/lit/ - Literature

do I have to read ALL of the mahabharata?

How can you distinguish a world in which panpsychism is true from one where strong emergence is true?

>>17761980
In which order should I read these books?

>>17762248
You don’t have to read anything

>>17762282
There's no rational order here.

When there's a book you're somewhat interested in but you don't know if it's for you and you can't find it in a library as I assume is often the case with the books you guys read, do you guys just buy them anyway?
I feel like it's a waste to buy books you might not enjoy, but at the same time I don't want to start reading on a phone or tablet to find out whether or not I like it and then have to wait for the books to arrive after buying them, since I don't enjoy reading digital.

>>17762301
Try and make one then

>>17761980
How do I just START?!

>>17763052
just start reading and don't stop. preferably with homer.

>>17762355
No you just use one of the many sites which probably will have it for free to download, then if you really like it, you buy it or you don’t and you just read it on your computer.

>>17763126
I read a lot. I’m talking about writing.

>>17761980
is the king in yellow a good book? also, can anyone generally recommend books that have horror/lovecraftian themes?

>>17763131
Is it considered the norm to read digital around these parts? I assumed people would be even more against it than elsewhere

>>17763157
literally steal ideas from authors you like

Thank you for Gura op!

>>17763199
Depends on who you ask, there’s folks here who swear by physical books only but there’s also plenty of threads seeking online libraries and download links. I think even if you’re against reading digital, reading something like the first 5-10 pages and then deciding it’s worth the buy should be fine.

Is there a philosophical or religious book that explains the rise of vtubers? I know it’s just another form of escapism, but I feel it goes beyond that, and I need some guidance to understand it.

>>17763946
They’re too new a phenomena but I think you should probably read Otaku: Japan's Database Animals by Hiroki Azuma and baudrillard’s simulacra and simulation.

These two works get into the topic of simulation, manipulation of desire, preference for illusionary worlds over the real, the replacement of the illusionary over the real, and deep dive the mindset of the otaku as simply the most advanced/modern form of the consumer and what a lot of future consumption will probably look like, also deep dives the “kawaii” aesthetic and how objects/items are integrated into a database of things considered cute or desirable.

Where can I go to find out what the fuck hyperstition is?

>>17763976
I will and thanks.

/sci/niggers not welcome

What should I read first? Blood Meridian or Suttree?

I really enjoyed The Road desu

>>17765226
>hyperstition
http://xenopraxis.net/readings/carstens_hyperstition.pdf

I a piece of chicken that was slightly undercooked. What are my chances of dying tonight?

>>17766165
Slim. Try raw meat next time.

>>17762355
>as I assume is often the case with the books you guys read
What do you mean by this? /lit/ reads mostly classics. If it’s some obscure meme only talked about on /lit/ I definitely won’t buy it until I know I’ll like it, as a lot of what /lit/ memes is garbage.

>>17766075
Thank you very much

good not so academic book on Nordic mythology? I'm interested particularly in Odin and his quest for knowing

>>17766257
not gonna lie, yesterday is the first time I've come on /lit/. I just assumed the people that actually came here would be interested in the more obscure books

> If it’s some obscure meme only talked about on /lit/
see that's what I mean, your average person is likely not going to be interested in finding a copy of the actual necronomicon for example

>>17766165
i got some food in my fridge but it says "microwave to 160 degrees before eating" now i'm paranoid to eat it because if i undercook it could have raw meat in it, but if i over cook it, the plastic it's in will get melty and probably release some hormone disrupting toxic shit, someone gave it to me so i don't want to throw it out

>>17766541
anon, I'm pretty sure any of those microwave meals are already cooked
I'm sad to see that even /lit/ isn't safe from shitposters

>>17761980
I must be one cold motherfucker apparently. I want to read something that breaks me, something that has me crying like a bitch at the end. I tried "When Breat Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi, but despite peoples recommendations it didn't do shit. Most impactful thing I've read the last two years is Emil Ciorans bullshit.

does attaching something herewith make me sound retarded? can i say "...and attached it herewith" or do i need to rework it to remove the "it" as in "i have attached herewith..."?

>>17766541
you could take it out of the plastic and transfer it to another container. maybe even use a conventional oven

>>17763160
King in Yellow is very very good. The copy I got has a few of the other short stories by the same author, some aren't great but they're mainly very good. Can't remember the name of the collection or author the top of my head.

Obviously read the 'Necronomicon' - it is the complete works of Lovecraft. Most of them are exceptional and fairly short, but they are all different enough that you wont get bored. Its very long and will keep you occupied for ages.

Some other good authors are Peter Clines, Brian Keens, Clark ashton smith, etc. Unfortunately a lot of modern 'authors' jumped on the genre and because of Lovecraft's beautiful racism they use their books to push agendas.

Dark Eidolen by clark ashton smith is one I am currently waiting on being delivered

Hope this helps anon

>>17766651
Dont want to sound edgy but reading about real people dying was always very trivial and boring to me. Celine and houellebeq (however the fuck his name is spelled) made me way more depressed than any "true" story ever did. Also it was worse when I actually finished the book

>>17763160
I only read titular story because other anons said the rest isnt really in similar style, but it was very unique

>>17766509
'Norse Mythology' by Neil Gaiman is okay, it puts the stories into moden english so it is easier to understand for people who aren't already knowledgeable about the subject.

