Thank you all again for the great questions! As mentioned, I received many that I feel could use their own dedicated video. So we will get around to as many as possible in future videos too ☺️ Have a lovely day, and thank you for being here with me! - Ben

@NONO-jp9fq

Жыл бұрын

Tu ipo yea yea ui ui ui ui😊iusually uis uuu😊uu

When you spoke about the importance of making a schedule, I enjoyed it when you mentioned that you included your athletic endeavors in your weekly schedule! A few days ago, before watching this video, I was working on my own schedule. I was having a hard time. What, exactly, was I trying to accomplish by reading the great books? I decided to begin answering this question by writing down a list of my core values. I doubt if I would have even attempted this exercise, had I not been influenced by your ideas! I have included my list of core values below. As you can see, I was deeply influenced by your idea of approaching great literature as scripture. I also included an item related to physical health! Here is the list of core values I came up with: 1. Live simply and modestly. 2. Live outdoors as much as possible. 3. Cultivate health and fitness with natural foods and strenuous exercise. 4. Seek to become more aware, more understanding, more at peace, and more loving by approaching the great canonical works of music, art, literature, and cinema as scripture. 5. Connect with others to share experiences and personal insights. Benjamin, your videos have literally changed my life! Thank you! This question and answer video was much appreciated because it helped me get to know you as a person! Congratulations on your new milestone! Trust me, you are just getting started!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

This is amazing, Thomas. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Your core values have inspired me too - the living outdoors value really resonates with me. They're all wonderful values. I really love "approaching the great canonical works of music, art, literature, and cinema as scripture." - Cinema as scripture is an incredibly exciting thing to contemplate :) And thank you very much for your kind words - I appreciate you! :)

You did it! Congratulations on your well-deserved success.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! :)

Not an educated man l am wise enough to realise you are doing something special with your Podcasts.lt is a great joy to listen to you....

I used to work as a librarian. I compare it to employing a fox to categorize the chickens!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Ha :) I love that!

@peskylisa

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Damn! The temptation to take them all home with me!

Congrats! You’ve become one of my favourite KZreadrs these days, always inspiring me to read. Thank you for that.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Joshua :) I’m so happy to hear that!

Thanks for being so interesting that you pulled all these introverts out of hiding. I’ve always gobbled books like chocolates, but now I have leukemia and creep through my books. You encourage this , so I don’t feel so bad about creeping through the books: Thank you.

Since you like jazz. Listen to Pat Metheny Group (album by the same name) as background music. Album begins with 'San Lorenzo. ' I listened to this this morning while reading John Galsworthy's To Let.

Thanks for answering my question Ben!It’s clear you’re in the early stages of a fruitful KZread career seeing how well-informed and engaging you are. Just some book recommendations since you said you were interested in jazz, I’ve read both Ted Gioia’s History of Jazz (third edition) and John Szwed’s Sun Ra biography, both very solid, informative and enjoyable reads as someone with a very basic knowledge of jazz, and I’ve also been recommended the Duke Ellington biography ‘Beyond Category’ by booksellers and websites. Cheers and regards✌🏼

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I really appreciate that :) Nice recommendation with Ted Gioia! I treated myself to all of his books for Christmas and tore through them all, taking notes, listening along. He’s wonderful. I’ll have to check out John Szwed’s biography and the Duke Ellington one :)

Oh Thank Ben for acknowledging that librarians are magical people. So sweet to hear from this librarian.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

Жыл бұрын

I'm so happy to learn I have a librarian watching! You are definitely magical people, Rebecca :)

@Zencba

Жыл бұрын

Librarians are book keepers, keepers of memory and knowledge that could be long forgotten if they didn't exist.

