William T Vollmann Central discussion
His Books -- Not Fiction
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2003 Rising Up and Rising Down
If you haven't seen it yet, Hadrian has posted the entire Moral Calculus from RURD.http://www.goodreads.com/story/show/3...
He has also created a goodreads list which contains the RURD bibliography,
Amazon has bargain priced remainder copies for ~ $7 USD. Is this a good deal? If the author is alive and kicking I like to try and buy new to put a few bucks in their pocket. How much if any do they make on a remainder?
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23...Here's the listopia entry.
I may work on writing a more substantive review for RURD later. My first take was very broad. I still have my notes on the book, as well as all the updates I wrote.
Hadrian wrote: "Here's the listopia entry."This is fantastic. Thank you so much Hadrian!
From Vollmann's point of view -- how's this for trivia? -- RURD is a continuation of his first two books, An Afghanistan Picture Show, Or, How I Saved the World (now in paperback from Melville) & You Bright and Risen Angels. In recent interviews in the German press, Bill has said that he could not have written Europe Central without having first written RURD. Can we speak perhaps about a The Question of the Justification of Violence Tetralogy?
LA Times review of RURD ::http://articles.latimes.com/2004/feb/...
Much more stuff there too ::
http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/w...
Simply post in the book thread. RURD!!!
Goin out panhandlin to raise the necessary funds!
370 and it is missing a volume? That seems a little steep... Half has a couple sets a little cheaper, with all volumes:
http://product.half.ebay.com/Rising-u...
If you decide on any of those, ask the seller first for a price reduction. Can't hurt to ask. I did that and got my set $40 cheaper.
Ohhh, my bad. I didn't even look at that.
JK wrote: "Half has a couple sets a little cheaper, with all volumes:http://product.half.ebay.com/Rising-u..."
US$99.50!? ---; !
But, looking closely and not being quite sure how half.com lists things, it would appear that this copy is volume one through five only -- the listing under "Acceptable". Which is still a good price.
Yeah, it's a great price, but... a partial set is awfully depressing. Half is made up of sellers, it's just like eBay (owned by them), but without the bidding. It's all just buy it now basically. The site itself always shows the lowest price, which typically is the crappiest condition.,
And another thing: how do you LOSE a volume of RUaRD? I don't understand this...
found it today for $50 (housing works bookstore on the UWS in NYC) with only a minor tear on the binding of the sixth volume and some of the paper-wrapping coming off on the back of the box. luckiest i've been in years.
Luc wrote: "found it today for $50 (housing works bookstore on the UWS in NYC) with only a minor tear on the binding of the sixth volume and some of the paper-wrapping coming off on the back of the box. luckie..."wow! so jealous... congratulations, sir, today you are a blessed being.
Luc wrote: "found it today for $50 (housing works bookstore on the UWS in NYC) with only a minor tear on the binding of the sixth volume and some of the paper-wrapping coming off on the back of the box. luckiest i've been in years. "The right book in the right hands for the right price ; that's what we call planetary alignment!
How long do you think you'll be able to resist diving straight in? (it is also the kind of work which welcomes a certain kind of browsing)
That's why we all can't stop cruising used bookstores. I like to hit the Goodwills and St. Vinny's too. One day I might be as fortunate as Luc!
Do we know anything, through interviews or otherwise, about them re-issuing this thing? I just want to own the god-damn monster and devour it. I read the abridgement. I can't stop thinking about everything I've missed :(
Unabridged has more, lots more content.
Alexander wrote: "Do we know anything, through interviews or otherwise, about them re-issuing this thing? I just want to own the god-damn monster and devour it. I read the abridgement. I can't stop thinking about ev..."It's not likely anytime soon. But it really does need a second printing too ; clean up some of those bits here and there which McSweeney's let drop during the course of its 3300 pages -- I've got a few blank pages at the begin of my vIV ; I've heard of some volumes being bound upside down ;; a few places where the enumeration of the endnotes get shifted by a digit ; and other such technical deficiencies.
Not to mention that Bill probably has materials for a vVII & VIII (the journalistic stuff).
But, being up their in Whitehorse don't seem to make things any easier for you. There is a copy in a library at Fairbanks, a mere 500 miles to your West. Or 900 miles South to Vancouver! [check worldcat.com]
Library Schmibrary. I want to own the beast...