'Mythis of the Norsemen' by Gueber is also good. As for specifically on Odin, there might be some books but I mainly read anthologies of many stories because they're quite short usually. If you want longer ones read translations of the Eddas or Sagas.

Hope this helps

>>17766779
There are a few stories about the king in yellow by the same author (I forget his name). The others range from bad to top tier in my opinion, my favourite beingThe Demoiselle d'Ys probably. Worth the read anyway, its very short

>>17766667
Herewith means "along with this" or "with this" so leave the 'it" in, as if you were saying "I have attached it along with this".

>>17766833
thanks

>>17761980
What's a good word for someone who perpetually fails, not because they are incompetent, but because they enjoy failing? The closest I can come up with is "faggot" but that's no good

>>17761980
>Want to read a book, no book seems appealing
>Want to play a game, no game seems fun
>Want to watch a movie, all movies look boring
Is there a word for this kind of desire without a form? Not looking for a solution just a word for it.

>>17763160
Horrorbabble's Youtube channel, particularly look up stories by Frank Belknap Long and Clark Ashton Smith. Edward French also has some good ones (although he's not the biggest cosmic horror fan). Check out his reading of The Night Wire, a rare one hit wonder by some guy but a good one.

Robert Bloch is another one but frankly he doesn't seem to "get" cosmic horror, he twists everything into camp somehow. Although I did like French's reading of I Like Blondes.

>>17766509
Bulfinch did Norse stuff too I think.

>>17766667
I've never heard it and I would kind of faggy even though I kind of like fancy fag shit desu, so be careful. I'd assume you were trying to be a fancy lad, and if this wasn't borne out by the rest of your actions and personality, I would be like haha look at the little tryhard faggot.

Since typing this I now think it's cool so I changed my mind. Now you see how mercurial a response to "herewith" might be.

>>17767663
This is a trick to make me post my real name!

Are there any books from Authors, that never wrote a book before, that made them an overnight success? To clarify, I'm not talking about authors who wrote many underwhelming books, but then struck gold, i mean someone who struck gold on their first published work.

>>17761980
behead vtubers and their simpathizers

>>17768159
Get with the times, you fucking faggot.

>>17768147
Harper Lee for sure

>>17768170
these times are fucking shit and if not getting with them isolates me from pathetic zoomer retards drooling over twitch thots with a facerig then i'm obviously not missing out on anything

>>17768190
Get with the times you fag.

>>17768159
Stop posting this shit. Its fucking annoying.

>>17768190
Me: mining for words and phrases to learn in a foreign language by watching a socially awkward girl who is too modest to show her face on the internet grapple with her own struggles in relating to her family by watching a comfy Earthbound playthrough
you: having a seizure about the immodesty of modern women and thinking I'm a "pathetic zoomer retard drooling over (them)" (wrong on all counts)
these times are fine desu you just have no mental resilience of ability to cope with them. no big surprise since you're nothing a socially stunted ape anyway

Best poem collections?

>>17768190
>arguing with mentally retarded and mentally ill anime/vtuber spammers

bro, leave them to their misery. nothing you could say to them could make their lives worse

>>17768278
>a socially awkward girl who is too modest to show her face on the internet grapple with her own struggles in relating to her family
are you like, aware of the existence of vtuber agencies? like, you did know about that, right?
anyway, hope she reads this bro don't forget to leave a bit of your money for yourself, i'm sure she doesn't need all of it

>>17768307
>>17768384
Let people have their fun

>>17768303
This one is in the top 10 of the /lit/ chart

>>17768701
Nice, thanks.

>>17768612
No.

>>17768612
vtuber shit is degeneracy

>>17770334
What isn't degenerate for you? No doubt some cringy traditional life you yearn for because you can't live in a modern one.

>>17766759
Edgy

>>17770334
So is wasting your time arguing about animated virtual girls on the anonymous image boards. And yet here we are.

>>17770443
>ew, I bet you want to raise a family instead of living in VR & being hooked up to a cock milker 24/7. Get with the times gramps
jesus christ anon

>>17766070
Either is fine. Blood meridian is shorter though.

>>17768147
Hemingway

Is there a list of recommended stores to buy from, specifically europe.
Looking to buy The Belgariad Series and only reasonably priced option I saw was Amazon.co.uk which doesn't deliver outside of the UK (possibly brexit shenanigans)
I checked the wiki, assuming there would be a list but didn't find any

>>17770835
>>Looking to buy The Belgariad Series and only reasonably priced option I saw was Amazon.co.uk which doesn't deliver outside of the UK (possibly brexit shenanigans)
use forward2me.com

>>17766667
english went to shit when those words were seen as antiquated

>>17770844
that would effectively add like 50% to the cost however
Have I simply become too spoilt by other cheaper box sets? Just recently bought the hannibal set for 22 & the ASOIAF set I bought a while back for like 25-30 as well.

Are The Ego and its own and The Unique and Its Property, the same book? Are there any minor differences? Also, why does /lit/ say that this is the only book he wrote, when clearly wrote other stuff?

>>17762248
Yes. If you want to understand it. But choose a good R+ translation.

>>17770895
Also, what's the better translation?

