/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.2203793]

ITT: We recommend classics almost never discussed on /lit/ but should be read by all those who enjoy reading literature or aspire to have a greater understanding of it.

Picture so fucking related.

[Anonymous No.2203797]

[Anonymous No.2203803]

FUCK YEAH, READ BOTH

MY CONTRIBUTION

[Anonymous No.2203808]

[Anonymous No.2203815]

[Anonymous No.2203821]

>>2203815
0/10

[Anonymous No.2203819]

[Anonymous No.2203822]

This is probably my favorite book

[Anonymous No.2203831]

This- v difficult to describe without spoilers. just read it.

[Anonymous No.2203840]

>>2203831
Just bought this.

[Anonymous No.2203843]

>>2203822

I've been meaning to read that for awhile. I can't really get into Japanese lit for some reason. Black Rain was dryer than an 80 year olds vagina and Musashi seemed way too pulpy for my taste. Why does that book speak to you, sir?

[Anonymous No.2203846]

>>2203831
>>2203840
It's also on Project Gutenberg, for anyone who wants to know. I'm about to start it up.

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2276

[Anonymous No.2203851]

Nobody actually seems to talk about the work of Kafka or Pynchon even though I love them both. They're just name dropped a lot. No real discussion. Actually that's pretty much this whole board. Just name-dropping and constant bitching/arguing. What the fuck am I doing here?

[Anonymous No.2203853]

>>2203851

doing exactly what you're complaining about it would seem

[Anonymous No.2203857]

>>2203808
MOVED FROM TO-READ TO CURRENT READING LIST.

MY FIRST BRAZILIAN LITERATURE

[Anonymous No.2203860]

>>2203851

I've actually discovered a bunch of interested books by just lurking here every once in a while. Also, everybody should read this, it's one of the great American novels.

[Anonymous No.2203862]

>>2203860

Oh shit, forgot pic.

[Anonymous No.2203863]

>>2203831
MOVED THIS UP FROM TO-READ TO CURRENTLY-READING AS WELL

CHEERS

[Anonymous No.2203869]

FURTHER CONTRIBUTION

[Anonymous No.2203870]

Harry Crews...recommended starting point: A Feast of Snakes

[Anonymous No.2203879]

>>2203862
I love this novel. Ken Kesey is one of the most misprized authors in American history.

[Anonymous No.2203887]

>>2203843
This book epitomizes the theme of loneliness in society and the author really seems to understand the nature of society. It is a very psychological novel, and the author was very intelligent, so it may not be a good one to start with in Japanese lit. Actually, Musashi was my first intro to Japanese lit. It isn't pulpy at all--it is more of an epic, and I highly recommend it. If you want any suggestions, see this image

[Anonymous No.2203905]

>>2203843

I think you're confusing Musashi with Shogun.

>>2203879

Word. It's a damn shame people only care about his silly antics and not his fine skill as a writer.

[Anonymous No.2203921]

>>2203905
ESPECIALLY SINCE SHOGUN WASN'T EVEN WRITTEN BY A JAPANESE

CONTRIBUTING WITH MORE

KEEP IT UP GUYS

[Anonymous No.2204018]

HOW IS THIS SO HARD FOR YOU /LIT/?

OH BECAUSE YOU READ THE SAME SHIT

DOHOOH

[Anonymous No.2204028]

>>2203851
>Kafka
I've been reading Kafka lately and I enjoy him much. Recommendations:
Novels: The Trial

Short stories:
The Metamorphosis
In the Penal Colony
A Hunger Artist
A Country Doctor

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204039]

>>2204018
Well excuuuuuuse me.

Pictured: Obscure and strange, but a lot of fun.

I'll post some books I haven't read, but have an interest in next

[Anonymous No.2204040]

>>2204018

OH WHAT WAS THAT? I COULDN'T HEAR YOU OVER THE SOUND OF HOW AWESOME THIS POST 1950'S LITERATURE THAT I'M READING. MAN, IS THIS THE FUCKING SHIT OR WHAT.

