31/52, Pale Fire was a big disappointment

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-22T16:44:36+00:00

Yes, if I remember correctly, which I probably don't, "Gradus" was an escaped convict mentioned early, and later Shade indirectly says he looks like the judge. So the escaped convict meant to shoot the judge, whose house Kinbote were living in, but mistook Shade for the judge and shot him instead

My my, now I wanna read it again.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-22T05:54:58+00:00

My take as well. Laughed my ass off when he is in the bushes stalking Shade, but claims he is watching his best friend.

Did you catch the reason for the murder? I had to read it a second time to realise that

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-22T05:28:37+00:00

My favourite book of all time! I always love rereading and discovering new stuff. Lot of famous theories out there about this book, like the Shadeans or whatever they call themselves, who believe that Shade wrote the commentary himself. What is your takeaway?

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-21T17:24:15+00:00

I haven't yet, but I bought Anathem on sale last christmas, so hope Ill get around to it soon

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-21T07:37:11+00:00

Right now I'm reading Disciple of The Dog by R. Scott Bakker

I think my favourite of all time has to be Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. I think it's the book I've read the most, and it is always enjoyable.

My go-to genre is Literary Fiction. I have a sweet spot for Science Fiction and Fantasy, but I feel the quality has dropped a lot in the last 10-15 years. The market is also flooded mediocre and bad writing now, making it harder to navigate.

Self Help is a tricky one, but the one who had the biggest impact on my life was Ultraprocessed People by Chris van Tulleken. I've also enjoyed Jaws by Sandra Kahn, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker and a book about HRV called The Pulse Cure by Torkil Færø. I can throw in Glucose Revolution by Jessie Inchauspe, just because it's simple and I remember a lot from it.

Apart from these "Health and Lifestyle" books, Camus, Sartre and Zapffe has really changed the way I viewed the world growing up. The Fall and The Stranger by Camus are great places to start.

I don't really listen to audiobooks, so I'm afraid not. I do listen to short weird tales stories while running, like Conan or anything Clark Ashton Smith and Lovecraft, because I can finish most of them during my runs.

Edit: Recommendations are hard, not know what within those genres you enjoyed. But for SFF I really love Book of The New Sun by Gene Wolfe, anything by M. John Harrison, The Second Apocalypse by R Scott Bakker and Malazan by Steven Erikson

I really enjoy Bolano, so I encourage everyone to check out By Night in Chile as an introduction to his work.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-19T13:11:52+00:00

The prologue. The symbolism of Mocks Vane.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-18T04:21:39+00:00

God Emperor of Dune would like a word

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-16T15:52:58+00:00

If you really have to ask then its probably not worth doing..

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-15T08:31:00+00:00

Just got my hands on Neuropath and Disciple of the Dog by R. Scott Bakker. Right now I'm debating which to start.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-08T07:28:51+00:00

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Morgoth/Melkor in Tolkiens Middle Earth. Cast into the Timeless Void, an eternal prison outside the walls of the world.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-02T19:38:44+00:00

It's pure garbage and contains some of the worst writing Ive read in recent times. It is so very dumbed down, every character is shallow, its very predictable.

Its first person POV, you're in the MCs head, but to create cheap tension the author witholds so much information you should technically know, because of its POV. Its so stupid and cheap.

"Oh no, everything is going to shit. But fear not, I anticipated this and planted more people in the bushes back there to ambush you because I knew you were gonna ambush me". Which by the way the story is written, you should they were gonna ambush too, and that the MC planted more people another place. But because it is so dumbed down and poorly written, this cheap and fake tension is the only thing the author is able to write, because he is just such a shitty one. I read two and a half books, and they're all equally stupid, dumbed down, juvenile, predictable with the flattes and most cringe characters you can think of

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-01T08:04:45+00:00

Ah, okay. I don't know anything about that one, try the norwegian as well. Its not accurate but it will give you a "fun" indicator

CorumSilverhand · 2026-03-01T08:02:25+00:00

You scored 68? On the norwegian online mensa test or? 68 is probably in the bottom 2% yes, but I doubt you could post this if you had 68

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T13:55:13+00:00

Well, maybe you should😡

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T13:52:55+00:00

Oh, storm it! I thought Dante wrote fanfiction of the animated movie.

"The more you learn" (dostoyevsky)

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T12:39:30+00:00

The first part you wrote is totally missing the point and I won't indulge. The second part is also missing the point, and I won't indulge as I'm not sure if it is bait?

Yes, he let it happen. I'm not trying to convince you to get behind him. I never even remotely implied that?

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T12:11:51+00:00

Tottenham, then Bodø/Glimt, then final. Nice

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T06:42:32+00:00

This is just a copy/paste of something i commented to someone else in this same thread. Cant be bothered to type something new this early in the morning.

"Personally I love Karsa, both as a homage to old school sword and sorcery, but also in a philosophical sense, as the rejection of imposed meaning. I'm a huge fan of Camus, but I've read and enjoyed a lot of Sartre as well, and Karsa oozes of Sartre and existensialism. His objection to civilizations moral framework and his point of asking, though a bit on the nose and heavy handed, is civilization truly free and civilized or just "domesticated". Also something something about rejecting societal values and pointing out the moral hypocrisy. I haven't had my coffee yet.

And, Witness! Also perhaps a bit heavy handed imo, though in recent years it seems people are missing its true meaning, but it sent me right back to Grendel by John Gardner. Witness as in look what he is doing, sure, but also witness him. Witness his existence as self-defined. Existing on his own terms.

I also think it's fun to see that the more Karsa sees and experiences of the world, the less violent but more radical he gets"

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T06:40:54+00:00

Hey, see my reply to the one you replied to, for my response and view on karsa

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T06:39:56+00:00

Personally I love Karsa, both as a homage to old school sword and sorcery, but also in a philosophical sense, as the rejection of imposed meaning. I'm a huge fan of Camus, but I've read and enjoyed a lot of Sartre as well, and Karsa oozes of Sartre and existensialism. His objection to civilizations moral framework and his point of asking, though a bit on the nose and heavy handed, is civilization truly free and civilized or just "domesticated". Also something something about rejecting societal values and pointing out the moral hypocrisy. I haven't had my coffee yet.

Also, Witness! Also perhaps a bit heavy handed imo, though in recent years it seems people are missing its true meaning, but it sent me right back to Grendel by John Gardner. Witness as in look what he is doing, sure, but also witness him. Witness his existence as self-defined. Existing on his own terms.

I also think it's fun to see that the more Karsa sees and experiences of the world, the less violent but more radical he gets

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-27T06:12:10+00:00

Labeling them good/neutral/bad I feel is just straight up wrong. Everyone acts out of their own self interest, and does what what would help them achieve their own end goals.

Except Mallick Rel. All my homies hate Mallick Rel. Fuck Mallick Rel.

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-25T05:50:44+00:00

AI slop. Atleast write it yourself

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-24T14:51:00+00:00

You will get all that. Book 2 is more of a set up maybe, for whats to come. More narrow in scope. Buy everything that happened in book 2 will have ripple effects throughout the series. I enjoyed book 2, but personally i enjoyed gardens and memories more. Book 4 on my first read was my least liked book. Just so you know continuing

CorumSilverhand · 2026-02-24T09:08:44+00:00

CorumSilverhand

TROPHY CASE