I just finished Histories by Herodotus,and as such I might have finished reading about archaic Greece with Homer and Hesiod before.
I will read The first philosophers (Robin Waterfield) and was wondering what are recommended books on classic Greece, Thucydides ?
And if there are other books like Herodotus' , polycentric and so engaging, anecdotal and historical at the same time?

>>17771257
I hope you will be reading aeschylus, sophocles, euripides and aristophanes as well anon, they're indispensable. Especially if you plan to read plato afterwards.

>>17771343
I will.

What is the literary equivalent to this song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QmPCrC7uXw

>>17761980
Gawrrrr Gura!! Gura gura! Hallo Frewnde! Kiara tought me that ehehe!

>put some books from same vendor on abebooks in basket
>simply adds up the shipping fees
I assume there's no way to get them to ship it together or something?

>>17771257
>And if there are other books like Herodotus' , polycentric and so engaging, anecdotal and historical at the same time?
Maybe Journey of Beagle by Darwin?
Give it a try, Darwin's writing style isn't the lightest. Ryszard Kapuściński literary works also might scratch this itch, he even wrote Travels with Herodotus, but I believe his most popular work is The Emperor. And, if you don't mind comics, Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck is real piece of work. If you mind comics then just ignore last position.

>>17772531
The Beagle thing was written in the style of Humboldt's Cosmos I think

>>17771257
I don't know of anyone who comes close to the length and breadth of Herodotus.. Al-Biruni on the Indians, ibn Battuta, Agathias Scholasticus of Myrina, fragments of Megasthenes' Indica, Tacitus' Germania and Agricola, Arrian, Strabo, Anna Komnena might all have bits of what you like. Maybe Marco Polo.

I have a newfound appreciation for romance. Recommend me your favorite romance novels, or even just your favorite novels that have a strong romantic element.

>>17768701
It's a shame he only lived to 26

>>17767692
Depression, lack of vocation.

>>17767692
Action begets action. Go for a walk while listening to an audiobook and force yourself to start thinking and acting. Your center of gravity has drifted too far into inaction. What Colin Wilson called "the robot" within you has cemented pathways upon pathways that make you think it's simply built into you to have a negative interest in things. Your will feels atrophied because it it wrapped in mistaken bad associations about the reward pathways of any potential activity.

You need to shake these projections and assumptions up, rewrite your pathways, start making new connections. Unfortunately that will require a bit of "fake it til you make it" initially. Try working out before deciding on what you want to do. Also try ignoring, and becoming conscious of, your gut-feeling about how much you "wanna" do any given thing, and how much this gut-feeling guides your decision-making processes.

Don't let it become a general habit or you can sink into essentially juvenile dementia or ADHD. Or a combination of both, which is what most zoomers have, where the long-term pathways to fulfillment are so instinctively implausible that it would take a massive effort to do any long-term task whatsoever, and all you can do is circle the drain with low-effort low-investment short-term activities like clicking another youtube video. The spectrum goes both ways, you can either sink deeper into the robot running your life (into the ground), or you can shrug it off, rewrite it, make it work for you.

I don’t understand what makes 100YoS a good novel? I found it to be the opposite.

>>17772551
I have never read Cosmos or any other work by Humboldt, so your reply is pretty meaningless to me, but I've read The Voyage of the Beagle few years ago. I guess I get vague idea of the Cosmos style.

Is it normal to not be able to focus on other books after finishing Infinite Jest?

Should I read Hesiod before Homer?
And should I read Edith Hamilton’s Mythology before reading the Greeks? Seems like she’s just retelling the stories I’m about to read.

>>17774385
>Infinite Jest
Nobody here has ever read that meme book

>>17761980
what's the kierkegaard reading order?

>>17774716
>Should I read Hesiod before Homer?
Maybe if you knew absolutely nothing about greek mythology already, but as long as you know the basics it doesn't matter
>Seems like she’s just retelling the stories I’m about to read
Yeah if your only interest is the greeks and you're going to read them anyway I'd say there's no point, but she also goes into Norse and Roman mythology

can left handers get use fountain pens without smudging? also are fountain pens actually have any benefits?

>>17775114
Youtube it

Does anybody know where can I buy (or pirate) classic Irish lit e-books in Irish lang (like The Islander by O'Crohan or Twenty Years A-Growing by O'Sallivan etc)

It's relatively easy to find it in English. Sometimes there are Irish versions in hardcopy on amazon, but I can't find e-books in Irish language...

How does one decide what's the best copy to buy? I'm reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, so just went with ebook penguin classics, but wanted to get a hardback.

>>17766651
There was a 'saddest books you've read' thread yesterday, mostly muh feels or wasted youth and regret types tho
>>17756010

>>17772891
>Your will feels atrophied because it it wrapped in mistaken bad associations about the reward pathways of any potential activity.

I feel this deeply. When considering what I should do with my time my brain performs an incredibly unhelpful hyper reductive analysis reducing activities into pure form abstracted from experiential substance. Paralysing lack of vitality and animus or anhedonic feeling of guilt if enacted. I think it stems from an existential awareness of death and attempting to efficiently maximize my time instead of living grounded in the moment. As you say my best solution seems to be riding the momentum of another simple activity like a walk around the block or cooking a meal etc to breakthrough the stasis.

