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/lit/ - Literature

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2766497 No.2766497[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

ITT we attempt to think up redeeming qualities of shitty books. I'll try to start:

50 Shades of Grey: Apparently getting more girls to try sexual stuff.

pic unrelated

>> No.2766516

If a tween girl reads and enjoys Twilight she may be encourage to read other (hopefully better) books.

>> No.2766530

>>2766516

I wonder if there's ever been any actual research done on this gateway books shit people are always saying.

>> No.2766534

>>2766530
You know, I wouldn't really be too suprised. The first book that really got me to start reading (at least as much as I can remember - being a kid at the time) was animorphs. I'm not sure how that compares to /lit/s view, but there it is. Or maybe I would have just started to read either way.

>> No.2766538

>>2766534

Yeah, any there are tons of people here that have similar stories.

But we're still a teeny tiny sample of the entire reading population.

>> No.2766541

>>2766538
Now that I think about it, I think it's probably more likely (at least in my case) that I would have started to read, no matter what book I started with. I've had friends that read books that, by all rights, would get them to start reading if any book could, and still not enjoy it.

>> No.2766542
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2766542

tucker max got a rich imagination

>> No.2766557

L’Étranger

[spolier] at least an Arab died [/spoiler]

>> No.2766559

>>2766557
fuck. the effect is RUINED

>> No.2766562

Any books are good for making people read more.

>> No.2766563

>>2766559
I thought it created a nice effect.

I pronounced your misspelt 'spoilier' as 'spoil-e-ay' and in a French accent.

>> No.2766572

>>2766562
why do you think reading a good thing in itself?

>> No.2766697

>>2766497
Twilight:
Hours of hilarious rifftrax.
Ayn Rand: Makes Douches easier to detect.
The Bible:
Keeps stupid people occupied

>> No.2766774

>>2766697

>>/r/atheism

>> No.2766777

>>2766697
>The Bible:
>Keeps stupid people occupied

Hurr durr, the cornerstone of all of Western Literature keeps stupid people occupied.

/lit/ finds new ways to disappoint me, daily.

>> No.2766779
File: 14 KB, 200x303, dubs5.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
2766779

>>2766777

>> No.2766784
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2766784

Bible

one guy suggests how we should treat each other better

everyone else pretty much assholes

>> No.2766793

>>2766777
Wasn't it written in the middle east? How is it the cornerstone of western literature?

>> No.2766802

>>2766793
Middle eastern corner. I think Darwin's Origins of the the Species would be on the far western corner somewhere.

>> No.2766803

>>2766793

It's time to stop posting.

>> No.2766805
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2766805

>>2766793
The stupidity made me suffer a massive heart attack and stroke, combined with a blood clot that made it impossible for me to ever again use my legs. Thanks a bunch, asshole.

>> No.2766806

>>2766774
>>2766777
What! Somebody exists that doesn't approve of the Bible!
What Scandal!
I am completely shocked! For I am new to the internet and 4chan and had never ever encountered before anyone who didn't like the Bible!
Quickly, I must post so that I may let this person know how much better I am than him for including the Bible on a thread of shitty books.
Hurr Durr, "You may be an atheist but you have to respect the literary aspects of the bible, and how influential it was!"

Well I'm sorry, there are only three books out of sixty-six in the prostestant bible that are worth reading for their literary aspects, Frankly there are older works that are of much better quality.

>> No.2766812

>>2766806
Son, you're on a literature board.

Whether or not you "approve of" the Bible is immaterial. Serious students of literature cannot afford to be ignorant of the Bible's contents. This requires, you know, reading the fucking thing.

>> No.2766818
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2766818

>>2766806
These people exist

>> No.2766819
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2766819

>>2766806
>>2766697

My idea of a perfect Wednesday is watching a gorilla obliterate your hole.

