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Lisanti Book Club, Book XIV: Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , on July 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Book XIV: Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare, 1604, 205 pages

“Some rise by sin and some by virtue fall”.  Finally a new book. Those Hemingway short stories took me forever to read. Talk about the most depressing collection of writings I have read since Oliver Twist (see blog Chris’ Notes, Oliver Twist).  At the time I was in the mood for such.  Being its summer now and feeling rather nostalgic for NYC’s Shakespeare in the park free play series I thought why not read Measure for Measure.  I actually have never read this play.  I scored it for a quarter at a garage sale a few months back.  Its time.  The last book took me nearly 7 months to read, which in my opinion is completely disgraceful.  My goal is to finish this one by the end of the month.  Feel Free to pick up a copy and read a long with me.

If you missed the Book XIII The First Forty Nine Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway click this link.  I will not be doing a Chris’ notes entry on this book cause it was a collection of fifty stories and I am not about to take that on.  There were some really insightful entries and serious introspection to be had.  I think it is definitely worth picking up for a read.  There are few authors as powerful as Hemingway.

I don’t even know.

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Lisanti Book Club, Book XIII: The First Forty Nine Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , on December 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

Book XIII: The First Forty Nine Short Stories, Ernest Hemingway,  1938, 499 pages

Earnest Hemingway is one of my favorite authors.  The guy knew how to write and everything he wrote had some deep hard meaning to it.  Right now in my life I finally understand why he was able to write so passionately and for that I commend him.  Here was a man who went to war in Europe, got injured.  While in the hospital he met a female nurse he feel in love with and visa verse, who subsequently left him for something she thought was better.  “The major of the battalion made love to Luz and she had never known Italians before, and finally wrote to the States that theirs had been only a girl and boy affair.  She was sorry, and she expected, absolutely unexpectedly, to be married in the spring.  She loved him as always, but she realized now it was only a boy and girl love.  She hoped he would have a great career and believed in him absolutely.  She knew it was for the best.”  Hemingway.    This is a decent collection of short stories.  I am about two hundred pages in and at my current slow rate of reading you can easily join me in this one.

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Lisanti Book Club, Book XII: Gilead

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , on August 24, 2011| 1 Comment »

Book XII: Gilead, Marilynne Robinson, 2004, 247 pages

I don’t know all that much about this novel.  I picked it up at a yard sale for around seventy five cents.  Its a bit more modern then what I am used to reading, but the book did win a Pulitzer.  A Pulitzer Prize is some serious shit in the literary world.  If a bunch of smart people over at Columbia University believe this novel is worth a read who am I to argue.  I guess we will find out.

Summary of Book XI, Oliver Twist:  

What a dreadful book this was.  Many of my literary friends had told me Oliver Twist was a tough book to stomach and a difficult read.  Countless other reading enthusiast told me they had picked it up and were unable to get through it.  Always being one to stick my hand in the fire and get burned to find out that its hot I decided to go for it.  All I can say is that reading this novel was exhausting, demoralizing, depressing, heart wrenching and down right despicable.  I love Dickens but this one was a bit too dark for even the likes of me.  I am talking chills up my spine.  It took me nearly four months to finish the thing.  I mean sure I have been a bit on the lazy side , but usually I make time to enjoy a good read.  If anyone actually read this one I would love to hear what your feelings on it were.

"Please sir, may I have some more"

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Lisanti Book Club, Book XI: Oliver Twist

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 28, 2011| 7 Comments »

Book XI: Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens, first published serially 1837, 601 pages

It always comes back to Dickens for me.  By far I would have to say he is one of my favorite authors to ever hold a pen.  His wit and portrayal of characters is unsurpassed.   I really did want to wait a while before introducing another Dickens novel to the club with Great Expectations only just recently being entered, but my desire to read more of his work overtook my zeal for variety.  Oliver twist is one of his darker novels as far as looking into the despicable nature of the human soul.  Go out grab a copy and lets wrap out minds into yet another literary masterpiece.  I lost my tattered thrift store copy and had to go out and buy one at a real book store and still it only costs me $5.  I bought that and a blank journal and the blank journal cost thrice a great work in human literature.

