The Throne of Thufir's Thoroughly Theoretical and Therapeutic Random Banter #116

[Fredthefighter]

I dunno. You picked one good song, so the theory stand. (not saying you are to infinite monkeys. Or maybe I am? I don't know)

Okay, which one was the good one then? I was just picking songs out of my favourites that I liked.

I believe he meant that, although you might come up with something funny, it would probably be after a series of random stabs at it.

May I also add that one should not look down on the noble monkeys at typewriters. They work all day and all night for infinite periods of time so that people can have their plays (eventually).

Power to the monkeys! Get your paws off me you goddamn dirty ape!

[A Rainy Knight]

Yeah, I use them synonymously. Not a good habit. But at any rate, it wasn't needed, whichever word you want to use.

However, now would be a good time to change the topic. Read any good books recently? I'm finally forcing myself to read the last instalment of the Dune series, and it's cool, in that strange way that only Herbert does.

I'm reading Lord of the Flies right now. The death toll still stands at one right now, I believe.

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The littlun with the birthmark they incinerated in the forest fire.

I like it so far. I can't wait to see how the conflict between Ralph and Jack finally bursts out, because I know that it will.

[randman22222]

I'm reading Lord of the Flies right now. The death toll still stands at one right now, I believe.

Spoiler

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The littlun with the birthmark they incinerated in the forest fire.

I like it so far. I can't wait to see how the conflict between Ralph and Jack finally bursts out, because I know that it will.

I liked that book. Showing us as we really are, rather than how we like to think we are, is always a decent thing.

[Fredthefighter]

Yeah, I use them synonymously. Not a good habit. But at any rate, it wasn't needed, or got annoying, or whatever, regardless of what word you want to use. Monkeys get tiresome, real fast. Silly little maybe-flaw we have.

However, now would be a good time to change the topic. Read any good books recently? I'm finally forcing myself to read the last instalment of the Dune series, and it's cool, in that strange way that only Herbert does.

I'm reading Streets of Blood by Carl Sargent and Marc Gascoigne. It's a Shadowrun novel. Pretty good too.
London, 2054. Shadows dance in every fog-bound lane and alley of the historic city, shadows that hide a sadistic murderer, somehow summoned from Victoria's reign to kill once more.

[A Rainy Knight]

I liked that book. Showing us as we really are, rather than how we like to think we are, is always a decent thing.

It makes me think a little bit of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" when I read it. Just the way that things seem idealistically great at first but break down into hate and violence over time. Seems to be a common point between several books.

[randman22222]

It makes me think a little bit of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" when I read it. Just the way that things seem idealistically great at first but break down into hate and violence over time. Seems to be a common point between several books.

Yup, no coincidence there. We do do that. My own shallow, superficial view is that that comes from resistance to change mostly.

[Quincunx]

Books with that theme of inescapable decay are called dystopias. I enjoy them. I cycle between two books: right now the more complex one is Darkness Visible, a later book also by William Golding, and for light reading while I'm cooking and can't afford to shut out the world--come to think of it, that needs changing, I brought the last one back to the bookshelf last night.

[randman22222]

Just thinking;
...Nevermind. Humanity just needs some moderation and the placebo effect.

Psh... Trying to sum up what humanity needs in a sentence. Yeah right.

[Sub_Zero]

I'm reading Lord of the Flies right now. The death toll still stands at one right now, I believe.

Spoiler

Show

The littlun with the birthmark they incinerated in the forest fire.

I like it so far. I can't wait to see how the conflict between Ralph and Jack finally bursts out, because I know that it will.

Ah, I've been having to study that for my english GCSE. The first time I read it was purely for pleasure ages ago and it was good, then when I had to read it again for english it became kinda tiresome. It's just not quite the same when you know exactly what's going to happen. Still, good book and it's pretty easy to study since everything has it's own meaning.

Edit:

It makes me think a little bit of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" when I read it. Just the way that things seem idealistically great at first but break down into hate and violence over time. Seems to be a common point between several books.

It's written so that everything they'd need to survive on the island for however long is already provided for them. This is so that it's worse that...well...I guess you'll find out

[Fredthefighter]

Ah, I've been having to study that for my english GCSE. The first time I read it was purely for pleasure ages ago and it was good, then when I had to read it again for english it became kinda tiresome. It's just not quite the same when you know exactly what's going to happen. Still, good book and it's pretty easy to study since everything has it's own meaning.

Lucky you. I've had to study "Of Mice and Men", which although it was better than I expected, it was still something I could've said "Nope, not reading it" to if I'd had the choice.

[A Rainy Knight]

Lucky you. I've had to study "Of Mice and Men", which although it was better than I expected, it was still something I could've said "Nope, not reading it" to if I'd had the choice.

