What happenned to books?

[Papa_Moña]

What the hell happened to literature? I mean, I just saw a MINIMOVIE commercial for a novel. That's just.... sad! To have to resort to the complete opposite of the written word to promote it... damn.

Then again, I guess if you need that type of hook to sell a book you have no place writing novels anyway(kinda like JK Rowling and her script-like literary style. I'm all for introducing kids to literature, but accessible need not mean mediocre. I accept all flaming, she sucks).

Seriously, where will it end? I bet now that extremely thin, flexible and even sprayable OLEDs are ppossible they'll start putting little movie screens in books. Try to dumb 'em down and reach a wider audience.

I bet Cervantes is turning in his tomb...

 

[GET MO]

Books are cool if they are non-fiction, who the hell has time for reading stories though? Not I!

 

[Papa_Moña]

well, when you read shit like john grisham, you learn a lot about real legal procedure.

when you read dickens, you learn to have humility.

when you read Tolstoy you experience a view of humanity that gives you an incredible insight. (specially "how much land does a man need?" it can also be called "how much weed/money/pussy/etc. does a man need?")

Non-fiction books teach you about shit that's happened. Fiction books (should) teach you to use what you've learned in the past to deal with the future.

I think that's the MAJOR problem with novels and other fiction works nowaday. The written word has become just another commodity. Just another consumable that is to be neglected and wasted. How many books are tossed out every year? "authors" pump out books by the truckload monthly (remember goosebumps?) and franchising possibilities are more important than plotline and content.

I'm no book snob, i hardly have the energy/time to read anything for pleasure anymore(i mean... i do read about 500 pages every week, and not casual read, but read the same page fifteen times read, law school's a bitch) and i absolutely love cinema, so i must admit that just like a book, a movie can offer much more on a second viewing, BUT with a movie you are limited to discover what s on the screen. You are fed the visuals and the plotline, the whole play by play. A book can offer something completely different on each read. Each time you imagine a scene it's a whole new image, is it not?

meh, i'm ranting, have been quarantined in my room for the past week with a very sprained ankle(i wish i trusted pluvial and surface water in my area so i wouldn't have to carry jugs!) bye

 

[Guest]

Book snob and Cervantes(miguel) fan checking in.I just read Norman Mailers last book "Castle in the Forest" Excellent work, I can hardly imagine taking on Hitler at 83 yrs old.The muhamed ali he called himself of lit, too true.No books no life for me. I just did "The Exemplary Works of Miguel de Cervantes" really another great book for booksnobs like me, but I'll read everything except sports. Love Steinbeck, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Hemingway,Henry Miller et all. I can't believe with all the intelligent people here there aren't more substantial readers here.Pot smokers don't just read comic books. Jerzy Kosinski? Come on Icmag I know you read or you'd be raking grass, not growing it!!Chaco, bookworm, crummy art rag writer and pothead.

 

[whiterabbit9]

we burned them duh

 

[Lucky 7]

After touring in Europe a few yrs back, I found most Europeans are much more versed in history & I felt humbled, so decided to read more history/non-fiction.

I recently finished Over The Edge of the World: Magellan's Circumnavigation of the Globe; great work. Also Blood & Thunder:An Epic of the American West by Sides

Now reading Empire of Blue Water; Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, another good history lesson.

I read many magazines every week. I especially like Rolling Stone, and not for the music reviews. They have very good expose pieces on various subject . . . Playboy, high times when I can get it, national geo., Men's Journal . . .

I like fiction, too, but it's hard to get something I find fascinating. Mostly pulp mysteries.

 

[Orangecrush]

Kirby started a great post not too long ago about favorite books, was actually a pretty hot thread. Lots of people on these forums enjoy reading!

 

[Perfect Haze]

Books are great

It's a hobby that fits well with smoking, getting lost in yr imagination.

 

[ChronicChemist]

So i take it your a reader?

 

[Fatt Daddy]

i used to read alot a few years back. i've stopped outt've laziness. but i neeed to def start read more literature.

 

[trouble]

What the hell happened to literature? I mean, I just saw a MINIMOVIE commercial for a novel. That's just.... sad! To have to resort to the complete opposite of the written word to promote it... damn.

Then again, I guess if you need that type of hook to sell a book you have no place writing novels anyway(kinda like JK Rowling and her script-like literary style. I'm all for introducing kids to literature, but accessible need not mean mediocre. I accept all flaming, she sucks).

