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last one hit 300
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>>40870
Cioran
Cioran
>>40872
all these artsy melancholy french philosophers piss me off
they talk about suicide and the misery of life, but they create something that many people love
they are successful
how can a nobody like me relate to that?
all these artsy melancholy french philosophers piss me off
they talk about suicide and the misery of life, but they create something that many people love
they are successful
how can a nobody like me relate to that?
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It's not wizardly but I'm currently reading this based kikes ten volume series on different kinds of mental illnesses, homosexuality, anxiety, compulsive behavior and a bunch of others. He's much better than Freud. Stekel is to Freud what Stirner is to Nietzsche: Much less known but infinitely better.
>>40873
>all these artsy melancholy french philosophers piss me off
this is an incredibly accurate description of how i feel against popular faggot french novels.
>all these artsy melancholy french philosophers piss me off
this is an incredibly accurate description of how i feel against popular faggot french novels.
good, easy to understand, unpretentious escapist books? just looking for something to dive into and distract myself with. nothing brain-crushing.
>>40904
Redwall series by Brian Jacques.
Start with Mattimeo, it's a bit different from the rest but you'll understand why I said to start with Mattimeo first after you read Mattimeo.
Redwall series by Brian Jacques.
Start with Mattimeo, it's a bit different from the rest but you'll understand why I said to start with Mattimeo first after you read Mattimeo.
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Have any of you all read Bob Black's essay "The Abolition of Work"? What other anti-work literature should I know about?
>>40923
>Have any of you all read Bob Black's essay "The Abolition of Work"?
yeah
>What other anti-work literature should I know about?
i dont know. no-work is such a no-brainer for me there is no alternative, i don't need convincing, for me nothing new can be said about not working that can't be summed up as "i don't want to ever work". it would be like reading books on no-sex, what could i possibly learn that i haven't already embraced
>Have any of you all read Bob Black's essay "The Abolition of Work"?
yeah
>What other anti-work literature should I know about?
i dont know. no-work is such a no-brainer for me there is no alternative, i don't need convincing, for me nothing new can be said about not working that can't be summed up as "i don't want to ever work". it would be like reading books on no-sex, what could i possibly learn that i haven't already embraced
Where do you guys get suggestions for new books to read? I only got into literature early this year and I am very quickly nearing the end of the books I was originally interested in. The possibilities of where to go next are daunting.
>>40927
Amazon's "Customers Also Bought" suggestions can be helpful for finding new books kind of like ones you've already read.
Amazon's "Customers Also Bought" suggestions can be helpful for finding new books kind of like ones you've already read.
>>40923
Does he have a clear vision of what the social structure would actually look like once automation makes human labor obsolete? I've often pondered that myself but have been unable to come up with a good answer, just a few hazy ideas.
Does he have a clear vision of what the social structure would actually look like once automation makes human labor obsolete? I've often pondered that myself but have been unable to come up with a good answer, just a few hazy ideas.
>>40932
If I remember correctly, he envisions a future where all "work" is completely voluntary. "Work" will be game-like, and will be done for the sake of play rather than the sake of making money or surviving. Even normally unpleasant jobs will be turned into "games" that will at least be somewhat enjoyable for a short time - but again, completely voluntary. So it isn't necessary that automation take *every* job. Of course, with people free to do as they please, many would-be scientists and engineers would probably develop ways to automate away the drudgery. And all the bullshit jobs that simply push around paper and money would be unnecessary, and therefore done away with. I'm probably butchering his argument, so consult his essay. It's pretty short.
Out of curiosity, what were your "hazy ideas"?
If I remember correctly, he envisions a future where all "work" is completely voluntary. "Work" will be game-like, and will be done for the sake of play rather than the sake of making money or surviving. Even normally unpleasant jobs will be turned into "games" that will at least be somewhat enjoyable for a short time - but again, completely voluntary. So it isn't necessary that automation take *every* job. Of course, with people free to do as they please, many would-be scientists and engineers would probably develop ways to automate away the drudgery. And all the bullshit jobs that simply push around paper and money would be unnecessary, and therefore done away with. I'm probably butchering his argument, so consult his essay. It's pretty short.
Out of curiosity, what were your "hazy ideas"?
Does anyone else read lots of books but not keep track of them?
I feel kind of bad that I might spend weeks on a particular book, and then after a few months not recall it. Its not like I've lost all memories of it. You name the title, I could tell you a lot.
It kind of feels like all the time I spent on the book is lost, once I stop thinking about it. And I have no grand list of it all.
I feel kind of bad that I might spend weeks on a particular book, and then after a few months not recall it. Its not like I've lost all memories of it. You name the title, I could tell you a lot.
It kind of feels like all the time I spent on the book is lost, once I stop thinking about it. And I have no grand list of it all.
>>41177
If a book has made a real impact on you, it won't be forgotten easily. There aren't many books out there like that. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Besides, it isn't all lost if you can still remember it when you hear the title. Each new book you read will get embedded into your head this way, even if you don't remember every detail on demand.
Though, I think a good way of never finding one of those truly impactful books is to force yourself to read something. Read whatever catches your eye. Personally, I've stopped reading (nonfiction) books front to back. I enjoy myself more when I get straight to the meat.
I do keep a list of books I've "read" more-or-less completely on a Goodreads account. But I think it's important to keep it only as a record, and not to use it as some sort of goal-tracking tool to read X books in the next year or whatever. Quality over quantity and all that.
If a book has made a real impact on you, it won't be forgotten easily. There aren't many books out there like that. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Besides, it isn't all lost if you can still remember it when you hear the title. Each new book you read will get embedded into your head this way, even if you don't remember every detail on demand.
Though, I think a good way of never finding one of those truly impactful books is to force yourself to read something. Read whatever catches your eye. Personally, I've stopped reading (nonfiction) books front to back. I enjoy myself more when I get straight to the meat.
I do keep a list of books I've "read" more-or-less completely on a Goodreads account. But I think it's important to keep it only as a record, and not to use it as some sort of goal-tracking tool to read X books in the next year or whatever. Quality over quantity and all that.
>>41179
this is some solid advice. I have the problem of creating huge backlogs and getting overwhelmed before giving up on the medium shortly after. Now I try to avoid those tracking websites and just go form one show/movie/book to the next.
this is some solid advice. I have the problem of creating huge backlogs and getting overwhelmed before giving up on the medium shortly after. Now I try to avoid those tracking websites and just go form one show/movie/book to the next.
>>41180
I don't think there's anything wrong with backlogs as long as you don't get anxious at the prospect of never completing it. To me, a backlog is just a convenient list to throw in whatever looks interesting to me that may be hard to find later and I can't get to at the moment for whatever reason. I fully expect that I may never get to any one thing in the backlog for months, years, or eternity. The idea is that if I'm bored, I have a list of stuff to pick from. That said, I totally get that having a backlog isn't for everybody, and some people find it anxiety-inducing.
I don't think there's anything wrong with backlogs as long as you don't get anxious at the prospect of never completing it. To me, a backlog is just a convenient list to throw in whatever looks interesting to me that may be hard to find later and I can't get to at the moment for whatever reason. I fully expect that I may never get to any one thing in the backlog for months, years, or eternity. The idea is that if I'm bored, I have a list of stuff to pick from. That said, I totally get that having a backlog isn't for everybody, and some people find it anxiety-inducing.
>>41216
GIANT backlogs of video games, films, television shows, and books plus depression raped what was left of my attention span and curiosity. I lost interest in everything. I don't know what I like.
GIANT backlogs of video games, films, television shows, and books plus depression raped what was left of my attention span and curiosity. I lost interest in everything. I don't know what I like.
Currently reading War and Peace of Tolstoi. The prose is totally clear and delightful. The descriptions of the cities, the battles, the landscapes are great. The work has some beatiful passages where the characters reason about the futility of human banalities in comparison of death. However it's not a nihilistic book; at the end Tolstoi encourages the reader to embrace life despite the pain inherent to existance. Tolstoi sees the love of God in the whole procces of history. He also praises the russian traditional values. Definetely not a wizard book but still worth reading (it's part of the universal canon).
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I'm not sure that I got the point of this book. It felt like Pynchon was trying to destroy our preconcieved notions of what a novel is, and how it is formed. I did not like that though. It felt like a hippy high on LSD declaring to have blown my mind with some nonsense idea. The scenes were more quirky than a Wes Anderson movie, enjoyable at times, but often felt incoherent and meangingless. Probably bathed in some symbolism that I'm an idiot for not getting. Or maybe that was the joke on me all along for thinking anything had meaning. The first page set it up well, there was too much kirsch in the fondue.
>>41221
I think that Tolstoy is better at world building than most fantasy writers. He brings 19th century Russia to life in a way I've found actual written history can not match up to. His characters are excellent as well. They come across as real people, with the common feelings and worries that I have found only Tolstoy is capable of putting into words. One of my favourite authors by far. I highly suggest you read Anna Karenina next.
>>41221
I think that Tolstoy is better at world building than most fantasy writers. He brings 19th century Russia to life in a way I've found actual written history can not match up to. His characters are excellent as well. They come across as real people, with the common feelings and worries that I have found only Tolstoy is capable of putting into words. One of my favourite authors by far. I highly suggest you read Anna Karenina next.
>>41224
You are definetly right aboutTolstoi. His descriptions are almost like paintings and his characters are totally humans. I find him better than Dostoievski, which is also great, but he lacks of the skill of Tolstoi to depict the world. Dostoievski is pure psychology.
You are definetly right aboutTolstoi. His descriptions are almost like paintings and his characters are totally humans. I find him better than Dostoievski, which is also great, but he lacks of the skill of Tolstoi to depict the world. Dostoievski is pure psychology.
Why is The Great Gatsby considered such a literary masterpiece? It was listed as one of the literary essentials or something in some list I read when I wanted to try to get into reading books so I decided to read it, but it was like they put all the interesting parts of the book in the last 20 pages or something as an afterthought. The rest was just disjointed snippets of meaningless conversation at rich people's dinner parties and drab observations by the narrator which didn't really advance the plot. If this is what great literature is like then I'm not sure I'm cut out for it.
>>41264
What is considered "interesting" is pretty broad. If you are exploring literature for charged plot progression, then these types of books probably aren't for you. In regards to The Great Gatsby, maybe try rereading it, but this time pay attention to the world and characters the author creates, and the themes and ideas he explores through them, such as the prosperity of 1920s America and the decadence of the upper class. All of this is conveyed using wonderful prose, which you should pay attention to as well. It's really what makes a novel or author. You will get to notice good prose the more you read. Here is a nice qoute from The Great Gatsby that shows it off:
>“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”
There is more to what makes a good piece of literature other than this, but that is some of the basics of it.
What is considered "interesting" is pretty broad. If you are exploring literature for charged plot progression, then these types of books probably aren't for you. In regards to The Great Gatsby, maybe try rereading it, but this time pay attention to the world and characters the author creates, and the themes and ideas he explores through them, such as the prosperity of 1920s America and the decadence of the upper class. All of this is conveyed using wonderful prose, which you should pay attention to as well. It's really what makes a novel or author. You will get to notice good prose the more you read. Here is a nice qoute from The Great Gatsby that shows it off:
>“He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey.”
There is more to what makes a good piece of literature other than this, but that is some of the basics of it.
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So everyone feels frustrated by life, restrained by mundaneness, suffocated by the people around them, longing for escape to somewhere where they can be happy and throw off the shackles of their daily life. But death lurks here, and it is not letting anyone get away. Well, at least that's how it is to be from Dublin it seems.
Dubliners is a series of short stories rather than a linear novel. Nothing of note occurs in any of them, but we do get some insight into the protagonists deepest feelings and desires, which altogether paints a picture of a city entering a new century, boiling with nationlist sentiment, conflict, and unhappiness.
I thought it was enjoyable overall. I found all of the stories interesting to some degree, some more than others. As I said, there isn't much plot to any of them. One deals with a boy skipping school, another describes the day of a frustrated office worker, and one is about a maid who goes to celebrate Halloween at a friends house. I suppose liking this comes down to how much you can feel for the characters, and being from Ireland might help.
Dubliners is a series of short stories rather than a linear novel. Nothing of note occurs in any of them, but we do get some insight into the protagonists deepest feelings and desires, which altogether paints a picture of a city entering a new century, boiling with nationlist sentiment, conflict, and unhappiness.
I thought it was enjoyable overall. I found all of the stories interesting to some degree, some more than others. As I said, there isn't much plot to any of them. One deals with a boy skipping school, another describes the day of a frustrated office worker, and one is about a maid who goes to celebrate Halloween at a friends house. I suppose liking this comes down to how much you can feel for the characters, and being from Ireland might help.
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>>41322
Light novels are enjoyable for what they are and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading them. It's good to branch out and read a wide variety of things though.
Light novels are enjoyable for what they are and I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading them. It's good to branch out and read a wide variety of things though.
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Poetry counts as reading, right?
>The Lake Isle of Innisfree - W.B Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
>The Lake Isle of Innisfree - W.B Yeats
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
>>41460
I would recommend to anyone that they read that book. That said, I don't know if I would go so far as to call the main character wizardly. He is relatable in some aspects, but I don't think it can be assumed that he is a virgin, given how easily he hired a prostitute. And for the things that you might relate to, I have to wonder how much of it Dostyevsky meant to come off as comedic.
Still, do read the book, and try to understand it. It's very dense for how short it is. It provides a great critique against the combined forces of rationalism and socialism, and gives a good arguement on the importance of religion.
I would recommend to anyone that they read that book. That said, I don't know if I would go so far as to call the main character wizardly. He is relatable in some aspects, but I don't think it can be assumed that he is a virgin, given how easily he hired a prostitute. And for the things that you might relate to, I have to wonder how much of it Dostyevsky meant to come off as comedic.
Still, do read the book, and try to understand it. It's very dense for how short it is. It provides a great critique against the combined forces of rationalism and socialism, and gives a good arguement on the importance of religion.
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Decided this year will be the one I read as much about Greek Mythology as I can. After couple days of research decided to begin with Apollodorus Library. Just read the introduction and it looks really promising. It's exactly what I was looking for; no rationalization or embellishments. Just simple, straight forward prose retelling the stories.
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>>41363
This right here, pretty black pilled. His fiction is also quite good as well, Teatro Grotesco probably being the best.
This right here, pretty black pilled. His fiction is also quite good as well, Teatro Grotesco probably being the best.
>>41658
Songs of a Dead Dreamer/Grimscribe and My Work is Not Yet Done are good as well. But Teatro is easily his best. His other stuff is a tossup.
Songs of a Dead Dreamer/Grimscribe and My Work is Not Yet Done are good as well. But Teatro is easily his best. His other stuff is a tossup.
I've heard people say you should "start with the Greeks" but where precisely? Can someone please recommend some essential ancient Greek texts I should read?
>>41744
Depends what topic you're interested in.
I like the Enneads of Plotinus, in that it is the Platonic philosophy, but no longer in the form of dialogues, but as a fully fleshed out system. From a drama to a textbook.
Thats just my personal interest, I like systematic philosophy. And I like other worldly spiriualist philosophies that get us away from this messy fleshy world.
But obviously the Greeks pursued all fields of human endeavor, so it depends what you're interested in.
Depends what topic you're interested in.
I like the Enneads of Plotinus, in that it is the Platonic philosophy, but no longer in the form of dialogues, but as a fully fleshed out system. From a drama to a textbook.
Thats just my personal interest, I like systematic philosophy. And I like other worldly spiriualist philosophies that get us away from this messy fleshy world.
But obviously the Greeks pursued all fields of human endeavor, so it depends what you're interested in.
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>>41744
Mythology by Edith Hamilton is the usual recommendation.
Mythology by Edith Hamilton is the usual recommendation.
>>41167
>"wiz-core" chart
>nothing but antinatalist/ligotti/benatar works
i can already picture it
no thanks
>"wiz-core" chart
>nothing but antinatalist/ligotti/benatar works
i can already picture it
no thanks
I might bother a few wizards with this request. I'd just like to ask for recommendations for a certain type of fiction novel.
What I'm looking for are young succubi being young succubi. The "slice of life anime" but novels. I read both of Lewis Carol's Alice books as well as Heidi and Anne Of Green Gables, and now I'm on to The Story succubus. I find it very easy to lose myself in these types of stories. I don't think I could feel the same if the story took place in modern times, but I imagine there are quite a few books which take place in the past like the few I mentioned because of how easy it is to construct a story of this nature. I don't expect any literary masterpieces, just easy children's novels.
What I'm looking for are young succubi being young succubi. The "slice of life anime" but novels. I read both of Lewis Carol's Alice books as well as Heidi and Anne Of Green Gables, and now I'm on to The Story succubus. I find it very easy to lose myself in these types of stories. I don't think I could feel the same if the story took place in modern times, but I imagine there are quite a few books which take place in the past like the few I mentioned because of how easy it is to construct a story of this nature. I don't expect any literary masterpieces, just easy children's novels.
