Prose and Petticoats takes on the same topic right here (be sure to check it out!): th-cam.com/video/3NjrjQAHk2s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RgWk8YNZ0xO7ZwgF And here are the videos that have responded to the tag so far: From Book Chat with Pat: th-cam.com/video/OzZWiZt57vM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0fDVkJc_b6tz6xHR From Quaint and Curious Volumes: th-cam.com/video/gd12w03e6f8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QKUbMyOe576OOJAr From Genre Books: th-cam.com/video/nLtGOPAwMDI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=TY7uP-ZSlF3HB21P From Phillip Hall: th-cam.com/video/s_QLPkhX-2Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UXfUCxsN1EggpzRs From Micah S. Vernon: th-cam.com/video/Z_3fMRhqOeI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IxdBA0oTX8XlgDFk From BookZealots: th-cam.com/video/2ptRVvBopU0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tNEnEFMt74lIntJa From Monti Atkins Books: th-cam.com/video/0jVPmPfwzlM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=twHGaQnNWXcUall9 From Callosum Books: th-cam.com/video/PRg9KhUrlZA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2-vSjwJi_aMf0ldw From Stuart Griffin: th-cam.com/video/6SNkq6aG6hs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_4QWAEWmmokQZ0s7 From Literary Layer: th-cam.com/video/f2QX9JIP_tc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xI5hclJZjDfWcT6- From Bryndis Daughterofgunnar: th-cam.com/video/WKrwRJfkRxc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=kPkbDeBoUQQlhFav From SomeOkieDude: th-cam.com/video/0BFzQT-i2Ho/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Q6J8-Yp_m7ieAssD From TahliaNerdsOut: th-cam.com/video/DUE69GSe3T0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4lMVzyFvkoWb3U-K From Big Hard Books & Classics: th-cam.com/video/VqLpMfL5ytE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=urMJr1-bbnxPSJfP From Shelf Esteem: th-cam.com/video/uT3axRx91-Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WtrgzS6WtZqHorpY From Maeve_Ever_Books: th-cam.com/video/GeKxWKJs3rw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=chdWLlJD41iV2RpG From Books Gurrs and Purrs: th-cam.com/users/liveGzoLOplu5lU?si=2YWBI7959tOdjULq
I can concur that Antkind is on laugh-out-loud levels of funny if you like surreal and absurd humor. It does have deeper themes, but the humor is what really stands out.
As usual your insightful reflections are both informative and thought-provoking. Your explorations into various genres and styles has inspired me to be more open-minded in picking which books to read next.
That's wonderful. Thank you! I've gone through phases of sticking to a single genre, too, and have had moments of snootiness regarding what is worth reading. Of course, we only have this one lifetime. No point constraining ourselves arbitrarily. I'm glad to have helped inspire your exploration. I hope in future videos to offer more books for you, too.
Some great picks for articulate reasons. From these "simple" questions, it seems you extracted insightful purpose. You've absolutely sold me on "Life: A User's Manual". The premise sounds so interesting! Also, you've never laughed out loud at a book??! Read Catch-22 or Don Quijote. I would have said the same thing until I read these two books. My cheeks hurt so much from the constant grin on my face.
Hi Ruben. I really love this tag and your responses to these prompts. Thank you for tagging me. I will work on this one. I am toying with the idea of reading Proust, which I have never attempted. The fact that you tell me that Virginia Woolf loved Proust's writing makes me want to give him an attempt. (As I have been struggling with my third re-reading of Joyce's ULYSSES this summer, which is somehow not affecting me the way it did when I was a graduate student, I have taken great solace in reading Virginia Woolf on the subject of Ulysses. I feel vindicated somehow, not that I exactly need to have my reactions validated, but the fact that she really didn't like Ulysses has helped me somehow.) I have read Woolf's Writer's Diary, by the way, long ago, and I remember that I loved it. I am not sure that I could handle the books that you are listing under books that you look forward to for their emotional weight. Not at this point in my life. Thank you for another extraordinarily thoughtful video.
Thank you, Pat. I believe there is supposed to be a BookTube read-along hosted by Another Bibliophile Reads set for 2025. I'm using that as my excuse to finally embark on Proust, and perhaps it can be your excuse, too (these read-alongs instill some semblance of discipline for these long-haul reads). I hope you give us more of your thoughts on Ulysses, especially once you're done with the whole thing and have had time to reflect on the difference in experience. Perhaps it's Ulysses' reliance on novelty that wears thin upon subsequent rereads. At least Woolf is a writer we can return to again and again (recently finished my third read of her work The Waves) without finding diminishing returns; rather, her eloquence and brilliance and insights seem to unfold all-the-more fully in time.
@@ToReadersItMayConcern I’m actually reading Ulysses this time with Greg @anotherbibliophilereads and with Allen @ bighardbooks770. We had another live discussion last evening. We are in the homestretch now with just three episodes to go. Yes, I do think the very experimental nature of it is feeling tiresome to me this time around. As a 24-year-old graduate student in a state of profound grief over the loss of both my father and my brother, I was profoundly moved by Bloom’s continued mourning over the loss of his son and young Stephen’s guilt over the loss of his mother. But now, in my mid-sixties, those are not the details that are standing out, and the experimentation just feels tiresome. When we finish later this month, I’ll try to put my thoughts on this whole experience together. As for Proust, I may try a bit on my own and see if it’s something I want to commit to. I’m glad your revisiting of The Waves has been so fulfilling. I feel that way about Woolf too.
