/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.19295533]

I'll read the first book recommended to me.

I'm a 26 year old guy who's incredibly emotionally stunted having been in a constant state of severe depression for the past 8 years of my life. I am finally coming out of that depression and am looking to improve myself. I'm shocked to look back and see 8 years wasted having developed no hobbies, interests, or cultural tastes besides playing video games and getting high on my own.

As a kid, I was a very avid reader. I used to have to move schools every 2 years and every one of my many teachers would call me a bookworm. I'd read anything - it all started with Harry Potter obviously, but then I delved into fantasy series after fantasy series, eventually coming to classic fiction and sci-fi. I stopped reading when I got depressed - other thngs I stopped doing include playing the guitar and the piano - and have just mindlessly thrown away all of my free time for the past 8 years.

I'm going to get back on track, but I need to do some catching up. I'm asking lit to please recommend me books that a 26 year old guy should have read by now. I will start with the first one posted as a reply.

[Anonymous No.19295571]

>>19295533
the gospel of Matthew

[Anonymous No.19295583]

>>19295533
the gospel of mark

[Anonymous No.19295589]

>>19295533
>26
Just end it dude, you missed out

[Anonymous No.19295591]

>>19295533
the gospel of john

[Anonymous No.19295596]

>>19295533
>>19295571
A good choice for OP. Meditate on the beatitudes my guy, hope you get something out of them, and try to think about the ways you can put the perspectives of the Gospel into practice in your life. Even if you don’t believe in God, most people don’t dispute the claim that Jesus probably lived the best way a human could have lived

[Anonymous No.19295599]

>>19295591
maybe you didn't read what OP said about his life

[Anonymous No.19295610]

>>19295533
The Gospels as well as this.

[Anonymous No.19295611]

>>19295571
>>19295596
it's just something a 26 year old should have read along with genesis and exodus. Other /lit/ makes more sense after you read it.

[Anonymous No.19295644]

>>19295533
>I'm asking lit to please recommend me books that a 26 year old guy should have read by now
mate by geoffrey Miller
3% man
the Moral Animal

[Anonymous No.19295671]

>>19295533
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

[Anonymous No.19295690]

>>19295533
Third Wish by Robert Fulghum.

[Anonymous No.19295728]

>>19295571
>>19295583
>>19295591
No love for Luke?

[Anonymous No.19295753]

>>19295728
we're actually striking him from the bible altogether at the next summit. Got to keep the chuds and the nazis in line, cuh. Source: My friend (they/her) is a cardinal.

[Anonymous No.19295774]

>>19295571
>>19295583
>>19295591
>>19295596
>>19295611

I don't know if this is some /lit/ meme, but I'm not going to be reading the Bible guys, sorry about that.

>>19295589
I know man. I missed it all. I'm jsut hoping I can make something worthwhile out of what I've got left.

>>19295610
I'm not an alcoholic, but I have developed a heavy usage of weed. I wouldn't say I'm addicted, as I often go long times without it, but I do like to use it.

[None !!lZetafI6z8s No.19295780]

aw man, you're so cute. dont give up man! it's only gonna be life from here on out till you die yknow? um try to do you can dude

[Anonymous No.19295785]

>>19295774
>but I'm not going to be reading the Bible guys,

Why?

[Anonymous No.19295818]

>le depressed
>smoking hella weed but not addicted guys
>Rejects good literature because he is a le hecking atheist and can't look past the religious ties

Just fucking leave desu

[Anonymous No.19295821]

>>19295774
>"I'll read the first book recommended to me"
>Proceeds to dismiss all books recommended

[Anonymous No.19295827]

>>19295774
Retard. Matthew is like 15 pages of actual reading and you probably have a physical copy within spitting distance.

[Anonymous No.19295867]

>>19295818
>>19295821
this.
>>19295774
>I have developed a heavy usage of weed
No wonder your life fucking sucks. You're a fucking druggie. Read more.

[Anonymous No.19295912]

We The Living

Read it and be driven to make something of your life.

[Anonymous No.19295968]

>>19295774
Seek help or ngmi

[Anonymous No.19295977]

Ew what’s with the gay shilling for Jesus

[Anonymous No.19295989]

>>19295977

[Anonymous No.19295993]

>>19295977
>books that a 26 year old guy should have read by now
OP fucked himself when he hade it unclear if he wanted self help, classic literature, or something referenced everywhere as a cultural touchstone.

