Has anyone read Bob Dylan's experimental novel 'Tarantula'?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

I just disovered it that it existed. I feel almost compelled to find it and read it.

I think it was published in the 70's, but I'm not sure. Will find out more.

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 8 October 2004 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

New edition coming to cash in on "Chronicles."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0743230418/qid=1097201787/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-8921817-0208746?v=glance&s=books

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Friday, 8 October 2004 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

wow. i like the 'sorry Bob' amazon review.

probably will never read this.

― The TAO that can be Posted is not the TAO! (The Tao that can be Posted is), Friday, 8 October 2004 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah it's not really a novel. It's a series of surreal letters describing extremely bizarre circumstances, like a cross between the fiction Lennon wrote, and something Richard Brautigan or Donald Barthelme might have done. It's especially good stoned.

― steve hise, Friday, 8 October 2004 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

You're not St33v Hise, are you?

There are better examples of what he's trying to do, I guess. Even in the heights of my Dylan fandom (or, for that matter, the heights of my experimental writing fandom), I couldn't get into Tarantula.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Friday, 8 October 2004 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I made myself read it many years ago, and even sort of liked it. But I don't think I understood a word of it.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 8 October 2004 02:24 (twenty-one years ago)

In what language did you read it then, o.nate?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 8 October 2004 05:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i read it. i admire its ridiculousness, if little else.

― pfeffernuesse (Jody Beth Rosen), Friday, 8 October 2004 05:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Its about how Bob and Aretha Franklin were the new young hip names to drop. He seemed to feel some affiliation with her, understandably.

Well, that's one of the things mentioned. I don't remember the rest.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 8 October 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

From what I can recall, it's not so much "experimental" as it is "claptrap"

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 8 October 2004 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Claptrap = something stated to an audience that is guaranteed to make them clap. e.g. Bush: "America is beautiful" Audience (big round of applause).

Did anyone clab bobby's book?

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 8 October 2004 10:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the idea is that Dylan was writing in a shallow "literary" style in order to obtain kudos or applause from literary critic types.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Saturday, 9 October 2004 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

He signed a book deal, gave them a bunch of pages, then decided to hold back on it after giving it a second (first?) read. He wrote it during the electric period, but it didn't come out until 1971.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 10 October 2004 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

After someone had stolen the manuscript and bootleg copies were starting to float about, even.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Sunday, 10 October 2004 04:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I read in English. This was around my freshman year of college. I haven't re-attempted it since, though I do enjoy the liner notes to "John Wesley Harding".

― o. nate (onate), Sunday, 10 October 2004 05:20 (twenty-one years ago)

The JWH notes are a hoot. "How far in do you wanna go?" "Just far enough so's we can say we've been there."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 10 October 2004 08:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll mail you a copy, email me your address.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Sunday, 10 October 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

its awful and i like dylan

― anthony, Monday, 11 October 2004 05:17 (twenty-one years ago)

(exactly)

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 11 October 2004 09:47 (twenty-one years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.