Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 20, 2008 at 7:44pm

Hey Jeffrey - On any given day, these might change positions (or even disappear in favor of another), but today, on the spur of the moment:

10. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
9. Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
8. Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
7. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
6. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
5. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
4. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
3. Almost everything by Colette
2. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
1. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann

I kept my list to non-documentary/bio/philosophy/etc. but I loved The God Delusion, The Missionary Position: Mother Theresa in Theory and Practice (Hitchens), and The Mayor of Castro Street (a biography of Harvey Milk) by Randy Shilts.

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 21, 2008 at 12:41pm

Hey yourself Vitomama, I kinda have the same problem with my top ten lists whether it's books, movies, or music they're always changing. I was thinking about leaving The God Delusion off but after I finished it I told someone it was the best book I'd ever read. So I think it'll stay number one for a while. I also didn't want to put more than one book by the same author. I was thinking about putting The Golden Compass on there but thought it was too soon for that since I just finished it last week.

I recognize only 2 authors on your list and a few of the titles. Anything you'd recommend?

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 21, 2008 at 12:56pm

Hey! Definitely The Missionary Position: Mother Theresa..., but I also have a feeling you might like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf - it's brutal. After you read it (if you do), get the film version with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 21, 2008 at 1:01pm

I'm currently reading 2 books: God Is Not Great and The Subtle Knife but when I breeze through these I'll get on Who's Afriad. If its brutal it's right up my alley.

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 23, 2008 at 8:05am

You say you like "brutal"? Have you read American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis? You're young enough that you didn't have to endure the 80s as an adult, but you're obviously very intelligent, well-read, and curious. It's a scathing indictment on that decade through the eyes of a psycho. While the book is brilliant, I found that it went on a bit in places (which actually is part of the point) - it's one of the few instances where I thought the film (with the great Christian Bale) translated much better.

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 23, 2008 at 10:04am

I haven't read American Psycho but I do have the movie and I love it. Yeah that movie is completely sadistic. I'm obsessed over the 80's and I think it captured the time pretty well. I remember bits and pieces of the 80's but mostly it's trivial stuff like fashion, music, and movies. My favorite song back then was that everyone wants a dinosaur song. Unfortunately I also remember the girls at my daycare playing Bon Jovi endlessly on their boom boxes. Another modern movie that seemed to capture the essence of the 80's pretty well was Donnie Darko. It's funny that you mention American Psycho because I've been thinking about it a lot because another movie I've seen recently reminded me of it. The movie I'm talking about is called Teeth. Anyway if you'll remember when American Psycho was released there was this whole controversy about how misogynistic it was. I heard a lot of good things about Teeth and the idea of a girl with a toothed vagina was appealing to me. Short answer I thought it sucked balls. The first thing about it that kinda pissed me off was it started off with the lead character preaching abstinence to a bunch of christian children. Throughout the rest of the movie the only positive male role is played by the father. The rest of the men throughout the movie are sleazy perverted jerks. Her boyfriend tries to rape her after he knocks her unconscious, her brother is listless goth stoner that treats his girlfriend like shit and wants to fuck his sister, she gets involved with another guy who successfully beds her only to later be castrated when he reveals he was only in it for the bragging rites. Even the gynecologist in that movie was a pervert. Anyway after watching American Psycho and Wolf Creek I didn't get why so many women were offended by it now I guess the shoe's on the other foot. By now I'm sure we're all aware of what a versatile actor Christian Bale is. I thought it was kinda ironic that he could go from an American Psycho to Batman.

**EDIT** I'd also like to say Thriller was also one of my favorite songs. My parents recorded the music video for me and I watched it endlessly.

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 23, 2008 at 10:09am

Seems like the guy can do anything - have you seen The Machinist?

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 23, 2008 at 10:13am

No I haven't but I've heard a lot about it. Any good?

Permalink Reply by Calla on July 23, 2008 at 11:47am

Can I just make a list of books without putting them in order? Numbering them would be way too hard.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
On Beauty - Zadie Smith
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling (I know it's not exactly high culture, but what can you do. :P)
31 Songs - Nick Hornby
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë

Should re-read a few of those.

Permalink Reply by Calla on July 25, 2008 at 5:04am

Aww, too bad about The Eyre Affair, it (and the sequels) are some of my favorite "light" books :) I remember not understanding much the first time I started reading it, but it got better towards the end... so if at all possible, give it another go when you've gotten over your loathing.
In my defence (if one is needed), I started reading Harry Potters when I was a lot younger (in junior high), and they were among the first books I read in English. Maybe that's why I have a special soft spot for them. Ah, the good old times! ;)

I'll add a few of yours to my reading list, it's high time I read Dracula...

Permalink Reply by Hellriser on July 26, 2008 at 9:48am

I loved Jane Eyre too. I was a little lost at times with the descriptive paragraphs since my English vocab wasn't that great at that time. I, like you strongly dislike Harry Potter also. Never read the books, but there's certain things in the movies that turn me off. For instance, the school this kids attend resembles an ivy league British prep school for the rich kids. Also there was something about the "half-bloods" or something in that line, people that weren't all the way wizards. That to me sounds a little too much like Nazi stuff. So, I must conclude, I consider Harry Potter series elitist, racist and male dominated.

Permalink Reply by Vitomama on July 26, 2008 at 4:33pm

I forgot about The Handmaid's Tale! And who doesn't love the Brontes?! Just kidding, a lot of folks don't... Even Anne's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is great.

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