[Anonymous No.2204041]

Ach, Musil <3

Might I also recommend the great Joseph Roth, who should be mentioned in the same breath as his compatriate Kafka.

[Anonymous No.2204042]

I don't normally lurk or post here but this should be definitely be a mention.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204043]

Vieille comédie française

[Anonymous No.2204044]

>>2204042

if by that you mean this

[Anonymous No.2204047]

Hurr durr all women writers are feminist sluts and people only read them to be politically correct.

[Anonymous No.2204049]

He gets some mentions every now and then here, but not much.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204050]

[Anonymous No.2204052]

>>2204044

If by that you mean this

[Anonymous No.2204055]

Anything by David Markson, Donald Harington, lots of other people

[Anonymous No.2204056]

immigrant lit at it's finest

[Anonymous No.2204057]

>>2204047
No one ever says that, and if they do it's only like one troll or tripfag Truman Capote

[Anonymous No.2204058]

[Anonymous No.2204060]

>>2204052

shit, dunno that one yet

[Anonymous No.2204063]

Is John Updike any good, I heard he hates women

[Anonymous No.2204065]

>>2204055
John Barth, William Gaddis, etc.

[Anonymous No.2204071]

>>2204063

The hate comes from his Midwest Christian puritan upbringing. It's really satire...

...that's really a cop-out. In one scene in his book, one of his characters pees on this chick who he got out of from a swinger's ballot between four couples.

You be the judge.

[Anonymous No.2204073]

>>2204063

nahhhh it's definitely a problematic kinda relationship, given how into adultery his characters tend to be (esp in his later stuff, like holy shit) but "hates women" would be very unfair

pigeon feathers and the same door are pretty fantastic collections of short stories, and while the rabbit tetralogy is one of the clearest cases of diminishing returns in lit it's worthwhile

[Anonymous No.2204076]

>>2203887
kokoro is about how much of entitled dicks men were (and are) in japanese society and also about how useless and gay they are. soseki was gay and kokoro reeks of faggotry with that kid and the old dude. seriously there is nothing that i like about that book.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204077]

There seems to be a missing point to this story, but it sounded like it could have...

[Anonymous No.2204078]

>>2204073

also oedipal themes like WHOA in much of it so safe to say there's some mommy issues at hand as well

[Anonymous No.2204080]

>>2203822
This forever. One of my favorite books.

Invisible Cities doesn't get that much play but I do see it mentioned. I hear Borges every once and a while too but haven't seen anything substantial about him.

And Master and Margarita needs more love as well.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204082]

I never hear it mentioned here
I only read the sequel, and I thought it was interesting a fun. Retro crime story. Would make good films (Instead we get Steam punk Sherlock Holmes ffffuuu)

[Anonymous No.2204084]

Good fun but Nabokov is still wallowing in his own shit in this one

[Anonymous No.2204086]

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204090]

>>2204080
How do you explain this guys hating >>2204076
Also, I was gonna mention MaM

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204091]

[Anonymous No.2204098]

>>2204090
When someone's biggest critiques of a work is that the author is "gay" and the work "reeks of faggotry," their opinion isn't really worth much. Kokoro is practically /the/ modern novel of Japan, and anyone who aspires to have a greater understanding of literature, as the OP says, would do well to read it.

That said, it's probably best to ease into Japanese literature with other novelists first. Soseki is still very Japanese, despite living in England for a few years. More contemporary authors like Kezaburo Oe and Kobo Abe would probably be better starting points.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204100]

I enjoyed some of these Icelandic short stories. Written in contemporary times, mid 20th century, they could easily be placed in any time. The library copy has no cover, and this is all I could get from online

[Anonymous No.2204101]

>>2204040
SORRY, YOUR POST REMINDED ME OF HOW AWESOME EMILE ZOLA IS. READING THE DEBACLE AT THE MOMENT

TOO AWESOME FOR YOU

ADD THE DEBACLE TO THE LIST FOR THIS THREAD, TOO LAZY TO SAVE PIC

[Anonymous No.2204103]

>>2204098
Eat some more fucking dick you cocksucking faggot!!!

