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A very interesting book that's recently been widely discussed in the UK. It’s truly eye-opening, especially when viewed in the context of the current situation in the EU. With its modern technology and geopolitical tensions, it serves as a stark reminder of those critical years leading up to a major war. I’m particularly keen to read it, as Orwell’s wife also played a significant role in the resistance forces, which adds another fascinating layer to the story.

I loved this book. It helped me understand many of my beliefs better than any other work of media as of yet. With a deadly combination of hilarity, devastation, absurdism, and perfect syntax, not to mention with characters you can actually feel strongly for, it’s more than worth the read. …it’s honestly not a hard read, either. The careful syntax really does help. Having to remember more proper nouns and idioms doesn’t really make it more complex, it’s mostly chronological, and it’s not difficult to remember who is who because each character’s situations and traits stand out from the rest, making them memorable. It also manages to keep pretentiousness at a minimum. It’s really easy to understand, identify, why characters think and act the way they do. There was one comment I saw someone made about Infinite Jest where they said it was “written as though DFW was in a meth craze”, and, I don’t agree. His voice in his writing isn’t that “out there”, his tangents are pretty tame, it’s not much different than just listening to someone. If you don’t stop at every fourth word to make sure you know what it means, the flow of the writing is perfectly fine, you can figure it out more easily than you think. So, I would recommend it to pretty much anyone. Especially “anyone who likes to read”, in DFW’s words. I really love it. Even the audiobook version is great-it’s complete and free here on YT. Like many books, it hit harder and got better with a second read. It also seems to age like wine, some of its themes becoming more pertinent as time goes on, at least here in the USA. Lastly, my best argument for why you should read it is, it made me cry. If a book can make you cry in empathy, it’s a great book. Just give it a shot if you’re on the fence-it might take a little over a hundred pages to hook you, but when it does, it just keeps ramping up.

My favorite book ever

Reading it now. Came here for some perspective on it. Thanks for the review. As a side note and respectfully: Please try to be cognizant of and take a good look at how often you say, “uhnmm.” It detracts from your messaging.

Thanks

Many years ago,my brother gave me this book,it is his favorite book. He considered giving me his personal copy,but it is tattered ,tape bound and falling apart. He sent me a new copy. I never have laugh at the written word as much as I have with this book. And(no spoiler),the end made me absolutely cry🥲

Greatest novel ever written.

You should review the film version of the book it’s so enchanting

Mental health matter.

One of my favourite books!

Great video. Thank you.

In the first one minute and 19 seconds I think you described woke Democrats. You forgot to mention that he won the Pulitzer prize as his first published novel. Also there are at least two biographies about John Kennedy Toole, plus another book called Managing Ignatius how about the real life manager's experience working at Lucky Dog, the hot dog vendor company in the French Quarter. *Of the two biographies I prefer the one written by two women.

Just finished this book. Very good analysis and review. I learned a lot from what you said about it.

Ima indian and osho told us to read this

Thanks loved your review!

I'm going to do a multi episode series on Updike's Rabbit novels on why podcast; I feel that RABBIT IS RICH is the greatest in the series if I can say such a thing. It is a real treat to hear how you approach his work here. There is so much nonsense written about Updike and you dispel a lot of that stuff here. Thank you!

left ear

I saw David Sedaris in Edinburgh. He was just as lovely as I expected him to be. Me talk pretty one day is one of my favourite books

I read the Inquisitor a while back and learned that it's a part of The Brothers Karamazov. In the near future I would like to read The Brothers Karamazov. N

My favorite book, really stoked the fires of my quarter life crisis outta college (thankfully before I made any of Rabbit’s mistakes 😅). This is a terrific review!

Great summary! I'm almost at the end of this book, and it's one of the most challenging and rewarding reads I've ever experienced. This book absolutely requires a second read, IMHO. My problem is that at the end of each chapter, I've been going to a lot of literary review sites just to ensure I "got" everything. And more than likely, I didn't "get" everything. So, there's definitely been a struggle between just wanting to sit back and enjoy the ride, and making sure you know what the hell is happening as well as comprehending the heavy symbolism throughout this book.

A good book? One of your favorites? Huh. I wonder what your therapist thinks of your opinion. 🤔

"Ridiculous White Savior" could have even been the title Lol 2:25 I see what you did there lol You made some good analytical points that I appreciate! In particular, I really enjoyed the concept of Ignatius as the "funhouse mirror" reflection of all of us know-it-all, "The-book-was-better" folks lol

Thanks for reminding me to read this again!