[Anonymous No.19295999]

>>19295533
Our Band Could Be Your Life. Read it as an allegory for just going out into the world on your own terms, doing your thing and defining what success means for you.

[Anonymous No.19296004]

>>19295977
Jesus Loves You

[Anonymous No.19296017]

>>19295977
This board was invaded by tradcath larpers who decided to turn it into the de-facto religion board like 2 years ago.

[Anonymous No.19296070]

>>19295774
>claims to be in a constant state of severe depression for 8 years
>no hobbies, interests, or cultural tastes besides fucking video games and weed
>claim you want to improve yourself after wasting the last 8 years
>instantly dismisses the Gospels, something that could potentially improve your life mentally and spiritually, because fuck le bible amirite
whatever man, go play battlefield and smoke some weed, maybe re-read harry potter or some shit I got nothing for you.

[Anonymous No.19296120]

>>19296004
Heh. That’s pretty good and aesthetically nice mr cult leader anon.

[Anonymous No.19296129]

> I'll read the first book recommended to me.
My diary desu. It will unironically cheer you up

[Anonymous No.19296174]

>>19295589
Missed what?

[Anonymous No.19296179]

>trad larping zoomers seething at their larp being ignored
Kek

[Anonymous No.19296186]

Of Human Bondage

There's nothing quite like a bildungsroman about an idealist losing some of his ideals to make you look in the mirror.

[Anonymous No.19296187]

>>19295774
>>19295977
>>19296017
>>19296120
yea man
>smokes weed
christianity is totally like
>plays video games
its just a cult bro
>is severely depressed
its only for dumb sheeple
>doesn't do anything worthwhile and wastes life
not for true intellectuals, like us. right bros?
Christianity truly BTFO, i have no idea how it'll ever recover.

[Anonymous No.19296214]

>>19295589
Turn 19

[Anonymous No.19296234]

>>19296187
>le religion=self improvement
Says everything about the contemporary online incel trend towards this nonsense.
Your God and its messiah is fake, your holy book is schizo ramblings. Get over it. Yes yes I know when you discovered the "great philosophy and insight" of the Bible 3 years ago your mind was blown, and I know you truly think you're an intelligent individual because of the contrarian approach you took as compared to your generation, but it doesn't make your religion real or useful to anybody who doesn't delude themselves into thinking its real. It might not seem obvious to you but it's obvious to everybody else how manufactured and new you really are. I know the origin and whole development of your entire meme based conception of the world, exhausted cliche at this point that still demands to be taken seriously.

[Anonymous No.19296279]

Rangebanned from image posting, so I'll ask here: any recs for lighthearted, fun, but mature novels? Just finished a draining nonfiction book and looking for a palette cleanser. I don't want overdramatic YA stuff, but something humble and neat, good characters, etc. All recs appreciated.

[Anonymous No.19296283]

>>19296234
Nail baiting critique bro.

[Anonymous No.19296345]

>>19296279
Don Quixote, I also recommend it to OP

[Anonymous No.19296374]

>by out of touch boomer who has never laughed in their life

[Anonymous No.19296399]

>reading gospels is larp
Anno Mundi 2021 behold

[Anonymous No.19296444]

>>19296345
Seconding Don Quixote.
Easy enough for beginner readers, while also being both hilarious and insightful. If you can look past its somewhat-dated language and its length, you'll get a lot from it OP.

[Anonymous No.19296587]

>>19295533
>I'm shocked to look back and see 8 years wasted having developed no hobbies, interests, or cultural tastes besides playing video games and getting high on my own.
Genuinely, the vast majority of normies who "went to parties" and "got laid" are no better off. In fact they're probably worse than you.
"Life experience" is a poor schoolmaster and most of the students are retarded.
You might very well be behind the person you could have been, but most normies just spend their early adulthood brainwashing each other into the dominant social ethos, killing brain cells on social media and at best "being a cool guy to hangout with".
You're probably a more interesting person than most so spending time with yourself was probably better than other people.
It's all so tiresome. Don't feel bad about it, just start doing better.

[Anonymous No.19296588]

>>19295774
>depressed for 8 years with nothing to show for himself, literally willing to pick books at random strangers' suggestion in a desperate plea for change
>nooooooooo not the heckin bible!!!!
Like clockwork.