[Anonymous No.2204108]

LOL THE MASTER AND MARGARITA IS ALWAYS BROUGHT UP HERE

[Anonymous No.2204110]

>>2204101

nana isn't that great, is it better than nana?

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204119]

>>2204108
Oh don't rub it in.

[Anonymous No.2204126]

>>2204110
NANA'S THE LEAST FAVOURITE ZOLA I'VE READ

CHECK OUT GERMINAL OR THE BEAST WITHIN

THE DEBACLE ISN'T TOO BAD, BUT ONLY ABOUT 8% THROUGH

FOR SHORT ZOLA, CHECK THE FLOOD

[Anonymous No.2204129]

>>2204119
FOR SPEAKING THE TRUTH?

[Anonymous No.2204132]

[t(-.- t) !!MJ8R0u5mwbu No.2204133]

>>2204119
That what you tell daddy when he used to come into your room at night?

t(-.- t)

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204135]

A classic I hear little of.

[Anonymous No.2204139]

>>2204132

hey my prof did the first complete english translation of those

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204140]

>>2204133
...

He'd share his beers with me. What a slosh.

[Anonymous No.2204141]

>>2204098
Look, Kokoro is certainly informative as to Soseki's generation of Japanese and does give you a solid background on the style of literature of the time, but it also carries with it a lot of themes that it doesn't mean to as well that I find unpalatable and showcase some of the poorer aspects of Japanese culture. One of which is the egoism of men when especially their educated class continually act so uselessly and in basic contempt of everything around them. The connection that is built between the young man and the scholar is something that reinforces the superiority of seniority, something which is unsurprising considering that he wrote it late in his life when he had many young men (who he fucked) looking up to him.

I'm not saying he isn't a good author or that it isn't something to read if you want to be more informed about Japanese literature, but as an enjoyable piece, I can't agree. Botchan is better, Tanizaki is better, and my favorite Akutagawa is much better.

[Anonymous No.2204142]

>>2204135
BUT IS IT GOOD?

THAT IS THE QUESTION

AND IT'S MENTIONED ALL THE TIME

[Anonymous No.2204143]

>>2204141
TANIZAKI BETTER?

OH GOD

OH

GOD

OH GOD

GOD

NO

HOW'S THAT FOOT FETISH GOING?
HAHAHAHAH

[Anonymous No.2204150]

>>2204141
Whereas other books of his and authors of his own period seem to acknowledge some of their own flaws, Kokoro just mourns the plight of the privileged useless men in society. Oh the emperor is dead, poor me!

[Anonymous No.2204154]

>>2204141
But the point of the thread wasn't just about "enjoyable" literature, but for literature that would give people a greater understanding of it as a whole too. And Kokoro definitely does the later, even if it doesn't do the former for some people.

Tanizaki wrote better poetry, but I can't agree with you on his novels. Akutagawa is always amazing though.

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204162]

>>2204142
I never see it mentioned. Perhaps the book isn't good, but he film is great.

[Anonymous No.2204166]

Speaking of Kafka, no one ever talks about Amerika. Mostly because it's not that good....but...well...uh, yes.

[Anonymous No.2204168]

>>2204143
well, when the only bare skin you can see in public are the feet, you gotta lust after something.

[Anonymous No.2204170]

Anyone else read Celine?

[Anonymous No.2204172]

>>2204139
Aw sweet, you have John Minford as a professor? He seemed like a really awesome guy from the introduction. Or was there a translator who did the whole thing before him?