I'm not familiar with Colin Wilson but his biography seems to be a compact exploration of his ideas you reference, do you recommend it or something else to read more on what you speak of?

>>17772729
and how did you obtain that? Sometimes I get the itch to be swept away by a piece of romance fiction, not so much from lonely yearning for love but it's an interesting exploration of a different side of characters you don't get elsewhere and the winding plots can be exciting. However this tends to get negated by convincing myself it will be generic, cheesy or overly tailored to women.

>>17771343
>>17772531
>>17772551
thank you FA.ms , hopefully these threads catch on

>>17774724
I finished it. I want an answer to my question.

>>17761980
Will God Give me the honor of having 17777777?
God Please

You ever quit a book because you just can’t get into it even though you can recognize it’s objectively good?

>>17777330
Not yet

>>17777330
You know, /lit/ told me that Infinite Jest was such a great book that I had to buy it. And I can't get into it.

How to write song lyrics?

>>17777330
Moby Dick.

Should I bother reading House of Leaves? I bought a few years ago and the non-euclidian house premise sounded fun on the back cover. However, I never really flipped the pages at the store and only found out about the meme format after I bought it.

>>17768303

I really like the Everyman’s Library edition of John Donne’s complete poetry. Donne expresses a lot of interesting and definitely heterodox ideas about love, religion, etc. Plus some of his poems are pretty funny too.

>>17771194

Yes they’re the same book, and from what I understand, the Unique and Its Property is a much better translation

>>17777330
Crime and Punishment.

>>17777330
Is silmarillion considered objectively good

>>17775638
Anyone?

>>17776416
Make thread about it.
>>17777330
Ulysses by Joyce. Never finished in the Search of Lost Time, but I've read all tomes I borrowed from library.
>>17778496
Decide for yourself. Google differences between translations and chose book format you like. If I ever wanted to buy the hardback,I would do it.
>>17777169
>>17777777

>>17778615
>Google differences between translations
How do I even search for that?
>book format you like
What do you mean by book format?

>>17774781
From his first book.

>>17778686
>How do I even search for that?
Search up the different translation

>>17777501
Would you recommend it?

>>17779608
Not him, but I would.

Is there a publishing house, preferably in UK or Ireland, that publishes more experiemental contemporary fiction?

Where do I start with Daoism? I'm not as smart as some people here when it's about philosophy; so I'd appreciate if you didn't rec anything tough to get into for a beginner.

>>17761980
How difficult is it really once you have all the prerequisite background?

can i advertise my books here

Guys, who got the Septs for their post.

>>17780400
?*

>>17780400
Time is flat circle or something. Janny deleted that thread. Checked.

>>17777435
It's not life-changing or anything but it's pretty good. The meme format is intended to simulate the claustrophobic/vast elements of the house, but those meme elements can safely be ignored. You can read the book the way you want and still follow along the plot.

How do you pronounce the μν in something like μνημονευητε? I've been saying it like muh-nay but it sounds retarded.

>>17779608
100% recommend. He’s my favorite poet

where do i start with Philip k dick

>>17761980
What version of the Bible do you guys recommend me to read? (on spanish)

>>17761980
Are there any stories of people being put through hell and then returning home, but they can't fit in because they're so fucked up? Not war stories.
Think of it as post-isekai.
I'm pretty desperate.

>>17781354
start with the greeks

I'm planning on reading Plato soon and half of the guides say to start with Euthyphro and the other half says to start with the Apology.
Which should I start with with and what reading order of Plato do you anons recommend?

>>17763946
Beautiful Fighting Girl to understand the appeal of anime girls

Which translation of Hesiod is the best one?

>>17779923
Tao te ching and the Chuang tzu

Is the world fundamentally violent?

I’ve thought about this for a long time, and I can’t help but think that everything in the universe—from galaxies to civilizations to the tiniest particles—exists because things surmounted other things and all existence continually affirms itself materially through these cycles of violence.

I’ve come to think that all change is a kind of violence (stripped of the emotional baggage that comes with the word). The way I envision it is almost like a mathematical derivation of the universe, a perpetual balancing of the sheets.

I’m not advocating violence and I’m not trying to be edgy here. I am open to being refuted. Tell me your thoughts on the matter.

>>17761980
help can anyone tell me from whom this quote is
it goes something like this

it doesnt matter if there is a god or not, if not then i die and leave behind a good life filled with helping people etc, and if there is a god then I'll go to heaven, and if he doesnt then i dont want to listen to that god

i really butchered it sorry

I'm looking for a good hardcover of Paradise Lost with illustrations by Dore, does anyone have any recs? Thinking of picking up the second printing of pic related, though if I find something a bit more aesthetic I'd prefer that. Problem is most of the hardcovers that look great don't seem to have the illustrations.

>>17783328
Tad unrelated, but have you heard of out Pablo Auladell’s graphic novel version? Very different from Dore, but gorgeous in my opinion nonetheless.

