[ 3 / biz / cgl / ck / diy / fa / ic / jp / lit / sci / vr / vt ] [ index / top / reports ] [ become a patron ] [ status ]
2023-11: Warosu is now out of extended maintenance.

/lit/ - Literature

View post   
File: 173 KB, 2663x1997, Baffled Concern.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6963207 No.6963207 [Reply] [Original]

How do you deal with pleb SOs? She's actually really smart, but she suffers from some societal delusion that reading contemporary lit is sufficient to call oneself "literary".

>girlfriend is reading some book
>"Hey, Anon, this author is interesting because occasionally he uses French words when he could have used English!"
>"Oh, yeah, Anonette, that's pretty common. Either people drop it in for authenticity or to show their education level."
>"It's not common, Anon."
>"Well, Tolstoy did it and so did lots of others since then, so it's been going on for at least that long."
>"Nobody I read does it."
>"You only read contemporary literature. That guy isn't being original. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean no one does it. This is why I always say people don't know shit without reading the predecessors."
>"Don't condescend to me."
>"I try not to but it's hard when you tell me I'm wrong when you haven't even read Tolstoy or any other book I would reference."

Now there's angry silence, but frankly it's better than hearing about whatever some overpriced indy press crapped out. Seriously, when is our new Alexander coming to force everybody to start with the Greeks?

>> No.6963222

sound like a spergy faggot tbh

>> No.6963240

>>6963207
Lol the irony is you're the dumb fuck. who cares if its original. this isn't a history lesson you should appreciate things for what they are, not who did what first.

>> No.6963245

>>6963207
you fucking suck

>> No.6963257

damn OP at least u gotta girlfriend that reads books. where do you live so i can cuck you

>> No.6963275

>at least since Tolstoy

>> No.6963286

Is her name really Anonette?

>> No.6963295

it's always hilarious when english speakers consider themselves Highly Intellectual just because they've read some tolstoy or dostoyevski.

anyway, OP, you're a tool, congrats

>> No.6963300

>>6963207
>Step1: Buy her a kindle.
>Step 2: Say a new publishing agency specialized in translating, pushed out all the European bestsellers from last year.
>Step 3: Fill it with authors she doesn't know, but aren't too rough too read.
>Step 4: Watch her enjoy them.
>Step 5: Surprise motherfucker! I just highbrowed yo ass!

>> No.6963303

>>6963300

>thinking thats a good idea

Kill you're self my man

>> No.6963345

I'm so sick of all this neo-/lit/ shit. People needed to go back to being arseholes to eachother over their taste, or being arseholes to authors.
Stop making all the shitty threads about your girlfriend.

>> No.6963441

>>6963275
this

>> No.6963454
File: 36 KB, 223x349, 1401281109284.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6963454

>Throwing in foreign words means you're educated/something is authentic

>> No.6963461

>tfw qt gf
>tfw she's not really into books, but used to read YA fiction like Juan Verde
>have a discussion about YA fiction and what's good and bad about them like two adults without either of us throwing a hissy fit about each other's taste
>she eventually considers what I'm saying and agrees with me, says it's time she grew out of kid books and that green really does suck
>very devout Christian
>despite my being atheist recommend her Chesterton based on her liking of CS Lewis
>she enjoys it
>still cuddles while I read classics to her
>four years now
wow sure does feel good being an adult and having a conversation without an autism attack

>> No.6963469

>>6963207
>>"Don't condescend to me."
dropped, not even once, but i guess only if pussy game too strong then maybe

>> No.6963474

>>6963345

/r9k/ was right. /r9k/ is always right.

>> No.6963495

>"Don't condescend to me."
Is it condescend to me or condescend at me?

>> No.6963499

My gf's list of academic accomplishments is out of this world but she is a pleb of the highest order when it comes to literally anything in the arts.

She's overseas for the year so we did this thing where we choose a book to read every month. I intentionally keep the choices on the pleb side of literature, but still would be considered somewhat literary. It's been mostly a disaster. I tend to hate the books she wants to read and she tends to not understand the ones I want to read. It's been a simmering feud for a while now that I didn't like the Poet or I Am Malala while she didn't like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or For Whom the Bell Tolls because she didn't understand them. Like, she couldn't follow Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy at all, I had to literally explain to her every single chapter what was going on. She couldn't grasp the plot, let alone what that book was saying on a thematic level. And she thought that For Whom the Bell Tolls was boring because there wasn't a lot of fighting and missed the thematic content entirely.

Her favorite novels are stupid grocery store whodunit garbage like Michael Connelly books. She's been hounding me for months now to read the fucking DaVinci Code and Harry Potter even though I have no interest in these books, have explained to her why I don't want to read them, and pointed out that I don't care for these pulpy kind of books and never liked them when I read them for her so I don't think I will like these.

Things are even more dire when movies get involved. I've never been with someone so dense about film. She literally didn't understand a single thing in Spirited Away. That's what we're talking about her. She couldn't follow the plot of a children's movie.

