[Toilet & Bowels]

My sister in law gave me 120 Days of Sodom for Christmas so I'm reading that. So far, it's not what I was expecting.

[tw2113]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

My sister in law gave me 120 Days of Sodom for christen Christmas so I'm reading that. So far, it's not what I was expecting.

More tame than expected? Somehow way worse? Just meh?

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by tw2113

More tame than expected? Somehow way worse? Just meh?

Different vibe. I was expecting a grim horror show, something like reading Peter Sotos (who I have read about two or three sentences of and then stopped) but it's more fun and silly than I was expecting. But also I've only read about 20 pages.

[Severian]

The World According to Garp

[Clone Redux]

Been stuck on Jack Vance and Michael Moorcock paperbacks for a good while now.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Clone Redux

Been stuck on Jack Vance and Michael Moorcock paperbacks for a good while now.

I read a trilogy of Moorcock’s once. Warlord of the Air, I think? It was fine but every plot was essentially the same: Guy goes back in time, encounters some steampunk variation of a famous dictator.

[Severian]

A Widow for One Year by John Irving. Just started it after finishing Garp.

Any Irving fans in these parts?

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by Severian

Any Irving fans in these parts?

I only know Irving Berlin. Sorry.

[Clone Redux]

Originally Posted by Severian

I read a trilogy of Moorcock’s once. Warlord of the Air, I think? It was fine but every plot was essentially the same: Guy goes back in time, encounters some steampunk variation of a famous dictator.

Yeah, not my favorite stuff of his either. I’m more an Eternal Champion kinda guy. Especially Elric and Corum.

[Severian]

I finished “A Widow for One Year” and now I’m reading something called “The Nix” by an author named Nathan Hill. Was entirely unfamiliar with him until I picked the book up the other day.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

Different vibe. I was expecting a grim horror show, something like reading Peter Sotos (who I have read about two or three sentences of and then stopped) but it's more fun and silly than I was expecting. But also I've only read about 20 pages.

So 120 Days of Sodom starts out with a moustache twirling villain vibe and then gradually descends in to a repitive and far fetched slog of paedophilia, coprophilia and masturbation and then ends in what is pretty much a monotonous list of torture and murder fantasies.
I'm baffled why anyone considers it a classic.

[Toilet & Bowels]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

Different vibe. I was expecting a grim horror show, something like reading Peter Sotos (who I have read about two or three sentences of and then stopped) but it's more fun and silly than I was expecting. But also I've only read about 20 pages.

So 120 Days of Sodom starts out with a moustache twirling villain vibe and then gradually descends in to a repitive and far fetched slog of paedophilia, coprophilia and masturbation and then ends in what is pretty much a monotonous list of torture and murder fantasies. It's a weird book and in a way I'm glad I've read it, but I would recommend it to no one except the person that gave it to me who should be made to read it as penance. Also while while reading this I kept thinking the Marquis de Sade must have been a pathetic and pitiable character.
I'm baffled why anyone considers this book a classic and even more baffled why some people think it is some kind of philosophical achievement.

[Rob Instigator]

finished Time of the Magicians, by Wolfram Eilenberger.

RXTT's Book Journey continues with an exploration into the lives of four preeminent philosophers, Martin Heidegger, Ernst Cassirer, Walter Benjamin, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

https://rxttbooks.blogspot.com/2025/...res-lives.html

[Rob Instigator]

Originally Posted by Toilet & Bowels

So 120 Days of Sodom starts out with a moustache twirling villain vibe and then gradually descends in to a repitive and far fetched slog of paedophilia, coprophilia and masturbation and then ends in what is pretty much a monotonous list of torture and murder fantasies. It's a weird book and in a way I'm glad I've read it, but I would recommend it to no one except the person that gave it to me who should be made to read it as penance. Also while while reading this I kept thinking the Marquis de Sade must have been a pathetic and pitiable character.
I'm baffled why anyone considers this book a classic and even more baffled why some people think it is some kind of philosophical achievement.

From my research, De Sade wrote it while incarcerated. He intended it as a satire of the actions and debauchery of the ruling aristocrats of his time. Then, just as now, the ruling classes pretend to be righteous, religious, moral folks, all the while they rape their children, force their Slavic mail-order wives to fornicate with large dogs, and play golf every other day. Wait, that's just Trump.

I may be in error.