Seriously, where will it end? I bet now that extremely thin, flexible and even sprayable OLEDs are ppossible they'll start putting little movie screens in books. Try to dumb 'em down and reach a wider audience.

I bet Cervantes is turning in his tomb...

I believe it has more to do with advancements in technology, than, the quality of today's writers compared to those of yesterday. I'm certain if Shakespear, Hemingway, Twain, London, Camus, Dostoevsky, Dickins, or Styron, were alive today, there publishers would have some type of high-tech marketing campaign to promote there new works.

Regardless of whether we like it or not, the times they are a changing.





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[Guest]

^^^Tooo true.

 

[southflorida]

books are being sold as we sit here...online...just flying out

now how they are delivered...is what is important...lol

 

[steppinRazor]

"whatchew readin' for? - not what am i READING, what am i READING FOR??
well i guess i read for a lot of reasons.. mainly so i dont end up a fucking
WAFFEL WATRESS!"

 

[Papa_Moña]

I believe it has more to do with advancements in technology, than, the quality of today's writers compared to those of yesterday. I'm certain if Shakespear, Hemingway, Twain, London, Camus, Dostoevsky, Dickins, or Styron, were alive today, there publishers would have some type of high-tech marketing campaign to promote there new works.

Regardless of whether we like it or not, the times they are a changing.





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I beg to differ. You don't see Amy or David Sedaris making minimovies... You don't see Maya Angelou making minimovies... You don't even see John Grisham making minimovies(and the movies based on his books were, to my knowledge, all made WAY past the prime of the respective novels.)

 

[Guest]

I have no doubt that Cervantes saw his share of hash, especially when imprisoned with the moors in N Africa.Hemingway would put that gun in his mouth again before he made a mini movie.We do bit of reading here at ic do we not?Any of those half bit writers making mini movies should be ignored.Mini movies are for youtube.I have no book today, I've burned out my public library after I did Pynchons last book.Any reccomendations?I'm thinking of the book about Magellen mentioned above.I have to buy most of my books, I don't like to go far so I hit Amazon but sometimes I'm overwhelmed.I like to sit back after the kids are asleep sipping cognac and reading.I wish i hadn't read every George orwell book already.Chaco.

 

[dbuzz]

 

[trouble]

I beg to differ. You don't see Amy or David Sedaris making minimovies... You don't see Maya Angelou making minimovies... You don't even see John Grisham making minimovies(and the movies based on his books were, to my knowledge, all made WAY past the prime of the respective novels.)

I personally never recall seeing one of these minimovie/commercials that your referring to. And if I have, it must of been promoting something I would never read anyway, therefore, I paid it no attention. Like those cheep & dreadful romance novels that are geared towards people that watch soap opera's and the Jerry Springer Show. What I find more disturbing then a book commercial is the fact that some of the authors that write this rubbish have sold more books than Faulkner, Hemingway and other great writers. There will always be the good, the bad, and the ugly in any business and the cream will always rise to the top. They may make alot of money, however, they wont make history.



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[Papa_Moña]

The thing is... History is written by the victors...

Actually, it's written by historians, who go by records, for a record to survive it has to be substantial. Whether we like it or not, the historical record for the da vinci code is QUITE substantial. not only are there various different type of intellectual records(interviews, the book and movie themselves, and other recorded ideas) but they are also very abundant, meaning more likelihood of a copy surviving. This was significant in the past, when books were scarce, but even more so now.

compare if you will, a 500 copy run(seems very small, but unfortunately, many great authors never see numbers above this in a single run for their entire lifetime) to a 100,000 run. which do you think is going to still be around 400 years from now?

i'm not exactly sure if i made a point here. i'll check it after the shrooms wear off a little bit.

btw shrooms+julio cortazar=AWESOME

 

[flubnutz]

I believe it has more to do with advancements in technology, than, the quality of today's writers compared to those of yesterday. I'm certain if Shakespear, Hemingway, Twain, London, Camus, Dostoevsky, Dickins, or Styron, were alive today, there publishers would have some type of high-tech marketing campaign to promote there new works.

Regardless of whether we like it or not, the times they are a changing.

some things stay the same tho'... i heard Dicken's knocked off "A Christmans Carol" because he was buggin his agent for a gig, it was gettin near christmas and the agent suggested he write somethin schlocky for the season LOL some people's toss-offs

kinda related; anybody use any e-books? i think id miss touchin the real thing, don't know might be handy tho'...

summer vaca comin up ... anybody got any book suggestions? anything, ancient to brand new