Congrats man you're most likely my favourite literature/book channel on youtube

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend :)

I simply can't think of you as a "...strong introvert". I've heard you confess to this in other videos and it just doesn't compute. You are one of the most personable video presenters I have ever seen. You seem so at ease and comfortable in these videos that I think you would be the life of any party. I could listen to you recite the telephone directory and be completely engrossed. Thanks for the answers to our questions. THERE !!! SEE ? RIGHT THERE .... how many introverts would be so open and accessible to the teeming masses? Thanks for your recommendation of _Lincoln In The Bardo_ and you've got me reading _Moby Dick_ for the first time. Wishing you well.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Ah, yes, I've had a few people think I'm extroverted. I really appreciate your kind words :) I think perhaps my love of talking about these works often supersedes my introversion. It's my absolute favourite thing to do, especially knowing that great readers like yourself are watching. And I'm so happy to hear you've enjoyed Lincoln in the Bardo and Moby Dick - I'm currently preparing for a podcast on the former :)

@suesmithers305

Жыл бұрын

Introverts do have personalities. I dont claim one for myself, but I can easily figure out that he is an introvert. He wouldn't have read as many books as he hassles wanting too read more authors as well as re read many of the books as he plans.

Interesting observation that painting had to do something that the photograph could not do, thank you. I have the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, might read it again some day, but probably not. I pre-ordered the Cormac McCarthy, but the double set, so I'll have to wait until December. Bernard DeVoto was a good writer on the American West and Dobie on Texas.

I just came across your channel yesterday and binge-watched several episodes. I took your favorite advice to improve my writing by copying a favorite author. I began this morning by writing The Sun Also Rises, a book I have read so many times I had to buy another to continue writing in the margins. While copying the book I discovered new insights and that was only 2 pages. I'm excited to see what else I'll discover and hopeful my writing will improve as a bonus. Thanks.

There's a really interesting video of Camille Paglia being interviewed by Jordan Peterson which you might enjoy - JP describes her as crazy (in a good way!) You can definitely see Bloom's influence there. Good stuff!

@carrollwilliams8861

2 жыл бұрын

I saw the same video. Harold Bloom was her mentor.

Congrats ! You made me discover the beautiful books from Everyman's library

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, June! I’m thrilled to hear that - Everyman’s Library is an exciting discovery!

Congratulations Ben! New subscriber here. I love hearing all of your thoughts on books and seeing just how passionate you are about reading. Look forward to continuing to see this channel grow!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much :) I’m so happy to have you here!

That desert island question is always fun. I've been known to say that most novels are about something and a few are about everything. We'd naturally want to chose one of the latter. For me, this category would include Moby Dick, Ulysses, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, The Manuscript Found in Saragossa, and The Decameron, for starters.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I love that - "most novels are about something and a few are about everything." What a perfect way to put it. I agree with every single one of the books you've put into the latter camp. Moby Dick is such a great example of the universal being in the particular. It's about whale-hunting, sure, but it's not really about whale-hunting. It's about absolutely everything - God, meaning, love, and so much more.

Now, what an inspiring video again. I really didn’t need to ask anything as so great questions had been asked by so obviously marvellous people. And your answers so interesting, so appetising but also saddening at the same time. Saddening as I feel that the rest of my life will not be enough to explore a tiny fraction of all the wonderful books, authors, music pieces you mention, recommend and awake a desire to knowing. How on earth do you fit in all this reading anew and again, the music, the production of your fabulous videos and podcasts into the 24 hours of a day, where there must be done as well a bit of mundane things like sleeping, eating, doing errands, working out, talking to friends and family and a day time job on top? Do you have a magic spell to slow down the clock with it merciless ticking? If you’ll have to kill me once I know the truth, don’t tell me though, I need at least another two years to get through Proust and Hugo. You are truly admirable, adorable and I’m so grateful for the day I came across your first video, Benjamin! To many years for all of us, to friendship and to wisdom and beauty we’re getting out of reading the great books.

Ben, over the space of a year you've got much more charismatic and confident in your talking to the camera. I don't read that much, but I have watched a few of your videos to get some insight into the world of in depth reading. I only really read non-fiction like business or philosophy, but I do need to allow myself to open up and be emotional and read stories.

