Leseratte
Well-known member
Welcome! Seems you also have a liking for Goethe and his peers.
Introduce yourself
- Thread starter Stewart
- Start date
VilaFrancaWeimar
New member
Well, it was more of a cinema thing when I picked this name some time ago. Schiller is fine, I guess, but I'm not big on that enlightenment business. I'm kind of hoping for a neo-medievality tbh. Reason-schmeason knowaddamsayin?
Stevie B
Current Member
Welcome to the Forum, Vila. I’m more of a Dostoevsky fan, too, so you won’t get an argument from me.
Ben Jackson
Well-known member
Welcome Vila to the board, love to hear your views.
umbrarchist
Member
Greetings & Salutations,
I am an old SF reader, since 4th grade before the Original Star Trek. Because of science fiction I decided I would become an engineer in 7th grade. I suspect:
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C Clarke
was the greatest single book in influencing that decision. So I went to college for Electrical Engineering and worked for IBM. I don't like suits but what can you do?
Filthy lucre rules! LOL
Anyway I came to this site because I read some non-SF, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.
I am an old SF reader, since 4th grade before the Original Star Trek. Because of science fiction I decided I would become an engineer in 7th grade. I suspect:
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur C Clarke
was the greatest single book in influencing that decision. So I went to college for Electrical Engineering and worked for IBM. I don't like suits but what can you do?
Filthy lucre rules! LOL
Anyway I came to this site because I read some non-SF, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga.
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Ben Jackson
Well-known member
You're welcome to the forum, my friend.
Piblo
Well-known member
Let's make this quick and easy.
I'm Piblo, Colombian. I love writing and reading. I have a weird obsession with Philip Roth, tangerines, the Nobel prize, and soccer (the one played by the English, not the weird American thing).
My strong interest is in American literature, although in general, I try to enjoy literature from all over the world. I try not to read two books in a row by the same author, or by authors from the same country. I do best with novels, but I also love short stories, poetry, essays and non-fiction (technically I'm a journalist).
I came to Comala because I was told that my father, a man called Pedro Páramo, lived here (points for those who understand this reference).
See you in the Nobel speculation forum (A.K.A. my personal cave these days).
I'm Piblo, Colombian. I love writing and reading. I have a weird obsession with Philip Roth, tangerines, the Nobel prize, and soccer (the one played by the English, not the weird American thing).
My strong interest is in American literature, although in general, I try to enjoy literature from all over the world. I try not to read two books in a row by the same author, or by authors from the same country. I do best with novels, but I also love short stories, poetry, essays and non-fiction (technically I'm a journalist).
I came to Comala because I was told that my father, a man called Pedro Páramo, lived here (points for those who understand this reference).
See you in the Nobel speculation forum (A.K.A. my personal cave these days).
Piblo
Well-known member
Currently reading: The satanic verses by Salman Rushdie.
Leseratte
Well-known member
My favorite Salman Rushdie!
Ben Jackson
Well-known member
You're welcome once again, my friend.
Out of curiosity, what's your favourite work from Philip Roth? I've read Portnoy's Complaint and Everyman, both beautiful works, and planning to read next either Human Stain or Sabbath's Theater. And since your interest is in American Literature and Nobel Prizes, what's your favourite novelist, poet, short story writer, essayist/literary critic and your favourite Nobel Laurete? Again, just out of curiosity. Will catch you in the Nobel Speculation Thread.
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Verkhovensky
Well-known member
There is nothing weird with obsession with soccer! Who's the GOAT in your opinion?
Piblo
Well-known member
I think I've read 9 of Roth Books (I have more on my library, but he is my comfort reading, so I came back to his books once in a while every year). From all of them, I think that American Pastoral was his peak. Followed by Portnoy's Complaint and The ghost writer. I read the Human Stain this year, but, for me, it's a little bit under American Pastoral. Some people have recommended me Sabbath's Theater and The Plot Against America, but I haven't read any of those (I have the books on the Library, same with Operation Shylock and Everyman. Try with American Pastoral, if not, go with Sabbath's or Ghostwriter. PS: There are some short fictions on Goodby Columbus, they are worth as Duck.
Novelist: Philip Roth (followed by García Márquez, J.M. Coetzee, Vargas Llosa, Salman Rushdie, José Saramago, Hertha Müller and Antonio Lobo Antunes).
Poet: Without a doubt Wislawa Szymborska and T.S. Eliot. Both sides of the coin, one extremely complex, one extremely deep buth simple in execution.
