Your network blocks the Lichess assets!

lichess.org
Donate

I found a good read

Actually, I was thinking about Arthur C.

Actually, I was thinking about Arthur C.

@AllahBoard I recently finished one of the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsdawn), I plan to to read the next book.

@AllahBoard I recently finished one of the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsdawn), I plan to to read the next book.

@AllahBoard said in #2:

Yes like a million. But two things come to mind: it's a bit hard to remember which are good, like is Dostoevsky still good? (I mean is he good in a absolute sense.) Which actually helped me a lot, it struck with a lightning bolt that it was he who praised Anna Karenina.

But anyway Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, etc. I know you'll laugh and what not. I'm not talking Scarlet Letter more House of the Seven Gables type of stuff. Almost Thomas Mann.

I did like Cancer Ward by Solzhenitsin. Chekhov seems there. I want to say like some naturist by you know, honestly there are a lot worse books than Walden.

We have this slightly terrible disease where the classics are shunned with a lot of vim and vigor.... But the thing is, books like Walden are truly, and deeply, beautiful and wholesome. They're like actually writing for the soul. So hey like hearten it, uplift it, and so on and so forth. It's not literature but the 4th chapter of James' Varieties fits into all this.

One thing that's perhaps a problem with things like this is that we calcify the writers and instead of remembering -- what they wrote about was the Soul, portrayed in all its forms, creating, being, becoming, etc.- and the process of mind and growth, rather than just the opinions or views of the authors.

Oh but also you have books that aren't classic literature by modern standards but are phenomenal works of art and beauty, and I would put The Buried Pyramid, and Child of a Rainless Year into this category. (Just as Emerson and Thoreau, Whitman etc al had an entire continent to explore, and to grow from, the rich oxygen and all-- she (these books' author) loved wolves a lot and grew from this.

Radical. :)

the "karamazov brothers" is a timeless book and a beautiful philosophical reflection on what morality is in relation to family ties. Dostoyevsky's great virtuosity is to make us discover different secondary stories within the story (Ilyoucha, the life of the priest Zosima, the tale of the inquisitor and his dialogue with Jesus) and to succeed in connecting them to the main plot .

@Noflaps said in #9:

I am fond of Gravity's Rainbow. There's a lot to like about parabolas.

I am fond of anything written by Tom Wolfe. There's a lot to like about the way he dressed.

As a child, I was drawn to the writing of Louis Auchincloss. There's a lot to like about old money.

And let us never forget any of the science fiction writers of our youth. Heinlein. Asimov. Bradbury. Clarke. Herbert. Dick. Verne. Wells.

There's a lot to like about looking forward to the future when we are young.

Asimov is quite visionary in his ideas, notably the idea that humanity will succeed in colonizing space thanks to artificial intelligence. it addresses well the political and ethical issues that this could generate, and I really appreciate the "Foundation" cycle and I find that the TV series is quite underestimated because it is an interesting reinterpretation of the work of Asimov (author unfortunately too little known among young people my age!)

@AllahBoard said in #10:

You were so close to alphabetizing them.

Asimov. Bradbury. Clark. (P.K. I presume?) Dick. Heinlein. Verne. Wells.

Speaking of Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy, the I,Robot series (more or less catalogued after the fact,), Nightfall... I'm trying to remember others but I mean the Foundation Trilogy (not just 3 books........) was phenomenally captivating, and many of his other words as well. And Foundation is now a television show. They changed a whole heck of a lot, but it is wonderfully true to the spirit. Once you get used to Hari Seldon being a heck of a lot more rueful than portrayed in the books (though equally resourceful, intelligent, and prescient), it is very smoothe sailing.

my favorite from Jules Verne is “Edom” which contrasts sharply with his optimistic novels. it's literally the story of the collapse of human civilization, in a giant tsunami. the survivors organize themselves and discover... Atlantis! the tone is truly tragic and the narration is interesting and never boring. moreover, it is rare for Jules Verne to push technological dystopia so far, and it is unprecedented (and it deserves to be noted!) that the story takes place in the distant future.

the "Humbug" is also a little-known novel, a short and quite funny novel, which is reminiscent of the eccentricism of the American "Gun club" of "Journey from the Earth to the Moon" and the approximate archeology of "Journey to the center of the Earth".