[Anonymous No.2204177]

>>2204101

>IMPLYING I CAN'T READ BOTH

LAUGHINGWHORES.JPEG

ALSO, THOSE OF YOU WHO HATE ON FANTASY SHOULD READ THIS, IT WAS PUBLISHED IN 1924 SO EVEN CAPSFAG CAN READ IT IF HE EVER STOPS SUCKING DEAD FRENCHMEN'S BALLS

[Anonymous No.2204184]

>>2204172

this dude actually (also awesome though) http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Tales-Liaozhai-Vol-2/dp/0895810433/ref=pd_sim_b_1

i think he just translated more of them (this is from a 6 vol set)

[Anonymous No.2204197]

>>2204184
Man, looking at the courses he teaches, they are like everything I ever wanted to take in university but couldn't because I go to a shit university. Which class of his are you taking?

[Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ No.2204202]

>>2204166
I've heard it mentioned about twice, probably by the same guy. I read about it in a bibliography, it sounded pretty cool.
Most people talk about Metamorphosis and The Trial. I picked The Castle, but haven't gotten to it yet.

[Anonymous No.2204205]

>>2204197

recent graduate tbh, but had him for methods of critical analysis (studying crit theories by analyzing pu songling and graphic novels about china) and hong kong triad films (machetes, machetes everywhere)... dude is an og

[Anonymous No.2204237]

>>2204168
I THOUGHT THEY GENERALLY WORE WHITE WOOLEN SOCKS?

KEEP UP THE POSTS GENTLEMEN. MAKING FOR SOME EXCELLENT FUCKING HOLIDAY READS FOR CAPSGUY. THE EPIC ADVENTURE STARTS TOMORROW

AND TO THAT ANON GUY, YES, CELINE IS BROUGHT UP RELATIVELY FREQUENTLY

[Anonymous No.2204270]

Okay, Hermann Ungar? I never encounter people who have read him. I wouldn't call him "classic" but he wrote a book called The Maimed which is pretty solid IMO. It's about isolation and acute mental illness with a little Freudian themes thrown in. He's basically overshadowed by Kafka. Very depressing read.

Another author from around that time is Gustav Meyrink. He wrote a book called "The Golem" which Borges praised. It's a pretty crazy book and I honestly wasn't sure wtf I was supposed to take away from it when I was finished, but it had very lyrical prose. If you like mind-fuck stuff/Jewish mysticism/Buddhism, (although I'm pretty sure the author was neither) it's pretty good.

[Anonymous No.2204272]

>>2204237
no socks (tabi) for prostitutes, lower class, or for anyone during the summer

[Anonymous No.2204278]

Thomas Ligotti is pretty neat. He's often compared to Lovecraft but it's sort of a loose comparison. He writes short stories and his books are hard to find. His books don't use gore or monsters but they can be pretty creepy sometimes. One story in particular mentions a man who is forced to dress up like an infant by the town manager. The way he describes it has stuck with me for awhile now.

[Anonymous No.2204319]

>>2204272

>A Prostitute In Summer by Haruki Murakami, 2013

Segaru, a late adolescent who likes jazz music, goes on a post-modern reality bending journey through Tokyo with a prostitute who might actually be his geisha grandmother or a Shinto goddess or something whilst in flashbacks to the 70s a train conductor named Hiroshi uncovers a parallel mystery involving crossword puzzles in the Asahi Shimbun that's more interesting than the earlier plotline but gets cut off at the last third of the book at a cliffhanger.

Nobel prize, finally in the bag.

[Anonymous No.2204360]

>>2204319
looking forward to it.

[Anonymous No.2204444]

CAPSGUY


CAPSGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUY

[Anonymous No.2204445]

>>2204272
I ALWAYS GO DURING WINTER

PLENTY OF GOOD TIMES HAD

GOING TOMORROW

WHAT ADVENTURES WILL CAPSGUY HAVE?

WILL THE 1+ YEAR FORTELLING OF D&E COME TO FRUITUING? WILL CAPSGUY'S DRINKING AND DEBAUCHERY RESULT IN HIS DEMISE?

