I always feel I should be more well-read, if only for the sake of being more well-read, but when it comes down to it, I always manage to just wind up on the internet again.
Oh man, I was the most avid reader until I was 15 (which was, coincidentally, when my dad bought a computer for the house).
There are some fantastic books out there, and you really can learn so much from them
My dad used to despair of me. He always tells the story of how he'd bought a nice hardback version of Charlotte's Web, thinking, here's a book that should shut Rachel up for a while (I was 7 or 8), and then I read it all in the car on the way back to our house. After that he just used to buy the 1 pound (at the time; now they're 1.99 which actually isn't a huge increase in price considering!) classics and let me slog through those.
Some of those well-read people out there make me feel like shit. You're innocent of it; but, man, I have received some scowls. I know I can read the classics, and understand them easily. But I just love the Fantasy and Sci-Fi so much that I can't move beyond them. Then there's Palahniuk in his own, special genre.
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Some of those well-read people out there make me feel like shit. You're innocent of it; but, man, I have received some scowls. I know I can read the classics, and understand them easily. But I just love the Fantasy and Sci-Fi so much that I can't move beyond them. Then there's Palahniuk in his own, special genre.
Man, pretty much all of my literary knowledge is based solely in the "Books by Terry Pratchett, and sometimes William Gibson" category. Well, that and the metric tonne of Animorphs I read as a young'n.
I couldn't even make it a chapter into Lord of the Rings before wondering off to do something else.
Some of those well-read people out there make me feel like shit. You're innocent of it; but, man, I have received some scowls. I know I can read the classics, and understand them easily. But I just love the Fantasy and Sci-Fi so much that I can't move beyond them. Then there's Palahniuk in his own, special genre.
you deserve those scowls
not because you read sci-fi and fantasy, but because you read them almost exclusively
it's just as fucked up as someone who eats pizza for dinner every day because he's not willing to try anything else
and then you fucking mention Palahniuk as the one example outside those two genres that you also like
Palahniuk isn't terrible, but god if you hold him in such high esteem then you are indeed stunted from a literary standpoint
there's a lot of great literature out there besides sci-fi, fantasy, and "the classics", so branch out a little for gods sake, or get used to people treating you like the stunted man-child you are
You know what my secret literary addiction shame is
Agatha Christie
I don't see anything wrong with that as long as you're reading other stuff as well
but if all you're reading is mystery novels, that would make you a rather odd person and you'd be missing out on a lot of great books
No one does gruesome murder quite so cheerfully as the British
And no, I try and keep my tastes broad, although I'd say 90% of what I read is straight-up fiction (as in, not mystery, or sci-fi, or fantasy, but in the regular fiction section)
Currently reading Bill Bryson, him so much (hello Bongi!)
It's not like it was a declaration I've made, or anything. Just happened to be that way. I have Dante's Inferno on my 'next' list anyway. It HAS been time to explore.
And please, God, don't confuse me with those people out there who burn their hands with lye. I just like Palahniuk's work, and I find it standing out from some of the shit I've seen out there. It's hard to expand your reading lists when most of your friends barely touch books.
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I mean, I understand the virtues of reading other genres of books but I don't see how primarily reading scifi and fantasy novels makes someone an idiot manchild, so long as they understand what they're missing
I mean, I understand the virtues of reading other genres of books but I don't see how primarily reading scifi and fantasy novels makes someone an idiot manchild, so long as they understand what they're missing
Dubh, seriously, if you would like a recommendations list, I'd be very happy to PM you one
I'd offer to lend you the books if my stuff had arrived
DE?AD, you too, in fact, I'd be rather pleased to! A lot of the time people asking for recommendations on these forums are asking for sci-fi/fantasy, I'd love to compile a list of ordinary fiction!
yeah but he's also complaining about how people react to him as a result
and I'm saying accept that as a consequence of your choice to read so narrowly
it's a choice he makes and if he doesn't like the consequences of that choice, then choose to read more broadly
otherwise, accept that people are going to look down on you for reading almost entirely within two genres that are (with some good justification) viewed as rather juvenile
It's not like it was a declaration I've made, or anything. Just happened to be that way. I have Dante's Inferno on my 'next' list anyway. It HAS been time to explore.
