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message 1: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 04, 2013 12:01AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Already read :

Science Fiction : A Critical Guide - Patrick Parrinder - 3/5
Science Fiction A Critical Guide by Patrick Parrinder

The Divine Invasion - Philip K. Dick - 3/5
The Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick

The Female Man - Joanna Russ - 2.5/5
The Female Man by Joanna Russ

Opus 100 and Opus 200 - Isaac Asimov - 4/5
Opus 100 by Isaac Asimov , Opus 200 by Isaac Asimov

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand - 4/5
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - 3.5/5
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 3/5
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoevsky - 5/5
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Writings on Art and Literature - Sigmund Freud - 4/5
Writings on Art and Literature (Meridian) by Sigmund Freud

Native Son - Richard Wright - 5/5
Native Son by Richard Wright

Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi - 5/5
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Smoke and Mirrors : An Experience of China - Pallavi Aiyar - 5/5
Smoke and Mirrors An Experience of China by Pallavi Aiyar

message 2: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 12, 2013 03:21AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Petals of Blood - Ngugi wa Thiong'o - 4/5
Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
This is a disturbing novel with substantial violence in Kenya, and deals with issues of brutal neo-colonization. Not for the faint-hearted. Not exactly an easy, thrilling book. A moderately difficult read, because it has numerous underlying themes, interrogating Western values and our own notions of civilization and law-enforcement.

All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes - Maya Angelou - 4/5
All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's memoir, her delicate position as an outsider, both in the western world (being a Black) and in the African world (being an American), her interactions with controversial figures such as Malcolm X and President Kwame Nkrumah. Her attachment to her native land Ghana, and a load of interesting details about her traumatic childhood.

message 3: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 10, 2013 01:51AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Who Walk Alone by Perry Burgess
Who Walk Alone by Perry Burgess - 4/5
Now out of print, it is a non-fiction story of Ned who was afflicted with a then fatal and stigmatized disease - Leprosy. Faking his death so that his family would be spared of the agony of dealing with him, he spends the rest of his life in Manila, Philipines, in a fort where all lepers are tended to - a fort known as The Sanctuary of Sorrow because of its afflicted members. Philippines had been struck with this deadly disease since the last 300 years, not too far back in history.

Ned encounters a love affair with a local woman, doomed to fail. A sorrowful story of a painful life, a doomed love and a failed hope of ever recovering.

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

Lit Bug | 1354 comments I love her memoir. It's a bit different, but her troubles are definitely real.

message 6: by Lit Bug (last edited May 10, 2013 04:25AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - 4/5

Written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this novel was based on a true incident in the 1700s in Puritanical America. Set in the same era, it explores the themes of morality, sin and repentance.

Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is condemned as guilty of bearing an illegitimate child, whose fatherhood is not ascertained. With dignity, Hester refuses to name the father and accepts her rigorous punishment in the rigid puritanical society infamous for its stern condemnation of the slightest sin.

She is forced to wear a large scarlet letter 'A' on her dress at all times, signifying her status as an 'adultress', is isolated by the society and mocked upon. Her daughter Pearl inherits her carefree nature, and serves as a foil to her mother's now subdued self. While Hester ties her hair up tightly in conformation with her guilty status, Pearl flaunts her free hair. She is a reflection of her mother's conscience - clear and rebellious.

While the other guilty party - the pastor Dimmesdale - still loves Hester and secretly goes to meet her sometimes but is afraid of confessing his 'sin' publicly, finally confesses before the public.

The novel depicts that there is no single criminal ever. There is the more publicized criminal, but never a lone one. Everyone's a sinner, and just because somebody's sins are different from one's own, one doesn't have the right to cast the first stone... Pearl and Hester, and to a certain extent, Dimmesdale too are lesser sinners than the others.

A great book. A scathing comment on the Puritanical notions of sin and morality, a reminder that everyone sins in different ways, and there's a very fine line between being morally upright and moral self-righteousness.

