Assistant Professor of English here. Just discovered you recently. I find your approach deeply rewarding. Keep the videos and literature coming in. Will be suggesting you to my literature students.
What's refreshing is that you aren't like some channels where they read a book a day or aim to smash 200 books a year It's nice to have focus on quality and not stats.
Thank you, Dean :) I did once try to smash hundreds of books a year - there was a year where I "read" 300+ books. But I couldn't really remember any of them, and I wasn't enjoying the reading style. Moving away from using quantity as a measure of success has been one of the best things I've ever done for myself! I'm so glad there are so many other readers who are seeing this too!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy absolutely and I am not ashamed that I was reading Middlemarch for six months at home. I think reading certain books over a longer period can have a lasting impact on the brain and more powerful than a quick read over a few days.
@@deanhill9370 I love these paradigm shifts. Having just found this channel I’m slowly rereading Brothers Karamazov which I “read” originally in a couple weeks. Now I’m two months in and just enjoying it so much and it feels like a relationship with the work. It reminds me of a conversation I heard recently about the golden age of television and how these great shows are dropping all of their episodes at once and then get binged. It makes our stories feel disposable.
I started Anna Karenina yesterday night and before I started I was listening to Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2 and Tchaikovsky Symphony.5 on my way back from class. This got me in the mood for Russian literature but already at page 2 i’m directed by Tolstoy to go listen to Mozart’s Don Giovanni “Il mio tesoro”. So excited for this book
I toured the United States by bicycle recently. Along the way I tried to select music appropriate to the places I visited. There was something very satisfying about doing this. Here is what I came up with: Blue Ridge Parkway, most shades of blue, Ralph Stanley, “Lift Him Up, That’s All” Nebraska Sand Hills, most tranquil, Charles Mingus, “Myself When I Am Real” Glacier National Park, most majestic, Mozart, Symphony 40 Olympic National Park, Hoh Rain Forest, most mysterious, Phillip Glass, String Quartet 5 Avenue of the Giants, giant redwood trees, most sacred, Bach, Mass in B minor Yosemite National Park, most photogenic, Woodie Guthrie, “California Stars” (Billie Bragg & Wilco)
@@rachmusic9873 Thank you! I adore the Glass String Quartets! I have the Kronos Quartet recording. Benjamin's comments about music reminded me of something I read which described music as "a world above the world."
I recently went to France and learnt French largely because I wanted to read in French. I can speak fluently now and read fine but reading the great classics is still difficult. French people find Proust and Voltaire and Dumas difficult too. But it’s amazingly intellectually exciting and satisfying to read in a foreign language. Highly recommended to anyone reading this!!!!
Happy to hear you are doing so well with your French reading and encourage you to keep it up and keep challenging yourself more and more. However, I want to reply to one line you mention: "French people find Proust and Voltaire and Dumas difficult too." (As a French person) This is not true. In terms of difficulty this list would be Proust > Voltaire > Dumas but none of these are a "even French people find these difficult" type level. Especially Dumas. Nothing easier to read than Dumas! So much fun to read too.
Benjamin! Thank you for the inspiration. Here is my challenge for the year...which is my 70th year....Shakespeare for the first time. How in the world have I lived this long without having read all of Shakespeare? Keep doing what you are doing. I'm hanging on your every word. Our current world needs more of the foundation of reading the classics.
And thank you for such a lovely message :) you have made my day, Deb! It sounds like Shakespeare has found you at the perfect time. Like Proust and Tolstoy, Shakespeare benefits greatly from lived experience. Let me know how you journey into his works goes!
I am in my 70th year also and just starting to read Shakespeare. My town has a Shakespeare festival every summer. This year I will be attending for the 1st time!
Ben, you are awesome! Thanks for getting me into "How to Read a Book". I have a huge private library and have been too busy to dive into it but you have inspired me to put off other matters and get into deep reading! Your love of literature is addictive in a very motivating way! 👍😍
I am feeling really inspired after listening to your unconventional reading goals! My favorites were designing my own curriculum from the great lectures of the past, writing a book review for each book I read, and keeping a journal describing my favorite characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and why I love them so much. I just finished a novel called "The Old Wives Tale" by Arnold Bennett. I fell in love with the character of Sophia. She revealed many strengths and many flaws over the course of the novel. I found Sophia to be utterly captivating! At one point a young man tells Sophia he is in love with her. Sophia admires him and is undecided whether she can love him. When he starts moping around in a distraught fashion when Sophia doesn't immediately return his love, Sophia finds his lack of strength very unattractive and decides she can never love him. All this is set about 1870. While reading "The Old Wives Tale," I am embarrassed to admit that I watched some click bait on TH-cam titled something like "Things that men do that women can't stand." Trust me, between 1870 and 2022, absolutely nothing has changed! The sentiments expressed in the TH-cam video might as well have been written by Sophia! All this was so delightful, I found myself telling all this to my favorite barista at Starbucks. She replied that her boyfriend was currently exhibiting the same annoying behavior I was describing! Hilarious! Thank you so much, Benjamin, for another extraordinary video!
Thank you, Thomas. It sounds like you're a verbal-linguistic learner (like me) if you're drawn to book reviews, journalling, and designing your own curriculum. These are my favourite goals too. I love your appreciation of Sophia from Arnold Bennett's novel - I read a little bit of Bennett during my first year at university, but I can't remember too much - I really need to revisit his work!
A couple of things I have done over the years follow some of what you have suggested. Last year I reread H.P. Lovecraft and created a three hour long slow spooky set of eerie otherworldliness. After that I made a set list of music Oscar Wilde might have heard as he wrote the Picture of Dorian Grey, which included Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, piano pieces, for a fin de siécle vibe. And it worked perfectly at setting the tone. I used to live in New York City, I made it a goal before I left to find every Shakespeare play on vinyl. And that was tremendously helpful in capturing the essence of the Bard. I have for the last two years been working my way through the classic fairytales and folktales. A few each night before I sleep. And there are many other method. I also study periods of time, and since music is my expertise I find it fascinating to put together different epochs by recreating an entire world: music, literature, art and posters, even trips to various centers of the era in question. Thanks for further ideas to stir into the pot.
Wow. That's so cool. I think you've got Oscar Wilde's taste in music spot on. And I absolutely adore your goal of collecting every Shakespeare play on vinyl - what a tremendous collection to have. I take it you have them all now? I recently picked up Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream on vinyl. I really need to collect more :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Indeed I have a massive spoken word collection on vinyl, CD, and downloads. Plus a ton (literally) of music. The Shakespeare collection is a pinnacle, as is a massive LP box set of everything Churchill ever recorded. I also have many famous authors reading their works in their own words. I highly recommend listening to Elliot reading Four Quartets. (I know you are not really into Eliot, but that's the best way to appreciate him. You can find his readings on YT.) I do also have the few snippets that exist of Joyce. Other famous literary voices include: Maugham, Tolkien, Forster, Kerouac, Shirley Jackson, Ezra Pound, Wm. Burroughs, CS Lewis, Dylan Thomas, and even the ancient 19th Century recordings of Tennyson. Plus loads of great readings and performances by classic actors. Unfortunately most of my library, which I started in New York City, is in a storage unit in Alaska, waiting to get to me here in Tbilisi Georgia. But this year I hope for a reunion. Not to mention my movies and books. And most importantly my journals and photos!
