65 replies to this topic

[Chyros]

Iono.

*pins*

[Dauth]

The Atheist's Bible. 7/10

A selection of quotations that put forward the 'atheist' point of view. Some are very insightful.

Edited by Dauth, 07 May 2009 - 18:34.

[SquigPie]

Well, if it count's as a book, I'm corrently trying to finish the infamous fanfic "My Immortal" that have become something of a legend, and have inspired countless parodies, actually planning one myself. Its so horribly, that I can'tt help but laugh my ass off every second line.


"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MOTHERF*CKERS!!!11" Dumbledore/dumblydor/DUMBledork/Dumbledark/Dumbledor, My Immortal.

[Admiral Wesley]

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.

I had to read this book for school. It's a well-written tale, it's also quite tragic, but it's short. Also what is ironic is that they use words like "goddamn," "son of a bitch," and "bastard" practically every page, and this was a book that I had to read in school. 10/10, I guess.

[BeefJeRKy]

Admiral Wesley, on 4 Dec 2009, 22:36, said:

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.

I had to read this book for school. It's a well-written tale, it's also quite tragic, but it's short. Also what is ironic is that they use words like "goddamn," "son of a bitch," and "bastard" practically every page, and this was a book that I had to read in school. 10/10, I guess.

Dude, as you grow up, the books they make you read become more and more controversial. Wait for the inevitable Catcher in the Rye.

[MR.Kim]

Dauth, on 7 May 2009, 13:34, said:

The Atheist's Bible. 7/10

A selection of quotations that put forward the 'atheist' point of view. Some are very insightful.

Hmmm... I might be try one.

[Libains]

The Game - Neil Strauss 10/10 (predicted)

OK, so I haven't finished this book yet, but I'd imagine it's going to turn into one of the books to read. It's an ingenious semi-biography of Neil Strauss, who spent several years as a member of the seduction community. AKA pick-up artists. That was something that drove me away yet attracted me to the book at the same time. Yes, they're pretty sleazy. Yes it's all for show and there is very little substance to anything that comes out of it, and women maybe shouldn't be manipulated as much as is done.

But it's somewhere nobody here will know about. And it's utterly fascinating to read. The concepts explored, the sheer originality of it all just makes it mindbogglingly-interesting. It is also written extremely well, with some fantastically funny comments thrown about.

The book also has the obvious in it. Ways to pick up women. I will not deny that some of the methods they describe are interesting, but that's not really what this book is about. If you want that, go buy The Rules of The Game (the companion).

Simply, this book is epic win. If you are male, read it. If you are female... you can probably read it anyways.

[BeefJeRKy]

I guess next time I pass by the bookstore to pick up my next CVSP reading, I'll puck up that book as well

[Dr. Strangelove]

The Stranger: 10/10, Who hasn't felt like Meursalt at times?
The Metamorphosis: 10/10, Ditto X9001 with Gregor Samsa.
Slaughterhouse-5: 10/10 Rather odd because I'm a huge Vonnegut fan yet this is the first time I've read his most famous work. I've always narrated my life in my head like it was a Vonnegut novel, so his writing style is very comfortable with me.

[Rai]

True Philippine Ghost Story No. 20, 6/10
Not at all scary, but it was a good read and entertained me a bit.

[Major Fuckup]

Dingo Lingo by Dave Hansen, 10/10
Noting like reading a book published in 1982 making Azaria Chamberlain reference jokes.

[Generalcamo]

Dictionary
0/1
It's a boring 1000 pages, I am never reading that again.

[BeefJeRKy]

General Camo, on 6 Sep 2010, 18:03, said:

Dictionary
0/1
It's a boring 1000 pages, I am never reading that again.

This isn't the spam area. Please keep your posts contributive.

[Libains]

Don't Tell Mum I Work On the Rigs, She Thinks I'm a Piano Player in a Whore House.

9/10

And no, this isn't spam, it's a biography of an oil rig worker and it is written cleverly, but the events detailed are pure gold, some serious, some seriously funny, all extremely readable. I would suggest reading it if you ever had any sense of adventure. It's not a job I'd want, but it is utterly engrossing.

[SquigPie]

Well, this is one hell of a Necro.


Notes from Underground.
By Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky

"With love one can live, even without happiness"

Notes from Underground is the book that singlehandely kicked Existentialism to life, a book that people Friedrich Nietzche and Sigmund Freud praised for its deep understanding of human psychology.

Told through the view of a bitter, irrational and half-mad man living in a small cellarcorner. The book is split into two parts. The first part is a rambling monologue by the main character, explaining his views on human suffering, weakness and evil. The second part details the events that led to the self-imposed isolation of the
main character.

The story is not very "exciting", but the exploration of the main characters motives and philosophy are worthy reasons of reading it, much more since you are very unsure what parts of the main characters philosophy Dostoyevsky agrees with and what parts he disagree's with.

8/10

Crime and Punishment
By Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky

In Crime and Punishment, Dostoyevsky brings up many of the same ideas that he used in Notes from Underground, this time however. Dostoyevsky tries to make more of a plot out of the main character's beliefs, and tries to show some sympathy for him.

The book is told in third person, the story revolves around Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov. Rodion is a young, incredibly poor and half-starved student living in an insanely cramped apartment. While intelligent and handsome, he has to watch his and his family's dreams be ruined by poverty. driven to near insanity by his conditions, he (treated by some as a spoiler) murders an evil old moneylender (and by accident her kindly half-sister). The plot then revolves around a visit by his mother and sister, his optimistic friend (who falls in love with said sister), a really awesome investigator who plays mindgames with him, and his relationship with a young prostitute and her family.

While the main driving point of the novel is the murder, it's not actually a "will they get him or won't they?" murder mystery, rather, the novel revolves around Raskolnikovs slow moral awakening. His madened rants attempting to reason for his crime ("I did not murder a human! I murdered a principle!"), his jumps between extreme cruelty and extreme compassion and his slow realisation that he is nothing more than a common murderer is what drives the book.

Although a heavy book. I found it much easier to read than Notes from Underground. The ending

Spoiler

was surprisingly hopeful and heartwarming

, and while Dostoyevsky's christianity (which has influenced much of my own views on religion) shines through many times, it never becomes annoying or gets in the way of the plot. And instead of being the typical "JESUS DIED FOR U! Y U NO LOEV JESUS?!", he focuses on how love and hope are powerful things. Which I am sure, atheists too can appreciate.

10/10

PS: The danish translations (seemingly this is the case with all Dostoyevsky books) had an insane quantity of the word "gemen", which in english means something roughly like "mean" or "common" (as in: just a common thief). Almost to the level of a drinking game. Not sure wether Dostoyevsky loved the russian version of the word or wether the translator(s) did.

Edited by SquigPie, 26 May 2011 - 17:45.

[Krieger22]

This is definitely a necro, but here goes:

Ghostrider One
By Gerry Carroll

9/10

Really great book revolving around the days of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, with the main focus on an A-4 attack squadron and its pilots. A truly engrossing read, and great humor as well.