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>>41767
There is literally nothing wrong with Ligotti. He's one of the best… Here's what I'm currently reading btw.
There is literally nothing wrong with Ligotti. He's one of the best… Here's what I'm currently reading btw.
Finished reading The Metamorphosis and completly missed the depression thing while reading because I was expecting somethign absurd and nonsensical like the Rhinoceros play.
Nothing struck me as extraordinary in the writing or story and I'm starting to think Kafka is overrated.
Nothing struck me as extraordinary in the writing or story and I'm starting to think Kafka is overrated.
>>41902
It's the story of a wageslave wizard who has been downtrodden to the point of becoming an insect, which is what he was to everyone else, but fortunately for him, this reality that was hidden for so long became noticeable one morning, once he woke up from what the thought was an "unsual dream" and turned into the wageslave insect that everyone except himself knew he was. It tells us that we cannot shape our reality and life it's a pointless struggle where everyone is a puppet of the machinery. Gregor is the epitome of how passive humankind truly is, we're cattle in the end.
It's the story of a wageslave wizard who has been downtrodden to the point of becoming an insect, which is what he was to everyone else, but fortunately for him, this reality that was hidden for so long became noticeable one morning, once he woke up from what the thought was an "unsual dream" and turned into the wageslave insect that everyone except himself knew he was. It tells us that we cannot shape our reality and life it's a pointless struggle where everyone is a puppet of the machinery. Gregor is the epitome of how passive humankind truly is, we're cattle in the end.
The only book liked was The Outsider by John Fowles. Ignoring the succubus, which the story isn't even about, it's about the wanting of a possession which happens to be a succubus, the main character is pretty wizardly aside from the money.
>Wins a lot of money by luck
>Buys old house in the middle of nowhere
>Just wants to do hobbies
>No care for anyone else but not a narcissist
9/10
>Wins a lot of money by luck
>Buys old house in the middle of nowhere
>Just wants to do hobbies
>No care for anyone else but not a narcissist
9/10
>>41904
>it's about the wanting of a possession which happens to be a succubus
>the main character is pretty wizardly
Haha.
Anyways, have you watched the film adaptation? It's pretty neat.
>it's about the wanting of a possession which happens to be a succubus
>the main character is pretty wizardly
Haha.
Anyways, have you watched the film adaptation? It's pretty neat.
>>41906
Some of it but it seemed a lot different than the book so I stopped. How similar to the book is it?
Some of it but it seemed a lot different than the book so I stopped. How similar to the book is it?
>>41908
Well, it follows the same premise. I don't know how similar it is since I haven't read the novel. I liked it, weird movie.
Well, it follows the same premise. I don't know how similar it is since I haven't read the novel. I liked it, weird movie.
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>>41662
Finished Songs/Grimscribe except for The Last Feast of Harlequin, which I'm saving for a rainy day. Finished Teatro and would agree, he really came into his own here. Noctuary I liked, but not as much as the others I've mentioned. I have yet to read My Work is not yet done. As for Conspiracy, I find it interesting and thought-provoking but it can be a little repetitive. I've lost count of how many times he has used the term 'vehicular misadventure'.
I can't say I subscribe to his philosophy one hundred percent; which is not surprising… I'm an idealist at heart, despite a long-standing affair with depressing and pessimistic themes. Either way, Ligotti is definitely my favorite living author.
Finished Songs/Grimscribe except for The Last Feast of Harlequin, which I'm saving for a rainy day. Finished Teatro and would agree, he really came into his own here. Noctuary I liked, but not as much as the others I've mentioned. I have yet to read My Work is not yet done. As for Conspiracy, I find it interesting and thought-provoking but it can be a little repetitive. I've lost count of how many times he has used the term 'vehicular misadventure'.
I can't say I subscribe to his philosophy one hundred percent; which is not surprising… I'm an idealist at heart, despite a long-standing affair with depressing and pessimistic themes. Either way, Ligotti is definitely my favorite living author.
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>>40869
Finished T.H White's books and am about halfway through Le Morte d'Arthur, but a few people have been calling it non-canon trash. If I wanted to get further into Arthurian reading, where would be the best place to start wizzies?
>>41326
I was gonna give you shit for Konosuba, but that's a really nice Homura poster. For 2D Succubi she's pretty okay.
>>41744
That's some pretty bad advice. Usually a bunch of pretentious teens that had to read the shit in school and think greek is the pinnacle of literature. Almost everything I've set my eyes on was boring.
Finished T.H White's books and am about halfway through Le Morte d'Arthur, but a few people have been calling it non-canon trash. If I wanted to get further into Arthurian reading, where would be the best place to start wizzies?
>>41326
I was gonna give you shit for Konosuba, but that's a really nice Homura poster. For 2D Succubi she's pretty okay.
>>41744
That's some pretty bad advice. Usually a bunch of pretentious teens that had to read the shit in school and think greek is the pinnacle of literature. Almost everything I've set my eyes on was boring.
>>42383
I'm currently reading Jean Markale's "The Grail: Celtic Origins of The Sacred Icon"… it dissects several different legends and ties them together. I like it, except when he goes on about the lewd shit- but it can't be helped, the author is French.
I'm currently reading Jean Markale's "The Grail: Celtic Origins of The Sacred Icon"… it dissects several different legends and ties them together. I like it, except when he goes on about the lewd shit- but it can't be helped, the author is French.
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I'm disgusted with myself, at New Years I set the goal of reading 24 books in 2018, which seems reasonable for my reading speed. But I haven't read anything yet. I'm stuck at reading Bill Gates Business at the Speed of Thought, and Global Warming A short Introduction, by Mark Maslin.
I already feel more retarded and out of focus than usual.
I already feel more retarded and out of focus than usual.
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I looked high and low for the unabridged version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms translated by Moss Roberts but for all I know those four volumes are nowhere to be found online for free. Not on libgen, not on ebook forums and not on #bookz. So for now I settled on Chinese Fairy Tales, translated and selected by the same guy. Just started and already I'm enjoying it. Right my alley, last one I read before this was The Great Fairy Tale Tradition. I really enjoy this type of literature.
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I've never actually read the Bible and haven't been to church in over 6 years, so I feel like a lot of the references and symbolism went over my head. I still really enjoyed it, though. Books 5 and 6 were especially good, and I can recommend for those two parts alone since they focus on the wizardly worldviews of two different characters, one very pessimistic and one very optimistic.
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Recently I finished Kali Kaula by Jan Fries, a book on tantric Shaktism (Hinduism) and in particular the worship of the goddess Kali. It was an excellent, highly informative and open minded introduction to the practice of tantra. Then in addition I finished Mr.Snellgrove's translation of the Hevajra Tantra, a Buddhist text on the tantric yoga tradition of medieval India. However after finishing this I learned that he censored some of the text that he found distasteful, and so I'm reading another translation by Farrow and Menon along with the ancient commentary of a Kapalika Yogi (ash covered ascetic with the sole possesion of a Brahmana's skull used to beg for alms) on the text.
It's a fascinating study on meditation practice and yidam deity worship, and this yogi is a highly insightful character, however I'm picking up on a variety of themes in the text that he either didn't notice or feel the need to comment upon. In the chapter on mantra usage the tantra seems to degenerate into being a simple spellbook, with mantras uttered to dispel tigers, elephants, apes, mantras to attract or dispell succubi, destroy armies and so on. At first appearance it's enough to make one sneer at petty superstitions, however earlier today it struck me that the author is simply being metaphorical and providing mantras for the destruction of negative aspects of mind.
The tiger is wrath, the elephant is slothfulness, apes are restlessness, repelling a succubus means the repelling of lust, etc. It seems obvious now in retrospect. I can't imagine that many homeless yogis in the wilderness are getting attacked by tigers or sexually assaulted by succubi.
Still have quite a ways to go on this text here, and then I'm going to read some more of the classic anuttarayoga tantras and additional modern texts on the usage of thoughtforms and so on. Having fun with my reading so far.
It's a fascinating study on meditation practice and yidam deity worship, and this yogi is a highly insightful character, however I'm picking up on a variety of themes in the text that he either didn't notice or feel the need to comment upon. In the chapter on mantra usage the tantra seems to degenerate into being a simple spellbook, with mantras uttered to dispel tigers, elephants, apes, mantras to attract or dispell succubi, destroy armies and so on. At first appearance it's enough to make one sneer at petty superstitions, however earlier today it struck me that the author is simply being metaphorical and providing mantras for the destruction of negative aspects of mind.
The tiger is wrath, the elephant is slothfulness, apes are restlessness, repelling a succubus means the repelling of lust, etc. It seems obvious now in retrospect. I can't imagine that many homeless yogis in the wilderness are getting attacked by tigers or sexually assaulted by succubi.
Still have quite a ways to go on this text here, and then I'm going to read some more of the classic anuttarayoga tantras and additional modern texts on the usage of thoughtforms and so on. Having fun with my reading so far.
>>42397
If you aren't a 'natural reader', it's no good trying to read anything you don't have an extreme interest in. The only way to get truly engrossed in a book is either to love the author's style of prose, be obsessed with the subject matter or ideally both.
If you aren't a 'natural reader', it's no good trying to read anything you don't have an extreme interest in. The only way to get truly engrossed in a book is either to love the author's style of prose, be obsessed with the subject matter or ideally both.
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Just found out Mainländer is currently being translated
>>41904
Seems as though he's in love with the succubus mate. Or even worse, that he physically desires her. Anyways I just finished his Magus (and no, neither the Magus nor the main C are wizards) today and it was wonderful. The whole image of the plot finally revealed right at the end was a bit dumb but during the whole journey of reading it, when it wasn't, it made me unable to put it down. Not one which constantly sucks you in, rather a "pull and push" kind. The prose is fantastic as well. I don't know if I'm so exalted because it was the one of the 2 or 3 books of quality I've ever read but I wholly recommend it. 10/10 for me.
Also, Fowles seems to me as incapable of writing a normie character.
Seems as though he's in love with the succubus mate. Or even worse, that he physically desires her. Anyways I just finished his Magus (and no, neither the Magus nor the main C are wizards) today and it was wonderful. The whole image of the plot finally revealed right at the end was a bit dumb but during the whole journey of reading it, when it wasn't, it made me unable to put it down. Not one which constantly sucks you in, rather a "pull and push" kind. The prose is fantastic as well. I don't know if I'm so exalted because it was the one of the 2 or 3 books of quality I've ever read but I wholly recommend it. 10/10 for me.
Also, Fowles seems to me as incapable of writing a normie character.
Also, can I get a recommendation of a gewd book with awesome prose? Please no Lolita, Moby Dick, Sound and the Fury OR Ulysses. Thank u :)
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>>42398
Since someone upped this thread I got to say I finished this one and now I'm focusing on Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and Romance of Three Kingdoms, both abridged because I could not find free, full versions for neither of them. I don't know why I've been interested in ancient China lately. I always had a strong interest in Fairy Tales and fables but from this side of the pond.
Since someone upped this thread I got to say I finished this one and now I'm focusing on Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and Romance of Three Kingdoms, both abridged because I could not find free, full versions for neither of them. I don't know why I've been interested in ancient China lately. I always had a strong interest in Fairy Tales and fables but from this side of the pond.
I'm guessing audio books is okay?
I started listening to Princess of Mars earlier. It's a really enjoyable world so far. Things are a little too heavily described but since it's a guy's diary I can forgive that aspect. Curious to see where it goes.
After this I have foundation to start on. I want to listen to Altered Carbon since it sounds interesting but I haven't found a place to download it.
I started listening to Princess of Mars earlier. It's a really enjoyable world so far. Things are a little too heavily described but since it's a guy's diary I can forgive that aspect. Curious to see where it goes.
After this I have foundation to start on. I want to listen to Altered Carbon since it sounds interesting but I haven't found a place to download it.
Started reading the Wheel of Time series and it's alright so far.
Eye of the World reads like any other YA novel except for the seemingly more complex world.
Also, reading The Pale King by DFW. Sometimes incoherent, other times pleasantly profound.
So far, I've really liked the chapter with Sylvanshine on a plane, the "sweat anxiety" one and Stecyk's childhood profile.
The editor likely just slapped together all his work which included notes and exploration that wasn't actually going to go in the final product.
I find the themes being explored very interesting, even though DFW's style can get quite tedious (fitting for a work that explores boredom).
>>42673
Most old classics written in English have good prose.
It's usually translations that are horrible.
Try Dickens, if you already haven't.
Eye of the World reads like any other YA novel except for the seemingly more complex world.
Also, reading The Pale King by DFW. Sometimes incoherent, other times pleasantly profound.
So far, I've really liked the chapter with Sylvanshine on a plane, the "sweat anxiety" one and Stecyk's childhood profile.
The editor likely just slapped together all his work which included notes and exploration that wasn't actually going to go in the final product.
I find the themes being explored very interesting, even though DFW's style can get quite tedious (fitting for a work that explores boredom).
>>42673
Most old classics written in English have good prose.
It's usually translations that are horrible.
Try Dickens, if you already haven't.
>>42678
Audiobooks are a fantastic way of freeing up your eyes and hands. Never be discouraged from any book if you think it'll be easier to consume or less intrusive into your daily activities. I like to do gardening with audiobooks or lectures on. It's the easiest form of multitasking in existence.
Audiobooks are a fantastic way of freeing up your eyes and hands. Never be discouraged from any book if you think it'll be easier to consume or less intrusive into your daily activities. I like to do gardening with audiobooks or lectures on. It's the easiest form of multitasking in existence.
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The Book of Disquiet is really comfy. It's full of wizardly convictions and ruminations by an introvert and dreamer with no attachments to the external world except for what inspiration it provides for his imagination and the impressions it leaves on his mood.
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Reading this big boy now, got through the first 100 pages in two days which is pretty good for me.
>>42777
Anthony Kenny is a god among mere mortals. He and Magee are both well into their late 80s now.
Anthony Kenny is a god among mere mortals. He and Magee are both well into their late 80s now.
>>42778
Idk anything about them tbh but the book is nice so far - straightforward information, clear but not dull.
Idk anything about them tbh but the book is nice so far - straightforward information, clear but not dull.
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I was weary about starting this novel at all. It's popularity, coupled with the fact it was written by a succubus, instantly threw up red flags that it could be highly overrated. My curiosity won in the end though and I can say now that it is one of the most engrossing novels I have ever read. I would not categorise it as a romance novel at all. It is more like an examination of a pathological family. I think that anyone with experience or knowledge of abusive and neurotic fathers will see a big grain of truth in the degenerative effect on all occupants of the Heights, and the miserable alteration of any person unfortunate enough to be enveloped by such a toxic place. As a pyschological work I would highly recommend it.
Has anyone here read a book called Mars by Fritz Zorn?
It's one of the most autistic books I have ever read, but it is hilarious and very sad. What's more, it's all true.
It was published in the 60s or 70s after the author discovered he had cancer in his early 30s and wrote his entire biography (the book) detailing how his hatred and anger were the cause of his cancer, and how his anger in turn was the result of living in a degenerate society. He despises his parents for making him too agreeable, despises himself for never fitting in at school, and then just writes about how angry he is dying with absolutely nothing to look back on with happiness.
It's a truly moving book if you're into Outsider art.
It's one of the most autistic books I have ever read, but it is hilarious and very sad. What's more, it's all true.
It was published in the 60s or 70s after the author discovered he had cancer in his early 30s and wrote his entire biography (the book) detailing how his hatred and anger were the cause of his cancer, and how his anger in turn was the result of living in a degenerate society. He despises his parents for making him too agreeable, despises himself for never fitting in at school, and then just writes about how angry he is dying with absolutely nothing to look back on with happiness.
It's a truly moving book if you're into Outsider art.
>>42797
I don't believe that Heathcliff was the source of all the trouble. The original Earnshaw was a bit of work himself. He wasn't the monster that the kids turned into, but he was pretty useless and clearly failed at molding the children into decent human beings. He sustained an environment that just festered bad character. Even if Heathcliff was not around, Catherine would still likely have married Linton for all the terrible reasons she did marry him for. I have no doubt that Catherine loved Heathcliff; it was neurotic obsession between the two of them. We can say that she was wrong for marrying Linton as it was for purely artificial reasons such as money, while admitting that she did not marry Heathcliff because he was socially below her. The moment Heathcliff comes back on the scene she more or less forsakes the marriage. As for redemption, I'm not sure about that in Heathcliff's case. The obsession would eventually crack Heathcliff's mind and kill him. I see nothing romantic or redemptive in that. I guess there is a redemptive element to Catherine and Earnshaw being able to break out of the toxic attitude which permeated the family.
