Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

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Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by conjurer » February 5th 2025, 12:21am

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The Absinthe Forger, Evan Rail, Penguin Random House, ISBN 9781685891541, USD $32.00

Some years ago, when BDWF was a thing, I posted a thread about getting jaked on Absinthe. Not long before, absinthe had become legal again in most of the Western world. I recall telling my brother, who is something of a drunkard himself, that I was looking forward to getting a bottle and getting stiff.

"What the fuck are you," says he, "Paul Verlaine?" But, like all good older brothers, he was a true enabler, and that year sent me an absinthe fountain for my birthday. Now, absinthe was a big deal in the late 19th and into the early 20th Century. Made of wormwood, is was a thick liquor that, supposedly, made you fucking insane. It was popular with the French intellectuals of that era, like, well, Paul Verlaine. Because of the insanity thing, it was banned throughout most of Europe and America in the late 1920s.

Fast forward to the early 20-aughts, for some reason absinthe became available again, apparently without the psychotic wormwood. I picked up a fifth of this shit, and one night when Mrs. C was travelling, I decided to tie one on with it, and see if I beheld the Green Fairies, which supposedly meant that you were losing your mind and murder your jolly lesbian letter carrier. One thing that attracted me was the performative art one had to go through to mix a proper absinthe. You needed a fountain, and poured some of the booze into an absinthe glass, then placed an absinthe spoon over the glass with a sugar cube on it, and then used the fountain to run ice water over the cube and into the jake. Once the drink was made, you'd drink it, go insane, and murder your letter carrier with a chainsaw. What could be more fun?

I don't recall much of that evening, and since the old BDWF is now gone, all references to it are gone as well. I stayed on the forum that night until I'd drunk at least five or six of these insanity bombs (as I recall, the taste was pretty terrible, and I never saw the Green Fairie. IIRC, I turned on cable and stared watching an old James Bond movie on HBO, with Roger Moore, and commented on that.

Anyway, back to the book.

Apparently, back in the days just before COVID, there was a weird absinthe culture on the interwebs, and part of the allure were those who wanted pre-ban absinthe. Evan Rail's breezy account of the history is somewhat diverting--his history of the absinthe culture on Facesbooks reminds one of the early days in the forum wars about watches. Some jerkoff was, apparently, selling bottles of pre-ban absinthe that he'd faked, and getting thousands of dollars for as well.

Rail's discussion of the absinthe craze, the following craze of the 2010s, is quite interesting and diverting, but the book itself is somewhat disjointed and Rail's writing is limp and shallow. I have a 100 page rule, where, if the story, either true or fictional, doesn't grab me, I let things go, and there were, honestly, a few times I nearly shelved this tome. But surprisingly, I finished it.

Recommended for those history buffs who value this sort of thing. If you don't, steer clear.

What are you thoughts on the book club? Let me know!
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Re: Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by MAX » February 5th 2025, 4:36am

I usually dont remember yesterday these days but I remember the absinthe posts on BDWF, not the content mind you, but their existence. Quite a bit of back and forth humor IIRC.

As for the book and club ?
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Re: Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by codguy » February 5th 2025, 6:05am

conjurer wrote:
February 5th 2025, 12:21am
I decided to tie one on with it, and see if I beheld the Green Fairies, which supposedly meant that you were losing your mind
, and I never saw the Green Fairie.
Sorry to hear you missed the fairies, probably need something roger moore potent.
From what I understand from John Osbourne is that they wear boots and he has no-dout seen a plenty of them.
No mention of their colour



Book club sounds good- have three in que myself to read, one of which is borrowed. Just need to dedicate the time on them.
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Re: Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by jason_recliner » February 5th 2025, 9:39pm

Book Club is a great idea! I'm embarrassed to say I just finished a book for the first time in years. I used to read so much. Anyway, it was The Absolutist and it was very, very good. Very, very gay, as well. Highly recommended if you can read about gays and being gay and gayness without getting triggered. Now for The Book Thief.

Interestingly, what may well be my all time favourite book, The Picture of Dorian Grey, is extremely gay.

Going to Thailand for a fortnight in July and I want to get through at least two books while away, so open to recommendations.
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Re: Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by gerdson » February 5th 2025, 11:36pm

smellody wrote:
February 5th 2025, 11:02pm
I'd read a book if booze were involved.
I vaguely believe to remember a few Hemingway short stories associated to drinking habits.
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Re: Conjurer's Book Club--Absinthe!

Post by smellody » February 5th 2025, 11:45pm

gerdson wrote:
February 5th 2025, 11:36pm
smellody wrote:
February 5th 2025, 11:02pm
I'd read a book if booze were involved.
I vaguely believe to remember a few Hemingway short stories associated to drinking habits.
I like Hemingway. He was every man's man.

If you don't believe me, we can box to settle it.
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