>> No.2766821

>>2766812
I read the whole thing from "In the beginning" to the wacky LSD ending.
I'm not talking about the philosophy of it, I'm talking about it as a work of literature.
It sucks.
And the only reason people are reacting so strongly to that review of it is cause they want to make a statement about where they stand in the whole Existence of God Flame War.
So they can get an endorphin buzz off of feeling superior to whichever side they oppose.
Well screw all that, this was a thread about shitty books, I'm not the one derailing it just because I made a joke about somebody's sacred text being poorly written.
No, it's these baby-troll wannabe's who leap on any bait to make their political statement.

"I must post! I must post! somebody is Wrong on the internet! OMG!

>> No.2766824
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2766824

>>2766821
>character development
>non-linear narrative
>moral and ethical growth
>main character starts as merciless and cruel, becomes loving and merciful
>unreliable narrator
>some of the most beautiful thoughts mankind has ever come up with along with some of the worst
>generally uplifting and universalist message

The Bible confirmed for God tier. You just don't like it because it's too popular. If it was obscure you'd be all over it.

>> No.2766829

>>2766821
I think it's deeply unfair to cast the Bible off as being "poorly written." What are you comparing it to? Faulkner?

Yes, other texts existed before the Bible, but the argument can be made that they're just as poorly written.

We're discussing the Bible by its literary historicity and influential importance. I think you're the one throwing your "hurr durr, religion is for stupid asses" biases into the mix, not anyone else.

>> No.2766835

>>2766824
>>2766829
I'm not even that guy, but why are you being faggots?

The Bible is a shitty book, a terrible read. (Especially the old testament.)

Whether it was good 3000 years ago and whether it's vary famous or not is irrelevant. It's a shitty book.

>> No.2766839

>>2766835
This is what happens when you hedonists judge shit by how entertained you are by it.

>> No.2766847

>>2766835
Okay, unemployed teenager on 4chan, you need a reality check. It's cool that you don't like the Bible; nobody cares if you do or not. What you need to realise is that there is an enormous wealth of accomplished writers--people far more talented, and people whose opinions matter far more than yours do--who didn't see the Bible as a "shitty book," including Shakespeare, Milton, Faulkner, Hemingway, C. S. Lewis, Melville, Emerson, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc. etc. etc.

Your opinion is juvenile, and you should feel juvenile.

>> No.2766849

>>2766839
What are you saying? That a book is good as long as it's very famous and old?

>> No.2766854

>>2766847
I quite honestly can't tell if you're trolling or not. I need to get some fresh air.

>> No.2766857
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2766857

Equus: At least one horse is ejaculated by a preadolescent boy.

>> No.2766859

>>2766824
No, Sir, you all just like having an opinion.
I give nary a shit.
The fuckery is just off the charts.
Someone doesn't like the Bible,
They must not have read it!
They must just be pretending not to like it because they disagree with it!
They must just dislike it because they have no literary taste and can't see what an important book it was!
They must have some kind of agenda, bias or philosophy that I can use to justify my trolling.

That's what annoyed me, the feigned shock. The way they responded like I had gotten on there and been all "Hurr Durr Theists suck Christ-o-pher hitchens- rationalist derp"
No, I just said the book was shitty and that it entertains stupid people.
And out of the bushes run all of the Religion-War fanboys, All of them only wanting one thing, to get a quick emotional high off of feeling superior to somebody else because they expressed something that was connected to "The Great Debate." As if I was taunting them and they could feel proud for "Smacking down that dumb hipster atheist."
Well I don't care anymore. If it really gives you all that much of a freaking hard-on to turn any criticism of a sacred text into an excuse to express just how much better you are than everyone else in a burst of rhetorical masturbation than fine. Feel free.
And you can rationalize your trolling anyway you want You can say "I was only reacting," It was that pleb who started it."
I just said a book was shitty, but that's fine, if you want to suggest that I stood on a chair and shouted to 4chan "Who wants to spout off their religious opinions, it's fine, I'll take the blame.

Just know, the quiet that you hear all around you isn't silence.... it's the sound of all of the fucks that I don't give.