Great video and choices, many here that I am wanting to get to myself. Especially the Schmidt, which I may never get to, simply because getting his work is so hard over here in Australia (and in general). Maybe one day I'll pick up A School for Atheists, which isn't too unreasonably priced to get over here. I think currently the only one I have is Nobodaddy's Children. Didn't get notified that you'd tagged me but I'll definitely be making my own video with this tag, thanks!
I cherish booktubers like you. Such eloquent reviews and musings on books that are classics, literary challenges, post-modern, etc. I get so many recommendations! Keep it up.
Thank you for tagging me! I see this tag as a cue to buy more books since I currently don't have an answer for prompt 8. Looking forward to filming this one.
Hey, that's a great reason to expand your library! Binge buy! I think you would be great for this tag, and I hope it spurs others to discover your fantastic channel!
Whoa, I thought that 2666 cover was so iconic there wouldn't be another! I associate the entirety of my sense of that book on that specific cover. How strange to see it any other way. You're always invited to do any tag. You're kind of a tag maestro at this point.
thanks for the tag!! funny coincidence, i was at a used bookstore today and actually picked up 2666 haha. and those virginia woolf books seem interesting, i may have to look out for them. and you were able to articulate your thoughts on proust much more eloquently than i did 😅 i’ll give this some thought and upload something soon!
These tags are dangerous for my wallet. Interested in Life A User’s Manual and his writing with limitations. Thanks for the tag and yes, this was a good range of selections.
Joyce certainly has large sections of his work that are an intense struggle to get through. One GREAT way into his storytelling is to see if there are any performances or readings of Ulysses on Bloomsday (June 16) of each year. For instance, in my city at the Hammer Museum they offer a free two-hour reading and musical accompaniment through major portions of Ulysses. It is a fantastic way into that world, to see it and to hear it and to internalize the physicality of it. I hope you find one to see for yourself!
Great video as always! I would suggest a book for you to review: The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef. I think it's a book that could be of great use in our search for truth (it's not the usual "watchout for logical fallacies" book. It offers a different perspective and it's pretty original in that sense).
Thank you for the recommendation! I've heard Julia Galef speak about her book a few times, and her insights are valuable in maintaining a humble outlook of curiosity. What she presents is very much in line with my own thinking.
It's always a treat to learn about some of these lesser-known books you feature on this channel. I for one am intrigued by "I You We Them". A related book I read recently covered Adolf Eichmann and how evil doesn't have to be passionate, it can be purely ordinary. (See Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil) Thank you for the tag as well. I'm on a bit of a hiatus due to travel and multiple housing moves, but I look forward to filming this one in the next couple months. 😎
I almost bought that very boxset of Marcel Proust's work, but I'm actually glad I didn't. Instead, I got myself volume 1 of the Penguin Classics, just to see if I would like it. I don't think I will continue - the stream of consciousness style isn't my thing. :) Amazing video! Thank you for the lovely collabs.
I literally bought "Life: A User's Manual" this week! It sounds so fascinating and so outside of what I normally read. I hope we both really enjoy it! I own the 5000+ page Kindle version of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and I have been putting it off too long. I think I just need to dedicate myself to reading one chapter at a time because I've heard it referenced about six TRILLION times in my life. I own the Gulag Archipelago but I'll admit - this is likely not the year I'll be able to read it. Thanks for the reminder of the Rape of Nanking, I've put it on my wishlist and have always meant to read it. Great video!
Great idea for a tag! That 2666 edition looks hefty indeed. In a very fitting way. And oh man your edition of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall is magisterial! Which of these books do you think you will read first? I’m also curious whether you have a copy of Bottom’s Dream? That tome looks incredibly dense and daunting! I’d love to see a video in which you discuss your experience with reading huge books-I know you have read so much of the likes of DFW and Vollman. Finishing a huge book is such a satisfying (but sometimes painful) feeling! I look forward to your next video! Thank you for tagging me and for the ever fascinating content!
That's a good question. Where to begin? I had in mind Hopscotch being the first of these, since I'm finishing up Julio Cortazar's short story collection and loving it. But based on various positive comments I now feel compelled to dive into 2666 sooner than anticipated. That drives into the topic of big books, as I'm already jumping between three 1,000+ page chunkers (I blame my students for this, haha). That's a question I hadn't thought about much before: what is it about these big books, the difference, the worth, the potential waste even (with the brimming reward, too)? There was about two years prior to starting this channel when I only read massive books, not consciously-it just became what compelled most and also felt like a need, these authors having struggled so wholly for something grand and my desire to feel the sublime of that scale being what spurred such a self-fueling compulsion. This channel has actually gotten me to return to smaller books, I think because large books are harder to discuss succinctly. Thank you for this topic idea! I'll really have to think on this, and I hope to discover something of worth to say on the subject. To put a response simply: there is something in big books that compels me to read at length and then a flow-state takes over that feels elevated beyond slimmer volumes. My longest reading sessions have always come most naturally with large books. And to the question I almost accidentally skipped over: I WISH I HAD A PHYSICAL COPY OF BOTTOM'S DREAM (and equally his work Evening Edged in Gold)! But such works are too expensive, and it feels unnecessary to spend so much money when there are other great books left unfinished. Thankfully, I have a PDF copy of Arno's rarest works (and it's actually possible to get all of his rare books from the library, which is fantastic for finally reading them-that's how I read his Collected Novellas, for instance, via the library).
For humor, try Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Right-Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville (seriously, it's very funny).
