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Hell yeah chill thread. It's a real basic bitch suggestion, but I've found a lot of value in going back and reading high school assigned books. The Scarlet Letter was one that I particularly abhorred, but it holds up very well on reread. Found a lot of interesting insights in American culture and beliefs in redemption reading it. Plus the puritans were freaks. Famethrowa fucked around with this message at 22:48 on May 31, 2020 |
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May 31, 2020 22:45
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Humerus posted:I've been meaning to reread Brave New World as that was probably my favorite of the assigned books back in high school but is it classic enough to ascend into literature? On the other hand, maybe I should reread Scarlet Letter because that was one of my least favorite ones. It's genre imo, and it's pretty polemic, but drat if it isn't a good read. You might more out of it this time around. Far more applicable and convincing then 1984. Why not both? BNW is pretty short. 
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May 31, 2020 23:45
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nut posted:The book opens on the landowner being battered and deep fried in hell which is v good I'm instantly sold.
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Jun 1, 2020 15:28
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Sham bam bamina! posted:You're missing the point. I have about ten Cherryh novels on my shelf. I have this thing on my shelf, which is... certainly no Cherryh. Genre fiction has no shortage of good books to read, and only an idiot would deny the literary worth of Raymond Chandler or Philip K. Dick, and even the trashiest pulp has as much of a right to be read and engaged with as any other book. But genre fiction is also bound by ingrained, self-perpetuating habits and mentalities that are very limiting overall – it's not everything, but plenty of people are content with making it all they read because they're comfortable with it, and it's deeply saddening to see readers retreat into this incestuous insularity and avoid anything that even threatens to push the edges of their comfort zone, on the assumption that it would be a joyless chore because it isn't what they've already read a thousand times, and with the sour-grapes assurance that anyone who does like it must be tricking themselves into seeing clothes on the emperor. People get derisive about this because it is fundamentally juvenile, like refusing to eat anything but pizza. It's not a constructive reaction, but it's rooted in disappointment more than self-aggrandizement (which obviously is there too). "Genre fiction" is not a problem; the problem is what people do with it. this is a good post. I think that much like the picky eating habits of eating only pizza, a lot of the resistance to reading challenging works stems from fear of the unknown. Throw in some insecurity around "not feeling smart enough", and I think you have the core of it. I've talked to a lot of people IRL who have expressed this fear exactly. I think the QCS thread (and I'm not trying to start drama or throw shade) was really speaking to how having derision doesn't help that insecurity. so, I'm pretty excited for this thread, I hope we get some interested genre readers, and we can demystify """""literature""""" for them.
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Jun 2, 2020 15:31
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Alright here's a real dumb barrier to me reading serious books: I struggle with reading long or complicated things on an ereader since it's so easy to zone out with a dumb genrebook but reading traditional books is uncomfortable for me. What kinda tricks do you guys use to read real nice smelling physical books uhhhh one-handed? it's kinda taxing to do. I see these neato page holder things that slot over their finger, anyone try them? im making a sex joke but its because of a physical limitation irl.
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Jun 2, 2020 21:25
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TheAardvark posted:Are you specifically talking about hardcovers by any chance? The 1-3-1 posted is how I always do it with paperbacks, but you might be out of luck with big old hardcovers. nah, even some hefty paperbacks I have can be rough to hold (and all books smell beautiful). I'll try out that 1-3-1! I used to set books in my lap when I was younger, but I've definitely developed "texters neck" as a computer toucher so that doesn't work too well anymore. thanks for the suggestions for my dumbass problem
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Jun 2, 2020 23:09
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Heath posted:One thing I've started doing to make my reading more thorough is to start taking notes on some of the books I read. I don't do it for all of them, but occasionally I'll be reading something and find so many passages that I find moving, important or that I want to remember that I've started to keep track of them using a notecard that doubles as a bookmark. I started doing this while reading the Decameron, and it really changed how I processed the book mentally. Found myself far more engaged and invested, and the book got 10x funnier. Love this tip, and I'll have to start doing it for physical books.
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Jun 3, 2020 14:16
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TheGreatEvilKing posted:The "Whales are Fish" part is great because not only does Ishmael loudly proclaim he's ignoring Linnaeus, but those sections (cetology, et all) usually come after some major fuckup (the first landing, etc) and represent Ishmael trying to gain some semblance of rational understanding over the sheer brutality and foreboding of the voyage. It's important to note that he just kind of gives up near the end as Ahab finishes his mad quest. Melville might be one of the most interesting authors i can think of. Please never stop. For anyone trying to get their feet wet with Melville, Bartleby the Scrivener is a fantastic workplace drama/subtle ghost story. Highly recommend it.
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Jul 26, 2020 18:36
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what do you Mishima readers think about Wild Beasts? I've been trying on and off with it and I haven't been hooked yet
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Dec 14, 2020 18:46
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ThePopeOfFun posted:are you talking about Frolic of Beasts? Haven't read it. But I bet the sentences are good. I've only read one book by him, but he's got a great way of describing emotional sensations. Of course, we must credit the translator as well. yeah that 'un the little I read felt generic, but I'll keep plugging away if it's worth it.
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Dec 14, 2020 22:06
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Tosk posted:Quite a few years back, the other literature thread recommended Coetzee as a good way of wading into more serious reading. He's since become an author I greatly enjoy and I would echo that advice here. Waiting for the Barbarians is a short meditation on colonialism by an unnamed magistrate on life at the edge of a sprawling empire, and the political complications that result thereof. I recently found out it was greatly influenced by The Tartar Steppe and plan on reading that soon, possibly after a reread because I haven't read Coetzee's novel since 2016 or so. I read Coetzee in a class on the literature of colonialism. Seconding that pick, especially if you are interested in critical looks at history. Also, looking it up now, they just released a movie version this year! It's got Johnny Depp......
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Dec 18, 2020 18:00
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