But "Of Mice And Men" has brilliant foreshadowing in it! I enjoyed it when I read it. Try drawing parallels between Candy's dog and Lennie...

[Fredthefighter]

But "Of Mice And Men" has brilliant foreshadowing in it! I enjoyed it when I read it. Try drawing parallels between Candy's dog and Lennie...

I know, we talked about that. I did enjoy the book, the film... not so much.

Spoiler

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Final scene in the book: Tension builds, it is very peaceful, Lennie dies mercifully and quickly.
Final scene in the film: For want of a better description "Rabbits, BOOM! Headshot!"

[Sub_Zero]

I know, we talked about that. I did enjoy the book, the film... not so much.

Spoiler

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Final scene in the book: Tension builds, it is very peaceful, Lennie dies mercifully and quickly.
Final scene in the film: For want of a better description "Rabbits, BOOM! Headshot!"

Might want to spoiler that Fred for those of us who haven't read the book or watched the films

[A Rainy Knight]

I know, we talked about that. I did enjoy the book, the film... not so much.

Well, good. No study of Of Mice and Men is complete without looking at the foreshadowing. There's plenty of it in there; I wrote a paper on foreshadowing in the book. And I also preferred the book to the movie.

So... who here has read Albert Camus' "The Stranger?"

[Fredthefighter]

Well, good. No study of Of Mice and Men is complete without looking at the foreshadowing. There's plenty of it in there; I wrote a paper on foreshadowing in the book. And I also preferred the book to the movie.

So... who here has read Albert Camus' "The Stranger?"

I don't think I've read that book. Also, I spoilered it for spoiler reasons.

[A Rainy Knight]

I don't think I've read that book. Also, I spoilered it for spoiler reasons.

Ever read Sophie's World? Don Quixote? Crime and Punishment? The Count of Monte Cristo? Nineteen Eighty-Four? Brave New World? The Three Musketeers?

Give me something to work with here.

[Quincunx]

Found the discussion asking for "books with a George Orwell feel". Enjoy.

Yes. Too long ago to count. No. Yes. Heck yea. Heck yea. Maaaaaaybe.

[Sub_Zero]

Ever read Sophie's World? Don Quixote? Crime and Punishment? The Count of Monte Cristo? Nineteen Eighty-Four? Brave New World? The Three Musketeers?

Give me something to work with here.

I don't go in for the whole classics sort of thing, I generally read more sci-fi and comics really. I sometimes think I should read some of the classical stuff though. I know the general plot of Count of Monte Cristo from and anime I saw based on it

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man betrayed by his friends and sent to a jail only to escape and plan their deaths I think

[Sneak]

Eh, I liked what I've read of Steinbeck. Which is all of Of Mice and Men and several snippets from East of Eden.

I actually just purchased The Stranger the other day after finally finishing Nausea, but I think I lost it already. I can't find it, anyway. And I haven't started it yet. :/

[A Rainy Knight]

I don't go in for the whole classics sort of thing, I generally read more sci-fi and comics really. I sometimes think I should read some of the classical stuff though. I know the general plot of Count of Monte Cristo from and anime I saw based on it

Spoiler

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man betrayed by his friends and sent to a jail only to escape and plan their deaths I think

Wow. Monte Cristo anime. That just blew my mind.

Well, in Count of Monte Cristo,

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A group of people plot the downfall of a man, ruin his life, steal his girlfriend from him, and have him locked in a dungeon. He escapes, gets nearly unlimited money (and therefore power) by finding a buried treasure, then returns to France and ruins their lives and tries to get his lady back. Scheming and violence!

The Stranger is like the poster child of absurdism. I wrote a paper on it too, showing how the main character and the plot both share the theme of indifference.

[Sneak]

From what I've heard, the English version of The Stranger changes vastly in tone based on the translation used. Which I find very interesting, personally.

Of course, if you read it in the original French, this wouldn't really apply.

[A Rainy Knight]

From what I've heard, the English version of The Stranger changes vastly in tone based on the translation used. Which I find very interesting, personally.

Of course, if you read it in the original French, this wouldn't really apply.

No, I don't speak French. But I feel like the story can still get enough of its point across in English. I do kind of wonder how exactly it would vary in French, though.

[Sub_Zero]

Wow. Monte Cristo anime. That just blew my mind.

Well, in Count of Monte Cristo,

Spoiler

Show

A group of people plot the downfall of a man, ruin his life, steal his girlfriend from him, and have him locked in a dungeon. He escapes, gets nearly unlimited money (and therefore power) by finding a buried treasure, then returns to France and ruins their lives and tries to get his lady back. Scheming and violence!

