The following list contains most books I’ve read or am reading. I have also attempted to write up some of my thoughts on some of them, especially those I would recommend. I don’t consider any novels to be “essential reading” - actually I think its generally better if people dont all read the same stuff; there are effectively infinite books out there worth reading (only a small percentage - but there are alot of books) and its more interesting and usefull for people to push the boundaries of their personal and local canon. Likewise, to just choose books at random is, in a sense, immoral. This list (as a reflection of my reading habits) reflects this: I am more likely to reach for Bulgakov before Dostoevsky, the Story of the Eye before The Raven. Not by any means deep cuts, but not household names. Of course, there are classics on this list, just fewer of them than ones most people haven’t heard of. All of this is probably mundanely typical.
As far as comments, and reviews, I will mostly leave descriptive
feedback, or things I liked and found interesting. If it is on this
list it is worth reading - at least to someone; drawing attention to
“flaws” (ones you may not even have percieved otherwise) is
destructive. I try to record when I start and finish a novel as well,
although I have no idea of what use this information could be. I also
attempt to point out reference chains: books I read because of other
books. Books with the
I publish this list for the hypothetical where someone might value my opinion. I offer this explanation in case it has an effect on that condition. And if that hypothetical comes to pass, It seems proper that I should be deeply flattered. To entangle yourself with fiction (worthwhile fiction is always entangling) demands prudence. A recommedation, a reference, a train of thought, deep research - there many ways, but the source matters. There is a path dependance to art. Only walk down paths whose roots you want to legitimize.
TODO:
- add links
- add word count
- formatting, I want markdown lists but they look funny
Reading Currently
King of Infinite Space by Siobhan Roberts
(2006) (320 pages)
subtitle: Donald Coxeter, The Man Who Saved Geometry
Anathem by Neal Stephenson (2008) (960
Pages)
- Its got these isolated monasteries devoted to platonic realism and
the study of math, science, and philosophy
- Rich with invented vocabulary (with etymologies) and history which
you gradually figure out and piece togeather as you read. Its
captivating and I have to catch myself sometimes or I’ll start
refering to Peregrin and the Praxic Age.
- I am toying with the idea of adopting some of its terminology. In
particular “enthusiast” (meaning fanatic), and “savant” (term of honor
for thinkers, analgous to saint).
Blood Music by Greg Bear () () - The first 3rd of this (the part taken from his earlier short story of the same name) is really great. Later parts rushed. - Inspired much of Eureka 7. - Prose is inconsisitent, even confused at time. Compounded that I was unable to find a zlibrary copy free of errors. - Some lost oppertunities: the main suspense buildups in the book are (in order of introduction) 1. What do initons do (checkov’s early with “they don’t do anything”) The payoff is not the one I would have chose. (I would have went with “cells used to be sentient and went to sleep long ago”) The chosen explanation (they contain saved memories of all living things) would have been awesome as a secondary thing, but - It was not set up, characters don’t dream of / noocytes don’t mention memo 2. Why are some characters left untouched - This is never explained, just handwaved. What happens to the 3 in LA? (are they the cause of its disappearance somehow)? - The “National Park” angle was awesome, but presented as a secondary reason (thematically it would be better if it was THE reason) 3. Why doesn’t it spread out of north america - limit of questions is not named, introduced too late, and doesn’t foreshadow/support the dimension shift as well as it could 4. What are the cells building toward - The exposition dump quantum stuff makes this instantly less interesting. - Finally, I think the jump back from being a cell (and never really returning in narrative) makes for weird pacing. I expected the story to become more and more from cellular bernards perspective. (the keyboard messages to paul were great though) - The ending doesn’t work for me. Too rushed. The all-is-preserved instrumentality tone feels weird after the the biohorror of previous chapters. Last lines are great but unsupported. The novels first page is similarly great, but not too well supported by either the story or the final page.
Have Read
Master and Margarita by Mikhair Bulgakov
(1967) (410 pages)
translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
(1997)
White Oleander by Janet Fitch (1999) (390
pages)
Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (1993) (168 pages)
Norwegian
Wood by Haruki Murakami (1987) (400 pages)
translated by Jay Rubin (2000)
- Note that there is another, older translation, which is wildly
(though not universally) considered to be less accurate and less
enjoyable. See article Murakami’s
lost voice comparing various translations of Murakami’s work.
Blindsight by Peter Watts (2006) (384
pages)
- This novel contains the coolest version of vampires I’ve
encountered.
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Philip
K. Dick (1968) (240 pages)
- Very different than Bladerunner, which was based on it. Perhaps even
the thematic opposite.
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955) (336
pages)
- Dense unreliable narrator. Reminds me very much of Karamazov
Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
(1937) (240 pages) (non-fiction)
- Orwell’s experience hanging out with coal miners and other poor
people.
- Probably required reading for those interested in, in support of, or
strongly opposed to socialism
Killshot by Elmore
Leonard (1989) (204 pages)
- The movie was better.
Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto
Bolaño (1996) (240 pages)
translated by Chris Andrews (2008)
“(Its) focus is on the world of the ultra right, but much of the time, in reality, I’m talking about the left… When I’m talking about Nazi writers in the Americas, in reality I’m talking about the world, sometimes heroic but much more often despicable, of literature in general.” – Bolaño
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by
Robert M. Pirsig (1974) (418 pages)
Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning
(1992) (271 pages)
subtitle: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in
Poland
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño
(1998) (656 pages)
translated by Natasha Wimmer (2008)
IN PROGESS…
I’m still working on adding books I read more than a year ago.
How I choose what to read.
I find all my books from recommendations from people who:
- read alot
- share, to an extent, my philosophy of art (or at least take it seriously)
- know me well enough to know what I’d like
- have qualities I admire, envy, or otherwise want to steal / understand
I also read alot of books because they are mentioned in other books. I generally don’t read books just because they are by the same author as something I like; I normally wait untill it is recommended to me, or It catches my interest organically.
How I Make This List
The list is markdown, and gets compiled to html with pandoc. If you really want to see the novels I didn’t consider worth recommending, check the html source: they are commented out.