Ah yes, book covers (especially most contemporary ones) work so well as artworks in miniature. There's nothing like a really good book cover. I also adore Virginia Woolf. I've actually just written a verse-essay on Woolf (interwoven with George Eliot/Baruch Spinoza & Iris Murdoch) as a chapter in my forthcoming book ('Hounded'). I love the way you range over such disparate terrain capturing such considered & readerly enthusiasm - a terrific tone to maintain.
bolaño's 2666 is so excellent, i read it this year and loved it - would be really interested to hear you talk about it more once you read it, i think you will seriously enjoy it
Never having laughed while reading is something I would wish on no one! I think I spy JR by William Gaddis on your shelf and that made me burst out laughing in the middle of the night, that type of laughter that you have to stifle with a pillow...
Marcel Proust would have to be my favourite author.I have read through In Search of Lost Time twice and will undoubtedly return for more at some point, it's beautiful in every way imaginable. I recently bought Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts based on the cover more than anything and the fact that he is Australian like me. I am loving the book, such a unique insight into Indian life and culture. Truly Wonderful. Quite a few on this list I would love to tackle thank you Ruben.
That's a resounding recommendation for Proust. I'm hoping 2025 will be the year I finally dedicate myself to that work. I hope my thoughts as they arise end up worth the wait! I've heard of Shantaram but have yet to purchase it. Keep me updated on how it ends up once you're done, if it's worth the commitment.
Hopscotch sounds like an interesting read. I remember my daughter reading a book like that in . . . I think it was third of fourth grade. (i.e. ages ago). Have you read Hermione Lee's biography on Virginia Woolf? I do not like V. Woolf, but the biography was very good. So many interesting books. I'm really interested to hear about your reviews when you get to them. How many of your books behind you/on your shelves are read vs unread? Sorry if this is a well known fact to your older viewers, but I had to ask. =)
Most of the horizontal books that are lying on top of the other ones are unread, as those are more recent purchases; of the upright books, I've read about 70% over the span of 10-ish years. Is it Woolf's elongated, stream-of-consciousness style that doesn't work for you? She happens to be one of my favorite writers, but I also know that many find her writing unnecessarily convoluted. I'd love a sense of what feels so off about her writing (I'm thinking of doing a video on her work The Waves soon for the channel, and I may include tips on how to read her). I remember many years back hating Woolf's writing, but I don't remember why! Her work Orlando is what clicked for me, and now all her other works flow smoothly. I've yet to read any biographies of her; reading her diaries is a starting point into grasping her life story. Thank you for stopping by!
@@ToReadersItMayConcern Oh you definitely need to go book shopping. LOL Before I had read the biography, I had only read A Room of One's Own. I didn't like the woman in the book. She was a rude and spoilt child. Then I read the biography and knowing what I know I cannot read anything Woolf has written. yes, part of it is not wanting to be in Woolf's head. Part of it is the subject. Part of it, is that she was just writing about the people in her life and changing their names. She was not a nice person in real life. If you adore her, Hermione Lee might not be the right biography for you. Hermione started out as a bit of a sychophant, but then becomes less biased. I found it extremely fascinating. I wanted to love her writing, but since the stories aren't of her creation... 🤷♀ And of course i think it's tragic that she made the final decision she did. I'd watch your video though. Absolutely. I look forward to it.
YES! The Modernists* are completely in my wheel house & I have quite a number of the books you mentioned either on my shelf or wish list. Since it seems you are a stream of consciousness fan I would also recommend Edouard du Jardin's We'll to the Woods no More. The second would be Knut Hamsun's Mysteries. Both wonderful examples. I feel your pain on Schmidt's Bottom's Dream. I actually found a copy in a used book store in MPLS & the owner let me flip through it briefly, but the price tag--Youch. But a man's reach should exceed his grasp, so maybe one day. I really enjoy & get a lot out of your videos. Keep up the great work & I look forward to upcoming videos. *While I think that Modernism is the high-water mark for the novel, I fear it is the only field of artistic endeavor that did achieve a rise in their particular field: Modernist art is just a let down (with the exception of the Surrealists), & the atonal movement in classical music was/is tragic; but especially modernist architecture is nothing but a grotesquery that still plagues us to this day & has made so many cities unlivable.
Thank you for these recommendations. Stream-of-consciousness has a hold on me unlike much else. I think it feels so distinctively literary in its effect.
@@ToReadersItMayConcern In my Bachelor's Essay, I addressed the shift from an oral culture to a print culture in the novel, focusing on the focus on interiority; I believe the stream of consciousness captures this element precisely. I would also like to recommend Erich Kahler's book The Inward Turn of Narrative (as well as his The Orbit of Mann about, yes, Thomas Mann). I hope that you start reading these books soon, as I would really enjoy hearing what you think about them. I wish you well.
@@mcrumph I think our tastes are similar, based on the samples I've read of each book you've mentioned. Feel free to keep informing me of greats you discover over time. Happy to have you here!
