/lit/ - Literature

>>21314148
Don't gift things to girls. They don't deserve it, plus you'll look needy.
t. bought the tshirt

>>21314148
>But soon our hearts are sufficiently steeled, our ears plugged if not closed. We have listened to the circumspect voice of deliberation; let us now feel the eloquence of passion – brief, pithy, as all passion is.
>Kierkegaard, Either/Or

>It is in despair that the most burning pleasures occur, especially when one is all too highly conscious of the hopelessness of one's position.
>Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground

>Who is this pallid figure, listless as the shade of someone dead? His name has been forgotten, for many centuries have passed since that time. He was a youth, he had fervour. He sought martyrdom. In imagination he saw himself nailed to the cross and heaven open; but the reality was too hard for him; the enthusiasm disappeared, he denied his Master and himself. He wished to carry a world, but he broke under the strain. His soul was not crushed, or annihilated, it was broken and his spirit enfeebled, his soul was paralysed. Congratulate him, dear Symparanekromenoi, he was unhappy. And yet he became happy, he became what he wanted, a martyr, even if his martyrdom was not, as he had wished, to be nailed to the cross or thrown to the beasts, but to be burned alive, to be slowly consumed by a steady fire.
>Kierkegaard, Either/Or again

>>21314161
She is an English major though. Also what t-shirt did you buy?

>>21314167
>Also what t-shirt did you buy?
I meant I have been there and bought the t-shirt. It's an expression.

>>21314177
Oh, I'm an ESL. I had never heard that expression. Yeah, this is the first time I do something like this. I'm too autistic to say anything too upfront to her so this is what I came up with.

>>21314148
>>21314164
i am in physical pain from second-hand embarrassment
i beg you, please don't do this to yourself

>>21314161
What does that even mean?

>>21314200
I want to give her the book regardless, but I already wrote the quotes. Should I cut the pages off? Also it's not like I'm talking about myself, I just think the quotes fit the book nicely. Maybe just to get her interested in Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky or something.

>>21314187
Well, you have two options. Learn from another man's experience or fuck it up on your own. Your choice.
>>21314201
Which part?

>>21314148
Did you actually watch Taxi Driver? (Or read Concrete, for that matter.)

>>21314236
Yes, I did. Why? I'm aware the characters are dealing with different situations, and I'm aware Kierkegaard specifically is talking about another sort of person. I still think the characters they define share something which is what drew me to the movie and the respective books in the first place. I'd like to hear your thoughts though, why do you think it is so out of place?

>>21314216
in all honesty the book can be a nice gift if she's into that sort of dark, misanthropic literature (i know one girl who's into that), but i kinda doubt that's your case - and thomas bernhard isn't an easy author, it's certainly not anything i'd call "romantic" or "acessible"

i mean, if she DOES like books like this, by all means, go ahead - the quotes are a bit weird - but _PLEASE_ be sure it's something SHE'D LIKE and not something YOU WANT HER TO LIKE, and by all means DON'T GO IN EXPECTING IT TO BE SOMETHING ROMANTIC, OR AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET HER TO LIKE YOU

>>21314148
Shitty movie, so she has good taste. The fact that you are asking this suggests you are retarded

>>21314148
I make the girls I date read the books I like as a test. Even if they can't relate to the subject matter, it's important to see whether or not they care enough about you to learn about what you like. You should return the favour in some capacity as well by learning about what she likes. Buy her the book. Hell, get her to recommend one to you, too. Maybe she'll buy it for you down the road. Hope it works out, OP.

>>21314324
>Shitty movie
It's an excellent film.

>>21314335
It’s a flick glorified by 64-IQ geniuses over at teevee and plebbit. so you know it is dogshit. Speaking of which: go back

>>21314344
This film won the Palm d'Or. The highest European prize as far as cinema is concerned. It's a classic in the same way Chandler or Dostoyevsky are classics. It's not marred one bit by what kind of people like it.

>>21314324
The Taxi Driver quote is kind of a joke desu. If she reads the book and likes it, she might end up watching the movie and realizing what sort of character Travis was. She said she disliked unnecessarily violen movies. It's not supposed to be some sort of comparative analysis as >>21314236 might think. She hasn't even read Notes from Underground, which surprised me since she is an English major. So I kind of meshed up a bunch of stuff that I like to MAYBE get her interested. If she's absolutely uninterested then we might not have as much common ground as I initially thought anyway. Something like what >>21314328 said. If she genuinely despises it that'd be cool too, since she tends to be quite opinionated (or so I think).
>inb4 I was only pretending to be retarded
What I said doesn't mean I don't like Taxi Driver. Why don't you like it, anon?

