/lit/ - Literature

Farewell My Lovely by Raymond Chandler. Absolutely loving it so far, but it's got big shoes to fill after The Big Sleep. I really like how the story goes in an absolutely crazy direction halfway through - I have no idea what's going to happen next, and I'm completely hooked. Some of the terminology and dialogue is a little archaic to me, but that's part of the charm. It really feels like there's a whole little world that Chandler has built on the backs of these characters.

I'm reading from an awful, low-quality print-on-demand copy, which spoils things a bit, but have been getting through chapters like mad. I appreciate how short and punchy they are, and how Chandler never wastes any time over-describing things (which is a problem I had with The Big Sleep). I've got about 13 chapters left, and the part of the story I'm at is really burning through the pages.

>We (Yevgeny Zamyatin)
4/10. Decent premise but a rather unsatisfying execution and conclusion. Not especially interesting. Very repetitive, and the main character was melodramatic to the point of ridicule.

>Casino Royale (Ian Fleming)
7/10. Enjoyable first half, excellent action and characterization. Really falls apart by the end, especially in the final quarter. Should have ended after Bond defeats Chiffre in the casino. As an introduction to Bond, I was impressed and would consider reading more.

>The Rum Diary (Hunter S. Thompson)
8/10. Very enjoyable setting and characters. Some scenes went on a little long and the phrasing of certain descriptions can be rather amateurish at times. A bit cliche and sure has a lot of wish fulfillment for the author. I have absolutely no interest in the movie after seeing the trailer.