Hi Benjamin, have you read many Japanese novels? When I was living there, I read much of Mishima, which was amazing. I'm also found of Soseki, Kawabata and Dazai. This past year I lost both my twin brother and older brother. I returned to Soseki's I am a Cat to get me through some dark days. And I was reminded of when my mother read Black Beauty to me when I was getting over the flu as a young boy. I remember telling her how I could see the story in my mind as she read it and was amazed by that. It was like a movie in my head.

Wow. The last time I was here you had around 3k subs now over 12.5k. Incredible. Congratulations, Ben. Very much deserved. Yours is truly the best and most informative channel about books on here. Chuffed for you. ♥️

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you :) It seems wild that there was such a big jump in subscribers. I'm so grateful for everybody watching, reading along, and discussing these great works. Even being under 1k subs doesn't seem too far back!

Happy Belated Birthday Ben!!! Many happy returns ☺️🤍 and congratulations on an absolutely amazing content and contribution to the development of literacy of our generation! You’re remarkable! Cheers from Orlando, kasia

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Kasia :) I really appreciate that so much. You have made my day. Happy reading over in beautiful Orlando!

Congratulations you deserve so much more

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) 🙏

Wow this was amazing ...Dude you kill it...your the best ...I learn more from you than all book tubers combined...no joke..and Congrats on your milestone... Be proud...you deserve it

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Todd :) that means a lot to me, my friend! 🙏

Thank you for addressing my question Benjamin, you gave a very insightful response. You should contact Mike’s Book Reviews. You both seem to have a similar background when it comes to genre fiction. He does cover some classics but not as many, but would be interesting to hear an American and a Brit on fanrasy fiction.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I’ll check out Mike’s stuff - looks like he’s a Stephen King fan! Nice.

Congratulations and thank you for sharing the videos with us! Cheers from Brazil!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Obrigado, Eduardo :) I appreciate that!

@EduardoHenrique-nd1ro

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you! That's so kind!

Thank you! I really appreciate your thinking and recommendations.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend :)

Pynchon - I couldn't get to first base with *Gravity's Rainbow.* I don't think I could even now. But I found *Inherent Vice* great fun. Living in L. A. in an era near the time of the novel helped. Pynchon toned down the obscurity on this one.

Congratulations! I knew it was only a matter of time before you channel blows up 🎊

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Fiona! 😊

Check out Camille Paglia! Any article, interview or lecture she gives is highly recommended! Highly controversial, always interesting!

I'll always say that I followed you from the beginning, Ben, that I was listening to you before you became KZread famous. Just don't forget me like pip forgets Joe in the great expectations. 😞

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) ha, you gave me a good chuckle there! Poor Joe 😭 I do hope there aren’t too similarities between myself and Pip!

You may want to check out the Persian literature, the poems specifically are great

100% best booktuber and love your podcast. Congratulations!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you so much :)

You're so right about the lockdown helping so many of us reading the great works of literature. Finding myself with some extra time to really sit down comfortably, do a deep dive with my research materials and most importantly give myself some time to think deeply and reflect on the authors intentions has opened my eyes for the first time since I was just a little baby reader. Moby Dick, Blood Meridian, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Homer, I am doing my best to finally read all the great works I never did as a youngling. It's true that the more great work I read then the more I find myself appreciating the small details in life and literature.

Congratulations on your 10, 000 subscribers Benjamin. Well deserved!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, John! :)

I am always interested to see what questions people ask and what answers you give .... this channel is easily one of the best of literature lovers , thank you

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Ellan :) I really appreciate that!

Good evening, Benjamin! I’ve been watching your channel for several months, but this is the first time I’ve decided to comment. I missed the Q&A, but there is a question I would like to ask you. I’m currently devoting most of my reading time to Charles Dickens. So far, I’ve read Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. Great Expectations absolutely blew me away! I think it was because I went into the story completely blind. When I read a classical novel, I’ve usually already seen some kind of film adaptation, tainting the experience. I was lucky that I was unfamiliar with the story of Great Expectations. I’m currently reading A Tale of Two Cities, but what Dickens novel would you recommend I read next?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Good evening, Joseph :) Thank you for watching - and for leaving a great comment! You had a gift in being able to go into Great Expectations without any preconceptions - I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. As for recommendations for which one I think you'll like next - I am tempted to suggest 'The Pickwick Papers', followed by 'Bleak House' and then 'Our Mutual Friend.' You will be a Dickens expert by the time you've read those, and you would have enjoyed a phenomenal set of stories!