>This film won the Palm d'Or. The highest European prize as far as cinema is concerned. It's a classic in the same way Chandler or Dostoyevsky are classics. It's not marred one bit by what kind of people like it

>>21314365
I think the word was mashed* up, or mixed up

>>21314371
Recommend better movies that deal with similar themes then, faggot

>>21314311
this. also definetly rip that page off, that's incredibly cringe and uncomfortable, especially if you're not together.

>>21314394
I agree it might be cringe, but why would it be uncomfortable? I think a dedication would be more uncomfortable. And I didn't want to give her the book brand new, I wanted to write something on it. The book was only $7, might as well just send her an online copy at that point. Although a ripped off page is kind of cool too desu. I might just end up taking the page out.

>>21314415
uncomfortable because it's too intimate a comment if she's not your girlfriend and not a very close friend. Also she'll assume you're trying to indirectly communicate a problem you're having to her considering she hasnt seen the movie so will think those are your thoughts.

>>21314148
>Is Thomas Bernhard's Concrete a good gift for a girl I like?
I say go for it. I recommended Bernhard to my ex girlfriend, who ended up reading several of his books (including Concrete, I think). For what its worth, her favorite was Yes, which if you have not read it contains an uncharacteristic and sensitive portrayal of a woman. Maybe that would be a better choice although Concrete is also great. I was recently discussing Bernhard with a new girl I am interested in, which seemed to go well. Full disclosure, Thomas Bernhard is my favorite writer and I basically gush over him to anyone willing to listen. If she is interested in you, at the very least she will like to read something that is important to you and respond positively to your enthusiasm. Plus, Concrete is very short so it's not like you're gifting her some 800 page tome.

>>21314454
Yeah, you're right. I took the page out. I'm still leaving the Kierkegaard quote though. Thread over I guess.

>>21314494
Forgot to add. I would also ask her to reccomend you a book or two that she really likes and read them so it is a reciporacal exchange and not simply you forcing your taste onto her. Good luck.

>>21314494
I think Bernhard is one of those authors that's easy to read non-stop. Also, we're from a South American country and Bernhard influenced a lot of modern hispanic writers. She might be interested for that alone since she writes too.

>>21314516
>Also, we're from a South American country and Bernhard influenced a lot of modern hispanic writers.
Nice, like who? Horacio Castellanos Moya is on my radar, although I haven't read him yet. I recently picked up a copy of Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor which I heard has a similar prose style.
>I think Bernhard is one of those authors that's easy to read non-stop.
I completely agree. Some people find him difficult apparently but I find him very readable.

>>21314504
Pitiful

>>21314551
Castellanos Moya and Melchor are not from South America, so I have no idea who he has in mind.

>>21314579
Oh, true they are both from Central America I am just having a dumb (north) american moment...

>>21314579
>>21314551
Bolaño comes to mind. I remember him mentioning Bernhard explicitly in an interview. I know he was very important in Spain too.
>>21314554
What's so pitiful? You can't say random rude things and expect everyone to understand, anon...
>Captcha very much related

>>21314621
Oh, I've only read The Savage Detectives but I could see that actually. Cool.

If you are going to do this you should make sure you write her name in blood somewhere on the front cover so she knows how serious you are. Women like bold gestures.

I am joking by the way. Your post is an insane thing to do.

Also, FYI, women like to read women authors. Buy her a Mary Oliver book or some Amy Hempel, Annie Dilliard, Lydia Davies . . .

Scorsese is a hack

>>21314592
Well, Melchor is from Mexico which in North America. Hispanic America or Latin America are better terms to include Spanish-speaking writers from both continents. LatAm includes Brazil (Portuguese-speaking).
>>21314621
>Bolaño
Yes, I could see that. Especially in something like By Night in Chile, which is a long first-person narration without any breaks. I think he resembles Bernhard the most there. Fun fact: It was originally going to be titled "Shit Storms."

>>21314837
Hardly. He makes films out of passion, not money. A hack wouldn't make something like Silence.