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/lit/ - Literature

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1289385 No.1289385 [Reply] [Original]

Evening /lit/. Currently overwhelmed by Keats' sorrowful discourses on transience and Blake's vehement protest against all things industrialised, so I ask you for some reading suggestions.

>I am a pretentious sort who enjoys literary morsels that are cynical, witty and humorous. Any suggested reads for me?

Poetry can be included, but preferably a lengthy read.

Hugh Laurie is always related.

>> No.1289393

I guess no one can help me out?

I did enjoy some of Ambrose Bierce's work I have read.

>> No.1289402

>>1289385

>self-described as pretentious
>Hugh Laurie fanboy

yeah hold on I'm gonna suggest something but right now I'm just so impressed by you that I need a moment to recover.

>> No.1289411

>>1289402

I actually like Hugh Laurie for his comedy skits with Stephen Fry; I just acquired his new BBC podcast series, "English Delights". Quite a nice listen if you get the chance and like Fry's accent and manner. Hugh also has a book called the "The Gun Seller" I believe. Have yet to get around to reading that, but it is on my bookshelf somewhere.

I get told frequently I am pretentious, I therefore embrace it. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

>> No.1289421

>>1289411
BLACK MOTHERFUCKING ADDER.

The Gun Seller was pretty entertaining. Something in the direction of Douglas Adams' stuff, in a modern spy/terror context. You know, surreal in the same way as reading the Russia news section on the Guardian website.

>> No.1289427

>>1289421

Intriguing. I must pick it up and give it a read! I remember reading ten pages or so and thinking, "This is quite engaging but not to my fancy at the moment."

Do you have any other book suggestions, good sir?

>> No.1289430

>>1289411
You know that's like saying "I get told frequently that I smell like shit, so I embrace it".

Of course maybe you're being mislabeled, in which case you need to explain to your friends why you aren't pretentious. I'm just saying, pretentious isn't a good thing brah.

>> No.1289435

Evelyn Waugh - A Handful of Dust

is rather hilarious OP

>> No.1289441

>>1289430

I am aware it is not a good thing; my peers insult me for my love of books, actually. I have a larger vocabulary than most of them, and when I throw in a word with a few more syllables than usual they call me a snob. This has happened to me for years and I have actively tried to hide my intellectual side a bit -- now I just embrace it and kindly tell others in disagreement to sod off. As you can probably gather, I live in a rural, country bumpkin setting.

Though, I am pleasant to people who like me for who I am and share my passion.

>> No.1289446

>>1289435
Cheers anon! I am adding this to a word document.

Would gladly welcome other suggestions.

>> No.1289461

>>1289427
I guess I don't read a lot of comical books, though I'm a mass consumer or comedy on TV. Last funny book I read was Eoin Colfer's HHGG sequel. And it's a long time since I read the Gun Seller. But I can recommend Ian Fleming's Bonds, like From Russia with Love. Nice quick reads that give you much more insight into the cold war and espionage than the (notably less realistic) movies.

>> No.1289464

>>1289461
>Nice quick reads that give you much more insight into the cold war and espionage...

Funny you should mention that, I have just sat my history exam today that focused on The Cold War. Would be interesting to read by the sounds of it.

Cheers, appreciated!

>> No.1289481
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1289481

Shameless self-bump.

>> No.1289484
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1289484

>a pretentious sort who enjoys literary morsels that are cynical, witty and humorous

pic absurdly related

>> No.1289491

>>1289484

Thank you. Just read a little bit about it on net; sounds interesting.

Keep them coming gents!

>> No.1289529
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1289529

Always related.

>> No.1289544
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1289544

>>1289529

Haha, loving the guy in the background.

>> No.1290356

Bump.

>> No.1290358

Candide.

>> No.1290365

How 'bout the plays by Oscar Wilde, Her Majesty Queen of Lit.

>> No.1290377
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1290377

Try Being Jordan, OP.

