Books

Follows you (block)

Requested to follow you (accept | block)

Blocked (unblock)

Alan

Alan

has 10 followers and is following 7 people

I live on the edge of the Midwest and work in one of America's vanishing industries. I am an old school union activist, biker, music lover, and of course, I love books. I have four kids, only one who reads, and a wife who reads more than anyone I know. When I was a kid I used to read a lot of science fiction or fantasy. But then in high school I... more »
  • member since April 7, 2007

Groups

Following

Random books from my shelf

     
 
 
 

Public Notes

  • rob

    rob says

    sorry it's taken me a couple days to get back to you, I dont visit my home/profile pages often so I dont always know right away when there's anything new there...

    there are three ways to read Hopscotch: first way is to 'hop' follwing the numbers to guide you; the second way is linearly, like you would read any book; the third way is to just open the book at random until you've read it all...the story hangs together whichever way you choose, but I think it's best to 'hop' first because I've noticed that those who try it linearly often give up because they dont know what's going on, whereas if you 'hop' the story flows like any story, logically and sequentially...it's really how Cortazar meant it to be read, at least for the first time...and yes, that's how I read it the first time, myself...when I reread it though, I tried the other two ways...it's a fun book that way because you get to 'play' w/ it...but yes, he's not an easy read at all, it's best to take your time w/ it, and if you've got the same edition I have, it definitely is rough on the eyes, mine arent that great either and I could only stand about 10 or less pages of a night...

    posted 12 months ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    (grins) enjoy...

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    Alan, you're welcome to ask me anything anytime...

    about Marias...yes, I loved it...he's one of my favorite writers, and I've loved everything I've read of his...he can be a tough read though, you cant let your mind wander w/ him otherwise you lose the thread of his thoughts since he writes mostly in digressions and loops, but he's always worth the effort...

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    oh, I'm sorry, alan, The Emperor's Children is on my wishlist shelf, not my read shelf...I havent even bought it yet, it's been on there for eons, it seems...

    posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )
  • Happy Traveler

    Happy Traveler says

    Thanks, Alan! I'll have to put that on my sightseeing list for San Fran.

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Happy Traveler

    Happy Traveler says

    Hi Alan! Saw you on the BBD site and thought I'd browse your shelf. So you're a Kerouac fan, too? He actually lived here for awhile in my hometown of St. Petersburg, FL. I'm curious where that picture of yours was taken?

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    (grins) oh, wikipedia...a lot of people wince or sneer when you mention the site, saying it's not reliable, and sometimes it's not...but on the whole it's useful for brief biographies of anyone well known for something; writers, painters, musicians, and so on, or a book synopsis...it's less reliable w/ history, but I would never use it as a source for serious research, but for basic information and the occasional interesting tidbit it does well enough...I also use FantasticFiction.com...every fiction writer you can think of, from the famous to the obscure, can be found there w/ a pic, a brief bio, and a list of published works...and of course there are the bits you pick up from the book itself...my copies of Ryu Murakami's books all have a brief but very informative 'about the author' bio, also the edition of Bolano's The Savage Detectives I have has a fairly in-depth introduction in it written by the translator where she talks not just about Bolano but about the Latin-American 'Boom' of the 1950's and 60's that spawned many familiar names in spanish lit; Marquez, Cortazar, Llosa, Paz, Borges, and so on...(grins) Bolano hated them all except Cortazar, his Nazi Literature in the Americas is a scathing pseudo-biographical satire on these writers from the 'Boom'...he also wrote dozens of articles in spanish-language papers where he derided them rather viciously...in the years before his death he saved some of his best and most gleeful venom for fellow Chilean Isabel Allende, and also Paulo Coelho (he wrote The Alchemist which you see all over Shelfari) Bolano referred to him as 'the witch doctor'...

    posted 2 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Doris T

    Doris T says

    I invite you to come join the shelfari group, Mentoring Men, where men come to empower one another.

    posted 3 years ago. ( send a note )
  • uplandpoet

    uplandpoet says

    Welcome to Better than Starbucks! Look around, make yourself at home, start a new thread or dig up an old one or just read and jump in on the more active ones.

    We are honored to be one of your first groups!

    posted 3 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Suze

    Suze says

    I didn't think the DeLillo sounded good, that's why I've been putting off reading it :D And yet, I've really wanted to dive into DeLillo, so I was torn. Thanks for letting me know!

    posted 3 years ago. ( send a note )
  • benstolemyname

    benstolemyname says

    Hey Alan. Thanks for the note. The funny thing is I loved 'Out Stealing Horses' and I was a little put off by the foot-noting in 'Brief Wonderous Life..' Opinions... we've all got them. Right? I recently befriended Peter Steinberg, a literary agent. He told me about 'Tiger in a Trance' by Max Ludington. I'm about two chapters in and so far I'm loving it--definitely more in the 'Brief and Wonderous' vein. Hey, where in the Midwest do you hail from?

    posted 3 years ago. ( send a note )
  • benstolemyname

    benstolemyname says

    Great! We'll have to compare notes on Oscar Wao. Hey, how is that Warren Zevon book? I've been listening to a mix of his stuff my uncle gave me for Christmas.

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    hi alan...I've actually read only one Hiaasen (Sick Puppy)...I liked it a lot though, and plan to read a few more...his style is edgy humor and his books mostly revolve round Florida politics and it's crime and excesses...he has some similarites to Elmore Leonard, though Leonard is a much better and slicker writer...still, Hiaasen's a fun read if you're looking for something light, a little nuts, and a few laughs...as for which to pick, from what I've read on him, he's a pretty consistent writer, so any one you pick for that first read will be a winner...

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • benstolemyname

    benstolemyname says

    Best of 2007: Abstenance Teacher by Tom Perrotta, Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, After Dark (get the book on tape... its like a noir bedtime story) by Haruki Murakami, Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan (must be Hardcover! for the illustrations and the inking), The Astonishing Adventures of Fan Boy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga.

    Predictions for 2008: Barry Lyga, Per Peterson and Richard Flanagan's new books.

    Spill Over from 2007: Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson (I want to finish Fiskadaro and Already Dead first), Lay of the Land by Richard Ford, and The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • dreamtokens

    dreamtokens says

    I'm actually planing on reading those two, I already have kafka on the shore, and I'm gonna get After dark and After the Quake by christmas, =] I'm happy :-]
    and about Dance Dance Dance, I totally loved it, [ it's after A wild sheep chase ] and for me, it was exactely as the title = keeping dancing, making, talking, eating, everything, to the end :). awesome book. norwegian wood was really nice too ^^.

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • Krish

    Krish says

    Dear Alan,
    Thanks for the nice note and for friendship.
    Yes 1200 Friends, when you posted the note..as of now it shows 1250 :)
    Yes, I do value my Friends and Friendship.
    I wish you all the very best in your life Alan.
    With Hearty Prayers
    Krish

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • StrangeFruit

    StrangeFruit says

    [[[[ The street sign is just great ... :-}

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • rob

    rob says

    hi, Alan...I'm one of the admins from the BBDs group...like your friend ben says, just accept the friend request and I'll see you get an invite to the group...

    welcome aboard!

    rob

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )
  • benstolemyname

    benstolemyname says

    Hey Alan, just accept the friend invite from rob to join the Brilliant Babes and Dudes group.

    posted 4 years ago. ( send a note )