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Omg I thought I was the only person who read the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin series. Read all of them if you can - such great books!
What Are You Reading 2013 - Page 85
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LiberumScotiam
Scotland12 Posts
Omg I thought I was the only person who read the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey–Maturin series. Read all of them if you can - such great books! | ||
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KillerSOS
United States4207 Posts
![[image loading]](http://forbookssake.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Alice-in-Wonderland-by-Lewis-Carroll-Collectors-Library-Book-Cover.jpg) | ||
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farvacola
United States18869 Posts
'The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday--but never jam to-day.' 'It MUST come sometimes to "jam to-day,"' Alice objected. 'No, it can't,' said the Queen. 'It's jam every OTHER day: to-day isn't any OTHER day, you know.' 'I don't understand you,' said Alice. 'It's dreadfully confusing!' 'That's the effect of living backwards,' the Queen said kindly: 'it always makes one a little giddy at first--' 'Living backwards!' Alice repeated in great astonishment. 'I never heard of such a thing!' '--but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both ways.' 'I'm sure MINE only works one way,' Alice remarked. 'I can't remember things before they happen.' 'It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards,' the Queen remarked. | ||
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Prog455
Denmark970 Posts
On July 10 2013 21:39 dmnum wrote: The Trial is perfect, as is anything Kafka wrote. If you enjoy it, read The Castle too. Also The Metamorphosis contains in 40 pages more than most novels do in 500. Marquéz is amazing too, and he's a nice followup to Kafka, since they have their similarities and the latter was a big influence to the former. Just wondering, but what exactly is it that makes you guys think so highly of Franz Kafka? I read the Trial earlier this year and i did not find it to be something special. | ||
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corumjhaelen
France6884 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:05 Prog455 wrote: Just wondering, but what exactly is it that makes you guys think so highly of Franz Kafka? I read the Trial earlier this year and i did not find it to be something special. You should feel guilty ! | ||
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packrat386
United States5077 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:05 Prog455 wrote: Just wondering, but what exactly is it that makes you guys think so highly of Franz Kafka? I read the Trial earlier this year and i did not find it to be something special. His descriptions of beauracracy and and machinations of the state hit close to home for anyone who has ever had to deal with silly regulations. | ||
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Prog455
Denmark970 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:12 packrat386 wrote: His descriptions of beauracracy and and machinations of the state hit close to home for anyone who has ever had to deal with silly regulations. While i agree that it is certainly food for thoughts, i think that a short story or a novella would have been sufficient. I believe K's conversation with the Priest at the end of the story and the story about the man and the doorkeeper (which i believe is also a stand alone story called "Before the Law") was the strongest part of the novel, and i could have done without much of the remainder. I sometimes get a feeling that nobody is willing say anything bad about authors such as Kafka, because everyone else thinks so highly of them. It really reminds me of the fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes": http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes.html | ||
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farvacola
United States18869 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:28 Prog455 wrote: While i agree that it is certainly food for thoughts, i think that a short story or a novella would have been sufficient. I believe K's conversation with the Priest at the end of the story and the story about the man and the doorkeeper (which i believe is also a stand alone story called "Before the Law") was the strongest part of the novel, and i could have done without much of the remainder. I sometimes get a feeling that nobody is willing say anything bad about authors such as Kafka, because everyone else thinks so highly of them. It really reminds me of the fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes": http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes.html Well if it makes you feel any better, he is one of my least favorite "existentialist'-y authors  I've had to read The Metamorphosis like 5 times and I can't say I care to read it or any other Kafka ever again. Then again, I'm a literature snob of a high order, so take from that what you will. | ||
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Prog455
Denmark970 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:31 farvacola wrote: Well if it makes you feel any better, he is one of my least favorite "existentialist'-y authors I've had to read The Metamorphosis like 5 times and I can't say I care to read it or any other Kafka ever again. Then again, I'm a literature snob of a high order, so take from that what you will. Can you recommend any authors dealing with existentialism? | ||
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corumjhaelen
France6884 Posts
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CraZyWayne
Germany357 Posts
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packrat386
United States5077 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:39 Prog455 wrote: Can you recommend any authors dealing with existentialism? Personally I like No Exit by Sarte. It was a play, but it was good. I don't know that much about existentialism though :/ | ||
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corumjhaelen
France6884 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:39 Prog455 wrote: Can you recommend any authors dealing with existentialism? The Fall (A. Camus). It's not very long, and the last page is one of the thing I've read I like the most. + Show Spoiler [French] + Alors, racontez-moi, je vous prie, ce qui vous est arrivé un soir sur les quais de la Seine et comment vous avez réussi à ne jamais risquer votre vie. Prononcez vous-même les mots qui, depuis des années, n’ont cessé de retentir dans mes nuits, et que je dirai enfin par votre bouche : « O jeune fille, jette-toi encore dans l’eau pour que j’aie une seconde fois la chance de nous sauver tous les deux ! » Une seconde fois, hein, quelle imprudence ! Supposez,cher maître, qu’on nous prenne au mot ? Il faudrait s’exécuter. Brr... ! l’eau est si froide ! Mais rassurons-nous ! Il est trop tard, maintenant, il sera toujours trop tard. Heureusement ! | ||
