A couple months back, a few of us in the Junk Drawer decided to start the first unofficial Blazersedge bookclub. The first book that was read by the bookclub was Last Days by Brian Evenson. The second book, and the one discussed below, was Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. If you read any further in this thread, this book will have been SPOILED for you. You have been warned. But anybody who reads the book is welcome to contribute to the conversation. If you like the idea of taking part in the bookclub's next book discussion, it will be âMatterhornâ by Karl Marlantes. More information to follow. Each person who reads the book should feel free to post what you felt about reading this and what the experience was like for you. If you want to dig deeper, go ahead. I've made a few simple questions that could be used to get people started. If other people have points and questions, just bring them up. Then we can discuss with one another to understand each of our points and see what kind of conversation happens. Thanks go to Idoltime for the original outline of this description, I just changed things as needed.
Many Murakami scholars and fans, including myself, have felt that this book is the most auto-biographical in the author's canon. Murakami is known for his privacy, yet there are many aspects of this novel that feel very real. What stood out to you that felt more human, that felt more like it could have been an auto-biographical piece of the work?
As Watanabe's story unfolds he becomes very close to both Naoko and Midori. How are these women different from one another? In which ways do you find them similar to one another? How would you describe the different kinds of love they offer Watanabe? Why do you think he finally chooses Midori? Has he made the right choice?
Watanabe often speaks about âThe Great Gatsbyâ and how closely he relates to Fitzgerald's novel. Why do you think this is important, and what does it say of Watanabe?
This is going to be a two part-er cause you can only make 5 points in the âlistsâ fanshot. First, what is the importance of the two central men in Watanabe's life? Stromtrooper(Kamikaze if you managed to snatch the Birnbaum translation) and Nagasawa? How do these characters help define Watanabe, and how do they define themselves(as little definition as there may be). And lastly, many people have agreed that the Jay Rubin translation seems to be lacking and the fairly poor prose takes away from the enjoyment of the novel. How did the prose effect you? Are there any particular instances in which you experienced every translator's nightmare, that moment where you realized, without a doubt, that you were reading a book that had been translated? I'm dropping this post off and then I have to disappear again for a bit, but will pop in as I can to enjoy, and join, the discussion.
i am so bummed. yeah, the blazers began scalping piece of junk upper level tickets to premium games, raising the prices from 9 to 52 dollars each last year. they didnt however raise group prices. well they have this year. im close to the edge of jumping off the bandwagon. it really wouldnt take much. yes i still have my season tix which they seem to raise 10-29 percent a year. i know from other peoples stories that this is the way it goes. people become fans, fall in love with the team and eventually get priced out at some point and end up walking away from thier tickets. in another few years when oden is a bust, pryz is gone, camby and miller are retired, batum never quite panned out, brandons begins having knee problems and la will still be good but not great then after some back to back failures to sell out the arena, tickets will become reasonable again. for the last 4-5 years i have bought a ton of tix. yeah ive scalped some, i can say ive lost more money than ive ever made. any money ive ever made i put back into buying more tickets. ive taken my family, my friends and probably given away 500-1000 tickets to underprivledged people. this new policy is crap. For all of you hoping to go see miami or the lakers or Phoenix on opening day or boston or any other good game. forget it. spend your money on comcast instead. Its a much better value! for those of you wanting to take your kids to a game you have no hope! i dont care how much you make, how many people can really afford 250+ just to sit in the very top piece of crap seat behind the basketwhere not only can you not see the players faces, you have difficulty reading their number also. enjoy your 9 dollar beers and your 15 dollar parking, your extended wait in traffic to go home. its time to start hating. mabey the next time i see the punk with the kobe jersey becoming obnoxious ill just buy him a beer.
About two weeks ago, a few of us in the Junk Drawer decided to start the first unofficial Blazersedge bookclub. The first book that was read by the bookclub was Last Days by Brian Evenson. If you read any further in this thread, this book will have been SPOILED for you. You have been warned. But anybody who reads the book is welcome to contribute to the conversation. If you like the idea of taking part in the bookclub's next book discussion, it will be âNorwegian Woodâ by Haruki Murakami. More information to follow. Each person who reads the book should feel free to post what you felt about reading this and what the experience was like for you. If you want to dig deeper, go ahead. I've made a few simple questions that could be used to get people started. If other people have points and questions, just bring them up. Then we can discuss with one another to understand each of our points and see what kind of conversation happens. And please try and keep it civil (the person I'm referring to knows I'm talking to them).
Evenson clearly minimizes the details he provides in this book. Nil information outside the scope of the story is included and information that might have been included in the story was even left out. The characters are flat, and the scenes are void of details. The Introduction describes some of the dialog as "knockabout minimalist ping-pong". Even the disturbing imagery of mutilations and amputations are told in a straight-to-the-point manner with almost nothing embellished. How would you characterize the effect that this minimization of detail had on your experience reading Last Days?
The story beings with Kline as a man less than himself and not even interested in leaving his bed most of the time. But he was hopeful enough to think that things were bound to improve. is thrust through an increasing impossible series of feats on the way through his eventual masscre of both "cults". During this ending, he wonders at first if he can possibly come out of this still human. At the end, he's just running and wondering 'What Next?' Is there any point at which Evenson gives you a thought or a detail about Kline to make you identify with this transformation he experiences? Is there any way to relate to Kline as a character or his experiences to your life? Explain how your answer affected the way your understood the point of the book.
One of the repeated images we are greeted by is that of a locked door and needing to be allowed entrance into (and often out of) places. Not only do we see this in both of the "cult strongholds" but Kline even has to deal with this at his own home when returning without his keys. There were even other less literal and yet less subtle ways in which access to more required a specific process for admittance (i.e., access to the knowledge Kline). The rigidness of ritual in the order highlights this, but Evenson makes a deliberate choice to continue to put human barriers between each next step that Kline will do. Discuss how effective this theme was in drawing you towards what you believe Evenson's aim was in writing it.
Did you imply any reason from Evenson as to why Kline couldn't keep from "embellishing" himself further into the "investigation". Despite always being clearly interested in ending it, he continually re-engages and finds himself needing to dig further. How did this read to you? Did it feel like merely part of the necessity of moving plot or did you take something else from trying to understand why Kline behaved the way he did throughout this story?