Summary of Book X: Lord of the flies 

If you missed Lord of the Flies I would definitely recommend picking up a copy, although from the feed back I have gotten it appears that I am the only person in the America who did not read the book in 8th grade.  All I can say is it is a powerfully disturbing tale of human nature in its ugliest form.  Its all of 200 pages, you can read that on two train commutes, pick up and see for yourself.

This has nothing to do with Charles Dickens, Lord of the Flies or Oliver Twist but I thought it was a pretty thought provoking picture. "Talk amongst yourselves".

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Lisanti Book Club, Book X: Lord of the Flies

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2011| 5 Comments »

Book X: Lord of the Flies, William Golding, first published in 1954, 202 pages

I know I should have read this book back in like the eighth or ninth grade.  Some how though it slipped by me being it probably was not required reading and at which time I was all about the dime novel series The Hardy Boys.  Lord of the Flies is a work that I have avoided reading for a long time mostly because  I had a pretty good notion of what the plot was about thanks to various TV and movie spin offs of the novel.  Whenever such is the case I am always hesitant to read the book for fear of my imagination being corrupted by one of these aforementioned sources.  Ade’s found a copy being thrown away at the local art museum where she teaches at risk kids art two nights a week.  I figured it was about time to give it a read.  its fairly easy reading similar to our last book Peer Gynt, which I can only hope any one who keeps up with the book club has long since finished.

Summary of Book IX: Peer Gynt

I went into Ibsen’s Peer Gynt not quite knowing what to expect from the renowned Norwegian playwright.  Turns out I found the play to be a great read borderline profound.  The book’s take on the afterlife is very interesting and its guidelines on living as well.  At times a bit tough to follow Peer Gynt keeps you guessing on the outcome all the way till the end where you will never expect what happens.  If you missed it the first time around I strongly recommend picking it up.  Its a 160 page play that is an easy read.  Give it a shot I promise you wont be sorry.

Where is the Lord of theses Flies?

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Lisanti Book Club, Book IX: Peer Gynt

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Book IX: Peer Gynt, Henrik Ibsen, first published in 1867, 169 pages

I feel like I have been on a world tour of literature lately.  I went from British lit, to French, to South American and now with the addition of the play Peer Gynt find myself taking a stab at Norwegian literature.  Written primarily in verse Henrik Ibsen takes the reader on a lyrical journey with main character Peer Gynt.  Supposedly the play is based on an old Norwegian folk tale of the same title.  Its rather easy to read and the form flows quite nicely and this comes form a person who is not a fan of poetry.  I am about half way done with this play already considering I have not had a chance to make this entry here yet.  Never the less I implore you to pick Peer Gynt up and give it a read.

Summary of Book VIII: Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Garcia Marquez has yet again managed to captivate me in another of his novels.  I rather enjoyed Chronicle of a Death Foretold although a bit disturbing.  The whole book is written knowing the main character is going to be brutally murdered from the first sentence.  In  Marquez’s usual style there is plenty of sex, scandal and moral upheaval one has come to expect from his works.  I definitely suggest if you missed this book when I first entered it into the book club to give it some look.

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Lisanti Book Club, Book VIII: Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 7, 2011| 4 Comments »

Book VIII: Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, published 1982, 120 pages.

Garcia Marquez is a great author to read.  His writing just flows so nicely.  This is the third book I have read by him originally turned on to his works from my old roommate Brennan.    So far I have not been disappointed.  I mean The dude won a noble prize (Marquez that is not Brennan) so I figured he is always worth a read.  They only award those things to really talented people.  Maybe I will get one for my wonderful works here at Surfingruinedmylife.net then again probably not.  Plus I scored it at a yard sale for like a quarter.

