Literary folks: can someone please be explaining to me?

Yeah, but you can eat vegetables you like, it doesn't have to be brussel sprouts and kale.
 
Brussel sprouts were actually something that I thought I hated until a woman I dated about 2 years ago cooked them right...


I eat them now..............
 
The Scarlet Letter is the only book I was ever required to read that I gave up on in disgust and got the Cliff Notes.
9th Grade and Mrs. Whery. I can't decide which I hated more Hester Prim or Mrs. Whery for spending what seemed like an entire semester on that crappy story.
 
Punchy said:
Yeah, but you can eat vegetables you like, it doesn't have to be brussel sprouts and kale.
Click to expand...

You totally get it.

There is no universally good/bad, worst/best, right/wrong. Different people like different shit or the same shit for different reasons. During every level of my education and my leisure time I've spent tons of time reading about, listening to, watching the great masters in various fields. My understanding of jazz harmony and appreciation of the prowess of classical musicians doesn't make me like anything within those genres or those players any more than I like Nil Lara or Ziggy Marley. That said Coltrane is one my favorite musicians and I love his stuff, but not all of it. I also spent a bunch of time doing and learning about art, it's masters, the various movements, but I'll take a Rockwell work over most "high art". Heck I prefer Picasso before he put two eyes on one side of a face (and I love Baboon and Young). Norman's touch and nuance are as good as any artist you could name regardless of how commercial he and his work were perceived within the art world (the arterati? :thu:). Also the death mask of King Tut is one of the most amazing and haunting pieces I've ever seen (albeit not yet in person).

Anyway, none of this makes my opinion any more or less valid than anyone else's. Just as those who are far more or less studied than I (the former is quite easy though) aren't in any place to tell anyone what's good or bad. I was just telling my four year old to try everything and keep eating the stuff you like. When you get older revisit some of those foods you didn't like...your tastes will likely expand if not flat out change. Or they may not, and that's okay too.

Hemingway was undoubtedly great at what he did, but it's completely okay not to like it. And that's usually what "getting" anything is about. Sometimes when you think you don't get something, it turns out you did. You just didn't enjoy it...it didn't live up to hype (regardless of built up said hype). In the case of classic literature, people often think they've missed something when it was really just not their thing. Old Man and the Sea is the only Hemingway that I've enjoyed so far and I read that decades ago (so it's more likely a malformed memory of the book that I like). Overall, his work doesn't speak to me. That reflects nothing on his work or my tastes.
 
Punchy said:
Yeah, but you can eat vegetables you like, it doesn't have to be brussel sprouts and kale.
Click to expand...

It's a metaphor. It's good for you but it doesn't taste good. If you already like it, it defeats the purpose. It's about having a little discipline. Consuming things you already like takes no effort. Broadening yourself or understanding things outside your comfort zone takes a little effort.
 
James Franciscus said:
It's a metaphor. It's good for you but it doesn't taste good. If you already like it, it defeats the purpose. It's about having a little discipline. Consuming things you already like takes no effort.
Click to expand...
I understand it's a metaphor. Putting yourself through unnecessary pain though, literal or otherwise, serves no purpose. Understanding the theme or style from an early 20th century novel does nothing to enhance my life, but it may for you. In that case go hog wild. Just don't roll your eyes when I tell you I haven't read every boring novel in American history.
 
Punchy said:
I understand it's a metaphor. Putting yourself through unnecessary pain though, literal or otherwise, serves no purpose. Understanding the theme or style from an early 20th century novel does nothing to enhance my life, but it may for you. In that case go hog wild. Just don't roll your eyes when I tell you I haven't read every boring novel in American history.
Click to expand...

I've never met anybody who's read every novel in American history. That's quite a leap. "Pain" is being starved to death in a concentration camp. Reading Moby Dick is not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. At the very least you'll be able to know what you're talking about in a group conversation instead of sneaking away, because you lacked the discipline to find out what the big deal was. It's one of the benefits of a college education.

Of course if you want to stick to a shallow corner of the room because you have no interest in basic college literary reading lists, go hog wild. We can read comic books together and eat wax lips together.
 
James Franciscus said:
I've never met anybody who's read every novel in American history. That's quite a leap. "Pain" is being starved to death in a concentration camp. Reading Moby Dick is not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. At the very least you'll be able to know what you're talking about in a group conversation instead of sneaking away, because you lacked the discipline to find out what the big deal was. It's one of the benefits of a college education.

Of course if you want to stick to a shallow corner of the room because you have no interest in basic college literary reading lists, go hog wild. We can read comic books together and eat wax lips together.
Click to expand...
Who the fuck talks about Moby dick? Your social gatherings must be a hoot. Reading an unpleasant book is as much a waste of time as a vegetarian going on a cattle drive.

Anyway, these classics may have a place in education, but I won't spend more than 20 pages on a book that doesn't hold my interest these days. I've got better things to waste my time on :shrug:
 
I have only read The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls ( Metallica's version was better ).
They were OK reading ,but I like Steinbecks work better.
East of Eden is a favorite. The Pearl,Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath are re-readable for me.
Hemingway not so much.
 
DFB said:
I have only read The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls ( Metallica's version was better ).
They were OK reading ,but I like Steinbecks work better.
East of Eden is a favorite. The Pearl,Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath are re-readable for me.
Hemingway not so much.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Steinbeck was someone I dug. I also love Shakespeare, especially the comedies.
 
I've read some of the classics and enjoyed them. I've also read some only because I had to. I feel like the time of my life involving forced reading has passed, and I don't feel bad about that. If you feel the need to read classic literature as an adult to conversate with your peers, by all means. And yes, I'm aware conversate isn't a real word, but it's fun anyway.
 
James Franciscus said:
I've never met anybody who's read every novel in American history. That's quite a leap. "Pain" is being starved to death in a concentration camp. Reading Moby Dick is not that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. At the very least you'll be able to know what you're talking about in a group conversation instead of sneaking away, because you lacked the discipline to find out what the big deal was. It's one of the benefits of a college education.

Of course if you want to stick to a shallow corner of the room because you have no interest in basic college literary reading lists, go hog wild. We can read comic books together and eat wax lips together.
Click to expand...

Now I remember why I don't like you.
Condescension and foolhardy assumptions never look good on anyone.
 
I like Oscar....Always have....I've not read Moby Dick but I did pick up a copy of Archie being killed from a bullet protecting a friend..Boring as hell too....Bye bye Archie.........
 
How so? I have never once had a conversation with anybody regarding a classic work of literature, aside from my wife while we were visiting the John Steinbeck museum. I still haven't seen a compelling argument for anybody except lit majors to read this stuff for any reason other than as required reading in high school or college. I mean, aside from the aforementioned dull social gatherings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top