On Apr 2, 1:14*am, "Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!"
wrote:
On Mar 31, 11:15*pm, Boon wrote:
On Mar 31, 10:32*pm, "Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!"
wrote:
On Mar 31, 10:07*pm, Boon wrote:
My Big Three in college were Kerouac, Hemingway and Faulkner. My
thesis compared Kerouac and Hemingway and how their styles were
complete opposites, With Hemingway, you had to read between the lines
and really dig for meanings, while every word in Kerouac's brain
landed on the page.
One favorite college memory was from a 400-level lit class I took as a
freshman. After I signed up I wondered what I had done. I thought I'd
fail for sure.
We had to write a paper within the first few weeks of class. I chose
to write an explication on the symbolic usage of light and flame in a
story by Pär Lagerkvist. When the professor handed it back he said,
"I've been studying Lagerkvist for 20 years and I never saw it, but
now that you've pointed it out I'm sure you're right." I was floating
for days.
That's a great feeling. When I handed in my first paper in my freshman
comp class in college, the professor told me to send me a dozen roses
to my high school English teacher because she taught me well. That was
nice.
BTW, have you ever checked out any Scandanavian authors? "Hunger" by
Knut Hamsen is another one I'd recommend. He was also a Nobel winner.
You may have read Lagerkvist's "Barabbas" in school as it was required
reading at my high school.
Other than reading a few plays by Ibsen, no. You've got me curious
now.
I enjoy Catch-22. I have a first edition hardcover of it.
I read it before I joined the military and again after. It was funny
both times but for different reasons. A brilliant book. I've read a
couple other Heller novels. He was really good.
I tried reading God Knows, which Stephen just mentioned, but I wasn't
nuts about it. Catch-22 is spectacular. That reminds me of Philip
Roth, who I also enjoy. I'm a fan of Goodbye, Columbus. I still need
to read Portnoy's Complaint one day.
Another author I haven't read. I never read "God Knows".
Roth was very set on the Jewish experience in the 50s, 60s and 70s and
crossed many taboos concerning sex. Portnoy's Complaint was very
controversial in its day, but is now considered a classic.
Also...Truman Capote. I've read In Cold Blood a few times and it's a
literary benchmark for me. Breakfast at Tiffany's is also a fun, fast
read.
I read "In Cold Blood" earlier this year and I agree that's it's
excellent.
McCulloch's (sp?) "John Adams" was good too.
I read his 1776 a couple of years ago and it was outstanding. I also
liked The March by E.L. Doctorow. Read those two back to back.
What is "The March" about?
Sherman's March. It's a novel but told from the POV of several
Southerners affected by the approaching Union soldiers.
I read Ragtime by Doctorow when I was in my teens and I still remember
many of its passages in detail.
A great one military book I'd wager most US officers haven't read is
The Memoirs of Marshal Zhukov.
I've never heard of it.
Most haven't. It's a truism that the winners write history. After the
war we ignored Russia's contributions for ideological reasons. All we
heard about was Patton's race across Europe, Montgomery beating Rommel
in North Africa, etc.
Zhukov's book is an excellent history of the Eastern Front in WWII as
well as a pretty honest self-appraisal. I think it is a book written
by a military professional for military professionals. *Whereas
Montogomery and Patton were quite full of themselves (I can hardly
stand to read Montgomery though I've tried a couple of times) Zhukov
candidly admits where he made mistakes and the results thereof.
I was worried when I started reading it that there would be a lot of
"And the Great Party this, and Our Wonderful Party that" in it. The
mentions of the Communist Party struck me as afterthoughts. "Oh, and
BTW the party was doing this." He is one of the great generals of
history IMO but has never gotten his due in the West.
If you have time read his wiki entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgy_Zhukov
and the book is described he
http://www.easternbookcorporation.co...searchstring=1....
Thanks! Sounds very interesting. I have to admit that 1776 piqued my
interest about military history, but i've also heard that few write
with the talent of McCullough.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
And Scott can be deadly dull.
Now, now. This is an inclusive and poilte thread.
ScottW, I totally affirm your right to be deadly dull. You can be as
dull as you choose to be and nobody can stop you.
Somehow I don't think he's waiting for your tacit approval.