February 18th, 2010 / 3:08 pm
Snippets
Snippets
Blake Butler—
I read the first 60 pages of Joshua Cohen’s 800 page forthcoming Witz last night on my sofa. Holy fuck. Put your pants on. Mark your calendars. More on this later, but I just had to…
Hanging out for this big time…
Hanging out for this big time…
800 pages of that? Hmmm.
800 pages of that? Hmmm.
I dare any of you to read all of this. Just like I don’t want to sit through Out 1, or listen to Sleep’s Dopesmoker, I have no interest in reading an 800-fucking-page novel from any writer, save maybe David Markson, who at least has the good taste to keep his shit clocked in at 200 pages and under. There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing. There are too many books I want to read. And I’m tired of carrying around these behemoths. They hurt my forearms and make my lap rashy. You know what’s the perfect size is for a book? A 175-page paperback that fits in my back pocket. So I can take it with me anywhere. Books need to be smaller, not bigger.
I’m taking my pants off.
I dare any of you to read all of this. Just like I don’t want to sit through Out 1, or listen to Sleep’s Dopesmoker, I have no interest in reading an 800-fucking-page novel from any writer, save maybe David Markson, who at least has the good taste to keep his shit clocked in at 200 pages and under. There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing. There are too many books I want to read. And I’m tired of carrying around these behemoths. They hurt my forearms and make my lap rashy. You know what’s the perfect size is for a book? A 175-page paperback that fits in my back pocket. So I can take it with me anywhere. Books need to be smaller, not bigger.
I’m taking my pants off.
“Just like I don’t want to…. or listen to Sleep’s Dopesmoker,”
sux 2 b u
“Just like I don’t want to…. or listen to Sleep’s Dopesmoker,”
sux 2 b u
What’s so daunting about an 800 page novel? Basically like reading two regular length novels, and, depending upon the edition, they can be quite portable. I’ve never felt annoyed by toting my Modern Library edition of Middlemarch around.
I do find it kind of obnoxious, though, when a book feels like a cinderblock. I like to read lying down at times, and this kind of size make that extremely frustrating.
What’s so daunting about an 800 page novel? Basically like reading two regular length novels, and, depending upon the edition, they can be quite portable. I’ve never felt annoyed by toting my Modern Library edition of Middlemarch around.
I do find it kind of obnoxious, though, when a book feels like a cinderblock. I like to read lying down at times, and this kind of size make that extremely frustrating.
no kidding.
no kidding.
have you never read a long book?
have you never read a long book?
the gmail chats start on page 113
the gmail chats start on page 113
i kind of love books that are fat and huge with pages stacked like a miniature cross-section of the earth in those geological diagrams and require a desk to negotiate them.
i kind of love books that are fat and huge with pages stacked like a miniature cross-section of the earth in those geological diagrams and require a desk to negotiate them.
Maybe you would feel so uptight about long books if you had learned how to drop out of life with bong in hand
Maybe you would feel so uptight about long books if you had learned how to drop out of life with bong in hand
Well I kind of do too – there’s a physicality to them, sort of. I have moderate back pain issues, though, and when I’m reading I need to switch between sitting/reclining positions every so often. The big fat hardbacks (which are inevitably way more portable in paperback, and sometimes seem produced just to look like a ‘fat book’) make reclining kinda hard, sometimes.
I’m less resentful in this way when the book is truly huge in content/material like the hardback version of Imperial, e.g. It’s when the hardback of a book about 150000-200000 words long is made to look liking effing war and peace that I get a little ticked.
?
Well I kind of do too – there’s a physicality to them, sort of. I have moderate back pain issues, though, and when I’m reading I need to switch between sitting/reclining positions every so often. The big fat hardbacks (which are inevitably way more portable in paperback, and sometimes seem produced just to look like a ‘fat book’) make reclining kinda hard, sometimes.
I’m less resentful in this way when the book is truly huge in content/material like the hardback version of Imperial, e.g. It’s when the hardback of a book about 150000-200000 words long is made to look liking effing war and peace that I get a little ticked.
is this intended as a serious comment, daniel?
“There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing. There are too many books I want to read.”
so, quantity over quality then. okay.
No, I’ve never read a long book, dude. My reading comprehension is stuck at the 3rd grade level. That’s why I come here all the time.
is this intended as a serious comment, daniel?
“There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing. There are too many books I want to read.”
so, quantity over quality then. okay.
No, I’ve never read a long book, dude. My reading comprehension is stuck at the 3rd grade level. That’s why I come here all the time.
You’re the one conflating length with quality. Just because something is big doesn’t mean it’s good, you know?
