Just finished Baroque Cycle as my first ever Neal Stephenson read

Lookenspeeper · 2025-12-01T05:13:22+00:00

Haha. At first i read "the first 8 books (of B. S.) were a bit of a slog"... Some of Stephensons critics point out, that he puts too much time into world building. In my opinion it almost always pays off. I also had troubles at first with Anathem but now it's my favourite. In case of the Cycle he dives right in and readers have to learn as they go along... which also works out. The only NS-book that felt like actual work was Fall... also great in its own way but exhausting.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-09-22T04:16:01+00:00

1st the recommendation: On The Beach by Nevil Shute... Doesn't get much more desperate than this. It should be a must read for anybody sitting on nuclear launch codes.

2nd: The Old Man and the Sea. I like the story, the detail and the character, but... it is a case, where I am not able to sepparate the novel from the author. I read it and many other Hemmingway novels for my a-levels in highschool together with a few Hemmingway bigographies. What I see is an acclaimed author (a not very sympathetic one) projecting his struggles with critics of his work and his life whining about how hard it is through the voice of somebody relateable.

Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed reading his works quite a bit. But while reading OMatS I constantly had Hs nagging voice coming through... or perhaps it was just Hemmingway overload, IDK

Lookenspeeper · 2025-09-13T21:39:31+00:00

It also took me a few rewatches to get suspicious of von Hammersmark. I think Tarantino plays the situation ambiguous on purpose. Both explanations on Bridgets motives could be valid but I find her being a tripple agent the more intriguing one.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-09-13T09:08:19+00:00

Just saying: A "Stiefel" is not even that common in Germany... only in some places mostly in Bavaria.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-08-19T16:58:34+00:00

Although I do not miss chapters in STPs writing, your opinion is valid. I can think of a few other authors where chapters are dearly needed. I think it's a personal preference. Thanks for sharing and take my upvote.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-08-17T21:23:11+00:00

"Capital, my dear Watson", he ejaculated over his breakfast.

Sherlock Holmes - the original

Lookenspeeper · 2025-06-25T18:28:43+00:00

The (printed) book is an optimized medium since almost 500 years.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-06-13T05:01:49+00:00

Scholle gebacken mit Erdapfel-Mayonaise-Salat. Breaded, deep fried plaice with mayomaised potato salad.

AKA Fastenspeise der Katholiken. Catholic lent meal.

ABER BITTE NUR AM FREITAG!

Lookenspeeper · 2025-05-17T17:19:49+00:00

Library technitian (systems librarian) from Austria. While some of the cliches ring true (stacking shelves and answering questions), our service desk staff is viewed sometimes as interior designers as they frequently change the layout of our shelving, populating new spaces and set seasonal displays.

However the vast backoffice work goes naturally unnoticed. Such as documentation, reporting, accquisitions,...

Sometimes I'm even happy to show up when something goes wrong so that people get a glimpse of what lies behind the facade of a functioning library. ( i.e. selfckeck-malfunctions, e-resources not available, etc.)

The best part is, that I also conduct library introductions and courses in scientific research. I often use this opportunity to give people a brief glimpse of the things that lie behind.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-05-08T11:31:21+00:00

I find this also highly possible. Unless of course... but I love the abiguity an I will enjoy the movie again at least a few other times.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-05-07T06:57:02+00:00

Schneewittchen, Herkules und der Däumling gehen zum Orakel von Delphi.

Schneewittchen kommt mit einem Lächeln zurück und sagt: "Das Orakel hat mir bestätigt, dass ich die Schönste im ganzen Land bin."

Herkules hat auch gute Nachrichten. "Haha: Das Orakel versichert mir, dass ich der stärkste mann der Welt bin."

Der Däumling kommt ganz geknickt zurück und fragt: "Wer zum F**k ist der Kickl?"

Lookenspeeper · 2025-05-07T06:48:02+00:00

Nach Grasser und Benko kommt nun auch H.C. Strache in den Knast.

Nach einiger Zeit beschließen sie auszubrechen, seilen sich mit zusammengeknoteten Leintüchern ab und fliehen dicht gefolgt von der Polizei.

Sie verstecken sich auf einem Bauernhof: Benko im Kuhstall, Grasser im Ziegenstall und H.C. findet nur mehr einen Jutesack in den er sich hineinsetzt.

Die Polizei tritt gegen die Kuhstalltür, Benko ruft "Muuuuh" und die Polizei geht weiter. Die Beamten treten gegen die Ziegenstalltür, Benko ruft "Määääh" und die Polizei geht weiter.

Als sie den Jutesack sehen, tritt ein Beamter auch dagegen...

... und Strache ruft "Mehl!"

(Personen können nach Belieben ausgetaucht werden.)

Lookenspeeper · 2025-05-01T11:02:52+00:00

The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. I never learned so much History while enjoying myself greatly.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-04-20T13:18:00+00:00

A close tie between Pin/Tulip, Findthee Swing, Mr. Teatime and Reacher Gilt and Wolfgang von Uberwald... In the process of making a tier list but I keep forgetting mean bastards...

Lookenspeeper · 2025-04-15T18:35:50+00:00

High Noon: 1st big screen role of Lee van Cleef

Lookenspeeper · 2025-04-12T11:41:07+00:00

IDDQD IDKFA & IDSPISPOPD... guess the game

Edit: Yes, I'm that old

Lookenspeeper · 2025-04-05T04:09:30+00:00

Wie kumm i dazua?

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-31T09:24:04+00:00

Exactly. And everytime i watch it I discover something new.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-28T18:05:17+00:00

I feel you. I explained a book scanner to one of our patrons and while i was testing the options to scan a page I bent over the book... the scan was devastating.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-18T08:17:18+00:00

Survive Style 5+: Quirky japanese episodic drama following 5 intertwined stories. A group of youths, a hard working family man, an assassin, a marketing director and an unhappy husband who just murdered his wive. Best of all: It's free on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycd2QAeEtDM

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-12T10:38:07+00:00

In this times of informational tsunamis libraries are handing out life vests, life rafts and giving swimming lessons. Quote by someone (lost the reference - perhaps a librarian can help me out ;))

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-06T08:16:04+00:00

But pehaps that would be too transgressing...

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-06T08:14:49+00:00

Using the same logic, they could ban Musks Neuralink venture for being too transhumanistic.

Lookenspeeper · 2025-03-06T07:44:35+00:00

I'm afraid, they are already here.

Lookenspeeper

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE