What Are You Reading? (page 16)

umadevi

Reading an old copy of Harold Robbins 'The Carpetbaggers'

@ tootired2care and talesin: As Ernest Hemingway once said, "All American literature stems from one book and that book is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. There was nothing before that." A hyperbolic statement, yes, but one I agree with. Sam Clemens, aka Mark Twain, is my favorite American author and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is my favorite American novel.

I used to be invited to lecture on the book in different schools in Colorado, including the University of Colorado. My talks mostly consisted of reading my favorite passages and doing so in the different Southern accents I knew the characters used for like Clemens, I was "familiar" with the different forms of speech in the book. For the vast majority of my listeners, my readings brought the humor, sarcasm, and satire of Twain to life. Many told me that they had never understood why the book was so popular until they heard its different characters speaking in their own peculiar vernaculars.

So you can imagine how outraged I feel when I hear all this talk about why the book should be banned because of its use of the word "nigger". I see no problem with that, and I speak as an African-American. Is it an ugly word with all kinds of negative connotations? You bet it is which is why its use in the book is so appropriate. I can think of no better way to underline its sermon against racial injustice than its use throughout the story.

Quendi

unshackled

For a while now I've struggled to completely engross into a book, thanks to constant internet stimuli rewiring the ol' thinker. That said, I did tear thru Bukowski's Post Office not long ago. Brilliant mind that ol' Buk.

Anyways, currently into a good summer read, World War Z...zombie apocalypse stuff. Also intermittently working thru 13 Things That Don't Make Sense - about our biggest science mysteries, and The Wave by Susan Casey.

tootired2care

It is a great story so far, and I am really enjoying the differerent speech forms. It must have been hell to write all those southern dialect words out as they sound. I downloaded this iPhone app called Kobo that lets you read many books for free, lucky for me Huckk Finn was one of them.

P.S. Since I stopped going to meetings I now have all kinds of time...LOL.

panhandlegirl

umandevi, I loved the 'Carpetbaggers." I am reading/studying "Wheelock's Latin," by Wheelock and LaFleur and "The Golden Ratio" by Livio. For pleasure I am reading Ernest Hemingway's " For Whom the Bell Tolls." I have always

wanted to learn latin, so here goes. They do not teach latin at the nearby university, I would have to travel 50 miles to attend a class so I am trying it on my own. Does anyone out there write latin? If so, maybe you can e-mail me

a note and see if I can translate it into English...... later.

PHG

talesin

PHG - I took Latin for 3 years in school ... it's a lot easier than English! (or french) That was eons ago, though, so I don't think I could write anything now except ,, veni, vidi, vici! :P

Carpetbaggers; Harold Robbins - good stuff. There was a good flick made from it too, with George ..... (hmm, he was in Breakfast at Tiffany's w/ Hepburn).

Shack, I took a break from online and just read for a week or so. Not online so much anymore. *waves from East Coast* :))

t

Xanthippe

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

Just finished his Forty Signs of Rain

shamus100

Matterhorn. It's a book out the American War. (Vietnam)

rip van winkle

Carpetbaggers; Harold Robbins - good stuff. There was a good flick made from it too, with George ..... (hmm, he was in Breakfast at Tiffany's w/ Hepburn).

Hi Tal- George Peppard.

~~~~

Just finished "Freedom of Mind", currently reading "The Atheist's Way" and "Basic Teachings of the Great Philosophers", awaiting me is, "Thank you for Arguing", " god is not Great" and "Combatting Mind Control".

kurtbethel

Heaven in the Midst of Hell

What Are You Reading?

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