A brilliant novel, and a rare glimpse into the extent of Puritanism that once held sway over the American nation.

message 7: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 08, 2013 11:32AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Ayodhya Cantos: Poems by Rukmini Bhaya Nair - 4/5

Mythology, contemporary times, and history inter-woven, it is a long, but horrifying poem on the world we live in, of the abuses we tolerate and perpetrate on each other. Richly allusive to important events in Indian history, it forces us to take a peek into our conscience, and opens our eyes to the psychological squalor around us.

Sarpa Satra by Arun Kolatkar - 4.5/5

Sarpa Satra is a commentary through poetry on the present times through the retelling of the Janmejaya tale. It is biting in its satire, to the point, amusing yet sad. Scathing for those who can comprehend the dangerous times we live in.

Les Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire - 4/5

Both, the translation in English and the original French poetry, is simply wonderful. Haunting beauty amongst the pervasive sad notes. Sometimes obscure. Stunning imagery. Translated into English as Flowers of Evil: A Selection

message 8: by Lit Bug (last edited Jun 15, 2013 05:30AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper - 4/5

The early great American novelist's novel in the Leather-Stocking series, the novel explores the trials of a seemingly 'uncivilized' tribe/natives, the almost extinct Mohicans rescue a 'civilized' white group to safety in the midst of a tribal war in America. An underplayed, therefore, highly mesmerizing, but silent, unacknowledged love story between the Mohican youth and one of the white girls is dealt with astounding maturity and skill. One of the best love stories in English classics.

Muddle head (adic) | 4646 comments Lit Bug wrote: "The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - 4/5

Written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this novel was based on a true incident in the 1700s in Puritanical America. Set in the same era, it explore..."

The first review i've read of this book that doesn't mention the writing style, and am glad i read it (not the book, ur review :P) This might make me pick up the book sometime...

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Aditya wrote: "Lit Bug wrote: "The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - 4/5

Written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne, this novel was based on a true incident in the 1700s in Puritanical America. Set in the same..."

I really loved this book. More because it was absolutely true, and because Puritanism in America was a very harsh society to live in. Barring the World Wars, it was perhaps one of the worst times to live in. Hester's dignity was unparalleled. Hawthorne came across her story in an old file working at his office in a port, researched on it and was tempted to write her story. Not very painful to read like 'Tender is the night' or 'The Fixer', but a tragedy in its own right.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Thomas Hardy has always been a favorite. Have read the following :

The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Return of the Native
Far from the Madding Crowd
Tess of the d'Urbervilles

His writing belonged to the literary movent called 'Naturalism', which propounded that there is no order in the workings of the universe, good does not beget good, nor evil begets evil. Universe and fate are lawless, and the laws of Nature, rather than those of the supernatural/God reign and determine the course of lives. Naturalism was the outgrowth of literary realism, that treated its characters as simply humans, rather than standing for any symbols.

Tragedy defines all his works, and can be summed up in his spectacular statement - "Happiness is but a mere episode in the general dram of pain."

All his novels are set in an imaginary place called Wessex.

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

message 13: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 09, 2013 01:24AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Oh no! Completely imaginary... However, the locale is south or south-west England, but no place that exists. In the 1895 preface to 'Far From The Madding Crowd', he described Wessex as "a merely realistic dream country".

message 14: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 10, 2013 01:50AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Siting Translation: History, Post-Structuralism, and the Colonial Context by Tejaswini Niranjana - 4/5

An academic book (going by the reasons people usually read it) but important for those who wish to understand the politics of ethnical psychology, and how the art of translation sub-consciously turns into the politics of culture and beliefs.

The book examines the process of translation as a site for exploring the nuances of colonialism handed down to us by the British and portrays how the traditional norms of translation as put into effect by the British now act as tools of neo-colonization and perpetuating the unequal power-struggles between cultures and languages.

Drawing on the post-structuralist theories of Jacques Derrida, Paul De Man and Benjamin, Niranjana opens up the hidden battles of culture and power that are manifest in the act of translation.