Something I’ve done is that, after having read Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, I went through the rest of his books, reading all the novels that touch the DT series. In case you don’t know the Dark Tower is a dark fantasy series that ties together essentially all of Kings works. Most are only connected wrt this larger concept, but many actually have overlapping characters, locations, storylines, and more (some subtly, some blatantly). It was tons of fun, and you’ll never look at a King novel the same way. For example, read DT and then read It and you’ll finally understand “the turtle”. Or read DT and then read Salem’s Lot - one of the best redemption storylines ever. The list goes on.
Music and books is a perfect combo. The soundtrack to Jane Eyre is perfection whilst reading it. I like to create playlists when there are none available
Great video!! I love looking up words I don't know while reading (it's still amazing to me how many words I either don't know or have forgotten the meaning). This reminds me when years ago, I realized different translations use different words in a book which can change what I am reading. It would be great to learn many languages just to read books in the language of the author! Love your channel!
Thank you, Heather! This is why I love getting multiple translations of the same book. I love seeing why one translator chose one word, but another chose a different one. It really lends new meaning to the work :)
Great video! I’m a big Kubrick fan, and so something similar I’ve been doing is to find the novel/source material for each of his films, read through, and then watch the related film (in order). There are also lots of great books that are related. For example, you can read Spartacus, watch Kubrick’s film, and then read Kirk Douglas’ book about the filming; I Am Spartacus. A great way to gain perspective and appreciation for the novels, films, and artists. Cheers
Love the suggestions here! Especially the idea about writing a poetic response to each novel you read. I’m a poet who hasn’t written much poetry this year and have been wanting to keep a meaningful reading journal for years that I can maintain. This idea really inspired me! It’s a way back into poetry while meaningfully engaging what I read 🌸
your techniques are not only helpful for deep reading or deep understanding of a creative narrative, but they are great practices for creative thinking and analysis. These are like brain teasers but from a literary point of view.
I discovered the wonderful voice of Jakub Józef Orliński, a Polish countertenor, while searching for sacred music to accompany The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. I felt as being inside the abbey. It was such a beautiful experience. Thank you for your videos, I really enjoy you knowledge and passion for the great books. Kind regards from México.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I'm so glad you liked him :) I'm following some of your recommendations. Just read Wuthering heights in english and I have to say it was such an enriching experience, but gave up every time Joseph talked. Could not understand pretty much anything 😂 My spanish version saved me.
My unconventional reading goal is to read as much untranslated literature as possible - meaning, not in English (my native tongue). I've been reading copiously in Spanish and German for years, but recently I've been trying to branch out. Just finished my first Portuguese novel, and have ordered Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet (in Portuguese), which I'm planning to read slowly, as its structure lends itself to reading a page at a time. I'm also doing a deep re-read of 100 Years of Solitude online (in Spanish) with a Colombian professor which at the rate we're going is going to take 100 years - we're getting through about a page a week, but getting so much more out of it with more background on Colombian history and context. I can read enough French to get through the long French passages in Tolstoy and Mann without a hitch, but would like to get good enough to read more original works - not sure about Proust... I'm also thinking about adding Norwegian (which apparently can help you read Danish easily too) and Italian...
That’s a great reading goal, Erin. How exciting to now have the world of Portuguese Literature open to you in the original! It sounds like you’re a strong polyglot. The last Portuguese novel I read was The Year and Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago, which brought back memories of living in Lisbon. You might enjoy it as you’ve mentioned Fernando Pessoa :) Also, your Colombian professor sounds amazing! Sounds like a deep, slow, rewarding reading.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy So cool you got to live in Lisbon! I've read a couple of Saramagos, but both in Spanish translation, as I hadn't started to learn Portuguese yet. I'll have to get back to him! Another Portuguese book I'm planning for this year is O vendedor de passados (The Book of Chameleons in English) by José Eduardo Agualusa.
I hear very little about people stretching into non-native languages for reading, but it is my passion as it is yours. I'm now working on Polish (I started with Nobelist Olga Tokarczuk) and Ancient Greek (Homer's Odyssey). It is not easy, of course. At least for reading, French is easy, German's not too bad. I've read in both Norwegian and Danish, and they are pretty easy. Polish is hard for me as a native English speaker, since there is little "free" vocabulary, meaning words that can pretty be easily understood on sight. In the "very hard" realm, I've read Arabic (1001 Nights) and a great deal of Classical Persian (Rumi, Nezami, Ferdowsi, etc). Highly recommended, but plan on a journey of many years to be able to gain full literary satisfaction. Best of luck! I was fortunate enough to find a reading partner, and we waded through Persian and Arabic together. The polyglot communities that I've found have been more about speaking (and travelling) than reading, but they too are worth investigating.
@@joanandbrandon Wow, it's super-impressive that you can manage in so many languages from different langauge families! I've taken a bit of a hold on Norwegian and am doubling-down a bit with Portuguese - just finished my first Lispector, and have also recently had more time to practice speaking. But wow, Persian, Arabic, Greek, Polish, Norwegian, French - those are each all so different from each other! I have also been learning Mandarin, but I'm only on 300 character graded readers - actual literature is a faaar way off, so Chinese lit (which I do love) is still all in translation for me.
I can’t believe that you suggested the soundscape idea. I’ve been doing that for a while actually and I had no idea anyone else did this! I have a journal of “book soundtracks”
@@BenjaminMcEvoy my favorite book to do a soundtrack for was Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I loved combining music from the time period with music that Doc liked to listen to in the book. My favorite songs on the list are Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington and Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel. Cannery Row is also my favorite book ever haha.
Bought a Greek/Latin/English translation of Illiad last year. My four semesters of Koine Greek and a smattering of Latin weren't a lot of help (any, really), but it was an interesting experiment--until I lost my place and quickly realized I hadn't been absorbing enough to re-find my place. Oops. Will be giving it another go here soon.
Very nice :) I recently stockpiled a bunch of “Learn Ancient Greek” textbooks. I thought about going straight to Homeric Greek and dispensing with Koine, but it seems like materials helping one do that can be quite rare. I loved translating Latin passages from Virgil and Catullus back in school, and would love to be able to do the same for Homer, Plato, Aeschylus. So I’m there with you in spirit :)
Although I have so many thoughts on the tips shared in this video. All of them profound and highly beneficial. Many of these are already part of my reading experience. Here though I would like to talk about two in particular: 1. Music: The whole experience of music as part of reading elevates it to something divine for lack of a better word. I usually have a combination of ambient effects, leitmotif and central themes inspired by the story. This even helps in my writing as when I assign a specific song to a concept it becomes a trigger. The moment the song or piece plays the words just start pouring out. 2. Language: I have always had a fascination with original language novels as they have a different flow, metre and musicality compared to English and in translation a fair bit of that uniqueness is lost. Hence as I have a basic knowledge of French German and Spanish and have recently started learning Japanese. I have started reading the French translation of Harry Potter as it was my gateway to reading and I almost know it backwards. Hence I can manage to read it without much assistance. Next I will be simul-reading Proust in French and English, and probably follow it up next year with Goethe's Faust in German and English of course. I would definitely love to incorporate other tips shared here and hope for a part 2 with more suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing :) These are all so wonderful! How are you finding learning Japanese? I found it to be a significant challenge after wrestling with German and French, but a rewarding one. Developing an addiction to manga was a side-effect of my learning..