>>17783397
I had not, but I looked at some pages since you mentioned it. The art is very well done, not really my style but not bad at all and the sweeping landscapes, use of shading, and composition is top notch. Thanks for the rec m8 I might have to give this a read

>>17783092
Marcus Aurelius

>>17783439
thank you so much, god that guy just hit the nail on the head

>>17782816
>Is the world fundamentally violent?
Yes

>>17783491
you're welcome

>>17782816
violence is just a label for a group of behaviours and actions. it doesn't "exist" but the idea is useful for people and society.

you even seem to acknowledge on some level that violence is just a descriptor, so what difference does it make if the world is "fundamentally violent" or not? you could argue that it is and that it's also "fundamentally compassionate", what difference does it make?

how many books has /lit/ read and how many books do you personally consider to be the cutoff for being "well read"

>>17783972
Being well-read isn't about how many books you read, it's about what books you read. You can read 100 books but if they're YA novels you'll be dumber than when you started. But if you read the works of just a few great authors like Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant and Hegel you'll be infinitely better read than most people and /lit/ users despite only have read ~10 books

>>17784376
This is actually nice advice.

>>17782816
>>17782816
>Is the world fundamentally violent?
Yes and humanists acknowledge it, but they keep saying ''duhhh humans should cooperate'' like the retard Darwin said lol

>>17783491
Bro...he never said that.

>>17785749
What did he say?

>>17783328
Ebay?

>>17785749
why

A while ago I read about some philosophy that made the claim you should never allow positive things to be part of your self identity, you should see yourself as a good friend and should only see yourself as your negatives such as bad husband or whatever - the reason was basically if you identify yourself as a good friend you won't see a need to focus on being a bad husband but if you identify yourself or see yourself as a bad husband you're going to want to correct it

does anyone know what philosophy this is from or know where to read more about it?

Any good books on the Frisian Freedom era of Frisia

I'm looking for a chart of good books that are NOT in the western canon. I remember one of them was the New York Trilogy. Somebody please post.

>>17783328
https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Complete-Poems-Milton-Notes/dp/B000FNTLQG
I have this one. You can find it on ebay too. Even has Paradise Regained and other poems.

>>17783328
>>17789105
Pic rel

>>17787962
Sounds interesting but I have no idea

are there any erotic novels based on Augustine's pre-Christian years?

>>17787279
Yeah I'm willing to shop there just looking to see if anyone knew of any specific editions worth looking into like this anon

>>17789105
>>17789117
Very nice anon, thank you so much. Looks great, if you're still ITT are you happy with it?

>>17787962
Yeah sounds interesting but I don't know either. Part of it sounds kind of like Sartre's facticity.

I also think this is potentially dangerous though.. certainly you should excoriate yourself so that you can always be growing, never accepting who you are as complete or perfect (reminds me of Gasset's critique of "mass man," and Nietzsche), but isn't cultivating the good, in yourself and in general, important too?

Hell, not just important, but a bit of grace from God that the path to goodness is not blind and featureless, but filled with hints and glimpses of true Goodness refracting through the goodness in ourselves and the things we do. This doesn't seem incommensurate with a critique of complacency, pride, self-congratulation etc.

>>17789803
Yes, I love it! Has annotations too

>>17789071
Here ya go weeb

Should I start my John Green collection by reading Paper Towns or does it not really mattter

>>17790564
i admit, this is good bait

Are there any books you know that analyses the nuclear family from a historical perspective. I'm curious if it is actually natural for a human being. Also, books on the morality of it are also welcome

>>17783972
>>17784376
This is true, but it also begs mention that one should comprehend the great works they read. I've noticed that this board is irrationally opposed to consulting secondary sources. It's not likely that a newly minted reader will absorb Kant and Hegel without secondary sources to help. Might as well read YA and Marvelshit for all you'll get from skimming the Phenomenology of Spirit without lectures or commentary.

>>17792168
The Way We Never Were: American Families And The Nostalgia Trap by Stephanie Coontz. She's a historian of the nuclear family who was faculty at my alma mater.

looking to dip my feet into ancient rome history despite knowing barely at all, i'd like to get as full of a generalized overview as i can of the early foundations to the evental decline and fall. will Boatwright's book cover it all in one swoop or is there one book that covers everything up until the decline and another that covers everything from that point onwards? i've gotten conflicting information everywhere i look at the wiki doesn't help out either

>>17793107
I don't know of a single good book overview that isn't an undergraduate textbook (and those can be spotty since they sometimes condescend to their audience). I wonder if there are older surveys, from before the 60s or even before WW2, aimed at an audience that could be trusted to read all the way through and remember a few dates and names, but still essentially a condensation of the "standard narrative" (gleaned from Livy and so forth) of the Republic and Principate. I bet if you dig around a little in a university library catalogue, sorting by date and subject, you'll find some decent ones in under 350 pages. That's what I usually do when I want a basic overview for a topic. The sweet spot is around 1910-1920 for reason.

Looking at the archive just now, some smart anon recommended M. Cary & H.H. Scullard: A History of Rome - Down to the Age of Constantine. Could be worth looking at. (For what it's worth, a similar book on Greece is Bury's History of Greece, updated by Meiggs in its final edition).

It's hard to find books that go into great depth on the Republic simply because we don't have very good data for the Republic prior to its final century or so. The two books I read and often see recommended (for example on the Oxford Bibliographies page for Roman history) are Forsyth's Critical History of Early Rome and Cornell's The Beginnings of Rome. They are probably too dense for a casual reader or total beginner but I recommend reading at least Forsyth's to see the problems of doing Republican history. It has a kind of mystery thriller, forensic reconstruction using every scrap of data we can get feel to it.