Alexander wrote: "Library Schmibrary. I want to own the beast..."atm, on amazon is a copy for US$325+shipping (I wouldn't believe that $4 shipping estimate). Pretty much on the low price side ; but does not come with the cassette box with is pretty worthless anyway. Still a lot of cash. Keep your daily internet eyes pealed and you may find one for less.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...
one on abebooks now for £290 http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Boo...too expensive for me, but pretty cheap seeing as the others out there are around £1000
AAAAH... $536 canadian :(Thank you so much for the heads up though :)
I was possibly biting on those Amazon orders, but they say they won't ship it to Whitehorse :(
Proud possession, £189.00, free shipping, minty fresh, shall commence soon
Alexei wrote: "Proud possession, £189.00, free shipping, minty fresh, shall commence soon"Yip!!
With lots of gr update?
Thank you! Updates, indeed, shall be posted; I might as well start sometime. Should the MC volume be read ultimately?
Alexei wrote: "Thank you! Updates, indeed, shall be posted; I might as well start sometime. Should the MC volume be read ultimately?"Just be familiar with what's in it and get to it when it best suits you. There are a few Annexes which can be filed into specific chapters. The Moral Calculus itself might be interesting to browse through at the beginning, and then return to afterwards for an overview.
A not altogether enthusiastic review by Scott McLemee in the NYT from 2004 ::"While his convoluted philosophizing suggests a deep ambivalence about the legitimacy of violence, the prose itself suggests that Vollmann's effort to create a moral system is actually a pretext for exploring his fascination with the aesthetic dimensions of carnage and its instruments. Either form of contemplation (moral or aesthetic) renders weapons and corpses into emblems of ultimate truth. ''The real aim of violence,'' he writes, ''is to conquer, direct, instruct, mark, warn, punish, injure, suppress, reduce, destroy or obliterate the consciousness within the body.'' He describes the uncanny fascination of gazing upon a corpse -- ''something with my form and shape'' but with ''no volition to give it buoyancy.''"
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/boo...
abe currently has two affordable copies of RURD.US$328.45+shipping from Netherlands (clarify those costs before ordering!) in 'good' condition.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookD...
US$475+shipping (ditto!) in 'fine' condition, "A new and unread set".
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookD...
Whatever the slipcase condition is, you can be fairly certain that it will deteriorate in shipping. If you really want it intact, request that it be packed and shipped separately from the books.
Also, a copy for US$585.95+ship. Condition "New. Beautiful condition".
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookD...
Seems like amazon is listing a few. ~US$350. Not sure how reliable some of those listings are.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...
There have also been some printing issues with v4 which you might want to inquire about ; my copy has several blank pages near the beginning, for instance. This accounts for the missing v4's in some sets, and the free-floating v4's some sellers are offering.
Get your RURD sign'd and it'll double in $$$$.
I must be fortunate. I bought the original seven volume set from McSweeny. My v4 has no blank pages, the slipcase is in good condition, and all of them are signed.
I'm not selling.
I'm not selling.
Greg wrote: "I must be fortunate. I bought the original seven volume set from McSweeny. My v4 has no blank pages, the slipcase is in good condition, and all of them are signed.I'm not selling."
Fortunate, yes. But also, wise way before our times!!! Do you have any RURD porn to share with us?
I did confirm that WTV cites HG Wells The Outline of History, 2 Vols, but I swear he cites Wells' interview with Stalin as well. New Republic is revisiting it ::A 1935 'review' of the interview ::
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/11...
Direct to the interview ::
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/...
I'm almost certain it's not for real, but if you want to investigate, abebooks is listing three copies claiming to be the 7 volume set for ~US$90.http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Searc...
Geoff wrote: "Uh.. I'm looking into this."What's the scoop?
James wrote: "Geoff wrote: "Uh.. I'm looking into this."What's the scoop?"
Nothin' yet. I contacted the seller, but no reply thus far.
Might as well snag it. If it's a mistake you can just cancel. If not...score for Geoff!
James wrote: "Might as well snag it. If it's a mistake you can just cancel. If not...score for Geoff!"Oh I did, I did.
Geoff wrote: "James wrote: "Might as well snag it. If it's a mistake you can just cancel. If not...score for Geoff!"Oh I did, I did."
There were two listed, which makes it all the more shadier.
There were three at first, and they appeared on Amazon too. Same seller info of course. All three gone now.
Last time I ordered something that was too good to be true off of Abebooks it was a computer glitch. Fingers crossed for you Geoff. RURD couldn't find itself in a more capable set of hands.
William T Vollmann Central
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Should you find the seven volume edition for less than $US200, please buy it and I'll reimburse you upon shipment.The abridgement is widely available.