trust the plan. patriots in control.
1 Like
Couldnāt resists the impulse to follow the trend.
- Tao Te Ching - Lao Tze (~600BC)
I find this book comforting to read. Itās a work of poetry that both attempts and doesnāt attempt to grapple with the innate mystery of the world.
- Complete Works - Plato (~350BC)
Wouldnāt actually recommend reading them all I suppose, and you might be able to get away with only reading The Republic in a pinch, but I love the world that exists within all these dialogues. Just the most hilariously annoying man you can imagine engaging with people who consider it their duty to argue with him. When the guy shows up from another city-state to show off his new logic where you cut things in half (i.e. divide them into two categories) over and over until you get a specific definition, I lost my mind.
- Chuang Tzu - Chuang Tzu (~350BC)
The ideas of the Tao Te Ching transformed into a series of often-inexplicable parables and fables that can be stupidly funny.
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Luo Guanzhong (1360)
A story of politics without reference to any polity. Just governors (aka warlords) and their aides scheming in a gigantic wargame. The heroes and the bad guys all employ basically the same tactics, and then by the end youāre dealing with their sons who are almost entirely divorced from whatever the initial conflict was. Still retains an epic and magical quality that is endlessly compelling.
- Ash Wednesday Supper - Giordano Bruno (1584)
Bruno audaciously one-ups Plato by inhabiting the role of both Plato and Socrates at the same time. I believe the main argument of this volume is whether the cosmos is infinite or bounded, and it is just so hilarious that āThe Nolanā himself is the one whose wild schemes have been vindicated by modern science.
- Parade Lost & Paradise Regained - John Milton (1667, 1671)
People only seem to like Paradise Lost, but imo Regained is equally cool. Satanās āheroicā stature is completely levelled by a character (Jesus) who simply will not buy what he is selling. I think people dislike it because they refuse to accept that Satan in Paradise Lost is actually a bad guy and kind of a dope. Also, I consider Milton the best writer of narrative verse in English.
- Pilgrimās Progress - John Bunyan (1678)
Not even sure why exactly I put this on here other than the fact that it struck me as incredibly strange. I remember a 101 professor once off-handedly telling the class that this book was boring, and for many years I simply believed him like a fool. Yes, the allegory is on the nose (characters are named things like Christian and Hopeful), but the world itself is barren and surreal in a way thatās quite fascinating. The character I most related to was named Ignorance and at the end of the First Part he gets thrown straight into Hell right outside the Celestial City.
- Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy - Laurence Sterne (1767)
Just an amazing comedy with a variety of comic styles and situations. A lot of the humour comes from the intricate descriptions of the charactersā slight movements and facial expressions as they talk.
- Critique of Judgment - Immanuel Kant (1790)
Kinda cheating because the book doesnāt make sense without also reading the Critiques of Pure / Practical Reason, and barely makes sense with having done that. This is the volume in which Kant covers aesthetics, teleology, and nature. I thought his descriptions of the Beautiful and the Sublime were cool and interesting.
- Dream of Red Mansions - Cao Xueqin (1791)
Iāve covered this in much depth elsewhere. I love this book a lot.
- Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol (1842)
Another comical book that I think fondly on mostly because I was laughing and enjoying myself so frequently. Honestly remember very little from it except a scene in which two people each try to let the other go first through a door, and then they both end up squeezing through at the same time and get momentarily stuck. I know thatās not the Height of World Literature or even particularly original, but itās executed with a deft hand.
- Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas (1844)
Impeccable plotting carried forward by impeccable dialogue. A true masterclass. There is a bombastic, melodramatic pathos to this novel that I have only seen replicated in the best episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam shows.
- Moby-Dick - Herman Melville (1851)
The perfect novel. An enthusiastic and engaging narrator; a wild adventure; a tragic man; Shakespearean soliloquies; bizarre comedy, all tied together with a compelling theme and constant reference to the nature of being human.
- Oblomov - Ivan Goncharov (1859)
The epitome of the āsuperfluous manā trope, I could relate strongly to Oblomov as a man who simply could not reconcile his dreams and aspirations with reality in any shape or form. Watching him ātryā and fail to pull himself out of his malaise, including a bittersweet love affair, was truly heartbreaking. I didnāt like the ending, but they canāt all be winners in that regard.
- From the Earth to the Moon - Jules Verne (1865)
Exemplar of Verneās whole ouevre. A ridiculous plot filled with insane characters that is counterbalanced by an obsession with the minute logistics of launching a rocket at ā not to ā the moon.
- Demons - Fyodor Dostoevsky (1871)
My favourite Dostoevsky. Contains one of my favourite characters in all of fiction, and a scene of his that made me weep. He is joined by a cast of disreputable and inconsistent weirdos who hover on the brink of audacious acts, sometimes carrying through and sometimes not.
- Le Faute de lāabbe Mouret - Emile Zola (1876)
Zola is known best as a realist, but my favourite of his is this weird book about a country priest obsessed with the virgin Mary who is knocked on the head and then lives through a re-telling of the Garden of Eden.
- In Search of Lost Time - Marcel Proust (1913 - 1927)
The ultimate autobiographical novel, complete with many diversions and digressions regarding the nature of memory and experience.
- The Castle - Franz Kafka (1926)
Kafka at his funniest and most surreal. The whole novel is a dream and a joke. I donāt really know exactly why I like this better than the rest (itās been a while since Iāve read them all) but I do.
- The Steppenwolf - Hermann Hesse (1927)
A lot of Hesseās novels re-use the same themes and character tropes, and this is no exception, but I think this one puts a new twist on the āspiritual questā of Demian by having an older main character and a more bizarre plot. Itās somehow more grounded and more fantastical than his other works at the same time.
- Herman Melville - Lewis Mumford (1929)
A great literary biography that is much more concerned with the literature than the biography. It seems to mostly be a case of reverse-engineering Melvilleās life from the novels and stories, which is probably a foolās gambit but an interesting endeavour nonetheless.
- Joseph and His Brothers - Thomas Mann (1943)
An extended re-telling of the Biblical story, by which I mean it takes 60 pages of the Bible and turns it into ~1500 pages of prose. Essentially a work of exegesis and a novel at the same time. I originally had Magic Mountain on here, which I also adore, but I chose this novel because I feel itās less read. Mannās āpersonableā style of narration has been very influential to me.
- The Transmigration of Timothy Archer - Philip K. Dick (1982)
This novel tackles Dickās fascination with the more esoteric sides of religions by following an American bishop who loses faith after new historical data reveals that Jesusā apostles might have been part of an ancient mushroom cult. One of his last and most psychological novels, it feels like a deeply personal reckoning with his own nature.
- Amrita - Banana Yoshimoto (1997)
Yoshimoto is more well-known for her novellas, and itās easy to see that this novel got a bit out of hand, but I still love it. The supernatural elements are understated, and all the characters are genuine and friendly. Itās just such a pleasant world to be in, but at the same time, everyone is dealing with darkness in their own way.
- Selected Non-Fictions - Jorge Luis Borges (1999)
As yeso implied, I felt the need to appear hip by including a book whose English release at least teeters on the edge of the 21st century. This is the work of non-fiction that has had the most influence on the way I think and write about art.
11 Likes
too smart. Crabs in a bucket get back down here
1 Like
Iāll go ahead and list the books Iāve read this year and how I feel about them.
I read Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami earlier this year and its become one of my favourite books ever. I donāt typically read books of this genre (slice of life / romance) but I absolutely loved it. Prose isnāt usually that important to me, Iām usually more interested in plot, ideas, atmosphere and characters. But this book is just beautifully written. Its simultaneously detailed in its descriptions while also being restrained in its language. It doesnāt go on and on using a thesaurus to describe how beautiful something is. Murakami strikes right at the heart of the moment, evoking a scene or a feeling, with simple honest words - bringing the scenes and characters to life in an earnest way. One of the few books I immediately re-read after finishing it.
I also read Hear the Wind Sing by Murakami, which I donāt feel as strongly about. Its not heavy or plot driven, its more of a nostalgic / slice of life lookback. Its short and snappy, pretty neat!
I read Neuromancer by William Gibson a few months ago, and - I mean what else is there to say about this book. Itās one of the greatest science fiction books Iāve ever read, it cemented a lot of what we understand as cyberpunk today. My only criticism is that the larger plot is not that interesting - which is funny because when I describe it as a thriller / heist involving mindwiped soldiers, body-augmented thieves and semi-omnipotent AIs, it sounds exciting right? The real strength of the book is in its world building, its absolutely dripping with atmosphere from beginning to end. I just wanted to learn more about the world all the time and read/listen to these cool characters say cool things while smoking Yeheyuan cigarettes.
I donāt think I will read the rest of the books in that series, Iām kind of fine with leaving it as it is here. It left such a strong impression on me, Iām happy to leave it be.