Sorry about the cover, I just posted the first thing I found on Google images.
I don't believe that Heathcliff was the source of all the trouble. The original Earnshaw was a bit of work himself. He wasn't the monster that the kids turned into, but he was pretty useless and clearly failed at molding the children into decent human beings. He sustained an environment that just festered bad character. Even if Heathcliff was not around, Catherine would still likely have married Linton for all the terrible reasons she did marry him for. I have no doubt that Catherine loved Heathcliff; it was neurotic obsession between the two of them. We can say that she was wrong for marrying Linton as it was for purely artificial reasons such as money, while admitting that she did not marry Heathcliff because he was socially below her. The moment Heathcliff comes back on the scene she more or less forsakes the marriage. As for redemption, I'm not sure about that in Heathcliff's case. The obsession would eventually crack Heathcliff's mind and kill him. I see nothing romantic or redemptive in that. I guess there is a redemptive element to Catherine and Earnshaw being able to break out of the toxic attitude which permeated the family.
Sorry about the cover, I just posted the first thing I found on Google images.
>>42800
Yeah you're correct, I don't put all the blame on Heathcliff. Everyone involved fucked something up somehow.
>Catherine would still likely have married Linton
Possibly, but there's no way to really tell. As far as we know they only became friends because of the incident with the dog and wouldn't have known each other if not for Heathcliff. The two homes were some ways apart too, we can't tell what would have happened
>As for redemption
With that I meant it in a bigger sense, like you said, with little Catherine marrying Hareton and presumably living contentedly afterwards being redeeming of the whole terrible series of events. Heathcliff wasn't redeemed himself, but I suppose he did get his final peace in the end like we all do, like the last paragraph of the book beautifully says. I want to post it but I wouldn't want to spoil it for someone
Yeah you're correct, I don't put all the blame on Heathcliff. Everyone involved fucked something up somehow.
>Catherine would still likely have married Linton
Possibly, but there's no way to really tell. As far as we know they only became friends because of the incident with the dog and wouldn't have known each other if not for Heathcliff. The two homes were some ways apart too, we can't tell what would have happened
>As for redemption
With that I meant it in a bigger sense, like you said, with little Catherine marrying Hareton and presumably living contentedly afterwards being redeeming of the whole terrible series of events. Heathcliff wasn't redeemed himself, but I suppose he did get his final peace in the end like we all do, like the last paragraph of the book beautifully says. I want to post it but I wouldn't want to spoil it for someone
>>42797
Not that guy but I love your enthusiasm.
I'm gonna go re-read this book tonight based on you and the other WH poster.
Not that guy but I love your enthusiasm.
I'm gonna go re-read this book tonight based on you and the other WH poster.
>>42802
Cool, that's nice anon. Nice to know my unabashed gushing has affected someone positively. There's not many books I'd ever read more than once but I know I'll be re-reading this one multiple times, it's just that good.
Cool, that's nice anon. Nice to know my unabashed gushing has affected someone positively. There's not many books I'd ever read more than once but I know I'll be re-reading this one multiple times, it's just that good.
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>>42804
Alright screw it, I'll just repost it so no one gets it spoiled. Original post number >>42799
>>42788
Hey, I just finished it a few days ago! I absolutely loved it, it's one of my all time favorite books now, it's a fucking masterpiece. One of the few books I'd recommend to anyone.
I was sceptical about reading a book written by a succubus too, but the difference was pleasant and welcome I think, it's nice to see a slightly different perspective after reading nothing but books written by men. It's not really a very womanly book though like you said, it's cold and brutal and objectively piercing, but by the style of prose and by something subtle about the general feel of it you can tell that a succubus wrote it. I think that the brilliant psychological examination of pathology and the perfect execution of the characters were probably made possible by Emily being a succubus, but apparently a very analytical and logical one. As a succubus she must have naturally "got" the social aspect of things better than a man could, even though she was a recluse - and the manly, objective side of her mind must have helped her understand things even more clearly. This is what a teacher said about her:
"She should have been a man – a great navigator. Her powerful reason would have deduced new spheres of discovery from the knowledge of the old; and her strong imperious will would never have been daunted by opposition or difficulty, never have given way but with life. She had a head for logic, and a capability of argument unusual in a man and rarer indeed in a succubus… impairing this gift was her stubborn tenacity of will which rendered her obtuse to all reasoning where her own wishes, or her own sense of right, was concerned."
This book is beautifully written, and every chapter is captivating and entertaining. The characters are unforgettable and feel very real even though the dialogue is flowery like the prose and not realistic at all (except for Joseph I guess), but it doesn't matter because of how good and how poignant it is. I mean, dialogue in a novel doesn't have to be realistic if the narrative supposed to be more dramatic/theatrical, but this book is otherwise very realistic in its narrative and the dialogue doesn't clash. The cloudy English moors are a perfect setting for the tragic, melancholic story and make the entire nightmare seem beatiful even while it's absolutely harrowing. The events are tragic but they make perfect sense and in the end leave you feeling content, not indifferent but somehow satisfied on a deep level. It's perfect on many levels, in terms of prose, dialogue, characters; it's piercing and objective while also being heartfelt - it's a world where true love can in fact exist but is brutally squandered by the sins of the people in it, until (spoiler alert) their sins are redeemed at the end, fateful love prevails and our narrator the maid finally gets some well-earned rest from the two families' eternal bullshit. I can't tell if this is true actually, if things could have gone differently or if they happened exactly as they were supposed to. This ambiguity is part of what makes the book and its plot so great.
If Heathcliff wasn't there, Catherine might have married Edgar without ever being distracted by any doubt from loving him. But also she might have never befriended the Lintons at all without Heathcliff's mischevious influence, making her go spy on them until they got caught. The lives of the two families were effectively ruined by Heathcliff's presence, and it all started with a good deed, of the Earnshaws' father adopting Heathcliff when he found him as an abandoned child. But were their lives ruined unnecessarily? In the end Heathcliff was some kind of an instrument of fate, even if the overwrought suffering he caused was the doing of his own will and unnecessary. Or was all the suffering necessary for the cousins to marry and for things to end well? Or was Heathcliff really the true love of Catherine, and the marriage with Linton was wrong, and the only way for true love to happen is to twist and trick fate, and completely abandon the rest of the world? In the end things work out, but could they have worked out differently at all? Idk, this is the mystery of existence and life itself, the conundrum of fate and free will somehow coexisting.
Anyway, sorry for the amateur tl;dr essay, I'm just really in love with this book and wanted to share that. What a shame that Emily died soon after publishing it and didn't get to write more. Don't post Wordsworth Classics covers in the future though Anon, that's nasty as hell.
By the way, here's a photo I found of a gypsy man who closely resembles how I imagined Heathcliff to look like. Also posting the family chart, don't look if you don't want spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs
Alright screw it, I'll just repost it so no one gets it spoiled. Original post number >>42799
>>42788
Hey, I just finished it a few days ago! I absolutely loved it, it's one of my all time favorite books now, it's a fucking masterpiece. One of the few books I'd recommend to anyone.
I was sceptical about reading a book written by a succubus too, but the difference was pleasant and welcome I think, it's nice to see a slightly different perspective after reading nothing but books written by men. It's not really a very womanly book though like you said, it's cold and brutal and objectively piercing, but by the style of prose and by something subtle about the general feel of it you can tell that a succubus wrote it. I think that the brilliant psychological examination of pathology and the perfect execution of the characters were probably made possible by Emily being a succubus, but apparently a very analytical and logical one. As a succubus she must have naturally "got" the social aspect of things better than a man could, even though she was a recluse - and the manly, objective side of her mind must have helped her understand things even more clearly. This is what a teacher said about her:
"She should have been a man – a great navigator. Her powerful reason would have deduced new spheres of discovery from the knowledge of the old; and her strong imperious will would never have been daunted by opposition or difficulty, never have given way but with life. She had a head for logic, and a capability of argument unusual in a man and rarer indeed in a succubus… impairing this gift was her stubborn tenacity of will which rendered her obtuse to all reasoning where her own wishes, or her own sense of right, was concerned."
This book is beautifully written, and every chapter is captivating and entertaining. The characters are unforgettable and feel very real even though the dialogue is flowery like the prose and not realistic at all (except for Joseph I guess), but it doesn't matter because of how good and how poignant it is. I mean, dialogue in a novel doesn't have to be realistic if the narrative supposed to be more dramatic/theatrical, but this book is otherwise very realistic in its narrative and the dialogue doesn't clash. The cloudy English moors are a perfect setting for the tragic, melancholic story and make the entire nightmare seem beatiful even while it's absolutely harrowing. The events are tragic but they make perfect sense and in the end leave you feeling content, not indifferent but somehow satisfied on a deep level. It's perfect on many levels, in terms of prose, dialogue, characters; it's piercing and objective while also being heartfelt - it's a world where true love can in fact exist but is brutally squandered by the sins of the people in it, until (spoiler alert) their sins are redeemed at the end, fateful love prevails and our narrator the maid finally gets some well-earned rest from the two families' eternal bullshit. I can't tell if this is true actually, if things could have gone differently or if they happened exactly as they were supposed to. This ambiguity is part of what makes the book and its plot so great.
If Heathcliff wasn't there, Catherine might have married Edgar without ever being distracted by any doubt from loving him. But also she might have never befriended the Lintons at all without Heathcliff's mischevious influence, making her go spy on them until they got caught. The lives of the two families were effectively ruined by Heathcliff's presence, and it all started with a good deed, of the Earnshaws' father adopting Heathcliff when he found him as an abandoned child. But were their lives ruined unnecessarily? In the end Heathcliff was some kind of an instrument of fate, even if the overwrought suffering he caused was the doing of his own will and unnecessary. Or was all the suffering necessary for the cousins to marry and for things to end well? Or was Heathcliff really the true love of Catherine, and the marriage with Linton was wrong, and the only way for true love to happen is to twist and trick fate, and completely abandon the rest of the world? In the end things work out, but could they have worked out differently at all? Idk, this is the mystery of existence and life itself, the conundrum of fate and free will somehow coexisting.
Anyway, sorry for the amateur tl;dr essay, I'm just really in love with this book and wanted to share that. What a shame that Emily died soon after publishing it and didn't get to write more. Don't post Wordsworth Classics covers in the future though Anon, that's nasty as hell.
By the way, here's a photo I found of a gypsy man who closely resembles how I imagined Heathcliff to look like. Also posting the family chart, don't look if you don't want spoilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3gKKiTvjs
>>42787
Yes I got the complete edition to be sure as other versions are notoriously abridged. I don't have any other translation to compare it to but it never seemed awkward in its word usage.
It includes some scans of the original handwritten manuscript as well as typewritten drafts so someone might think that's interesting.
Yes I got the complete edition to be sure as other versions are notoriously abridged. I don't have any other translation to compare it to but it never seemed awkward in its word usage.
It includes some scans of the original handwritten manuscript as well as typewritten drafts so someone might think that's interesting.
>>42811
Thanks for the amateur tl;dr essay, always was kind of interested in reading it, but I am now convinced to give it a chance.
>>42821
I've read only The Possibility of an Island. It was fun, but tried too much occasionally. He want to be this great polymath, but he's really not, so when he dwells into science it's somewhat stupid to read.
Thanks for the amateur tl;dr essay, always was kind of interested in reading it, but I am now convinced to give it a chance.
>>42821
I've read only The Possibility of an Island. It was fun, but tried too much occasionally. He want to be this great polymath, but he's really not, so when he dwells into science it's somewhat stupid to read.
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what should i read next?
>>42916
the only one I've read is Animal Liberation and its one of the books that made me go vegan alongside a blog about negative utilitarianism I used to read 7-8 years ago. Its very informative on how humans exploit animals for all sorts of things from food, fur, experimentation by military or commercial products, circuses, scientific "progress" Very disturbing at times but a must read if you want to see how human development is based on exploitation of other species(alongside exploitation of human labor) based on the assumption that we are superior, more important because bias.
the only one I've read is Animal Liberation and its one of the books that made me go vegan alongside a blog about negative utilitarianism I used to read 7-8 years ago. Its very informative on how humans exploit animals for all sorts of things from food, fur, experimentation by military or commercial products, circuses, scientific "progress" Very disturbing at times but a must read if you want to see how human development is based on exploitation of other species(alongside exploitation of human labor) based on the assumption that we are superior, more important because bias.
>>42990
Have you reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer? It's a more up-to-date account of the modern meat industry etc, specifically in the USA.
I would also recommend Tom Regan's "The Case for Animal Rights", which is opposed to Peter Singer in that Singer allows animals to be experimented on, consumed etc providing that their pleasure (or equivalent) outweighs their suffering. Tom Regan believes in rights, similar to Kant, rather than checks and balances like Singer.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 but didn't last long as a vegan, but I know I should be one.
Have you reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer? It's a more up-to-date account of the modern meat industry etc, specifically in the USA.
I would also recommend Tom Regan's "The Case for Animal Rights", which is opposed to Peter Singer in that Singer allows animals to be experimented on, consumed etc providing that their pleasure (or equivalent) outweighs their suffering. Tom Regan believes in rights, similar to Kant, rather than checks and balances like Singer.
I've been a vegetarian since I was 18 but didn't last long as a vegan, but I know I should be one.
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read the odyssey and the trial in the past week but i don't think i have much to say about them - i appreciated them very much but they didn't really arouse my passion in a big way, maybe i'm just a brainlet
i liked the odyssey better than the iliad, more humanity and meaningful themes and less being an action movie of the bronze age/a catalogue of names and numbers of ships, there were quite a few moments that made me tear up. not to shit on the iliad though, it's great for what it is. but really i can't judge either of them at all since i've only read the translations (Fitzgerald). liked it a lot
finished the trial moments ago - it made me laugh out loud sometimes, i liked the chapter in the church the best. liked it
i liked the odyssey better than the iliad, more humanity and meaningful themes and less being an action movie of the bronze age/a catalogue of names and numbers of ships, there were quite a few moments that made me tear up. not to shit on the iliad though, it's great for what it is. but really i can't judge either of them at all since i've only read the translations (Fitzgerald). liked it a lot
finished the trial moments ago - it made me laugh out loud sometimes, i liked the chapter in the church the best. liked it
>>43084
I think The Odyssey is much better than The Illiad. I can only read poetic descriptions of men being slaughtered so many times before I get bored. And the fighting only gets broken up by smaller fights. The Odyssey has plot movement and keeps the scenery changing.
I think The Odyssey is much better than The Illiad. I can only read poetic descriptions of men being slaughtered so many times before I get bored. And the fighting only gets broken up by smaller fights. The Odyssey has plot movement and keeps the scenery changing.
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>>41326
did you bite into that Clark Ashton Smith book already? how do you like him? i'm getting it soon
also gene wolfe but not the wizard knight, i'm going straight for the big one
did you bite into that Clark Ashton Smith book already? how do you like him? i'm getting it soon
also gene wolfe but not the wizard knight, i'm going straight for the big one
>>42451
The Karamazovs was one of the greatest series I've read in my life. I first read it when I was 15, then read it when I was 20, and I'm planning to read it again. It's information system is excessively extensive. I recommend them to everyone.
The Karamazovs was one of the greatest series I've read in my life. I first read it when I was 15, then read it when I was 20, and I'm planning to read it again. It's information system is excessively extensive. I recommend them to everyone.
>>41388
It is too poorly written to enjoy. Also he becomes rather transparent within the first couple pages.
It is too poorly written to enjoy. Also he becomes rather transparent within the first couple pages.
I recommend "The Old Axolotl" by Jacek Dukaj.
Beautiful, melancholic short novel from the sucessor of Stanisław Lem where a number of people in order to escape apocalypse of all organic life transfer their minds to hardware machines and live a life (if it is life) without the burden of humanness. Plus lots of popculture references.
Beautiful, melancholic short novel from the sucessor of Stanisław Lem where a number of people in order to escape apocalypse of all organic life transfer their minds to hardware machines and live a life (if it is life) without the burden of humanness. Plus lots of popculture references.
>>43095
The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies has some of my favorites of weird fiction and cosmic horror. Smith's language is rich and compact, easy to visualize and get drawn into. For his works being about 100 years old they don't feel aged at all.
If you like Lovecraft and other writers associated with the Cthulhu Mythos then Smith is essential.
As for Gene Wolfe I also started with the Book of the New Sun. It's a really unique experience that rewards paying attention to detail and working things out from hints. Wizard Knight can be summed up as the final boss of isekai.
The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies has some of my favorites of weird fiction and cosmic horror. Smith's language is rich and compact, easy to visualize and get drawn into. For his works being about 100 years old they don't feel aged at all.
If you like Lovecraft and other writers associated with the Cthulhu Mythos then Smith is essential.