Outstanding analysis !

I really like your explanation about the book. I learned a lot!

Thanks so much - I don’t know anyone who has read it either.

Bazarov is the fiction slayer fr

A novice is someone training to be a monk. You can be a priest without being a monk and married men can be priests in the Orthodox tradition.

I've read this book way more than once. I'm 66 yr and laugh all the way through every time, Highly reccommend

Wonderful and spot on review. I just ordered Tristram Shandy based on your recommendation. Do you have a list of the greatest comedies of all time?

One of the most overestimated writers of all time. Really? What can one say about Aliosa's theological discussions with a 13 year old boy? What can one think about the ending of Brothers Karamazov, where Aliosa together with some pre-adolescent children (!) are happy and celebrate the coming of Last Judgement Day!... Seriously? Is this suppose to be good literature? In Dostoevsky there is always the following concept: All "good" guys get to be rewarded and all "bad" guys either commit suicide or go to prison or get crazy. Ivan Karamazov, the one that could have saved Dmitri's, his brother's, life, gets crazy one day before the court! And why? Because he is the "atheist" of the novel! Excuse me, but is there anything more p r e d i c t a b l e in whole literature? Do you want your literature to be predictable in that silly way? How can a healthy human mind accept this forced and totally disgusting solution? This is the most horrible, boring and kitsch author out there. Not even his language has anything to offer! Please, read him anew; don't let yourself repeating "what the world is saying". Fortunately, there are at last some critical voices on Dostoevsky on YT. One can find them.

I’ve not finished the book yet but I’m almost to the end and it was a hard book for me to read, between all those characters and unfamiliar surroundings. One doesn’t know how to interpret Woland is he possibly a good guy? And pointed Pilate? Is he a hero? What’s going on here? I don’t get it.

Wow that’s the best book review I’ve ever seen! Thank you ❤❤❤❤

Thank you obrigado ❤

This novel blew me away. It helped me get through Covid. I took my time and found it to be an experience rather than an entertainment. So many other allegedly great novels pale in comparison. I didn't mind that "nothing happened" because for me, most days, nothing indeed does happen. Yet I happen. As do the others around me.

In the late 60s, Joan Didion was a tool of mainstream, young enough and beautiful enough to credibly attack the counterculture from within, but no matter how far embedded she was (embedded in the sense of a reporter embedded in a military unit), she was not truly of that culture and didn't share most of the ideals that help one understand within context the excesses of the era. She was a fundamentally conservative and moralizing force, in the same way that TERFs are essentially of the left and yet so far so that they are actually tools of the right.

🥸. 👍

A great novel Thank you very much indeed for a very clear and balanced analysis ❤

Do you have this books pdf?

Just bought this book ...will be reading it soon... Thank you ❤

I'm halfway through and have been wondering where it's going..... but it's not difficult to read. I think the second half holds promise and I like his writing style anyway.

Ok, now I need to go out and buy that “telephone book” you read from.

It’s about a woman who marries a man only for his money, then is surprised when her life is dull and she is unhappy. She is also mentally ill, and very stupid., and her husband is also very stupid! She has a man on the side for 4 years, plus others, too, and he doesn’t notice??! 🤣 And how in the world do you have an affair with someone for 4 years??! And he didn’t want to “run away” with her, so why did he lie and tell her he would, then stand her up on the night they were planning to leave??! If this was such a passionate relationship, why didn’t he marry her, and she divorce her husband??! They were obviously only using each other. For what, that I don’t know, for 4 years!! 😂🤣

"DFW wasn't a perfect person." As opposed to who was a perfect person?

"Street Urchins"? Is that any way to characterize a human being?

I love the proverb before the forward. Perfectly illustrates the paradox of the conflict

Wow, so glad I found this. I am writing my second novel and the secondary protagonist is like Stanley Kowalski or better yet--Harry Angstrom , and I wanted to know more about his "classic" analogy. And you have nailed it. So great to see someone on here who can give me more than a grade 8 book report.

I still need more arguments to agree that this is an undeniable masterpiece.

I am re-reading it for insight into the role and treatment of TB before the use of antibiotics. The treatment is interesting to me. But also the role of the disease, whether it is worthwhile to seek treatment or better to go off to work or war or family life; you might die of TB or of something else anyway.