This book is especially important since we all read translated works, without being even nominally aware of prejudices and the pre-conceived notions that drive the translator to pick a word or a phrase in order to translate.

(Translation as an activity was first undertaken by the British, and the first books to be translated were the ancient classic Sanskrit literature and Hindu scriptures, with the explicit aim of exposing their supposed 'lowliness' of content and style and inferiority in contrast to the Western works, and these were the texts that became the staple, standard opinions of the British about The Orient, and later, were incorporated officially as Standard History - which is why a study like this is all the more important today)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Sicilian by Mario Puzo
The Sicilian by Mario Puzo 5/5

Loved this tale of the Godfather series (not exactly a part of the series, rather, a separate but related episodic novel) full of bloodshed, loyalty and betrayal, with the famous code of Omerta - loyal silence.

message 16: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 10, 2013 11:27PM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Reader's Digest Condensed Books - The Ice Child/The Blue Nowhere/Warlock/Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

Read two of them - The Blue Nowhere by Jeffery Deaver - 3/5

Although it was a condensed version, it was pretty good. Story about a convicted hacker earning his way to freedom by helping the police capture an elusive hacker Phantom, but well, who is the real culprit? A story full of twists and turns, though stock of the mill, but still quite good. Those knowledgeable about hacking will have an better idea of the credibility of the novel since the story depends on hacking skills that expose the criminal. For a layperson, still good, enough suspense for everyone to hold on.

Second book - Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson - 2.5/5

Interesting premise, bad ending, poor execution, severely melodramatic at points, making it a sloppy read. Sometimes an effortless, moving story; the next moment, a forced tear-jerker. Protagonist's sudden deep love for a new woman just after his beloved wife and son's death seems a bit unrealistic, given such a short time-frame. End - extremely melodramatic, mars the whole work. A one-time read, very mediocre. Had better chances of turning into a really good work.

message 17: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 11, 2013 02:11AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James - 5/5

An unforgettable book. A masterly weaving of human aspirations and emotions. And a skillful execution of one of James' trademark themes - the conflict between Europe and America, which shows up in almost all of James' work. Osmond is as vile a character as Ralph and Warburton are noble and kind. And ah, the most important lady, Madame Merle, an iconic character... And poor little Pansy. An ordinary story, but very precise, extraordinary treatment.

Way better than any of Jane Austen's work, even Pride and Prejudice, in exploring meaningfully the depth of characters and underlying layers of literariness. A more mature, restrained yet evocative and impressive work. (James is fond of long-winding sentences. Requires quite some patience, but it is definitely worth it. The fruit takes time to mellow and grow sweet, but is delightful at the end)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Sahibs Who Loved India by Khushwant Singh Sahibs Who Loved India by Khushwant Singh - 3/5

Takes barely an hour or two to read. Short articles by some British people who came to India as employees of EIC or British Raj and eventually fell in love with their conquered land. Numerous people detailing how India inspired them and how it would be cherished in their memories for the rest of their lives.

Too short pieces for a gratifying read. Less length, therefore less depth in the pieces, owing to the scarcity of enough words to truly explain their affection for an alien culture. All we read is many people inexplicably bearing fond memories of a country they came to rule over.

Pleasing to read, but leaves us craving for more. Deeply unsatisfying. Despite having no cause to dislike the book, a longer, meaningful memoir of one person's experience would be any day more welcome than a number of short expressions of love.

Would rather read twice Begums, Thugs, and White Mughals: The Journals of Fanny Parkes

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Tartuffe by Molière - 4/5

Moliere is the best-known writer of French comic satires, and this play was written in 1664, in French. French comedy abounds in wit and satire garbed in comedy full of puns among other literary devices.

Owing to the merciless satire on orthodox religion, it was banned for five years. English Restoration comedies of classic authors such as Congreve and Wycherley are a direct result of the French influence.

