There are easier ways to do that than re-writing the same trashy thriller over and over again. Though to be fair he did keep me reading...

Ah, sorry, when you said paid for only half of the year I though you meant that teachers are only receive payment during the time that they work, and receive no pay during the times when they aren't working. Also, many jobs have weekends or other days off so it's really only 3 months less pay than other jobs, not half a year. Sorry for the confusion.

You know what lolrony is? When someone who can't spell controversy criticizes Pullman for writing poorly. :laughing:

The first book is easily the weakest/most ordinary in my opinion. Things get interesting with The subtle knife and Amber spyglass is just epic. Big props to Pullman for putting homo angels in there.

I'm sure you'll do well to lead group inspections of your own rectal cavity.

I wasn't suggesting that we read children's books. I would rather read something modestly entertaining instead of something which only serves to inflate my ego. Pardon me for mistaking reading for entertainment.

Cool. I was hoping it was less than 300 pages but that's even better.

I see what he's saything though. I've admittedly never read the Idiot, or anything by Dostoevsky but you get the sene of how it reads by those who invoke his name at dinner parties and where he's assigned.

He's used in Woody Allen-esque jokes. Its a personality type that, in my experience is woefully unaware of how their perceived in life. I don't think any of this should discredit the book, the suggestion or the people, and I'd be inclined to tell Sam he's a loud-mouth whiner if not for the inclusion of JPS.

we're starting to be able to plot this reading list in a linear direction toward amazingly boring. I've seen a few other suggestions here but i don't know if we should be shying away from popular books as heavily as we are.

Like anticipation, I'll not be able to join in for quite some time because I'm 10 books ahead of myself in the bought-to-read ratio, but I'd rather a well run club that may read things that sometimes embarassed me than a club full of well chossen books no one gives a **** about enough to read.

I don't really care that much anymore. I'm dropping this and someone else can run it.

the reason i ask is because his novels serve as a great compromise in relation to this thread. he is poignant on symbolic and metaphoric levels, as well as being quite entertaining and dream-like.


i don't see why we can't read things that are both philosophically taxing as well as enjoyable. surely with such a large group of "above average" readers we'd be able to come up with a few novels that fill both roles?

I wasn't even saying we can't read enjoyable novels. I was just saying certain novels, take your average Stephen King book (I'm not talking something like The Stand or It that is massive and with tons of undertones. I'm talking something like Christine or Cell) there is nothing in there to discuss. It's not that they're bad stories but they're simplistic and straight-forward stories. There's nothing wrong with that either it's just this is what the discussion would be: "Did you like that bit where the cat came back to life? Yeah it was creepy." But apparently that's a pretentious stance to take and shows that I want everyone to masturbate on my ego and blah blah blah blah blah

I'm picking up my copy on Friday. Maybe we could do a dual choice as the discussion will be in a separate thread anyhow that pleases everyone then. People can choose then and it's all cool.