Ask HN: What are you reading right now?

Post by anatoly » Mon, Nov 08, 2010, 5:06 PM UTC

drags wrote: post #301

anatoly wrote: post #163

Reading right now: Charlie Stross, Halting State. Jacques Barzun, An Essay On French Verse: For Readers of English Poetry. Recently finished: James Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? (nonfiction, highly recommended; more about the history of the Shakespeare authorship controversy than a salvo in it) Ian Banks, Consider Phlebas (first book in the Culture series, well-written but way way longer than it sho…

The BBC miniseries of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is wonderfully done; have you seen it? Highly recommended if you like the book.

Post by jbrennan » Wed, Nov 10, 2010, 3:34 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #297

ladyada wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before trying to read Infinite Jest, try to read all his other essays (and short stories). This is really helpful. Be OK with the fact that you really aren't going to understand what happens the first time though, like at all. The book -must- be read twice, the first time in a bit of a haze, since even basic acronyms aren't expanded till 200 pages after they are first used. Its enjoyable the second time because there…

Reading IJ on the iPad is the right move. My advice: make sure you look up words that you don't get, instead of following your normal reading instinct to pick up meanings from context. You have a dictionary a touch away. I agree, read (at least some) of his essays first; not because the story will make more sense to you, but because you'll appreciate the writing more after seeing it deployed in a comprehensible linea…

Post by azharcs » Fri, Nov 12, 2010, 5:54 AM UTC

jbrennan wrote: post #104

azharcs wrote: post #101

Programming in C by Stephen G Kochan & Getting Things Done by David Allen

I had no idea Kochan had a C book. I only know him for his Objective C book. How is it?