@AllahBoard said in #2: > Yes like a million. But two things come to mind: it's a bit hard to remember which are good, like is Dostoevsky still good? (I mean is he good in a absolute sense.) Which actually helped me a lot, it struck with a lightning bolt that it was he who praised Anna Karenina. > > But anyway Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, etc. I know you'll laugh and what not. I'm not talking Scarlet Letter more House of the Seven Gables type of stuff. Almost Thomas Mann. > > I did like Cancer Ward by Solzhenitsin. Chekhov seems there. I want to say like some naturist by you know, honestly there are a lot worse books than Walden. > > We have this slightly terrible disease where the classics are shunned with a lot of vim and vigor.... But the thing is, books like Walden are truly, and deeply, beautiful and wholesome. They're like actually writing for the soul. So hey like hearten it, uplift it, and so on and so forth. It's not literature but the 4th chapter of James' Varieties fits into all this. > > One thing that's perhaps a problem with things like this is that we calcify the writers and instead of remembering -- what they wrote about was the Soul, portrayed in all its forms, creating, being, becoming, etc.- and the process of mind and growth, rather than just the opinions or views of the authors. > > Oh but also you have books that aren't classic literature by modern standards but are phenomenal works of art and beauty, and I would put The Buried Pyramid, and Child of a Rainless Year into this category. (Just as Emerson and Thoreau, Whitman etc al had an entire continent to explore, and to grow from, the rich oxygen and all-- she (these books' author) loved wolves a lot and grew from this. > > Radical. :) the "karamazov brothers" is a timeless book and a beautiful philosophical reflection on what morality is in relation to family ties. Dostoyevsky's great virtuosity is to make us discover different secondary stories within the story (Ilyoucha, the life of the priest Zosima, the tale of the inquisitor and his dialogue with Jesus) and to succeed in connecting them to the main plot . @Noflaps said in #9: > I am fond of Gravity's Rainbow. There's a lot to like about parabolas. > > I am fond of anything written by Tom Wolfe. There's a lot to like about the way he dressed. > > As a child, I was drawn to the writing of Louis Auchincloss. There's a lot to like about old money. > > And let us never forget any of the science fiction writers of our youth. Heinlein. Asimov. Bradbury. Clarke. Herbert. Dick. Verne. Wells. > > There's a lot to like about looking forward to the future when we are young. Asimov is quite visionary in his ideas, notably the idea that humanity will succeed in colonizing space thanks to artificial intelligence. it addresses well the political and ethical issues that this could generate, and I really appreciate the "Foundation" cycle and I find that the TV series is quite underestimated because it is an interesting reinterpretation of the work of Asimov (author unfortunately too little known among young people my age!) @AllahBoard said in #10: > You were so close to alphabetizing them. > > Asimov. Bradbury. Clark. (P.K. I presume?) Dick. Heinlein. Verne. Wells. > > Speaking of Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy, the I,Robot series (more or less catalogued after the fact,), Nightfall... I'm trying to remember others but I mean the Foundation Trilogy (not just 3 books........) was phenomenally captivating, and many of his other words as well. And Foundation is now a television show. They changed a whole heck of a lot, but it is wonderfully true to the spirit. Once you get used to Hari Seldon being a heck of a lot more rueful than portrayed in the books (though equally resourceful, intelligent, and prescient), it is very smoothe sailing. my favorite from Jules Verne is “Edom” which contrasts sharply with his optimistic novels. it's literally the story of the collapse of human civilization, in a giant tsunami. the survivors organize themselves and discover... Atlantis! the tone is truly tragic and the narration is interesting and never boring. moreover, it is rare for Jules Verne to push technological dystopia so far, and it is unprecedented (and it deserves to be noted!) that the story takes place in the distant future. the "Humbug" is also a little-known novel, a short and quite funny novel, which is reminiscent of the eccentricism of the American "Gun club" of "Journey from the Earth to the Moon" and the approximate archeology of "Journey to the center of the Earth".

@CSKA_Moscou said in #13:

the "karamazov brothers" is a timeless book and a beautiful philosophical reflection on what morality is in relation to family ties. Dostoyevsky's great virtuosity is to make us discover different secondary stories within the story (Ilyoucha, the life of the priest Zosima, the tale of the inquisitor and his dialogue with Jesus) and to succeed in connecting them to the main plot .

Yep!!! I could write for pages and days about the Karamazov Brothers novel. I was a humongous fan, and it was beautiful, especially the depictions of parties and streets (cf. White Nights) and all this. Like Dostoevsky loved nature I mean as deeply as anyone I believe... It's a deep part of Russian folk lore, knowledge, stories, like an appreciation of nature. I mean Otava Yo... Wow. One thing that struck me immediately from your post was the spelling of our hero's name... Ilyoucha.... I am used to seeing his named Englicized as Alyosha... I am only a novice with Russian pronunciation. (Yeah I'll have faith strains of Timonya running through my mental fibers while writing the rest of this.

