RIP: To remember those lost to us, whether close or at large

[Parasaurolophus]

I have never read, barely heard of, McCarthy-- worth reading (I assume he is writer of fiction)?

Yes, Cormac McCarthy was one of the most celebrated American novelists of the last half-century. I have a feeling you wouldn't like his work, kaysixteen. It's quite violent in a weighty (as opposed to cartoony action-adventure) way.

Yeah, definitely not your cup of tea.

[Caracal]

I have never read, barely heard of, McCarthy-- worth reading (I assume he is writer of fiction)?

Yes, Cormac McCarthy was one of the most celebrated American novelists of the last half-century. I have a feeling you wouldn't like his work, kaysixteen. It's quite violent in a weighty (as opposed to cartoony action-adventure) way.

Yeah, definitely not your cup of tea.

Yeah, I haven't read anything of his, but I did watch No Country for Old Men which he wrote the screenplay for. I thought it was really good, even fun in a way, and it's really stayed with me, but I have never watched it again and probably won't. It was just...tough. Really interesting, really engaging, glad I watched it, enjoyed watching it, but brutal in a way that made me not want to repeat the experience, if that makes any sense.

[fishbrains]

The Road is pretty accessible, especially if you have a kid. Child of God or Blood Meridian . . . well, not so much.

[ab_grp]

I have read or listened to several McCarthy books and agree that they are not for everyone.  And I strongly agree that Child of God is not a good introduction (I would just avoid that one entirely).  Blood Meridian is pretty brutal but still (IMO) well written and an interesting story.  One that was a little different was The Sunset Limited: A Novel in Dramatic Form, which I listened to earlier this year and thought was well performed, but which also got good reviews in book format.  It's a little more philosophical, and a nice change of pace from his others that I have read.  Here's the Amazon description:

In that small apartment, "Black" and "White," as the two men are known, begin a conversation that leads each back through his own history, mining the origins of two fundamentally opposing world views. White is a professor whose seemingly enviable existence of relative ease has left him nonetheless in despair. Black, an ex-con and ex-addict, is the more hopeful of the men–though he is just as desperate to convince White of the power of faith as White is desperate to deny it.

Their aim is no less than this: to discover the meaning of life.

[Parasaurolophus]

Ugh, sounds insufferable! The meaning of life... Barf.

My main complaint about McCarthy has always been that his work is Literature-with-an-L (apart from The Road, where his spare style works very nicely and most of the pretensiousness has been scrubbed out).

But I'm a crank, and I fully recognize that. And I wouldn't deny that he writes well--or even that he does a good job of writing Literature. I just can't stand that sort of thing. I want more blood and guts.

[Langue_doc]

Julian Sands, while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/movies/julian-sands-dead.html

[apl68]

Julian Sands, while hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/movies/julian-sands-dead.html

That's a sad story.  It's good for his loved ones' sake that his remains have now been found.

[Langue_doc]

Milan Kundera

Milan Kundera, Czech Literary Star and Communist Party Outcast, Dies at 94
The author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," he was known for sexually charged novels that captured the suffocating absurdity of life in his native Czechoslovakia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/world/europe/milan-kundera-dead.html

[hmaria1609]

Milan Kundera

Milan Kundera, Czech Literary Star and Communist Party Outcast, Dies at 94
The author of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," he was known for sexually charged novels that captured the suffocating absurdity of life in his native Czechoslovakia.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/12/world/europe/milan-kundera-dead.html

Here's an interview with one of Kundera's friends on France 24 in yesterday's news cast:
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230712-%F0%9F%94%B4-czech-born-french-writer-milan-kundera-author-of-the-unbearable-lightness-of-being-dies-at-94

[dismalist]

Jane Birkin, age 76.

Wrote and performed ""Je t'aime... moi non plus," a sultry duet whose explicit lyrics saw the song banned in several countries." Sultry? Understatement of the age.

Here it is Je t'aime.

Well, I was a yute then.

[apl68]

We have a staff member who lost her husband recently after a long illness.  He was only in his late 60s.  She is back at work, but is still having to get used to not having him.  It's hard for anybody who has been widowed.

[dismalist]

Harry Frankfurt, philosopher at Princeton U, died two days ago. I will remember him as the author of On Bullshit.

From the Wikipeidia article on the book

Rise of bullshit
Frankfurt concludes his book by discussing the rise of bullshit. He does not argue that there is more bullshit in society now than there was in the past. He explains that all forms of communications have increased leading to more bullshit being seen, read and heard. He states that the social expectation for individuals to have and express their opinions on all matters requires more bullshit. Despite a lack of knowledge on a subject matter, for example politics, religion or art, there is an expectation to participate in the conversation and provide an opinion. This opinion is likely to be bullshit at times as it is not based on fact and research. The opinion is motivated by a disregard of the truth with a desire to appear knowledgeable or adequately opinionated. Frankfurt acknowledges that bullshitting may not always be intentional but believes that ultimately it is performed with a disregard and carelessness of the truth. Frankfurt argues that this rise in bullshit is dangerous as it accepts and enables a growing disregard of the truth.

[EdnaMode]

Sinéad O'Connor, aged 56. I adored her voice. I hope she finds the peace she never seemed to find in life.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66318626

[fishbrains]

Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman) at 70.

Here's hoping that in his version of heaven he actually gets to see the basement of the Alamo.

[Ruralguy]

Pee Wee's Playhouse was hilarious. I was in my late twenties when I watched that on many Saturdays.