>> No.1290386

>>1290358
>>1290365

Cheers guys. Duly noted in a word document; will get around to reading the summaries when I get home from work.

Any suggestions for philosophy-related texts? I have taken a liking to philosophy recently as I am studying philosophy as a part of my degree. I have looked at Hume, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Sartre, Soren Kierkegaard... And some other bits and pieces, but mostly essays and snippets of their works.

>> No.1290389

>>1290377

Thank you!

>> No.1290390

>>1290386
For an underrated existentialist piece, try Quietude and Diffidence.

>> No.1290400

What the first names of Keats and Blake?

WHY MUST PEOPLE ALWAYS POST THE LAST NAMES! YOU FUCKING IDIOTS, YOU NEED TO POST BOTH THE FIRST AND LAST NAME!

>> No.1290407

>>1290400

John Keats and William Blake. Calm down there.

John Keats is splendidly tragic and William Blake is a gnostic with an almost anarchistic twist with his loathing of formalised institutions.

>> No.1290408

>>1290400
you can't be serious...


William and John.

Now you go and figure out how they fit together...

>> No.1290422

>>1290390
Thanks. I think I have seen this title before.
>>1290408

Some people have had a very deprived literary life; 'tis rather sad.

>> No.1290428
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1290428

>>1290400
nnanananbababbaaajjanakaahahahaahhahabajalalahahahHAHAAHAHBAHBHAHAAHHAHAHHRBHWBWHAHHWAAHWHYWYWUIWUAU
WUAAAHHWHAAA

>> No.1290434

>>1290428

Yeah, it was a pretty big fail.

>> No.1290440

>>1290408
Keats and Blake I'm fine with. People tend to know who they are (especially on a literature board!). But when people do it with really generic names like Brown it pisses me off. There must be a thousand famous people named Brown, so how am I supposed to know who they're talking about? Also, writing book titles as acronymns! Don't get me started... And bloody hell, I should be doing homework.

>> No.1290448

>>1290440
People don't talk about authors themselves all that much, most conversation are often centered on one book at a time.

Still, in the case of Browns, Johnsons and Jacksons, it could help. Gotta admit.

>> No.1290449

>>1290422
Well HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHO KEATS AND BLAKE ARE?

YOU AUTOMATICALLY EXPECT ME TO FUCKING KNOW YOUR LINGO!

NERDS

>> No.1290454

>>1290440
>...I should be doing homework.

You really should. I should be working, but it is very quiet at the moment and /lit/ is fine to browse at my work.

I was not intending to confuse anyone or cause a kerfuffle, I just assumed most would be aware of who John Keats and William Blake are.

>> No.1290459

>>1290449
Google search of "Keats" brings up John Keats' Wikipedia page for me. And when I put in "Blake", William Blake's Wikipedia page comes up.

You could show a tad more civility and tact than all caps and just ask for the full names.

>> No.1290467

>>1290449
ever heard of google, you iconoclast?
or maybe wikipedia?

you are not just lazy, you also have your opinionated, minority-complex infested head so far up your ass, you dont even realize the faggotry coming out of your every orifice.

>> No.1290474

>>1290467
now thats just mean, bro

how is this poor guy supposed to know what iconoclast and orifice mean.

its INFERIORITY-COMPLEX, btw

>> No.1290488
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1290488

>>1290459
It was an epic thread derail though.

>>1289385
If you're willing to go for a bit of Shakespeare (I'm guessing you are, judging from the fact you like Keats and Blake) you could try Henry III. I studied it a couple of years ago at school. It has elements of humour/satire.

>> No.1290490

>>1290467
>>1290474
YOU GUYS GOT TROLLED HARD

LOL U MAD FAGGOTS

THE GAME

>> No.1290493

>>1290488
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III

WHY

>> No.1290496

>>1290467
>ever heard of google, you iconoclast?

Does "iconoclast" work in that context? I am not trying to be a toss here, I am just genuinely interested if I have used the word wrong -- I am in the process of expanding my repertoire of words.

