You read for fun?!

[Yeahduff]

I'd say he lost the plot completely in the third one. I mean, there's a touch of self-indulgence in Peanuts, too, and both are obviously placing themselves as the object of abuse. But Peanuts in general and the first two Fillerbunny books are able to transcend the self-pity and open it up to a universal audience, where we ALL place ourselves as Charlie Brown or Fillerbunny.

I hope there are no more Fillerbunny books.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Well, yeah. I don't deny the self-indulgence of Peanuts or the first two FIllerbunny books. That third one just is way too specific to him and it's difficult for anyone else to relate to. Especially since he comes off as sort of an ingrate. Sorta. I Feel Sick was about him being tortured too, but it's easy to relate to.

I'd be willing to see what one more FIllerbunny would be like.

[Yeahduff]

He comes off as very much of an ingrate. Most importantly, it's boring and grating, and you feel like you're being lectured to. That's all the difference.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Oh well, it was still fun to meet him in real life.

[Yeahduff]

Yeah, it was. Turns out he's more grey than pale.

I haven't met Sarah Vowell, but she walked right past after this reading she had, looking like she needed a drink. I should've said something nice.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

You missed the boat, yo.

[Man in a suit]

So... Anybody else been reading the Odyssey lately?

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

No, but I saw the ending of "Oh Brother, Where Art Though?" the other day.

[Yeahduff]

So... Anybody else been reading the Odyssey lately?

The Coen Brothers sure haven't.

Never liked the Odyssey. Maybe I should try again.

[Yeahduff]

As I Lay Dying is fucking weird.

[Man in a suit]

Maybe YOU'RE fucking weird. How 'bout them apples?

Just started Gang Leader for a Day. I've decided I need to read something of interest to break up the monotony of children's chapter books that are on award lists.

[Yeahduff]

Well, I did finish the book.

Tell me about this Gang Leader thing you speak of.

[Man in a suit]

You know the drill, rogue sociologist ingratiates himself with crack-dealing gang members. Everybody hustles everyone else, and in the end I think you're supposed to have learned something.

I don't really know what I think of it... On the other hand, I've just started reading Freakonomics, and I find it to be a more engaging book. We'll see what happens.

[Yeahduff]

I'm sure the publishers will want to put that on the back of their book.

Sounds interesting anyway, in the way that it's either actually interesting, or it's the kind of "hard-hitting journalism" sort of thing that is supposed to make things sound interesting. "THE HARD QUESTIONS."

I just finished one of those Scott McCloud books. As far as being helpful it would've been more effecient if McCloud just sent me an email saying "Stop being a lazy asshole." Enjoyable read anyway.

Yesterday I started reading a collection of Mike Royko columns. He was this legendary Chicago columnist who wrote in various papers for something like forty years. Interesting stuff so far. Sometimes it's weird, though, reading a column from the sixties without the proper context surrounding it. The editors have done a good job so far of supplying a general context for his work, but a few notes before each column would've been helpful. Cool foreword by Studs Terkel, too.

[Yeahduff]

I'm reading The Namesake. The author has an Indian name, so I can't remember what it is. I have no idea what it's about, other than it involving a married couple from India having a child in America. The style so far is very straightforward, which is kinda jarring after As I Lay Dying and Wuthering Heights.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Speaking of style, you should read The Shipping News.

[Yeahduff]

Tell me about it.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

Have you read it, or are you being sarcastic? Or do you really want me to tell you about it? I don't really even know anymore.

[Yeahduff]

Describe the book and why I should read it.

[TheSuburbanLetdown]

It's about a slow-witted man and his family and how he gets abused and walked on by everyone. He ends up going back to his homeland to start a new life. It's written as if a slow person wrote it, filled with sentence fragments and comma splices. Perhaps it meant to read like headlines. It's interesting though.