Booth #5: ThoRns Grove - Where Books Eat YOU

[Thorngrub]

luke, I couldn't agree more w/your analysis of On Writing. Big Steve just so happens to be my principal literary influence (believe it or not), and that book is invaluable.
Excellent synopsis, there.

On a related note, I finally, over the Christmas Holiday (the perfect time, it turns out), came to the clearing at the end of THE DARK TOWER series.

Holy shit, was I satisfied. I wouldn't dream of spoiling it for anyone, so am considering opening a new thread about THE GUNSLINGER, w/the understanding that all who dare enter into the convos, do so at their own risk for having spoilers landed in their lap.

Perhaps I'll wait until I get verification from enough of you RS.castaways that have made it through to the end already.

THE DARK TOWER series: Truly the end-all, be-all, ultimate literary achievement most certainly for Stephen King; and arguably, in the history of literature. I like having fun w/the latter pronouncement, especially to the irritation of the elite literati who would lift their noses at such a prospect. The epic tale of Roland, the last gunslinger of the line of Eld, and his faithful, adventurous ka-tet, has managed to sink its spirit deep into my bones enough that I consider it one of the greatest stories I have ever had the good fortune of reading, if not the greatest of them all.

[luke]

I liked the ending, but trudged through the last few books. I had made such an investment in reading, though, that I had to finish.

So yeah, I've been done for some time, and will gladly post about them if ya wanna go for it.

[luke]

If King had dropped On Writing about five years earlier, I swear to God I'd have a published novel by now. A book like that would have been all the incentive I needed to kick my writing into full gear back then. I had a couple stories published in "little mags", but I eventually just got lazy.

But a book like that, something to tell me not to waste so much time on theme, to never use outlines, and that you don't have to understand what the fuck Kafka or Socrates is saying all the time in order to write a decent story. It would have sent me to a whole 'nother level, and annihilated much of the self-doubt I had in myself.

Throughout most of college, I barely wrote any fiction. Most of my writing went into The Letter. Or The E-Mail, rather. I used to write e-mails that would, about once a week, be so massive that I'd have to send THREE seperate e-mails in AOL to fit the things. They were largely autobiographical, but also filled with stuff about the world, my head, and beyond. Some of that writing I did on the original RS, too.

I don't have ANY of that stuff anymore. Never saved any of it, and the recipients have either disappeared or, in the case of the one I was most prolific toward, had their computers crash.

I'd like to start reading and writing a bit more again, and will hopefully have a novel somewhere out there by my forties.

[rockkid]

porn?

[poseidon]

I have to re-read the 'Gunslinger' series from the first book. It was way too long between novels to recall all the specifics from each prior novel. Will check out the first couple during my next trip to the library. I have "Wolves Of the Calla" and "Song Of Susannah" collecting dust on my bookshelf.

Have very little recollection of the first 4 novels. Need to refresh my memory.

Hey! My 500th post.

[Thorngrub]

Good work.

[Nepenthe]

Just ordered both of these today. I can't wait to get them!! The First one was $60 but well worth it. Covers all of the findings at Tel El Dab'a, the origin of the Hyksos Kings from the land of Canaan and Syria, the graves they have found, the customs and culture of the people, and all of the Greek pottery and Minoan wall paintings found at the site. Their capital city was known as Avaris.



This was a steal at $25 because I ordered it directly through the Museum, Amazon wanted $49 for it!! Again, incredible history of the Hyksos Kings and the people of Egypt.



Now I have to head down to the library to pick up the rest of the books I need for the essay I am writing on them. The ancient Egyptian writings including the Amarna letters and the annals of Tuthmosis III, the writings of Manetho and Josephus.

[Thorngrub]

Those look interesting.

[Nepenthe]

Yes they are very interesting!

[Thorngrub]

What ! You're turning japanese I think you're turning japanese I really think so!

[rockkid]

Domo Arigato

You're wondering who I am-
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
machine or mannequin
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
With parts made in Japan,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
I am the mod-ren man

[Nepenthe]

Ok I got one of my books today. The Hyksos New Historical and Archaeological Perspectives. Damn well worth the $63. It is very very thorough and in depth academic work. There is so much information here, it is going to take me a month just to get through it all. The book, which was compiled and published by the University of Pennsylvania Museum, is a collection of all of the archaeological finds, historians, and scholars that have worked at Tel El Dab'a. The seminar consisted of 23 scholars total. It does indeed support the theory I have held for a very long time about these Kings in Egypt. They indeed have been linked with the ancient Israelites, some of them even have the same names in the Bible, Jacob being one of those. There was also a very strong connection to the Aegean civilizations.

[sisyphus]

you are really reminding me of my friend jesse. too bad he's not into the net, cuz you two would get along well. he's obsessed with Tel El Dab'a and all manner of things involving ancient Israelites.

nymphofantasia said:

Ok I got one of my books today. The Hyksos New Historical and Archaeological Perspectives. Damn well worth the $63. It is very very thorough and in depth academic work. There is so much information here, it is going to take me a month just to get through it all. The book, which was compiled and published by the University of Pennsylvania Museum, is a collection of all of the archaeological finds, historians, and scholars that have worked at Tel El Dab'a. The seminar consisted of 23 scholars total. It does indeed support the theory I have held for a very long time about these Kings in Egypt. They indeed have been linked with the ancient Israelites, some of them even have the same names in the Bible, Jacob being one of those. There was also a very strong connection to the Aegean civilizations.

[Thorngrub]

*Halfway Through*

[Thorngrub]

^ ok, this was a good book. go away if you didn't like it