Should every thought be entertained? Is ignoring or refusing to dwell on thoughts the sign of a weak mind?
no wtf thats the exact opposite of a weak mind you retard.
>>9804944
Good question Boyd. I'd say never fogive, never forget. Never. Not ever.
>>9804944
One could argue that staying focused on the 'important' thoughts is a sign of a strong will or mind
Can /lit/ provide me good books to read for Neocons?
>>9804912
Yes, /lit/ can.
>>9804919
Thank you, that's all I needed to know.
/thread
Why is Wealth of Nations a neocon book?
Everyone excited about his new book?
>I think it’s safe to say that Nietzsche, with his “God is dead and everything is permitted,” mentality, sounds pretty nihilistic. [You are] right, however, some scholars argue that he actually sees himself as working to overcome nihilism, rather than embracing it.
fuck his writing. we need more crashcourse philosophy!
>>9804732
he'll never release the winds of winter.
>>9804759
>however, some scholars argue
literally, LITERALLY everyone who has ever bothered to actually read Nietzsche knows he despised nihilists. For fucks sake, even in the Antichrist he says he despises them, isn't that his most popular book with his edgy teen fanbase?
I've been currently reading Looking For Alaska because my sister lending me a copy, and it's atrocious YA, but it's memorable. John Green has transcended forgettable YA fiction because his is so shitty, the awfulness of his prose so grotesque, that it will cling to your memory like Green's smug, punchable face.
What i noticed in particular, is that normally, the last line of a day in the book will usually be one of those lines that's clearly meant to make to reader go "whoa..." and everytime, without fail, they made me cringe so hard i physically recoiled like i got shot.
Without a doubt, the king of shitty YA fiction, and he can fucking keep that throne.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfNw0ZAenkE
>>9804661
maybe
he's not going to gain any traction here because he doesn't seem to have any of those memetic qualities we all too enjoy. the guy's a poor man's
harold bloom if he was even more turgid and way less interesting
i like his enthusiasm though
kek
I'm testing /Lit/'s reasoning skills.
> What has 4 words, sometimes has nine and never has five?
No cheating.
That's not a question. It's a statement.
What=4 letters
Sometimes=9 letters
Never=5 letters
>>9804613
The operative word here is "word(s)" not letters.
>>9804613
It's op again, first answer is correct. It's just a trick question of course.
>the reader's interpretation is more important than the author's intent
>I read for the plot
>>9804541
how about this: the author's intent is unknowable and the text is the text (and the text is all that really matters)
>>9804550
That's some Russian Formalism shit that you need to stay away from, anon.
What is the literary lifestyle?
>>9804470
Writing.
>>9804470
being a bohemian.
when you put your creations above yourself
Barring the obvious necessary activities, I want to give up everything In life but reading and writing.
I want to go long stretches of time without internet, abstain from TV, etc.
But how can I develop the willpower for this? Are there any books on the subject?
get a skull and keep this visible somewhere
>>9804468
Get a fuckload of kick-ass hobbies, preferably inexpensive.
>Read
>Write
>Go on walks
>Cooking
>Baking
>Working out (push ups/sit ups acceptable)
>Origami (get a book about it)
>Learn to juggle
>Explore meditation
>Practice wilderness survival
>Go camping
>Get lots of paper porn and masturbate frequently
>Find sexually desirable individuals and attempt dates
>Live on the street as a bum for a night or two just to see what it's like
>Write about it
>Try drawing
>Try painting
>Put a kettle on your head and hit it with large wooden spoons
>Climb a tree
>Fall and break an arm
>Fall in love with your nurse
>Get married and have children
>Get killed by grown children for having not shown them the wonders of TV and internet throughout their lifetime, your wife having commited suicide years ago
How's that sound? Now go away if you want to get off the internet so fucking badly.
who's the bitch
I'm about to start this trilogy. Is it good? Overrated?
too swedish for me
>>9804429
If you can get past the Swedish as fuck/unnecessary feminist bents then I declare it one of the most enjoyable reads I've ever had
So I had a look at pic related, but I wanted to know from you, /lit/, what were the first poets you actually enjoyed reading? how did you get started? What are you reading now?