ZZZZZZ
You’re the one conflating length with quality. Just because something is big doesn’t mean it’s good, you know?
ZZZZZZ
NOT READING IT MEANS IT CAN NEVER BE GOOD
NOT READING IT MEANS IT CAN NEVER BE GOOD
Go back to sleep, ZZZZIPP.
Go back to sleep, ZZZZIPP.
ITZZ SO HARD TO STAY AWAKE ON HERE SOMETIMES
ITZZ SO HARD TO STAY AWAKE ON HERE SOMETIMES
so…about cohen: i read ‘a heaven of others’ on an airplane and really, really loved it. and his MLP chapbook was my favorite of the last cycle, and dalkey is pretty much king slayer–so this all adds up for me in the right way.
so…about cohen: i read ‘a heaven of others’ on an airplane and really, really loved it. and his MLP chapbook was my favorite of the last cycle, and dalkey is pretty much king slayer–so this all adds up for me in the right way.
Yeah. And you’re not helping.
Yeah. And you’re not helping.
BETTER THAN THE FONT DISAPPEARING INTO OBLIVION
RATS!
BETTER THAN THE FONT DISAPPEARING INTO OBLIVION
RATS!
THOUGH ZZZIPPP UNDERSTANDS BACK PAIN. YOU HAVE TO GET A SPECIAL STAND FOR YOUR BOOKS INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE. TRES INCONVENIENT.
THOUGH ZZZIPPP UNDERSTANDS BACK PAIN. YOU HAVE TO GET A SPECIAL STAND FOR YOUR BOOKS INSTALLED IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE. TRES INCONVENIENT.
I’ve already read the whole thing. It’s very good. It’s worth your time.
I’ve already read the whole thing. It’s very good. It’s worth your time.
If you listened to SLEEP you’d understand!
If you listened to SLEEP you’d understand!
I’m excited to check it out. Joshua’s prose is really exceptional, and the scenario for the book has me very interested.
I’m excited to check it out. Joshua’s prose is really exceptional, and the scenario for the book has me very interested.
“‘Cause mo better makes it mo better.”–Spike Lee
“‘Cause mo better makes it mo better.”–Spike Lee
I don’t understand why people find long books daunting. I love long long books. My reading speed doesn’t slow because a book is longer. I don’t love the heft of big books but I bought Infinite Jest on my Kindle and so that was convenient. I’m really looking forward to Witz.
I don’t understand why people find long books daunting. I love long long books. My reading speed doesn’t slow because a book is longer. I don’t love the heft of big books but I bought Infinite Jest on my Kindle and so that was convenient. I’m really looking forward to Witz.
i dont think i could finish an 800 page markson novel. at some point an ‘enough already’ factor would kick in.
the synops for witz turns me off, seems kind of orwellian big political allegory kind of thing, but the excerpt turns me on.
i dont think i could finish an 800 page markson novel. at some point an ‘enough already’ factor would kick in.
the synops for witz turns me off, seems kind of orwellian big political allegory kind of thing, but the excerpt turns me on.
I loved A Heaven of Others. Am looking forward to this.
I loved A Heaven of Others. Am looking forward to this.
second
second
“follow the smoke to the riff-filled land”
“proceeds the weediam nazareth!”
“follow the smoke to the riff-filled land”
“proceeds the weediam nazareth!”
war and peace
the brothers karamazov
moby-dick
anna karenina
all 600+ pgs, all masterpieces
war and peace
the brothers karamazov
moby-dick
anna karenina
all 600+ pgs, all masterpieces
“I have no interest in reading an 800-fucking-page novel from any writer, save maybe David Markson, who at least has the good taste to keep his shit clocked in at 200 pages and under. There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing.”
If you read Reader’s Block –> This is Not a Novel –> Vanishing Point –> The Last Novel you just DID read 800 pages of the same thing.
“I have no interest in reading an 800-fucking-page novel from any writer, save maybe David Markson, who at least has the good taste to keep his shit clocked in at 200 pages and under. There is not enough time in my life to read 800 pages of any one thing.”
If you read Reader’s Block –> This is Not a Novel –> Vanishing Point –> The Last Novel you just DID read 800 pages of the same thing.
latest issue of ‘the cupboard’ is also a piece from cohen: http://www.thecupboardpamphlet.org/current.html
latest issue of ‘the cupboard’ is also a piece from cohen: http://www.thecupboardpamphlet.org/current.html
So you’re comparing this book to the classics? Wow, man. I gotta pick this up.
So you’re comparing this book to the classics? Wow, man. I gotta pick this up.
Hahaha!
Hahaha!
I’m looking forward to this as well. The Cupboard never misses.
I’m looking forward to this as well. The Cupboard never misses.