Congratulationsss!!!! Thank you for the brilliant video...thoroughly enjoyed it as alwayss!!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Nicolás :)

Congrats man on the 10.000 subscribers! Only discovered your channel a week ago, but am already seriously contemplating joining the Hardcore Literature Book Club!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much :) You would be warmly welcomed, and we would love to have you reading along with us!

Congrats on 10,000! I've been watching your videos since I rediscovered my love for reading during the lockdown in 2020. You always make such great content, keep up the awesome work!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I really appreciate that. Nice one on rediscovering literature during 2020 - that's one good thing to come out of the hard times!

Congratulations! Thank you for producing great quality contents for us. Wish you every success in your channel.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Charlotte :)

Just recently subscribed and love your channel. So inspiring - thanks and look forward to more.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Barbara :)

Jazz...anything by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker or Thelonius Monk.

Congratulations!!

I’ve only recently come across your magnificent work! Look forward to joining the Book Club. Curious to know if you’ve done anything (or plan to) with the incredible writing of Anthony Powell. His “Dance to the Music of Time” is perhaps the greatest work of British literature from the 20th century. Anyway….thanks for what you’re doing! I will soon be joining your ranks of subscribers.

The first video of yours I encountered was the one on the Quijote..Excellent talk on the topic. Now I would be torn in half if I had to chose between D.Q. and the complete works of Don William.

So many congratulations! Seems like 5 minutes ago that you were at 1000. Look at you now! I cycled the Otago Rail trail a few months ago, which ends at Middlemarch. When I got back and switched my phone back on, your 'Middlemarch' podcast popped up! Loved that! Haven't read it yet, but I clearly need to. So much love. Xx

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Kim :) It's certainly crazy how quickly these things happen. That's so cool that you cycled the Otago Rail Trail! Middlemarch is one of my favourite novels. I've been recommending a serialised approach, but many readers have become too swept up to stick to it and devour the whole thing!

Congratulations for 10,000 subscribers! I'm so happy being one of the 10,000 bookish fellows around the world. This video is full of great tips and brilliant recommendations. Thank you for sharing wonderful ideas!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Nobuko :) And I'm so happy to have you here reading with me!

Congratulations Ben! Here's to 20,000 and beyond! You deserve it! This right here is quality bookish content👍 also, just wanted to let you know that I finished reading Demian by Hesse recently and mind blown! Would love to see you cover Hesse again 😊

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much :) And how wonderful to hear you enjoyed Demian. I was looking over my Hesse collection just the other day and felt a yearning to discuss him again! ☺️

Congratulations! you inspire me to appreciate Literature..

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :)

Congrats! I credit you for giving me the motivation to tackle the very best in literature, making sure I relish every minute. Currently reading Bleak House!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I’m ecstatic to hear that! I’d love to hear what you make of Bleak House.

I know this is an older video, but I’m so glad to hear you talk about comics. For my senior paper for my English degree I wrote on Holocaust representations in comic book. It was such a fascinating subject, and definitely the thing I am most proud of at this point in my life.

Love you enjoy comic books…err, graphic novels. One I want to read is the American Vampire series. Vampires are a guilty pleasure reading (some anyway). Also, have you seen the late Bernie Wrightson’s Illustrated Frankenstein? Wrightson is an all-time elite illustrator, pen and ink artist, famous for horror comics. Frankenstein was a labor of love for him, completed over seven or eight years in the late 70s, maybe 80s. The work was recently reprinted. Have a look if you haven’t already! And thank you for your content.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I enjoyed American Vampire (Redneck is good if you enjoy the topic too). Also worth checking out Joe Hill’s Locke & Key and The Cape if you haven’t already :) I had seen a few of the Bernie Wrightson illustrations, but just looked it up again now and wow. Very, very cool stuff. I didn’t know the history of it. I’ll have to get myself an edition now!