[Anonymous No.19296601]

>>19296004
>fun
This is the biggest forced meme of all time. "Fun" is literally something that American advertising companies invented to so they could exploit your baser impulses to sell product.

[Anonymous No.19296696]

>>19296601
>implying that contradicts what is depicted in the comic

[Anonymous No.19296739]

>>19295821
>>19295827
>>19295968
>>19296070
>>19296588
Kek the christcucks wholesome facade immediately turns to soirage when OP dares to ask for a recommendation that isn't the bible (a reply posted as a meme in every recommendation thread)

[Anonymous No.19296767]

>>19295533
If you haven't read it, I recommend A Canticle for Leibowitz. I think the Epic of Gilgamesh is a good read, especially for a depressed person, as is the Odyssey, but before reading the Odyssey, it is advisable to read the Iliad. You can just jump straight into Gilgamesh. I recommend shmoop notes for these, as colloquial as they may be, because they provide great summaries to accompany your reading.

[Anonymous No.19297024]

>>19296587
>dont feel bad about it, just start doing better
This sounds like the common zoomer phrase "don't apologise, be better".
What designates him as being more interesting? I did parties and such but I was also (and still am) a social outsided, seen as esoteric and weird. If I were so interesting, people would hang out with me, but they don't often, so by who's merit do I measure my interesting-ness by?
>>19296234
Lots of these zoomers love the authadox tattooed meme approach, it looks aesthetic and is a way of materislistically showing their "beliefs", in the same light of modern vanity that everyone else follows.

[Anonymous No.19297130]

>>19295533
This is my personal wild assumption but I'm 100% confident that the tranny epidemic is due to early exposure to pornography. Kids are given a tablet as soon as they can hold one and my guess is that they start seeing porn around 7 or 8 years old and this warps their sexual development when they hit puberty. Parents probably discover this but they do not admit it for fear of being outed on bad parenting, and by the time they limit exposure (parental control is useless and nobody uses it anyway) the damage is done. There are also many "progressive" parents who might even believe that seeing a little porn that young is healthy and one shouldn't stifle the kids' curiosity (women say this retarded shit all the time). It's porn that does this.

[Anonymous No.19297140]

>>19296739
>heard ‘ngmi’
>y-you are seething basedjak!
ngmi

[Anonymous No.19297146]

>>19297130
>I have no evidence at all but I'm totally confident

A truly worthwhile post. Well done, anon.

[Anonymous No.19297150]

>>19296234
Based take.

>>19296345
Based recommendation.

[Anonymous No.19297154]

>>19297130
You are absolutely correct. The average age a child of this generation is exposed to porn is 11. 11. And people wonder why they’re so fucked up.
>>19297146
Stop showing porn to your local 11 year olds

[Anonymous No.19297175]

>>19295533
Speaking of your actual post, it's not a matter of hobbies: I've dedicated myself to my passion body and mind and had the same kind of malaise. I'm not quite yet out of it but you should definitely not believe that you "missed out" and your life is over. Surely you won't have the same opportunities but this is irrelevant because your problem is one with purpose. Find a purpose to your life, something you want to live for. I've started getting closer to Christianity and that is helping me redraw my priorities and intentions but your path depends on you. Just allow some changes into your life, don't look for them to come out of the places you're already in, but look for another perspective in a different environment. I've tried to distance myself from the internet as much as I could and quit talking about my problems here and it helped. Try to unplug and do some real soul searching, what is it that you really want from life, no matter how embarrassing it is, and find what you really find unbearable. I would recommend the book I've read so far like A Confession by Tolstoy, but they're Christian themed books mostly. I think books are not where you will find answers though.

[Anonymous No.19297197]

>>19295774
Seneca's letters, specifically the collections frequently referred to as 'On the happy life' and 'On the shortness of life'. Don't mind the burgers, they post in every thread and it's the devil's work to get rid of them; if you avoid giving them (you)'s they tend to make their own way out.

[Anonymous No.19297201]

>>19297197
Oh Seneca's On The Shortness of Life was also a great read.

[Anonymous No.19297223]

>>19295977
it's a fandom, like my little pony or whatever, and proselytizes aggressively like all other fandoms. you have to read the bible just like you just MUST watch squid game or whatever; definitely don't mistake it for actual religiosity.

[Anonymous No.19297228]

>>19296279
confederacy of dunces

[Anonymous No.19297234]

>>19295774
>I'll read the first book recommended to me.
> I don't know if this is some /lit/ meme, but I'm not going to be reading the Bible guys, sorry about that.
Why are you going back on your word?