Timonya is one of my all time favorite songs, although I couldn't find printed lyrics. Anyway, back to Zosimov et al. There's a few lines from it that stayed with me forever....

Guides to knowledge and so forth. "All is like an ocean, all flows and connects."
"Touch it (the world) in one place, and it is felt on the other side of the world."

Compare interconnectedness from Buddhism, or Holographic Universe theory -- the physicist Böhm wrote an unbelievably excellent book on this. "Wholeness and the Implicate Order." (I have not read the whole thing, but one bite of a Peach only is needed to taste it's sweetness.) I think you would probably greatly enjoy that book.

The last connection there is Avatamsaka Sutra which also describes Holographic Universe, unbelievably detailed... Indra's Net. (Infinite Jewels, all reflecting each other.)

The text itself is just far too bulky -- also it is somewhat buried it seems. It took me a little while to find this:

https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/the-indras-net/

But oh yes ok Zosimov!! Like the saint! So, here is his absolute pinnacle of Wisdom, that is far too clear and far too profound not to share with everyone. In the detailed biographical journals by him, Alyosha is (and partly dear friend I'm just writing for the universe, I know you know the story) reading through his beloved mentor's diaries (please correct any inaccuracies dear friend.) after his passing, and a whole chapter or section reads from Zosimov's point of view.

Anyway, the priest says this: in his revelations he had a pinnacle moment, a revelation that shook him so much that he collapsed in tears (of love), and it is this (close to the all flows like an ocean quote) he realizes (and like deeply so, like a realization, as it hits like lightning--) that all of us are responsible for each other.

(Again with so much buildup I know it may feel anticlimactic there.)
But it definitely is so true. The first step to self-actualization is probably complete and full acceptance of one's life, as one's own responsibility; the enlightenment is not complete without realizing our interconnectedness.

In Biblical terms-- Yes, you are responsible for your brother, friend (all humanity) and he is for you.

It can be taken too far of course and for them there is an endless infinite who will say, don't carry the weight of the world etc.

But anyway.

Asimov is quite visionary in his ideas, notably the idea that humanity will succeed in colonizing space thanks to artificial intelligence. it addresses well the political and ethical issues that this could generate, and I really appreciate the "Foundation" cycle and I find that the TV series is quite underestimated because it is an interesting reinterpretation of the work of Asimov (author unfortunately too little known among young people my age!)

Yes, he was a big walker too, I believe.

my favorite from Jules Verne is “Edom” which contrasts sharply with his optimistic novels. it's literally the story of the collapse of human civilization, in a giant tsunami. the survivors organize themselves and discover... Atlantis! the tone is truly tragic and the narration is interesting and never boring. moreover, it is rare for Jules Verne to push technological dystopia so far, and it is unprecedented (and it deserves to be noted!) that the story takes place in the distant future.

It does sound quite excellent. I will remember this, thank you.

the "Humbug" is also a little-known novel, a short and quite funny novel, which is reminiscent of the eccentricism of the American "Gun club" of "Journey from the Earth to the Moon" and the approximate archeology of "Journey to the center of the Earth".

Ah okay.

@Noflaps
Ah, yes yes my friend! I meant P.K. for D.
A.C. Clarke is absolutely deserving of your list.

(I also forgot to reintegrate Herbert there.)
I have an all time love for Book 3 (I read it first, and it blew me away hundreds of times throughout, how poetic, powerful, and philosophical it was; like it is one of the best 5 books ever written I would say. One thing which strikes me as a little strange is, the consensus is that there is a lot of Arabic influence, but there are Sanskrit terms thrown literally throughout Book 3. --So-- while I do get the applicable ideas and thoughts which could be from Arabic; I absolutely never had this thought during reading, seeing like dozens of literally direct sanskrit words in it, italicized, and adapted meaning.

Fairly normal in a sense, as it like has been done with French and others so frequently in the old days, but seeing it here was very nice. Stephen R.R. Donaldson is another who may have some sanskrit throughout, but heck, he was brought up in India. And while The Gap Cycle is fairly panoramic and remarkable, his other works I strongly recommend against reading much of. The reason? "Once you begin writing for money, you begin writing badly." (Perhaps a Goethe quote I think... Really...)

Ahhh forgive me because perhaps 2-3 of Covenant series, are wonderful, but the problem is just like... This is the feeling basically; I had, while reading one of his books. Entrancing to be entrancing, Well-written to be Well-written, what I mean is seductive to be seductive -- but the thing is it left my consciousness sort of like feeling draped in lead or something.