>> No.6963504

you don't deserve to be loved tbh good think you probably aren't

>> No.6963514

>>6963469
>>6963495
It's "condescend to me".

>> No.6963516

Call her a pleb

>> No.6963527

>>6963207
try not sperging out when people don't share your hobbies and/or don't have your power level

>> No.6963545

>>6963499
What does she study?
John Le Carré shouldn't be hard for anyone over 15, neither does Hemmingway or fucking Studio Ghibli

>> No.6963556

>>6963499
>She literally didn't understand a single thing in Spirited Away.

Did you watch it in Japanese? Is she one of those people who "can't follow subtitles?"

>> No.6963560

>>6963545
She studies politics. Which is why I even chose LeCarre in the first place. And because she likes mystery novels so I figured that was a good one.

I think the main problem is that she reads for plot/suspense whereas I think those things are entirely tangential.

As for movies, I have no idea. My 16 year old gf in highschool was easier to watch movies with. I've essentially given up with the current girlfriend. So far every movie we watched together has been a flop where she doesn't understand it and I have to quickly give a plot synopsis at the end.

>> No.6963563

>>6963499

You should love people for what they are and not try and change them to fit in what you want them to be. If you don't love her the way she is the best is to just end it. By forcing her to read this stuff you're just generating conflict and this makes you and her sad at each other and, perhaps, at yourselves.

>> No.6963567

>>6963556
my 8 year old cousin can follow subtitles, and he's not even that intelligent or anything, what the fuck

>> No.6963586

>>6963563
I don't disagree with this assessment at all. She was the one who wanted to do the "read a book each month" idea. I'm perfectly fine letter her like what she likes and I like what I like.

What's causing conflict is this book plan. And also that she wants me to like what she likes. Making me read the DaVinci Code or Harry Potter is essentially equivalent to me trying to force her to watch some shit like Evangelion or something. Sure, I like it, but I know she won't so I'm not going to make her.

There are more problems than the silly book stuff though. I think we're incompatible in more serious ways and this is just a symptom of that. I intend on breaking up with her once she gets back.

>> No.6963632

>>6963567
I don't get it either. I guess it's a pleb thing.

>> No.6963636

>>6963586

Yeah, that's really fucking annoying.

>Gf loves films about teenagers.
>show her ghost world
>"This is boring. It's just depressing. It's not funny."

Gf insists I watch Frozen.
>er yeah, it's fine.
>"ooooh it's not serious enough for you i suppose"

she's going into a creative writing masters and i hope she manages to grow a brass neck. i'll be relied upon for support duties if anyone criticizes her work (which will happen, i feel like a cunt but i'm not sure if she can write all that well).

>> No.6963639

>>6963586

I think thats a good decision, OP. I have a pretty simple girlfriend, but things workout between us because she knows her "limitations" and I respect them entirely.

she is smart on her own turf, though (engineering).

>> No.6963643

>>6963563
Part of love is helping somebody else become better.

>> No.6963647

>>6963636

>she's going into a creative writing masters

Literally how? Is it one of those shitty low residency MFAs?

>> No.6963650

>>6963643
In whose opinion?

>> No.6963665

>>6963643
"Better" is relative in all but the most extreme cases. I agree with a lot of other people here; don't get into a relationship with someone you want to "change". They will never become what you want. Just date someone you want to be with at the start.

>> No.6963677

>>6963647

It's an MA. I'm in the eu so it's a one-year course. Pretty prestigious though, with a pretty solid faculty. I do know a guaranteed idiot who got into it though, so hopefully they'll be nice to her.

>> No.6963678

>>6963665

That is common sense, I hope. I think it's extremely stupid to expect a relationship to be just a comfy duvet you settle into at the end of the day. The other person should be helping motivate, helping you deal with stress, trying show you your weaknesses and remove them.

>>6963650
It's a part of every lasting relationship my friends have had.

>> No.6963691

>>6963665
Everyone changes if they want to keep loving. You can't be too selfish if there are children involved.

>> No.6963708

>>6963665
Bad advice. It's almost impossible to find someone who is exactly what you want. You just have a minimum acceptable, then try to work on improving the person. They do the same to you. Part of a relationship is introducing each other to new things. Couples gradually become more like each other if they've been together a long time.

>> No.6963733

>ITT kissless virgins try to talk about relationships

>> No.6963737

>I'LL CHANGE HER AND MAKE HER JUST LIKE I FANTASIZE

keep telling yourself that, /lit/

smh

>> No.6964159
File: 105 KB, 650x650, aXm4003xjU.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6964159

>>6963207
Inspirobot with some inspiration for OP.

>> No.6964160

>>6963733
>all of 4chan

>> No.6964163

>>6963207
nice

>> No.6965332

Why do these threads fucking recur every day? You cannot change a person. Either deal w/ it or leave. Stop bitching like a fucking fag.