And please, God, don't confuse me with those people out there who burn their hands with lye. I just like Palahniuk's work, and I find it standing out from some of the shit I've seen out there. It's hard to expand your reading lists when most of your friends barely touch books.
I'm just suggesting you branch out from those genres. I realize it can seem rather daunting, but you don't have to like every book you read. Just like part of the fun of trying new food is that you don't know if you'll like it or not. That's precisely what makes it so great when you find a new cuisine that you really like, or an author that writes stuff you normally wouldn't read that you realize you really like. Go for it man, it'll be well worth it even if along the way you read some books you don't like at all. That's how you figure out what you'll like.
yeah but he's also complaining about how people react to him as a result
and I'm saying accept that as a consequence of your choice to read so narrowly
it's a choice he makes and if he doesn't like the consequences of that choice, then choose to read more broadly
otherwise, accept that people are going to look down on you for reading almost entirely within two genres that are (with some good justification) viewed as rather juvenile
Really though? Fuck those people. Fuck their narrow mindset.
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Dubh doesn't strike me as one of those guys that only reads fantasy/scifi because he thinks they're the only good genres, anyway. He's probably more like me, because I used to exclusively read fantasy/scifi because I just wasn't curious about the other stuff.
I branched out eventually, though, and now I hardly ever read scifi or fantasy! Also I hardly ever read in general!
I'm reading the Mental Floss History Of The World, though, which is a pretty fun read, although very broad and not deep in the slightest.
yeah but he's also complaining about how people react to him as a result
and I'm saying accept that as a consequence of your choice to read so narrowly
it's a choice he makes and if he doesn't like the consequences of that choice, then choose to read more broadly
otherwise, accept that people are going to look down on you for reading almost entirely within two genres that are (with some good justification) viewed as rather juvenile
Really though? Fuck those people. Fuck their narrow mindset.
To be fair, isn't only reading a couple of genres pretty damn narrow minded? don't tell me you don't look down on and judge other people based on how they dress or what music they listen to. You're human, so of course you do this. It's natural. Only you're pretending that this shouldn't apply to your tastes. :P
The people that don't fit into the crowd always like to blame the crowd for not appreciating them because the crowd is narrow minded. Hmmm...
Dubh, seriously, if you would like a recommendations list, I'd be very happy to PM you one
I'd offer to lend you the books if my stuff had arrived
DE?AD, you too, in fact, I'd be rather pleased to! A lot of the time people asking for recommendations on these forums are asking for sci-fi/fantasy, I'd love to compile a list of ordinary fiction!
Sure! A list should make filling the gaping hole in my character a somewhat less daunting task.
yeah but he's also complaining about how people react to him as a result
and I'm saying accept that as a consequence of your choice to read so narrowly
it's a choice he makes and if he doesn't like the consequences of that choice, then choose to read more broadly
otherwise, accept that people are going to look down on you for reading almost entirely within two genres that are (with some good justification) viewed as rather juvenile
Really though? Fuck those people. Fuck their narrow mindset.
To be fair, isn't only reading a couple of genres pretty damn narrow minded? don't tell me you don't look down on and judge other people based on how they dress or what music they listen to. You're human, so of course you do this. It's natural. Only you're pretending that this shouldn't apply to your tastes. :P
The people that don't fit into the crowd always like to blame the crowd for not appreciating them because the crowd is narrow minded. Hmmm...
I guarantee that the same people who outright sneer about what I read rarely ever touch those genres. And I understand your point. I agree with your point. Suggest me some books, goddammit.
Edit: Trust me, you're preaching to the wrong man.
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DE?AD : I hope you enjoy it! Have you picked that because it is first on the list, or because you read all the blurb? Because I definitely would not say that if you didn't enjoy that book that you wouldn't enjoy the others. Each of those books is, I feel, wholly different from the others, so you might want to check that you find the premise of the book interesting.
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There are other teas I like, but those are usually the only ones I keep at home.
Me: "Oh, I like to read a lot."
Random Person: "Like what? Dickinson? Hemingway?"
Me: "Uhhhhh, Frank Herbert? George RR Martin?"
Person: "Who?"
