/lit/ - Literature

Matterhorn is the best book about Vietnam I've ever read.

He wrote a non-fic followup that is equally good.

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam.

Be sure to check out the companion documentary.

>>2185564
not sure if serious, but this is the only Clancy novel that deals with Vietnam. everything else is Soviets or terrorists.

This is the only book you need.

e.g. on the strength of it, Herr wrote the voiceovers for Apocalypse Now

'About Face' by David Hackworth is 50% Korea, 50% Vietnam and 100% awesome

>>2185651
Thanks, this sounds good.

>>2185667
Fuck yeah brofist. Thanks for the recommendations man, I'll try to check them alll out

>>2185691
No problem man.

>>2185651
What is this? Is it actually about running?

>>2185651
AKA Maniac Magee. Probably the first time I read a "real" book.

>>2185695
mmmm I wouldn't say it is about running. It is about a guy who runs, but the context is pretty different. Trust me, you'll like it.

>>2185695
just listen to free bird. It's basically the same thing condensed.

I thought it was fantastic! The second book wasn't AS fun with all the ridiculous time bullshit going on, but still a decent read. I have the third one on my bookshelf waiting for me to finish a Brian Greene book before I get to it, but I would totally recommend at least the first book if you're willing to get engaged in magic and science working ~*~*together*~*~.

Also the means for coming into the offices seem to get way cooler every book. Just saying.

(This thread made me really happy to see by the way!)

>>2185541

Awesome. I've been getting bored of A Dance with Dragons (heresy, I know), and this book seemed kinda cool. I read a whole bunch of reviews on Amazon and people seem to like it, but I'm glad to hear than someone on /lit/ also enjoyed it and recommends it.

>>2185539
That's a fair point. I can see how it could get preachy.

You're a casual reader who likes simple writing and stories. Just look in the science fiction or fantasy sections of your local bookstore and you're bound to find something you like.

They just make me depressed now, fortunately I've read them all. But ever since I watched that interview with him about his alzheimer's, I just picture this frail old man having to dictate his books to his assistant whenever i look at the discworld collection on my bookshelf.

>>2185539
I like them too but they're not on the same level as the rest of the series and a little different stylistically. That's why I think they're not the best place to start.

>>2185574
oh yeah i completely agree with the difference in style

Satsuma

decadent, aesthete, libertine, bohemian

Thesaurus.

>>2185476

that's it! thank you!

>>2185480

fuck off, lol

>>2185504

Actually, this guy's right. You reall should go back to high school.

>>2185468

I don't trust russell. He thought neitzsche was an evil insane man.

So clearly Russell's reading comprehension skills are very poor--his historical analysis is probably just as terrible

In the context of the history of ideas, 65 years is not that long of a time at all. It's fine as long as you're aware of Russell's biases (like his hatred of Nietzsche).

>>2185468
Reading this now, OP, but supplementing it with original texts and a few other 'history of philosophy' books as well.
Russell's biases and general shittiness towards more modern philosophers is well-noted, even by himself. I find it pretty readable, especially for a 'history of philosophy' book, and especially for one written in the 40s.

Its a decent book OP. It gives a good overview of the entire philosophical landscape and most of the good arguments that have been presented. A lot of people say its not as comprehensive as it could have been, but its a very large book and covers a lot of information.

It wont make you an expert on philosophy (obviously) but will give you a good idea of its outlines.

>It's fine as long as you're aware of Russell's biases (like his hatred of Nietzsche).

He doesnt hate on Nietzsche that hard in the book. I think he gives a fair representation of Nietzsche's position.

As for Russel's biases, hes an analytic philosopher, he doesnt like random bullshit and treats random bullshit like random bullshit. Sorry if he doesnt give undeserved respect to your pet philosopher

Well OP, there has been no philosophy since 1900, so it might not be so outdated. That being said, there are a fuckload of texts you can consult on the same topic. But the problem with books like these is that philosophy is a field of depth, and these books by nature give only a superficial overview.

>that feel when you miss your buddy Vlad now
Thanks OP. :<

>Latvian go to potato vendor.
>Potato is 15 rubles.
>Latvian is poor and says "I give you 5 rubles."
>Potato vendor says, "Give me 10."
>Latvian say "I give you 8."
>Potato vendor say "Deal."
>Latvian ashamed, say "I have no money."
>Potato vendor say "Is ok I have no potato to sell."

>>2185493
I laughed way too hard at that.

>>2185665
prepare your anus

http://www.chrisconnollyonline.com/2009/02/72-is-partial-compendium-latvian-humor.html

Three Latvian are brag about sons. “My son is soldier. He have rape as many women as want,” say first Latvian. “Zo?” second say, “My son is farmer. He have all potato he want!” Third Latvian wait long time, then say, “My son is die at birth. For him, struggle is over.” “Wow! You are win us,” say others. But all are feel sad.

wyh didnt frodo just voldemort gandalf with the ring on his dick with stark watching snape raping a snake?

>>2185530
Shirley you meant to mention Gandalf's Shaq-Fu?

why didn't Frodo just exploit the natural divisions between Ferahgo and Klitch?

Why did Aragorn get into three duels with Drizzt, Wulfgar, and Catti-Brie when Darken Rahl was clearly planning to subvert Queen Cersei by exposing her secret affair with Uhtred of Bebbanburg?