This novel is South American Literature thus taking us  on the quite the reading tour of the world in the last three book club entries.  Its a short read and truth be told I am almost half way through it so if you want to follow along you better get reading.

Summary of Book VII: Boule De Suif & Selected Stories

Book VII was a very entertaining and enjoyable read.  Then again what would one expect from a protege of Flaubert.  Most of the stories are no more then ten to fifteen pages ranging from topics such as war, erotica, social interaction, romance and adventure.   It is definitely a great collection of short stories and I whole heatedly recommend you give it a read if you have not already (what you mean you dont religiously keep up with the Lisanti Book Club reading?  Astounding!) .

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Lisanti Book Club, Book VII: Boule De Suif & Selected Stories

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on January 2, 2011| 3 Comments »

Book VII: Boule De Suif & Selected Stories, Guy De Maussant, Stories published from 1880-1890, 283 pages

Taking a break from English Literature I picked up this collection of short stories by Guy De Maussant.  I cant remember the last time I read anything from the French and the last time I gave short stories a run was last December.  I get a kick out of short stories and French writing is so erotic, even back then.  Maussant was the protege of the renowned author of Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert.  Madame Bovary being one of my all time favorite books I figured I had to check out the works of Maussant.  Im about half way through already considering I started the book before my long trip home and did nothing but read for most of it.  So far I am enjoying it.

Summary of Book VI: Great Expectations

For whatever reason Dickens is an author I have read very scarce.  Considering he is one of the greatest of his time that is rather sad.  That being said I found Great Expectations to be an enthralling read.  I could not put the book down.  The characters are all so unique and the plot amazing to the last sentence.   If you have left this book out as I did for so long it is time to pick it up.  You wont be sorry.

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Lisanti Book Club, Book VI: Great Expectations

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , on December 14, 2010| 2 Comments »

Book VI: Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens, First Published in 1861, 442 Pages

Believe it or not I have never read Great Expectations apparently everyone else has back in high school yet none I have spoken to can remember much about it.  It seems to me to read a work and have it beyond one’s recall is rather sad, but who am I to judge.  Other ingenious commentators expressed their thoughts in the form of “Isnt that a really old book”?  Idiocracy aside Charles Dickens is an author I have  not read all that much of.  I just began this one and am only on page 35 so feel free to join in the fun of literacy.

Summary of Book V: Wuthering Heights

So going into this book I did not know what to expect considering the book jacket deemed it as one of the greatest love stories ever.  As it turned out the tale was one of anger, revenge and hatred, three of my favorite themes.  It may just be one of the best vengeful plot novels I have ever read.  I would say it is a must read for everyone.  You think Im a despicable human being the main character has me beat by a million.

Here is an artist rendering of Dickens. What a crazy beard.

This has nothing to do with Charles Dickens at all but I found it ever so amusing.

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Lisanti Book Club, Book V: Wuthering Heights

Posted in Lisanti Book Club, tagged , , , , , , , on November 14, 2010| 1 Comment »

Book V: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, First Published 1847, 320 pages

After a brief foray into American Literature we will take a turn back into British Lit with Wuthering Heights. This novel is considered by many to be one of the greatest romantic stories ever written.  At the time of publication Bronte was highly criticized for writing it on subject matter ahead of its time.  She died only a year after the publishing of the book.  I just started this one today and at my current rate of finishing you should have no problem keeping up.

Summary of Book IV: The Morgesons by Elizabeth Stoddard

When I first picked this one up I did not know what to think having very little foresight on the author, but she was highly acclaimed so I figured what could it hurt especially at 50 cents.  For the first hundred pages or so the novel was fairly slow going and truthfully if it was not for my “The Captain goes down with the ship” attitude I probably would have put it down.  Soon after though the story and the characters begin to take shape.  Upon completion of the book I believe that the characters and their interaction with one another may have been more the focus then the actual story itself.  Whatever the case everyone is rather peculiar making it more then worth a read.

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