Flew back into Houston last night, and you popped up this morning on my YT feed (much better than waiting to see if Beryl will hit home Monday). I won't spoil the plots for you, but I've already read 2666 (yes, it's rough but worth it), HOPSCOTCH (very interesting), LIFE: A USER'S MANUAL (clever, but I've grown less interested over time in "clever" writing for the sake of being clever). Finished reading IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME earlier this year - I felt the protagonist needed a good shaking or perhaps a whack on the back of the head in order to get his life together. The final volume, TIME REGAINED, gets into some surprising S&M but was finished by Proust's brother. Apparently Proust and Joyce shared a cab ride in Paris at one point and had nothing to say to each other. For a funny book (I'm not enamoured by Kaufmann, or Christopher Nolan for that matter, but that's just me), try the Grossmith Brothers' DIARY OF A NOBODY (1892). It's short and has never been out of print - and truly laugh out loud. WOMEN AND MEN has long been on my tbr list, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to it. For some reason, I haven't read much Woolf, although I believe I've read something by everyone else in her circle, including Vita Sackville-West. Gibbon? Yes, he's dated but still is a standard resource for everyone to follow, such as Mary Beard. As so many of the works discussed today are in English translation, I thought I'd suggest for you a provocative study I just finished, John Barton's THE WORD: ON THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. The central focus is on the translator's task/art - is it more important to produce a translation that is formal-equivalent (sticks closer to the original words) or functional-equivalent (sticks closer to the author's intent). You can see the difference comparing translations of Proust, for example - the functional-equivalent translators may not translate word for word, but the reading audience get the true "feeling" of the text. Anyway, back from buying too many books in London, but finally found Kurkov's THE PRESIDENT'S LAST LOVE and now will start JIMI HENDRIX LIVE IN LVIV. But that brings up a topic for a future video: How much time should we devote to the "classics" vs newer writers? Do you find yourself reading more writers such as Arno Schmidt to the detriment of say George Eliot or Balzac? Or does it matter? Is it necessary and/or helpful to have read TRISTRAM SHANDY before more recent experimental writers?
I'm surprised about the lack of Woolf in your life thus far. She is among my favorites, especially with her work The Waves (I may offer some thoughts on this book on my channel soon-ish). Translation is an endlessly fascinating subject, especially when it stretches to translation of cognition-mine to yours, for instance-wherein we attempt to communicate differing experiences through the same words, and it's that relational quality between the words that creates consistency without confirmation of perfect translation. Douglas Hofstadter has this strange book, Le Ton Beau De Marot: In Praise of The Music of Language, that is essentially about translation and all the limitations and thus implications it carries about meaning generally and the choices one makes in translation. Fascinating stuff, though the sort of questioning that doesn't lead to answers, more ambiguity, impractical, but becomes a slight way into philosophy of language without being bogged down by the analytical jargon. Great final questions! That inspires a video on how to choose what to read generally. I'm going to keep your questions in mind and perhaps construct a video on the subject. Gonna require some thought, but I love the specificity of your questions-makes the abstraction of such choices less abstract. Feel free to throw out more conundrums as they arise in your mind. There is always a cost to one's choices, isn't there? The irony of choice: the freedom to choose is to then limit one's choices. The more I think on this the more difficult it is to answer with generalized advice: so much of my decisions are essentially impulses that become rationalized after-the-fact. I hope you haven't just pushed me down a spiral of readerly self-doubt and regret!-Hmm, in some ways, the question of how to choose what to read is a question of how to make choices in one's life generally, how to prioritize oneself (but then which self is to be prioritized, that of who's instincts culls choices now or that of your ideal future self whose intuitions you don't yet feel?)-And now we return to Woolf's The Waves, regret and choices and selves-gosh I love that book!
@@ToReadersItMayConcern lol I promise to pick up more Woolf when I'm at the bookstore Tuesday. Out of curiosity, I checked over my reading list to see when I'd last read VW, and I'm embarrassed to say it was 1979 - and the book was WRITER'S DIARY! BTW, I watched Prose and Petticoats complementary video, and I hope I've given her a hand with Dante (a tough read even for professional critics) by steering her to the 1911 silent Italian film L'INFERNO which I think is still available for free on YT. Also suggested she try Trollope's CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?, an underrated novel of madness and love. But she's also a big fan of Balzac, so she has my heart. And for you, if I haven't recommended it before, add Malcolm Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO to your tbr list - a great companion piece to Greene's POWER AND THE GLORY. Now, back to Kurkov for this afternoon.
Charlotte Turner Smith (1749-1806) recently reached out of the grave to grab my throat. She won't let go until I have captured, read and agonized over all her antiquarian novels and poetry. Am looking for pity to pass on to her for the agony she endured to produce her work. She is currently making me feel the terror of the Paris mob calling themselves Patriots. What's her point?
The cover of the first version of the penguin modern classic edition of Things Fall Apart attracted me to wanting to get and read it. Was wanting to expand my reading range to African literature, saw that cover without knowing who the author was and decided 'yep, I'm reading it!'. A video I think would be an interesting one, is talking about books that could have benefited from being longer or shorter. And ones that could benefit from a well-done abridgment.
Great video idea! I'll be writing that down! That is a beautiful, mysterious cover for Things Fall Apart (just looked it up). Thanks for mentioning it!
