An erstwhile college teacher turned software developer/amateur musician rediscovers his English major past and reads a pile of the old books. I'll talk about classics, canons, cannons, banjos, and miniature poodles.
Hello James , new subscriber. I found you when you did the tag "Joy and Gratitude " by Pat . Enjoyed this video and your recommendations . It's Oct. 22 , 2024 , so I don't think I will get to all these Classics , but maybe one! 🙋🏻♀️
Hi James. Thank you so much for the kind words and for doing my tag. I hope you know how much I appreciate you and treasure our friendship. 😊 I love the choices that you talk about here. People died from impacted wisdom teeth??!! 😬😱
Thank YOU, Pat. You're a real bright spot in this part of booktube. I guess they could lead to a nasty infection if they weren't removed. Now, I also remember that King Tut had an impacted wisdom tooth, but was otherwise in excellent dental health. Didn't do him much good in the end, though.
James, I think you really hit the nail on the head with Bill Bryson. I remember listening to his audiobook about the Appalachian Trail and I just didn’t know who I had stumbled on as an author, but I knew it was amazing writing and just hilarious.
I got his book on the history of the English language from the library when I was a kid (who know why?) and couldn't stop reading it. Just delightful writing about potentially very dry subject matter. I think I followed it with another, more "standard" book on the topic.... zzzzzz. A good writer can make just about anything entertaining.
This was great James. I hardly ever hear Bill Bryson mentioned these days, much less Kingsley Amis. First Nights sounds terrific, I'll try to track it down. Really glad you started your channel, it's been ridiculously entertaining. Plus I learn all kinds of super cool stuff.
I was watching a Spanish language youtuber when the Nobel Prize for Lit was announced. He had read Han Kang's The Vegetarian and another book by her I can't remember. He was stunned she'd won because he didn't think much about those two books. His guest, who hadn't read her, was angered by the choice and said that this year's choice in his mind did not exist and said he'd wear a black arm band. Prior to the announcement they discussed past winners, who should get it like Don Delillo and Salman Rushdie, but didn't think it would happen. At one point they said why not consider comic book writers for the award. They didn't pursue the idea but it got me thinking. Why not? The prize has been awarded to Bob Dylan, Churchill (for his historical books and oratory...oratory?!; yes, I looked it up, that was a reason for the award), play writers...so why not comic book writers. It would, of course, cause an uproar in the book world that don't consider comics an art form equal to books, poems, and films. My nominations would be Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and the comic book and film maker, the great Alejandro Jodorowsky, who is still going strong at age 95.
I'm not that impressed by the Vegetarian (it was also on the infamous NY Times list). Delillo and Rushdie are of course great choices and Miller and Moore--havent' read either--but they'r usually at the top of the list for graphic novels. Some hated the Dylan pick. I love Dylan, but think it was a waste of an award.
I'm tentatively planning to read The Vegetarian, mainly out of curiosity but I'm not sure I will fare well. I can't get into those rock memoirs...I'd rather just play the old records. The gallery with only one piece and a snooty attendant is hilarious.
Well, this was a riot! Thanks, James. I’m never going to get to where you are in Proust. “There are no spoilers in Proust.” 😂 I’ve been reading about The Vegetarian. Not sure that one’s for me either. Great video, James.
Thank goodness you’re here, keeping us from confusing our princesses with our duchesses, our tinders with our grindrs. More tales of 20-something James in New York please.
Now you are hearing your commenters while making the video - it may be Proust is rubbing off on you, James. I still want to finish _Swann’s Way_ but I’m not sure if that will lead on to anything. What - on BookTube this long and you haven’t gotten your first million yet?! 😮
I'm not even monetized David--barely scraping by; living on accolades! I saw a stand=up comedy special once where the comic would frequently interrupt his act to quote an imaginary critic of the performance he was in the midst of doing. Worked for him.
haha. Yeah, I think the third one is definitely the clearest. I have no idea what the first one is supposed to mean--Pharoahs abused their slaves? and the second one is maybe an "Our Town"-style musing about human emotions from the standpoint of an imagined afterlife. But the Broken Vase, hallmark and maudlin as it is, isn't bad.
Hello friend! Thank you so much for joining in on the tag! You have been dubbed 👨🏼⚖NOT BOOK MURDERER 👨🏼⚖ I think we all have moments of spines just with reading use, but the spines being intentionally broken and ripped? *shudder* Fantastic video friend!
I’m laughing but feel the angst also! I sometimes say these things to my husband ( who’s not a reader) and he just looks at me . There are too many books and not enough time New books ! Old books! Rereads! Oh my !
The infamous YT algorithm just recommended your video. Likely because I viewed Greg’s “reread” video a few days ago. I appreciate you sharing your ruminations on what to reread. “The Buddenbrooks” is an excellent and engaging family saga of the fate and fortunes of a prosperous 19th C German family. It could probably be read in less time than “The Magic Mountain” since it doesn’t have a lot of the philosophical subtext. I hardly ever re-read but revisiting “Crime and Punishment” might be a plan in 2025. I’m now much more comfortable with Russian names than I was when I read it decades ago.
I'm a big fan of Greg's channel too. Thanks for your thoughts on Mann. Greg and some others on this part of booktube are talking about a Brothers Karamazov read-along in the new year too. Might be something to that.
This is a finite amount of time question else we would read and reread them all! I seem to almost always lean towards reading a new one by the same author even though I would love to reread some of my favourites that I read 30 years ago as I am such a different reader now. Given your dilemmas I would go for Buddenbrooks with Mann but I think you argued well for a reread of Crime and Punishment before a new Dostoevsky - but you could read a different translation!
My thinking is that you should reread a book you enjoyed in the past IF you have forgotten what it was about. For example, in the 1970s I read Walter Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Liebowitz because it was popular at the time. Since then it has disappeared pretty much from our consciousness. I didn't even recall my initial impression of the book but found more current reviews on RU-vid that were very favorable. So I reread it and was very glad I did. By the way, I read The Professor's House recently and liked it very much. I think The Song of the Lark is even better.
We've got all the time in the world to get to the bros. Some of the people in my part of booktube are talking about a group read of it in the new year. I think I'll participate--consider it.
I just got recommended your video and I love the books you showed and the question you ask. I always find re reading books to be a very rewarding experience, I often find I understand book, and the writers intentions much clearer on a second read. And in my personal experience I have comfort books, like some people have comfort movies, it can be quite relaxing to read a book again. Often it can be a mood and event money dependent thing as well for myself, if I choose to re read a book, or read a new one. That is my opinion on the topic, and I am sorry if my English isn't clear enough, it isn't my first language.
I bought her book The Beet Queen when I was about 15 in the 80's, for no particular reason and really enjoyed it. Surprised it was never adapted for anything.
Invisible Man was on my first draft of 12 books I want to reread but I eventually had to cut it. The Magic Mountain was an incredibly deep and profound novel. It won’t make it on my 12 translated books to reread but it could fit right in.
The Waves and Woolf in general is one of my favorites, and always worth a reread. I need to do my first read of Magic Mountain before trying The Empusium. I read The Professor's House last month and was surprised. It could have been more fleshed out, but maybe that would've pulled at its fabric a little too much. It somehow reminded me of both Stoner and Butcher's Crossing, and in the last quarter turned into a Cesar Aira novel. Which is to say I really like it.
Thanks for watching. I really thing Woolf might be one of the authors I'd get the most out of re-reading, but to date, I've not revisited any of her books. Maybe I'll put that on my list of goals for next year.