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Even though Japanese in principle and construct is far apart from French German and Spanish, I find it has a lot of similarities with Hindi and other North Indian languages, as I am fluent in Hindi and have a working understanding of other Indian languages, I love to figure out the parallels with Japanese like the use of particles for example, and that in turn is making the whole experience enjoyable and really rewarding. P.S - Although I watch Japanese language anime quite consistently, I haven't yet started with manga yet. Hopefully will begin soon.
Moltes gràcies :) I would love to revisit Barcelona. I visited many years ago and loved the culture. Hiking Montserrat, gazing in awe at la Sagrada Familia, enjoying tapas at 11 o’clock at night - wonderful :)
I listen to your podcast, Hardcore Literature, every time I go into the studio to work on my oil paintings. Hardcore Literature the most enriching, thought-provoking, and satisfying soundtrack for creating art. While I mix my paints, I listen to you ruminate on Yukio Mishima or Thomas Hardy. I loved your thoughts on Tess and how to read world literature. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING THIS WONDERFUL AND AMAZING PODCAST!!!!!
Aw, thank you so much, Christina :) I really appreciate that. And I'm thrilled to hear you're listening to the shows whilst bringing your art into the world. Hardy and Mishima are two of my personal favourites :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your Hardy and Mishima episodes were my favorite! Tess of the D'urbervilles was the book in AP Literature that had the biggest impact on me. I wrote an essay about it, actually, and I thought it was so interesting and insightful to hear your take on this beautiful novel. Here's an excerpt from my essay: Before the natural world succumbed to society’s whims, women were revered as the vehicles of life. All living creatures were connected to each other by a common thread of divine energy, and because women brought life into existence, they were individually regarded as manifestations of the earth goddess. This belief in the interconnectedness of Earth’s children lasted for centuries, until Christianity sunk its roots into modern society and the woman’s role changed forever. Who used to be the mystical embodiment of nature and fertility became the fatally attractive Eve, the seductress who caused mankind’s banishment from the Garden of Eden. In Tess of the d’Ubervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, Thomas Hardy examines the ramifications of this shift in the female image during an era of emerging industrialization on one specific girl and her wretched fate. The grim conditions of a world ruled by social order warp Tess’s outlook on life and that of the men around her; her resulting ego, guilt, and self-pity play substantial roles in her interactions with Alec D’Urberville and Angel Clare and eventually culminate in her tragic downfall.
Dear Benjamin, thank you for this fascinating lecture. Would you talk about knitting I’d feel a sudden urge to stocking a centipede! I certainly feel utterly comfortable with the technique of serial reading I learned through the Hardcore Literature Club when we were reading Henry James’s novel alongside. As my life is so filled with pressing duties, tightly measured schedules, I needed to keep the reading a pleasure, something to be looking forward to rather than working off another to-do-list. Simultaneously I needed to create new stable habits and shed off old time consuming or distracting ones. So now I’m looking forward to tomorrow because Chapter 7 of “Dorian Gray” is awaiting me, another episode of “Black Mirror” thereafter. In the afternoon I shall pick a poet and have an extended session of reading aloud. I shall decide who it will be on the spot. Maybe a recording. Everyday there is a time alternately for Proust or Les Misérables after a coffee and a piece of music in the short hours. There’s one short story per day, actually Tchekov, Maupassant is finished unfortunately. Etcetera, etcetera. Always looking forward to something rather than reviving the feeling of the schoolboy I was procrastinating my homework. So thank you for teaching. And for showing forgiveness if one slips through underneath when you hold the stick too high
Dear Florian, I’m thrilled to know that our upcoming Hardcore Knitting Club would have the pleasure of your company ;) I’m so happy that you’ve taken so well to serial reading. I love this approach for the very same reason you mention here. It’s a nice antidote to our instant gratification culture. “Dorian Gray” is tremendous, isn’t it? I’d love to know what programme you’ve got lined up for when you finish Black Mirror. Reading through your reading, watching, and listening routine has filled me with so much joy. I’ll take down my volumes of Guy de Maupassant and Tchekov this evening - inspired by you! “La Maison Tellier” and “The Darling” deserve an attentive reread. Die Fledermaus will be the soundtrack :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Im at the stage now where I can only read simple text so anything above childrens books is beyond me - I'm getting there, but Japanese is so much harder. In German about 70% of the words are similar to Icelandic but in Japanese as you know, the similarity is simply not there, just a few loan words from english, mostly about food, so the amount of work and memorization is infinitly bigger. And then there's the writing system - Ha Ha.
@@ornleifs Japanese can absolutely be brutal to learn because there isn't a shared linguistic parentage. I remember setting out to relearn German again when I lived in Vienna, and, having already poured years into Japanese, found that Japanese would come out when I wanted to speak German. It was like the wires got crossed in my brain. Very strange experience! You're right that the writing system is daunting - a slog, really!
As for your idea of seeing every one of Shakespeare's plays...the Oregon Shakespearean Festival performs several Shakespeare plays each year and regularly cycles through the entire canon about every six years. I saw Pericles there. The first ever Shakespeare play I ever saw, as a matter of fact The entire town of Ashland Oregon is built around the festival. The festival runs 3 theaters, including an outdoor semi-replica of the Globe. If you're not familiar, check it out.
Excellent suggestion Ben. That's how I spurred myself on into French, via Le Petit Prince 64 years ago so I could in past 10 years assume Proust. German poetry is not too difficult, tho I do need a dictionary with a novel. Alas, I never got to study Russian as I wanted to read To Tolstoy in the original. Your suggestions on etymology hunts and reading the original language is so apt. And encouraging Ancient Greek or Latin, always fine. How inspiring you are. There are still those who do follow through for intellectual stimulation and pleasure.
Another well done and informative video! You mentioned writing small scale book reviews for better comprehension of what is read. My public library has a seasonal program where patrons can write reviews of the books they read. Perhaps other readers can check on their libaries for similar programs. I began reading Nabokov with first novel, Mary, and then got through most of his fiction in sequence.
Thank you :) The public libraries are still doing incredible things - it's wonderful to hear that they are still alive and well! They are definitely worth checking into regularly - havens for lovers of literature!
Thank you :) I’ve been planning some content on The Brothers Karamazov for a little while. Freud hailed it as one of the greatest works of literature in the western tradition, putting it beside Hamlet. It’s certainly a masterpiece. We’ll have a good chat about it hopefully soon!
A beautiful video. As a university student, this inspires me to pursue the great books in a more passionate way. Thank you, Benjamin. You should do a book on philosophical books, if that is something that interests you. What are your thoughts on Dumas and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
Thank you! I’m thrilled to hear that. Alexandre Dumas is wonderful. I’m currently rereading The Count of Monte Cristo, translated by Robin Buss, and it’s a wild ride. And I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes ever since I was quite young :)
I agree that the "passionate way" is the best approach! I am also feeling much more passionate about my reading after watching Benjamin's awesome videos!
Hi Benjamin I just want to tell you how much I love this idea, I think it’s an amazing way to take in literature, just beautiful. I also wanted to say that I would truly love to see your goals for the past years, I’m intrigued to see what else you have thought off and embrace it for my reading. From the bottom of my heart, thanks
Thank you, Sergio :) I really appreciate that, and it's so great to have you here! I would be very happy to talk about my goals for the previous years.
Can I request Brave New World, Catch-22, Dune, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, any Issac Asimov Franz Kafka, H.P. Lovecraft, Lewis Carroll, or Jules Verne for future Hardcore Literature episodes?