The opposite of Sri Aurobindo, Goethe, Whitman, Emerson or anything like this, people that enlighten and uplift and all of these things -- it just felt awful. I mean they're written to be uh-- like it's a little decadent to read 1300 page novel after 1300 page novel.

Oh! Heck. Schopenhauer to the rescue actually here. His quote against reading.. Etc.. kind of like that.

But the plus side is like, well again a little bit won't kill ya. You have the super tough martial bodyguards all of that. Anyway sigh.

(Sorry uhhhh, I just over wrote. Partly I didn't want to leave a two line response to you @Noflaps but ah well.)

I really loved Book 6 of Dune (second favorite) but I only read the 6, not any posthumously written by his children.

@CSKA_Moscou said in #13: > the "karamazov brothers" is a timeless book and a beautiful philosophical reflection on what morality is in relation to family ties. Dostoyevsky's great virtuosity is to make us discover different secondary stories within the story (Ilyoucha, the life of the priest Zosima, the tale of the inquisitor and his dialogue with Jesus) and to succeed in connecting them to the main plot . Yep!!! I could write for pages and days about the Karamazov Brothers novel. I was a humongous fan, and it was beautiful, especially the depictions of parties and streets (cf. White Nights) and all this. Like Dostoevsky loved nature I mean as deeply as anyone I believe... It's a deep part of Russian folk lore, knowledge, stories, like an appreciation of nature. I mean Otava Yo... Wow. One thing that struck me immediately from your post was the spelling of our hero's name... Ilyoucha.... I am used to seeing his named Englicized as Alyosha... I am only a novice with Russian pronunciation. (Yeah I'll have faith strains of Timonya running through my mental fibers while writing the rest of this. Timonya is one of my all time favorite songs, although I couldn't find printed lyrics. Anyway, back to Zosimov et al. There's a few lines from it that stayed with me forever.... Guides to knowledge and so forth. "All is like an ocean, all flows and connects." "Touch it (the world) in one place, and it is felt on the other side of the world." Compare interconnectedness from Buddhism, or Holographic Universe theory -- the physicist Böhm wrote an unbelievably excellent book on this. "Wholeness and the Implicate Order." (I have not read the whole thing, but one bite of a Peach only is needed to taste it's sweetness.) I think you would probably greatly enjoy that book. The last connection there is Avatamsaka Sutra which also describes Holographic Universe, unbelievably detailed... Indra's Net. (Infinite Jewels, all reflecting each other.) The text itself is just far too bulky -- also it is somewhat buried it seems. It took me a little while to find this: https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/the-indras-net/ But oh yes ok Zosimov!! Like the saint! So, here is his absolute pinnacle of Wisdom, that is far too clear and far too profound not to share with everyone. In the detailed biographical journals by him, Alyosha is (and partly dear friend I'm just writing for the universe, I know you know the story) reading through his beloved mentor's diaries (please correct any inaccuracies dear friend.) after his passing, and a whole chapter or section reads from Zosimov's point of view. Anyway, the priest says this: in his revelations he had a pinnacle moment, a revelation that shook him so much that he collapsed in tears (of love), and it is this (close to the all flows like an ocean quote) he realizes (and like deeply so, like a realization, as it hits like lightning--) that all of us are responsible for each other. (Again with so much buildup I know it may feel anticlimactic there.) But it definitely is so true. The first step to self-actualization is probably complete and full acceptance of one's life, as one's own responsibility; the enlightenment is not complete without realizing our interconnectedness. In Biblical terms-- Yes, you *are* responsible for your brother, friend (all humanity) and he is for you. It can be taken too far of course and for them there is an endless infinite who will say, don't carry the weight of the world etc. But anyway. > Asimov is quite visionary in his ideas, notably the idea that humanity will succeed in colonizing space thanks to artificial intelligence. it addresses well the political and ethical issues that this could generate, and I really appreciate the "Foundation" cycle and I find that the TV series is quite underestimated because it is an interesting reinterpretation of the work of Asimov (author unfortunately too little known among young people my age!) Yes, he was a big walker too, I believe. > my favorite from Jules Verne is “Edom” which contrasts sharply with his optimistic novels. it's literally the story of the collapse of human civilization, in a giant tsunami. the survivors organize themselves and discover... Atlantis! the tone is truly tragic and the narration is interesting and never boring. moreover, it is rare for Jules Verne to push technological dystopia so far, and it is unprecedented (and it deserves to be noted!) that the story takes place in the distant future. It does sound quite excellent. I will remember this, thank you. > the "Humbug" is also a little-known novel, a short and quite funny novel, which is reminiscent of the eccentricism of the American "Gun club" of "Journey from the Earth to the Moon" and the approximate archeology of "Journey to the center of the Earth". Ah okay. @Noflaps Ah, yes yes my friend! I meant P.K. for D. A.C. Clarke is absolutely deserving of your list. (I also forgot to reintegrate Herbert there.) I have an all time love for Book 3 (I read it first, and it blew me away hundreds of times throughout, how poetic, powerful, and philosophical it was; like it is one of the best 5 books ever written I would say. One thing which strikes me as a little strange is, the consensus is that there is a lot of Arabic influence, but there are *Sanskrit* terms thrown literally throughout Book 3. --So-- while I do get the applicable ideas and thoughts which could be from Arabic; I absolutely never had this thought during reading, seeing like dozens of literally direct sanskrit words in it, italicized, and adapted meaning. Fairly normal in a sense, as it like has been done with French and others so frequently in the old days, but seeing it here was very nice. Stephen R.R. Donaldson is another who may have some sanskrit throughout, but heck, he was brought up in India. And while The Gap Cycle is fairly panoramic and remarkable, his other works I strongly recommend against reading much of. The reason? "Once you begin writing for money, you begin writing badly." (Perhaps a Goethe quote I think... Really...) Ahhh forgive me because perhaps 2-3 of Covenant series, are wonderful, but the problem is just like... This is the feeling basically; I had, while reading one of his books. Entrancing to be entrancing, Well-written to be Well-written, what I mean is seductive to be seductive -- but the thing is it left my consciousness sort of like feeling draped in lead or something. The opposite of Sri Aurobindo, Goethe, Whitman, Emerson or anything like this, people that enlighten and uplift and all of these things -- it just felt awful. I mean they're written to be uh-- like it's a little decadent to read 1300 page novel after 1300 page novel. Oh! Heck. Schopenhauer to the rescue actually here. His quote against reading.. Etc.. kind of like that. But the plus side is like, well again a little bit won't kill ya. You have the super tough martial bodyguards all of that. Anyway sigh. (Sorry uhhhh, I just over wrote. Partly I didn't want to leave a two line response to you @Noflaps but ah well.) I really loved Book 6 of Dune (second favorite) but I only read the 6, not any posthumously written by his children.