As for Gene Wolfe I also started with the Book of the New Sun. It's a really unique experience that rewards paying attention to detail and working things out from hints. Wizard Knight can be summed up as the final boss of isekai.
>>43145
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3CMXN9RUjk
have you read this? i'm now smoking weed and listening to it, i'd recommend it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3CMXN9RUjk
have you read this? i'm now smoking weed and listening to it, i'd recommend it
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>>43150
House on the Borderland is a great "weird" story especially with the change in scope and the visuals in the second part. It might have inspired Courage the Cowardly dog.
>old guy living with his sister and dog on the outskirts of an already tiny and rural town
>they struggle to deal with bizarre intrusions from another reality as things get more out of control
As for its 1962 cover art with alien monsters arrayed before an eclipse, Berserk really comes to mind.
I've been reading some of Hodgson's other works now that they are getting reprints. His nautical stories from the Glen Carrig collection are pretty engrossing.
House on the Borderland is a great "weird" story especially with the change in scope and the visuals in the second part. It might have inspired Courage the Cowardly dog.
>old guy living with his sister and dog on the outskirts of an already tiny and rural town
>they struggle to deal with bizarre intrusions from another reality as things get more out of control
As for its 1962 cover art with alien monsters arrayed before an eclipse, Berserk really comes to mind.
I've been reading some of Hodgson's other works now that they are getting reprints. His nautical stories from the Glen Carrig collection are pretty engrossing.
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Just got done with this. I liked the first few stories and the second to last one, but the rest seemed to follow "Lowlife normgroid does lowlife things then cosmic horror stuff happens to them". The last story I found hilarious because it's pretty much the author complaining about Ligotti's life views (there's literally a character called Tommy L who's a writer that's Ligotti to a T) and seemingly other authors. The highlight was Not!Liggoti being a 7 foot tall man that wears red robes and keeps clown puppets under his
sleeves.
Speaking of Ligotti, the format of the stories in the book kinda reminded me of his where most of his stories were his characters rambling until whatever happened to them happened. Thinking of both of them now their stories feel like they're poking fun of the genre moreso than they try to be terrifying, but they're the only two authors in the genre I've read so far (not even Lovecraft). So maybe I have misconceptions. Are the rest of modern cosmic horror writers like this? Or I'm just being dumb.
sleeves.
Speaking of Ligotti, the format of the stories in the book kinda reminded me of his where most of his stories were his characters rambling until whatever happened to them happened. Thinking of both of them now their stories feel like they're poking fun of the genre moreso than they try to be terrifying, but they're the only two authors in the genre I've read so far (not even Lovecraft). So maybe I have misconceptions. Are the rest of modern cosmic horror writers like this? Or I'm just being dumb.
I'm currently reading Samuel Beckett's Trilogy. I can see why he isn't as highly regarded as Joyce is even though he won a Noble. His books are really bleak in a humorous way, and his characters are very wizardly and relatable.
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I wanna read about Weimar Germany, the street battles, politics, etc. No "FUCK DRUMPF AND FCK WHITE PPL" garbage crying about Hitler and how evil he was. Something unbiased or sympathetic. Anything against the NSDAP of the time is pure propaganda and not worth it tbh
>>43477
The stuff by David Irving is quite fair. So much so they have tirelessly dragged his name in the mud.
The stuff by David Irving is quite fair. So much so they have tirelessly dragged his name in the mud.
>>43477
In Broad Daylight: The Secret Procedures Behind the Holocaust by Bullets
Book by Patrick Desbois
In Broad Daylight: The Secret Procedures Behind the Holocaust by Bullets
Book by Patrick Desbois
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Been reading this bit by bit before bed, neat collection of stories.
Reading Blood Meridian by Cormack McCarthy at the moment. I'm not too far in, it takes a bit to get used to the writing style.
It's supposed to be a classic.
It's supposed to be a classic.
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Allow me to acquaint you with one of my favorite authors, conquistador and renowned chronicler, Mr. Miguel de Estete. Born in Northern Spain, at around the age of 30 Miguel gambled everything to seek fortune in the new world. There, he enlisted with Pizarro and his men who had recently been granted permission to conquer Peru. He participated in many battles, and even took the crown off the Incan emperor’s head. During the march to Cuzco, Miguel was marveled at the majectic civilization the Incas had constructed. He was counted among those in favor of soaring the natives from execution. A worldly man, Miguel supported locals exemption from crown laws, and later returned the Incan crown to prince Sayri Túpac. Miguel is known for his accounts of the conquest of Peru, which contains an abundance of details about the landscape, the inhabitants, their customs, etc.
>>43882
I've read and watched it, thanks though. But I'm asking for a kind of book like Cambridge Companion.
I hope there's a wizcholar here.
I've read and watched it, thanks though. But I'm asking for a kind of book like Cambridge Companion.
I hope there's a wizcholar here.
>>43108
What do you mean by its information system?
I've been meaning to read it. Crime and Punishment is one of my favourite novels.
What do you mean by its information system?
I've been meaning to read it. Crime and Punishment is one of my favourite novels.
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>>43834
This is a bit unrelated, and I don't know much about the Inca, but I know enough about the Aztecs to know that painting depicts Hernan Cortes with La Malinche talking to Montezuma II. The crown and cloak is more typical of an Aztec tlatoani than a Sapa Inca.
This is a bit unrelated, and I don't know much about the Inca, but I know enough about the Aztecs to know that painting depicts Hernan Cortes with La Malinche talking to Montezuma II. The crown and cloak is more typical of an Aztec tlatoani than a Sapa Inca.
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For those of you able to make use of epubs on old ebooks or tablets or whatever, here's a bunch for free. Nothing very obscure, but many free books none the less
http://www.gtfo.org/books/
If anyone knows any other good directories (with pdfs, would b cool) pls post.
http://www.gtfo.org/books/
If anyone knows any other good directories (with pdfs, would b cool) pls post.
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350 pages in, I'm already sad knowing it will end. Love it.
Where can I get free ebooks/pdfs?
I'm looking for Better to Never Have Been by David Benatar and Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti.
Also, can anyone recommend a cheap non-amazon ereader that I can load with pirated pdfs and ebooks?
I'm looking for Better to Never Have Been by David Benatar and Conspiracy Against the Human Race by Thomas Ligotti.
Also, can anyone recommend a cheap non-amazon ereader that I can load with pirated pdfs and ebooks?
>>44013
https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Bookz
Simple guide on joining an irc chat that lets you download from a giant collection of books. Alternatively there's also libgen and b-ok.
https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Bookz
Simple guide on joining an irc chat that lets you download from a giant collection of books. Alternatively there's also libgen and b-ok.
>>44014
Good article. I never took a peak at any filelists but I remember seeing a few 2tb+ people hosting just books in the big DC++ rooms. Likely many in Russian though.
Good article. I never took a peak at any filelists but I remember seeing a few 2tb+ people hosting just books in the big DC++ rooms. Likely many in Russian though.
please recommend me a challenging book, but not something james joyce tier
something originally written in english, i do not wish to read a translation
something originally written in english, i do not wish to read a translation
File: 1528505110890.pdf (691.62 KB, The Conspiracy Against The….pdf)
>>44013
Sorry I don't have the other.
Sorry I don't have the other.
>>44013
>Also, can anyone recommend a cheap non-amazon ereader that I can load with pirated pdfs and ebooks?
See if you can find an old Pandigital Reader somewhere. No piracy restrictions what so ever, PDF, epub and mobi files will all work with it. Would probably be dirt-cheap too; a decade old example is all you need if you just want it for reading and don't expect to use it for web browsing and mobile apps too.
Now trying to load books under Windows is less than ideal if you do find and get one, especially the older it is because it will want a bullshit Adobe software environment just to perform the function, so I really recommend the solution of using Linux to do the loading. Linux doesn't give a fuck or put out for that crap and will just recognize it as a storage device for no-nonsense file-transfers to a books folder (it will also recognize the e-reader's built-in SD card slot as its own separate functional device which is nice)
>Also, can anyone recommend a cheap non-amazon ereader that I can load with pirated pdfs and ebooks?
See if you can find an old Pandigital Reader somewhere. No piracy restrictions what so ever, PDF, epub and mobi files will all work with it. Would probably be dirt-cheap too; a decade old example is all you need if you just want it for reading and don't expect to use it for web browsing and mobile apps too.
Now trying to load books under Windows is less than ideal if you do find and get one, especially the older it is because it will want a bullshit Adobe software environment just to perform the function, so I really recommend the solution of using Linux to do the loading. Linux doesn't give a fuck or put out for that crap and will just recognize it as a storage device for no-nonsense file-transfers to a books folder (it will also recognize the e-reader's built-in SD card slot as its own separate functional device which is nice)
File: 1528645030875.pdf (3.67 MB, 1498032944464.pdf)
I'll post this here, so I could read it at work, hopefully
File: 1528681704933.pdf (1.42 MB, no baby no cry.pdf)
antinatalist book from a christian perspective
File: 1528684499707.pdf (3.08 MB, Hikikomori-Adolescence-wit….pdf)
I've been wanting to get into Nietzsche and Schopenhauer for a long time now, would you recommend Thus Spoke Zarathustra to someone who hasn't read much on philosophy? I'm asking because I'm actually planning on buying the book rather than download it since I can only find English transalations online and I'd rather read it in my native language. I'm worried that it might just be gibberish to me.
>>44079
Hi anon, fellow brainlet who's just gotten into Nietzsche, he's the first philosopher I've ever read too. Started with Beyond Good and Evil and continued with Zarathustra.
Zarathustra, while deemed as his most "accessible and widely-read work" is ambiguous as heck in parts and so maxim-ridden it's just masturbatory, not even enjoyable as a work of prose.
Beyond Good and Evil on the other hand is bit shorter, easier to read and a lot more precise and concise (heard the same thing about his Genealogy of Morals). There's a chapter at the beginning which requires some familiarity with western philosophers, since it deals with their "prejudices" and "morals" but it's easy to understand.
If I were you I'd get a short summary of Kant's analytic/syntethic a priori/a posteriori distinctions on wiki (most of Schopenhauer's thought is derived from Kant and most of Nietzsche's with Schopenhauer), and then Beyond Good and Evil into Genealogy into Zarathustra. Maybe someone with more experience will come and correct me/give me some advice too?
As a side-note I think N's "will to power" doctrine is very anti-wizardly, just for you to know what to expect.
Hi anon, fellow brainlet who's just gotten into Nietzsche, he's the first philosopher I've ever read too. Started with Beyond Good and Evil and continued with Zarathustra.
Zarathustra, while deemed as his most "accessible and widely-read work" is ambiguous as heck in parts and so maxim-ridden it's just masturbatory, not even enjoyable as a work of prose.
Beyond Good and Evil on the other hand is bit shorter, easier to read and a lot more precise and concise (heard the same thing about his Genealogy of Morals). There's a chapter at the beginning which requires some familiarity with western philosophers, since it deals with their "prejudices" and "morals" but it's easy to understand.
If I were you I'd get a short summary of Kant's analytic/syntethic a priori/a posteriori distinctions on wiki (most of Schopenhauer's thought is derived from Kant and most of Nietzsche's with Schopenhauer), and then Beyond Good and Evil into Genealogy into Zarathustra. Maybe someone with more experience will come and correct me/give me some advice too?
As a side-note I think N's "will to power" doctrine is very anti-wizardly, just for you to know what to expect.
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>>43824
This book is turning into quite a gruesome brutal western story. At first I found it a bit hard to get used to the writing style, but now it's gotten easier and the reading is going smoother.
This book is turning into quite a gruesome brutal western story. At first I found it a bit hard to get used to the writing style, but now it's gotten easier and the reading is going smoother.
File: 1530095861610.pdf (986.36 KB, Martin Kantor M.D.-The Ess….pdf)
This is the best and most comprehensive book on AvPD, which is usually lumped in with social anxiety.
>>40904
First. Brian Garfield. His books are really thought provoking and engaging while being simple and unpretentious.
Second. Westerns. Old westerns, ones made before the mid 70s. Clarence E Mulford, Zane Grey, Louis L'amour and so on.
First. Brian Garfield. His books are really thought provoking and engaging while being simple and unpretentious.
Second. Westerns. Old westerns, ones made before the mid 70s. Clarence E Mulford, Zane Grey, Louis L'amour and so on.
File: 1530133035395.pdf (3.9 MB, House_of_Leaves_-_Mark_Z_D….pdf)
House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski
Just finished Brave New World and Peter Hitchens' The Broken Compass. Now about halfway through Thomas Paine's Rights of Man
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how do you organize your ebooks, fellow wizzies?
>>44224
>social skills, self help, how to be a normie, how not to be crab
>stacy, chad, normie psychology
wizchan 2018
>social skills, self help, how to be a normie, how not to be crab
>stacy, chad, normie psychology
wizchan 2018
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Finished reading Demons today. This is the last of Dostoyevsky's 4 major works that I've read. Like the others, it's a criticism of the nihilism spreading through Russia during his time, but this one also focuses on the political aspect quite a bit, being inspired by the murder of a student by fellow members of a revolutionary group at the time.
It's pretty slow paced, with the first half being dedicated mainly to characterization through narration and conversations and the second half containing the major events of the book, but it was well worth the read. It's probably the most depressing book of his, though. The others, while dark, always had some hopeful elements in them, but there's not much of that here, despite a few humorous parts.
It's pretty slow paced, with the first half being dedicated mainly to characterization through narration and conversations and the second half containing the major events of the book, but it was well worth the read. It's probably the most depressing book of his, though. The others, while dark, always had some hopeful elements in them, but there's not much of that here, despite a few humorous parts.
>>44269
>4 major works
I always thought there were 5. Notes From Underground, The Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov.
>4 major works
I always thought there were 5. Notes From Underground, The Idiot, Demons, Crime and Punishment, and The Brothers Karamazov.
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Reading Paradise Lost now and it's pretty cool.
>>44280
Yeah I forgot to include Notes From the Underground, although I did read it a few years ago.
>>44287
I loved it and thought it was the best and most polished of his novels. The others had a few segments that seemed to drag on but I never felt that way while reading Brothers. The Grand Inquisitor and the sections about Zosima especially amazed me because of how well Dostoyevsky manages to represent conflicting philosophies through his characters.
It was also the only work of his that actually moved me tears. My eyes were watering during just about every chapter involving the captain and his son. The part where they go for a walk together at night and talk about how they'll move away and buy all sorts of things for the family really got to me for some reason, and the line near the end of the book about feeding the sparrows had me crying like a bitch.
Yeah I forgot to include Notes From the Underground, although I did read it a few years ago.
>>44287
I loved it and thought it was the best and most polished of his novels. The others had a few segments that seemed to drag on but I never felt that way while reading Brothers. The Grand Inquisitor and the sections about Zosima especially amazed me because of how well Dostoyevsky manages to represent conflicting philosophies through his characters.
It was also the only work of his that actually moved me tears. My eyes were watering during just about every chapter involving the captain and his son. The part where they go for a walk together at night and talk about how they'll move away and buy all sorts of things for the family really got to me for some reason, and the line near the end of the book about feeding the sparrows had me crying like a bitch.
>>44294
The hardest I cried was at the very end, when Alyosha is talking with the boys at the funeral and they talk about resurrecting one day.
The hardest I cried was at the very end, when Alyosha is talking with the boys at the funeral and they talk about resurrecting one day.
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Finished reading Spring Snow. Very beautiful book. I really like the way Mishima describes nature and uses it as a reflection of the protagonist's inner thoughts and feelings. The chapters on the beach were probably my favorite. I found myself rereading some passages several times because of how beautiful their descriptions of the ocean and night sky were.
I created an html file that includes every work of H.P. Lovecraft in chronological order.
I colored the lines because I personally have trouble figuring out where the next line is sometimes and start reading the wrong one.
https://idontknow.moe/files/ttdopx.html
I colored the lines because I personally have trouble figuring out where the next line is sometimes and start reading the wrong one.
https://idontknow.moe/files/ttdopx.html
>>44293
I gave up and lost interest when I felt like I was reading a hundred pages in a row of Zosima's religious bullshit
I gave up and lost interest when I felt like I was reading a hundred pages in a row of Zosima's religious bullshit
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I just finished reading The Cloud of Unknowing, it's the best book from Western sources on apophatic contemplation I've yet read. I read it in the original middle English, was a bit difficult to get through, but the language is much more beautiful than the more neutered modern versions. Considering reading The Book of Privy Counsel next (which is written by the same Monk), or start on One Thousand and One Nights.
I’d like to get into reading, I prefer books with deeper meanings and touch on philosophy or psychology. I started off by reading Plato’s complete works, which I loved but I want to try something with a story before moving on to Aristotle. I’ve been thinking about Don Quixote, is it any good? Do you wizards have any other recommendations?
