/lit/ - Literature

>>23516229
I think a basic problem here is the vagueness of OP's use of 'essential'. But that aside, The Iliad influential in the sense that it's one of the first works of literature. I think it would be extremely hard to trace a coherent, meaningful thread of influence between the Iliad and even something as old as, say, the earliest English novels, Defoe and Fielding and the like (but I'd gladly be proved wrong on this). So why read it unless you actually enjoyed reading it and were interested in the text itself? If you wanted to understand the sources of modern literature, you'd be better off reading people like Thomas Hardy and Jane Austen. What's philistine is reading books purely for their cultural status. I mean, what did you personally get out of reading the most influential work of all time?

>>23516028
Montaigne was the last good frenchman

>>23516234
actually accurate

>>23514856
Couldn't tell u, just know there was a big bang

you can make fun of me, i don't care. writing is more enjoyable than sex to me

>>23516100
>THAT IS IN REFERENCE TO THE PLAYERS ALL BEING IN COMPETITION WITH EACH OTHER
No it's not. Like I said, there is a good amount on this spread throughout the novel, they bond over common enemies (the staff or other students, fears in general) when young and the friendship never really progresses beyond that, hence Hal and Pemulis not having any clue about who the other is (or themselves). You are making a connection through a word and ignoring everything else on the subject as well as ignoring the context of that word, the semantics are quite different.
>AND MARIO IS NOT A PLAYER
He is still subject to the social dynamics of ETA when it comes to socializing with the students, which is demonstrated over and over with the bits of Mario interacting with the students.

>>23516293
>It's not special pleading if you allow me the same exemption to say the universe is outside of time.
That's simply rejecting his argument based on semantics without engaging with it.

>>23516028
There might have been one or two people in existence that Johnson might have actually liked. He couldn't get along with his own brother for God's sake.

>>23516181
>But Wolfe apparently said, "No, no, you don't understand. This young man thinks they don't restrict him enough. He's absolutely terrified that he'll accidentally slip into some form of sexual release and cause some dire consequence to his people. He'd make sure they watch him all the time."
She's not wrong. Her way is more interesting, but it could go either way. Some guys just have more willpower than others. Or maybe in this case it's brainwashing, if the servants drilled into the kid's head since birth what he had to do "for the kingdom".

Going to bed
Today was a good day

>>23516288
It's not special pleading if you allow me the same exemption to say the universe is outside of time. But saying the universe is outside of time destroys his argument that it must have had a beginning

Is Latin more like Spanish or English?

>>23516275
Most translations are honestly not that bad… Gia Fu Feng seems to me the be best all around for DDJ. You can’t go wrong with AC Graham for Zhuangzi

>When did you realize the Pharisees were the good guys? For me it was when I read Guenon and realized they were just the ancient priestly caste that Christianity did away with to its own detriment
They weren't, really. The Sadducees were the true priestly class, who were traditional, attached to the Temple, and had the proper lineage. The Pharisees were like the Protestants of their day with respect to the Sadducees, who represented a more traditional, conservative approach to Judaism. So if you're going to admire a Jewish priest group, admire them.
Also read Schuon and realize that while the Pharisees can't be condemned for failing to understand Jesus, they can be condemned for their evil methods in opposing him, which demonstrates a hostility towards God lurking in their hearts.

>>23516246
Don't listen to the trolls. Duolingo is fun and effective and the only research-based method.

>>23516278
>Because you only want to apply it God.
Again: NTA. It's not special pleading given the structure of the argument he's making. You're declaring it as such while not providing a valid argument as to why it constitutes such.

>>23516157
I was more interested why the anon thought I was interested in his opinion when he just wanted to know what I wrote.

>>23516282
*Martin's books

>>23516281
Historical materialism is indeed not necessarily metaphysical materialism, but a lot of Marxists are indeed metaphysical materialists, often vulgar ones. Marx included.

>>23515875
His first language is obviously Hebrew, go easy.

>>23516127
Who the fuck asked? Link courses or commit suicide

>>23515915
Both are slop, but King's fiction is much more enjoyable; his characters have personality, his plots are deranged and dreamlike (sometimes in a good way), and his fictional worlds are vibrant and imaginative. Martin's books on the other hand feel much more meticulously thought-out but somehow lifeless; his stories feel incredibly boring, all his characters are somewhat believable but completely despicable. Even the supernatural elements in Martin's book seem to lack all mystique and sense of wonder.

>>23516274
Marxists are not really materialists, don't insult us like that again.

t. a REAL materialist

>>23515452
his people turned to him when shit went sour and he accepted the task and accomplished it