@CSKA_Moscou said in #4:

knowing Proust's youth is important to understand the importance of this literary fresco.

Fiasco is more like it. ;)

@CSKA_Moscou said in #4: > knowing Proust's youth is important to understand the importance of this literary fresco. Fiasco is more like it. ;)

Daphne DuMaurier has long been one of my favorites. At the moment I am in the midst of The Parasites (and then I shall be rereading My Cousin Rachel).

Then there's Alan Garner. Recently went through Red Shift again. Didn't think it really worked all the way...but that style! As I put it in a review: "terse and clipped (and thoroughly riveting), it is for me a landmark in prose akin in its way to the voice of Holden Caulfield. Somehow or other Garner's words achieve a hallucinatory verity by their very spareness." It also succeeds in getting across that heartbreaking inability to express oneself (and one's own dilemma) which can seem to be the core of adolescence.

Daphne DuMaurier has long been one of my favorites. At the moment I am in the midst of The Parasites (and then I shall be rereading My Cousin Rachel). Then there's Alan Garner. Recently went through Red Shift again. Didn't think it really worked all the way...but that style! As I put it in a review: "terse and clipped (and thoroughly riveting), it is for me a landmark in prose akin in its way to the voice of Holden Caulfield. Somehow or other Garner's words achieve a hallucinatory verity by their very spareness." It also succeeds in getting across that heartbreaking inability to express oneself (and one's own dilemma) which can seem to be the core of adolescence.

The Circus of Dr. Lao (1935), writer: Charles G. Finney.

The Circus of Dr. Lao (1935), writer: Charles G. Finney.

Nice to see a lot of appreciation for Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov", truly one of the greatest novels, definitely up there in the Top 10.

"Crime and Punishment" is another banger too.

Nice to see a lot of appreciation for Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov", truly one of the greatest novels, definitely up there in the Top 10. "Crime and Punishment" is another banger too.

Everyone here has to like Harry Potter right?

Everyone here has to like Harry Potter right?

After so long, I found interesting topic.

After so long, I found interesting topic.

This topic has been archived and can no longer be replied to.