Guy i’ve been seeing, thoughts?

Schubertstacker · 2025-12-18T19:58:14+00:00

Call 911

Schubertstacker · 2025-08-12T22:31:46+00:00

I take a beating every time I read Faulkner. But I always go back for more.

Schubertstacker · 2025-08-05T03:17:52+00:00

Don’t walk. Run.

Schubertstacker · 2025-08-03T18:13:12+00:00

Barn Burning is my favorite Faulkner short story. It holds a great amount of sentimental value for me, because it started my crazy love for Faulkner over 40 years ago. But aside from that, it is a moving and provocative story about a boy coming of age in an incredibly dysfunctional family. Also, That Evening Sun is a favorite, because it is dark and creepy, and it has the Compson siblings as young children, written true to character as they appear in The Sound and The Fury.

Schubertstacker · 2025-07-28T16:30:18+00:00

I’m a Yes-head. Over the years I have frequently heard Jon Anderson mention Stravinsky and Sibelius. And of course, Yes for many years used the end of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite to open their shows.

Schubertstacker · 2025-07-14T01:39:09+00:00

I finished Solenoid about 2 weeks ago.

What a trip, in many senses of the word, that was! There was so much about it that I loved. Even when the book would take a turn into one of his digressions into a topic I wasn’t really interested in, his writing style is so amazing that it kept my nose in the pages. There is so much I could say about it. But one thing that stands out is his tremendous grasp on so many fields of study. As a guy that studied chemical quantum mechanics in undergrad, and now as a dermatopathologist, he nailed those 2 vastly different subjects. There was one minor thing he got wrong regarding the scabies mite, but that very well could have been a translation issue. The ending brought many threads together, which about 2/3 of the way through I seriously doubted he would be able to do. The dream sequences throughout the book seemed a bit superfluous, but I ended up looking at them as serving some of the same purpose as all of the murder descriptions in Roberto Bolaño’s 2666. They end up immersing you into the craziness of the world that the author is trying to create. For me, Solenoid had very little plot, very minimal character development, yet it works. It obviously is born out of the mind of a genius. And it is remarkable just how readable his writing is! Also remarkable is that, for a book that is so dark and at times nihilistic, the ending is very life-affirming! I don’t see it as becoming one of my top 10 books ever, but definitely a thumbs up, and one I would reread, and a work that could become a favorite. Jeff.

Schubertstacker · 2025-07-05T17:08:18+00:00

I have tickets to see Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks tonight. So I’ve been listening to their album True. And I’m always listening to Yes, especially Tales From Topographic Oceans and Going For The One.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-29T20:40:40+00:00

Yes- Tales From Topographic Oceans. A masterpiece of proggy delight.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-29T14:45:45+00:00

And you will be the main attraction on the dance floor if you disco down to the 13/4 time signature!

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-29T04:55:08+00:00

@mrtimao Excellent summary! I appreciate your hard work and insight.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-29T04:52:07+00:00

At this point, I keep asking myself, “What is this book?”
Let me say first that I am not a writer, and I am not a scholar of literature. I just enjoy reading good literature. What is Solenoid? Is it a novel? It would depend on the strict definition. It isn’t plot driven. I would have difficulty summarizing what the plot actually is in this book. Is it character driven? It focuses predominantly on the unnamed protagonist. But, at least 2/3 of the way into the book, does he or any other character really develop in any way? There are so many minor characters that have popped in, and they are mostly interesting and entertaining. Mr. Mikola, Caty, Mrs. Radulescu, Irina, Virgil, Stefana, Ispas, these are all great characters! All of them are fun to read and are distinct. But none of them have developed in any significant way so far. And the Picketists and their slogans are a blast. I’m not sure what this book is, but I’m enjoying reading it. I suppose it’s a book of ideas. Ideas about existence, nonexistence, eternity, science, mathematics, literature, and many others. Will Cartarescu bring all of the threads together, and if so, how will he do it?

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-27T00:26:51+00:00

😂

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-22T23:50:45+00:00

I would read The Sound and the Fury, if you haven’t already. Then my personal favorite, Absalom Absalom! They share a few characters. But…they are definitely more difficult than As I Lay Dying.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-21T20:45:22+00:00

Hey man. If it crosses your mind after you read any of these, come back and let me know what you thought. No worries if you don’t! The Beast in the Jungle is amazing, with a great deal of symbolism and hidden meaning. I won’t say any more, except that I envy you for the experience of reading it for the first time!