@IllustratedManOfficial

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Enjoy the Wrightson. Another solid vampire themed graphic novel collection is ‘Baltimore’, by Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola.

Thank you for creating this wonderful channel. I will join The Hardcore Book Club ASAP.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for being here, Joseph :) And that's great to hear! You will be very warmly welcomed, and we will be so happy to have you reading with us!

oh,congratulations,Ben, you have a great channel

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much :)

Would you ever consider doing war and peace in hardcore literature book club ? Thanks and congratulations! You deserve all the KZread love -

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I'm actually currently planning some content on War and Peace for the KZread channel :) We could certainly do a read-along with this one! And thank you, Jenny, I appreciate that!

@jennyyeh4730

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy agh ! We are spoiled by you !

You might really enjoy "The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd" by Richard Zacks.

I love biographies! I just finished a biography of Catherine The Great.

If I could just bring one book to a deserted island for me it would have to be the Bible. It nourishes my faith and offers me wisdom, encouragement and guidance in my life. But also it is a book that has all of the genres pretty much it one it has poetry, battles, love stories, dynasties, faith, betrayal, friendships, epic journeys and so much more. Each time I read a section over I get more out of it or glean another gold nugget of truth. If you get a chance try the manga The Spy X Family. It is a good read. Also have you read Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are so Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell? It is a quick but very enlightening read?

Ben you mention comic books, so I take it you've heard of Robert Crumb, whose love of jazz and taking a snipe at the establishment, has been his lifelong quest.

Congrats on your huge milestone! I would like to ask how to read and understand Finnegans Wake. I found Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man very easy and enjoyable, however, I find Finnegans Wake impenetrable. I have several guides for it but they do not help in a fulfilling manner. Any tips would be a tremendous help.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Tomatero :) We have some content on Joyce coming out quite soon, so hopefully it will help you breach Finnegans Wake - easily one of the most difficult books I’ve come across!

Great video on the 100 top books list! in my early 70s I have read almost 75% of them. I am currently struggling through Ulysses ...Circe... in English wich is the major linguistic challenge I ve been through so far! If you enjoyed Borges.. try Cortazar (lots of short stories) and Vargas LLosa (many great novels). Have you videos on Ulysses chapter by chapter by any chance?

Thanks for another great video Ben! I would love a video on you favourite non highbrow books 😊 I found I needed a little pile of go-to trashy novels to get me through my literature degree when I was losing the will to live - did you do this? If so, what were your go-tos?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Jude :) I love reading non-highbrow books. At the moment, my bedside table is piled up with pulp fiction paperbacks (westerns mostly) and Silver Age Marvel comic books. Incredibly fun stuff! I typically go through cycles of bingeing comics when times are stressful/difficult. Exam periods, periods of heavy workload, grief - I'll go back to the comic books ('Saga' is a great one). I'll have a think of more I can recommend - this would be a great idea for a video! And good luck with your degree. I really, really relate to you!

You mentioned a desire to explore Indian literature. May I suggest the work of Chitra Banjeree Divakaruni. Such gorgeous magical realism.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Wow :) Thank you for the recommendation! I'm excited to check out her work!

I congratulate you Benjamin. I just finished reading Gulliver’s Travels and the best thing to come out of this book is the word “yahoo”. Why does the author purposely misspell words and use inappropriately placed capital letters? I adore your videos, keep them coming.

Hello, Could you discuss the editing and /or abridging of books and what to avoid. Thank you for such a great channel.

Congratulations

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Ben :)

I wrote too much forgot to congratulate you. When i started watching your videos last year i was in Iraq . Now lm in Germany

For Miles Davis, my favorite are Ascenseur pour l’echaufaud and Bitches brew… Did you read Plutarch lives? Would be nice to have a video on it if you did ( greek tragedy too) Congrat on your 10 000, you are very interesting, I subscribe to your podcast, good mix of efficient curses and erudition ( just listen the Kilal Gibran one for now) lol

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Nice recommendations. Bitches Brew is wild! As for Plutarch, yes, I first read him as a teenager and absolutely devoured his Lives. Definitely aiming to discuss him and Greek tragedy in more depth :) And thank you for listening!