Prose and Petticoats takes on the same topic right here (be sure to check it out!): th-cam.com/video/3NjrjQAHk2s/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RgWk8YNZ0xO7ZwgF
And here are the videos that have responded to the tag so far:
From Book Chat with Pat: th-cam.com/video/OzZWiZt57vM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=0fDVkJc_b6tz6xHR
From Quaint and Curious Volumes: th-cam.com/video/gd12w03e6f8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=QKUbMyOe576OOJAr
From Genre Books: th-cam.com/video/nLtGOPAwMDI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=TY7uP-ZSlF3HB21P
From Phillip Hall: th-cam.com/video/s_QLPkhX-2Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=UXfUCxsN1EggpzRs
From Micah S. Vernon: th-cam.com/video/Z_3fMRhqOeI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IxdBA0oTX8XlgDFk
From BookZealots: th-cam.com/video/2ptRVvBopU0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=tNEnEFMt74lIntJa
From Monti Atkins Books: th-cam.com/video/0jVPmPfwzlM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=twHGaQnNWXcUall9
From Callosum Books: th-cam.com/video/PRg9KhUrlZA/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2-vSjwJi_aMf0ldw
From Stuart Griffin: th-cam.com/video/6SNkq6aG6hs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_4QWAEWmmokQZ0s7
From Literary Layer: th-cam.com/video/f2QX9JIP_tc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=xI5hclJZjDfWcT6-
From Bryndis Daughterofgunnar: th-cam.com/video/WKrwRJfkRxc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=kPkbDeBoUQQlhFav
From SomeOkieDude: th-cam.com/video/0BFzQT-i2Ho/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Q6J8-Yp_m7ieAssD
From TahliaNerdsOut: th-cam.com/video/DUE69GSe3T0/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4lMVzyFvkoWb3U-K
From Big Hard Books & Classics: th-cam.com/video/VqLpMfL5ytE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=urMJr1-bbnxPSJfP
From Shelf Esteem: th-cam.com/video/uT3axRx91-Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=WtrgzS6WtZqHorpY
From Maeve_Ever_Books: th-cam.com/video/GeKxWKJs3rw/w-d-xo.htmlsi=chdWLlJD41iV2RpG
From Books Gurrs and Purrs: th-cam.com/users/liveGzoLOplu5lU?si=2YWBI7959tOdjULq
Done. Thanks for the recommendation.
This channel is more than we deserve.
30 minutes?! Haha, I can't wait to watch this. I'll be back, Ruben. I'll be back. 👀
I can concur that Antkind is on laugh-out-loud levels of funny if you like surreal and absurd humor. It does have deeper themes, but the humor is what really stands out.
Fantastic video!
As usual your insightful reflections are both informative and thought-provoking. Your explorations into various genres and styles has inspired me to be more open-minded in picking which books to read next.
That's wonderful. Thank you! I've gone through phases of sticking to a single genre, too, and have had moments of snootiness regarding what is worth reading. Of course, we only have this one lifetime. No point constraining ourselves arbitrarily. I'm glad to have helped inspire your exploration. I hope in future videos to offer more books for you, too.
Some great picks for articulate reasons. From these "simple" questions, it seems you extracted insightful purpose.
You've absolutely sold me on "Life: A User's Manual". The premise sounds so interesting!
Also, you've never laughed out loud at a book??! Read Catch-22 or Don Quijote. I would have said the same thing until I read these two books. My cheeks hurt so much from the constant grin on my face.
Hi Ruben. I really love this tag and your responses to these prompts. Thank you for tagging me. I will work on this one. I am toying with the idea of reading Proust, which I have never attempted. The fact that you tell me that Virginia Woolf loved Proust's writing makes me want to give him an attempt. (As I have been struggling with my third re-reading of Joyce's ULYSSES this summer, which is somehow not affecting me the way it did when I was a graduate student, I have taken great solace in reading Virginia Woolf on the subject of Ulysses. I feel vindicated somehow, not that I exactly need to have my reactions validated, but the fact that she really didn't like Ulysses has helped me somehow.) I have read Woolf's Writer's Diary, by the way, long ago, and I remember that I loved it. I am not sure that I could handle the books that you are listing under books that you look forward to for their emotional weight. Not at this point in my life. Thank you for another extraordinarily thoughtful video.
Thank you, Pat.
I believe there is supposed to be a BookTube read-along hosted by Another Bibliophile Reads set for 2025. I'm using that as my excuse to finally embark on Proust, and perhaps it can be your excuse, too (these read-alongs instill some semblance of discipline for these long-haul reads).
I hope you give us more of your thoughts on Ulysses, especially once you're done with the whole thing and have had time to reflect on the difference in experience. Perhaps it's Ulysses' reliance on novelty that wears thin upon subsequent rereads. At least Woolf is a writer we can return to again and again (recently finished my third read of her work The Waves) without finding diminishing returns; rather, her eloquence and brilliance and insights seem to unfold all-the-more fully in time.
@@ToReadersItMayConcern I’m actually reading Ulysses this time with Greg @anotherbibliophilereads and with Allen @ bighardbooks770. We had another live discussion last evening. We are in the homestretch now with just three episodes to go. Yes, I do think the very experimental nature of it is feeling tiresome to me this time around. As a 24-year-old graduate student in a state of profound grief over the loss of both my father and my brother, I was profoundly moved by Bloom’s continued mourning over the loss of his son and young Stephen’s guilt over the loss of his mother. But now, in my mid-sixties, those are not the details that are standing out, and the experimentation just feels tiresome. When we finish later this month, I’ll try to put my thoughts on this whole experience together. As for Proust, I may try a bit on my own and see if it’s something I want to commit to.
I’m glad your revisiting of The Waves has been so fulfilling. I feel that way about Woolf too.
Great video and choices, many here that I am wanting to get to myself. Especially the Schmidt, which I may never get to, simply because getting his work is so hard over here in Australia (and in general). Maybe one day I'll pick up A School for Atheists, which isn't too unreasonably priced to get over here. I think currently the only one I have is Nobodaddy's Children. Didn't get notified that you'd tagged me but I'll definitely be making my own video with this tag, thanks!
The only problem with watching other book tubers is that it only increase the tbr. So many books and so little time. Happy reading to you.
It really does: half of my latest book purchases have been BookTube inspired. It's a wonderful (but costly) gift.
Please do a bookshelf vlog :)))))))
I cherish booktubers like you. Such eloquent reviews and musings on books that are classics, literary challenges, post-modern, etc. I get so many recommendations! Keep it up.
