Big thanks to Ridge for sending me this wallet and supporting the channel! Here’s the site if you want to check them out! > ridge.com/BETTERTHANFOOD

Losing your book virginity: Splash on some cologne, make sure you’re well-groomed, read Don Quixote.

@DesiCochraneOnline

2 жыл бұрын

This has to be the correct answer.

@Le_Samourai

Жыл бұрын

I tried Don Quixote and found it boring after 100 pages… everyone has different taste I guess. Borges I love though

@UsernameyMcUsernameFace

Жыл бұрын

A man after my own heart.

@BigPhilly15

11 ай бұрын

Greatest novel of all time. Agree.

@gavinyoung-philosophy

2 ай бұрын

Agreed. A very easy to love book, even if it doesn’t end up being a favorite.

For me its "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, i feel its a perfect gateway for someone to get back into reading.

In the arena of history + fiction, I would highly recommend Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

@nickolette22

2 жыл бұрын

I always recommend Vonnegut to people who don’t read!

@TheLighIOANA

Жыл бұрын

Oh damn me too! And show them my 2 tatttoos of him!

@shawnwax9576

Жыл бұрын

the first book i read to get me back into reading after a 20 year break was Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut . hilarious book. that was in December. im on book 27 now.

Some of the books that changed my life, in no particular order: Something Wicked this Way Comes - Ray Bradbury The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien The Hobbit - ' ' The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas A Scanner Darkly - Phillip K Dick Dr. Blood Money - ' ' The Little Sister - Raymond Chandler Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo The Gunslinger - Stephen King The Shining - ' ' The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac On the The Road - ' ' Mason and Dixon- Thomas Pynchon Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - ' ' Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy All the Pretty Horses - ' ' The Collected Stories of Ernest Hemingway Hopes this helps

@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044

Жыл бұрын

Great list. Love to see Pynchon in there.

@ThePortjumper

Жыл бұрын

Wonderful list

I don't consider Borges hard to start. It's a great pick. The book that opened my eyes to literature was Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. A masterpiece.

@regolithia

2 жыл бұрын

Siddartha is great, too! I’ve yet to read Steppenwolf

@Pablicus12

2 жыл бұрын

Some people think that Borges if very difficult, but that is not correct. It has many layers but always a great story. I always recommend to start by Los dos reyes y los dos laberintos of Borges. Very short, if you like it, then ficciones and move on to his others short stories.

@jesse9038

2 жыл бұрын

some of his stuff can be challenging but his most mainstream collections like fictions and the aleph are pretty accessible

@waterglas21

2 жыл бұрын

Steppenwolf is a fucking masterpiece

@amostramel2778

2 жыл бұрын

Same here!!

Cliff you are a true legend, books have saved me from suicide, stay cool my friend

@AmandaS18

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you’re here🤗

@davidpritchard4263

2 жыл бұрын

@@AmandaS18 love always xx

@AmandaS18

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidpritchard4263 ❤️

@feanor7080

2 жыл бұрын

Me too, man. Literature has lifted me out of dark times on many occasions. I owe them my life, and I sense many feel the same.

@desgrazi

Жыл бұрын

Same here, literature and music have saved my life so many times

this is my comfort channel. you just have a warm air about you that makes me want to listen to you talk about books. this is the greatest. thank you for inspiring me to continue reading, and thank you for introducing me to Jorge Luis Borges.

@gavinyoung-philosophy

2 ай бұрын

Couldn’t agree more. He’s just a vibe.

The Catcher in the Rye started it for me. Rebellious, in your face, and hip to the core, exactly what I wanted in a Jesuit boarding school. And on it went to more serious stuff, and also different formats, shorts stories, poetry, etc. Go with the flow, as Cliff mentions, with your gut. You'll find exactly what you need to read.

@pjeffries301

2 жыл бұрын

I always recommend this book to younger adults, can't miss.

@pelodelperro

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting. I have never been able to find the appeal of that book. My fault, I know...

@redbadfrysii8227

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely hated this book when I read it when I was about 23. I recon it's one of those books that completely changes what you think about it depending on your age and where you are in life. I kind of feel the same way about other 'beginner friendly' books such as 1984, Brave New World, etc. They are good books but at 21, you might be looking for some more 'challenging' stuff. This is where I completely agree with you about going with the flow and following your gut

@poperaisin

2 жыл бұрын

I read the book during my when I was a high school Junior. Maybe I missed my timing, but the way the book was written came off annoying to me. I understand why it was such a revolutionary piece, though.

@ellie-tk4jy

2 жыл бұрын

I absolutely hate that book but I also recommended it because it's an easy read and very young guys seem to like it. As a woman reading it, I just wanted to hit the protagonist repeatedly.

This is very true. It is about interest! I picked up War & Peace at 19 because I was interested in the history of the Napoleonic Wars and a painting of Napoleon was on the cover of this edition. I didn't think about it in the context of global literature, it's reputation, length or it's artistic value at the time. I was just drawn to it on my mother's bookshelf. It was the greatest literary decision of my life.