Hi Mary Ann! Oh, yes, they are tremendously similar approaches :) Stephen Dedalus, in James Joyce's Ulysses, certainly took inspiration from St. Ignatius of Loyola when he delivered his theory of Shakespeare's Hamlet. I'm fairly sure one of my Roman Catholic school teachers was inspired by his devotional practice when they taught the gospels. Remarkably effective stuff :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy THRILLING! I'm enjoying Collin Ferril reading Portait a bit here and there. I will look for the reference. My college studies were in the physical sciences, so I'm playing catch up in my literary life (e.g.- I don't have a cat yet). I will employ you as my sherpa. 🕊
Was raised on a goat dairy. Goats are cool. They also always ask "what's in it for me"? So, unconventional goals . This sound scape is something I've done with a screenplay I wrote (won some awards but didn't get purchased). Could be because I was raised in a very musical family, but music is essential in character development.
I'm curious, do you have a dedicated space in which you read? Do you have a specific chair, position, light, that reduces fatigue and helps in an enhanced reading experience?
For this year in fiction, I'll read Don Quixote, Selected Tales of Guy De M. and want to fine other single 300-400 pages novel. Narcicuss and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse is closest to be in the list.... Could you suggest some other titles for this year ? I'm not much of a great reader and haven't read much fiction. But I did Philosophy books and thoughts through them for last two years . Please suggest some good books of about max 500 pages novels
Just discovered your channel. Really cool! I saw that you are a fan of the everymans library editions. I just started collecting those. Still struggling if I should keep the paper covers on or take them of. I saw in a video that you choose to take them of. What do you do with them?
Nice one :) I keep the jackets in a drawer, and put them back on if I take my books out into the world so that they can stay clean. Many of the covers are beautiful though, so it’s difficult to decide whether to take them off or leave them on!
Thank you for sharing these interesting (and unconventional) suggestions! I’m curious to know how you decide which translation of a book is the best, in other words, which translated version is “loyal” to the original text. I think this is a very difficult issue, especially in the case of famous classical works, such as the ones written by Tolstoy, Hugo, Proust etc. I would honestly appreciate your comments on this! Thank you very much for your great videos. Anna
Thank you, Anna :) I typically research, ask native/bilingual speakers, and then compare different translations up against each other. I resign myself to the fact that, despite how incredibly skilled some translators are, I'm never going to experience Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy as Russians would until I read the original. So, from there, it's often about picking the translation that gets me most thoroughly into the story, and those translations that have a reputation for being faithful!
I haven’t read that one, but I’ve just looked it up. Looks very intriguing. Reading Shakespeare’s plays as sacred visionary dramas. Cool stuff. I have a few esoteric works like this and they’re often thought-provoking. I’ll order a copy and let you know what I think!
great ideas! i immediately thought of agatha christie and to read all her hercule poirot books in order but looks like they span 22 years. i do want to read them all but will be over a shorter time period. original time frame would have been fun though 😁 edit to add: im also big on the languages. english is my third language but has become my main reading language now. i would like to maintain reading in my other languages (even though it feels painfully slow!)
I like your videos in this one especially I have a copy of Canterbury tales side by side translation with old English on one side and the translation on the next I like to compare
Hey Benjamin, quick question- have you ever read The Monk by Matthew Lewis? I recently finished it on recommendation, and I cannot recall a book in recent memory that so exceeded my expectations. It seemed to me some sort of hybrid between something Dostoyevsky and Dumas would create. Just found you channel btw, and you've inspired me to give Proust another try, after failing when I was younger. Cheers!
Thank you, Alexander :) It's great to have you here! As for The Monk, I did indeed read it and absolutely love it many years ago. I read a lot of Gothic Literature back in university. The Monk and The Mysteries of Udolpho are two that really swept me away. I need to reread it as much of it has left my memory. And let me know how you get on with Proust!
The Wish to Be a Red Indian - Franz Kafka if one were only an Indian, instantly alert, and on a racing horse, leaning against the wind, kept on quivering jerkily over the quivering ground, until one shed one’s spurs, for there needed no spurs, threw away the reins, for there needed no reins, and hardly saw that the land before one was smoothly shorn heath when horse’s neck and head would be already gone. Greetings from Serbia, and thank you for your great work on literature. Gree
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your use of the word "thumping" put me in the mood to re-read "Watership Downs," a book I love very much! (I hope I got the title right.)
Oh I love Chinese literature so much. But unfortunately had to abandon it since there's no translation to a lot of works. Sometimes there was a great amateur translation -a labour of love- but then the official came in and it was unreadable 😢 and Chinese is too hard to study😢
wait...IS Emily doing an Iliad???! I finished her translation of the Odyssey a few weeks ago. I loved Caroline Alexander's translation of the Iliad as well, but Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey really spoke to me, and it is far and away my favorite translation of Homer to English
Apparently so :) A member at the book club reached out and asked and she basically said she's working on it right now. I believe her Odyssey took around 5 years if I recall correctly? So we might need to wait a while :)
I wonder what you think of Jean Giono who was a great admirer of Moby Dick, the French writer from Provence translated Moby-Dick himself. Giono's books are very earthy, violent often in the way nature is violent. Salt of the earth, Old Testament themes , as it were these were themselves those first people pounding out the statutes of life ina world of instinct, prehistoric.
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Assistant Professor of English here. Just discovered you recently. I find your approach deeply rewarding. Keep the videos and literature coming in. Will be suggesting you to my literature students.
Thank you :) I really appreciate that. I’m honoured that you would share my videos with your students!
What's refreshing is that you aren't like some channels where they read a book a day or aim to smash 200 books a year
It's nice to have focus on quality and not stats.
Thank you, Dean :) I did once try to smash hundreds of books a year - there was a year where I "read" 300+ books. But I couldn't really remember any of them, and I wasn't enjoying the reading style. Moving away from using quantity as a measure of success has been one of the best things I've ever done for myself! I'm so glad there are so many other readers who are seeing this too!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy absolutely and I am not ashamed that I was reading Middlemarch for six months at home. I think reading certain books over a longer period can have a lasting impact on the brain and more powerful than a quick read over a few days.
@@deanhill9370 I love these paradigm shifts. Having just found this channel I’m slowly rereading Brothers Karamazov which I “read” originally in a couple weeks. Now I’m two months in and just enjoying it so much and it feels like a relationship with the work. It reminds me of a conversation I heard recently about the golden age of television and how these great shows are dropping all of their episodes at once and then get binged. It makes our stories feel disposable.
Im not academically educated but years of reading books and unique people like you took me to a higher level of knowledge.
I started Anna Karenina yesterday night and before I started I was listening to Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2 and Tchaikovsky Symphony.5 on my way back from class. This got me in the mood for Russian literature but already at page 2 i’m directed by Tolstoy to go listen to Mozart’s Don Giovanni “Il mio tesoro”. So excited for this book
Rachmaninoff - very nice. I’ve been obsessed with his symphonies for years :) And I’m glad to hear you’ve made Stiva’s acquaintance!
I toured the United States by bicycle recently. Along the way I tried to select music appropriate to the places I visited. There was something very satisfying about doing this. Here is what I came up with:
Blue Ridge Parkway, most shades of blue, Ralph Stanley, “Lift Him Up, That’s All”
Nebraska Sand Hills, most tranquil, Charles Mingus, “Myself When I Am Real”
Glacier National Park, most majestic, Mozart, Symphony 40
Olympic National Park, Hoh Rain Forest, most mysterious, Phillip Glass, String Quartet 5
Avenue of the Giants, giant redwood trees, most sacred, Bach, Mass in B minor
Yosemite National Park, most photogenic, Woodie Guthrie, “California Stars” (Billie Bragg & Wilco)
@@thomaslowry7079 Glass String Quartet No.5 is certainly a very mysterious and subtly natural work. Great choice
@@thomaslowry7079 Sounds like a phenomenal experience all-in-all!