The French (original) version is far richer in allusiveness than the English one. Would rate the former version 4/5, the English one 3.5/5

Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde - 4/5

A charming comedy of errors, very fun to enact on stage. A beautiful blend of satire and comedy. One of the best pieces in early comedies.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 5/5

One of the most heart-breaking novels of all time. Partly based on the author and his wife Zelda's life. The painful life of a rich, well-known couple that is fractured on the inside. Dick, a psychiatrist falling in love with his rich schizophrenic patient Nicole, marrying her, gradually helping her come out of her condition while letting his own self disintegrate, and then, the now-sane Nicole does something unspeakable. Anything more would be a spoiler to a great tragedy.

message 22: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 12, 2013 11:57AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - 4/5

Soft science fiction by eminent SF feminist black author Octavia E. Butler. Would be interesting to basically three types of people - feminists, soft SF buffs and those interested in examining what slavery was like from a closer perspective.

The story is about Dana, a liberated black woman in California in 1973, and her liberal white husband Kevin, and their transformation by their accidental forays into the past, many times, although into the same place and same people, but at different points in history.

On her 26th birthday, Dana suddenly faints in her California home and is transported back in late 1800s to the estate where her ancestor was born, apparently to save the life of a 4 year old white boy Rufus, who would be the father of one of her ancestors. At the end of each chapter, Dana travels back (or forward?) into time to her own time, 1973 (this only happens, somehow, when she is threatened by the possibility of death).

At every point in history where Rufus's life is in danger, Dana faints in real life, to be transported to save Rufus, sometimes with Kevin, sometimes without him. Sometimes Kevin is left behind in the past, sometimes Dana. Eventually, after a lot of events impossible to detail here, Dana is faced with a choice - to become the white Rufus's lover, who mistreats her often, but is way better than most masters, and towards whom Dana has cultivated affection after saving him numerous times - or to kill him, as she had originally planned, after the birth of her ancestor, whom Rufus had fathered with a black slave of his. Finally, she kills him.

A simple plot. But Butler's strength lies in the complicated realities she presents through the narrative. Avoiding the pitfalls of most novels and movies that depict the past as a hellish place and the modern world as a liberated place, Butler refrains from making an explicit comment on the nature of the two, and instead addresses the issues of slavery and feminism without being fanatical about either era.

Very interesting are the gradual changes that both Dana and Kevin undergo as they spend more and more time in the past with every visit - Kevin's superficial (or genuine?) liberal stance about racial divide is being questioned as he begins to adjust to the slavery around him, instead of being furious as the reader would expect him to be; Dana's slow but sure acceptance about her position as a slave and her growing comfort in a radically different, oppressive era, her growing affection towards both her tormentors and the suffering slaves, her greater perception about the emotional and cultural complexities of the time, indicating the role environment and their continuous pressures have on molding one's personality. Butler risks offending readers to show that we rarely feel unmitigated hatred toward anyone, even those who abuse and betray us.

Along with this, and with great subtlety, Butler analyzes the feminist part - the interaction of power between men and women on account of gender. The imposition of double oppression on black women - being black and being a woman doubly marginalized many like Dana, Carrie and Alice, in the hands of those who were both men and white - like Kevin and Rufus. With great complexity, Butler also focuses on the oppression of white women of the era - Margaret, Rufus' mother - envious, cruel, illiterate - yet oppressed by her husband and her son - left with no ambitions of her own beyond those of raising a male-dominated family.

The themes of racial divide/slavery and women's subjugation are exceptionally well-treated, without any bias, and exploring all the intricacies of that period where one's environment played a great deal in making one the person one was.

So where does this spectacular work fall short?
For one, although science features less in this SF work, basic details to render this whole story its credibility are neglected - First of all, WHY does Dana have to travel to the past to save Rufus till he sired Dana's ancestor, when Dana had already been born and aged 26?

Secondly, why does she come back to the present only when she is faced with a real threat of losing her life in the past? The nature of time-travel is just not touched upon at all.

The science part of fiction is left unexplained, which takes away a lot of joy from this otherwise brilliant work, unless you are determined to ignore this work as SF and take it as simply fantasy.

Do as Coleridge says - willing suspension of disbelief - and this work is flawless. Read it as SF - it will be a huge setback as an SF read, even though you won't be able to put down the novel.