>> No.1290505

>>1290488

Thank you. Just recently acquired all of Shakespeare's works. I quite like The Fool in "King Lear", especially when performed.

>> No.1290525

>>1290496
what most dictionaries dont tell you: iconoclast can also refer to an uncultured person, not just a savonarola groupie

>> No.1290530

>>1290525
YOU'RE A HIPSTER

>> No.1290537

>>1290525

Haha, thank you for clarifying that.

>> No.1290540

0/10

>> No.1290541

>>1290377
>>1290488
>>1290530
>>1290449
What a wonderful troll menagerie we have!

>> No.1290542
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1290542

>>1290530

>> No.1290551

I am very disappointed to see such feeble arguments also happen here. My quest for a pure place in the internet where ego doesn't go keeps going on.

>> No.1290562

>>1290551

Id, ego, and super-ego... Sigmund Freud may have had a point.

>> No.1290563
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1290563

>>1290551
Try this.

>> No.1290566

>>1290563

Touche good sir, touche.

>> No.1290575

>>1290563
Like I was any serious.

Still, this isn't worthy of /lit/, so I demand instant cessation of hostilities.

Thank you.

God bless.

>> No.1290580

>>1290551
Hell, anonymity is like the ring of gyges. Not being able to get caught makes many man a dick.

>> No.1290586

If you like Blake and Keats, and cynical witty and humorous stuff, then check out Thomas Lovell Beddoes.

One of the weirdest and most fascinating figures in English lit...macabre and darkly comic Romantic writer. Check out "Death's Jest-Book".

>> No.1290587

>>1290580
Thank god, or jobless trolls like me would ASAP establish a jisatsu saakuru.

Still, a small haven of bright side would lift the spirits - in scarcely moderate amounts of time, that is.

>> No.1290604

>>1290586

Cheers. Sounds intriguing.

I am quite impressed by the responses I have got today.

>> No.1290610

>>1290604
What do you think you'll read first OP?

>> No.1290623

have you read voltaire's candide? It's hilarious

>> No.1290638

>>1290610

Hmm, this is a hard question. I am tossing up between purchasing Candide, starting some Oscar Wilde (I know, I should be ashamed!) and "Quietude and Diffidence" got me with the title.

Have not read all the synopsis material available on the net though, so I am still in a state of indecision -- also need to factor in funds, as I am not the most affluent fellow.

What you read first, anon? Did you make a suggestion?

>> No.1290644

>>1290623

No sire, I have not! However, I have had it suggested and it is at the top of my "to buy" list at the moment. This seems like a well-liked piece.

>> No.1290653

>>1290638
Hmm... Quietude and Diffidence is really a great work of fiction. I haven't read any Voltaire or Wilde, so I can't advise you on that I'm afraid. I suggested Being Jordan.

>> No.1290668

>>1290653

Intriguing. Will have to give them all a search and see what tickles my fancy the most.

>> No.1290693

>>1290668
http://pheanor.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/quietude-and-diffidence-kitzo-hekotormo/
This may interest you. It takes a kind of post-structuralist approach, particularly relevant as he was both French-Japanese and an existentialist.

>> No.1290703

>>1290693

Thanks! Might give this a skim over during my lunch break.

>> No.1290712

>>1290653
Fuck you and your forced meme.

>> No.1290713

>>1290712

Forced meme? Do tell.

>> No.1291913

Bumping again.

>> No.1291922

Flann O'Brien / Brian O’Nolan / Myles na gCopaleen.

Read his Cruiskeen Lawn columns for maximum wittyness.

Other than that At Swam Two Birds is fucking genius.
Even though the author became kind of bored with it and went back to demand that women are barred from Trinity and argue with people while drinking and playing pool.

According to himself he was an illegitimate son descendant of Henry VIII, a duke of the holy roman empire and a famous detective.

>> No.1292845

>>1291922

Cheers for the suggestion! Sounds intriguing.