>>44393
I enjoyed it quite a bit. I remember how the day was over before it even began for the protagonist and his hopes to get some work was in vain, he knew before even going to library he's not going to write down a single sentence. I could understand and relate a lot of parts where he explains why people always tell their miseries to each other, some fragments of the books were really memorable and fun to read. overall I think it's wizard material.
I enjoyed it quite a bit. I remember how the day was over before it even began for the protagonist and his hopes to get some work was in vain, he knew before even going to library he's not going to write down a single sentence. I could understand and relate a lot of parts where he explains why people always tell their miseries to each other, some fragments of the books were really memorable and fun to read. overall I think it's wizard material.
I´m reading Frankstein or the modern Prometheus. It´s nice, but this time I will not make the same mistake I made the last time I read a novel, Dracula, to watch the movie based on it.
>>44467
Try out "A Confederacy of Dunces" first. If you appreciate the humour and story, chances are you'll enjoy the (much longer) Don Quixote.
I would recommend The Book of Disquiet.
Try out "A Confederacy of Dunces" first. If you appreciate the humour and story, chances are you'll enjoy the (much longer) Don Quixote.
I would recommend The Book of Disquiet.
>>44483
Only around 2 hours, its pretty short. If you were to read a modernization I'm sure it would be much shorter.
Update on what I've been reading since: I did read The Book of Privy Counsel, which discarded a lot of the apologetics of the Cloud of Unknowing and its pretty apparent that the author is much more mature. He has a good grasp of the Latin Vulgate, quoting it at times then providing a translation, whereas before he would just paraphrase. I couldn't find an edition with the original middle English so it was much quicker to read (in addition to its much shorter length of ~50 pages), I'm not entirely sure if it was the modernization that removed the flowery language or if that was another effect of the author's aging.
I also did start on One Thousand and One Nights, not much to say so far on it as I've just started but one thing that is apparent is that it carries all too familiar qualities. The fact that its a collection of Fairy Tales always carries the marks of a work that is both collective and anonymous. The characters seem extremely familiar at times and yet the cohesiveness of the tales seem magical since its not all by one author (such as in the vein of Lovecraft's world). It makes me think of a demon that conjured a beautiful palace overnight meant specifically to tempt me.
>>44470
I admire the themes of Frankenstein, but I did not enjoy it. However, I'm not sure if that's because I read it in school (and school was hell for trying to enjoy anything, even reading, which I love), the book was actually bad, or I'm just misremembering.
Only around 2 hours, its pretty short. If you were to read a modernization I'm sure it would be much shorter.
Update on what I've been reading since: I did read The Book of Privy Counsel, which discarded a lot of the apologetics of the Cloud of Unknowing and its pretty apparent that the author is much more mature. He has a good grasp of the Latin Vulgate, quoting it at times then providing a translation, whereas before he would just paraphrase. I couldn't find an edition with the original middle English so it was much quicker to read (in addition to its much shorter length of ~50 pages), I'm not entirely sure if it was the modernization that removed the flowery language or if that was another effect of the author's aging.
I also did start on One Thousand and One Nights, not much to say so far on it as I've just started but one thing that is apparent is that it carries all too familiar qualities. The fact that its a collection of Fairy Tales always carries the marks of a work that is both collective and anonymous. The characters seem extremely familiar at times and yet the cohesiveness of the tales seem magical since its not all by one author (such as in the vein of Lovecraft's world). It makes me think of a demon that conjured a beautiful palace overnight meant specifically to tempt me.
>>44470
I admire the themes of Frankenstein, but I did not enjoy it. However, I'm not sure if that's because I read it in school (and school was hell for trying to enjoy anything, even reading, which I love), the book was actually bad, or I'm just misremembering.
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lol
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Finished reading The Unconsoled. This is the second Ishiguro novel I've read, with the first being The Remains of Day. On the surface the plot revolves around a famous pianist and his visit to a city to perform a concert, but it's presented in such a way that makes it seem similar to a dream. The protagonist is constantly being sidetracked from what he's supposed to do by locals asking him favors, people from his past pop up seemingly randomly, characters occasionally exhibit odd behaviors such as repeating phrases, and the sense of location appears skewed. After finishing it, I'm more inclined to think that this dreamlike nature is due to an unreliable narrator rather than just being an actual dream of his, but I think it could be interpreted either way.
Anyways it was a great book overall, although the narrative structure might annoy some people, especially those who want a smooth and clearly laid-out plot.
Anyways it was a great book overall, although the narrative structure might annoy some people, especially those who want a smooth and clearly laid-out plot.
Reading a great book at the moment called "The Terror of Art". It's about Kafka's life and writing, and it's basic thesis is that Kafka's work is in part a consequene of his feeling detached from and alien to the world, and his belief that dreams provide the means by which to understand our subconscious perception of the world. It has some great quotes from Kafka's letters and diaries. Recommended.
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Just finished reading No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
>>44537
I learned about the book from the anime Aoi Bungaku. If any wizzie wants a summary of the book before reading it I'd recommend they watch the anime. Although, in my opinion, the book was much more interesting than the anime, and a few scenes were not included in the anime. It's about a young man who's scared of life, and scared of death. The story unfolds as he tries different ways to cope with life, and coexist with other members of society. Here's a quote from the book that I think summarizes the protagonist's world fairly well:
“The more I think of it, the less I understand. All I feel are the assaults of apprehension and terror at the thought that I am the only one who is entirely unlike the rest. It is almost impossible for me to converse with other people. What should I talk about, how should I say it?— I don’t know.”
It was interesting to read. Perhaps a bit emotionally charged and dark, but relatively easy to read if one is able to detach.
I learned about the book from the anime Aoi Bungaku. If any wizzie wants a summary of the book before reading it I'd recommend they watch the anime. Although, in my opinion, the book was much more interesting than the anime, and a few scenes were not included in the anime. It's about a young man who's scared of life, and scared of death. The story unfolds as he tries different ways to cope with life, and coexist with other members of society. Here's a quote from the book that I think summarizes the protagonist's world fairly well:
“The more I think of it, the less I understand. All I feel are the assaults of apprehension and terror at the thought that I am the only one who is entirely unlike the rest. It is almost impossible for me to converse with other people. What should I talk about, how should I say it?— I don’t know.”
It was interesting to read. Perhaps a bit emotionally charged and dark, but relatively easy to read if one is able to detach.
>>44535
I could never get into this because he's just a failed normal, it was hard to relate to any of his experiences as a result
I could never get into this because he's just a failed normal, it was hard to relate to any of his experiences as a result
I am now reading Xeelee Sequence by Stephen Baxter. Pretty good so far, I recommend it to any hard SF fan.
Been reading some of Lovecraft's stories the past few days. My favorite ones:
>At the Mountains of Madness
Probably my favorite out of the ones I've read. The pacing was really good, and I liked the gradual buildup of information about the Old Ones and the discovery and chase at the end.Great story. I read it in a dark room at night so it actually scared me quite a bit.
>The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Another story with great pacing and buildup. It wasn't quite as scary as Mountains of Madness, but it did have some very tense moments and was great overall.
>The Whisperer in Darkness
The use of letter correspondence to build up the story was interesting and it was really creepy throughout. Of the stories I've read, I think this one was the best at conveying a sense of dread and anxiety through the protagonist.
>At the Mountains of Madness
Probably my favorite out of the ones I've read. The pacing was really good, and I liked the gradual buildup of information about the Old Ones and the discovery and chase at the end.Great story. I read it in a dark room at night so it actually scared me quite a bit.
>The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Another story with great pacing and buildup. It wasn't quite as scary as Mountains of Madness, but it did have some very tense moments and was great overall.
>The Whisperer in Darkness
The use of letter correspondence to build up the story was interesting and it was really creepy throughout. Of the stories I've read, I think this one was the best at conveying a sense of dread and anxiety through the protagonist.
>>44578
Lovecraft stories don't really scare me. I've read plenty of them and found them very interesting, but the only one I actually felt spooked by was The Rats in the Walls. Is there a method to reading for maximum emotional effect to make these stories scarier?
Lovecraft stories don't really scare me. I've read plenty of them and found them very interesting, but the only one I actually felt spooked by was The Rats in the Walls. Is there a method to reading for maximum emotional effect to make these stories scarier?
>>44538
Having read the book first, I thought the Aoi Bungaku adaptation of it was pure trash. I could forgive it for being rushed if they hadn't gone to such great lengths to make it normalfag-friendly.
In the first place, they decided to go ahead and completely re-frame the story around how sad Yozo is over the succubus from the double suicide attempt, which irritated me greatly because in the book, it just happens and then the story moves on. No he didn't the spend the whole fucking book after that moping over her. But the anime just keeps fucking rubbing her in your face for no good reason.
Secondly, there was the way they cheapened and changed Yozo's "Society is an individual" musing. In the book, he comes to the realization that when people tell him "Society won't like it if you do that," what they really mean is "I won't like it if you do that." Thus, "society" is actually just one person. It's an interesting idea that many people may have never thought of on their own. In the anime, some random succubus walks up to him and tells him to stop being sad because "society is just a group of individuals," and Yozo treats this as some sort of mind-blowing revelation, as though there's anyone over the age of fucking 10 who hasn't realized that groups are made of multiple individuals.
Yeah, I'd recommend just reading No Longer Human and then not watching Aoi Bungaku ever. It's true that even in the book Yozo does have sex a couple of times so no it's not technically "wizardly", but he spends so little time fretting over sex and succubi that the book is perfectly tolerable in spite of that. Aoi Bungaku basically rewrites Yozo as a whiny crab but one who's had sex.
Having read the book first, I thought the Aoi Bungaku adaptation of it was pure trash. I could forgive it for being rushed if they hadn't gone to such great lengths to make it normalfag-friendly.
In the first place, they decided to go ahead and completely re-frame the story around how sad Yozo is over the succubus from the double suicide attempt, which irritated me greatly because in the book, it just happens and then the story moves on. No he didn't the spend the whole fucking book after that moping over her. But the anime just keeps fucking rubbing her in your face for no good reason.
Secondly, there was the way they cheapened and changed Yozo's "Society is an individual" musing. In the book, he comes to the realization that when people tell him "Society won't like it if you do that," what they really mean is "I won't like it if you do that." Thus, "society" is actually just one person. It's an interesting idea that many people may have never thought of on their own. In the anime, some random succubus walks up to him and tells him to stop being sad because "society is just a group of individuals," and Yozo treats this as some sort of mind-blowing revelation, as though there's anyone over the age of fucking 10 who hasn't realized that groups are made of multiple individuals.
Yeah, I'd recommend just reading No Longer Human and then not watching Aoi Bungaku ever. It's true that even in the book Yozo does have sex a couple of times so no it's not technically "wizardly", but he spends so little time fretting over sex and succubi that the book is perfectly tolerable in spite of that. Aoi Bungaku basically rewrites Yozo as a whiny crab but one who's had sex.
>>40869
Reading Dialogues by Plato right now. Overall I feel like he makes some correlations that are super far fetched in some scenarios but there are some nuggets of wisdom. Can't wait to finish it though. Gonna stay away from philosophy for a while after this.
Reading Dialogues by Plato right now. Overall I feel like he makes some correlations that are super far fetched in some scenarios but there are some nuggets of wisdom. Can't wait to finish it though. Gonna stay away from philosophy for a while after this.
I haven't read much since I was about 16-17, mostly because libraries have shitty selections and reading digitally is pretty uncomfortable. Any ways to make online reading less stressful on my eyes?
>>44586
This. The book is vastly superior, the anime adaptation was pretty lame. You don't understand Yozo's pain without reading passages like this:
“People talk of “social outcasts.” The words apparently denote the miserable losers of the world, the vicious ones, but I feel as though I have been a “social outcast” from the moment I was born. If ever I meet someone society has designated as an outcast, I invariably feel affection for him, an emotion which carries me away in melting tenderness.”
“I thought, “I want to die. I want to die more than ever before. There’s no chance now of a recovery. No matter what sort of thing I do, no matter what I do, it’s sure to be a failure, just a final coating applied to my shame. That dream of going on bicycles to see a waterfall framed in summer leaves—it was not for the likes of me. All that can happen now is that one foul, humiliating sin will be piled on another, and my sufferings will become only the more acute. I want to die. I must die. Living itself is the source of sin.”
This. The book is vastly superior, the anime adaptation was pretty lame. You don't understand Yozo's pain without reading passages like this:
“People talk of “social outcasts.” The words apparently denote the miserable losers of the world, the vicious ones, but I feel as though I have been a “social outcast” from the moment I was born. If ever I meet someone society has designated as an outcast, I invariably feel affection for him, an emotion which carries me away in melting tenderness.”
“I thought, “I want to die. I want to die more than ever before. There’s no chance now of a recovery. No matter what sort of thing I do, no matter what I do, it’s sure to be a failure, just a final coating applied to my shame. That dream of going on bicycles to see a waterfall framed in summer leaves—it was not for the likes of me. All that can happen now is that one foul, humiliating sin will be piled on another, and my sufferings will become only the more acute. I want to die. I must die. Living itself is the source of sin.”
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Finished reading The Silent Cry.
Depressing book, but it has interesting insights on the spirit of absolute loyalty present in Japan during WW2. The story itself is set after the war, but it explores the events through the memories of 2 brothers whose family members were soldiers and illustrates the stark contrast between the idealization of them as fearless war heroes and the much more brutal reality. It also deals with the struggle of people to cope with the guilt and anguish from their mistakes of the past. Some can easily forget the crimes they've committed and live normally, but others carry it with them their entire lives, intentionally punishing themselves and even resorting to suicide.
I found the prose a little awkward at times (might just be the translation), but overall it was good.
Depressing book, but it has interesting insights on the spirit of absolute loyalty present in Japan during WW2. The story itself is set after the war, but it explores the events through the memories of 2 brothers whose family members were soldiers and illustrates the stark contrast between the idealization of them as fearless war heroes and the much more brutal reality. It also deals with the struggle of people to cope with the guilt and anguish from their mistakes of the past. Some can easily forget the crimes they've committed and live normally, but others carry it with them their entire lives, intentionally punishing themselves and even resorting to suicide.
I found the prose a little awkward at times (might just be the translation), but overall it was good.
how do you guys got into reading?
i'm asking those who couldn't get into reading during childhood.
i'm asking those who couldn't get into reading during childhood.
>>44657
Read a couple of Lovecraft stories because people said it was a different type of horror (I like horror films) found those to be pretty good. Then I read Frankenstein and The Horla, then Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde because I read those are horror classics, then Poe and kept going from there. I don't read much horror anymore but that was the entry point.
Read a couple of Lovecraft stories because people said it was a different type of horror (I like horror films) found those to be pretty good. Then I read Frankenstein and The Horla, then Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde because I read those are horror classics, then Poe and kept going from there. I don't read much horror anymore but that was the entry point.
>feel like too much of a brainlet to read advanced literature
is this a normal feeling?
I could probably get through it and understand it well enough, but there's something that is stopping me.
is this a normal feeling?
I could probably get through it and understand it well enough, but there's something that is stopping me.
>>44662
What would be considered advanced literature anyway? Dostoevsky or something?
Because whatever I read it's hard to get through.
What would be considered advanced literature anyway? Dostoevsky or something?
Because whatever I read it's hard to get through.
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Finished reading The Stories of Anton Chekov.
As the title suggests, it's a collection of stories by the Russian playwright and short-story writer Chekov. He wrote over 200 short stories, but this only contained 30 of them. All give glimpses into the daily life and troubles of fairly ordinary people in the late 19th century. Quite a few of his stories also touch on stoicism, treatment of mental illness by society, and vexation at the everyday trivialities of life.
Some of the most notable stories for me:
>A Dreary Story
A story told from the perspective of a professor in medicine during the last years of his life. Despite being fairly successful in the eyes of society, he really only enjoys lecturing and is annoyed by almost everyone around him - his wife, his daughter, his acquaintances - and starts to have doubts about how he's lived up until now.
>Ward No. 6
A story revolving mainly around 2 characters - a patient in a mental asylum and the director of a hospital. In addition to dealing with the treatment of the mentally ill, it also makes frequent references to the stoic philosophy through the conversations of the 2 main characters.
The director of the hospital actually seems like a wizard, as no mention is made him having any interest in females, and outside of his job he mostly just reads or does nothing all day. He's also annoyed by the obnoxious and brazen nature of some of the people around him.
>The Black Monk
Another story dealing with mental illness, though in a much different way from the previous.
>An Artist's Story
Outwardly it's just about a short-lived romance between an artist and the daughter in a family he's acquainted with, but it contains a lot of interesting quotes musing about the "rat race", as we call it here today.