An outstanding book exploring slavery and its ramifications, and the nature of human tendencies in different times. Butler surely deserves the legendary status she enjoys.

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

Lit Bug wrote: "The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw - 4/5

A brilliant satire and an intelligent play by Shaw. A wonderful story of evasion and monarchy. Simply mesmerizing."

want to read this one, if I get hold of it. Have read and enjoyed "My fair lady"

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Haven't read My Fair Lady. Will check it out. :)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Smitha wrote: "Lit Bug wrote: "The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw - 4/5

A brilliant satire and an intelligent play by Shaw. A wonderful story of evasion and monarchy. Simply..."

Have you read Shaw's Pygmalion & My Fair Lady? Pygmalion was the first book, and its tale was carried forward in My Fair Lady, and they are a reworking of the Greek myth of Pygmalion in a modern setting.

message 26: by dely (new)

dely | 5459 comments Have you read all these books from january 2013 till now??

message 27: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 14, 2013 05:14AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Yes, I have. 36 books in 105 days isn't a big deal :)

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

Lit Bug wrote: "Smitha wrote: "Lit Bug wrote: "The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw The Apple Cart by George Bernard Shaw - 4/5

A brilliant satire and an intelligent play by Shaw. A wonderful story of evasion and m..."

Yes, both

message 29: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 16, 2013 06:42AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The End Of The Beginning; War Speeches by Winston Churchill - 3/5

Very optimistic speeches given by Churchill during the World Wars collected in this volume. Important as a historical document on how the govt. tried to boost the American morale. reminiscent of the cheerfulness of the Great American Dream. Not entertaining otherwise. Churchill emerges as a smart man.

The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx - 3/5

Expected better, crisper story-telling from a Pulitzer-winning book. The book is set in the rough wild rural Newfoundland, Canada, and the description is very, very impressive - one of the best things about this book - it portrays in great detail the locale, so different from other works since it is an area that is seldom a setting. An important motif in the book is how the land can change a person. Another big merit is the amount of detail Proulx goes into to aptly place sailor/shipping terms throughout the novel - especially love the relevance of the chapter titles to the chapter-wise events, all signifying the kind of knots that sailors tie and relevant knots that appear in the plot.

Wonderful shipping metaphors - a lively way to learn about shipping terms - but an average read as far as the story is concerned - it is moving, but darn predictable. Two-dimensional characters, but so affable and lovable. A good read, but not great. The climax happens at the beginning, the story follows a denoument then. Not a page-turner, but a quiet, sad book.

message 30: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 16, 2013 05:15AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon - 5/5

One of the best academic books ever. Academic only in the strictest sense. A brilliant historical and ideological analysis of colonialism and racial tensions. No better words than GR's own description of this book, pasted below :

A distinguished psychiatrist from Martinique who took part in the Algerian Nationalist Movement, Frantz Fanon was one of the most important theorists of revolutionary struggle, colonialism, and racial difference in history. Fanon’s masterwork is a classic alongside Edward Said’s Orientalism or The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and it is now available in a new translation that updates its language for a new generation of readers. The Wretched of the Earth is a brilliant analysis of the psychology of the colonized and their path to liberation. Bearing singular insight into the rage and frustration of colonized peoples, and the role of violence in effecting historical change, the book incisively attacks the twin perils of postindependence colonial politics: the disenfranchisement of the masses by the elites on the one hand, and intertribal and interfaith animosities on the other. Fanon’s analysis, a veritable handbook of social reorganization for leaders of emerging nations, has been reflected all too clearly in the corruption and violence that has plagued present-day Africa. The Wretched of the Earth has had a major impact on civil rights, anticolonialism, and black consciousness movements around the world, and this bold new translation by Richard Philcox reaffirms it as a landmark.

message 31: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 16, 2013 05:21AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments The Stranger by Albert Camus

No ratings because I didn't understand it at all. Camus' theories and ideologies are far more lucid and interesting than his fiction.