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farvacola
United States18869 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:39 Prog455 wrote: Can you recommend any authors dealing with existentialism? Well that would depend on what sort of "flavor" of existentialism you're looking for. If you are looking for what amounts to Existential theory, l'Être et le Néant by Jean-Paul Sartre and Sein und Zeit by Martin Heidegger are definitely my go to works, but they are incredibly dense and very dry, so be forewarned; they take a lot of focus and motivation to get through, particularly in translation from what I understand. Sartre's La Nausée is a much more digestible, literary take on his brand of Existentialism, so definitely go with that if you're looking to get your feet wet. If you are looking for something more along the lines of the "absurd" or nonsensical aspects of Existentialist thought, Albert Camus is your man, with L'Étranger, Le Peste, and La Chute being some of the finest examples of literary Existentialism. Worthy of note here is Camus' opposition to nihilism; he considered it his lifes' work to oppose the notion that Existential or Absurd philosophy necessitates nihilism, so there is a sort of a optimism that pervades his work that I, personally, really enjoy. The other most notable Existential author would be Dostoyevsky, and I can't recommend his works enough, though they are definitely a tad "darker" than many of the others. Notes from the Underground, The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, Demons, and Crime and Punishment are all excellent works that speak to various aspects of Dostoyevsky's literary take on existential ideas. If you've any interest in the interaction between concepts of faith and Existentialism, I can't recommend Soren Kierkegaard enough, but his is a rather different brand of ideas, so he might be what you are looking for. Existentialism is sort of my main jam, so feel free to ask for anything in more detail, I love talking about these things. Edit: lol Corum, and here I'm being all fancy with the French titles  | ||
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Syn Harvest
United States191 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:28 Prog455 wrote: While i agree that it is certainly food for thoughts, i think that a short story or a novella would have been sufficient. I believe K's conversation with the Priest at the end of the story and the story about the man and the doorkeeper (which i believe is also a stand alone story called "Before the Law") was the strongest part of the novel, and i could have done without much of the remainder. I sometimes get a feeling that nobody is willing say anything bad about authors such as Kafka, because everyone else thinks so highly of them. It really reminds me of the fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes": http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheEmperorsNewClothes.html Kafka's work is brilliant when it comes to the description of bureacracy as bullshit. At least thats how I see it. I do agree with you though alot of people refuse to criticize well known authors out of fear of condemnation by the many. I personally don't suffer from such a fear I will tell anyone what I think about different writers even well known ones. For instance personally I don't like Dickens, Joyce, or Dostoyevsky. Its not to say they are not brilliant writers who contributed greatly to literature its just personally I dont like their writing style. Thats how people need to appraoch literature in general./ | ||
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corumjhaelen
France6884 Posts
Oh yeah, and it's La Nausée. | ||
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Meow-Meow
Germany451 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:05 Prog455 wrote: Just wondering, but what exactly is it that makes you guys think so highly of Franz Kafka? I read the Trial earlier this year and i did not find it to be something special. Because you're not reading it in German. Nobody would give a shit about Oscar Wilde if they didn't read it in English, why do people expect it to be different in German? There's a poetry in his language, a love for the word that gets completely destroyed by any attempt to translate it. | ||
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farvacola
United States18869 Posts
On July 12 2013 05:08 corumjhaelen wrote: @Farva : I have no idea which title will be the most familiar to a foreigner, so to be helpful I always use Wikipedia to translate. But I admire your willingness to use French title for Camus, especially to find the É ! While you're at it go for l'Être et le Néant and Sein und Zeit Oh yeah, and it's La Nausée. Done and done It's about time I actually started learning the languages. On July 12 2013 05:11 Meow-Meow wrote: Because you're not reading it in German. Nobody would give a shit about Oscar Wilde if they didn't read it in English, why do people expect it to be different in German? There's a poetry in his language, a love for the word that gets completely destroyed by any attempt to translate it. Irrevocably changed, most certainly, but completely destroyed? That's nonsense, and not the good kind | ||
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packrat386
United States5077 Posts
On July 12 2013 04:54 farvacola wrote: If you are looking for what amounts to Existential theory, l'Être et le Néant by Jean-Paul Sartre and Sein und Zeit by Martin Heidegger are definitely my go to works, but they are incredibly dense and very dry, so be forewarned; they take a lot of focus and motivation to get through, particularly in translation from what I understand. I tried to read Sein und Zeit once (in english). I got about 90 pages in and gave up. Its one of very few books that has ever been so confusing (and frankly boring) that I couldn't keep going. | ||
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Meow-Meow
Germany451 Posts
On July 12 2013 05:11 farvacola wrote: Done and done It's about time I actually started learning the languages. Irrevocably changed, most certainly, but completely destroyed? That's nonsense, and not the good kind I'd love to hear you elaborate on that. Certainly the translator has their own kind of poetry, but that doesn't complement the original author's sense of art, it just replaces it. I'm just saying that if you read an English translation of Kafka, you aren't actually reading Kafka's art, just his story. | ||
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