Yeah, that's about it. Here's the wikipedia page for it

[CurlyKitGirl]

Food poisoning. Curse you dominoes! Curse you! So I didn't get much/any sleep, but I don't wanna sleep 'cos that might mean I get sick all over the place. Sleeepy. And huungry. Mrrererr.

*le gasp!*
To London! With books, and a cheerful prescence, and absolutely no food whatsoever!

Hur hur hur.

Although I think CKG would probably sue you for touching her things.

Is it wrong that this is most probably true?
Because it's true.
But replace "probably sue" with:
"sue, maim and kill you before resurrecting you to complete the legal process of suing"
I like my complications.

ALso; mum made my noodles too dry. There's no noodle juice. Ah Lidls, selling ramen under a different (German) name.

Also also: yesterday Cool Classics Guy and Best Friend told me about their old Geography Lecturer, funnily called Davy Davies.
He went to teach in Kuwait and recently sent back a picture of his class.
There was one white kid in it and he was flipping off the photographer with both hands.
This made me think of randman. This is cool.


BIG EDIT:

Ever read Sophie's World? Don Quixote? Crime and Punishment? The Count of Monte Cristo? Nineteen Eighty-Four? Brave New World? The Three Musketeers?

Give me something to work with here.

In order . . .

Yes. Absolutely loved it, it does meta - fiction, lampshades breaking the fourth wall (if you look hard enough), it's a riveting mystery in one plane, another mystery on another, goes absolutely barking mad with an ALice - type party at one point, makes reference to a lot of good literature, and most importantly of all: you learn stuff from it which is incredibly useful.
I think I recommended this to you. You've read it?

Only some of it. But I'm buying it next week. Again, a lovely parody/homage to/of Arthurian and chivalric literature, especially of the French type complete with lampshades and fun. 'Course, on another level; Don Quixote a stuck - up snob ordering everyone around including his intellgient companion. Read it if you haven't already.
Didn't I recommend this to you too?
I have a sneaky suspicion I did recommend you all these. Didn't I?

No; not the latter two.

Dostoyevsky right? Never read any of his work, but I've heard this is one of his best.

Nineteen Eighty - Four is one of only two books I've started ut never managed to finish. Got four or five pages into it and no matter how hard or often I tried I couldn't get any further into it. Couldn't stand this book. I read Animal Farm when I was eight though. Probably trauma resulted.
I'm due for another attempt at Nineteen Eighty - Four though. Perhaps I'll manage this time.

Brave New World . . . another dystopia. I read parts of it. Mainly the ending. It seems okay, just n ot something I'd really read. And the end is wierd.

This next one I definitely said you should read. Did you like it? I know I did. Funny, dramatic, political intrigue and fights. Great writing and a trend setter in some ways I think. I should read the sequels.

[A Rainy Knight]

Yeah, that's about it. Here's the wikipedia page for it

Wow, Monte Cristo 5053. Albert meets the Count on a moon colony, and Ali is an alien? I really do wonder who thinks these things up.

[CurlyKitGirl]

Wow, Monte Cristo 5053. Albert meets the Count on a moon colony, and Ali is an alien? I really do wonder who thinks these things up.

Eeeeh. Try this:

Romeo and Juliet. The anime
And our college recently bought:
The Picture of Dorian Gray - the graphic novel. And manga Shakespeare.
Macbeth is a bare chested duel katana wielding badass. And a ninja.
Richard III likewise is some kind of ninja.
But they're all speaking their lines from the plays.
Wierdness is wierd.

[A Rainy Knight]

Or this:

Modern-day Romeo and Juliet with guns and cars, but still the original lines.

[CurlyKitGirl]

I know about that. Leo di Caprio yeah?
I onder what Billy'd say seeing all this. But then again, so many of his plays (or plots of them) have been adapted so mny differents ways from Discworld to anime to film that he'd prolly be quite happy.

[A Rainy Knight]

I know about that. Leo di Caprio yeah?
I onder what Billy'd say seeing all this. But then again, so many of his plays (or plots of them) have been adapted so mny differents ways from Discworld to anime to film that he'd prolly be quite happy.

Yeah, Leonardo as Romeo.

Ol' Shakes would probably be glad that we're still sitting here in the twenty-first century, regarding his plays as classic masterpieces of English. Seems like it would be hard to earn yourself a better legacy than that.

[Kneenibble]

I worship this performer.

Wow, he is hot.
The fact that he is impersonating Britney Spears does not detract from the Art. The value comes from how exquisitely he crosses a line. I suspect that he is more in the realm of camp & drag than transgender to be honest, but nevertheless, how wonderful that he had such a positive response. That's power, baby, with a capital F.