CAPSGUY SAYS FUCK OFF AND NO

[Anonymous No.2204518]

>>2204445

WINTER'S CITYSIIIDE,
CRYSTAL BITS OF SNOWFLAKES, ALL AROUND MY HEAD AND IN THE WIND
I HAD NO ILLUSIONS
THAT I'D EVER FIND A GLIMPSE OF SUMMER'S HEATWAVES IN YOUR EYES

YOU DID WHAT YOU DID TO ME
NOW IT'S HISTORY, I SEE
HERE'S MY COMEBACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN

THINGS WILL HAPPEN WHILE THEY CAN,
I WILL WAIT HERE FOR MY MAN TONIGHT-
IT'S EASY WHEN YOU'RE BIG IN JAPAN

OH YOU'RE BIG IN JAPAN

(CHORUS)

TONIGHT!
BIG IN JAPAAANNN
BE TIGHT
BIG IN JAPAN
OOOH THE EASTERN SEA'S SO BLUUE

BIG IN JAPAN
ALRIGHT, PAY AND I'LL SLEEP BY YOUR SIDE
IT'S EASY WHEN YOU'RE BIG IN JAPAN....

(Seriously, this is THE theme song for your inevitable comedy-drama kaiju show where you fight giant versions of Dostoevsky by shouting incessantly and having arbitrary rules. It'll form the best part of an roadshow thing including such fare as Deep and a Half Edgies and repeats of Humphrey B. Brownbear.)

[nigger !!QSvwrQMMkoH No.2204658]

stop writing in caps, guy
never read your posts cuz of it
weiner

[Anonymous No.2204664]

>>2204658
It's because they're all in a wind tunnel. Gotta speak up, you know?

[Anonymous No.2204665]

>>2204518
THAT IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE EVER READ

PROMOTE THIS MAN

[Anonymous No.2204666]

>>2204658
AND YOU NIGGER, SHUT UP

[nigger !!QSvwrQMMkoH No.2204668]

>>2204666
why you hatin
fagat

[Anonymous No.2204686]

>>2204666
>666

[Anonymous No.2204688]

>>2204686
i think he is "da beast"

[nigger !!QSvwrQMMkoH No.2204689]

>>2204688
nigger

[Anonymous No.2204691]

>>2204689
im reporting you if you dont stop this stuff ok

[nigger !!QSvwrQMMkoH No.2204693]

>>2204691
what happens if you get reported

[Anonymous No.2204696]

>>2204693
Africa

[Anonymous No.2204697]

Even after the bloody musical and the blasted Liza Minelli film, NO ONE still gives a literal fuck about the book itself. First read a short story as part of my advanced english class. Fell in love with it ever since.

[nigger !!QSvwrQMMkoH No.2204700]

>>2204696
hahahaha ok
already there man
no place to go

[Anonymous No.2204706]

[Anonymous No.2204709]

this thread is incredibly relevant to my interests, thanks bros

[Anonymous No.2204918]

KEEP THIS THREAD GOING DURING MY FLIGHT TO JAPAN TODAY GUYS

I DEMAND IT

[Anonymous No.2204936]

>>2204697

One of my favourite books. Just have to imagine all the gay sex that is not in it. Isherwood loved the gay sex.

[Anonymous No.2204952]

Brookes Kubik "dinosaur bodyweight training"

[satan !!1Fa7LzeI6u8 No.2204970]

commonly overlooked work

in depth character studies, inward rhythm, explorations of moral vacuum in dejected frenchmen who find life meaningless etc etc, you know, the usual /lit/core....over all a great read

[Anonymous No.2204973]

geerrrmmm

[Anonymous No.2204977]

I won.

[Anonymous No.2204978]

>>2204697
WILL CHECK THIS OUT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE, ALTHOUGH I'VE GOT LIKE 20 BOOKS RACKED UP TO READ BEFORE IT.