One of my favorites from it:
>Take upon yourself a share of their labour. If all of us, townspeople and country people, all without exception, would agree to divide between us the labour which mankind spends on the satisfaction of their physical needs, each of us would perhaps need to work only for two or three hours a day. Imagine that we all, rich and poor, work only for three hours a day, and the rest of our time is free. Imagine further that in order to depend even less upon our bodies and to labour less, we invent machines to replace our work, we try to cut down our needs to the minimum. We would harden ourselves and our children that they should not be afraid of hunger and cold, and that we shouldn't be continually trembling for their health like Anna, Mavra, and Pelagea. Imagine that we don't doctor ourselves, don't keep dispensaries, tobacco factories, distilleries – what a lot of free time would be left us after all! All of us together would devote our leisure to science and art. Just as the peasants sometimes work, the whole community together mending the roads, so all of us, as a community, would search for truth and the meaning of life, and I am convinced that the truth would be discovered very quickly; man would escape from this continual, agonising, oppressive dread of death, and even from death itself.
There are quite a few other good lines, too, and it's pretty short, so I'd recommend giving it a read.
>The Man In a Case
Story about an eccentric schoolteacher who is essentially paralyzed by his anxiety of bad things happening. One of his funnier stories.
>Gooseberries
Story dealing with hedonism and the question of what constitutes a life well spent. Contains a very memorable line:
>There ought to be behind the door of every happy, contented man some one standing with a hammer continually reminding him with a tap that there are unhappy people; that however happy he may be, life will show him her laws sooner or later, trouble will come for him – disease, poverty, losses, and no one will see or hear, just as now he neither sees nor hears others. But there is no man with a hammer; the happy man lives at his ease, and trivial daily cares faintly agitate him like the wind in the aspen-tree – and all goes well.
There were a lot of other great stories as well but it's probably too much to write here. He was definitely an amazing writer.
Here's a site with all of his translated stories available to read for free online:
http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/ac/jr/index.htm
As the title suggests, it's a collection of stories by the Russian playwright and short-story writer Chekov. He wrote over 200 short stories, but this only contained 30 of them. All give glimpses into the daily life and troubles of fairly ordinary people in the late 19th century. Quite a few of his stories also touch on stoicism, treatment of mental illness by society, and vexation at the everyday trivialities of life.
Some of the most notable stories for me:
>A Dreary Story
A story told from the perspective of a professor in medicine during the last years of his life. Despite being fairly successful in the eyes of society, he really only enjoys lecturing and is annoyed by almost everyone around him - his wife, his daughter, his acquaintances - and starts to have doubts about how he's lived up until now.
>Ward No. 6
A story revolving mainly around 2 characters - a patient in a mental asylum and the director of a hospital. In addition to dealing with the treatment of the mentally ill, it also makes frequent references to the stoic philosophy through the conversations of the 2 main characters.
The director of the hospital actually seems like a wizard, as no mention is made him having any interest in females, and outside of his job he mostly just reads or does nothing all day. He's also annoyed by the obnoxious and brazen nature of some of the people around him.
>The Black Monk
Another story dealing with mental illness, though in a much different way from the previous.
>An Artist's Story
Outwardly it's just about a short-lived romance between an artist and the daughter in a family he's acquainted with, but it contains a lot of interesting quotes musing about the "rat race", as we call it here today.
One of my favorites from it:
>Take upon yourself a share of their labour. If all of us, townspeople and country people, all without exception, would agree to divide between us the labour which mankind spends on the satisfaction of their physical needs, each of us would perhaps need to work only for two or three hours a day. Imagine that we all, rich and poor, work only for three hours a day, and the rest of our time is free. Imagine further that in order to depend even less upon our bodies and to labour less, we invent machines to replace our work, we try to cut down our needs to the minimum. We would harden ourselves and our children that they should not be afraid of hunger and cold, and that we shouldn't be continually trembling for their health like Anna, Mavra, and Pelagea. Imagine that we don't doctor ourselves, don't keep dispensaries, tobacco factories, distilleries – what a lot of free time would be left us after all! All of us together would devote our leisure to science and art. Just as the peasants sometimes work, the whole community together mending the roads, so all of us, as a community, would search for truth and the meaning of life, and I am convinced that the truth would be discovered very quickly; man would escape from this continual, agonising, oppressive dread of death, and even from death itself.
There are quite a few other good lines, too, and it's pretty short, so I'd recommend giving it a read.
>The Man In a Case
Story about an eccentric schoolteacher who is essentially paralyzed by his anxiety of bad things happening. One of his funnier stories.
>Gooseberries
Story dealing with hedonism and the question of what constitutes a life well spent. Contains a very memorable line:
>There ought to be behind the door of every happy, contented man some one standing with a hammer continually reminding him with a tap that there are unhappy people; that however happy he may be, life will show him her laws sooner or later, trouble will come for him – disease, poverty, losses, and no one will see or hear, just as now he neither sees nor hears others. But there is no man with a hammer; the happy man lives at his ease, and trivial daily cares faintly agitate him like the wind in the aspen-tree – and all goes well.
There were a lot of other great stories as well but it's probably too much to write here. He was definitely an amazing writer.
Here's a site with all of his translated stories available to read for free online:
http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/ac/jr/index.htm
>>44668
>Ward No. 6
The end of this hit me hard. The guy writhing in pain on the ground behind the shadows of the obscure room realizing that this same suffering has been endured by millons of unnamed humans forgotten in the flux of time.
>Ward No. 6
The end of this hit me hard. The guy writhing in pain on the ground behind the shadows of the obscure room realizing that this same suffering has been endured by millons of unnamed humans forgotten in the flux of time.
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Finished reading Pale Fire.
The book is presented as a poem and a commentary by 2 different fictional characters who were colleagues at a university. The poem itself is largely of autobiographical for the fictional poet but also contains some musings about the afterlife. Some parts of it felt a bit awkward in flow but overall I liked it, although I don't read much poetry. The best parts for me were the lines where he played with concepts of space and time in relation to himself and a section where he interweaves a description of the death of his daughter, possibly a suicide, with the ordinary routine of him and his wife during that same night.
The commentary by the second character, a self-professed friend of the poet who lives next door, is hilarious because he's batshit insane, frequently writing about spying on the poet when he's writing and listening in on conversations. He also claims to be the king of what seems to be a fictional country, and the majority of his notes are only tangentially related to the poem, focusing instead on describing his childhood, his escape from captivity by revolutionaries and a supposed attempt of assassination on him.
I thought it was a great book, but I've always enjoyed non-conventional narrative structures like this, so it may not be for everyone.
The book is presented as a poem and a commentary by 2 different fictional characters who were colleagues at a university. The poem itself is largely of autobiographical for the fictional poet but also contains some musings about the afterlife. Some parts of it felt a bit awkward in flow but overall I liked it, although I don't read much poetry. The best parts for me were the lines where he played with concepts of space and time in relation to himself and a section where he interweaves a description of the death of his daughter, possibly a suicide, with the ordinary routine of him and his wife during that same night.
The commentary by the second character, a self-professed friend of the poet who lives next door, is hilarious because he's batshit insane, frequently writing about spying on the poet when he's writing and listening in on conversations. He also claims to be the king of what seems to be a fictional country, and the majority of his notes are only tangentially related to the poem, focusing instead on describing his childhood, his escape from captivity by revolutionaries and a supposed attempt of assassination on him.
I thought it was a great book, but I've always enjoyed non-conventional narrative structures like this, so it may not be for everyone.
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Finished reading 痴人の愛 (English translated version's title is "Naomi").
The story is set in early 20th century Tokyo, when Western influences were taking quite a hold culturally, and focuses on the relationship that develops between the protagonist and a teenage gіrl. At first taking her in under the pretext of educating her in music and societal manners, he slowly grows more and more obsessed with turning her into his ideal "Western succubus", which leads him to be become more and more subservient to her as time goes on and tips the power balance of their relationship. It's sad but also quite funny to watch as the protagonist grows more and more mentally unstable as his obsession grows, and by the end the gіrl is quite literally a succubus.
I really enjoyed it. The relationship between them was developed very well, with a lot of foreshadowing and a great depiction of the protagonist's gradual breakdown, and despite the subject, the details are usually revealed quite subtly. It's interesting to read as a commentary on the conflict between traditional and Western values at the time as well.
Also the prose and diction in it are fairly simple compared to a lot of other Japanese novels, so I'd recommend it to anyone who's at least an intermediate learner but hasn't attempted to read a full novel yet (as long you don't mind the subject matter of the book, that is). Here's a link to the HTML file of the book in Japanese for anyone interested:
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001383/files/58093_62049.html
Not sure how good the English translation is. I found a few people criticizing it for leaving out some passages, but I'm not sure if they were telling the truth or not. The reviews I found for the English version were mostly good, though, so I imagine it's at least readable and conveys the main points of the novel effectively.
The story is set in early 20th century Tokyo, when Western influences were taking quite a hold culturally, and focuses on the relationship that develops between the protagonist and a teenage gіrl. At first taking her in under the pretext of educating her in music and societal manners, he slowly grows more and more obsessed with turning her into his ideal "Western succubus", which leads him to be become more and more subservient to her as time goes on and tips the power balance of their relationship. It's sad but also quite funny to watch as the protagonist grows more and more mentally unstable as his obsession grows, and by the end the gіrl is quite literally a succubus.
I really enjoyed it. The relationship between them was developed very well, with a lot of foreshadowing and a great depiction of the protagonist's gradual breakdown, and despite the subject, the details are usually revealed quite subtly. It's interesting to read as a commentary on the conflict between traditional and Western values at the time as well.
Also the prose and diction in it are fairly simple compared to a lot of other Japanese novels, so I'd recommend it to anyone who's at least an intermediate learner but hasn't attempted to read a full novel yet (as long you don't mind the subject matter of the book, that is). Here's a link to the HTML file of the book in Japanese for anyone interested:
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001383/files/58093_62049.html
Not sure how good the English translation is. I found a few people criticizing it for leaving out some passages, but I'm not sure if they were telling the truth or not. The reviews I found for the English version were mostly good, though, so I imagine it's at least readable and conveys the main points of the novel effectively.
Reading Anatomy of Melancholy, possibly the most Wizardly book I've ever come across, Burton is also one of the greatest English prose stylists I've ever encountered. If nothing else, I highly suggest reading the introduction "Democritus Junior to the Reader"
>>44871
This book has a special place in my heart. I read it cover to cover during 3 weeks was in the hospital convalescing. I read it pretty much like the last book I would ever read, if I wasn't sleeping I was reading this behemoth.The causes and sympthons in particular is brilliant, read it twice. I really enjoy his many tangents, making comments about hundreds of other books, obscure passages from old and forgotten stuff and his kinda magical and hermetic approach to melancholy. He goes on to talk about demons and angels and then casually goes on a 3 pages tangent about food. Everything is written with such wealth of information and so amusingly as well. Plus it can also be used fine as a pillow. In fact I did use my copy as a pillow twice. I'm sure if Burton knew about it he could spend 200 pages talking about pillows and it would be great.
If I had to be locked away forever in a tower or something and I could choose only one book to read for the rest of my life this is definitely the one I would pick. A close second would be 1001 Nights that I also read while hospitalized but that's for another post.
Anyway I recommend it as well, obviously.
This book has a special place in my heart. I read it cover to cover during 3 weeks was in the hospital convalescing. I read it pretty much like the last book I would ever read, if I wasn't sleeping I was reading this behemoth.The causes and sympthons in particular is brilliant, read it twice. I really enjoy his many tangents, making comments about hundreds of other books, obscure passages from old and forgotten stuff and his kinda magical and hermetic approach to melancholy. He goes on to talk about demons and angels and then casually goes on a 3 pages tangent about food. Everything is written with such wealth of information and so amusingly as well. Plus it can also be used fine as a pillow. In fact I did use my copy as a pillow twice. I'm sure if Burton knew about it he could spend 200 pages talking about pillows and it would be great.
If I had to be locked away forever in a tower or something and I could choose only one book to read for the rest of my life this is definitely the one I would pick. A close second would be 1001 Nights that I also read while hospitalized but that's for another post.
Anyway I recommend it as well, obviously.
Do you use speed reading to read all this stuff?
http://projects.wsj.com/speedread/
I took this test and when I try to use techniques it feels like I'm not reading at all, I don't see where's the fun in reading like that, even if I can comprehend everything more or less the same.
My speed without techniques is slightly below average.
http://projects.wsj.com/speedread/
I took this test and when I try to use techniques it feels like I'm not reading at all, I don't see where's the fun in reading like that, even if I can comprehend everything more or less the same.
My speed without techniques is slightly below average.
Any good books on religion? I've googled around and so far have: The Evolution od God,The World's religions, and A History of God
>>45084
Why we need religion by Stephen Asma
Maps of meaning by Jordan Peterson
I would say you should first understand the value of religion(if you haven't yet), after that you might as well read wikipedia or listen to lectures.
Why we need religion by Stephen Asma
Maps of meaning by Jordan Peterson
I would say you should first understand the value of religion(if you haven't yet), after that you might as well read wikipedia or listen to lectures.
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I was doing some searching on fantasy novels the whole day yesterday to make a nice but short list of books to read (only fantasy I've ever read is LOTR) and to my surprise, when I went to youtube to look for book reviewers, there's only succubi there. Search for fantasy novels and it's pretty much a female dominated field. Found it weird, just wondering if anyone could recommend a decent yt channel that's not a succubus heavy in makeup talking about how she luvluvluv x or y title.
Anyway here's my list so far, feel free to suggest me any titles, I appreciate it.
Gormenghast - Titus Groan
Sword of Truth - Wizard's First Rule
The Warded Man
The Name of the Wind
The Way of Kings
Thieves' World - Shadows of Sanctuary
Discworld
Malazan - Gardens of the Moon
Anyway here's my list so far, feel free to suggest me any titles, I appreciate it.
Gormenghast - Titus Groan
Sword of Truth - Wizard's First Rule
The Warded Man
The Name of the Wind
The Way of Kings
Thieves' World - Shadows of Sanctuary
Discworld
Malazan - Gardens of the Moon
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>>45105
So I finished reading my first pick, Jhereg. It's not on the list and I should've picked one that it was. I felt like choosing the first on a whim. This one had a dragon on the cover, so.
Regret it. Does all fantasy novels these days read like fan fiction? The protagonist is one huge Mary Sue character and the only reason he outsmarts everybody else is because he's dealing with amoebas. And it's strange too because the villain here is described as the smartest, most cunning, most skilled man on the planet, with a carefuly developed plan that took him 400 years to put together. Then the moment he's dealing with the hero he's the most idiotic, error prone, impulsive brat you've ever seen. There's no real sense of danger or accomplishment here. People really like this one too, the guy wrote 15 other books for this series and there's more on the way.
The worst part was the lack of imagination. The author's only idea of fantasy is substituing words while describing mundane events and hoping it will pass as fantasy. Like having a domestic scene where they're eating "teckla" instead of pork. You have characters that are hundred, thousands of years old, able to see into their past lives but they behave like 20 year. Disappointing.
I know I'm getting ahead of myself with only one novel read. We'll see. I'll read Gormenghast next. Wish me luck.
>>45107
I watched the movies and now I know all the plot. Is it still worth it you think?
So I finished reading my first pick, Jhereg. It's not on the list and I should've picked one that it was. I felt like choosing the first on a whim. This one had a dragon on the cover, so.
Regret it. Does all fantasy novels these days read like fan fiction? The protagonist is one huge Mary Sue character and the only reason he outsmarts everybody else is because he's dealing with amoebas. And it's strange too because the villain here is described as the smartest, most cunning, most skilled man on the planet, with a carefuly developed plan that took him 400 years to put together. Then the moment he's dealing with the hero he's the most idiotic, error prone, impulsive brat you've ever seen. There's no real sense of danger or accomplishment here. People really like this one too, the guy wrote 15 other books for this series and there's more on the way.
The worst part was the lack of imagination. The author's only idea of fantasy is substituing words while describing mundane events and hoping it will pass as fantasy. Like having a domestic scene where they're eating "teckla" instead of pork. You have characters that are hundred, thousands of years old, able to see into their past lives but they behave like 20 year. Disappointing.
I know I'm getting ahead of myself with only one novel read. We'll see. I'll read Gormenghast next. Wish me luck.
>>45107
I watched the movies and now I know all the plot. Is it still worth it you think?
>>45160
Lot of these dragonbooks are just toiletpaper that pander to the paypigs by writing self-insert male power fantasies. Look for authors that are actually good with worldbuilding
Lot of these dragonbooks are just toiletpaper that pander to the paypigs by writing self-insert male power fantasies. Look for authors that are actually good with worldbuilding
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I just ordered the two volumes of Oswald Spengler's "Decline of the West"
Has anyone read it? What am I in for? The whole thing is 1200 pages, and although I am very interested in
Spengler's philosophy of history, I am afraid I will lose my motivation to finish it.