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There are some fantastic books out there, and you really can learn so much from them
My dad used to despair of me. He always tells the story of how he'd bought a nice hardback version of Charlotte's Web, thinking, here's a book that should shut Rachel up for a while (I was 7 or 8), and then I read it all in the car on the way back to our house. After that he just used to buy the 1 pound (at the time; now they're 1.99 which actually isn't a huge increase in price considering!) classics and let me slog through those.
props to those who enjoy him
but god
sooooooo dryyyyyyy
and yes, I realize that's part of his point but that doesn't mean I'm going to enjoy him
Hehe, I'm usually that random person.
I'm pretty well versed on pre-1900 literature and more modern classics (bookstores often have very good recommendations)
Fantasy and/or sci-fi? Uh, not so much!
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exploitative shlock is a genre now?
I guess it's him and bukowski in there
I'd really encourage you to read beyond sci-fi and fantasy, though, if only because there are some fantastic books out there!
There are happy books out there
I couldn't even make it a chapter into Lord of the Rings before wondering off to do something else.
I am a terrible nerd.
happy books
not because you read sci-fi and fantasy, but because you read them almost exclusively
it's just as fucked up as someone who eats pizza for dinner every day because he's not willing to try anything else
and then you fucking mention Palahniuk as the one example outside those two genres that you also like
Palahniuk isn't terrible, but god if you hold him in such high esteem then you are indeed stunted from a literary standpoint
there's a lot of great literature out there besides sci-fi, fantasy, and "the classics", so branch out a little for gods sake, or get used to people treating you like the stunted man-child you are
Agatha Christie
but if all you're reading is mystery novels, that would make you a rather odd person and you'd be missing out on a lot of great books
And no, I try and keep my tastes broad, although I'd say 90% of what I read is straight-up fiction (as in, not mystery, or sci-fi, or fantasy, but in the regular fiction section)
Currently reading Bill Bryson,
it's not like Dubh is claiming that he only reads sci-fi and fantasy because everything else sucks
he said he prefers to read it because he finds it more entertaining, and it seems like he understands the limitations of the genre
but whatever
I should probably go get a library card.
It's not like it was a declaration I've made, or anything. Just happened to be that way. I have Dante's Inferno on my 'next' list anyway. It HAS been time to explore.
And please, God, don't confuse me with those people out there who burn their hands with lye. I just like Palahniuk's work, and I find it standing out from some of the shit I've seen out there. It's hard to expand your reading lists when most of your friends barely touch books.
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no ignorant ignorance?
I'd offer to lend you the books if my stuff had arrived
DE?AD, you too, in fact, I'd be rather pleased to! A lot of the time people asking for recommendations on these forums are asking for sci-fi/fantasy, I'd love to compile a list of ordinary fiction!
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and I'm saying accept that as a consequence of your choice to read so narrowly
it's a choice he makes and if he doesn't like the consequences of that choice, then choose to read more broadly
otherwise, accept that people are going to look down on you for reading almost entirely within two genres that are (with some good justification) viewed as rather juvenile
But that's SE++, I guess.
Really though? Fuck those people. Fuck their narrow mindset.
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I branched out eventually, though, and now I hardly ever read scifi or fantasy! Also I hardly ever read in general!
I'm reading the Mental Floss History Of The World, though, which is a pretty fun read, although very broad and not deep in the slightest.
The people that don't fit into the crowd always like to blame the crowd for not appreciating them because the crowd is narrow minded. Hmmm...
Sure! A list should make filling the gaping hole in my character a somewhat less daunting task.
These are probably my favourite five books of the past 3-4 years:
Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
All readily available for cheap on Amazon!
I guarantee that the same people who outright sneer about what I read rarely ever touch those genres. And I understand your point. I agree with your point. Suggest me some books, goddammit.
Edit: Trust me, you're preaching to the wrong man.
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Also, I finally remembered the last book I'd read - Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross.
It was pretty entertaining.
English Passengers by Matthew Kneale
DE?AD : I hope you enjoy it! Have you picked that because it is first on the list, or because you read all the blurb? Because I definitely would not say that if you didn't enjoy that book that you wouldn't enjoy the others. Each of those books is, I feel, wholly different from the others, so you might want to check that you find the premise of the book interesting.