There are some great recommendations here! I've also been counting the days for 2666 and Hopscotch.
Thank you for tagging me! I see this tag as a cue to buy more books since I currently don't have an answer for prompt 8. Looking forward to filming this one.
Hey, that's a great reason to expand your library! Binge buy!
I think you would be great for this tag, and I hope it spurs others to discover your fantastic channel!
Awesome stuff
Hi there, really have been enjoying your content but mostly have been inspired to read. Great work recommendations by the way. TC.
That's wonderful to hear. Thank you!
This is a great idea for a tag! I'm also very intrigued by 2666, although my edition's cover art isn't quite as interesting as yours.
Whoa, I thought that 2666 cover was so iconic there wouldn't be another! I associate the entirety of my sense of that book on that specific cover. How strange to see it any other way. You're always invited to do any tag. You're kind of a tag maestro at this point.
thanks for the tag!! funny coincidence, i was at a used bookstore today and actually picked up 2666 haha. and those virginia woolf books seem interesting, i may have to look out for them. and you were able to articulate your thoughts on proust much more eloquently than i did 😅
i’ll give this some thought and upload something soon!
These tags are dangerous for my wallet. Interested in Life A User’s Manual and his writing with limitations. Thanks for the tag and yes, this was a good range of selections.
Thanks for the tag! I haven't even heard about most of these!
I'm excited to have you join in! The best parts of these sorts of tags is seeing everyone's distinctive tastes shine through.
Such great prompts, and such great books. Proust and Joyce author the books I am most intimidated by...but I know the struggle will be worth my time 🤓
Joyce certainly has large sections of his work that are an intense struggle to get through. One GREAT way into his storytelling is to see if there are any performances or readings of Ulysses on Bloomsday (June 16) of each year. For instance, in my city at the Hammer Museum they offer a free two-hour reading and musical accompaniment through major portions of Ulysses. It is a fantastic way into that world, to see it and to hear it and to internalize the physicality of it. I hope you find one to see for yourself!
Great video as always! I would suggest a book for you to review: The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef. I think it's a book that could be of great use in our search for truth (it's not the usual "watchout for logical fallacies" book. It offers a different perspective and it's pretty original in that sense).
Thank you for the recommendation! I've heard Julia Galef speak about her book a few times, and her insights are valuable in maintaining a humble outlook of curiosity. What she presents is very much in line with my own thinking.
It's always a treat to learn about some of these lesser-known books you feature on this channel. I for one am intrigued by "I You We Them". A related book I read recently covered Adolf Eichmann and how evil doesn't have to be passionate, it can be purely ordinary. (See Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil)
Thank you for the tag as well. I'm on a bit of a hiatus due to travel and multiple housing moves, but I look forward to filming this one in the next couple months.
😎
I almost bought that very boxset of Marcel Proust's work, but I'm actually glad I didn't. Instead, I got myself volume 1 of the Penguin Classics, just to see if I would like it. I don't think I will continue - the stream of consciousness style isn't my thing. :) Amazing video! Thank you for the lovely collabs.
Yeah, sounds like a smart decision on your part. I hope I don't get filled with any regrets once I'm through volume 1.
I literally bought "Life: A User's Manual" this week! It sounds so fascinating and so outside of what I normally read. I hope we both really enjoy it! I own the 5000+ page Kindle version of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and I have been putting it off too long. I think I just need to dedicate myself to reading one chapter at a time because I've heard it referenced about six TRILLION times in my life. I own the Gulag Archipelago but I'll admit - this is likely not the year I'll be able to read it. Thanks for the reminder of the Rape of Nanking, I've put it on my wishlist and have always meant to read it. Great video!
Great idea for a tag!
That 2666 edition looks hefty indeed. In a very fitting way.
And oh man your edition of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall is magisterial!
Which of these books do you think you will read first? I’m also curious whether you have a copy of Bottom’s Dream? That tome looks incredibly dense and daunting!
I’d love to see a video in which you discuss your experience with reading huge books-I know you have read so much of the likes of DFW and Vollman. Finishing a huge book is such a satisfying (but sometimes painful) feeling!
I look forward to your next video! Thank you for tagging me and for the ever fascinating content!
That's a good question. Where to begin? I had in mind Hopscotch being the first of these, since I'm finishing up Julio Cortazar's short story collection and loving it. But based on various positive comments I now feel compelled to dive into 2666 sooner than anticipated.
That drives into the topic of big books, as I'm already jumping between three 1,000+ page chunkers (I blame my students for this, haha). That's a question I hadn't thought about much before: what is it about these big books, the difference, the worth, the potential waste even (with the brimming reward, too)? There was about two years prior to starting this channel when I only read massive books, not consciously-it just became what compelled most and also felt like a need, these authors having struggled so wholly for something grand and my desire to feel the sublime of that scale being what spurred such a self-fueling compulsion.
This channel has actually gotten me to return to smaller books, I think because large books are harder to discuss succinctly. Thank you for this topic idea! I'll really have to think on this, and I hope to discover something of worth to say on the subject. To put a response simply: there is something in big books that compels me to read at length and then a flow-state takes over that feels elevated beyond slimmer volumes. My longest reading sessions have always come most naturally with large books.
And to the question I almost accidentally skipped over: I WISH I HAD A PHYSICAL COPY OF BOTTOM'S DREAM (and equally his work Evening Edged in Gold)! But such works are too expensive, and it feels unnecessary to spend so much money when there are other great books left unfinished. Thankfully, I have a PDF copy of Arno's rarest works (and it's actually possible to get all of his rare books from the library, which is fantastic for finally reading them-that's how I read his Collected Novellas, for instance, via the library).
