31–40 of 53 posts
His books were half of what I read between age 12-25 (edit: more like 12-20, and I meant only novels, but it doesn't matter here) Sad to see him go. Picking up his books again as an adult only took away the magic in some of his weaker works. Mostly, the magic remained. The guys learning to play Bach and building a wall, the delirant anon in NYC chasing paper trails, the adolescent boy learning to levitate... the evil…
Can you recommend a first book?
Anyway it's sad to see him go. Rest in peace.
His books were half of what I read between age 12-25 (edit: more like 12-20, and I meant only novels, but it doesn't matter here) Sad to see him go. Picking up his books again as an adult only took away the magic in some of his weaker works. Mostly, the magic remained. The guys learning to play Bach and building a wall, the delirant anon in NYC chasing paper trails, the adolescent boy learning to levitate... the evil…
Can you recommend a first book?
Edit: "Moon palace" is similar in a way. I think those two left the biggest impression in me. They both are probably not the critique's favorites, but perfect as an intro I think.
"Mr Vertigo" was my intro and I think it was a good one as well.
"In the Country of Last Things" is also great, but a bit short for the story arc iirc.
I read the New York trilogy relatively late but these are arguably his most well-received books and I enjoyed them a lot as well.
The other books I mentioned he wrote later, if I'm not misremembering.
His books were half of what I read between age 12-25 (edit: more like 12-20, and I meant only novels, but it doesn't matter here) Sad to see him go. Picking up his books again as an adult only took away the magic in some of his weaker works. Mostly, the magic remained. The guys learning to play Bach and building a wall, the delirant anon in NYC chasing paper trails, the adolescent boy learning to levitate... the evil…
Can you recommend a first book?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess people can’t handle that one of their favorite writers did something despicable. No need to downvote so much, just comes across like you’re trying to conceal the truth, which is that the guy supported a monster.
I was rather surprised at the number of downvotes pointing out that the guy supported an (alleged…) child rapist.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was rather surprised at the number of downvotes pointing out that the guy supported an (alleged…) child rapist.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38808985 >
Downvotes are a fine response. An irrational response, but an acceptable one. Indicating a rules violation amounts to attempting to censor a relevant and legitimate concern.
It’s bizarre to me because I’m particularly cynical. Half my role models have been revealed to have done shitty things that make them retroactively feel counterfeit as a role model. It is strange to see people still clinging to the notion that a celebrity they relate with is also a perfect person who can do no wrong. Further, you’re allowed to appreciate that person’s art. Just don’t fixate too much on the person themselves. They’ll probably disappoint you.
I'm guessing Paul Auster fans will comment here. 20 years ago I read a book that I cannot remember the name and I vaguely remember it was from Auster, but I'm not sure and I have been looking for ages. It was a compilation of short stories with the Noah's Ark somehow in each of them, but the stories were very different besides that part. Does this ring a bell?
GPT: The book you're thinking of is likely "In the Country of Last Things" by Paul Auster. While not a collection of short stories, this novel often gets mentioned in relation to discussions about Auster's work involving themes of dystopia and allegorical narratives. The reference to Noah's Ark might be metaphorical, reflecting the themes of catastrophe and survival that are common in Auster's work. If you specifical…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38808985 >
It’s not flamebait. There was no deliberate attempt to piss people off. That it happened to anyway is entirely the fault of those outraged. It’s a relevant fact. People just get insecure and then defensive when they find one of their favorite people did something stupid. Same thing happened with Michael Jackson whose music was evidently so good that no one really batted an eye at all the awful shit he probably did. D…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s not flamebait. There was no deliberate attempt to piss people off. That it happened to anyway is entirely the fault of those outraged. It’s a relevant fact. People just get insecure and then defensive when they find one of their favorite people did something stupid. Same thing happened with Michael Jackson whose music was evidently so good that no one really batted an eye at all the awful shit he probably did. D…
It's very much flamebait to go looking for some random shit someone did and then paste it into a thread context-free, which is what the commenter self-admittedly did. Going on about downvotes and how everybody else is a censorious sheep is definitely against the site guidelines so there's nothing particularly odd about that part.