Borges is my favorite too, but would be difficult for a beginner. Reading is like a muscle that you train, the more you read, the better you get at reading. I suggest starting with collections of short stories, like "Worlds-Greatest-Stories-Thrift-Editions", and see which writer resonates with you the most. Then you can read more of that writer, similar writers, and go down the rabbit hole. The advantage of short stories is that your time investment is minimal (but the enjoyment is the same), so if you read a story that you don't like, you don't have to suffer through 500 pages. Another option is to read books like "1,000 books to read before you die" - they have a brief description of each book, pick up the ones that seem interesting to you, and read those.

@sahtification

2 жыл бұрын

It's true but you don't have to start from the bottom to train that muscle You don't have to read a book one time. I read Kafka for the first time at 12 years old and I had no idea at the time, but hit me hard at 21. I'm sure 12 was the right time as it gave me structure and was extremely fun 😅 wake up as a bug......at least what I tought Mortimer Adler advices read the most difficult things in order to really know how to read and I agree Everything worth doing to learn challenges and intimidades you

A nice thing about Borges is that you lose little to nothing reading him in translation. The Spanish-language author that I think is the hardest to translate is Juan Rulfo. It was worth learning Spanish just to read him in his original language. For Colombian writers, I would recommend Álvaro Mutis. “Empresas y tribulaciones de Maqroll el gaviero” (Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll) is a treasure trove of seven adventure novellas. I think the book that most surprised me was Lonesome Dove. As someone who primarily reads stories and novellas, I never expected a 900 page western to become one of my favorite books.

@ericvajentic9004

Жыл бұрын

Lonesome Dove was great. I read it when I was 17, and I've always meant to circle back to the sequels, and now I'm 50. Ha! Life goes fast. I did manage to read McMurtrys 'The Last Picture Show' which was interesting, but not as good as Lonesome Dove for me.

Borges is a personal favorite of mine, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Some beginner friendly books would be stuff like 1984, Animal Farm, maybe Stephen King or Neil Gaiman. I agree with the rest of the advice, though. Read what excites you! And if that's Borges, then so be it. Just be careful to not lose motivation because of how dense a book is.

I've always thought that 1984 serves as a great door into the world of literature: It is captivating on many levels, it works as a straight story and it is quite easy to read between the lines, so it motivates the reader to think and consequently look for other challenges.

@tbw6652

2 жыл бұрын

This is literally THE book that made me become interested in reading. I couldn't agree more.

@kokorospirit5006

2 жыл бұрын

Would add 1984 film from year 1956, It was also very entertaining.

@shawnwax9576

Жыл бұрын

4th book i read." in my return to books" i started with Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. then straight into Dune ...lmao. it was so good. then i read a Dean Koontz book called The Bad Place. and then 1984. I'm on book 27 now since December and keep finding stuff I can't live without reading.

I started my literary journey by reading Greek tragedy in high-school and I couldn't believe how much the ancients knew about the depths of the human soul. Everybody talks about Dostoyevsky's psychological insights but for me it was Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides who showed me how flawed we are as species. Oedipus Rex and Medea are some of the most popular tragedies, but I also recommend the Oresteia trilogy, or the lesser-known play Ajax.

I find Borges somewhat challenging for a first read (and I'm a native Spanish speaker) but I see where you're coming from. For a young reader I think Cortázar would be more appealing, especially his short stories. I don't read Cortázar anymore, but my twenty-year-old self enjoyed it a lot. Also, Jared Diamond is a hack. Please don't start there your history reads. Natalie Zemon Davis' "The Return of Martin Guerre" is a fun, well researched and easy read by a true historian (there's Spanish translation).

The Tunnel by Sabato. Short book, short chapters, Spanish language, and awesome.

@13tuyuti

2 жыл бұрын

Apparently in the Spanish speaking world De Héroes y tumbas is better known and easier to get by.

@lacanian1500

2 жыл бұрын

@@13tuyuti Abaddon el exterminador as well.

Love these advice videos every once in a while . The problem is there's TOO many books

Since I don’t know his aesthetic taste entirely, I will simply recommend a grab bag of things. As a general pro-tip I recommend starting with short stories so you can get a general taste of an authors feel. Moody vibe books: >no longer human >Notes from underground >miss lonelyhearts >the fall by Albert Camus >Pedro Palermo >Lolita >the invention of morel Historical novels: >brothers Karamazov >the sun also rises >Augustus by John Williams >butchers crossing also by John Williams >any Hemingway short story(capital of the world, hills of kiljamajoro, the life of Francis comber, as I lay me, are particular favorites of mine), or his non fiction works, a moveable feast and death in the afternoon. >

The complete works of H.P. Lovecraft.

I've struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for my whole life. Reading books was a constant discouraging cycle of being super excited for 100 ish pages then losing interest and then feeling bad about it. The mantra of "read what excites you, fuck the rest" is very encouraging to me. Thank you.