I read The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald last month, I was surprised to find it quite modern and witty. Sometimes I feel like reading the classics is like doing homework - Iām kind of supposed to do it, even though Iād probably rather just read something dumb. But Gatsby is fantastic, its funny, its intriguing, Jay Gatsby himself is a really interesting character - as is the initially apathetic protagonist. Best part - its short! 115 pages, you could casually read it over a day or two. I enjoyed it , I can see myself re-reading it sometime.
I tried reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess recently. Iāve never seen the movie and thought I would give the book a shot. I stopped reading after the first chapter.
Its written with some deliberately confusing, near impenetrable jargon and made up words. As in I would struggle to parse what was being said - which is surely intentional.
I feel like its supposed to convey how different this world, the main character and his thug cronies are, compared to our own reality. Its like its so violent , depressing and brutal that we canāt even understand what they are saying. I have no idea how true that is or if thereās more explanations after the first chapter, but I decided I wasnāt having a good time with it so I tagged out. Iāll certainly watch the movie though, love me some Malcolm McDowell .
I understand Iām probably missing out since its obviously regarded as a literary classic, but I donāt think its for me.
(Also Anthony Burgessā real life taking a dramatic turn which spurned him to become a full time author is wild)
Iām currently reading Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer - I love it. Iāve seen the film a bunch of times so I was excited to read this. Its darker and creepier than the film, with a greater focus on the protagonist vs the film which spent more time characterising the other players in the story. Iām almost done, I think Iāll continue on and read the other two books in the trilogy as well. I love sci fi, I love creepiness, and this has both.
4 Likes
this is a BANGER pick
My super normie list:
- Slow Days, Fast Company, Eve Babitz
- Giovanniās Room, James Baldwin
- Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
- The Plague, Albert Camus
- Blue Nights, Joan Didion
- The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner
- The Neapolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante
- This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
- Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
- Passing, Nella Larsen
- The Rainbow, DH Lawrence
- La Casa de Bernarda Alba, Federico Garcia Lorca
- Chronicle of a Death Foretold, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami
- Metamorphoses, Ovid
- The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath
- Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys
- Nausea, Jean-Paul Sartre
- King Lear, William Shakespeare
- The Faraway Nearby, Rebecca Solnit
- Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
- On Earth Weāre Briefly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong
- The Color Purple, Alice Walker
- The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton
7 Likes
And here I am, only managing a handful of books a year because I get the vast majority of my book reading done while the opening and ending themes for anime play.
Right now, Iām on Volume II of Capital.
4 Likes
nice, this almost made mine as well. nothing else he wrote hit quite the same for me.
2 Likes
what is the best OP to read to
1 Like
This year, itās Do It Yourself. Less liability to be distracted like with Chainsaw Man or Ashita no Joe.
2 Likes
not for GGM! interesting choices
1 Like
would anyone be interested in reading a heretofore untranslated Roberto Arlt play? Iām going to do it anyway but I can share it here if thereās interest. Iām almost done with his short story āEscritor Fricasadoā so can post that too although I think itās less fun than the plays
6 Likes
do it yeso
1 Like
I almost had Notes of a Native Son there because I think on the whole his nonfiction is stronger than his fiction (and that being the strongest of his nonfiction). But then I saw Baldwin was heretofore unmentioned and Giovanniās Room is pretty much a perfect novel so I felt it should be included over Notes of a Native Son
2 Likes
yeah, i agree. i find him more fruitful as thinker than as a novelist. when i taught rhetoric in grad school iād usually use his debate with william buckley to demonstrate rhetorical technique. even when he spoke off the cuff he had a wit and eloquence thatās awe-inspiring. despite not liking his other fiction iāve read as much as giovanniās room, i have to admit iāve never read another novel that captures yearning in quite the same way giovanniās room does.
also this documentary based on one of his unfinished books is very good on the off-chance you havenāt yet seen it.
2 Likes
Never have I been so motivated to check out Gundam. Is there any particular series to which this description most applies?
1 Like
I would say Zeta Gundam has the most melodrama pound-for-pound. Some of that involves returning characters from the original series, but thereās also a lot of new people. Itās obviously not exactly the same kind of thing as Monte Cristo but it strikes a similar emotional chord with me, in that the situations are so extreme and yet still resonate on a human level. A characteristic part of Gundam (and my favourite aspect) is doomed romance, and the ways in which they become doomed can beā¦ striking.
2 Likes
If we were both 21 years old I would recommend watching the entire original series, but as a mature grown-up adult I will admit that you could probably watch the recap movies (although I havenāt actually seen them.)