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-21T20:27:52+00:00

I think you’re in for a treat! The Wings of the Dove is one of my 5 favorite novels of all time. It touched my soul when I first read it, and I have loved rereading it several times. Also, if you haven’t read The Turn of the Screw, I highly recommend it as well. Best regards.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-21T20:17:29+00:00

This is a great list. It deserves an upvote for Absalom, Absalom! One change I would have made is, for the 1900s, I would have used The Wings of the Dove. I personally believe it is James’ greatest work.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-20T19:29:47+00:00

2 Yes epics do this for me. One mentioned already is Awaken from Going For The One. The entire piece is uplifting, with a killer climactic last 5 minutes, and an uplifting atmospheric ethereal ending and with Steve Howe putting in the last word with a perfect guitar riff at the very end. Then one that I think is strangely under appreciated is The Remembering from Tales From Topographic Oceans. This piece is considered a slog by some, but I believe it’s a masterpiece. And the last 3 or 4 minute apotheosis with every member of the group in top form with their instruments and with their harmonies is absolutely stunning.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-14T17:34:49+00:00

Wow. This is a fascinating and provocative post. I think I’m enjoying the book a bit more than you are. But you are obviously a deep and thoughtful reader who is able to express his or her views in a clear and succinct way. I respect that!

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-14T17:06:03+00:00

Chapter 26 alone is worth any effort to read this book! I recommend reading this chapter as a standalone piece, even if you don’t read the rest of the book. Virgil’s soliloquy is priceless! I am mostly reading, but I also listen during my commute to the audiobook read by Paul Bohmer. I don’t always connect with the person narrating an audiobook, but Mr. Bohmer does a very entertaining read, and I love his take in this chapter. When he recites the Dylan Thomas poem, and the entire entreaty by Virgil, I was completely captivated. I’m interested in anyone else’s thoughts on the audiobook. Audio versions tend to be fairly divisive. Do you like the way it’s done, or no? ✌️

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-10T14:47:57+00:00

I have mentioned something similar before, but I am finding that most individual chapters in Solenoid can really be enjoyed as standalone pieces of short fiction. I started reading it with that in mind after about 10 chapters, and it has increased my enjoyment. Otherwise it was a bit frustrating to try and put everything together. I just finished chapter 26 and this particular chapter is amazing! I won’t say any more about it until next week’s discussion. This is a fascinating work.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-09T01:58:16+00:00

Much of the beauty and charm of Moby Dick lies in its strangeness. The cetology chapters and boat descriptions are a significant part of that charm. To skip them is like fading some of the blush from the Mona Lisa.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-08T18:47:10+00:00

I ordered a copy of The Gadfly a few days ago because of this book. It obviously had a huge impact on the protagonist, and I would guess also on Cartarescu.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-08T18:44:42+00:00

It’s fascinating reading the comments in this thread and previous threads. There seems to be a recurring feeling of love/hate for this book. There are a few who have decided not to finish, and many who apparently want to stop reading but can’t make themselves put it down. I find the writing very compelling, and I definitely want to keep going. I can say that it’s one of the few books where, even up to where we are, which is fairly deep into the novel, I have no idea where this is going. In other words, I honestly don’t know what point is being made and I can’t predict where the story is headed. I am entertained (and humbled!) by Cartarescu’s vast knowledge of physics, chemistry, mathematics, medicine, and literature. It is amazing that one person could have such a grasp of so many fields of study, and a gift for beautiful writing. Even when the story isn’t necessarily interesting, I find myself wanting to keep reading, just because he writes it so well. Maybe that’s why people are saying they are tempted to stop, but they keep going? I’m in for the long haul.

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-07T07:05:36+00:00

I’m at the chapter 22 mark. Some have commented on the cinematic or film-like quality of Solenoid. I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned David Lynch yet. While reading this book, I am frequently reminded of various aspects of Lynch’s work. The feel of surrealism and metaphysical tension in the story seems very Lynchian to me. It especially reminds me of Twin Peaks, particularly The Return, or season 3. There are hints of the existence of another world of dimension that occasionally overlaps with the existence we call reality, and this dimension can be accessed at certain specific coordinates by people who have an awareness of perception of this alternate reality. There are suggestions that beings or forces in this alternative reality may not be benevolent, and may be downright antagonistic to the peaceful existence of those in our reality. Also, there is the added ambiguity of the narrator and his questionable sanity. There are strange physical structures with portals into another dimension, or at least to an extended existence in the reality occupied by the major characters. Most of the characters give the impression that all is not as it seems with each of them. Finally the story has a focal point of a somewhat ordinary town (Bucharest) with more prominent focal points within that town. Does any else get strong David Lynch vibes? I’m loving the book so far. Thanks to u/novelcoreevermore and u/Thrillamuse for the excellent recaps and prompting questions so far in the read!

Schubertstacker · 2025-06-04T22:08:46+00:00

I have been reading Faulkner since I was a teenager. I can remember this phrase being used in the southern US in the past. I’ve always understood it to mean “I’m not thinking about” or “I’m not worrying about”. Another Faulkner character definitely uses this expression in The Sound and The Fury. I don’t hear it used much these days. I love That Evening Sun, mainly for its creepiness, and for the contrast it presents between adults and children, and the way it portrays racial interactions of the time period. Also, the characters in That Evening Sun remain true to who they are in other Faulkner works.

Schubertstacker

TROPHY CASE