Has anyone read it? What am I in for? The whole thing is 1200 pages, and although I am very interested in
Spengler's philosophy of history, I am afraid I will lose my motivation to finish it.
>>45160
>Is it still worth it you think?
haven't watched the films, so have no idea.
I've only read one of the novels, it's one of the few books I managed to finish as a teen.
>Is it still worth it you think?
haven't watched the films, so have no idea.
I've only read one of the novels, it's one of the few books I managed to finish as a teen.
>>45162
Only read Man and Technics. It's fairly short if you want to give it a try. As for motivation, take it easy, read a bit once in a while, meditate on it, digest it, make it your own. Do not think about the 1200 pages, but what you've just read.
Only read Man and Technics. It's fairly short if you want to give it a try. As for motivation, take it easy, read a bit once in a while, meditate on it, digest it, make it your own. Do not think about the 1200 pages, but what you've just read.
I listen to about 5 books a week because all I can do during my shift is listen to audiobooks.
Any good audiobooks?
Any good audiobooks?
>>45166
I usually don’t listen audiobooks, but I came across an audiobook version of Beckett’s Molloy a while back and it turned out to be really good. I even ended up listening to the rest of the Trilogy (Malone Dies & The Unnameable). Give it a shot if you’re into Beckett, it’s read by Sean Barrett.
I usually don’t listen audiobooks, but I came across an audiobook version of Beckett’s Molloy a while back and it turned out to be really good. I even ended up listening to the rest of the Trilogy (Malone Dies & The Unnameable). Give it a shot if you’re into Beckett, it’s read by Sean Barrett.
Can someone convert this video to mp3 for me? It won't work for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKOyYaE7ZaA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKOyYaE7ZaA
I just finished “sapiens” and this was one of the most fun books I’ve read since Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation
as of last week i finished moonwalking with einstein. it is a book about the topic of mnemonics and the "art of remembering everything". it was a pleasant read and it truly does work but it wont be very useful and does require practice. right now i am reading a book called deep work, i am halfway into that. it is about the science of devotion, offering strategies for focusing on a task and improving productivity. another thing i am doing is learning to draw, which is where my deep work will come into play, so as of now i am applying this to my own routine (browsing this site is considered shallow work, im in an alotted shallow work timeframe). many people here would be interested in much of this, it applies to many such solo activities. and after this i will read the interpretation of dreams, just out of intrigue as i dont know what i will get from it
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>>45160
I'm still reading Titus Groan. Really good. It's almost poetic at times, immersive and awkwardly conforting. Anyone willing to read this so we can talk about it? I'm only a quarter in and if you're a native English speaker chances are you'll catch up pretty quick. Vocabulary is fairly extensive, I have to stop every other page to look words up.
I'm still reading Titus Groan. Really good. It's almost poetic at times, immersive and awkwardly conforting. Anyone willing to read this so we can talk about it? I'm only a quarter in and if you're a native English speaker chances are you'll catch up pretty quick. Vocabulary is fairly extensive, I have to stop every other page to look words up.
>>40873
I totally agree with this.
There is no way all these "pessimistic" and melancholic philosophers actually live as they write.
There is NO way a pessimistic person would write philosophy that good that is remembered through generations, get married, and live a normal life in general. Most of them always have some kind of very high achieving studies in very good universities / schools. It's all a meme in the end, include Schopenhauer, who was known to constantly fuck escorts, eat good food, write, talk to people, and live very good in general. He was no "pessimistic" as he said.
I totally agree with this.
There is no way all these "pessimistic" and melancholic philosophers actually live as they write.
There is NO way a pessimistic person would write philosophy that good that is remembered through generations, get married, and live a normal life in general. Most of them always have some kind of very high achieving studies in very good universities / schools. It's all a meme in the end, include Schopenhauer, who was known to constantly fuck escorts, eat good food, write, talk to people, and live very good in general. He was no "pessimistic" as he said.
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Can I get some advice guys?
I submitted two short stories to a writing contest last year. One of them, a humorous story, won first place. However, the other story I wrote is written in first person and is about a guy who admits he lies and acts different whenever he is around people, and who has no friends and is filled with rage. In retrospect it is not only a cringeworthy story, but I am pretty sure anyone reading it will think "Wow, the author is a sinister person and obviously similar to the narrator. I don't like him"
I wrote both stories in like five days, but I think about the second story almost every day and feel like I've essentially "doxxed" myself, in the sense that people will always suspect that my ability to articulate the thought process and lifestyle of the narrator in my story, means I am very much like him. Although this is somewhat true, the title of the story "The N a r c i s s i s t" (minus spaces), was a big, unsubtle mistake and obviously suggests I am one.
Any advice? Am I being paranoid?
I submitted two short stories to a writing contest last year. One of them, a humorous story, won first place. However, the other story I wrote is written in first person and is about a guy who admits he lies and acts different whenever he is around people, and who has no friends and is filled with rage. In retrospect it is not only a cringeworthy story, but I am pretty sure anyone reading it will think "Wow, the author is a sinister person and obviously similar to the narrator. I don't like him"
I wrote both stories in like five days, but I think about the second story almost every day and feel like I've essentially "doxxed" myself, in the sense that people will always suspect that my ability to articulate the thought process and lifestyle of the narrator in my story, means I am very much like him. Although this is somewhat true, the title of the story "The N a r c i s s i s t" (minus spaces), was a big, unsubtle mistake and obviously suggests I am one.
Any advice? Am I being paranoid?
https://archive.org/details/BurnhamJamesTheMachiavellians
Good book for conservatives.
The last 1/3 of the book is quite readable and relevant to today's politics. The first 2/3 (dante and machiavelli) were too dense for an uneducated person like me, so I just skimmed through those chapters without getting anything more than a superficial understanding of what the author was saying.
Good book for conservatives.
The last 1/3 of the book is quite readable and relevant to today's politics. The first 2/3 (dante and machiavelli) were too dense for an uneducated person like me, so I just skimmed through those chapters without getting anything more than a superficial understanding of what the author was saying.
>>45275
Send new stories to this and other contests. The more protagonists you offer and the more different they are, the less likely will people be to see you in one specific character.
Send new stories to this and other contests. The more protagonists you offer and the more different they are, the less likely will people be to see you in one specific character.
>>45205
i decided not to bother with the interpretation of dreams. while interesting i dont really care so ive instead moved on to several marketing books. at this time i am reading words that work and influence, some marketing books with many more lined up. its real interesting, i feel as though the information is applicable in day to day interaction but you really need to be aggressive which doesn't suit me. but it is still interesting, it will help me know tricks marketers themselves or tricky people use on me
i decided not to bother with the interpretation of dreams. while interesting i dont really care so ive instead moved on to several marketing books. at this time i am reading words that work and influence, some marketing books with many more lined up. its real interesting, i feel as though the information is applicable in day to day interaction but you really need to be aggressive which doesn't suit me. but it is still interesting, it will help me know tricks marketers themselves or tricky people use on me
I just started Orson Scott Card's Homebody. It's about a fetish slut real estate agent and a widowed craftsman fixing up a house. It supposedly becomes horror but so far it's full on cunt dripping romance novel.
It's interesting but a bit dry so far. Could do without the romance. I have no idea how it goes horror or why I put it on my kindle like 2 years ago and only just got round to reading it
It's interesting but a bit dry so far. Could do without the romance. I have no idea how it goes horror or why I put it on my kindle like 2 years ago and only just got round to reading it
I'm leeching a huge archive of the Star wars EU novels from 6 years ago and all the warhammer novels. I'm not even sure why as I don't overly care for these universes any more. I just want to lose myself in science fiction for a while.
Would any one have any recommendations and possibly mobi or epub files? I'm not looking for super mainstream stuff. I've already read most of that. If it's dark and edgy that's great, I don't fancy a space utopia bullshit fest right now.
Would any one have any recommendations and possibly mobi or epub files? I'm not looking for super mainstream stuff. I've already read most of that. If it's dark and edgy that's great, I don't fancy a space utopia bullshit fest right now.
>>45509
I have been reading a lot of heinlein lately, but I also just finished the maddadam trilogy by atwood after starting it close to a decade ago(some parts are pretty edgy and the way the book starts, it sounds like the main characters spend a lot of time on imageboards before things get really dark and fucked up but the author could not describe the phenomenon well to normgroids) the three books can be a single epup and it is about 1000 pages of dystopian sci-fi IIRC
I have been reading a lot of heinlein lately, but I also just finished the maddadam trilogy by atwood after starting it close to a decade ago(some parts are pretty edgy and the way the book starts, it sounds like the main characters spend a lot of time on imageboards before things get really dark and fucked up but the author could not describe the phenomenon well to normgroids) the three books can be a single epup and it is about 1000 pages of dystopian sci-fi IIRC
>>44668
Gusev is an amazing short story as well. Didn't really get what it was about but the atmosphere and ending were both beautiful. Hope The Steppe is as good.
Gusev is an amazing short story as well. Didn't really get what it was about but the atmosphere and ending were both beautiful. Hope The Steppe is as good.
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Children%27s_History_(Bookshelf)
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Classical_Antiquity_(Bookshelf)
I don't even think you need to pirate books much less buy them. gutenberg is the only thing you really need
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Classical_Antiquity_(Bookshelf)
I don't even think you need to pirate books much less buy them. gutenberg is the only thing you really need
Could anybody recommend me some quality history books which can be found on such websites as Project Gutenberg or Internet Archive?
>>45943
i must be one of the few who prefers to read on a laptop
reading on a tiny laptop is comfy because you can rotate it and use it like an e-reader.
i must be one of the few who prefers to read on a laptop
reading on a tiny laptop is comfy because you can rotate it and use it like an e-reader.
>>45954
i use libgen as well, but if it didn't exist, i would be happy with just gutenberg. that's what i meant to say
i use libgen as well, but if it didn't exist, i would be happy with just gutenberg. that's what i meant to say
>>45953
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/754
general history of the world
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8733
history of hermits
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11367
history of china
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/754
general history of the world
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8733
history of hermits
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/11367
history of china
>>45957
why's that?
unless you're taking notes or switching between multiple documents, i don't see what could be worth the eye strain.
for casual comfortable reading i.e. not research or highly technical reading, it's really great.
why's that?
unless you're taking notes or switching between multiple documents, i don't see what could be worth the eye strain.
for casual comfortable reading i.e. not research or highly technical reading, it's really great.
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Rather looking forward to this. Already read bede, gildas and nennius so hopefully I'll have a better understanding.
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"These Indo-Europeans were white men like the Semites but they spoke a different language which is regarded as the common ancestor of all European tongues with the exception of Hungarian and Finnish and the Basque dialects of Northern Spain."
book seems to be outdated
semites especially back then were not white
book seems to be outdated
semites especially back then were not white
>>46021
Semites have always been europoids of mediterranean variety.
And in terms of skin color Phoenicians and Carthagians were likely whiter than most modern-day turks and arabs.
Semites have always been europoids of mediterranean variety.
And in terms of skin color Phoenicians and Carthagians were likely whiter than most modern-day turks and arabs.
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I just finished the Time Machine. This was my third time re-reading it. I am surprised by how subtle yet complex the book is. To be honest, the book frightens me a little. I'm currently reading Le Morte d'Arthur.
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Whatever - Michel Houellebecq
Essential wizchan reading. Main character ugly and devoid of any kind of character, depressed, misanthrope, can't get sex.
>The thesis is that the sexual revolution of the Sixties created not communism but capitalism in the sexual market, that the unattractive underclass is exiled while the privileged initiates are drained by corruption, sloth, and excess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_(novel)
Essential wizchan reading. Main character ugly and devoid of any kind of character, depressed, misanthrope, can't get sex.
>The thesis is that the sexual revolution of the Sixties created not communism but capitalism in the sexual market, that the unattractive underclass is exiled while the privileged initiates are drained by corruption, sloth, and excess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_(novel)
>>46141
>The protagonist (Harel), known only as "Our Hero" during the entirety of the story, lives a solitary life, and has not had sex for over two years
I wouldn't call that wizardly.
>The protagonist (Harel), known only as "Our Hero" during the entirety of the story, lives a solitary life, and has not had sex for over two years
I wouldn't call that wizardly.
>>46141
You are like 10 years late dude.
That book is extremely important for any male reject.
However, it is not "essential wizchan reading", it is "essential hikkis/crabs reading".
You are like 10 years late dude.
That book is extremely important for any male reject.
However, it is not "essential wizchan reading", it is "essential hikkis/crabs reading".
>>46142
Not the guy you're replying to, but I agree - the book is not wizardly. It's more about two failed normals, one of them aware of how the sexual marketplace post-68 reflects the economic Pareto Principle, the other (I forgot his name, but he's the younger work colleague) who has yet to understand it. The climax of the novel is the younger man learning from the older man this truth, understanding that, and committing suicide rather than taking the path of wizardry.
While the book looks at the reason why wizards exist (and why failed normals exist too), it is actually an anit-wizard book at times, because while recognising the causes, it's solution is one of nihilism and death, rather than coming to terms with the situation and attempting to craft a post-sexual failure character, culture etc.
Not the guy you're replying to, but I agree - the book is not wizardly. It's more about two failed normals, one of them aware of how the sexual marketplace post-68 reflects the economic Pareto Principle, the other (I forgot his name, but he's the younger work colleague) who has yet to understand it. The climax of the novel is the younger man learning from the older man this truth, understanding that, and committing suicide rather than taking the path of wizardry.
While the book looks at the reason why wizards exist (and why failed normals exist too), it is actually an anit-wizard book at times, because while recognising the causes, it's solution is one of nihilism and death, rather than coming to terms with the situation and attempting to craft a post-sexual failure character, culture etc.
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>Five Last Acts – The Exit Path (2015 edition): The arts and science of rational suicide in the face of unbearable, unrelievable suffering by Chris Docker
I bought this book recently when I started to get serious about my desire to have a good suicide plan in place in case my mental and physical health continued to decline and / or they took away my autismbux.
I was really impressed by how thorough and professional the book is. They back up everything with citations and explanations on how and why they reached their conclusions. They've mined the medical literature to great effect, and physicians and other experts were also consulted. This was a breath of fresh air after finding so much contradictory and incorrect information on the Internet.
I was most interested in learning about the compression technique, where you use a tourniquet to cut off blood flow to the brain (essentially giving yourself a blood choke), but there are many other methods discussed here, including a hundred or so pages on helium and other gases.
The book is a bit pricey but was well worth it. There is, I think, a pdf floating around on 8chan or Sanctioned Suicide (an unimpressive and reckless website, mostly, where the blind lead the blind).
I also had a laugh when I saw that the book was dedicated to the Portuguese wizard Fernando Pessoa.
I bought this book recently when I started to get serious about my desire to have a good suicide plan in place in case my mental and physical health continued to decline and / or they took away my autismbux.
I was really impressed by how thorough and professional the book is. They back up everything with citations and explanations on how and why they reached their conclusions. They've mined the medical literature to great effect, and physicians and other experts were also consulted. This was a breath of fresh air after finding so much contradictory and incorrect information on the Internet.
I was most interested in learning about the compression technique, where you use a tourniquet to cut off blood flow to the brain (essentially giving yourself a blood choke), but there are many other methods discussed here, including a hundred or so pages on helium and other gases.
The book is a bit pricey but was well worth it. There is, I think, a pdf floating around on 8chan or Sanctioned Suicide (an unimpressive and reckless website, mostly, where the blind lead the blind).
I also had a laugh when I saw that the book was dedicated to the Portuguese wizard Fernando Pessoa.
>>45274
It's not like they had the internet to keep them company. The most interesting thing would be other people. Nietzsche was friends with (I think)Lord Byron and Mary Shelly, there's a picture at least with some other guy and some succubus he wanted to fuck with him doing the hover hand while they pose over a wheelbarrow or something.
They are successful because they are weird and they got wanked over by literary critics for years. They are popular people, popular for being miserable, but still popular.
It's not like they had the internet to keep them company. The most interesting thing would be other people. Nietzsche was friends with (I think)Lord Byron and Mary Shelly, there's a picture at least with some other guy and some succubus he wanted to fuck with him doing the hover hand while they pose over a wheelbarrow or something.
They are successful because they are weird and they got wanked over by literary critics for years. They are popular people, popular for being miserable, but still popular.
>>46239
>Lord Byron and Mary Shelly
Byron died 20 years before Nietzsche was even born anon. Shelly died when he was 7. If you're refering to the whip picture, the other two individuals in it are Salome and Paul Ree.
>Lord Byron and Mary Shelly
Byron died 20 years before Nietzsche was even born anon. Shelly died when he was 7. If you're refering to the whip picture, the other two individuals in it are Salome and Paul Ree.
