Hi folks. Some of you might recognize me from making excellent posts all over the forum. Sometimes when I'm not bringing new perspectives to the forum, I read books. Real literature. Timeless classics. Name a classic that you heard people have to read if they major in pre-waitering, English Lit, and I've read it. But there's nowhere on this forum to discuss such works of art, these literary pieces, these books.
Perhaps its because I'm what my old grandmammy Callie called me in my youth: an old soul. Or perhaps it's cause no one ever floated the idea. Let's find out.
I say let's start a CP book club and our first book will be The Unvanquished by William Faulkner. Reply if you're down.
I grew up in a town without many literate, let alone literary, friends. Might CP have any intellectual giants like me?
Order your copy of The Unvanquished now cause I'm liable to start this club with no support, much like Nathan Bedford Forrest didn't need or wait for support before charging a weak Union line. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Vladimir_Kyrilytch:
You're a retired schoolteacher IIRC. You should be listing dozens of options. What was your favorite book to teach? Was it Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage?
My three favorite books in all of school; Red Badge of Courage, Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Originally Posted by scho63:
My three favorite books in all of school; Red Badge of Courage, Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird.
I wish we had more great ones
I liked of Mice and Men. Hated Red Badge of Courage but I recently bought it at a used book store to re-read. I doubt I gave it its proper due back when it was a school assignment.
But Mr Scho my good friend. If you like those 3 things, Faulkner is similar but on a whole different level. It's like you're telling me you used to enjoy riding bicycles, not knowing that there are MOTORCYCLES out there!
Try reading the short story Barn Burning by Faulkner. Its easily findable for free online as a pdf. It's a fairly quick read. If you dig that, head straight in to The Hamlet. [Reply]
What's your favorite book, Cave Johnson? Mine is Absalom, Absalom! by Billy F. But I ain't gonna BS you man, in 2nd place is To Have And Have Not by Ernest Hemingway. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Vladimir_Kyrilytch:
What's your favorite book, Cave Johnson? Mine is Absalom, Absalom! by Billy F. But I ain't gonna BS you man, in 2nd place is To Have And Have Not by Ernest Hemingway.
Originally Posted by Cave Johnson:
I’m more of a non-fiction guy.
Non fiction can be good too. I am actually 70 pages into a nonfiction book titled "That Devil Forrest". It's a 500 page biography on Nathan Bedford Forrest. Such a fascinating guy. He was the best soldier in the civil war and possibly best American soldier ever. He was smart but he wasnt a West Point guy.
Many of his tactics are studied at military institutions today. Guy was a legend. If I get this timemachine I've been tinkering on to work, I'm going back to 1861 and joining Forrest's cavalry!.
The writer of the book, Sam Wythe, fought for the South under Forrest. So he was there. He knew the man. A legit firsthand source. Wythe survived the war and became a surgeon and later wrote the definitive NBF biography, "That Devil Forrest". [Reply]
I appreciate the initiative, and it just so happens that I recently purchased an uncracked Franklin Library version of Winesburg, Ohio at a library book sale. I've never read it, and it is not really on my priority list of future reads. Neither is anything from Faulkner.
Right now, my focus is on getting through some books others have passed to me, but I'd be up for The Old Man and the Sea or a similar quick read. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Jenson71:
I appreciate the initiative, and it just so happens that I recently purchased an uncracked Franklin Library version of Winesburg, Ohio at a library book sale. I've never read it, and it is not really on my priority list of future reads. Neither is anything from Faulkner.
Right now, my focus is on getting through some books others have passed to me, but I'd be up for The Old Man and the Sea or a similar quick read.
So it is on. Call it the Vlad & Jenson book club. Is your copy of Winesburg the green leather version with the gold lettering? Great book. Real beauty.
Dig into it though. Sherwood Anderson was an interesting character. He was a successful guy in business, had a wife, a real picture of virtue. Then out of the blue, he told his wife fuck you I'm out, told his company fuck you I'm out, moved to New Orleans and became a writer.
That's pretty hardcore.
Then Winesburg. That novel I think is subversive. It attacks American virtue at its heart. I don't really like it and I would probably fight Anderson if I met him. But he could write. I won't deny the artistry.
He was known as a mentor to both Faulkner and Hemingway. He had talent. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Vladimir_Kyrilytch:
So it is on. Call it the Vlad & Jenson book club. Is your copy of Winesburg the green leather version with the gold lettering? Great book. Real beauty.
That's it -- although I'm not sure if it's real leather or imitation leather made of cardboard. It looks great, but it feels like the latter. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Jenson71:
That's it -- although I'm not sure if it's real leather or imitation leather made of cardboard. It looks great, but it feels like the latter.
Hey, guys - just beware that if you join this book club more likely than not you'll be halfway through Anna Karenina or whatever and Vlad will contact you and let you know that she throws herself in front of a train and dies in the end. That's kinda his thing.