And all that being said, I recommend Garrett Fagan's History of Rome course with The Teaching Company, available in audio and video. Sadly Prof. Fagan passed away a few years back from cancer but I always recommend him and I think the course is the ideal intro, better than what you would get in a college course. If you find yourself really liking Fagan's, also check out Kenneth Harl's courses with the same company.

>>17761980
Which version of meditations is best?

>>17793038
What a joke. I read this book. Why can't you see that modern Leftism is an organization of losers and sub humans who can't achieve 1/1000 of what European families achieved under dramatically more difficult times? Long ago the Left gave up trying to make female and black Einsteins and Newtons and Eulers because it's not possible, and no one actually believes it is. So instead of trying to encourage black males to raise their kids, which is impossible, you want to make everyone live like niggers so at least you saw, "We are all niggers now, white niggers, black niggers, male niggers, female niggerbitches, we all live like atomized slaves and no one is any better than anyone else as we are all low IQ, high narcissism, atomized goyslaves who serve a bank in Israel."

Image being this cowardly and willfully destructive all while pretending you're the good guy, holly shit you are evil.

>>17794013
this post really rustles my jimmies

>>17794027
If it wasn't true it wouldn't rustle your jimmies anon. Maybe you should reconsider your fake and gay value system that at least on some level you know is bullshit

I haven't read anything outside of school work, but I really want to get into reading. any books you guys would recommend that are good to develop a love for reading and literature? It would be nice if they aren't bumfuckingly hard but if it's entertaining then I think I can put up with it.

>>17794516
is school the reason you've never read for pleasure before?
I always enjoyed reading but hated the restrictions of book reports, so I found ways around it & argued with teachers so they just let me read whatever the fuck I wanted, since it was at a higher level than what they were asking regardless.
I honestly think book reports are the reason so few people read for their enjoyment in their earlier years.

That being said, I'm what I would consider a casual reader, I don't want to feel like I'm studying for a test (Silmarillion) but still like to have enough descriptions and such to somewhat build a world. Most of the books discussed ITT or on the rest of the board scare me.

I'll start by stating some of the things /lit/ recommends on their "must reads", namely Harry Potter, The Hobbit, LoTR, Sherlock Holmes, Hannibal Lecter series and if you don't mind a SLIGHTLY heavier read than those, check out a song of ice and fire.

To give a more personal recommendation, although with the warning that I read it for the first time when I was younger and that it's aimed at a younger audience similar to the earlier Harry Potter books. Darren Shan is a series I thoroughly enjoyed and haven't really heard anyone mention anywhere

For more, see https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki/Recommended_Reading/Genre_fiction
If you're primarily like me, focus on Mystery/Crime, Young Adult & Epic Fantasy

How do I get past the intimidation of staring at a blank paper and being unable to properly interpret my ideas and thoughts into words as well as the fear that I will immediately hate what I've written (due to the fact that my prose is sophmoric and grasp of basic grammar lacking) and become so disgusted by my efforts that I chopse to give up halfway through?

How many books do you have in your reading list /lit? And how many books do you read at a time

>>17795054
0

>>17795054
Around 10-15 at the moment. I usually read one or two books at the time.

>>17795054
I never read more than one book at a time because I feel like it fucks over the pictures I paint in my mind
I like having vivid depictions of the world described in the books
I don't really look for new books to read before I finish the last one either.

>>17794958
Thank you for the reply anon! I will check all of these out. Regarding your question, I think school made reading a chore for me. I'm not American so our reading was mostly theology and really really old poetry that I didn't like, so I came to associate reading with school work and thus preferred playing a video game than reading a book. I will change that however, I can't stay on my ass playing games all day.

>>17795054
Currently two.

>>17795258
>I will check all of these out.
might be best to start with one of each category and go from there to find out what you like. For epic, I'd say go with Fellowship of the Ring, for Young Adult go with whatever the first Harry Potter book is and for Mystery/Crime go with some collection of Sherlock's finest or Hound of the Baskervilles and Red Dragon

>I can't stay on my ass playing games all day.
sure you can anon
>I'm not American so our reading was mostly theology and really really old poetry that I didn't like
were you not assigned to read... normal books?

Anyone got that info pic on the leading the "poetic" life. Arguing creative life, not so much being a poet.

>>17794516
Great Gatsby

Any books similar to Le Just by albert camus or Man's Fate by Andre Malraux?

Where do I start with Kierkegaard? And would a german or English translation be better?

>>17795592
Read Fear and Trembling first.
I have no idea about what would be the better translation desu, but probably the german one.

>>17795612
>Read Fear and Trembling first.
Okay, after that, then what?

>>17761980
What are some good anti-racism books?