[Anonymous No.2204985]

COMMONLY OVERLOOKED WORK

[Anonymous No.2205010]

this is in part why i have better taste than you

[Anonymous No.2205031]

>>2205010
NO

[Anonymous No.2205055]

A bit of incest is all good.

[Anonymous No.2205065]

>>2205055
THIS HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE TITLE? NOTHING COMING UP ON GOODREADS

[Anonymous No.2205068]

>>2205065
that's really weird, are you sure you spelled everything right? great book imo, one of my favorite of all time.

[Anonymous No.2205073]

>>2205068
YEAH MAN

NOTHING

WEIRD AS :(

[Anonymous No.2205076]

>>2205073
must not be on there, it's kind of obscure, see if you can track down a copy in a used bookstore or something. probably can't order it online, think it's out of print afaik, ask around irl, maybe someone will have heard of it.

[Anonymous No.2205085]

COOL I JUST GOT TROLLED

THE WORST PART IS I EVEN REMEMBER THAT TROLL THREAD

[Anonymous No.2205097]

>>2205055

Holy shit it's that guy.

At first I couldn't stand your forced meme, but then I started missing you when that anal cannon guy started posting.

[Anonymous No.2205103]

>>2205097
I'm not even the creator of the meme. Nor am I >>2205076 or >>2205068

Nice to know I was missed.

[Anonymous No.2205116]

LET'S GET BACK ON TOPIC

PICTURE RELATED

[Anonymous No.2205136]

>>2205116
i'm about to order this shit off amazon. i loved madame bovary and sentimental education. always look for it at b&n but the cunts never have it.

[Anonymous No.2205151]

>>2205136
NO WORRIES MAN

DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE ANYTHING LIKE WHAT YOU'VE READ BY HIM

IT'S A POETIC PROSE HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL FILLED WITH LUST, TORTURE, BATTLES, AND THAT STUFF. PRETTY INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE TIMES AND YOU GAIN SOME INFORMATION JUST AFTER THE FIRST PUNIC WAR

[Anonymous No.2205797]

Hell yes to this thread. But my wallet will by crying.

[Anonymous No.2205808]

>>2205797

Money ain't shit but books are forever.

Also, never seen this discussed before.

[Anonymous No.2205986]

>>2204043
+1

[Anonymous No.2205987]

>>2204084
Ada's his best novel.

[Anonymous No.2205994]

Akhmatova never gets much mention here, but she's an very major (Russian) poet.

[Anonymous No.2206008]

>>2205994
I think I mentioned her once

[Anonymous No.2206035]

>>2204050

I love you so goddamn much for finally proving I'm not the only guy on /lit/ who has read this damn thing. One of my favorite novels; it's a criminally unappreciated work of genius.

[Anonymous No.2206036]

>>2205994
Also, Marina Tsvetaeva. Not quite as important as Akhmatova, but she's another one of the major 20th century Russian poets.

[Anonymous No.2206039]

>>2206035
I've read it too. Not one of my favorites, but I definitely appreciated the genius in it. It's been getting quite a bit of mention on /lit/ the past week.

[Anonymous No.2206053]

The ghost writer (Markoff) manages to make the putative writer/hero (Shimomura) look like such a dickhead that it's funny. Shimomura probably didn't even notice. It's also a very entertaining chase story. For techies only, though.

[Anonymous No.2206068]

Some of the best horror stories ever written.
Good because they are so understated.
Also available on Project Gutenberg.

[Anonymous No.2206092]

[Anonymous No.2206388]

bumpo with gusto

[Anonymous No.2206399]

Edith Wharton's stuff. Joseph Conrad is hardly discussed.

[Anonymous No.2206413]

>>2206399
>Joseph Conrad is hardly discussed.
Too complex for /lit/'s frail little minds, personally I've never seen much Tolstoy discussion

[Anonymous No.2206435]

>>2206413
tolstoy right here brother
>>2206273

[Anonymous No.2206462]

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann.

Make yourself a favor and read it.