Really great channel Benjamin! I would like to know if you have heard or maybe have read any of Ismail Kadare's novels (Albanian author)? Greetings from Albania!✌✌

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, my friend, for watching over in beautiful Albania! A country with a rich heritage I have always wanted to visit :) I haven't read any of Kadare's novels, but I'll check him out. 'Broken April' looks good! Thank you for the recommendation :)

@arditvila4199

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah Broken April and Who brought Doruntina (Translated as Ghost Rider i guess) for me are his masterpieces. I hope you like them! Happy reading!

Jeff Lemire is fantastic. His Essex County Trilogy is one the most favorite things I have ever read.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Incredible graphic novel, I agree. A really personal work. One of my favourites along with Gideon Falls, Sweet Tooth, and Black Hammer.

Really excited for your content on Monte Cristo! Congrats on 10k! I'm so glad you exist!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Miriam. I really appreciate that :) I’m looking forward to discussing that one!

Wonderful reactions to a few searching questions. I fully endorse so much of what you say, yet would love to challenge you on one or two minor issues. For me the lockdown was a blessing. I loved it! Filled in all the gaps in my reading and re=reading of Shakespeare, Dickens, Hardy, Oscar Wilde, Golding, Joseph Conrad, not to mention Ian Rankin and Colin Dexter, discovered Julian Barnes and Anthony Doerr, inter alia. Thrilled to hear that your thesis was on Conrad, one of my all-time favourites, mainly for the exquisite beauty of his prose. Thrilled also that you mention Tolkien (of whom I have read not one word - yet!) Shameful really when I think that my rooms at Exeter College, Oxford, were allegedly the ones where he lived. I had not heard of him at that age, so was not really impressed. They were also allegedly the rooms occupied by Richard Burton. I actually invited Burton and Liz Taylor to tea when they were at Oxford for a performance of Marlowe's Faust. Needless to say, they were otherwise engaged! So much of what you say about literature is beautifully encapsulated in a Dickinson poem, which I know you will be familiar with - but which might be new to some of your subscribers. : 'There is no Frigate like a Book To Take us Lands away Nor any Coursers like a Page Of prancing Poetry - This Traverse may. the poorest take Without Opprss of Toll - How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human soul. (Interestingly the word 'soul' is not capitalised!) Now my question - provided, that is that you read this far .... How fast do you read? Personally I prefer to read slowly, hoping to capture as much of the style as the content. Finally, except for the two greatest epics, why no mention of the Greeks - ancient, that is.? For me, some of the Greek tragedies rival Shakespeare in their wisdom and insight into the human condition.

Somebody once compared something I wrote to that of Anne Rice. I was ecstatic!

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Nice compliment :) I’d be happy with that!

Ever read any John O'Hara? _Appointment in Samarra_ for instance? His short stories? I think he's pretty good. You might think he's pulpy. I just found you tonight and subscribed. I've looked for a book reading site to subscribe and yours is most in tune to what I think is a good one. Thanks for your site.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I have indeed. I studied John O'Hara in my final year, but I really need to return to him. Thank you for the great recommendation, Ned :)

More great content, next step 20k

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Dean 💪🏻 😊

@deanhill9370

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Keep up the good work - you should do some collaborations, Leaf by Leaf or Better than Food would be a great match!

Benjamin do you like the writing of C.S. Lewis? I love his quote about 'I will see through others' eyes'.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

Жыл бұрын

I adore C. S. Lewis! 'The Screwtape Letters' is fantastic, and I'm currently going through an illustrated set of the Narnia tales. The 'see through others' eyes' quote is an extraordinary one!

1:06:08 can someone please write out the name of the first manga for me? I want to make sure I read the right one.

Have you read any Norwegian literature? Knut Hamsun for example?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I have :) But I certainly need to read more!