For humor, try Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, Right-Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome, and Moby Dick by Herman Melville (seriously, it's very funny).
Ah yes, book covers (especially most contemporary ones) work so well as artworks in miniature. There's nothing like a really good book cover. I also adore Virginia Woolf. I've actually just written a verse-essay on Woolf (interwoven with George Eliot/Baruch Spinoza & Iris Murdoch) as a chapter in my forthcoming book ('Hounded'). I love the way you range over such disparate terrain capturing such considered & readerly enthusiasm - a terrific tone to maintain.
bolaño's 2666 is so excellent, i read it this year and loved it - would be really interested to hear you talk about it more once you read it, i think you will seriously enjoy it
Aah, those are some good ones. I've read at least SOME of all of those but they're realllly long.
Never having laughed while reading is something I would wish on no one! I think I spy JR by William Gaddis on your shelf and that made me burst out laughing in the middle of the night, that type of laughter that you have to stifle with a pillow...
Chris Vai of Leaf by Leaf has a video of Antkind.
Thank you for the reminder! I think I intended to watch that but forgot.
Marcel Proust would have to be my favourite author.I have read through In Search of Lost Time twice and will undoubtedly return for more at some point, it's beautiful in every way imaginable. I recently bought Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts based on the cover more than anything and the fact that he is Australian like me. I am loving the book, such a unique insight into Indian life and culture. Truly Wonderful. Quite a few on this list I would love to tackle thank you Ruben.
That's a resounding recommendation for Proust. I'm hoping 2025 will be the year I finally dedicate myself to that work. I hope my thoughts as they arise end up worth the wait!
I've heard of Shantaram but have yet to purchase it. Keep me updated on how it ends up once you're done, if it's worth the commitment.
Hopscotch sounds like an interesting read. I remember my daughter reading a book like that in . . . I think it was third of fourth grade. (i.e. ages ago). Have you read Hermione Lee's biography on Virginia Woolf? I do not like V. Woolf, but the biography was very good. So many interesting books. I'm really interested to hear about your reviews when you get to them.
How many of your books behind you/on your shelves are read vs unread? Sorry if this is a well known fact to your older viewers, but I had to ask. =)
Most of the horizontal books that are lying on top of the other ones are unread, as those are more recent purchases; of the upright books, I've read about 70% over the span of 10-ish years.
Is it Woolf's elongated, stream-of-consciousness style that doesn't work for you? She happens to be one of my favorite writers, but I also know that many find her writing unnecessarily convoluted. I'd love a sense of what feels so off about her writing (I'm thinking of doing a video on her work The Waves soon for the channel, and I may include tips on how to read her). I remember many years back hating Woolf's writing, but I don't remember why! Her work Orlando is what clicked for me, and now all her other works flow smoothly. I've yet to read any biographies of her; reading her diaries is a starting point into grasping her life story.
Thank you for stopping by!
@@ToReadersItMayConcern Oh you definitely need to go book shopping. LOL
Before I had read the biography, I had only read A Room of One's Own. I didn't like the woman in the book. She was a rude and spoilt child. Then I read the biography and knowing what I know I cannot read anything Woolf has written. yes, part of it is not wanting to be in Woolf's head. Part of it is the subject. Part of it, is that she was just writing about the people in her life and changing their names. She was not a nice person in real life.
If you adore her, Hermione Lee might not be the right biography for you. Hermione started out as a bit of a sychophant, but then becomes less biased. I found it extremely fascinating. I wanted to love her writing, but since the stories aren't of her creation... 🤷♀ And of course i think it's tragic that she made the final decision she did.
I'd watch your video though. Absolutely. I look forward to it.
Try Flann O'brien for absurd humour particularly The Third Policeman. All the pseudo science is too funny.
YES! The Modernists* are completely in my wheel house & I have quite a number of the books you mentioned either on my shelf or wish list. Since it seems you are a stream of consciousness fan I would also recommend Edouard du Jardin's We'll to the Woods no More. The second would be Knut Hamsun's Mysteries. Both wonderful examples. I feel your pain on Schmidt's Bottom's Dream. I actually found a copy in a used book store in MPLS & the owner let me flip through it briefly, but the price tag--Youch. But a man's reach should exceed his grasp, so maybe one day.
I really enjoy & get a lot out of your videos. Keep up the great work & I look forward to upcoming videos.
*While I think that Modernism is the high-water mark for the novel, I fear it is the only field of artistic endeavor that did achieve a rise in their particular field: Modernist art is just a let down (with the exception of the Surrealists), & the atonal movement in classical music was/is tragic; but especially modernist architecture is nothing but a grotesquery that still plagues us to this day & has made so many cities unlivable.
Thank you for these recommendations. Stream-of-consciousness has a hold on me unlike much else. I think it feels so distinctively literary in its effect.
@@ToReadersItMayConcern In my Bachelor's Essay, I addressed the shift from an oral culture to a print culture in the novel, focusing on the focus on interiority; I believe the stream of consciousness captures this element precisely. I would also like to recommend Erich Kahler's book The Inward Turn of Narrative (as well as his The Orbit of Mann about, yes, Thomas Mann). I hope that you start reading these books soon, as I would really enjoy hearing what you think about them.
I wish you well.
@@mcrumph I think our tastes are similar, based on the samples I've read of each book you've mentioned. Feel free to keep informing me of greats you discover over time. Happy to have you here!
Iris Chang unalived herself due to the trauma of researching the book about Nanking.
