pineapplesf
pineapplesf t1_ja2ynq3 wrote
Reply to comment by Illustrious_Drop_605 in Do you track your reading activity? How and why? by Illustrious_Drop_605
It's incredibly buggy, slow to update, gives bad recommendations (even with my 4k ratings), and is essentially just a data mine for Amazon.
pineapplesf t1_ja2xoqk wrote
Yes. With Goodreads. I don't recommend it if you aren't already invested. I like having a list of books I've read that I can refer back to.
pineapplesf t1_j6055ad wrote
Reply to comment by ThatCommanderShepard in Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 and my struggle to love it by ThatCommanderShepard
I loved house of leaves. It's a pretty good critique of postmodern media. I would argue it's not merely deconstructive but attempts to posit solutions without a return to modernity.
I think Danielewski gets a lot of misplaced hate for making postmodernism not only accessible but enjoyable. It's quite a bit more optimistic, empathetic, and kind compared to other lit fic. His books have a naive earnestness which is distinct from the sort of distanced cynicism of Don DeLillo or Will Self. The backlash against him feels very similar to the backlash against Bruno Latour and I suspect it's for similar reasons.
You can certainly not like Danielewskis style, which includes so much multimedia it can come off as gimmicky, but I think it's hard to argue that he's not effective with it. His Familiar series was super interesting and I'm sad that it was cancelled.
pineapplesf t1_j5zryat wrote
Reply to comment by ThatCommanderShepard in Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 and my struggle to love it by ThatCommanderShepard
We all have our preferences. Personally I didn't like DFW or Ellis, I like Bolano and Danielewski, and am neutral on people like Pynchon or Eco.
pineapplesf t1_j5zr4om wrote
Borrow. Buy after if I'll reread. According to my library I save ~5k a year.
pineapplesf t1_j5zqaad wrote
2666 was one of my favorite books last year. Rather than compare it to the difficulty of Murakami -- Id say it's more like Gravity's Rainbow, Infinite Jest, or The Familiar. They all take a while to understand what the author is going for. You many still not like the books methods or it's conclusion (which many people hate), but I believe the way it's written definitely achieves Bolanos goals.
pineapplesf t1_j5fuvko wrote
Reply to What is your favorite book challenge? by Pineapplebruh97
Normally I just to a certain number per year. I've tried around the world challenges but they are pretty tedious. Someone on 365books set up bingo and I think it's been super fun!
pineapplesf t1_j1mw7j7 wrote
I feel like a lot of contemporary writers and editors fundamentally misunderstand the core concepts of writing in general and for their genre.
ETA; I suspect it hasn't actually changed but the books/authors that understand the logic of books are likely going to still be reread in 50 years. Especially over a book that fumbled it's way through. Survivors bias and all that.
pineapplesf t1_iyadlhc wrote
I disagree that Dorian Grey would have been improved with length. Oscar Wilde was a particular writer and his length was a choice that highlights his aesthetic ideals.
While I can think of many books which would be improved with editing it down, I'm not sure I can think of one that needed more length. Often the lack of clarity and high specificity of word choice in shorter stories serves a specific purpose.
pineapplesf t1_ix9q9yv wrote
Reply to comment by AccomplishedBasil700 in Reading the Bible as source material by Saxon2060
KJV was written after Shakespeare....
pineapplesf t1_ix9ntjb wrote
Reply to Reading the Bible as source material by Saxon2060
I grew up areligious. I highly recommend The Catholic Bible, Personal Study Edition (green cover). Each section is has an introduction which explains the history, the original text, when, why and how subsequent versions changed it. It gives context on why some books were included and others were not which I found really illuminating. It also has copious footnotes.
My favorite part is that it explains common symbols/allegories/stories and how these are interpreted by various groups throughout history with contextualization. Seeing the evolution of how different groups viewed passages overtime is great for literary references because how we view it now is radically different than even 100 years ago.
ETA: KJV, despite people here insisting on it, didn't influence early Americans or Shakespeare. Most pilgrims brought over the Geneva Bible which is the foundation of puritanical Christianity and most American cultural beliefs -- which is why you won't find the same quotes in the KJV.
pineapplesf t1_ix2nc6i wrote
My Name is Red gave a color a POV. Lincoln in the Bardo's audiobook was famously read by 166 voice actors. Both, imo, are successful.
I think, as with everything, no more or less than necessary to get across the point you want.
pineapplesf t1_iwvf9gr wrote
pineapplesf t1_iwrxjny wrote
Reply to comment by Gay_For_Gary_Oldman in Do you look for symbolism while reading? by witchycommunism
I'm not sure this is a symbolism problem or an inability to read foreshadowing and understand how narratives are constructed.
pineapplesf t1_iwrcejg wrote
I analyze everything, whether it's a movie, a game, or a book. Whether it's "brain candy" or philosophical.
pineapplesf t1_iw8a1iq wrote
Reply to Where do you buy your books? by nothumaninside
Used book stores > Thrift books > Alibris
pineapplesf t1_ivzxj6a wrote
Porque no los dos?
We can understand how a book sits within it's contextual history while still having a personal opinion that it's bad qualities overshadow it's good ones. Especially if these bad aspects are a consequence of the fact books as a medium are unchanging.
pineapplesf t1_ivuqdsb wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in What are your "reading goals"? by basketsnbeer
painting and drawing challenges are quite normal, even for nonprofessionals.
pineapplesf t1_ivuq5sx wrote
Reply to comment by Eire_Banshee in What are your "reading goals"? by basketsnbeer
cheating is only cheating yourself. there is no incentive to game it.
pineapplesf t1_ivuq15o wrote
Reply to What are your "reading goals"? by basketsnbeer
This year was 520 books from around the world.
My health failed halfway through the year combined with getting very tired of the type of books I picked. I completed over half the challenge. In total, including non-challenge ones, I've read 453 books.
pineapplesf t1_ivpmmme wrote
52book subreddit does a yearly Goodreads username swap
pineapplesf t1_iu7q508 wrote
Reply to comment by esgamex in Why are books always changed or cut major scenes out when adapted to film? by hushpolocaps69
The 95 verison makes very few deviations and is longer than the 80 verison. So I don't think the length or incorrect expectations is why people like the 95 verison more. It's accessibility and ubiquity probably plays a bigger role in it's popularity.
pineapplesf t1_iu7fape wrote
Reply to comment by esgamex in Why are books always changed or cut major scenes out when adapted to film? by hushpolocaps69
The PBS one? It's not that lowly rated either The 1995 BBC version is super popular, as far as I'm aware, and very book accurate.
pineapplesf t1_ja31fgs wrote
Reply to comment by Illustrious_Drop_605 in Do you track your reading activity? How and why? by Illustrious_Drop_605
So the thing with their export feature (which is required by the eu) is that it's buggy and they made it hard for others. When I tried to import it to two different places, less than 10% of my books followed. Adding by hand thousands of books is a huge time investment. At this point, when I do it I'll probably move them to Gemini or something similar rather than trust another website like Goodreads.