@@rachmusic9873 Thank you! I adore the Glass String Quartets! I have the Kronos Quartet recording. Benjamin's comments about music reminded me of something I read which described music as "a world above the world."
I recently went to France and learnt French largely because I wanted to read in French. I can speak fluently now and read fine but reading the great classics is still difficult. French people find Proust and Voltaire and Dumas difficult too. But it’s amazingly intellectually exciting and satisfying to read in a foreign language. Highly recommended to anyone reading this!!!!
Wow! That’s very impressive :) You should be proud of your accomplishment!
Happy to hear you are doing so well with your French reading and encourage you to keep it up and keep challenging yourself more and more. However, I want to reply to one line you mention:
"French people find Proust and Voltaire and Dumas difficult too."
(As a French person) This is not true. In terms of difficulty this list would be Proust > Voltaire > Dumas but none of these are a "even French people find these difficult" type level. Especially Dumas. Nothing easier to read than Dumas! So much fun to read too.
Im trying to do the same as you with chinese japanese and german..... im Korean, so i have to start with chinese because its closer to my language.
Benjamin! Thank you for the inspiration. Here is my challenge for the year...which is my 70th year....Shakespeare for the first time. How in the world have I lived this long without having read all of Shakespeare? Keep doing what you are doing. I'm hanging on your every word. Our current world needs more of the foundation of reading the classics.
And thank you for such a lovely message :) you have made my day, Deb! It sounds like Shakespeare has found you at the perfect time. Like Proust and Tolstoy, Shakespeare benefits greatly from lived experience. Let me know how you journey into his works goes!
I am in my 70th year also and just starting to read Shakespeare. My town has a Shakespeare festival every summer. This year I will be attending for the 1st time!
"Notes of gratitude is the currency of the soul" ..... Love ❤️ this.
Hark! 8.5 k subscribers! Congratulations, Benjamin!
Thank you :) We’ll have to do another Q&A show when we get to 10k!
I just found your channel today by searching how to read Don Quixote....
Big kudos to you and your channel.
Thank you :) Happy reading with DQ - let me know what you think of my favourite novel!
Ben, you are awesome! Thanks for getting me into "How to Read a Book". I have a huge private library and have been too busy to dive into it but you have inspired me to put off other matters and get into deep reading! Your love of literature is addictive in a very motivating way! 👍😍
I am feeling really inspired after listening to your unconventional reading goals! My favorites were designing my own curriculum from the great lectures of the past, writing a book review for each book I read, and keeping a journal describing my favorite characters, their strengths and weaknesses, and why I love them so much. I just finished a novel called "The Old Wives Tale" by Arnold Bennett. I fell in love with the character of Sophia. She revealed many strengths and many flaws over the course of the novel. I found Sophia to be utterly captivating! At one point a young man tells Sophia he is in love with her. Sophia admires him and is undecided whether she can love him. When he starts moping around in a distraught fashion when Sophia doesn't immediately return his love, Sophia finds his lack of strength very unattractive and decides she can never love him. All this is set about 1870. While reading "The Old Wives Tale," I am embarrassed to admit that I watched some click bait on TH-cam titled something like "Things that men do that women can't stand." Trust me, between 1870 and 2022, absolutely nothing has changed! The sentiments expressed in the TH-cam video might as well have been written by Sophia! All this was so delightful, I found myself telling all this to my favorite barista at Starbucks. She replied that her boyfriend was currently exhibiting the same annoying behavior I was describing! Hilarious! Thank you so much, Benjamin, for another extraordinary video!
Thank you, Thomas. It sounds like you're a verbal-linguistic learner (like me) if you're drawn to book reviews, journalling, and designing your own curriculum. These are my favourite goals too. I love your appreciation of Sophia from Arnold Bennett's novel - I read a little bit of Bennett during my first year at university, but I can't remember too much - I really need to revisit his work!
“In books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.”
Anna Quindlen -How Reading Changed My Life
A couple of things I have done over the years follow some of what you have suggested. Last year I reread H.P. Lovecraft and created a three hour long slow spooky set of eerie otherworldliness. After that I made a set list of music Oscar Wilde might have heard as he wrote the Picture of Dorian Grey, which included Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, piano pieces, for a fin de siécle vibe. And it worked perfectly at setting the tone. I used to live in New York City, I made it a goal before I left to find every Shakespeare play on vinyl. And that was tremendously helpful in capturing the essence of the Bard. I have for the last two years been working my way through the classic fairytales and folktales. A few each night before I sleep. And there are many other method. I also study periods of time, and since music is my expertise I find it fascinating to put together different epochs by recreating an entire world: music, literature, art and posters, even trips to various centers of the era in question. Thanks for further ideas to stir into the pot.
Wow. That's so cool. I think you've got Oscar Wilde's taste in music spot on. And I absolutely adore your goal of collecting every Shakespeare play on vinyl - what a tremendous collection to have. I take it you have them all now? I recently picked up Mendelssohn's music for A Midsummer Night's Dream on vinyl. I really need to collect more :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Indeed I have a massive spoken word collection on vinyl, CD, and downloads. Plus a ton (literally) of music. The Shakespeare collection is a pinnacle, as is a massive LP box set of everything Churchill ever recorded. I also have many famous authors reading their works in their own words. I highly recommend listening to Elliot reading Four Quartets. (I know you are not really into Eliot, but that's the best way to appreciate him. You can find his readings on YT.) I do also have the few snippets that exist of Joyce. Other famous literary voices include: Maugham, Tolkien, Forster, Kerouac, Shirley Jackson, Ezra Pound, Wm. Burroughs, CS Lewis, Dylan Thomas, and even the ancient 19th Century recordings of Tennyson. Plus loads of great readings and performances by classic actors. Unfortunately most of my library, which I started in New York City, is in a storage unit in Alaska, waiting to get to me here in Tbilisi Georgia. But this year I hope for a reunion. Not to mention my movies and books. And most importantly my journals and photos!
Something I’ve done is that, after having read Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, I went through the rest of his books, reading all the novels that touch the DT series. In case you don’t know the Dark Tower is a dark fantasy series that ties together essentially all of Kings works. Most are only connected wrt this larger concept, but many actually have overlapping characters, locations, storylines, and more (some subtly, some blatantly). It was tons of fun, and you’ll never look at a King novel the same way. For example, read DT and then read It and you’ll finally understand “the turtle”. Or read DT and then read Salem’s Lot - one of the best redemption storylines ever. The list goes on.
Music and books is a perfect combo. The soundtrack to Jane Eyre is perfection whilst reading it. I like to create playlists when there are none available
Great video!! I love looking up words I don't know while reading (it's still amazing to me how many words I either don't know or have forgotten the meaning). This reminds me when years ago, I realized different translations use different words in a book which can change what I am reading. It would be great to learn many languages just to read books in the language of the author! Love your channel!
Thank you, Heather! This is why I love getting multiple translations of the same book. I love seeing why one translator chose one word, but another chose a different one. It really lends new meaning to the work :)
This is fantastic. Thank you.