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett seems sane and intelligible, rather than absurd compared to this.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad - 4/5

The story and its underpinnings appealed to me highly - the language did not. A beautiful tale of the repercussions of one act on a wider, unaware world. Looking forward to reading more Conrad.

The Table Is Laid: The Oxford Anthology of South Asian Food Writing by John Thiene and Ira Raja The Table Is Laid The Oxford Anthology of South Asian Food Writing by John Thieme - 4/5

An anthology of selections from various works that focus on food as a metaphor for one's thoughts, one's nostalgia and hidden pains and pleasures - an expression of one's identity and culture through gastronomical preferences. 56 excerpts in all, from various genres and various languages. A tasty way to explore the nuances of culture and emotions through one's food.

Introducing Cultural Studies by Ziauddin Sardar Introducing Cultural Studies by Ziauddin Sardar 4.5/5

A succinct introductory guide to the vast complexities of the field called Cultural Studies. tracing its roots from Britain to today's Western nations, it covers ground from my ever-favorite Gramsci to Raymond Williams, examines postcolonial discourse going on to the politics of diaspora, charts its way through feminism, queer studies and comments on digitization and globalization - all perfect sites for the examination of cultural studies. An insightful guide, provides essential concepts that form the foundation to this amazing field of study. Recommended for those who like to examine current history from a cultural point of view.

Introducing Foucault by Chris Horrocks Introducing Foucault by Chris Horrocks

Examines Foucault (another thinker dear to me) and his concepts, especially those of the link between power and knowledge. Still unsure how to rate it - have a lot of thinking to do to ensure what I make of Foucault now, then I'll know what I think of this book.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Cyberpunk Women, Feminism and Science Fiction : A Critical Study by Carlen Lavigne Cyberpunk Women, Feminism and Science Fiction A Critical Study by Carlen Lavigne - 3.5/5

This was originally her doctorate thesis, now a book - examines various feminist themes from feminist cyberpunk works with reference to early cyberpunk, noting how cyberpunk has evolved from a male, white POV to encompassing themes of cyborg-human conflicts, queer domains, mythology in cyberpunk, globalization, issues of motherhood in cyberpunk and environmental decay - all domains which had been excluded from first-wave cyberpunk.

A good book for those wishing to explore the ways in which these issues have shaped feminist cyberpunk, how contemporary concerns are reflected in a near-future world.

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Lol, I might not have too if they weren't a part of academics a few years back (I'm doing doctorate in feminist cyberpunk now). Then I got so interested, there was no looking back - It's like once you close your eyes and jump into the sea, there's no more fear, only fun. :D

Lit Bug | 1354 comments These works help me understand the world I live in and its ideological pressures and contexts better - once you read this and realise for yourself how this world creates and enforces ideologies on its subjects (us), I bet you won't stop reading this stuff too.

Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser and Michel Foucault have laid the foundation of most of my thoughts. They are phenomenal - if you ever consider reading their works or even their summaries, let me know :D

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

good luck on your doctorate. I would love to do some serious reading as I find myself going the easy way too often.
I have started on a book on "marriage'- how it evolved and shaped itself throughout the centuries. It's interesting.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments That's great! It's really a very good topic, and I have been wondering on its genesis myself since feminist cyberpunk specifically rejects marriage as a patriarchal stand :D

Are you writing the book or reading it? Couldn't get what you meant. And in case you feel like discussing, arguing or debating on it, I'm up for it. We happen to have a common field!

Lit Bug | 1354 comments That book just went into my to-read list. Let me know when you're finished. It sounds interesting. Now I'm more suspicious of its allegedly patriarchal roots :P I'll be keeping a tab on your thread to know when you finish it.

Ahtims (embeddedinbooks) | 47090 comments Mod

Sudhang Shankar | 130 comments Lit Bug wrote: "The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon - 5/5

One of the best academic books ever. Academic only in the strictest sense. A brilliant historical and id..."

