The Bookworm Thread

[beathappening]

Dune by Frank Herbert. Absolute masterpiece, rich characters, so many themes, esp. spice as a model of oil industry in our present day.

Read it before the new movie comes out later this year!

Been wanting to read that, I just haven't got around to it, so much other stuff to read. Have you seen the David Lynch film?

[IndelibleDotInk]

Yeah, it's great, but only captures some of the aspects of the book's allegorical themes. Awesome movie still.

[herbalhippie]

Dune by Frank Herbert. Absolute masterpiece, rich characters, so many themes, esp. spice as a model of oil industry in our present day.

Read it before the new movie comes out later this year!

Been wanting to read that, I just haven't got around to it, so much other stuff to read. Have you seen the David Lynch film?

Now there was a bizarre movie.

I got to meet David Lynch when they were filming the Twin Peaks movie near where I lived. I don't know what I was expecting, his movies are so dark, but he was very sweet and soft-spoken and not crazy.

I'm reading Sacajawea by Anna Waldo. Haven't read it for years, it's well written.

[beathappening]

omg hh, you're so lucky! He's in my top 5 favorite directors of all time. Eraserhead and Blue Velvet changed my life haha.

That twin peaks: fire walk with me movie was extremely bizarre, even for him, and had some legitimately scary parts. I loved it. I think the only reason I haven't seen Dune is it's one of his more critically panned films. Alejandro Jodorowsky was originally slated to direct Dune...now that would make Lunch seem tame. Another bit of trivia, Lynch was considered to direct Return of the Jedi at one point.

He does seem like a very relaxed guy in real life from what I've seen in interviews, but man he must have some extremely and intensely bizarre thoughts going through his head, I can't even imagine what a dream/nightmare of his would be like.

The new season of Twin Peaks from 2016 wasn't that bad either. Some of his weirdest stuff yet.

[mivanqua]

Return of the Jedi would have been a completely different movie had Lynch directed it, that's for sure. He is super amazing. I've seen all of his stuff except the Twin Peaks series, but only because I never got the chance. Hes definitely up there with the greats. He knows how to creep the viewer out, seemingly effortlessly. Blue Velvet is one of, if not THE creepiest movie ever made. Maybe The Elephant Man tops it, I would have to rewatch both to make that call. I saw Elephant Man when I was a kid and it really affected me. Back when HBO (and cable itself) was a new thing. Remember those brown box controllers with phone wire to the box? Yeah, like the 80s!

[beathappening]

Mulholland Drive is really weird too, (it even has Billy Ray Cyrus in it!). But Inland Empire (2006) takes the cake..

Do yourself a favor and rent the first season of Twin Peaks. It's absolutely stunning. It's hard to believe it was a major mainstream tv show back in the 90s The second season went downhill a bit. But Twin Peaks is an amazing blend of surrealism, uneasiness, strong characters and story line, and some shit that's completely off the wall. It's his most accessible and very humorous, but that's not to say it isn't totally bizarre in some spots. The character development is very intriguing. If anything, just watch the entire first episode and you'll see what I mean. For me, nothing beats David Lynch.

Although Alejandro Jodowsky is his an extremely close second. If you haven't seen Lynch's first real film "Eraserhead", which makes blue Velvet look like a feel good summer romp. it's an absolute must watch, and one of the most bizarre, unsettling, and brilliant films ever made..It's hard to describe, but once you see it, you will not forget it.. It puts down all of his other films in terms or creativity and uneasiness. It's an art film essentially, but it stays with you.

Elephant Man is almost a mainstream film, compared to anything else. Lost Highway is pretty good too.

Wait til you see both seasons of Twin peaks before you watch the prequel move Fire Walk with Me (David Bowie makes a cameo). It's even scarier and off the wall, which is a scandalous understatement. The new season of Twin Peaks from 2016 is good, but nowhere near the origmal

I could go on lol, I just love me some Lynch

[herbalhippie]

Do yourself a favor and rent the first season of Twin Peaks. It's absolutely stunning. It's hard to believe it was a major mainstream tv show back in the 90s The second season went downhill a bit. But Twin Peaks is an amazing blend of surrealism, uneasiness, strong characters and story line, and some shit that's completely off the wall. It's his most accessible and very humorous, but that's not to say it isn't totally bizarre in some spots. The character development is very intriguing. If anything, just watch the entire first episode and you'll see what I mean. For me, nothing beats David Lynch.