Great video! I’m a big Kubrick fan, and so something similar I’ve been doing is to find the novel/source material for each of his films, read through, and then watch the related film (in order). There are also lots of great books that are related. For example, you can read Spartacus, watch Kubrick’s film, and then read Kirk Douglas’ book about the filming; I Am Spartacus. A great way to gain perspective and appreciation for the novels, films, and artists. Cheers
Wonderfully unique suggestions.
Thank you, Michael :)
Love the suggestions here! Especially the idea about writing a poetic response to each novel you read. I’m a poet who hasn’t written much poetry this year and have been wanting to keep a meaningful reading journal for years that I can maintain. This idea really inspired me! It’s a way back into poetry while meaningfully engaging what I read 🌸
These are some really really good ideas!
LOVE this video
Thank you :)
your techniques are not only helpful for deep reading or deep understanding of a creative narrative, but they are great practices for creative thinking and analysis. These are like brain teasers but from a literary point of view.
Thank you, Zahra :) I've been passionate about creative thinking for many years now - there's definitely a cross-over!
Well done, Ben. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Eric :)
I discovered the wonderful voice of Jakub Józef Orliński, a Polish countertenor, while searching for sacred music to accompany The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. I felt as being inside the abbey. It was such a beautiful experience.
Thank you for your videos, I really enjoy you knowledge and passion for the great books.
Kind regards from México.
Great recommendation, Adriana :) I've just listened to some Orliński - he has a great voice! And thank you for watching over in Mexico :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I'm so glad you liked him :)
I'm following some of your recommendations. Just read Wuthering heights in english and I have to say it was such an enriching experience, but gave up every time Joseph talked. Could not understand pretty much anything 😂
My spanish version saved me.
My unconventional reading goal is to read as much untranslated literature as possible - meaning, not in English (my native tongue). I've been reading copiously in Spanish and German for years, but recently I've been trying to branch out. Just finished my first Portuguese novel, and have ordered Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet (in Portuguese), which I'm planning to read slowly, as its structure lends itself to reading a page at a time. I'm also doing a deep re-read of 100 Years of Solitude online (in Spanish) with a Colombian professor which at the rate we're going is going to take 100 years - we're getting through about a page a week, but getting so much more out of it with more background on Colombian history and context. I can read enough French to get through the long French passages in Tolstoy and Mann without a hitch, but would like to get good enough to read more original works - not sure about Proust... I'm also thinking about adding Norwegian (which apparently can help you read Danish easily too) and Italian...
That’s a great reading goal, Erin. How exciting to now have the world of Portuguese Literature open to you in the original! It sounds like you’re a strong polyglot. The last Portuguese novel I read was The Year and Death of Ricardo Reis by José Saramago, which brought back memories of living in Lisbon. You might enjoy it as you’ve mentioned Fernando Pessoa :) Also, your Colombian professor sounds amazing! Sounds like a deep, slow, rewarding reading.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy So cool you got to live in Lisbon! I've read a couple of Saramagos, but both in Spanish translation, as I hadn't started to learn Portuguese yet. I'll have to get back to him! Another Portuguese book I'm planning for this year is O vendedor de passados (The Book of Chameleons in English) by José Eduardo Agualusa.
I hear very little about people stretching into non-native languages for reading, but it is my passion as it is yours. I'm now working on Polish (I started with Nobelist Olga Tokarczuk) and Ancient Greek (Homer's Odyssey). It is not easy, of course. At least for reading, French is easy, German's not too bad. I've read in both Norwegian and Danish, and they are pretty easy. Polish is hard for me as a native English speaker, since there is little "free" vocabulary, meaning words that can pretty be easily understood on sight. In the "very hard" realm, I've read Arabic (1001 Nights) and a great deal of Classical Persian (Rumi, Nezami, Ferdowsi, etc). Highly recommended, but plan on a journey of many years to be able to gain full literary satisfaction. Best of luck! I was fortunate enough to find a reading partner, and we waded through Persian and Arabic together. The polyglot communities that I've found have been more about speaking (and travelling) than reading, but they too are worth investigating.
@@joanandbrandon Wow, it's super-impressive that you can manage in so many languages from different langauge families! I've taken a bit of a hold on Norwegian and am doubling-down a bit with Portuguese - just finished my first Lispector, and have also recently had more time to practice speaking. But wow, Persian, Arabic, Greek, Polish, Norwegian, French - those are each all so different from each other! I have also been learning Mandarin, but I'm only on 300 character graded readers - actual literature is a faaar way off, so Chinese lit (which I do love) is still all in translation for me.
I can’t believe that you suggested the soundscape idea. I’ve been doing that for a while actually and I had no idea anyone else did this! I have a journal of “book soundtracks”
That's so cool :) I'd love to know which book was your favourite to create a soundtrack for!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy my favorite book to do a soundtrack for was Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. I loved combining music from the time period with music that Doc liked to listen to in the book. My favorite songs on the list are Mood Indigo by Duke Ellington and Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel. Cannery Row is also my favorite book ever haha.
@@sunbair4258
LOVE THIS....really appreciating the creativity I'm finding in these comments. 🤗
Bought a Greek/Latin/English translation of Illiad last year. My four semesters of Koine Greek and a smattering of Latin weren't a lot of help (any, really), but it was an interesting experiment--until I lost my place and quickly realized I hadn't been absorbing enough to re-find my place. Oops. Will be giving it another go here soon.
Very nice :) I recently stockpiled a bunch of “Learn Ancient Greek” textbooks. I thought about going straight to Homeric Greek and dispensing with Koine, but it seems like materials helping one do that can be quite rare. I loved translating Latin passages from Virgil and Catullus back in school, and would love to be able to do the same for Homer, Plato, Aeschylus. So I’m there with you in spirit :)
Although I have so many thoughts on the tips shared in this video. All of them profound and highly beneficial.
Many of these are already part of my reading experience.
Here though I would like to talk about two in particular:
1. Music: The whole experience of music as part of reading elevates it to something divine for lack of a better word. I usually have a combination of ambient effects, leitmotif and central themes inspired by the story.
This even helps in my writing as when I assign a specific song to a concept it becomes a trigger. The moment the song or piece plays the words just start pouring out.
2. Language: I have always had a fascination with original language novels as they have a different flow, metre and musicality compared to English and in translation a fair bit of that uniqueness is lost.
Hence as I have a basic knowledge of French German and Spanish and have recently started learning Japanese. I have started reading the French translation of Harry Potter as it was my gateway to reading and I almost know it backwards. Hence I can manage to read it without much assistance. Next I will be simul-reading Proust in French and English, and probably follow it up next year with Goethe's Faust in German and English of course.
I would definitely love to incorporate other tips shared here and hope for a part 2 with more suggestions. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing :) These are all so wonderful! How are you finding learning Japanese? I found it to be a significant challenge after wrestling with German and French, but a rewarding one. Developing an addiction to manga was a side-effect of my learning..
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Even though Japanese in principle and construct is far apart from French German and Spanish, I find it has a lot of similarities with Hindi and other North Indian languages, as I am fluent in Hindi and have a working understanding of other Indian languages, I love to figure out the parallels with Japanese like the use of particles for example, and that in turn is making the whole experience enjoyable and really rewarding.
P.S - Although I watch Japanese language anime quite consistently, I haven't yet started with manga yet. Hopefully will begin soon.