>> No.2766861

>>2766847
>thinks opinions are qualitative

>> No.2766862

>>2766847
Yeah, that's how quality works, by association. Great Writers like something, so that means you have to like it too, or you're uncouth. That's really how literary criticism works.
>>2766859
Silly Rabbit! Expressing an opinion on the Bible IS the same thing as starting a Flamewar. Unintentional Troll bait is the same thing as Troll bait.
You lose a turn.

>>2766697
Can't believe you didn't get even one butthurt Rand-Fan, I thought they were better organized.

>> No.2766865

>>2766859
>'fucks that I don't give'
>Huge aspie-butthurt post

I see you've picked two.

>> No.2766866

Anything by Robert Muchmore
Introduces children to John Le Carre

>> No.2766868

>>2766835

>terrible read

See, this I don't understand. I can get if you feel bored by Leviticus or if Proverbs starts to wear on you after the 1942175th instance of "o my son, beware of bitches, for they will take all you own and god won't like you anymore", but the Bible is such a weird and varied collection of texts that I can't imagine anyone would find it an entirely terrible read unless they just didn't like reading.

>> No.2766875

>>2766862
There are no Rand-Fans here, or anywhere; only those who say as such to troll

>> No.2766884

>>2766875

I rather enjoyed The Fountainhead.
Just saying.

>> No.2766892

>>2766774

seconded

>> No.2766893

>>2766859
You don't get to bring the bible into the conversation and then try and portray everyone who responds as being eager to jump into a religious flamewar. You especially don't get to do this when the responses were based entirely on their literary merit.

6/10

>> No.2766898

dude, the King James Bible is beautiful

how can you hate that

>> No.2766902

>>2766875

Are you stupid? She has a rabid fanbase that very few authors can claim.

>> No.2766904

>>2766898
Did you read the old testament?

Admittedly, I'm in the middle of reading NRSV now, but it's incredibly boring. Not to mention the retarded barbaric content, but that's another story.

>> No.2766911

>>2766904

I like the Old Testament, it's got some cool mythology, Book of Job especially. But go read the King James Bible. That's the one with real literary merit in the English language. Also

>retarded barbaric content

Well some of the stuff was written in 9th century BC.

>> No.2766914

Ayn Rand- good for detecting douches.
Mahfouz (altough he has bright points) and others in similar vein are good for detecting those self defacing - noble savage worldview Westerners.

>> No.2766915

>>2766859
And out of the bushes run all of the Religion-War fanboys, All of them only wanting one thing, to get a quick emotional high off of feeling superior to somebody else because they expressed something that was connected to "The Great Debate."

So you're angry because people who troll about anything religious... were trolling about something religious.

Saying "I wasn't trying to start a flamewar--doesn't stop a flamewar."

>>2766893
So what you're saying is that you can disagree with the bible but like it as a piece of literature, but if you disagree with the bible and dislike it for its literary aspects, than you're only disliking it for biased reasons.

I think this is a case of FAIL all around.

If you criticize the Bible don't be surprised if idiots think you only criticized it because you're a butthurt college atheist.

And if somebody criticized the bible and repeatedly said that he was specifically addressing the literary merits, maybe, just maybe consider the possibility that he didn't care for it on a literary level.

FAILS all around Gentlemen, Epic Fail is the door prize here.

(Special Super Epic Fail Reserved for me for posting too, For I'm even more of an idiot for trying to talk sense in the middle of a Religion Flamewar. I am just that stupid.)

>> No.2766921

>Every book I hate
At least they're reading something and I know there are other literate people in the world.

>> No.2766944

>>2766497
>Apparently getting more girls to try sexual stuff.
Wow you're naive.

>> No.2766961

>>2766921
Along the same line of thinking.
The revenue from even the most self indulgent, overwritten garbage is contributing to keep Book Publishers an Bookstores alive in a depression.

>> No.2767426

>>2766944
I said "apparently" because I remember reading an article that had mentioned as much, from huffingtonpost or something along those lines.

>> No.2767713

>>2766944
Although, personally, I'd be inclined to agree with you.