to go through. When I was a little boy I was very hateful toward the Jews because I ... ... Obviously, you can't recreate the lovely language in a movie, but I think the movie has a nice take.
Currently reading Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - I'm half way through and mixed so far. Somehow the writing doesn't seem to match the setting. What I mean is that the Vietnam War is a ... ... cust).
Two books got 3.5 ratings, Savage Detectives (36 cust); Then We Came (180 cust).
One book got a 3.0 rating, Tree of Smoke (74 cust).
Not dissimilar ratings between Amazon and Librarything. Savage detectives does better on LT, I believe, because LT has a greater ... ... Ferris had 505 owners, now has 1,092 copies with 46 reviews and 3.65 average rating. 1,290 copies in Worldcat.
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson had 228 owners now has 413 with 14 reviews and 3.82 average rating. 1,658 copies in Worldcat.
Now the stats are a little scattered. ... #12, scrivners lot: Tree of Smoke's the best thing Johnson's ever written, and if you're any kind of a fan of his, it should only blow you away, just like it did me. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson
I have read positive and negative reviews. But I don't care much what reviewers say -- I would read just about anything Denis Johnson wrote. Come to think of it, I have. ... of the best books I've read all year. Last night I started a juvenile fiction The Willoughbys and read a few pages of Tree of Smoke. I just started Remains of an Altar, and after spending over a month on Tree of Smoke, it's like a long conversation with your best friend. I don't often say this of a character, but I sincerely wish Merrily Watkins were a real person that I could have lunch with. ... That said, I know I have wanted to quit books that ended up being very good and very rewarding. Two that come to mind are Tree of Smoke and Half of a Yellow Sun. I really had to work in the beginning of both of those, but it was so worth it. ... life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
(congratulations to 3M3m, your prize cookie is in the mail)
Other nominees:
Tree of smoke by Denis Johnson
Shakespeare's Kitchen by Lore Segal ... of whoring oneself in order to promote "product". Denis Johnson refused to do the morning talk show circuit for his novel TREE OF SMOKE and still managed to win a major book award and secure universal acclaim. At the same time, writers are competing with all manner of media, everyone looking ... It took me a while, but Tree of Smoke was definitely worth it. This book was very powerful to say the least. Now for lighter reading, I have begun Sputnik Sweetheart. I always love Murakami. ... of Sighs, Richard Russo
4. The Yiddish Policeman's Union, Michael Chabon
3. Hollywood Station, Joseph Wambaugh
2. Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson
1. Twilight, William Gay
Honourable mentions:
Then We Came to the End, Joshua Ferris
The Godfather's Revenge, Mark Winegardner
... ... wners
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - 238 owners
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano - 505 owners
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson - 228 owners
Nonfiction
Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekaran - 358 owners
... ...
The Meaning of Nightby Michael Cox.
Eifelheim by Michael Flynn.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. ... bad girl--Mario Vargas Llosa
The last novel--David Markson
The counterlife--Philip Roth
December
Tree of Smoke--Denis Johnson I'm in Vietnam in late 1960s reading Tree of Smoke which has also taken me to the Philipinnes as well as to some poor families in USA. Yesterday unusually for me bought Times Literary Supplement which has a lengthy review. Hasn't added much to my own understanding of this novel but does ... ... London, 1850 by Sebastian Rook
Then, I went to Borders and used by 30% off coupon to get Denis Johnson's Tree of Smoke.
That should get me through the day. I spent about $43. What do the rest of you figure you spend on books on a per week/per month basis? ... are all likely. I'd like to see the movie version of Namesake so I'll likely start with that.
I'm also tempted by Tree of Smoke by am reluctant to start another big book. I just finished Tree of Smoke and gave it a five. It is a macho book that will appeal more to men than women, I think. Uh-oh, nothing like stereotyping. To me, it's a descendant of Hemingway, Mailer etc. 2007 WINNERS (From NBAs website)
FICTION
WINNER: Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke
Mischa Berlinski, Fieldwork
Lydia Davis, Varieties of Disturbance
Joshua Ferris, Then We Came to the End
Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke
Jim Shepard, Like Y ... ... a person was sucked up through it into the enormous darkness beyond. Something unbelievable began to suggest itself." P486 Tree of Smoke
Fest's perspective of his fleeing assassin and his own shocking, impending, death...A great scene from this book. This may need more context I suppose. I ... I'm just getting ready to start Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson. This one has been on my TBR list since I first heard about earlier this year. If it disappoints me I'm not going to take it hard I'm just going to blow a hole in it with a shotgun. Expectations and all that. I'm waiting for Russo's Bridge of Sighs and Tree of Smoke from my library. I love Russo's work; my favorites are Nobody's Fool and and Straight Man. Terrific book (JESUS' SON) and terrific movie too.
Johnson was just shortlisted for the National Book Award for TREE OF SMOKE, make sure to add that one and the new Richard Russo to your "must read" list, everyone...
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