The Auteurs Book Club

Thought it would be nice to have a topic going where we can come talk about the books we’re all reading. So yeah…lets do that.

I’m reading A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (she played the wife in Silent Light). I’m only two chapters in but so far it has been amazing. It’s about a girl growing up in a Mennonite community who dislikes the religion and the restrictions it is putting upon her life. Her mother ran away three years ago though we don’t know why (but we do know she was not keen on some of the limitations the religion enforced). So far the book has just been so full of life, humour and warmth. The main character just has such a lovely way of telling things.

What you lot reading?

Unfortunately I haven’t read anything in awhile, but I have an urge to finish Nine Stories by Salinger and re-read some Hemingway.

just read Star by Peter Biskind. It is a fairly comprehensive bio on Warren Beatty. It skips his growing years (good) and concentrates only on the films he made and his notorious love life: 12,775 women and he is still alive. Other than that, getting ready to start rereading Mickey Spillaine novels.

Hell, yeah, I’m all for more nerdification! :)

Reading counts are “nerdification” now?

I’m reading Anna Karenina. It’s going by easier and faster than I thought. Love Levin, who is obviously Tolstoy’s avatar in the novel.

—PolarisDiB

You’re reading the Pevear-Volokhonsky translation, I hope.

war and cinema the logistics of perception by paul virilio

I just finished reading the graphic novel, Maus. It was the best.

Nope, “translated by Louise & Aylmer Maude”.

—PolarisDiB

Recently I finished Stephen King’s Under the Dome, which I loved, as well as David Sedaris’ Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim, which reads like This American life so I’m happy with it.

I’m nearly finished Walter Kirn’s Up in the Air and it’s startling how different the movie was form the original source material. Pretty much the entire plot is different. The drive of Ryan Bingham is different in each. Anna Kendrick’s character was invented for the film. The characteristics of his family members are completely different from the film. It’s actually pretty cool because I’m experiencing two different story deviations from a premise about collecting frequent flyer miles.

I’m reading theUnnamable by Samuel Beckett. It is a very hard but very interesting book. I guess Beckett writes whatever is thinking of and lose himself in very strange thoughts but it is rather interesting. If some of you have read it, I would like to talk about it to hear other points of view on it.

It’s been years since I’ve read that one, Vicky. Chiefly what I remember about it was that it was almost purely language—not much in the way of conventional characters, plot, setting, etc. It’s Beckett at his most subtractive.

nice thread, since i thhink films and books are very much alike and linked to each other..

i’m reading Murakami’s Norwegian Wood now. So far so good,em great. Have any of you read that?

“Norwegian Wood” is a superb novel of young love.

I’m reading Nabokov’s “Invitation to a Beheading,” which I’ve read several times before, although not in a long time.

Not that i always do this but, when looking for the next book i am going to read, unless there is a standout that i have to read, i will look for books that have received film treatment. and yes, more times than not the film is a disappointment, however, i love reading and i love film, soo…….i figure, why not try to meld them as closely together as i possibly can.

Currently reading – The Grapes of Wrath

I’m reading Invisible Man and it’s great so far…

polarisdib — I’m also reading Anna Karenina now.Although it’s not going so fast for me,because I’m giving exams this period.But I agree it’s not diffocult to read.Do you like it so far??I didn’t know that Levin is kind of Tolstoy’s avatar in the book.Of course,I don’t know much of Tolstoy,this is my first Tolstoy.I’m also going to read War & Peace during the next few months.

Matt, I see this book remains quiet a mystery for you too ! Well, I think Beckett tries to define what is conscience is : this is the big thing of the book.. btu he loses himself in thoughts I don’t always get…It’s quiet embarassing to have the feeling you don"t understand half of what he writes but well, it is Beckett, pretty much some of the most incomprehensible author who ever wrote something !

sorry for the mistakes, I just re-read my text, this is awful, but you’ll understand anyway !

I am reading Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago, a conspicuous novel .I meditation on death, in a country whithout a name some peculiar phenomenons happens: No one doesen t die anymore…

I am reading Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago, a conspicuous novel .I meditation on death, in a country whithout a name some peculiar phenomenons happens: No one doesen t die anymore…

I’m reading The Fountainhead. Ayn Rand’s words provide great imagery and I feel as if I’m watching a film. We get close-up shots of the character’s reactions and establishing shots of the buildings, etc. She’s a conceptualist.

Death With Interruptions is good.

I just finished David Mamet’s play Oleanna.

oleanna is very good
see the film if u can adam

Seven months later I’ve decided to get back in to reading again (A Complicated Kindness was great by the way and had me crying at one point it was so damn moving) and will be visiting the library at some point over the next week. Hoping to pick up Ulysses by Joyce which a close friend says I’ll love. Also Pale Fire and I was recommended Crash and Kafka on the Shore so I’ll read those soon as well :P

That said I’ve been reading up about Ulysses and…I might need some preperation…so I’ll save that for later. Apparently there’s a whole load of books that it is helpful to read beforehand.

Looking forward to the new translation of Dr. Zhivago by Pevear and Volokhonsky, due out this fall.

Hard to believe no one has tackled this book since the 1958 translation.

just finishing up SAILOR & LULA: THE COMPLETE NOVELS (Barry Gifford) – i’m a strong supporter of www.librarything.com … i received this book from the publishers (for free) in exchange for a written review; good, bad or indifferent… it’s a great look into the full story behind WILD AT HEART, David Lynch’s best work as far as i’m concerned.

Hey Cecil, let’s try to read Pale Fire at roughly the same time and discuss it here.

—PolarisDiB