Read Some Real Literature: Anyway hail satantango

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Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

mdemone posted:

Also I'm pretty sure "chortle" is a real word, unless this is one of those weird life moments where I'm the only one on the planet who thinks something.

But I agree very much with you.

isn't chortle like snark in that it was invented by caroll

# ¿ Sep 13, 2016 19:19

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# ¿ May 13, 2024 02:53

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

Gas

# ¿ Sep 18, 2016 16:49

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

Bandiet posted:

It's fun because of the malapropisms and double meanings, not because of random wacky spellings for words.

My head hurts when i read it

# ¿ Sep 21, 2016 15:02

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

ZombieLenin posted:

I still call shinagins on all recommendations for books not originally written in English. There are two exceptions to this: 1. if your recommendation is aimed at people who speak, or at least read, the original language the book was published in; OR 2. the original author of the work did his or her own translation into English.

This is so we can get our academic douchebaggary correct, because as you should know reading a novel in a language other than the one that it was originally written in is not acceptable. I mean, good luck getting your PhD in French literature if you refuse to learn how to speak and read French.

PS. the answer to "why" this is the case is because other languages do not work the same way as English. It is not like you can replace every word with it's "corresponding " (if there is such a thing at all) English word and be able to read the book. Essentially, when a book is translated, the translator has to interpret the "meaning" of what's being said, and then to the best of his or her ability, figure out a way to say the same thing in English--as close to the original text as possible.

So, in a sense, every translation is someone's interpretation of a novel, that imprecisely communicates the translator's version of what the author originally intended. It's like a game of telephone, and you are reading Translator X's version of Voltaire, not Voltaire.

This is pretty standard practice in the academy for any sort of literary analysis (or philosophical analysis). In a pinch, translations are okay for undergrad classes, or for graduate classes where the students are not specializing in a particular field; however, at the graduate level this is always communicated to you as the "best translation currently available," according of course to the professor (we've just added another layer of "interpretation")

It's also important to note that works of genre fiction, even terrible genre fiction, are "legitimate works of art." They are even be taught and critically analyzed at universities.

And yes, all of my posts on this form are about fantasy novels. I will out myself now and say I've got my PhD (Political Theory) and have written many things that involve critical analysis of literature; however, when I go home at night I read and talk about what I actually enjoy reading--fantasy and science fiction. Some of which is pulpy and terrible, and some of which is extremely loving smart and important--just like any "category" of literature. This includes the bullshit everyone is talking about here, which is only bullshit in as much as its making some people have a hardon over the fact they read "real" literature.

News flash: in the end you're bragging about how your consumer choices make you "superior" to those "retards" who make other consumer choices. Both sides lose on that regard.

Greetings, you're speaking to me I suppose

# ¿ Oct 4, 2016 19:06

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

Shibawanko posted:

Song lyrics aren't literature.

They are now

# ¿ Oct 15, 2016 07:53

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

david crosby posted:

Also, If the authors name looks shiny or the letters stick out in a neat textured way, then you can be sure that the book is trash.

My copy of Dracula has the shiny and raised letters

# ¿ Oct 31, 2016 02:24

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

I was waiting for that

# ¿ Oct 31, 2016 15:31

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

CestMoi posted:

Just like how the budding English speaker should read Shakespeare?

They should

# ¿ Nov 5, 2016 17:21

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

All language is arbitrary, never speak to anyone ever again

# ¿ Dec 16, 2016 18:54

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

Goethe's science is more interesting than his writing

# ¿ Dec 27, 2016 00:42

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

pleasecallmechrist posted:

Jesus gently caress. Lurk for years. Get banned for a year and this thread has devolved. Where the gently caress is Mallamp in the past 50 pages? He didn't an hero did he?

Who are you

# ¿ Dec 30, 2016 23:55

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

A human heart posted:

BREAKING: Analysts Have Discovered Why This Book Barn Poster Has Stupid Opinions

I wish my parents had money

# ¿ Feb 4, 2017 22:08

Smoking Crow: Feb 14, 2012; *laughs at u*

Ras Het posted:

yes I know that, I'm not an idiot, but I've read Heike Monogatari and Genji Monogatari and got some other old Japanese stuff lined up, and I feel like I need some context outside of long dead medieval theologies

You should check out the Analects if you haven't already

# ¿ Mar 20, 2017 00:05