Have you read Drood by Dan Simmons? It's a horror novel about Charles Dickens. If not, I want to recommend it. It's a fantastic read. Drood is a great villain.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I haven't. The last Dan Simmons I read was Carrion Comfort, but thanks for the recommendation, Mark, I'll check it out :)

I've been reading F. Scott Fitzgerald recently. So much so that Fitz feels like my own grandfather. In his day, reading was the number two entertainment. Second only to consuming bootleg alcohol. Authors are often commented on in his books. Nowadays I know many many people who have never ever read a book in their lives. Even when they were in school and were assigned a book they didn't read it. If you happen to mention a book you read they show no curiosity.

I want to form a similar book club! One idea I have is "The Best novels about World War 2." though are a very well-read man, I am pretty confident that you have never heard of the best AMERICAN novel about the war.

@JHarder1000

Жыл бұрын

Like the best British novel about the war, it was written by a reactionary curmudgeon. Otherwise, the two novels have little in common., though they both have the word "honor" in their titles.

Greetings from Germany 🌻

@shaanparwani

2 жыл бұрын

Which author is better Proust or Tolstoy

@carolapinkertgreatawakenin5653

2 жыл бұрын

@@shaanparwani Tolstoi

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching over in Germany! Ich liebe Deutschland 😊

for the ojibwe try louise erdrich, she is half ojibwe and hald german and very good

Would you say it’s to late to join the book club?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Not at all :) It's designed to be completely self-paced, all of the content is there, the discussion is always open. You would be very warmly welcomed, and we would love to have you reading with us!

I missed out on the downtime that came from lockdown. My job never stopped.

I wonder if it'd be possible to do a video about reading the Bible? (Ofcourse, strictly as a literary work.)

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

Great idea - I've actually started a series called 'Reading the Bible as Great Literature' at the book club. The first lecture looked at the Book of Jonah :)

Have you read any Rumi or persian poetry? Are you interested in mystical and spiritual texts.

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I love Rumi - we have a podcast episode dedicated to some of my favourite poems from him :)

@kynaatawan5967

2 жыл бұрын

@@BenjaminMcEvoy please do read the 40 rules of love. The book changed my life, which is what I think good literature does. You are never the same person you were before reading it. It refines you and shapes your soul. It is difficult to explain I hope you understand my point.

Have you read any Thomas Pynchon?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I have indeed. Great writer!

would you ever write a novel of your own?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

When I have grey in my hair, I will definitely try my hands at a novel :)

One downside of reading a superb book is that it leads to disappointment with pretty much any book after that one. I experienced that after reading Mann's "Buddenbrooks." I had a friend read it, and he went through the same thing.

I read Steven King's book "The Shining". It was scary to me and I did enjoy it. However, here is a bit of a cautionary tale. During an interview on tv, Mr. King said some ugly things about a certain political figure running for the presidency. I am passionate about politics and felt that my candidate was greatly insulted. Since then I have been disinclined to read King's books. I know this is irrational and I would probably be struck dumb by personal beliefs of many authors. If possible, authors might refrain from giving opinions of a political nature. Incidentally, King's endorsed candidate is ruining the U.S. Just like celebrities and public figures, watch what you say.

Have you read: How Proust can change your life? If so, your thoughts?

You get through so much stuff - how many clones do you have? 😅

What do you think of Jules Verne? Is he a hack or genus?

@BenjaminMcEvoy

2 жыл бұрын

I recently dug out my old Reader's Digest copy of Around the World in Eighty Days, which brought back fond memories of childhood. I enjoyed it, but I was even more moved by the story of Jules Verne's life - he seemed a lovely soul!

@peterbrown3004

2 жыл бұрын

I love reading Verne---especially in the original French. His prose is so charming.

hAVE YOU EVER READ kHALIL gibran/

I gotta go Grant Morrison for quality comic book literature. Watchmen, obviously, but also Promethea and some lesser known titles.

Now 93.4 ooo

@BenjaminMcEvoy

9 ай бұрын

My mind is blown, Robyn 🤯

I guess I have lots of time since I'm disabled

@carolewalker2486

Жыл бұрын

Enjoy lots of good reading.