What are you reading?

[Sir Didier Drogba]

...why not?

Because most of us have limited reading time and using any of that time reading some vacuous, poorly written and padded out tripe when you could be reading a worthwhile work of literature, journalism or academia is a complete and utter waste and is contributing to the intellectual decay of our society.

 

[chygry]

You got me there and you're right. Considering the fact that I don't do much and have a lot of free time which I'm used to spending on antics, basically. Heh..

 

[Mandieta6]

Xaviesta takes longer to read Suarez's book than it took his assistant to write it.

The only football personality I would consider buying a book of is Mou and I would only do so once he's retired, if he promised to focus on tactical and coaching stories and outlook and if he was heavily involved in the actual composition with a talented auhor (e.g. Doyle with Roy Keane). At most I might have a Lampard or Drogba autobio in my bathroom, but those are actually intelligent individuals or they have amazing stories (Drogba stopped a fucking war).

 

[chygry]

Haha you're giving Xaviesta too much stick.

Yeah Mourinho's would be interesting that's for sure, considering his character and relationship with his players. Would certainly read that.

Did you read Roy Keane's book? As talented as the author might be, I wouldn't bother, probably anyways.

 

[Mandieta6]

No, but Roddy Doyle is a brilliant author who is very good at giving his characters a voice and from a literary standpoint it might be interesting to see how he attempts to put Keane on paper.

 

[chygry]

Oh.. I see. Well I have to admit that I don't know much about the guy. I haven't really been into books as of late, and don't have much knowledge about quality authors. That's silly of me of course. But I'm planning to change that, I've always been too lazy to read anything, but once I get into the mood it's difficult for me to put a book down and I'll finish it within days.

Any recommendations would be well appreciated by me.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I recommend you read Finnigan's Wake by James Joyce

 

[chygry]

Hmmm.. Took a slight glimpse at it on Amazon, I'm afraid it's not really something that I'd be intrigued by, hah.

 

[Mandieta6]

Where's Waldo.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

High Times.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I recommend you read Finnigan's Wake by James Joyce

 

[Mus]

I always wondered who actually reads these shitty sports (auto)biographies.

My girlfriend read Zlatan's

Regurgitated the whole thing too so I just read it as well

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

I dont like it when women take a genuine interest in football.

 

[newbie original]

I thought you were over Luis Suarez after he left your beloved Liverpool. .

Time makes the heart go fonder of the time that once was!

 

[Zlatan]

Zlatan's autobiography was actually really entertaining to read, IMO. Obviously you don't read football biographies to be intellectually enlightened. But as a quick read it can be nice. Though I admit there's a lot of really bad ones out there.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Yesterday I got drunk and read Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck in one sitting, like his other shorter work which I have read (Cannery Row) it is genuinely funny whilst becoming irritating in it's stylistic repetition. Tonight I am getting drunk and wondering if I should try to read something more substantial or if, on balance, it would be a waste.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Finished dos Passos' USA Trilogy and really enjoyed it. I'd put it after Gatsby as the next best great american novel. Pending what I'm reading now, which is The Grapes of Wrath, and has hooked me immediately...

Between those two books, I read Company K by William March in a few hours. I think it was okay, but nothing revolutionary as far as Lost Generation War Novels go.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

My favourite great modern american novel is The Web and the Rock by Thomas Wolfe.

I'm reading The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell - it's beautiful (and rather complicated) writing and an excellent poetic portrayal of the nature of love and sex, set to the wonderful background of sleazy pre-war Alexandria, and indeed the writing is so elaborate that you almost double take at the points when it gets really disturbing (character stumbling into child brothels and thinking nothing of it, likeable key character just happens to be a pederast etc) - it's pure Henry Miller but under a beautiful, glossy veneer. It's good, though it's long and I still have a long way to go.

Shifty I also picked up the Good Soldier Svejk to read at some point whilst I am out East.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I didn't care for Svejk after the first book, to be honest. It gets awfully repetitive. The only thing I'd suggest it for is your reading it at a bar trick, because out east I'm sure you'll get people making comments.

 

[Sir Didier Drogba]

Hahaha yeah, it seemed appropriate for this part of the world, but I have more books with me than I can possibly read in this time so we'll see whether that one makes the cut