>>17795743
i'm racist and i've already read everything, good luck arguing with me

>>17763157
Start by rambling. Write nonsense. Check it out, I'll do it right now. Write now. Blah blah. You don't do this on a public forum, though. You do this on a word document. You just get the words, the ideas, the proverbial juices flowing. You had better make sure your internet tabs are closed. Close the door to your office if it is open. I even wear ear plugs. I drink coffee while I write, too, and chew nicotine gum. To each his own.
Sometimes it's sweet just to play with words, see how they rhyme, thoughtfullness is for the birds, thinking makes you halt and grind. Right now some of you are thinking, "fuck you buddy retard this is shit no one wants to read anything like this." And you are right. But guess what? The problem most people here have is the crippling self-doubt about their abilities to write, to think things up, to not sound like an idiot. When you can get over the fear of being called an idiot and just write, you're halfway there. Well, not exactly halfway. But you're making progress, and you're getting more practice in than most of the jokers who criticize anything and everything on this board.
So by now, the juices are really flowing. You're ready to come up with an idea. Don't overthink it. Don't overanalyze. You see a picture in your mind, say, a dusty lamp in an old library. The lamp provides the only light in the room. It illuminates a woman's foot. But the foot is not moving. It seems lifeless, cold. Is the woman to whom it belongs dead, or merely asleep, or merely so absorbed in her reading of one of the many rare and arcane tomes in the library that she has essentially travelled out of her body and into the book? Or maybe you don't like that image: find a phrase then. Even pick one from earlier in the excersize. . ."The Jokers Who Criticize." There's the title of your new story. Start writing it. Etc.

>>17795696
He has a lot of writings anon. Maybe this list will help you. It is a translation of Wikipedia's article of Kierkegaard in spanish desu.

Pseudonymous work
• Aesthetic writings (1842-1843)
Included here are those works that describe the state of attachment to the worldly characteristic of the man who lives enslaved by his passions.

(1843, February 20) (Enten - Eller), [Víctor Eremita (ed. A and B)].
(1843, October 16, 1843) (Gjentagelsen) [Constantin Constantius]
(1843, October 16, 1843) (Frygt og Bæven) [Johannes de Silentio].
(1844) (Forførerens Dagbog) [Johannes the Seducer]

• Philosophical intermediate (1844-1846)
These are works that are characterized by their speculative character.

(1844, June 13) (Philosophiske Smuler) [Johannes Climacus]
(1844, June 17) (Begrebet Angest) [Vigilius Haufniensis]
(1844, June 17) (Forord) [Nicolaus Notabene]
(1845, April 30) (Stadier paa Livets Vei) [Hilarius Bgbinder and Frater Tacitumus]
(1846, February 27) (Afsluttende uvidenskabelig Efterskrift) [Johannes Climacus]

• Religious phase (1847-1850)
Kierkegaard plays Anti-Climacus, who faces against the speculative thinker Johannes Climacus.

(1848, July 24-27) (Krisen og in Krise and in Skuespillerindes Liv) [Inter et inter]
(1849, May 19) (Tvende ethisk-religieuse Smaa-Afhandlinger) [H. H.]
(July 30, 1849) (Sygdommen til Døden) [Anti-Climacus]
(1850, September 25) (Indøvelse i Christendom) [Anti-Climacus]

And then you have:
• His signed works
It corresponds to the express declaration of the conception of life defended by Kierkegaard, who signed various edifying discourses and wrote thousands of Papirer, among which is his Diary.

>>17795743
>niggers
>able to read
lmao

>>17795769
I already do that. I just don’t do it enough because when I do it, I feel good about it at the moment and then a few days later come to think it’s unbearably cringe garbage no matter how much I refine it.

>>17795892
Don't be racist.

>>17796080
What's the incentive?

>>17795054
i keep a running lists of books I want to read. i dont really "plan" on reading all of them, just things that i saw mentioned on lit that sounded interesting, so when im in need of a new book i browse the list.

i usually read either 1 or 2 books at a time. usually one fict and one non fict. sometimes two nonfict. never two fict.

Bros I have a tech/layout question which doesn't warrant its own thread and should be allowed here in any case. I don't just enjoy writing, I like translating as well. Especially poetry, I think it's good practice and really activates those almonds. In short, any neat tricks to creating parallel texts with Word? I.e., I have a source text and target text which I want side by side to facilitate commentary and for ease of review. Inb4
>Word
I use this unintuitive dogshit processor because of work, slow acquisition because stubborn and stupid. Third-party sites are welcome along with any tips and tricks.

How do you get over the dread that the work that you spend your life honing becomes nothing more than something for the average midwit to consume?

Even then, they won't even consume all of it, they'll consume a bit and throw it away, and forget about it in less than a day.

Can anyone recommend me a good right-wing or at least pre-political-bullshit-era American history primer? Looking for something that covers the whole story more or less. Well written of course.

>>17796344
I believe most writers don't think about it, are happy from getting more money and popularity or take biblical approach: "I say unto you that likewise more joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance."

As stupid as this sounds can someone recommend me a good self-help book. I've started to realize I probably don't treat my friends and family as good as I should and I have a shitty outlook on life in general.

>>17794013
extremely cringe post

Look at what we have right here.

>>17797595
But wait, there's more.

>>17797603
Its subscriptions include Philosophy Tube, The Atheist Voice, ContraPoints, Patricia Taxxon, Adult Swim, It's Okay To Be Smart, Super Eyepatch Wolf, Physics Girl, Jreg, boxxybabee, Amazing Atheist, TEDx Talks, Carlos Maza, Destiny, Sam Harris, Jack Saint, Markiplier, Domics, Screen Junkies, CinemaSins, Mother's Basement, Vaush, LastWeekTonight (with John Oliver), Libertarian Communist Platform, RE-EDUCATION, Google, Sean Carroll, Peter Coffin, and I could go on. There's also a shit ton of animation, vtuber, 'I LOVE SCIENCE', 'I LOVE MATH', and weeb channels.

whats a good paper thats decently thick enough to prevent bleeding and wont feather, but thin enough that it can easily bend or fold
i'm wanting to make a book by hand that i can write using a dip pen without worry of it being too thick, without ruling

>>17797970
So the guy's 14. Filter him like the rest of us and avoid derailing the thread any more than we already are.