I did not know that. That's tragic.
Flew back into Houston last night, and you popped up this morning on my YT feed (much better than waiting to see if Beryl will hit home Monday). I won't spoil the plots for you, but I've already read 2666 (yes, it's rough but worth it), HOPSCOTCH (very interesting), LIFE: A USER'S MANUAL (clever, but I've grown less interested over time in "clever" writing for the sake of being clever). Finished reading IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME earlier this year - I felt the protagonist needed a good shaking or perhaps a whack on the back of the head in order to get his life together. The final volume, TIME REGAINED, gets into some surprising S&M but was finished by Proust's brother. Apparently Proust and Joyce shared a cab ride in Paris at one point and had nothing to say to each other. For a funny book (I'm not enamoured by Kaufmann, or Christopher Nolan for that matter, but that's just me), try the Grossmith Brothers' DIARY OF A NOBODY (1892). It's short and has never been out of print - and truly laugh out loud.
WOMEN AND MEN has long been on my tbr list, but I don't know if I'll ever get around to it. For some reason, I haven't read much Woolf, although I believe I've read something by everyone else in her circle, including Vita Sackville-West. Gibbon? Yes, he's dated but still is a standard resource for everyone to follow, such as Mary Beard. As so many of the works discussed today are in English translation, I thought I'd suggest for you a provocative study I just finished, John Barton's THE WORD: ON THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. The central focus is on the translator's task/art - is it more important to produce a translation that is formal-equivalent (sticks closer to the original words) or functional-equivalent (sticks closer to the author's intent). You can see the difference comparing translations of Proust, for example - the functional-equivalent translators may not translate word for word, but the reading audience get the true "feeling" of the text.
Anyway, back from buying too many books in London, but finally found Kurkov's THE PRESIDENT'S LAST LOVE and now will start JIMI HENDRIX LIVE IN LVIV. But that brings up a topic for a future video: How much time should we devote to the "classics" vs newer writers? Do you find yourself reading more writers such as Arno Schmidt to the detriment of say George Eliot or Balzac? Or does it matter? Is it necessary and/or helpful to have read TRISTRAM SHANDY before more recent experimental writers?
I'm surprised about the lack of Woolf in your life thus far. She is among my favorites, especially with her work The Waves (I may offer some thoughts on this book on my channel soon-ish).
Translation is an endlessly fascinating subject, especially when it stretches to translation of cognition-mine to yours, for instance-wherein we attempt to communicate differing experiences through the same words, and it's that relational quality between the words that creates consistency without confirmation of perfect translation. Douglas Hofstadter has this strange book, Le Ton Beau De Marot: In Praise of The Music of Language, that is essentially about translation and all the limitations and thus implications it carries about meaning generally and the choices one makes in translation. Fascinating stuff, though the sort of questioning that doesn't lead to answers, more ambiguity, impractical, but becomes a slight way into philosophy of language without being bogged down by the analytical jargon.
Great final questions! That inspires a video on how to choose what to read generally. I'm going to keep your questions in mind and perhaps construct a video on the subject. Gonna require some thought, but I love the specificity of your questions-makes the abstraction of such choices less abstract. Feel free to throw out more conundrums as they arise in your mind. There is always a cost to one's choices, isn't there? The irony of choice: the freedom to choose is to then limit one's choices. The more I think on this the more difficult it is to answer with generalized advice: so much of my decisions are essentially impulses that become rationalized after-the-fact. I hope you haven't just pushed me down a spiral of readerly self-doubt and regret!-Hmm, in some ways, the question of how to choose what to read is a question of how to make choices in one's life generally, how to prioritize oneself (but then which self is to be prioritized, that of who's instincts culls choices now or that of your ideal future self whose intuitions you don't yet feel?)-And now we return to Woolf's The Waves, regret and choices and selves-gosh I love that book!
@@ToReadersItMayConcern lol I promise to pick up more Woolf when I'm at the bookstore Tuesday. Out of curiosity, I checked over my reading list to see when I'd last read VW, and I'm embarrassed to say it was 1979 - and the book was WRITER'S DIARY! BTW, I watched Prose and Petticoats complementary video, and I hope I've given her a hand with Dante (a tough read even for professional critics) by steering her to the 1911 silent Italian film L'INFERNO which I think is still available for free on YT. Also suggested she try Trollope's CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?, an underrated novel of madness and love. But she's also a big fan of Balzac, so she has my heart. And for you, if I haven't recommended it before, add Malcolm Lowry's UNDER THE VOLCANO to your tbr list - a great companion piece to Greene's POWER AND THE GLORY. Now, back to Kurkov for this afternoon.
Charlotte Turner Smith (1749-1806) recently reached out of the grave to grab my throat. She won't let go until I have captured, read and agonized over all her antiquarian novels and poetry. Am looking for pity to pass on to her for the agony she endured to produce her work. She is currently making me feel the terror of the Paris mob calling themselves Patriots. What's her point?
2666 is an absolutely terrible book. I hated it so much.
I'd love to hear any specifics about what didn't work for you. Just out of curiosity. 😀
The cover of the first version of the penguin modern classic edition of Things Fall Apart attracted me to wanting to get and read it. Was wanting to expand my reading range to African literature, saw that cover without knowing who the author was and decided 'yep, I'm reading it!'.
A video I think would be an interesting one, is talking about books that could have benefited from being longer or shorter. And ones that could benefit from a well-done abridgment.
Great video idea! I'll be writing that down!
That is a beautiful, mysterious cover for Things Fall Apart (just looked it up). Thanks for mentioning it!