Thanks for reminding me of this book. Added to to-read.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments You read academic books too? Random choices or any specific areas of interest?

message 44: by Sudhang (last edited Apr 19, 2013 11:39PM) (new)

Sudhang Shankar | 130 comments random, always: I'm just a software engineer

besides, the best academic books are, in my opinion, always accessible to the non-specialist.

edit: you seem to tear through books like a shredder!

message 45: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 19, 2013 11:45PM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments Lol... what makes you say that? None of my books are in shreds ;) I read pretty fast and read about the book and its ideologies well before I take up the book itself, so I'm not blank about the direction the book will take.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments And, I'm listing books read since Jan while I opened this thread only this month - hence the downpour - I certainly don't read that fast. :D

Sudhang Shankar | 130 comments heh, even accounting for that, if i could somehow read that fast, i'd forget most of it two or three days later :P

message 48: by Kunal (last edited Apr 22, 2013 02:51PM) (new)

Kunal Sen | 506 comments Lit Bug wrote: "The Stranger by Albert Camus

No ratings because I didn't understand it at all. Camus' theories and ideologies are far more lucid and interesting than his fiction.

Waiting for Godot ..."

'The Stranger' is outstanding and in that certain existential context, '... Godot' is as legitimate a reference point as any. Both are great works in their own right. Beckett uses irony more obviously, his narrative structure is path-breaking and his sentence-construction is well, almost unparalleled. On the other hand, 'The Stranger' is calmer although there's something exasperating, something claustrophobic about it too.

I'm reading Camus' short stories at the moment, off and on.

'Lord Jim' (not 'Heart of Darkness' as much) is, I think, my second most favourite 'classic', albeit quite a few rungs below 'Moby Dick'. I agree with you on the prose part of these works. I'm no fan of the classics and least of all, the Dickensian novel, but perhaps the early writers were developing the form and the grammar of the novel and it was only in the 50s and then on from the beatniks onwards that prose, in itself, started becoming an important thing too and we had various movements where the sentence itself, was the focus- from iceberg to spontaneous prose to the cut-up technique. It was almost as though language could take more chances and become more interesting because the form was, by then, better defined (and could be broken). In contrast to the novel format, I thought Poe was doing work in short stories, that was far ahead on his times. But the novel remained decisively constrained, almost repressed.

This is interesting because development of form in cinema moved slightly differently. Deren, Eisenstein and Bunuel right from their early works were extremely experimental and pushing envelopes even before the stationery had developed. The development of the form- right from running time to the act-structures was largely sporadic. Of course, once it consolidated, barring exceptions, it remained unchallenged again until the nouvelle-vague. But we digress.

The point merely is, that on the rare day when I revisit a classic, I automatically, subconsciously handicap it for unimaginative prose, for I take that to be a given. And therefore, all that is left then, largely, is the depth of the themes and the characters. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not this is the right reading/reviewing approach and whether those works deserve these subsidies.

message 49: by Lit Bug (last edited Apr 28, 2013 03:24AM) (new)

Lit Bug | 1354 comments I find the language of the classics quite daunting - not unintelligible, but too flowery and meandering - I rather prefer modern ones - but classical themes interest me as much as their language puts me off. Joyce - I still find tiresome, it is very complex, not to be read lightly - Hemingway is modern - devoid of all linguistic embellishments, yet more accessible than Joyce. I adore F. Scott Fitzgerald but again, he meanders in my favorite 'Tender is the Night' - and yet it is very moving and I loved it... Poe was to prose what Eliot was to poetry - modern, way ahead of their times but wonderful in exploring their themes.

Lit Bug | 1354 comments I'm afraid that there's no right way of reading or reviewing. Literature, as much as any creative art is more of a subjective taste - as to whether these works deserve the subsidies, only individuals can decide - to each one his/her own - one cannot decide for anyone else - Shakespeare is a classic for many and obsolete for many as well - as long as people read him, like him, he will remain - And may be like Chaucer or Spenser, one day he will fade away - as long as people can relate to some works in a deep, moving way, they will be read - when they can no longer relate to it, they will forget these books.

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