Thank you Benjamin for this magnificent video today! Your knowledge is so powerful! Congratulations! From Barcelona 📚🙋♀️
Moltes gràcies :) I would love to revisit Barcelona. I visited many years ago and loved the culture. Hiking Montserrat, gazing in awe at la Sagrada Familia, enjoying tapas at 11 o’clock at night - wonderful :)
I listen to your podcast, Hardcore Literature, every time I go into the studio to work on my oil paintings. Hardcore Literature the most enriching, thought-provoking, and satisfying soundtrack for creating art. While I mix my paints, I listen to you ruminate on Yukio Mishima or Thomas Hardy. I loved your thoughts on Tess and how to read world literature. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING THIS WONDERFUL AND AMAZING PODCAST!!!!!
Aw, thank you so much, Christina :) I really appreciate that. And I'm thrilled to hear you're listening to the shows whilst bringing your art into the world. Hardy and Mishima are two of my personal favourites :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your Hardy and Mishima episodes were my favorite! Tess of the D'urbervilles was the book in AP Literature that had the biggest impact on me. I wrote an essay about it, actually, and I thought it was so interesting and insightful to hear your take on this beautiful novel. Here's an excerpt from my essay:
Before the natural world succumbed to society’s whims, women were revered as the vehicles of life. All living creatures were connected to each other by a common thread of divine energy, and because women brought life into existence, they were individually regarded as manifestations of the earth goddess. This belief in the interconnectedness of Earth’s children lasted for centuries, until Christianity sunk its roots into modern society and the woman’s role changed forever. Who used to be the mystical embodiment of nature and fertility became the fatally attractive Eve, the seductress who caused mankind’s banishment from the Garden of Eden. In Tess of the d’Ubervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, Thomas Hardy examines the ramifications of this shift in the female image during an era of emerging industrialization on one specific girl and her wretched fate. The grim conditions of a world ruled by social order warp Tess’s outlook on life and that of the men around her; her resulting ego, guilt, and self-pity play substantial roles in her interactions with Alec D’Urberville and Angel Clare and eventually culminate in her tragic downfall.
Dear Benjamin, thank you for this fascinating lecture. Would you talk about knitting I’d feel a sudden urge to stocking a centipede!
I certainly feel utterly comfortable with the technique of serial reading I learned through the Hardcore Literature Club when we were reading Henry James’s novel alongside. As my life is so filled with pressing duties, tightly measured schedules, I needed to keep the reading a pleasure, something to be looking forward to rather than working off another to-do-list. Simultaneously I needed to create new stable habits and shed off old time consuming or distracting ones.
So now I’m looking forward to tomorrow because Chapter 7 of “Dorian Gray” is awaiting me, another episode of “Black Mirror” thereafter. In the afternoon I shall pick a poet and have an extended session of reading aloud. I shall decide who it will be on the spot. Maybe a recording. Everyday there is a time alternately for Proust or Les Misérables after a coffee and a piece of music in the short hours. There’s one short story per day, actually Tchekov, Maupassant is finished unfortunately. Etcetera, etcetera. Always looking forward to something rather than reviving the feeling of the schoolboy I was procrastinating my homework.
So thank you for teaching. And for showing forgiveness if one slips through underneath when you hold the stick too high
Dear Florian, I’m thrilled to know that our upcoming Hardcore Knitting Club would have the pleasure of your company ;)
I’m so happy that you’ve taken so well to serial reading. I love this approach for the very same reason you mention here. It’s a nice antidote to our instant gratification culture.
“Dorian Gray” is tremendous, isn’t it? I’d love to know what programme you’ve got lined up for when you finish Black Mirror. Reading through your reading, watching, and listening routine has filled me with so much joy. I’ll take down my volumes of Guy de Maupassant and Tchekov this evening - inspired by you! “La Maison Tellier” and “The Darling” deserve an attentive reread. Die Fledermaus will be the soundtrack :)
Wow - such a good video, full of insightful ideas, thanks a lot. - I'm learning Japanese and German for exactly the reason you talk about.
That's awesome. How are you finding the process?
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Im at the stage now where I can only read simple text so anything above childrens books is beyond me - I'm getting there, but Japanese is so much harder. In German about 70% of the words are similar to Icelandic but in Japanese as you know, the similarity is simply not there, just a few loan words from english, mostly about food, so the amount of work and memorization is infinitly bigger. And then there's the writing system - Ha Ha.
@@ornleifs Japanese can absolutely be brutal to learn because there isn't a shared linguistic parentage. I remember setting out to relearn German again when I lived in Vienna, and, having already poured years into Japanese, found that Japanese would come out when I wanted to speak German. It was like the wires got crossed in my brain. Very strange experience! You're right that the writing system is daunting - a slog, really!
As for your idea of seeing every one of Shakespeare's plays...the Oregon Shakespearean Festival performs several Shakespeare plays each year and regularly cycles through the entire canon about every six years. I saw Pericles there. The first ever Shakespeare play I ever saw, as a matter of fact The entire town of Ashland Oregon is built around the festival. The festival runs 3 theaters, including an outdoor semi-replica of the Globe. If you're not familiar, check it out.
Notes of Gratitude - what a wonderful idea. Thank you.
Any suggestions on how to instill a love of reading 📚 with my 17 year old nieces?????
Excellent suggestion Ben. That's how I spurred myself on into French, via Le Petit Prince 64 years ago so I could in past 10 years assume Proust. German poetry is not too difficult, tho I do need a dictionary with a novel. Alas, I never got to study Russian as I wanted to read To Tolstoy in the original. Your suggestions on etymology hunts and reading the original language is so apt. And encouraging Ancient Greek or Latin, always fine. How inspiring you are. There are still those who do follow through for intellectual stimulation and pleasure.
Another well done and informative video!
You mentioned writing small scale book reviews for better comprehension of what is read. My public library has a seasonal program where patrons can write reviews of the books they read.
Perhaps other readers can check on their libaries for similar programs.
I began reading Nabokov with first novel, Mary, and then got through most of his fiction in sequence.
Thank you :) The public libraries are still doing incredible things - it's wonderful to hear that they are still alive and well! They are definitely worth checking into regularly - havens for lovers of literature!
Thanks for the wonderful ideas!
You are so welcome! Thank you for watching, Natalia :)
"your own poetic response" that's the best description of fanfiction I ever heard, haha! Thanks for this video, it was a delight ♥️
Thank you, Jo :) I appreciate you being here and watching!😊
Brilliant video Ben! Would love to know your views on The Brothers Karamazov By Dosteovsky..
Thank you :) I’ve been planning some content on The Brothers Karamazov for a little while. Freud hailed it as one of the greatest works of literature in the western tradition, putting it beside Hamlet. It’s certainly a masterpiece. We’ll have a good chat about it hopefully soon!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Great! Looking forward for the discussion in the hardcore literature club.
A beautiful video. As a university student, this inspires me to pursue the great books in a more passionate way. Thank you, Benjamin. You should do a book on philosophical books, if that is something that interests you. What are your thoughts on Dumas and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
Thank you! I’m thrilled to hear that. Alexandre Dumas is wonderful. I’m currently rereading The Count of Monte Cristo, translated by Robin Buss, and it’s a wild ride. And I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes ever since I was quite young :)
I agree that the "passionate way" is the best approach! I am also feeling much more passionate about my reading after watching Benjamin's awesome videos!
I just started watching your channel, and I'm fascinated. Keep up the good work!
Thank you, José :) I appreciate that!
Thank you, I appreciate you.
Hi Benjamin
I just want to tell you how much I love this idea, I think it’s an amazing way to take in literature, just beautiful.
