Dan’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2009)

Dan’s comments from the fiction files redux group.

I’ve never read Wright, but have always felt like I should have by now. I’m currently reading White Noise by DeLillo, so I’m definitely behind the times.

It feels like it’s been a very long time since I’ve finished a book, but I’ve got plenty started. Working my way through Knausgaard’s Spring, and Powers’ Generosity. I also started the latest Murakami today. Maybe I’ll have finished one or more of them by the end of the month.

That’s a solid list of classics I haven’t read and a few of them I’d happily join in on.

Hey! It is great to see some action in here. As Kerry already knows, I just saw Hodgman in book tour. At our stop we was conversing with George R.R. Martin via Skype which ended up being pretty funny.

Before I dive into Vacationland I’m going to finish up Emmanuel Carrère’s, Live Other Than My Own. The NYT’s Book Review podcast couldn’t stop talking about him for a few weeks so I had to see what the fuss was about.

I haven't preordered it yet. I need to get my act together.

What's a Ben Loory? 🤔

So who's going on here? I'm moving my ability to join in to a 'maybe'.

I agree with you on that Hugh. some of the repetition made the novel feel like it was directed towards a younger reading audience. I remember quite often thinking, "I know this already."

Despite my reservations of starting with Butler's vampire novel, and despite the novel's short comings I am still interested in reading more of Butler's work.

I have not read anything else yet, but I have heard that this is her one and only Vampire book and is a bit of an outlier. Patty would be best to weigh in on this. I believe she has read a lot of Butler.

First of all credit for the group read should go out to Elizabeth. She kicked this whole thing off by tagging me in a FB post.

I agree Hugh, I think both the young physical appearance, and the eroticism of the bite. I like the idea of those who are bit becoming part of a symbiotic relationship. Both decisions adds a complexity that I hadn't expected.

It's also interesting to consider that becoming a symbiont, is someone choosing to become an addict and that withdrawal from the bite would very likely lead to death. Luckily there are some upsides.

You are right Elizabeth about "The theme of rebirth without complete detachment from prior experiences is exciting." I'm interested to see you how both think this plays out.

How're things going with this one? I finished it last week and have somethings to say about it more generally, but I don't want to spoil anything.

Hugh, did you find that after the second chapter that you were still drawn in? Or did it continue to vary? I almost feel like the first chapter is purposefully keeping you at arms length.

So this one reads pretty quickly, I've already passed the 150 page mark.

I will say that I have read almost no other novels containing vampires, but know enough to say that they are being represented differently then they typically are. How do you think this portrayal compares to other depictions?

I do find that I like the idea of the main character having amnesia, and learning about her life and race as we do.

It's interesting as I was reading it I kept thinking, "Enough already, I get it." but thinking back I don't think I really did. It seems more evident now that it's relentlessness was to make us live through it the way Willem and the others did. So I think it evoked from us exactly the response Yanagihara wanted us to have.

Sorry to hijack this thread.

I think that it's interesting that you mentioned escapist sorts of books. It's easy to say this now but I'd like to think I'd look for things profound in some way, and probably things that would expound on death. I am pretty sure I'd read the Tao Te Ching a few times. I've always felt it calming. I'd probably also reread Gabriel: A Poem by Edward Hirsch.

At the same time, Percival Everett's I am Not Sidney Poitier and any of the Jeeve's books by Wodehouse would make the cut.

I guess, just like in any other situation, I am always hoping to find and read the best book for my current frame of mind.

How are you liking A Little Life? It was relentlessly sad, but good. Short stories are definitely the way to go as a follow up to that one.

That's probably a fair estimation. I think that seems like a good size to start searching for.

So let's say you've got a friend, and that friend has just one year left to live (for whatever reason). What 5 books would you suggest they read before kicking the bucket and why? Would they be the same 5 books you'd read personally?

I don't think this needs to be a "what are your favorite books?" type of thread, but rather a what do you think is important for someone to read before they disappear.

Disclaimer: as fas as I know, I'll be here beyond a year. I was just thinking about this the other day and wasn't sure I could give a good answer.

I think we can assume Katie and I will make it in early july.

Everett's new short stories were wonderful. I am an admittedly bad short story reader. For some reason I can't handle changing so quickly from one thing to the next. Perhaps I just need to read a story and then put the book down for the day to allow some time to digest.

I did recently pick up Berlin's A Manual for Cleaning Women that I am looking forward to. I've been slowly crawling through that 900 page monster City on Fire so I haven't gotten to it yet.

I am intrigued by the Best Of 2015 from your comments Martha.

Hi folks, I'm obviously late to this party. I hadn't even realized we had a thread going. I would have to say it's unlikely that Katie and I will be able to swing an international dork this year.

There have been a couple of large unforeseen expenses that came up that will likely limit our vacation monies.