tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17976187.post7620207960312772699..comments2023-10-15T05:23:10.677-04:00Comments on Thirsty: A Biblioasis Miscellany: in honour of "poo-tee-weet?", late father of "shit."Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17976187.post-33563759878509282882007-04-13T10:16:00.000-04:002007-04-13T10:16:00.000-04:00I could never read Robbins either. Fahrenheit 451...I could never read Robbins either. Fahrenheit 451 is the only Bradbury I made it through. <BR/><BR/><BR/>I'm getting over some of my hangups. Cormac McCarthy had been one, as I assumed for a long time that he was just another boring historical novelist. How wrong. You mentioned Celine: he's another. Of more contemporary authors, Michel Houellebecq. Fascinating, and terribly funny, though in a very discomfiting fashion. There are certainly others...biblioasishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18095243375615643176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17976187.post-21227803160980142322007-04-12T23:19:00.000-04:002007-04-12T23:19:00.000-04:00Slaughterhouse Five...then these 3 in any order: B...Slaughterhouse Five...then these 3 in any order: Breakfast of Champions, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, Mother Night...that is where i would start.<BR/><BR/>what you say about aversions based on author-associated types, scenes, is interesting...though in this case (obviously) we're hooked up differently...i never could finish a robbins book, and bradbury seems a stale hack compared to vonnegut at his best...though agreed there is a "best by" date for first meeting (any?) author.<BR/><BR/>good question: which author have you (perhaps unjustly) shunned due to his/her fans? (answers swim legion: 1) some horrible snobs have got between me and wallace stevens, woolf, genet....)(...oh, and rilke...i met too many "angels" reading his angels....)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17976187.post-85043071223088379842007-04-12T19:37:00.000-04:002007-04-12T19:37:00.000-04:00I've never read Vonnegut. He's been on my list for...I've never read Vonnegut. He's been on my list for some time, but I fear/ed that time past. It was, in my late teens, early twenties, the people who so often read him that put me off. He seemed so much a part of the Kerouac to Pirsig to Tom Robbins schtik. 2nd rate philosophy, 2nd rate humour, little style or taste. As a bookseller I could tell within 15 paces that a guy (& it was always a guy), would ask after Vonnegut. If you didn't have him, you might be able to sell him Salinger, or the aforementioned trio, but otherwise it was splitsville. (Or Ray Bradbury: all part of the same late adolescent, battle fatigued and hung over package.)<BR/><BR/>But after this, mike, perhaps I should give him a go. Looks like Slaughterhouse or Rosewater. Suggestions?<BR/><BR/>- DanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com