So I was living in the Snoqualmie Valley east of Seattle when the were filming the series. The Cafe was in North Bend, then Snoqualmie Falls between Snoqualmie and Fall City. The sets were mostly in those 3 towns. I started noticing name changes on some of the businesses. WTF? Didn't really pay any attention. Then the series came out. But when they filmed the movie I went and watched for like 5 days straight, they were filming in North Bend at that point. Chris Isaak was up for MTV video of the year for Wicked Game, so there was a big satellite truck parked at the set in case he won.

Blue Velvet is one of the creepiest movies I've ever seen. I didn't see Eraserhead until I'd seen a few of his other offerings first. Like you say, you have to wonder what inside his head is like.

[WhiteAngelica]

I'm an English Professor who is now on disability and have a massive book collection (part of my library is for sale and priced very low) and despite usually reading contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, I have recently fallen in love with Marvel.

I am currently reading "Daughters of the Dragon: Deep Cuts" which features Misty Knight and Colleen Wing (I sheepishly admit I fell in love with their characters from the Netflix Marvel series.) Misty was my favorite in Luke Cage, the Defenders, and the Iron Fist. I like my heroines, so Colleen fighting dudes in cage matches was swoonworthy. Without doubt I love Jessica Jones and Hellcat, though I like Jessica Jones more on screen than in text.

If you knew me, you'd think the LAST thing you'd see me reading is Marvel. Before that, I was reading the newest Natasha Trethewey book of selected poems. What can I say, my library is diverse and if I ever am well enough to teach again, I will include something from Marvel (or definitely a graphic novel like Fun Home) into my course curriculum. Who knows, maybe I will open a 'free school' online. Or yes, a bookclub)

[IndelibleDotInk]

The Green Mile by Stephen King

[beathappening]

Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak was actually an actor in the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me movie (as was David Bowie!) and Isaak's music was also on the soundtracks for Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart (one of my favorite Nicolas Cage's movies (Raising Arizona being a close second), he does a great/hilarious Elvis impersonation throughout). I'm not a huge Chris Isaak fan but his first album is terrific, and the general atmosphere of his songs are very dark and appealing. Never was a fan of Wicked Game, though

Just wondering hippie, did you ever finish Junky or get any farther into it?

[herbalhippie]

Chris Isaak

Chris Isaak was actually an actor in the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me movie (as was David Bowie!) and Isaak's music was also on the soundtracks for Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart (one of my favorite Nicolas Cage's movies (Raising Arizona being a close second), he does a great/hilarious Elvis impersonation throughout). I'm not a huge Chris Isaak fan but his first album is terrific, and the general atmosphere of his songs are very dark and appealing. Never was a fan of Wicked Game, though

Just wondering hippie, did you ever finish Junky or get any farther into it?

No, I didn't finish it. Lost interest. Or something.

Yes, the set of Fire Walk With Me is where I got to meet Chris Isaak. And some of the rest of the actors.

I love Wicked Game.

[beathappening]

Aww that's too bad.
Junky is so good, it's hard to imagine someone losing interest. But hey, it happens. I guess if you don't have an interest in the 40-50s drug subculture, (or if you've never lived that life firsthand and experienced the horrors of real life dopesickness) it's not as enthralling as if you hadn't. I certainly wouldn't blame you if you dislike some of the subject matter or disagree with the choices made in the novel. But it's incredibly accurate to those that have experience in that lifestyle, and it's a worthy slice of life writing for that time period and those involved.

Just wait til you get to the part where he drunkenly shoots his wife and absconds to Mexico, it gets pretty dark. His diatribes in the throes of alcoholism are both poignant and extremely sad, it gets very personal. You even start to dislike the protagonist from some of the stuff he does (he fights a cat, nevermind the accidental murder of his wife lol). I'll save you from sperging about all the reasons I love it, ha. But for me, there's no weak or slow parts to it, and it's his most accessible (try reading naked lunch or some of his 60s/70s work, it's extraordinarily difficult reading...he used many experimental ways of writing,)

At least you own it, maybe someday you'll give it another chance?

[mivanqua]

I have to say that Wicked Game is a super awesome tune. His other stuff...eh. But that song is something else.