I also wanted to say that I would truly love to see your goals for the past years, I’m intrigued to see what else you have thought off and embrace it for my reading.
From the bottom of my heart, thanks
Thank you, Sergio :) I really appreciate that, and it's so great to have you here! I would be very happy to talk about my goals for the previous years.
I feel blessed to have your video on my fyp! it was a v interesting video. subscribed immediately!
I feel blessed to have you watching :)
Can I request Brave New World, Catch-22, Dune, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, any Issac Asimov Franz Kafka, H.P. Lovecraft, Lewis Carroll, or Jules Verne for future Hardcore Literature episodes?
Hi Benjamin!!
Your theater of the mind challenge reminds me of imaginative pray of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Great creative practice for me.
Stay well 🕊
Hi Mary Ann! Oh, yes, they are tremendously similar approaches :) Stephen Dedalus, in James Joyce's Ulysses, certainly took inspiration from St. Ignatius of Loyola when he delivered his theory of Shakespeare's Hamlet. I'm fairly sure one of my Roman Catholic school teachers was inspired by his devotional practice when they taught the gospels. Remarkably effective stuff :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy
THRILLING!
I'm enjoying Collin Ferril reading Portait a bit here and there. I will look for the reference.
My college studies were in the physical sciences, so I'm playing catch up in my literary life (e.g.- I don't have a cat yet).
I will employ you as my sherpa. 🕊
I sometimes pretend that I'm a highschool teacher and I have to convince my students to love the books I love, lol.
Ha, I love that! :)
Was raised on a goat dairy. Goats are cool. They also always ask "what's in it for me"? So, unconventional goals . This sound scape is something I've done with a screenplay I wrote (won some awards but didn't get purchased). Could be because I was raised in a very musical family, but music is essential in character development.
This guy is great, I've read so many of these works more than 20 × ,kindred soul,Kevin
I'm curious, do you have a dedicated space in which you read? Do you have a specific chair, position, light, that reduces fatigue and helps in an enhanced reading experience?
I do, but don't use it as much as I probably should. I end up just reading anywhere really - on the couch, at the table, outside :)
For this year in fiction, I'll read Don Quixote, Selected Tales of Guy De M. and want to fine other single 300-400 pages novel.
Narcicuss and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse is closest to be in the list....
Could you suggest some other titles for this year ?
I'm not much of a great reader and haven't read much fiction.
But I did Philosophy books and thoughts through them for last two years .
Please suggest some good books of about max 500 pages novels
Just discovered your channel. Really cool! I saw that you are a fan of the everymans library editions. I just started collecting those. Still struggling if I should keep the paper covers on or take them of. I saw in a video that you choose to take them of. What do you do with them?
Nice one :) I keep the jackets in a drawer, and put them back on if I take my books out into the world so that they can stay clean. Many of the covers are beautiful though, so it’s difficult to decide whether to take them off or leave them on!
Thank you for sharing these interesting (and unconventional) suggestions! I’m curious to know how you decide which translation of a book is the best, in other words, which translated version is “loyal” to the original text. I think this is a very difficult issue, especially in the case of famous classical works, such as the ones written by Tolstoy, Hugo, Proust etc.
I would honestly appreciate your comments on this!
Thank you very much for your great videos.
Anna
Thank you, Anna :) I typically research, ask native/bilingual speakers, and then compare different translations up against each other. I resign myself to the fact that, despite how incredibly skilled some translators are, I'm never going to experience Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy as Russians would until I read the original. So, from there, it's often about picking the translation that gets me most thoroughly into the story, and those translations that have a reputation for being faithful!
@Benjamin McEvoy , have you read ‘Sacred Art of Shakespeare’ by Martin Lings? Any thoughts on it?
I haven’t read that one, but I’ve just looked it up. Looks very intriguing. Reading Shakespeare’s plays as sacred visionary dramas. Cool stuff. I have a few esoteric works like this and they’re often thought-provoking. I’ll order a copy and let you know what I think!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy I got the title wrong 😑 Sacred Art of Shakespeare. Thank you 🙏
Can you make more content on the theatre of your mind! Or am I missing a vid somewhere?
great ideas! i immediately thought of agatha christie and to read all her hercule poirot books in order but looks like they span 22 years. i do want to read them all but will be over a shorter time period. original time frame would have been fun though 😁
edit to add: im also big on the languages. english is my third language but has become my main reading language now. i would like to maintain reading in my other languages (even though it feels painfully slow!)
I like your videos in this one especially I have a copy of Canterbury tales side by side translation with old English on one side and the translation on the next I like to compare
You should write a book on how to read well
Thanks, Dean :) I'm actually currently writing this book. Hopefully we'll have it published next year!
Hey Benjamin, quick question- have you ever read The Monk by Matthew Lewis? I recently finished it on recommendation, and I cannot recall a book in recent memory that so exceeded my expectations. It seemed to me some sort of hybrid between something Dostoyevsky and Dumas would create. Just found you channel btw, and you've inspired me to give Proust another try, after failing when I was younger. Cheers!
Thank you, Alexander :) It's great to have you here! As for The Monk, I did indeed read it and absolutely love it many years ago. I read a lot of Gothic Literature back in university. The Monk and The Mysteries of Udolpho are two that really swept me away. I need to reread it as much of it has left my memory. And let me know how you get on with Proust!
I’ve never seen anyone alive who loves reading as much as me
The Wish to Be a Red Indian - Franz Kafka
if one were only an Indian,
instantly alert, and on a racing horse,
leaning against the wind,
kept on quivering jerkily over the quivering ground, until one shed one’s spurs,
for there needed no spurs, threw away the reins,
for there needed no reins, and hardly saw that the land
before one was smoothly shorn heath
when horse’s neck and head would be already gone.
Greetings from Serbia, and thank you for your great work on literature.
Gree
What is your opinion on The Count of Monte Christo?
Thumping good read. I’m currently enjoying a reread in anticipation for a video :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Your use of the word "thumping" put me in the mood to re-read "Watership Downs," a book I love very much! (I hope I got the title right.)
Oh I love Chinese literature so much. But unfortunately had to abandon it since there's no translation to a lot of works. Sometimes there was a great amateur translation -a labour of love- but then the official came in and it was unreadable 😢 and Chinese is too hard to study😢
Hey do you have read Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and poems, can you please make a video of how to read it.
wait...IS Emily doing an Iliad???! I finished her translation of the Odyssey a few weeks ago. I loved Caroline Alexander's translation of the Iliad as well, but Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey really spoke to me, and it is far and away my favorite translation of Homer to English
Apparently so :) A member at the book club reached out and asked and she basically said she's working on it right now. I believe her Odyssey took around 5 years if I recall correctly? So we might need to wait a while :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Oh, this is AWESOME news! Well worth the wait - I'm so excited!
Don Quixote. vs Monster Windmills:. Wagner. Ride of Valkyries.
Views on a hundred years of solitude?
Great book, but I haven't read it for quite a few years - it desperately needs a reread. I'm sure I would get much more out of it this time around.
@@BenjaminMcEvoy it’s proving to be a very difficult read for me 🏃🏽♀️
@@frodobaggins4255 It's a rough one. I couldn't stay engaged.
I wonder what you think of Jean Giono who was a great admirer of Moby Dick, the French writer from Provence translated Moby-Dick himself. Giono's books are very earthy, violent often in the way nature is violent. Salt of the earth, Old Testament themes , as it were these were themselves those first people pounding out the statutes of life ina world of instinct, prehistoric.
Logico.