>>9804281
Get an anthology and find out what you like
>>9804281
>Howl and Other Poems.
Fuck off. Ginsberg was a hack.
>>9804318
this
shit chart
/lit/cord has finished its Tartar Steppe (Buzatti) reading group and we're now moving on to focus on two longer reading groups, Joseph and His Brothers (Mann) and Celestial Harmonies (Esterhazy), as well as the ongoing reading of the oeuvre of Richard Powers. Join us, either for the reading groups or for general /lit/ discussion mixed with shitmemeposting.
https://discord.gg/TgjNuAs
We're also starting up a handful of other reading groups and would love more people to join in.
>Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann
A mammoth work considered by Mann to be his magnum opus. Composed over 16 years, Mann retells twenty-odd chapters of Genesis in a sweeping, 2000 page narrative. The book touches on culture, storytelling/mythmaking, individualism, and the usual erudite topics that Mann is known for, infused with a heavy dosage of Biblical mysticism of the sort that fascinated Mann more and more as he aged.
>Celestial Harmonies by Peter Esterhazy
Esterhazy is a descendant of the old, prominent Hungarian noble family, possibly best remembered today for its patronage of Joseph Haydn. The book chronicles the history of the family through a fictional lens that is nonetheless intimately tied with European history over the past few centuries. The narrative is deceptively simple, but actually nonlinear, and gradually reveals the trajectory of Esterhazy history, often as a metaphor for broader themes.
>The works of Richard Powers
A couple of us are taking the Powers-pill and exploring a very exciting contemporary novelist, who has some of the best literary depictions of the troubled by inextricable connection between science and the arts in the modern world.
Pic unrelated.
>filename
tell me more.
bae <3
>>9804348
What tomes can you recommend to start up on US history?
The bible, the foundational book of the US of A.
The Vedas and The Book of Mormon
Okay, lets limit it to the titles published first in the last twentyish years
What book should I pick up in order to learn about creating a mind palace ?
What books should I read about memory in general ?
Give me your best answers /lit/
Foer - Moonwalking with Einstein
Yates - The Art of Memory
Can a beginner learn from these ?
Does anyone have experience with memory training ? How hard is it to achieve ?
Any good self-discovery/personal journey/growth-adventures books?
To let you know what i'm talking about, i need stuff like Coelho's "The pilgrimage" or Pennac's "Diary of a body", where the story mainly works as a setting and the real plot is the evolution and emotional change of the characters trough their journey/story/adventure/life.
More direct psycological/self discovery books are fine too, but i'd rather get the emotions and lessons from the book itself rather than getting them from a professor or a guru or "science says".
>>9804182
I'm sorry for not having a recommendation anon, but what other books would you recommend in addition to The Pilgrimage and Diary of a body?
>>9804182
This is exactly what you're searching for, OP. It's a wonderful book, honestly.
The translation by R. M. French is the oldest and the best. It's the classic, and it's definitely the one you want to read. And even though you can find the text online, I strongly recommend obtaining a physical copy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_a_Pilgrim
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Way_of_a_Pilgrim
http://www.hermitary.com/articles/pilgrim.html
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Pilgrim-Continues-His/dp/0932727301
>>9804240
No worries, some anon will eventually suggest me something. I would also reccommend (of this genre of course) "The Alchemist" (written by Coelho as well) and "Siddartha" (Herman Hesse).
The former's story (i repeat, in this genre story is just a background) is more fairy tale like, the latter feels more realistic, but also needs good focus, since it's sometimes contorted. Both are very good though.
Tonio Kroger and Death in Venice are obviously supposed to be companion stories, but there's an 8 year gap between their composition. Is Kroger supposed to be a treatise on the alienation of the modern artist, while Death is showing that striving to create art can never truly be achieved?
Shut the fuck up faggot.
>>9804033
>Death is showing that striving to create art can never truly be achieved
What? Wherever did you get that idea? That's a unique reading of Death in Venice, but I think it's missing Mann's focus.
Hint: the most important character in Death in Venice isn't Aschenbach, nor Tadzio. It's Venice (or all of continental Europe).
thinkin of starting the magic mountain, yay or nay