Why didn't Harrison Frodo just stay and help Obi-Wan when he was fighting with light-saber-wands against Darth Voldemort?

Just cut out the middle man and kill yourself.

Or look for a book that will show you the way around your whiny (no offense) depression.
The answers are simple

>>2185463
>whining
Where?

>>2185458
The only reason you would consider killing yourself after reading it is that your life will never be as good as MC's.

Something Happened by Joseph Heller. I was a happy person until I read that, seriously. I can't even have it in the same room as me.

>>2185509

What happened?

Pulitzer Prize-winning pot ledom.

Did anybody see her show? It was worth seeing. They rounded up a group of PHD chem students to see which one was the best at wearing clothes.

The stylistic elements that Banks employs are quite extraordinary, indeed.

This just reminds me of this drivel

>>2185446

That's top model backwards!

Holy shit, this has been released?

Yeah, Jonathan Lethems doing a book tour thing with it as well...

>>2185407
Oh yeah! I thought it wasn't coming out til December for some reason. Just checked Amazon...$22.00 for hardback. So yeah, someone go get this and report back!

It certainly could.

>>2185434
I guess I do.
And when I mean fun, I don't mean like sex-with-a-blueberry-woman amounts of fun, I mean, like mentally fun. Playful I guess? Channel your desperation into something new and interesting. Since you're totally alone, you've got lots of free time, presumably. Make it a goal to write exactly what you want to write and keep reading and writing until you do.

You might be familiar with this since 4chan, but Welcome to NHK is a pretty fun, dark book on loneliness. Might not be exactly what TIoBOtaB is talking about, but a good way to see some funny absurdities meshed into why the main character is lonely. Like it shows how his paranoia and distrusting nature kind of keeps him lonely and all. Actually helped me get over the crushing part of being lonely too, and on to acceptance (not to imply you have to accept it). Just a thought on a good read that could help you both mentally, and in how you write. Yes there was an anime adaption, but the book the anime is based on has its own merits.

>>2185449
If you have enough time to read this stuff, why don't read real existential literature instead? It's dealing with the same subjects, and doing much better job of it.

>>2185473
I assume he wants an example of a fiction novel to help in guiding him toward channeling his feelings into art. He knows the feelings, but not how to filter them through an artistic medium.

>>2185473
Yeah re existential stuff, Camus and Sartre are probably the worst people to read if you're in a funk, or maybe the best, what do I know?

But Infinite Jest helped me through a lot, and I know a lot of people here hate IJ, but there it is.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest is also a good one that helped me during high school.

>>2185449
Don't know anything about manga or anime, so I can't recommend anything in this vein, if in fact you do like this type of stuff.

As for more western graphic novels, though, Blankets by Craig Thompson is pretty alright, as well as Black Hole by Charles Burns.

I would assume this fellow is unstable, he looks at the world not knowing what to think, disliking people in general, hating the war then venting his frustrations on the government

pay for it, scum

>>2185343
Doood...

>>2185343

Stop right there criminal scum!

Shit dude. I forgot about those.

All of my nostalgia.

>>2185343
These, Narnia, the Time Quartet, and My Side of the Mountain, amirite?

>>2185386

ya that would be good...oh wait this is art, which is meaningless and arbitrary and its good only if i say so

>>2185379
Bloom is a fat fuck whose opinion is worthless. Nabokov was one of the best writers of the 20th century and well-read.

Maybe you shouldn't be complaining about the opinions of one person about a widely respected writer, faggot. Poe is taught in highschool and often referenced in every walk of literature. You're trying to create a problem that isn't there.

Bullshit fantasy isn't lit. Good fantasy is. If it wasn't half the 'literary' writers wouldn't be literary.

>>2185416

define "good fantasy"

>>2185358

In a 1964 Supreme Court decision, Justice Potter described his test for pornography as, "I know it when I see it."

That is the way I feel about defining literature.

We don't have empirical data to establish a recognized threshold. Some use Bloom as their pitchfork.com to quickly evaluate a writer or work instead of personally doing the reading and evaluating.

Is Poe literature?

Is Playboy obscene?

It depends on who is interpreting.

>>2185439
>It depends on who is interpreting.

As long as their opinions coincide with mine they are correct, otherwise they are mistaken.

When you read a poem
That was written in a matther of minutes,
You're not reading
Anything beyond bathroom sharpies.

Often people are poets merely because
Poetry is the
Shortest version of literature,

And they are too lazy
To write of length or find out what prosody is.

When you read a poem, 9 times of 10,
You're reading the mediocre work
Shat out hastily by lazy people with literary ambitions.

take a writer away from his typewriter
and all you have left
is
the sickness
which started him
typing
in the
beginning.

When you read a poem,
it can be like watching
an obese naked man writhing
and screaming
and trying to convince you
he is dressed like a King.
But a line break and thesaurus
do not a poem make.

no you don't

>>2185840
What?

You've got us beat, OP.

>>2185302
1/0, OP

>>2185311
The limit as n goes to 0 of 1/n is +/- infinity. /lit/ -infinity /sci/ +infinity.

>>2185330

It's an asymptote at which no values exist.

That was a quote