What are you reading tonight?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time a couple of years ago having heard about it for nearly all my life. Although it's fairly disturbing in places I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, but then I suppose I was comparing it with modern films rather than considering how it'll have been received at the time of its release.

It probably seems a bit tame now, but back then, if I remember correctly, there were three films - A Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs, and that DH Lawrence number with Oliver Reed? naked on a furry rug - that really pushed the boundaries of taste and decency to the limits that society would take, and only one of them these days disturbs me.

[bobo the clown]

I watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time a couple of years ago having heard about it for nearly all my life. Although it's fairly disturbing in places I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, but then I suppose I was comparing it with modern films rather than considering how it'll have been received at the time of its release.

It probably seems a bit tame now, but back then, if I remember correctly, there were three films - A Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs, and that DH Lawrence number with Oliver Reed? naked on a furry rug - that really pushed the boundaries of taste and decency to the limits that society would take, and only one of them these days disturbs me.

Did you ever see Ken Russell's 'Lisztomania' ?? Now THAT pushed the boundaries of bad taste, tore them up, jumped up & down on them and then set them alight.


Oh, 'Women in Love' btw.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I watched A Clockwork Orange for the first time a couple of years ago having heard about it for nearly all my life. Although it's fairly disturbing in places I couldn't see what all the fuss was about, but then I suppose I was comparing it with modern films rather than considering how it'll have been received at the time of its release.

It probably seems a bit tame now, but back then, if I remember correctly, there were three films - A Clockwork Orange, Straw Dogs, and that DH Lawrence number with Oliver Reed? naked on a furry rug - that really pushed the boundaries of taste and decency to the limits that society would take, and only one of them these days disturbs me.

Did you ever see Ken Russell's 'Lisztomania' ?? Now THAT pushed the boundaries of bad taste, tore them up, jumped up & down on them and then set them alight.


Oh, 'Women in Love' btw.

Women in Love - that's the badger. What was that Ken Russell one with nuns being skewered and allsorts because they were possessed? A bit of a weirdo our Ken, but I don't remember Lisztomania being that far out, although I can't remember much about it at all.

[Dr Hotdog]

THE DEVILS

Our Ken was a solid filmmaker. Altered States is a druggy dream!

[Lost Leopard Spot]

THE DEVILS

Our Ken was a solid filmmaker. Altered States is a druggy dream!

I have Altered States on Dvd. When I bought it years after I'd seen it at the cinema, I thought I'd been ripped off - basically because I'd remembered the bit with the goat's head of a thousand eyes at the very beginning, and it ain't.

[Dujon]

A bit of light reading lately. G.K.Chesterton's short stories (Father Brown & Mr Pond + some odds and sods). There is often a bit of philosophising included, which is a bit of fun. I haven't as yet tackled his essays on prominent people of yesteryear so am unaware as to their value. I shall investigate in due course.

[TANGODANCER]

A bit of light reading lately. G.K.Chesterton's short stories (Father Brown & Mr Pond + some odds and sods). There is often a bit of philosophising included, which is a bit of fun. I haven't as yet tackled his essays on prominent people of yesteryear so am unaware as to their value. I shall investigate in due course.

Can't remember now what I read or didn't (obviously some Father Brown) of Chesterton except he was back in the early days of my reading along with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Conan Doyle and Ryder Haggard. Just remeinded me I need to get to the library.

[TANGODANCER]

Caught in the Light. Another top-notcher from Robert Goddard.

[William the White]

The Booker shortlist novels were delivered today. I am, of course, looking forward to reading all of them. They are on the third shelf of the shelves of shame.

Colm Toibin's The Testament of Mary/i] looks the kindest to me - a mere 104 pages. Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries is the most intimidating at 832 pages ad 2lbs 6 0z - just over a kilo...

There are now 74 residents of the shelves of shame.

[Gooner Girl]

Got to love a bit of chick lit, heros to fall in love with, romance and passion. Pure escapism. Suspect I may be in the minority here!

[TANGODANCER]

Got to love a bit of chick lit, heros to fall in love with, romance and passion. Pure escapism. Suspect I may be in the minority here!

Ah, so you've read The Count of Monte Christo then

[Prufrock]

Got to love a bit of chick lit, heros to fall in love with, romance and passion. Pure escapism. Suspect I may be in the minority here!

Ah, so you've read The Count of Monte Christo then

Dumb-ass!

[TANGODANCER]

Got to love a bit of chick lit, heros to fall in love with, romance and passion. Pure escapism. Suspect I may be in the minority here!

Ah, so you've read The Count of Monte Christo then

Dumb-ass!

Alex, is that you?

[clapton is god]

http://www.countarthurstrong.com/arthurs-diaries/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ordered!

[bobo the clown]

http://www.countarthurstrong.com/arthurs-diaries/

Ordered!

Now .... don't take this personally .... but ..... w@nker.

[clapton is god]

http://www.countarthurstrong.com/arthurs-diaries/

Ordered!

Now .... don't take this personally .... but ..... w@nker.

None taken

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Ok Clappers, The Last Englishman has arrived. I shall start on it tonight.

Just finished it...took me nearly as long to read as the walk itself
My fault, it was languishing on the to-be-finished pile for a while, but hospital has reduced the pile significantly. Good recommendation, cheers Clappers.

[Bruce Rioja]

but hospital has reduced the pile significantly.

Ahh, a painful dose of the old Chalfonts, eh?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

but hospital has reduced the pile significantly.

Ahh, a painful dose of the old Chalfonts, eh?

that's one of the few things I ain't got, thank the lordy.

[William the White]

Last week I popped into Freedom Bookshop, the Anarchist bookstore firebombed in February and now reopened (it's in the alley next to Whitechapel Art Gallery where I'd caught the Sarah Lucas exhibition) and bought a history of Barcelona Anarchism - called Anarchism and the City, by Chris Ealham.

He offers a view of the city, 1898-1937, as a permanently contended space between forces of repression and resistance and revolution, in which the hugely influential Anarchist Union, the CNT, had, at its height, 400,000 member in the Barcelona region. My sympathies lie entirely with the anarchists (some may not be surprised to learn) and my favourite story so far is of the Public Services Union, which is responsible for, amongst other things, the roads and drain of the City, is a CNT body.

In 1933 as the authorities impose yet another crackdown and arrest several hundred militants, the union members, working in a street near the jail, dig a tunnel from the drains into the prison and release their imprisoned comrades... I love the idea of the headline - Anarchists Tunnel into Prison...

VIVA CNT! VIVA FAI!