Short fictions: Jorge Luis Borges, Samantha Schweblin (highly recommended), Hemingway and Julio Cortázar/García Márquez. I enjoy Carver work too, but probably not at the same level.
Essayist: Elias Canetti (his works are bigger than people think), Enrique Vila-Matas, Vargas Llosa and Roth itself.
And favourite awarded: Faulkner. He was incredible. Period.
Piblo
Well-known member
Messi, there is no debate. Just look at his game, it's not a numbers thing, its pure magic, intelligence. He's a genius.
The Crab Lord
Member
Good day, friends.
I'm a Mexican pirate crab, aged a quarter century. I have a couple years following your speculations about the Nobel Prize, but just feel ready enough to participate in the discussion (still, my english is kind of clumsy, sorry).
I like the experimental literature. Currently, my favorite writers are Joyce, Pynchon and Vian, but I enjoy (almost) any kind of literature. Also have a reading handicap, where I have to read at least 2 authors per continent every year.
What else to say? Sometimes I write, sometimes I paint, no aspirations about it. The most fun is reading and discussing.
I'm a Mexican pirate crab, aged a quarter century. I have a couple years following your speculations about the Nobel Prize, but just feel ready enough to participate in the discussion (still, my english is kind of clumsy, sorry).
I like the experimental literature. Currently, my favorite writers are Joyce, Pynchon and Vian, but I enjoy (almost) any kind of literature. Also have a reading handicap, where I have to read at least 2 authors per continent every year.
What else to say? Sometimes I write, sometimes I paint, no aspirations about it. The most fun is reading and discussing.
Benny Profane
Well-known member
Very welcome to our board, fellow! I'm just a Pynchon fan too as you can notice in my nickname.
Ludus
Reader
Leseratte
Well-known member
Saludos!
redhead
Blahblahblah
Patrick Murtha
Reader
By way of a re-introduction: Retired “profesor de humanidades” - at different times I taught history, philosophy, English language and literature, art history, journalism, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology, in the US, South Korea, and Mexico, mostly at high school but also at middle school, university, and adult levels. 64 years old, gay male, single by preference but hardly living “alone” as I always have multiple pets - currently six indoor cats and a small dog, a Scoodle (Scottish Terrier / Miniature Poodle mix), who adores felines. I have been crazy about animals since I was a kid.
Living in Tlaxcala, Mexico, a very economical retirement location - I rent a modern three-bedroom house with a gated yard for about $225 / month USD. The weather here is perfect, never too hot or too cold.
My interests as listed in my Tumblr header: “Animals, books, classical music, opera, jazz, classic popular music, art, architecture, design, theater, film, television, radio, history, geography, natural history, transportation, communication, philosophy, ideas, nostalgia, memorabilia, ephemera, collecting and collections, periodicals, gardening, board games, baseball, golf, beer.”
Politically very much in the center, distinctly uncomfortable with the drift of discourse on both the left and the right these days. I have traditionalist leanings. I am certainly more elitist than egalitarian. I don’t like “presentism” and try to view everything in historical context.
I am a highly enthusiastic reader and commenter. Ratings are not to be taken that seriously, just a form of shorthand really, but still, the majority of my ratings at Goodreads are 4s and 5s (just as I have a huge number of 9s and 10s over at the IMDB). I am of course selective about what I choose to read, but once I have made that decision, I am VERY easy to please. So don’t look to me for the scathing critiques, because they are seldom my thing, and be aware that if you are a more critical type, my recommendations may not always fly.
Living in Tlaxcala, Mexico, a very economical retirement location - I rent a modern three-bedroom house with a gated yard for about $225 / month USD. The weather here is perfect, never too hot or too cold.
My interests as listed in my Tumblr header: “Animals, books, classical music, opera, jazz, classic popular music, art, architecture, design, theater, film, television, radio, history, geography, natural history, transportation, communication, philosophy, ideas, nostalgia, memorabilia, ephemera, collecting and collections, periodicals, gardening, board games, baseball, golf, beer.”
Politically very much in the center, distinctly uncomfortable with the drift of discourse on both the left and the right these days. I have traditionalist leanings. I am certainly more elitist than egalitarian. I don’t like “presentism” and try to view everything in historical context.
I am a highly enthusiastic reader and commenter. Ratings are not to be taken that seriously, just a form of shorthand really, but still, the majority of my ratings at Goodreads are 4s and 5s (just as I have a huge number of 9s and 10s over at the IMDB). I am of course selective about what I choose to read, but once I have made that decision, I am VERY easy to please. So don’t look to me for the scathing critiques, because they are seldom my thing, and be aware that if you are a more critical type, my recommendations may not always fly.
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