Metal Reviews

He rewrote that, condensing it down, and making it more tolerable to read and called in the An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. David Hume is a really impressive philosopher, denying cause and effect was pretty radical.

For being an atheist, his dialogues about religion project a very well rounded look on religion and God. The lack of biases and ulitmately criticism makes it much more credible that Dawkins' polemics.

Yep- couldn't get through the Treatise, but the Enquiry was concise and very clearly written. Hume is probably the philosopher I like the most- a skeptic in just about everything, but for all that, almost cheerful.

It's probably going to PETA, or Hezbullah or something like that.

Finished The Road. So it took me like a week to read the first 50 pages and a day to read the last 160 (or so). Once I "figured it out", McCarthy's writing style flows really well and it doesn't hurt that The Road is one of the greatest stories ever. REALLY good book.

Currently reading "Into the Wild" for school. Actually, I'm almost done. It's a really interesting story about this kid who basically gave up everything and just went to travel around the American West on foot, eventually dying on a trek in Alaska. It makes me want to be more adventurous with my life.

That is a fantastic book. I liked the personal story of the author as well. People decide to do some incredibly dangerous stuff without thinking through the possible consequences. It was amazing that he survived so much out their on his own and then to die under the circumstances that he does was really terrible. The book does make you reconsider your priorities in life. It has been made into a great movie as well. If you like the book then check out the movie too.

Aldous Huxley - Ape and Essence
AJ Ayer - Language, Logic and Truth
Nietzsche - Ecce Homo

Been reading the last two for a while because I'm rereading a lot of it to highlight it. More studying, than casual reading.

Sacked Lord of the Rings about halway through because I can't find the time to invest in it. Ah well, there's always next time, it's not like I've not read it before.

NR: Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell. Uhhh, sure Dave, no one's ever done a book about a post-apocalyptic cowboy seeking some obscure, mythical structure before. Never. Still, its started quite well.

I read LOTR once and I'm probably not going to again. I think I said this before, but personally, I think LOTR is overhyped and that The Silmarillion is way better: no hobbits and a lot of slaying.

Right now reading The Partner by John Grisham, it's good stuff. Shame that we have way too many thriller books in my house.

Gemmell is quite allright. Never very original, but always an entertaining read.

I feel so too

I'm currently experiencing equal difficulty sifting through "The Treatise". Based upon your recommendation I may return it for "An Enquiry". Reading older English can be rather daunting.

I read a chapter of the Treastise for a class and didn't even attempt to tackle it. Enquiry is readable and is really good once you get into it. After chapter 7, though, it gets a little repetitive but the last chapter finishes on a good note.

Finished Shadow and Claw (first half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun). It was weird, unique, beautifully written, told by an unreliable narrator (woo!) and I loved it. A really intriguing concept of a future Earth in general. I can't wait to read the second half (though a little more direction in plot would be nice- I understand plot is not the point in what is supposed to be an autobiography, but still... the volumes end at quite random points).

Herodian- History of the Roman Empire (from Commodus to Gordian III), Books 1-4

Gene Wolfe- Sword and Citadel (Second Half of the Book of the new Sun)

Raymond Carver - Where I'm Calling From

Finished "Watchmen". I can see why it's in Time's top 100 books since 1923, definitely the best graphic novel I've ever read (only read a couple, though) and maybe even one of the best books I've ever read. I didn't really get the symbolism of the pirate story, though...gonna have to look that shit up. Anyways really really good, I read it all in like three days.

I so totally agree with you, I consider this as one of the best graphic novels and/or books I've ever read. This actually gets better with repeated reads. This graphic novel is so dense and multilayered that it's impossible to get everything at your first or second read-through. I read it for a third time during last easter and I discovered more details that I had missed before.
As for the pirate story... this maybe is the hardest to explain because probably I haven't yet completely grapsed it either. The symbolism and the parallel allegories run on so many levels at once that it trully shows Moore's genius. Kind of like the masterstroke of his masterpiece.

Finished:
AJ Ayer - Language, Truth and Logic
Wittgenstein - Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus

Reading:
Peter Singer - Animal Liberation (Just started.)
Nietzsche - Ecce Homo
Raymond Carver - Where I'm Calling From

To anyone interested in analytic philosophy, I recommend you to not be. It's boring as hell.

I definitely need to check out Watchmen. My friend recommended it to me years ago and I called him lame but now it's getting hyped so I'll give it a look.

finished Horse's Mouth. entertaining book with a great portrayal of an artist.

now reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Pirate story only really started making sense at the second reading- its best to see the Black Freighter character as an allegory for the chief character in each chapter he's in, and his overall storyline, I think, parallels Veidt/Ozymandius (the man with good intentions who in trying to do good becomes a monster).

So yes, read Watchmen... Over and over.