Whatcha reading?

Sweet action for kids 'n' cretins. Marjoram and capers.
Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

77) Ramones - 33/3rd - Nicholas Rombes. Audiobook. 2005. A rock critic's book on meaning of punk through the prism of the Ramones' first album, intellectualisng the art and aware that the themes of the album don't invite that approach immediately. The writer also knows that music fans can also react badly to thinking hard about punk rock, but I found this a fun read which had nothing new for me, but only because I've read a frankly stupid amount on the band and era.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Inder
User avatar
corecore vanguard
Posts: 10679
Joined: 14 Jun 2008, 3:28pm

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Inder »

Wolter wrote:
16 Oct 2020, 3:23pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
16 Oct 2020, 3:04pm
Inder wrote:
16 Oct 2020, 2:51pm
I switched to The Exoricst, as read by the author. 😎
Oh my, the book isn't very good. The movie is absurdly better. The only Blatty novel that I can recommend (highly) is Legion, his sequel to The Exorcist and the basis for The Exorcist III.
Yeah. I never dug deeper into his work when I realized how much better the movie was.
This also fell by the wayside. I'm onto listening to The Lost World, which I am enjoying even more than JP. I still find Crichton's way of turning characters into talking Wikipedia articles endearing.

Flex
User avatar
Mechano-Man of the Future
Posts: 35802
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
Location: The Information Superhighway!

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Flex »

anyone have any good recommendations for audiobook readings of Frankenstein, Dracula or Poe's works? Have some long driving to do in the next couple weeks and thought it could be a fun listen.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Flex wrote:
19 Oct 2020, 1:43pm
anyone have any good recommendations for audiobook readings of Frankenstein, Dracula or Poe's works? Have some long driving to do in the next couple weeks and thought it could be a fun listen.
There are some fantastic Poe readings out there by Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone and Christopher Lee. Lee also has a collection of spooky old stories like the Monkeys Paw which he did for radio late in life which are great.

The Tim Curry Dracula book for audible is my favourite rendition of the book, with lots of other cool stars involved.

Not sure which version of Frankenstein I heard but I see Dan Stevens has recorded one, and I've had a good time with his interpretation of the Bond books.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115994
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:11am
78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
What are the four questions?
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:53am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:11am
78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
What are the four questions?
Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115994
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 9:58am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:53am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:11am
78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
What are the four questions?
Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Silent Majority
Singer-Songwriter Nancy
Posts: 18702
Joined: 10 Nov 2008, 8:28pm
Location: South Londoner in the Midlands.

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Silent Majority »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 10:31am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 9:58am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:53am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:11am
78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
What are the four questions?
Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
a lifetime serving one machine
Is ten times worse than prison


www.pexlives.libsyn.com/

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115994
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:28am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 10:31am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 9:58am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:53am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:11am
78) Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide - John Cleese. Kindle. 2020. Really short book, more of a magazine article than anything else. Helpful and wise, very much to the point. You could call this a bit of a cash in for the Christmas market, but Cleese wrote it in lockdown and I think the attempt came from a good place, worth investing the hour it took to read. I liked his four questions for a critical reader and there's other practical stuff too. Loses points for not seeing the easiest way of getting creative: walking around alone for a long time while listening to Fugazi instrumentals.
What are the four questions?
Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
Right, right. And not everything has to seek to be vanguardist. Formula work or stuff aimed at a mass and diverse audience isn't a bad thing.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Flex
User avatar
Mechano-Man of the Future
Posts: 35802
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
Location: The Information Superhighway!

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Flex »

Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:09am
There are some fantastic Poe readings out there by Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone and Christopher Lee. Lee also has a collection of spooky old stories like the Monkeys Paw which he did for radio late in life which are great.

The Tim Curry Dracula book for audible is my favourite rendition of the book, with lots of other cool stars involved.

Not sure which version of Frankenstein I heard but I see Dan Stevens has recorded one, and I've had a good time with his interpretation of the Bond books.
Thanks man! That gives me plenty to fill some time with some spookiness.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

Kory
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 17319
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 1:42pm
Location: In the Discosphere

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:52am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:28am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 10:31am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 9:58am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 8:53am


What are the four questions?
Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
Right, right. And not everything has to seek to be vanguardist. Formula work or stuff aimed at a mass and diverse audience isn't a bad thing.
Also, everything he did after Python was fairly conventional, comparatively.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115994
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 1:53pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:52am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:28am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 10:31am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 9:58am


Where were you bored?

Where could you not understand what was going on?

Where did you not find things credible?

Was there anything you found emotionally confusing?
All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
Right, right. And not everything has to seek to be vanguardist. Formula work or stuff aimed at a mass and diverse audience isn't a bad thing.
Also, everything he did after Python was fairly conventional, comparatively.
That's true. Like an ex-Beatle, no longer spurred by the times and bandmates.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Kory
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 17319
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 1:42pm
Location: In the Discosphere

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Kory »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 2:29pm
Kory wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 1:53pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:52am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:28am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 10:31am


All of those seem driven by a desire for clarity and strict entertainment (or, more broadly, hedonism). The thing I'd argue against in that is it lends itself to dumbing down. Or, perhaps what I mean, it doesn't aim towards challenging or inspiring the reader. Which is why it's curious that a Python would write this advice as opposed to the guy who dreamed up The Big Bang Theory. Cleese & co were pathbreaking for intentional confusion in the sense of fucking with convention—what the rules say should happen next—and for inviting confusion in the service of challenging comedy. Perhaps I'm reading against what he means here, having not read the piece.
No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
Right, right. And not everything has to seek to be vanguardist. Formula work or stuff aimed at a mass and diverse audience isn't a bad thing.
Also, everything he did after Python was fairly conventional, comparatively.
That's true. Like an ex-Beatle, no longer spurred by the times and bandmates.
I get the sense from interviews and stuff that it was more the Oxford Pair and the American that were in the engine room for making things wacky and deconstructed with Python.
"Suck our Earth dick, Martians!" —Doc

Dr. Medulla
User avatar
Atheistic Epileptic
Posts: 115994
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:00pm
Location: Straight Banana, Idaho

Re: Whatcha reading?

Post by Dr. Medulla »

Kory wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 4:14pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 2:29pm
Kory wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 1:53pm
Dr. Medulla wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:52am
Silent Majority wrote:
21 Oct 2020, 11:28am


No, I think your read is fair. Perhaps if the guide had been longer (or less cheerful?) he could have clarified for work which aims for challenging or idiosyncratic, but the questions could be used for a focus group's smoothing out of a piece.
Right, right. And not everything has to seek to be vanguardist. Formula work or stuff aimed at a mass and diverse audience isn't a bad thing.
Also, everything he did after Python was fairly conventional, comparatively.
That's true. Like an ex-Beatle, no longer spurred by the times and bandmates.
I get the sense from interviews and stuff that it was more the Oxford Pair and the American that were in the engine room for making things wacky and deconstructed with Python.
All quite relative from within, of course. Some individuals might have been more conventional than others in inclination, but clearly it was a group mindset at work.
"I never doubted myself for a minute for I knew that my monkey-strong bowels were girded with strength, like the loins of a dragon ribboned with fat and the opulence of buffalo dung." - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft

Post Reply