[mivanqua]

Just wait til you get to the part where he drunkenly shoots his wife and absconds to Mexico,

The old William Tell routine

[herbalhippie]

Aww that's too bad.
Junky is so good, it's hard to imagine someone losing interest. But hey, it happens. I guess if you don't have an interest in the 40-50s drug subculture, (or if you've never lived that life firsthand and experienced the horrors of real life dopesickness) it's not as enthralling as if you hadn't. I certainly wouldn't blame you if you dislike some of the subject matter or disagree with the choices made in the novel. But it's incredibly accurate to those that have experience in that lifestyle, and it's a worthy slice of life writing for that time period and those involved.

Just wait til you get to the part where he drunkenly shoots his wife and absconds to Mexico, it gets pretty dark. His diatribes in the throes of alcoholism are both poignant and extremely sad, it gets very personal. You even start to dislike the protagonist from some of the stuff he does (he fights a cat, nevermind the accidental murder of his wife lol). I'll save you from sperging about all the reasons I love it, ha. But for me, there's no weak or slow parts to it, and it's his most accessible (try reading naked lunch or some of his 60s/70s work, it's extraordinarily difficult reading...he used many experimental ways of writing,)

At least you own it, maybe someday you'll give it another chance?

I don't know if it's the subject matter or his style of writing.

I can't read William Faulkner either and the style of writing is my problem.

However, I really like Cormac McCarthy and he makes me think of an easier-to-read William Faulkner. Especially his book Suttree.

[herbalhippie]

I have to say that Wicked Game is a super awesome tune. His other stuff...eh. But that song is something else.

<3

[herbalhippie]

sperging

I've only seen that word used in one particular place. Or has it gone mainstream now?

[beathappening]

sperging

I've only seen that word used in one particular place. Or has it gone mainstream now?

Ha, I picked it up on an old forum I used to be a part of

[Damen ck]

So Amazon books were mentioned in another thread, and I was going to make a "what are you reading?" thread but I looked back and thought it better to necro this one.

Speaking of necro(nomicon), I just got a book of all the fiction H.P. Lovecraft ever wrote, from Amazon. Over 1,000 pages, only $11, definitely a steal. I also got The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell and I'm currently reading a book about esotericism. Super weird stuff, it's breaking my brain. I'm not sure if many people read that much these days, but with covid and no sports, it's a nice break.

[herbalhippie]

I got an H.P Lovecraft from the library late last year.

Say, if you like older horror stories, see if you can get hold of this.

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Terror-Sup ... 259&sr=8-1

I ended up with an old copy in my library from when my 11 years older brother borrowed it from our high school library and never took it back. He left it in the house when he moved out and I ended up with it. I went to the same school later, I supposed I should have taken it back. Figured they wrote it off or replaced it after that long.

But it's a great book!

[Damen ck]

Wow, a bit of a price tag, but it looks great...I also really like the cover. Some familiar names in there too, I see Poe, Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, and I didn't know Hemingway ever wrote anything resembling horror. That's the type of book you'd want to own rather than checking out at a library, a huge volume of short stories. I can't just read a few stories, I finish all the books I start cover to cover, even if I don't much care for it or it goes over my head (like the one I'm on now.)

I actually haven't read much Lovecraft, but there are some bands that were heavily influenced him that I like (The Vaselines and Rudimentary Peni) and I'm already into science fiction and "weird" fiction as Lovecraft is deemed. What I've read I really liked though.

I just got done with one about the life of Henry Flagler, the man who built a railroad from Jacksonville all the way down Florida and over water to Key West in the 1910's.

[Damen ck]

The tracking says that it has been delivered, alas no package. The first Kurt Vonnegut book, Player Piano...I was kind of upset
Hopefully I can talk to the mailman tomorrow and get this figured out. I know for a fact I wrote the address on it correctly because I just got some books from Amazon last week. I hope it wasn't delivered to the wrong address and stolen. It was only $12, but if you're into books like I, this can be quite annoying. I live in a apartment complex (I can't exactly knock on 100 doors) where they just dump the books in a hugebox outside the regular PO boxes and you're supposed to come get them soon it is possible.... someone could potentially swipe it but I feel like I trust people more than that however I don't know why they would be at delivery scan if it's not here, it just seems unlikely.. *Stressed*

Anyway, I'm done bitching....for now