SYG Book Club 1st Meeting
 

Discuss the book here. The 1st chapter.

The next meeting I'm setting for Sunday, June 11. We can discuss the first 6 chapters then. Let me know if that date is bad or if that pace is too fast or slow. You guys could meet before then, but I'm not going to be around between the 3rd and the 11th.

CHAT ROOM INSTRUCTIONS AGAIN:

"You have to be using Firefox for this to work. If you're not, you should be anyway. Firefox is available here: http://www.mozilla.com/

Directions:

1. Go to http://www.hacksrus.com/%7Eginda/chatzilla/

2. Go to the bottom of the page and click on "install 0.9.72" at the bottom right. You may have to allow this site if nothing happens. A yellow bar will come up at the top of the screen if this is the case. If this happens, click on "Edit Options" in the yellow bar, then click on "Allow", then on "Close". Then try clicking on "install 0.9.72" again.

3. Once you get this worked out, go ahead and install the plugin. You will have to restart Firefox for it to finish installing.

4. Restart Firefox and go to Tools-->ChatZilla

5. Type /server rangers.ix.us.dal.net (Or join any DALnet server. Type /networks and click on dalnet.)

6. Type /join #SYGBookClub after it connects.

7. If you need to change your nickname type /nick {whatever}

Also, any IRC program will work. You don't need this one, it's just nice that it's a plugin. You could also use something like mIRC: http://www.mirc.com/
"

Chat room is already open and will stay open indefinitely.

A few comments to get the ball rolling.

1. Wasn't that extended metaphor about the flies and the sugar awesome?

2. When Gogol talks about "everything the same as you would find everywhere", does he mean "everything and everywhere" just in Russia or is he being more universal?

While I try and get in the chatroom; the first chapter was kind of lengthy, descriptive. I like his style though.
I thought the sentence about the guy who when he blew his nose it 'resounded like a trumpet' which gained him respect, was worth a snicker.
I'm trying to recall the metaphor about the flies and the sugar...
When he talks about 'everything being the same everywhere' I would assume he's talking about in Russia, because, it seems, most Russian authors write about their people (as in Notes from Underground)

Yes, it comes off as a prologue of sorts.

When I click on the dalnet network, I get an error saying it 'timed out'.
Help?

im having the same problem

if people on the board did actually meet i am sure a bloodbath would ensue.

Well, I can't seem to get around that problem...

It wouldn't be the fact that I downloaded 0.9.73 would it?

Shouldn't be a problem. You should try using mIrc instead. Sorry no one is helping much. I honestly don't know how to help you.

I don't know anything about this program. I just followed the instructions and it worked for me. I really wish I could help...

fuck guys, my connection got zapped

oh

looks like you're still there

we'd probably sacrifice & roast you for being such a sniveling little shit :p

oh man zap me out of the room i lost total connection

i had to change nicks-- help!

The chat has cooled off. A lot of people didn't come, but it was good while it lasted. The room will be open for a long time.

!@#$%!, you timed out, so you're not in there anymore.

Not that this is of any interest to anyone, but I happen to have three books to be read soon at the moment, so that's why I haven't joined in this excellent scheme. But I hope to have them finished in time for round two, so to speak.

ok ok so should we consider it officially closed?

let's do a summary :P

I'm going to leave the room open. However, I'm going to the grocery store in a minute.

Hip Priest, you're welcome any time.

I got there in mIrc, but no one's there..


Ok, it seems we might not use the chatroom? I think a thread would be good enough.

I don't see you. Maybe you opened your own room?

i think you logged into a server but you have yet to join a room

i am letting my connection rest-- fucking lost power or something-- 0%

Summary for those not in the room:

Strippers
Star Wars
Flys and Sugar = Hilarious
Billiard-dancing billboard
Exclusively Russian, or universal message?
Russia is a shithole
Probably a universal message to some extent
Upper-class looked down upon
Flys and Sugar = Hilarious Pt. 2
Dante

oh yeah and also that bitch lukacs :P

and acousticrock posted a brilliant quote from the divine comedy

and noumenal thinks of transpositions

and 56 (w/ the russian name) cleverly observed that the stout/slim description repeats itself in the digression during the ball-- and that russia has always been a shithole :D

--
and glice read the chapter in like 5 minutes.

shit! i wanna be in there so bad. but it says this

[INFO]Connecting to irc://irc.dal.net/ (irc://irc.dal.net/), attempt 2, next attempt in 30 seconds...
[ERROR]Connection to irc://irc.dal.net/ (irc://irc.dal.net/) timed out.

yeah it takes a bit sometimes to connect

tomorrow maybe it will work better-- i think we were done for the day & anyway you can't read what was written before you appeared

nomadicfollower should be able to help you

well today was fun. gotta go home & get dinner & all that stuff. you guys have a great night. tomorrow again, or what?

Finding Nobody, go to http://www.mirc.com/get.html and download it - I used the Illonois version, since it was first. Then connect to the DALnet server and type in #SYGBookClub when you get asked what room you want to join.
Sorry if that's unclear, post if you need any help.

I work tomorrow and Friday night. I will not be around. I am flying to the ATL on Saturday. Not returning until the 11th. A meeting on the 11th is planned. 3PM. 1st 6 chaps, chaps

i got it workin now. thanks alot dude

No problem.

am i all alone in the room?

I just left. I'm going to bed. It's +0 GMT here...

I searched high and low, and in the interest of expediency, I bought the only edition I found, which was the B&N. Is it even worth reading, or should I order the Guerney translation?

I've read a few B&N editions of other books, and they're generally really good, even ones that I've heard of as being bad. Might not be the greatest translation but it'll be fine. I'm reading a different version that no one else is. It's not hugely important.

People are reading several different versions it turns out.

A positive experience so far.

Chapter by chapter, this book is getting better.

Could I propose something...

I think this would be better as a thread than a chat; wouldn't the opportunity to openly write a response rather than choppy blurts be better?

I also feel the fact that some of us cannot get to a computer at that time limits the accessibility to everyone.

I took a long time to read the first two chapters and even read some literary criticism about it. There's a totally necessary concept (seemingly... not really sure) that deals with the use of everything, nothing, something, and their respective colors in the novel. Everything is white, nothing is black, something is yellow and dull blue. And gray is neither something nor nothing or a combination of both. Look at how much those words appear. The minimal descriptions really seem reliant on the fact that he is describing "everything" which really takes a minimal description. It was fascinating to read what this guy said about it, and it made me antsy to go deeper.

I'd love to discuss, could we do it in this thread?

And I don't want to ruffle what seems like a good thing; I wouldn't be offended if it didn't change at all.

I think that sounds like a good idea. It would also be a way to get much more coherent and established thoughts, seeing as there is no rush in saying them and plenty of room to go back and edit. To still have the chat, but also a fully active thread discussion.

I also noticed a lot of emphasis on "nothing". He takes a lot of effort to describe things as unremarkable, boring, gray, and completely average (Manilov, especially). It will go nearly a page or more without really saying anything especially noteworthy, but saying a lot at the same time.

Who's criticism did you read?