/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.928539]

Hey /lit/ It's about time that I ask for your opinion.
I've been delaying a start to reading, for years now,
and I really want to know, what is, or makes a good book? Any genre will do, horror, sad, fantasy, scifi. Any suggestions for a first timer!

[Anonymous No.928565]

>Any genre
>horror, sad, fantasy, scifi
>horror, sad, fantasy
>horror, sad
>sad

>implying sad is a genre

[Anonymous No.928578]

>>928565 As i said, I'm a first timer

[Anonymous No.928584]

>>928578
>first time at stupid

[Anonymous No.928588]

>Any suggestions for a first timer!

Completely ignore horror, fantasy, scifi, and any other kind of genre literature. Start with the "modern" stuff in the pic. Come back in a year or two for more.

[Anonymous No.928590]

>>928539
you've... you've never read a book before...?

I... I don't know where you'd start...

...Michael Crichton?

[Anonymous No.928593]

Well, obviously what makes a good book does often come down to a matter of taste. For me, though, it's often a pretty complex set of criteria. Basically, what it boils down to is:
Content (subject, the way the author tackles it , and either a useful subtlety or a successful obviousness)
Characters (descriptions [psychological more than physical, usually], dialogues, and motivations that change or are fleshed out as the book progresses)
Style (use of devices, verbose or simplistic for a reason, and especially if the writer can make the words give a great deal of tone or mood)
Plot (does the plot, or even the lack of one, make this interesting to read? Do I care what happens next?)

Pretty much in that order.

[Anonymous No.928595]

Probably tragedy would a better word to use instead of sad.

Anyway, for me a good book is about the characters rather than plot. Sure there are good plot driven stories but I relate to a character's conflict and struggles.

Secondly would be technique (style). I can only take so much of "subject verb object punctuation."

[Anonymous No.928610]

Don't listen to anything these elitist douchebags say! Go to a bookstore, read the backs of a bunch of books and find something that you think you might like. move forward from there.

[Anonymous No.928613]

Haven't read a book before? Impossible.

This must be a troll. It just can't be true. At least, I hope not.

Otherwise it's time for any evil geniuses out there to hit the button on their doomsday device. 'Cause it's fucking time.

[Anonymous No.928634]

>>928613
>>928590
When I say first timer, I don't mean to ANY BOOK EVER, i just mean for more complex stories, gentlemen.

[Anonymous No.928636]

>>928588
Some of those modern ones are genre fiction, buddy.

But still, listen to this guy, OP. Check out some of those Modern ones, see if you dig them. Humor in that list is:
Catch-22
Slaughterhouse Five (pretty much)
Life With Jeeves

My recommendations for a starting reader from that list:
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich,
Steppenwolf
The Great Gatsby
1984

These are all not very challenging reads and not very long, but still can be seen as quite deep and poignant, as well as pretty enjoyable.

[Anonymous No.928652]

>>928634

Okay, thank god.

If you want something a little complex, there's this book called Gödel, Escher, Bach, it's great for first-timers.

[Anonymous No.928670]

>>928652

Yeah, this. Along with Ulysses and Gravity's Rainbow.

[Anonymous No.928889]

>>928670
>>928652

Don't do it these books are super complicated.

These are like YEARS down the road for you.

[Anonymous No.929160]

>>928889

Worth a try, if worst comes to worst, I'll just have to stick with, i don't know, roald dahl :|