>>17798783
None.

>>17799989
dumbass

>>17800022
Did not know that.

>>17800044
although in the future i'd probably want bigger
but for now it just seems i have to stick to scowering hobby and craft stores for the right size and quality pad book which i managed to do
i'm mainly just asking anyone if theres a good supplier for this kind of paper in bigger sizes rather than relying on luck of the draw

>>17800132
I’ll check them out, seems cool.

How do I learn how to use the structure, intonation, and rhythm of words? I struggle to find the right words
I was thinking of pulling a malcolm x and copying every word in the dictionary and breaking each one down. Is this a good way or will I be wasting my time?

>>17800649
It’s a good start.

>>17800649
Did malcom X really do that?

>>17800716
Yea, when he was an illiterate youth in jail

>>17762355
I've bought several really rubbish books in my time when I had money and I'm ok about it because I used a local independent bookstore however the authors didn't deserve my money.

What's the best English translation of Goethe's Faust?

>>17796310
Either format the document to have two columns on one page or use "read mode" and have the translation and the original on alternate pages, like the Loeb classics did.

Looking for a book, forgot it's name and author. Spiritual in nature I guess. It's about a man who writes about his encounters and teachings of man he refers to as G. Any help would be appreciated.

>>17801422
the bible? the people who wrote it wrote about the teachings of gesus krist

whats the easiest way to rule a large quantities of
large pages?
i'm talking about 128, currently i'm just ruling it by hand as i write using pencil, which i'm not entirely afraid of fading as its very light pencil marks
just light enough of a mark that i can see enough to properly write on (its for caligraphy)

>>17801498
The Bible is outdated.

>>17801422
Siddhartha?

>>17797398
Read poetry and contemplate

>>17801657
but yet it is the outdated designs and architecture that our whole world is based around

>>17801706
>but yet it is
god i've been watching too much tranime with that "wise old man with funny olde words" stereotype

How taboo a poly relationship where2 of the partners are twins would be? I want to do something unconventional for it to accompany my already very unconventional setting (there are no biological births for example), but I don't know if that would be too much. The project will have illustrations if that makes any difference.

>>17802070
Stop with the incest.

>>17802070
If you're writing fetish stuff then taboo doesn't matter. If not then stop inserting your fetishes into everything.

do you people do psychoanalysis on this board?

>>17761980
How do I go about reading the bible? Do I just read it from front to back? Also how long did it take you to read the entire bible if that's what you did. Just so I know if I am on track. Also, is KJV hard?

>>17802332
Nah, begin with the four gospels, Christ is the key to understanding the Bible. Acts and the letters of Paul should also be read, follow this with the wisdom literature, specifically the psalms and proverbs and then you can move on; the more difficult wisdom you may then consider tackling is Job, the highest point of the wisdom literature is the two contrasting books of Ecclesiastes (which presents the world under transience, materialism, meaninglessness and striving, repetition etc) and finally the Song of Solomon (the eternity of the love between God and man, the meaning and flame of passion that it generates and how it defines the nature of heaven and ones life on earth.) from there you can read the Bible with this context. You should read commentaries whenever possible, you should pray prior to opening the book asking for wisdom, right interpretation and memory of what you shall learn. Also the KJV shouldn’t be used for the first time around. Use a more easily comprehensible version like the NIV even if it’s less accurate. Comprehension is key. As for how long it takes, if you are reading the book right? Your entire life, as you will continuously find more glorious things within the Bible.

>>17802364
Okay thank you very much Frater

>>17802364
Also, what are some good commentaries that you recommend for the books that you advised I should read. Are they online? Or do I have to buy secondary literature?

>>17802515
Nah there’s many online. Something like biblehub will give you a multitude of translations for a particular verse and then will give you a number of commentaries concerning it. I would recommend especially the commentaries of Charles sturgeon on the psalms, the commentary/sermons of St. Bernard of Clairvaux especially concerning the Song of Solomon. the psalms commentary of Augustine and general writing of Martin Luther is also worthwhile. But the major thing should be prayer and study of the text.

What book do I read for this feel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKsXJ9U4V6U
Doesn't have to be Atlantis themed.

>>17802546
Listen to other music.

>>17802555

>>17802530
Thanks a lot.

>>17802569
Not a problem, God bless.

>>17802572
God bless

>>17802239
No

>>17794013
>Why can't you see that modern Leftism is an organization of losers and sub humans who can't achieve 1/1000 of what European families achieved under dramatically more difficult times?
And by this I mean how come people stop following judeo christianity.

>>17802070
>sex
>taboo in atheism
lol

sex is not subversive in atheism, contrary to what artists say. Artists push this narrative because they are sex addict and want medals for it.

>>17802818
Thanks, anon.

>>17802789
>And by this I mean how come people stop following judeo christianity.
Decaying morals in our society.