/lit/ - Literature

Start with the greeks

>>20029667
Inspired by your pic: Memoirs of Hadrian

The three cornerstones of Western literature are The Bible, Greek myths and Shakespeare. Read as much as you want of those three and you will be better-read than most people. From there you can try whatever interests you the most. Personally I'd recommend Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.

>>20029667
>well-red, learned and esoteric
What do you mean by esoteric? Really? I don't know that it's a compatible condition.
>What do I read to start?
You already started. You can't start over without amnesia.

Judging by what you've already read, and how you're getting recommended jack-off classics already, why not try Studs Terkel? Look him up. That'll ground you in reality, at least. Then, Bukowski will help you learn what a dead-end alcohol really is. Then, James Michener could help you learn what history really is. Then, A Hundred Years of Solitude can help you learn why your family isn't that bad in the grand scheme of things. Then, after you've built a solid understanding of your place in history, society, and the spectrum of privileges that has permitted you to post, OP, you can read whatever you want and feel satisfied with any and all understandings of the world.

>>20029784
This anon has it right. In the past decade or so reading widely has become so easy that it is now without value. The man or woman of substance reads deeply. There is more than enough material in Shakespeare, Milton and the King John Bible to sustain you for life.

Read and reread. Memorize your favorite passages. Disabuse yourself of the petty consumerist notion that volume is the equivalent of erudition. The opposite is true.

That said, >>20029806 is also excellent advice even if it seems like the opposite approach. There's plenty to be deeply read in the 20th Century too (and fuck yes to Studs Terkel).

>>20029851
>King James
, obviously.

>>20029851
>(and fuck yes to Studs Terkel)
Thank you, honestly, for reinforcing that one. He doesn't get much respect for what he wrote, these days

>>20029667
My personal holy trinity is Mishima / Cioran / Wittgenstein but others might do the trick for you. Can't hurt to spend some time with Nabokov and Mann either

>>20029784
>bible
>western
lmao it's desert trash, not western at all. Reading it is like drinking poison
>Shakespeare
shitty pulp romance tier crap, plus he wrote pedophile love letters to a young boy
>Greek myths
good stuff desu

>>20029851
ignorant brainlet take fit for an autist

Esoterism (or gnosticism, or hermetism) is just a fancy sounding name for superstition. These fuckers believe in magic, astrology, spells and all sorts of embarrassing nonsense.

Get off of 4chan

>>20030603
Based retard

>>20030603
The most filtered of all possible anons

>>20030603
>bible
>western
Nearly every piece of Western literature, from Chaucer to Melville, references the Bible in some capacity.

>>20029667
Read philosophy and literature in conjunction

For your sake I recommend Plato, Schopenhauer, and everything in between. Also Carl Jung. People don't get him, but if you're interested in the esoteric, he's your best guy.

As for literature, the classics are fairly well-defined and in your face. You'll quickly get a sense of where you're going. Also, in philosophy, you find abundant references to literature and that works as a guide.

>>20030603
>Shakespeare

Shakespeare isn't the worst, but he's no Tom Clancy you know? Can't trust a man who wears lace anyhow.

>>20029667
>well-red
I recommend sunbathing

>>20029667
> How do I become well-red, learned
Read the classics in fiction like Homer, John Milton, Goerthe, etc etc. Western philosophical canon from Plato to Hegel as well as the subsequent modern and postmodern philosophers.
>and esoteric?
Personally, I´ve started with The Kyballion. Then read "The way of hermes" which is the Corpus Hermeticum, one of the most foundational texts in esotericism. After that I read Secret teachings of all ages which is like a catalog of historical schools ans societies of the esoteric. I feel like I have an understanding of the general gist of the esoteric but haven´t really made any deep dives yes. I hear Evola is esoteric. Then there are several authors from the middle ages - renaissance who write about it.
>What do I read to start?
Pick up an early dialouge by Plato. Homer is also essential. Also THIS: >>20029749
I would recommend The trial and death of Socrates. Then as you become more well versed in the litterary history you will pick up things yourself. Find what you like and so on.

>>20029667
Start with these
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Literature/On_Thinking_for_Oneself
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/On_Books_and_Reading

>>20030603
I agree that the bible is garbage but I think it is kind of important for anyone who has an interest in literature to be somewhat familiar with it. A lot of literature references the bible. I only read like 10 chapters of genesis when I encountered a reference to the bible in Giovanni's Room:
>Perhaps everybody has a garden of Eden, I don’t know; but they have scarcely seen their garden before they see the flaming sword.

>>20029667
If you are reading to be seen as well read youre going to have a hard time. Note im not saying its a bad thing for this to be your motivation, whatever tickles your pickle i guess, but it'll be hard to read a book for a reason outside of an interest in what's written in it.

Regardless, look up the syllabus for some introduction classes to: classics, philosophy and then literature, in that order. Filling that, St. Johns has it public exactly what their students are required to read for their great books program. You could just follow that too.

Imo, what would be best for yiu is to figure out what you enjoy reading and just explore from there. I found i really enjoy the romantic era, in art literature and philosophy. Short stories are another good way to see if you're into something.

>>20029667
You're chasing an ideal of power, not truth. Even if you are well-read and esoteric doesn't make you right or better than anybody.

>>20030640

>>20033166
Truth and power are coessential. You cannot have one without the other.

>>20029667
Read some (most) of these and you'll be on your way.

>>20030622
Why is every insult something about so called "mental illness"?

>>20029667
You dont need to be esoteric, you need to be holy.

>>20029667
greeks with the start

>>20029667
>esoteric
So you want to be the mysterious guy so girls can finally notice you?