[Anonymous No.19297241]

>>19297223
Lol yeah. Kids will be kids.

[Anonymous No.19297244]

>>19296279
The Sirens of Titan

[Anonymous No.19297262]

>>19297130
made-up shit. kids have been seeing pornography "early" for many generations at this point, it just used to be magazines and the occasional smuggled vhs tape etc. everyone in my generation saw hc porn on kazaa or whatever, you didn't even have to be tech-savvy, you just needed one kid in your friend group who was. you might as well blame playing doom.

trannyism is simply a fringe phenomenon that always existed (elagabalus etc) but was mostly suppressed until the internet allowed weirdos to form cliques and reinforce each other's behavior.

[Anonymous No.19297265]

>>19297262
Correct.

[Anonymous No.19297480]

>>19295977
You will never overthrow God

[Anonymous No.19297522]

>>19295533
OP pay no attention to the seething christcucks, they're internet conformists with very little of value inside of their skulls - the fact that they can act so viciously against somebody who has allegedly been depressed for 8 years tells you all you need to know. (although to be fair you shouldn't dismiss the Bible, some of the books are really good literature). I second Seneca's on the shortness of life, very good book. On a similar note - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. If fiction is what you want, then read Pirandello's the late Mattia Pascal, it's basically the story of a guy who, through (un)fortunate circumstances, basically quits his identity and becomes another person, travelling Europe and meeting some interesting figures in the meanwhile. I'm sure that as somebody who has experienced depression you can relate to the feeling of wanting to quit your life and starting anew and this is why I choose this book in particular. If philosophy is what you want, look into Hume or Pascal. I mention these two in particular because, unlike the vast majority of other philosophers, they're actually pleasant to read.

[Anonymous No.19297526]

>>19297262
>comparing magazines to HD rimming

[Anonymous No.19297628]

I really do not get how /lit/ is the one place I have found where christian literature is appreciated for its virtue and not simply due to religious fanaticism.

If i ever talk about or suggest a text that just as much mentions Jesus, without instantly dismissing him, all my masters degree friends at a top 15 world philosophy departement instantly recoil and stop functioning.

[Anonymous No.19297634]

>>19297262
not even remotely comparable

[Anonymous No.19297637]

>>19295533

[Anonymous No.19297641]

>>19297628
Dogmatism

[Anonymous No.19297937]

>>19297130
>>19297262
You're both right. Free HD internet porn in every kid's pocket, with sound, is a very different ballgame than magazines. Even so, the more important thing might be the shift of peer groups and relationships to the internet, further shifting the balance of reality to fantasy and creating micro-advocacy out of online echo chambers.

[Anonymous No.19298045]

>>19297130

[Anonymous No.19298049]

>>19297130
Good post

[Anonymous No.19298069]

>Good post

[Anonymous No.19298106]

>>19297130
I agree with the gist of your post, but limiting the time when porn is damaging to so early is a bit naive. Even adults can have their minds warped by exposure to such pornography. And trannyism isn’t the only negative outcome, Furries and some proportion of faggotry can be ascribed to porn as well.

[Anonymous No.19298138]

>>19295533
Man and His Symbols by Jung and Pals
Myths to Live By by Joseph Campbell
The Odyssey translated by Richard Latimore

[Anonymous No.19298140]

Another thread invaded by a schizo.

Oof.

[Anonymous No.19298144]

>>19298069
>>19298045
dilate your axe cloaca
>>19298106
nah furries are Disney's doing

[Anonymous No.19298154]

>>19295968
>never met an actual alcoholic

[Anonymous No.19298165]

>>19297130
I believe it is microplastics.

[Anonymous No.19298169]

>>19297197
Seneca was a pseud but on the shorness of life was one of the most beautiful and profound pieces of literature I've read.

[Anonymous No.19298385]

>>19298106
>>19298144
I think he makes a great point, adult minds are susceptible as well. Set someone up with free housing, porn and drugs for a month and they're liable to get a new kink.

[Anonymous No.19298532]

>>19298385
>adult minds are susceptible as well
I don't disagree with this but obviously children's developing brains are more vulnerable, this is why they grow up and become trannies instead of just regular perverts.