3 Likes
i read a book called the devilās best trick: how the face of evil disappeared by randall sullivan. i got it because this reviewās tag-line (āin-depth occult investigation is not for the easily frightenedā) and claim that the process of writing the book made the author believe in the literal devil both rang my bell. also, my local bookstore had it in stock.
one day i will stop taking reviews so literally. the book surprised me in parts, but to call it frightening or in-depth in any serious way is naive at best and ignorant at worst. my final feeling toward the book is one of disappointment.
the first half of the book has an alternating structure where one half of each chapter does some investigative journalism into a suicide that occurred in texas at the height of the satanic panic and the other half of each chapter glosses the religious and literary history of the devil.
the author alleges the suicide was in fact a murder that was covered up by a combination of small town cop corruption and satanic cults. he also hints at the fact maybe the satanic panic wasnāt all bologna after all. there has been a minor revision of the satanic panic in recent years, but those claims allege that satanism was an invention ala the mirage men meant to throw the trail off real abuse, like the franklin scandal. the author does not explore this angle, but instead implies that satanic cults are bona fide.
this was the largest disappointment of the book, because the murder case he focuses on was simply not illustrative enough to amplify the questions he set to ask and answer. he even brings in true american psychos like albert pike, but fails to capitalize on these tenuous connections by not attempting to forge a unifying theory or by not attempting to paint a broader picture. it is inconceivable to me that he did not reference the finders files (if you are reading this post and want to give yourself a real eerie feeling, read the finders files).
at the same time, the biggest surprise of the book came in the latter half of the chapters where the author discussed the religious and literary history of the devil. he quickly decides that it only makes sense to look at the devil through the lens of christianity as opposed to judaism or islam as only christianity has a seemingly conflicting view of the devil as a powerful entity separate the surprise came from some of the more esoteric sources the author drew from to paint such a history. origen was mentioned, as was the summa theologica, huysmans, the decadent movement, william blakeā¦things that seem a little obvious in retrospect and things that were only tertiary but still ones i was pleased to see in a book like this. it had me doing the leo pose a lot.
the second half of the book was more interesting but more lopsided. here, the author considered the problem of evil more directly, asking if the devil doesnāt show himself in both big and small ways. for big ways, he looks at a few serial killers. for small ways, he ponders the daily displays of unkindness we enact. neither focal point is particularly insightful. that wasnāt the good part.
the book then turns into a history-cum-travelogue. that was the good part, but in ways not intended. the author has a thesis that mexico is essentially the land of the devil. he argues this by first going back to the aztecs and claiming their myriad ways of human sacrifice were proof of devil worship (he even includes an appendix that defends his sources he uses to make this claim and makes weak rallies against historical revisionists who attempt to rehabilitate the aztecs) before traveling to veracruz to meet what he calls brujas and partake in a black mass. this part was good because the writing is strong and very in-place whether it was about historical or contemporary mexico (it certainly helps that mexico is a beautiful and fascinating country and the author meets many interesting people). it was also good because i was a bit amazed that the author had the gall to accuse the entire country of mexico as a land of devil worshipers, even referencing a reported quote from an exorcism where satan via a girl possessed says: āDo you not know the history of Mexico? We have prepared a nice mess for Him there.ā the author anticipates some objection by inferring it might be the devil giving him such thoughts, as he was forced to remember the innumerable times in mexico he encountered love, good, and kindness. the other thing that amazed me in this part was how naked the author was in revealing his fear and āconversionā that the devil was real because he went to mexico and met a few ersatz witches and cartel members. thereās a very legitimate criticism that the author is a racist idiot, but i was impressed in the same way iād be if someone called everyone to attention before shitting their pants in a public square. i also found it funny that, as suspected, the āblack massā thing was the exact type of thing mid-00ās vice magazine would cover.
so, was the book good? not really. was it scary? maybe, but not by itās own merit. last night, laying in bed, i started thinking about it and considered whether or not the devil was a real entity and if evil was something more than the mere absence of good. if those things were true, the admission that there was little i could do about it gave me a little fright.
this review turned out much longer than anticipatedāthanks for reading.
6 Likes
I watched the recap movies for Mobile Suit Gundam. I would highly recommend them. I could tell that there was probably material being glossed over, but they managed to pull the main story and character threads together. It has the feel of an epic war movie: much more grounded about loss, death, and trauma, in a way that isnāt trivialized by the adoration toward the Gundam and Zaku suits. So still melodramatic and bombastic, yes, but with real weight beneath it. Itās not too far from Gerusalemme Liberata.
Iād be potentially interested in watching the whole series. The main issue is time, of course. But yeah, if you want to dabble, the three films are good!
1 Like
Whoooo, Iāve actually read a little of that, now that is a reference I didnāt expect to see here, letās gooo!
1 Like