Red Mosquito

Mickey wrote:I know he went to my MFA program lmao. A handful of years before me. I know a few folks who liked him and a few folks who thought he was a guy who just jacked his dick all day until the bar opened. I've never read his stuff but it seems very Barry Hannah inflected. There really is a Cowboy Maloney's Electric City in Jackson, which kind of takes the shine off that title.

right, i know you did your mfa in oxford, couldn’t remember when

Mickey wrote:I know he went to my MFA program lmao. A handful of years before me. I know a few folks who liked him and a few folks who thought he was a guy who just jacked his dick all day until the bar opened. I've never read his stuff but it seems very Barry Hannah inflected. There really is a Cowboy Maloney's Electric City in Jackson, which kind of takes the shine off that title.

Heh there is a cowboy Maloney's in Hattiesburg, too. It's older than I am. I don't know how they've managed to survive so long.

Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

this is one of my favorite books of all time. i remember blowing through this during my first summer of law school -- i couldn't put it down. i'm gonna make my son (he's going on 14) read this starting this weekend. let us know what you think.

I know a ton of folks who adore that book. I need to read it.

Yeah it's been on my radar for a long time too. I loved the first chapter so it's off to a good start.

It's on my list of books for this year. Just need to set aside a month for it.

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I have yet to start that.

Eh. Mostly a slog through history of atheism and some old arguments against the bible. It's all pretty surface level.

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I feel like you won't need a month, I'm burning through it, even as bedtime reading.

Mickey wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I feel like you won't need a month, I'm burning through it, even as bedtime reading.

I did 5% with barely any effort last night, so, yeah, it reads quickly.

epilogue wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

epilogue wrote:ST, how's Devil House going for you?

I like it so far! I am waiting for the pieces to fall together, but for right now I like "Wolf in the White Van" more. There are definitely through lines through the books, him being interested in things like the occult/RPGs/murders etc, so it doesn't feel samey but has the same feel. I know that sounds like a ridiculous paradox, but it's just what I've taken from it so far.

Oh no I get it. I totally agree. I'm only a quarter through.

This ended up being just ok, I think. I wasn't completely drawn in by the shifting POVs and everything throughout. But TBH there were a lot of common themes between this and a project I've been kicking around for a while vis a vis "true crime" and the things that drive people to get into it and "solve" cold cases and things like that. It is interesting to read someone who's writing I've followed for so long--but song-writing--explore what prose can do for the ideas he's been toying with for decades.

also this:



it was alright.

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I feel like you won't need a month, I'm burning through it, even as bedtime reading.

I did 5% with barely any effort last night, so, yeah, it reads quickly.

Wait till you get to 23%, then it really takes off.

Mickey wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I feel like you won't need a month, I'm burning through it, even as bedtime reading.

I did 5% with barely any effort last night, so, yeah, it reads quickly.

Wait till you get to 23%, then it really takes off.

Just hit 8%!

Simple Torture wrote:

epilogue wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

epilogue wrote:ST, how's Devil House going for you?

I like it so far! I am waiting for the pieces to fall together, but for right now I like "Wolf in the White Van" more. There are definitely through lines through the books, him being interested in things like the occult/RPGs/murders etc, so it doesn't feel samey but has the same feel. I know that sounds like a ridiculous paradox, but it's just what I've taken from it so far.

Oh no I get it. I totally agree. I'm only a quarter through.

This ended up being just ok, I think. I wasn't completely drawn in by the shifting POVs and everything throughout. But TBH there were a lot of common themes between this and a project I've been kicking around for a while vis a vis "true crime" and the things that drive people to get into it and "solve" cold cases and things like that. It is interesting to read someone who's writing I've followed for so long--but song-writing--explore what prose can do for the ideas he's been toying with for decades.

I'm about 60% of the way through and I think I agree mostly with what you said about it above. I keep waiting for something to give or change but I get the feeling it ain't happening.

epilogue wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

epilogue wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

epilogue wrote:ST, how's Devil House going for you?

I like it so far! I am waiting for the pieces to fall together, but for right now I like "Wolf in the White Van" more. There are definitely through lines through the books, him being interested in things like the occult/RPGs/murders etc, so it doesn't feel samey but has the same feel. I know that sounds like a ridiculous paradox, but it's just what I've taken from it so far.

Oh no I get it. I totally agree. I'm only a quarter through.

This ended up being just ok, I think. I wasn't completely drawn in by the shifting POVs and everything throughout. But TBH there were a lot of common themes between this and a project I've been kicking around for a while vis a vis "true crime" and the things that drive people to get into it and "solve" cold cases and things like that. It is interesting to read someone who's writing I've followed for so long--but song-writing--explore what prose can do for the ideas he's been toying with for decades.

I'm about 60% of the way through and I think I agree mostly with what you said about it above. I keep waiting for something to give or change but I get the feeling it ain't happening.

Yeah it builds up really nicely to the climax at Devil House (especially since it's not really a mystery and we know it's coming), then it sort of fizzles.

Mickey wrote:

Simple Torture wrote:

Mickey wrote:Finished Sag Harbor. Not particularly impressive, the chapters meandered in a way that wasn't displeasurable to read but it didn't really go anywhere. Picked up a used copy of The Intuitionist today so I might give that one a try soon. But starting tonight:

I have also now started this.

I feel like you won't need a month, I'm burning through it, even as bedtime reading.

It only took me two weeks! It was very good.

Just started book two, need to beef up my bedtime reading game.