[Anonymous No.19298631]

>>19295533
>books that a 26 year old guy should have read by now
>should
who gives a fuck what you "should" have read? what does that even mean? It's just going to be people like the christcucks trying to indoctrinate you into a particular worldview (nothing against the bible btw, some of it is a good read). Also self-improvement isn't possible, it implies that there is a state of being that is "better" than any other state.

If you need a recommendation - walk in the woods for two hours everyday. And for the love of god, don't bring a phone.

[Anonymous No.19298686]

>>19295968
This is not how this works out at all. Pot smokers get butthurt a lot of the time because people (boomers) go around telling them they're addicted and won't shut up about it and go out of their way to exert control on them and get them to stop, and alcoholics that are deeply sick will deny it on some level to their graves. I wouldn't want to be around either myself but this image misses the mark in a pretty big way.

[Anonymous No.19298784]

>>19298154
cringe

[Anonymous No.19298984]

>>19297628
>masters degree friends
>top 15 world philosophy departement
literally hubris. Education doesn't make one more insightful, so the educated must invent criteria by which they're above others. It's the only way to justify their real or imagined "higher intellectual status."

[Anonymous No.19299004]

>>19297628
they're retarded

[Anonymous No.19299028]

>>19295533
Catch.22 by Joseph Heller

[Anonymous No.19299144]

I’m also 26 and I spent the past 7 years of my life working on my hobbies. During that time I gave up on video games and sacrificed many things so that I could improve. In the end I feel it was pointless and I am utterly disheartened. What do I do now? I just browse /lit/ all day and watch k-dramas on netflix. I don’t even have the will to read anymore

[Anonymous No.19299718]

>>19295774
>>19295977

this board has always been infested by schizophrenic christniggers but it's gotten to be pretty bad recently because they've been laughed out of every other space on the internet

[Anonymous No.19299737]

>>19299718
>We're laughing, we don't have a burning hatred of them.
Take it up with the big guy upstairs, I guess.

[Anonymous No.19299760]

>>19295533
Distant Star, or The Savage Detectives

[Anonymous No.19299785]

>>19296017
I'm actually a protestant

[Anonymous No.19299795]

>>19296234
I'm always fascinated by how aggressively people deny the sincerity of christian belief.

[Anonymous No.19299805]

>>19297262
Yeah but were kids in the 90s watching infinite amounts of hardcore fetish porn?

[Anonymous No.19299814]

>>19299144
How are your personal relationships and friendships? Career? A fulfilled life is more than just hobbies

[Anonymous No.19299828]

>>19296739
OP said he'd read the first book recommended you soifaggot. Your type never has any actual principles except "thoughtcrimes bad"

[Anonymous No.19299830]

>>19299737
the only difference between you and the ponyfags of yesteryear is that they knew when they were shitting up threads

[Anonymous No.19299849]

>>19299830
That, or you've just got a bad attitude, and I know where I'd put my money.

[Anonymous No.19299857]

>>19297628
They're possessed by demons which are harmed by the very name of Christ

[Anonymous No.19299862]

>>19299830
>I'm not seething I'm actually laughing and I only care because they're shitting up threads on fucking 4chan

[Anonymous No.19299952]

>>19296129
Poast it

[Anonymous No.19299961]

>>19295774
See your original post. Stop lying.

[Anonymous No.19299992]

>>19296739
>Kek the christcucks wholesome facade immediately turns to soirage when OP dares to ask for a recommendation that isn't the bible (a reply posted as a meme in every recommendation thread)
Imagine using someone's own moral system against them. The only reason you've been able to criticize their criticism is because of the Christianity you abhor.

[Anonymous No.19300015]

>>19295774
>I'm a degenerate who has wasted my life
>I'll read the first book that's recommended to me
>What? You're seriously recommending the bible? Is that some kind of meme?
>No, I'm not taking your suggestion; I clearly know what's best
You have forfeited the ability to choose literature for yourself by remaining a child at 26, and you have absolutely no ability to discern what literature promotes a renewal of life. If you want a recommendation of how to get your life on track, take it. If not, then don't ask. I'm not even a Christian, you're just being ridiculous.

[Anonymous No.19300023]

>>19300015
On top of that you can literally read Mathew in 15 minutes.

[Anonymous No.19300063]

>>19295533
you re literarily character of picrel LOL
You dont need any of this philosophy religion stuff. Do physical exercises, attend church, touch grass.

[Anonymous No.19300067]

>>19300063
i ment