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/lit/ - Literature

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6482739 No.6482739 [Reply] [Original]

When you read a book, how do you know your opinion of said book is actually correct, especially if that opinion is contrary to decades, hundreds, or thousands of years of critical consensus?

>> No.6482751

>>6482739
Google: "[Book title] Harold Bloom"

>> No.6482759

what books are there that have thousands of years of critical consensus?

>> No.6482762

>>6482739
I don't.

I believe it's correct, and I maintain that it's correct, but I don't know that it's correct.

>> No.6482764

>>6482739
>opinion
>correct
wut?

>> No.6482768

>>6482759
Bhagavad Gita?

Tipitaka?

>> No.6482773

>opinion
>empirically correct
pick one.

But if you mean how do I test the relative accuracy of my interpretation then the answer is you have to discuss your interpretation with other people and debate it's merits and it's weak points. in short expose yourself to different opinions. This is how culture is formed btw. Different interpretations of art meeting and melding with one another.

>> No.6482786

>>6482768
neat, I'll look into them

>> No.6482793

>>6482739
I'm not proud of it but when an interpretation of a book doesn't agree with mine I assume the SJWs were behind it if it's left leaning or capitalist shills were behind it if it's right leaning.

>> No.6482804

>>6482768
>>6482786

TBH I don't know about 'consensus' on them - as they are religious texts and religions change pretty consistently - like languages - there probably is a lack of consensus along denomination lines and stuff. Also I recommend just looking into the Bhagavad Gita, and selections from the Tipitaka. The Tipitaka consists of many huge volumes, and would be very difficult to get through.

>> No.6482862

>>6482739

>thinking there are correct things

Holy shit are you a time traveler?

>> No.6482893

>>6482751
> I am unable to think for myself or hold any opinions not influenced by popular people who I quote because again, I have no thoughts of my own.

>> No.6482925

>>6482739
Your opinion/interpretation is only correct if you're the writer or if he told you what the book is about, otherwise you're just guessing, like everyone else. You might be lucky and get it right.

>> No.6482944

I know that I'm right. As far as I can discern, I am the only who is right. All other entities are meaningless background noise. Which begs the question - why am I reading work by background noises?

>> No.6483272

>>6482739
It's okay OP I also though The Great Gatsby was average at best last chapter was good but I think I had so much higher hopes for this that it ruined.

At least while I was looking for this I stumble upon A moveable feast and love it

>> No.6483273

>>6482739
This should be really embarrassing for you.

>> No.6483467

solipsism

>> No.6483683

>>6483272

I loved the Great Gatsby, but this is about literature in general. People make threads here about whether Finnegans Wake was a masterpiece or "trolling." People here complain about genre fiction but people as a whole have voted with their wallets.

I make my own opinions of books regardless, but why should an individual's opinion have any value?

>> No.6484226

>>6483683
They don't hold any value, people like to feel superior for liking 'high brow' things.
And popularity is not a good way to measure something either, there will always be a bigger market for something easy than for something difficult.