Posts tagged novel

jefcostellos: Ernest Hemingway, center, photographed for the Oak Park High School football team, November 1915

jefcostellos:

Ernest Hemingway, center, photographed for the Oak Park High School football team, November 1915

Currently reading

Currently reading

You don’t have anything if you don’t have the stories.
Leslie Marmon Silko; Ceremony
You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world.
Chuck Palahniuk; Fight Club
Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different from everyone else.
David Foster Wallace; Infinite Jest
books0977: Lord of the Flies (1954). William Golding (1911-1999). London: Faber and Faber. Octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spine in white. First edition. Novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results. Subjects of human nature and individual welfare versus the common good “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies

books0977:

Lord of the Flies (1954). William Golding (1911-1999). London: Faber and Faber. Octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spine in white. First edition.

Novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results. Subjects of human nature and individual welfare versus the common good

“Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.” ― William Golding, Lord of the Flies

books0977

It’s easy to criticize somebody for doing something that you’re too scared to do yourself.
TBV; Conversations from the Frontlines
Teach them at an early age to read and they’ll be far better for it.

Teach them at an early age to read and they’ll be far better for it.

That’s the thing about pain…it demands to be felt.
John Green; The Fault in Our Stars
glycerineclown: Letter from Barack Obama to Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi. Martel’s response: The coolest thing happened to me last week. There was a stiff, mid-size envelope in my mailbox. I don’t get as much mail as you do, but I do get my fair share (and I don’t have any staff to help me with it). So what was this, what request, what demand? I noted that it came from the US. I opened it. Between two pieces of cardboard, a smaller envelope slipped out. On the front, top left, was the return address: The White House, Washington, DC 20500. I was intrigued. Not The White House. I opened the envelope, and there it was, on White House letterhead, a handwritten note from President Obama. I do believe my heart skipped a beat. A week later I’m still gingerly taking the note out to marvel at it. The President of the United States wrote to me—to me! For sure I’m going to have the note framed. If there was a way of tattooing it on my back, I would. What amazes me is the gratuity of it. As you would know, there is a large measure of calculation in what public figures do. But here, what does he gain? I’m not a US citizen. In no way can I be of help to President Obama. Clearly he did it for personal reasons, as a reader and as a father. And in two lines, what an insightful analysis of Life of Pi. Bless him, bless him. Just how cool is this?!?

glycerineclown:

Letter from Barack Obama to Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi.

Martel’s response: The coolest thing happened to me last week. There was a stiff, mid-size envelope in my mailbox. I don’t get as much mail as you do, but I do get my fair share (and I don’t have any staff to help me with it). So what was this, what request, what demand? I noted that it came from the US. I opened it. Between two pieces of cardboard, a smaller envelope slipped out. On the front, top left, was the return address: The White House, Washington, DC 20500. I was intrigued. Not The White House. I opened the envelope, and there it was, on White House letterhead, a handwritten note from President Obama. I do believe my heart skipped a beat. A week later I’m still gingerly taking the note out to marvel at it. The President of the United States wrote to me—to me! For sure I’m going to have the note framed. If there was a way of tattooing it on my back, I would. What amazes me is the gratuity of it. As you would know, there is a large measure of calculation in what public figures do. But here, what does he gain? I’m not a US citizen. In no way can I be of help to President Obama. Clearly he did it for personal reasons, as a reader and as a father. And in two lines, what an insightful analysis of Life of Pi. Bless him, bless him.

Just how cool is this?!?

As soon as you tie me down and put me in a box, I’ll cease to exist even though I’m here. Never let this place make you that kind of person. It’ll only ruin us.
TBV; Conversations from the Frontlines
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.
Harper Lee; To Kill a Mockingbird
And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed.
John Steinbeck; The Grapes of Wrath
ohne-dich: J K Rowling launches ‘The Casual Vacancy’ (Sept 27 2012) The publisher, Little Brown, did not format the digital copy of her book correctly so all the digital copies are messed up on the various devices. I’m curious how that has affected her initial sales. I’m looking forward to reading this book.

ohne-dich:

J K Rowling launches ‘The Casual Vacancy’ (Sept 27 2012)

The publisher, Little Brown, did not format the digital copy of her book correctly so all the digital copies are messed up on the various devices. I’m curious how that has affected her initial sales.

I’m looking forward to reading this book.

ohne-dich

Currently reading. Update (2/16/2012) - Those of you who have expressed concern about reading this novel due to what USA Today declared, “That it will appeal to Twilight fans.” No need to worry. If I tell you why I think USA Today said that it might spoil the novel. This work is far better than Twilight. Gayle Forman actually knows how to write. I’m around 60 pages in and the storyline is nothing like Twilight. Don’t let their comments sway you from reading it. Cheers.

Currently reading.

Update (2/16/2012) - Those of you who have expressed concern about reading this novel due to what USA Today declared, “That it will appeal to Twilight fans.” No need to worry. If I tell you why I think USA Today said that it might spoil the novel. This work is far better than Twilight. Gayle Forman actually knows how to write. I’m around 60 pages in and the storyline is nothing like Twilight. Don’t let their comments sway you from reading it. Cheers.