>>46214
Really interesting about Pessoa. He is my favourite writer and it looks like he attracts a certain kind of audience.
Really interesting about Pessoa. He is my favourite writer and it looks like he attracts a certain kind of audience.
Finished book of the new sun. Wasn't really able to put together what was going on behind the surface plot or really understand. Apparently most of the answers are all there.
>>45957
this is wrong and you don't even put in the effort to try convince us
few reasons why ereader is better:
>smaller+lighter=portability/ease of use
>much better battery life
>screen better for reading/easier on the eyes
this is wrong and you don't even put in the effort to try convince us
few reasons why ereader is better:
>smaller+lighter=portability/ease of use
>much better battery life
>screen better for reading/easier on the eyes
>>44665
one of the good things about Dostoevsky is that he is actually very readable, I read that much (perhaps only some?) of his work was dictated to his wife who wrote it down for him.
one of the good things about Dostoevsky is that he is actually very readable, I read that much (perhaps only some?) of his work was dictated to his wife who wrote it down for him.
>>44665
Yeah, some of Dostoevsky's stories might be complex enough to qualify as "advanced literature", depending on whatever you mean by that. Of course, complexity of plot isn't necessarily the same thing as quality of story. The Brothers Karamazov can be an enjoyable read if you have the ability to keep track of everything that's going on, a little knowledge of 19th century Russia, and an ideology that agrees somewhat with Dostoevsky's, but there are lots of easier reads that are ranked among "the greats" as well. I understood and enjoyed all of Dostoevsky's important novels well enough, but so far my favorite book was an old western by Zane Grey.
So there's nothing wrong with reading something that isn't "advanced" if you don't have the reading level for it. You should read and appreciate simpler classics before moving on to more complex ones.
Yeah, some of Dostoevsky's stories might be complex enough to qualify as "advanced literature", depending on whatever you mean by that. Of course, complexity of plot isn't necessarily the same thing as quality of story. The Brothers Karamazov can be an enjoyable read if you have the ability to keep track of everything that's going on, a little knowledge of 19th century Russia, and an ideology that agrees somewhat with Dostoevsky's, but there are lots of easier reads that are ranked among "the greats" as well. I understood and enjoyed all of Dostoevsky's important novels well enough, but so far my favorite book was an old western by Zane Grey.
So there's nothing wrong with reading something that isn't "advanced" if you don't have the reading level for it. You should read and appreciate simpler classics before moving on to more complex ones.
I have $3.31 in Amazon Kindle credit thanks to a promotional sale. Anyone know of some neat horror or fantasy books that can be had for a low price on that store? A lot of the books I've looked at have formatting issues/bad translations/missing text on Kindle.
>>46379
>fantasy
>horror
Do you like any of these?
Walter de La Mare
M. R. James
Erckmann-Chatrian
Lord Dunsany
Josheph Sheridan Le Fanue
>fantasy
>horror
Do you like any of these?
Walter de La Mare
M. R. James
Erckmann-Chatrian
Lord Dunsany
Josheph Sheridan Le Fanue
>>46379
Kindle app worked very slow on my tablet so I only bought one book there. Google Play has a complete collection of Lovecraft's works for $2.
Kindle app worked very slow on my tablet so I only bought one book there. Google Play has a complete collection of Lovecraft's works for $2.
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Finished reading Of Human Bondage.
It's a novel following the life of a man in late 19th/early 20th century Britain, from the time he's 9 and loses his parents to the time he's nearly 30 and employed. It was pretty good. The subject matter is pretty mundane but I found that the author did a good job of depicting the growth of the character. I related to some parts a lot because he goes to a religious school as a child and becomes disillusioned with it, but for the rest of his life struggles with the question of the 'right' way to live. Others were really hard to read because he makes some really dumb decisions related to succubi. I don't agree with the overall message that the author presents at the end, either. Still enjoyed it, though. He's really good at writing characters.
It's a novel following the life of a man in late 19th/early 20th century Britain, from the time he's 9 and loses his parents to the time he's nearly 30 and employed. It was pretty good. The subject matter is pretty mundane but I found that the author did a good job of depicting the growth of the character. I related to some parts a lot because he goes to a religious school as a child and becomes disillusioned with it, but for the rest of his life struggles with the question of the 'right' way to live. Others were really hard to read because he makes some really dumb decisions related to succubi. I don't agree with the overall message that the author presents at the end, either. Still enjoyed it, though. He's really good at writing characters.
Is there an english translation for “the joys of Young Werther” by friedrich nicolai? I just finished Goethe’s “the sufferings of Young Werther” and they mentioned the former in the translators note and I want to read it but don’t know German
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Here it is, probably my last book of 2018. Actually, I've read just one story from book 5, In the Flesh, about a convict's experience with the afterlife. I don't know what to make of Clive Barker or if I should even try to make anything of it, given I've read just this one story and watched a couple of his movies. I do feel I have yet to find an author as interesting as M. R. James on the horror/supernatural department. Lovecraft has good imagination but is not that good of a writer. Now Barker is a good writer but lacks imagination.
Then if you try to pick up a fantasy book, so many authors now think they can bury their shortcomings by producing a massive amount of pages, 6 volumes, 10 volumes, 15 volumes. Are you kidding me? You don't even have enough good ideas to fill in 300 pages, why you need 4k? It all feels like a very long D&D campaign championed by a Mary Sue character. I'm telling you, readers will snap out of it soon. These 10 volumes long DnD campaigns are coming to an end. I can't believe people will continue to fall for this crap much longer.
Sorry about that. Anyway, about Barker. I'll try a couple more stories and see how it turns out.
In the meantime, what are your reading plans for 2019? Any books on that massive backlog you intend to finally read it? For me it's probably something by Sheridan Le Fanu.
Then if you try to pick up a fantasy book, so many authors now think they can bury their shortcomings by producing a massive amount of pages, 6 volumes, 10 volumes, 15 volumes. Are you kidding me? You don't even have enough good ideas to fill in 300 pages, why you need 4k? It all feels like a very long D&D campaign championed by a Mary Sue character. I'm telling you, readers will snap out of it soon. These 10 volumes long DnD campaigns are coming to an end. I can't believe people will continue to fall for this crap much longer.
Sorry about that. Anyway, about Barker. I'll try a couple more stories and see how it turns out.
In the meantime, what are your reading plans for 2019? Any books on that massive backlog you intend to finally read it? For me it's probably something by Sheridan Le Fanu.
I can't read books because I don't retain any of the information in 1 forward read. I have to reread it like thousands of times before I actually understand it, this goes especially for philosophy. But sometimes for simple books as well like popular kultur fiction. Don't know how to fix it aside from the obvious answer of concentration drugs, in particular with Lexapro, but this rarely works for me.
>>46658
Same here. I always find myself reading the same sentence over and over, for minutes on end. I can "read" quickly but for some reason I have serious problems processing it. Longer books are definitely out of the question for me due to this annoying quirk.
Same here. I always find myself reading the same sentence over and over, for minutes on end. I can "read" quickly but for some reason I have serious problems processing it. Longer books are definitely out of the question for me due to this annoying quirk.
>>46660
Yeah same, I can read very quickly but it isn't embedded in the brain. Still haven't found a remedy for this yet.
Yeah same, I can read very quickly but it isn't embedded in the brain. Still haven't found a remedy for this yet.
>>46658
it's probably due to a lack of exercise
i have the same problem. fortunately i'll be getting an exercise bike soon and see if my memory and reading comprehension improves by using the exercise bike 30 minutes a day
it's probably due to a lack of exercise
i have the same problem. fortunately i'll be getting an exercise bike soon and see if my memory and reading comprehension improves by using the exercise bike 30 minutes a day
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stamina-Cardio-folding-Exercise-Bike-with-large-padded-seat/582262559
i bought one of these. cheapest one i could find. i'll do 30minutes-1hour of this and then read. see what happens. i don't think the effects will be immediate. i'll have to wait a month to see results
https://www.dartmouth.edu/press-releases/12minexercise061214.html
i bought one of these. cheapest one i could find. i'll do 30minutes-1hour of this and then read. see what happens. i don't think the effects will be immediate. i'll have to wait a month to see results
https://www.dartmouth.edu/press-releases/12minexercise061214.html
my reading comprehension used to be fine but then after a decade of sleep deprivation, depression and lack of exercise, it has gone to shit
>>46658
This might be unrelated but I have problems with silent reading, something about retaining the information is difficult and I become a less proficient reader overall. What helped me was simply reading out loud, might be that it engages the sense of hearing to help record the information, could help you.
This might be unrelated but I have problems with silent reading, something about retaining the information is difficult and I become a less proficient reader overall. What helped me was simply reading out loud, might be that it engages the sense of hearing to help record the information, could help you.
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Read Peter Martin's Samuel Johnson biography. I enjoyed getting to know more about the great man, who had previously been just a name to me. Here are some reading notes and quotes I liked.
When reading biographies I like to keep in mind Cioran's comment that "Above all I like to see how people end. When you read about someone's life, you see what illusions he started out with, and it's very interesting to see how they fail him."
–Poised dangerously between control and madness, between doubt and faith, tormented by the dread of loneliness and death, and lacerated by physical as well as mental sickness, he often feared he'd fall into madness
–Tried "forcible exertions" to cure himself of melancholy, such as repeatedly walking in one day the 32-mile trek between Lichfield and Birmingham
–Johnson depended on all night get-togethers at taverns to keep at bay his melancholia. The longer he stayed up, the longer he could delay stepping back into his loneliness
–Upon a strong attack of gout: "I enjoy all the dignity of lameness… I am a very poor creeper upon the earth, catching at anything with my hands to spare my feet"
–Maintained that life was definitely more miserable than happy: "I would not lead my life over again though an archangel should request it"
–The two dominant, opposing key notes of his mental state during the last weeks of his life were desperation and calm acceptance of God's mercy… but it appears also that his desperation did not cease until very shortly before he died, and that a last, frantic clutching at the possibility of life may indeed have hastened his end
–Convinced that punctures would relieve him of dropsy, he stabbed himself several times in the legs, losing a fair amount of blood in process. If that butchering of his own body didn't hasten his death, the experimental drug digitalis, which he was that given last day in a major overdose, did
When reading biographies I like to keep in mind Cioran's comment that "Above all I like to see how people end. When you read about someone's life, you see what illusions he started out with, and it's very interesting to see how they fail him."
–Poised dangerously between control and madness, between doubt and faith, tormented by the dread of loneliness and death, and lacerated by physical as well as mental sickness, he often feared he'd fall into madness
–Tried "forcible exertions" to cure himself of melancholy, such as repeatedly walking in one day the 32-mile trek between Lichfield and Birmingham
–Johnson depended on all night get-togethers at taverns to keep at bay his melancholia. The longer he stayed up, the longer he could delay stepping back into his loneliness
–Upon a strong attack of gout: "I enjoy all the dignity of lameness… I am a very poor creeper upon the earth, catching at anything with my hands to spare my feet"
–Maintained that life was definitely more miserable than happy: "I would not lead my life over again though an archangel should request it"
–The two dominant, opposing key notes of his mental state during the last weeks of his life were desperation and calm acceptance of God's mercy… but it appears also that his desperation did not cease until very shortly before he died, and that a last, frantic clutching at the possibility of life may indeed have hastened his end
–Convinced that punctures would relieve him of dropsy, he stabbed himself several times in the legs, losing a fair amount of blood in process. If that butchering of his own body didn't hasten his death, the experimental drug digitalis, which he was that given last day in a major overdose, did
>>46687
I realized recently that I sort of have the opposite. I tried to watch some TV but I was having a hard time focusing on what the characters were saying and fully absorbing it, so I turned on closed captions and when I read what they were saying I absorbed it so much better. My entire life has basically been spent on the internet or reading books. Now that I'm not in school anymore I don't talk to anyone except my parents who have little to say so the entire act of conversing with people verbally is becoming ever more foreign to me as time goes on.
I realized recently that I sort of have the opposite. I tried to watch some TV but I was having a hard time focusing on what the characters were saying and fully absorbing it, so I turned on closed captions and when I read what they were saying I absorbed it so much better. My entire life has basically been spent on the internet or reading books. Now that I'm not in school anymore I don't talk to anyone except my parents who have little to say so the entire act of conversing with people verbally is becoming ever more foreign to me as time goes on.
Finished
>War and Peace by Tolstoy
I didn't know much about the Napoleonic wars or that time period in general going in, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I like the way Tolstoy depicts battles as clusterfucks where the higher ups have little to no control over the army. The descriptions and prose were great as well, beautiful but quite easy to read. My only gripe is that the deterministic rants in the later parts are a little overdone. I think it's an interesting idea but he reiterates it too often late in the book.
>The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
Collected short stories from a Southern writer who committed suicide at a young age, all focusing on poor people in the rural South. All pretty depressing because these people's lives are shit and they don't really have a way out, but this is contrasted nicely with the occasional descriptions of beautiful landscapes or descriptions of the characters' internal feelings.
>Kitchen by Yoshimoto (untranslated version)
Pretty good "slice-of-life" type story about a young adult succubus who loses her grandmother and is left without any family. I liked the descriptions of loneliness and the general feeling of melancholy throughout the book. The style is similar to Murakami's in some ways. It also comes with a shorter story called Moonlight Shadow that I'll probably read soon.
Right now I'm reading The Night Land by Hodgson, which I became interested in after hearing he was a major influence on Lovecraft, Ashton Smith, and other weird fiction writers of the 20th century. The story starts off pretty slow, with the first chapter describing the romance between the protagonist and a maid that's pretty normal, but it picks up after that as he writes down his visions of living in the distant future where all of humanity is taking refuge in a huge pyramid, built years ago, in the middle of a dark world teeming with monsters and mysterious forces they don't understand. The prose is a bit odd and old fashioned but I'm really enjoying it so far and would recommend it to anyone who's a fan of Lovecraft's stories or of cosmic horror in general.
>War and Peace by Tolstoy
I didn't know much about the Napoleonic wars or that time period in general going in, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I like the way Tolstoy depicts battles as clusterfucks where the higher ups have little to no control over the army. The descriptions and prose were great as well, beautiful but quite easy to read. My only gripe is that the deterministic rants in the later parts are a little overdone. I think it's an interesting idea but he reiterates it too often late in the book.
>The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake
Collected short stories from a Southern writer who committed suicide at a young age, all focusing on poor people in the rural South. All pretty depressing because these people's lives are shit and they don't really have a way out, but this is contrasted nicely with the occasional descriptions of beautiful landscapes or descriptions of the characters' internal feelings.
>Kitchen by Yoshimoto (untranslated version)
Pretty good "slice-of-life" type story about a young adult succubus who loses her grandmother and is left without any family. I liked the descriptions of loneliness and the general feeling of melancholy throughout the book. The style is similar to Murakami's in some ways. It also comes with a shorter story called Moonlight Shadow that I'll probably read soon.
Right now I'm reading The Night Land by Hodgson, which I became interested in after hearing he was a major influence on Lovecraft, Ashton Smith, and other weird fiction writers of the 20th century. The story starts off pretty slow, with the first chapter describing the romance between the protagonist and a maid that's pretty normal, but it picks up after that as he writes down his visions of living in the distant future where all of humanity is taking refuge in a huge pyramid, built years ago, in the middle of a dark world teeming with monsters and mysterious forces they don't understand. The prose is a bit odd and old fashioned but I'm really enjoying it so far and would recommend it to anyone who's a fan of Lovecraft's stories or of cosmic horror in general.
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does anyone here like spy stories? they are pretty comfy
>>46688
Good post, I will have to read this soon myself.
I also really liked "Cioran's comment" you mentioned.
Good post, I will have to read this soon myself.
I also really liked "Cioran's comment" you mentioned.
>>46667
Related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfL7bxPAarY
>>46984
Have you read Spy Among Friends by Ben Mcintyre?
Related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfL7bxPAarY
>>46984
Have you read Spy Among Friends by Ben Mcintyre?
>>42791
I have it around here somewhere and was planning on reading it soon. Nice to hear it's the autistic rant that I expected it to be.
I have it around here somewhere and was planning on reading it soon. Nice to hear it's the autistic rant that I expected it to be.
"After leaving the house at the pond Thoreau stayed with the Emerson family again while Ralph Waldo Emerson lectured in England. Thoreau returned to his parent's home in 1848 and continued living with them as a boarder for the remainder of his life. At about this time he began the routine of morning and evening study and writing, and afternoon walks that were the foundation upon which he may be said to have built his creative life."
throughout most henry david thoreau's life he lived on emerson's property or lived with his parents lol
interesting
throughout most henry david thoreau's life he lived on emerson's property or lived with his parents lol
interesting
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