@axolotlismybeautystansard

2 жыл бұрын

I think any kind of good short stories with intresting (for potencial reader) permision would be great for start. They're oviously shorter so it's easier to keep attencion. And if they're well writen - usualy the ending slams you in your face and it's very satisfing feeling. Maybe it could also work well for ADHD readers? I othen feel in similar way and then it's usualy working for me.

@connorpeppermint8635

Жыл бұрын

@@axolotlismybeautystansard HI there! Just an update, I'm currently in the middle of reading three different books, a 300ish page history book, the fellowship of the ring, and a Bertrand Russell Philosophy book. I'm a pretty slow reader and no where near completion of any of them but I've maintained my engagement by employing a few different strategies. 1. For the history book I have Google at the ready to look up any unfamiliar names or events so I'm more clued in to the context the author is giving. 2. For the fellowship of the ring, I'm mentally trying to envision middle earth as a REAL place I can go to, Tolkien writes in this fashion already so it's easy to do that 3. For the Bertrand russell book it's about philosophy, I'm consuming it like an expensive steak, small bite size chunks, and I'm marinating on everything that's being said so I don't feel lost later on. For the first time in many, many years I'm not being hard on myself and I actually feel like I'm absorbing what I'm reading.

Borges is so f-ing good. Literally makes you fall in love instantly. And the "replayability" is off the charts. It's like finding a song you want to listen to over and over again. Each pass back over (re-readthrough) you notice more and more--It's as if you are mining rich veins.

Machado de Assis❤️ Epitaph of a Small Winner

When getting into reading, I believe age to be a key factor. As someone who only graduated high school a year ago, I consider classics to be important, but not the key to getting into literature. Some sort of middle ground needs to be used, one which heralds the book as relatively “good” while also being immediate. Something that interests you, or topics you’d like to think about more. Something that paints the world with a brush that you can recognize and feel. Authors like Knausgaard, Ellis, and McCarthy all come to mind for me. They are relatively respected writers who are also immediate and understandable. Once an author lights you up, you will be more willing to face the classics that many will throw at you, and you can make up you’re own mind about them. If I was forced to read Ulysses as my first book, I’d likely throw it at a wall. You have to believe that there’s something worth understanding and learning about before taking on books of higher difficulty.

@azazshah4022

2 жыл бұрын

Essentially this. I got in reading back in high school and of all the things I read in school (mainly classics that I didn’t appreciate fully) it was what I read outside of school that got me into reading and to eventually re-read some of those classics and actually enjoy the experience. It was a fantasy series (GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire) when I read that I wanted more and just went from there. Delving into history, a little philosophy, literary fiction, and whatever else I fancied reading.

If he's looking for history books, I'd recommend "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild. It could be interesting for him to read that and immediately follow it up with Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to get a taste of historical fiction on the same topic.

Didn't see the word 'Book' in this title. Was severely surprised.

Love in the time of Cholera by Márquez Disgrace by Coetzee Siddhartha by Hesse They are so human. Reading them is like breathing.

this turned out to be great life advice and a reminder to the question of all questions. Thank you once again !

For me it’s Hermann Hesse who speaks directly to my soul. I find so many similarities between his books and my thoughts that it’s both fascinating and scary.

@darrinfrew4066

2 жыл бұрын

Hermann Hesse might be my favourite author. 'Narcissus and Goldmund' is my favourite novel. It breaks your heart in a marvellous way to read about a matching sentience.

thank you for your videos. wish my high school literature teachers were more like you. your book discussions are so accessible.

Really well articulated video, Cliff! Really appreciate the effort you put into answering this question. Long time viewer of yours since 2016 when I was reading Houellebecq in university and found your review for Soumission.

My reading journey has been an interesting one to say the least! I started with classic children's stories, moved to horror books, fell in love with classics like Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde (Dorian Grey is very readable), Evelyn Waugh then moved towards to authors like Bukowski, Kundera. Next came my crime thriller phase. Once I became a voice over agent (which meant a lot of reading), exposing me to even more genres and I fell in love with literary fiction and translated fiction. I now find myself circling back to classics. My point is, is that it’s worth dipping into a variety of genres and over a course of a few books, you’ll figure out what floats your boat. I’m also finding that I’m enjoying non fiction, mostly essay collections. I think the trick is keeping an open mind : )

This jamming about books, shoulds and wants just pumped me up with energy. Thanks.

I always perk up when one of your videos hits my queue. This is a great response to this question, and it is extremely funny that your first paycheck went to buying collections of works by the Marquis de Sade I'm also looking forward to your Stranger review! Loved that book when I first read it. Might need to again sometime soon

This was the exact video I needed to watch right now

Great video as always. Love the reccomendations. Yes, Catcher in the Rye is a great way in.

Upvote for starting with the recommendation! Still watching the remainder of the vid, but now I can start looking where to get some Borges while I watch.

This was so great, mate. Thanks for the talk

The book that sparks my love for literature is the lesser-known book by George Orwell entitled Down and Out in Paris and London.

@timkjazz

Жыл бұрын

Great, great book, Orwell is a very fine writer beyond Animal Farm and 1984.

Great video. It has me rethinking my tbr because its filled with books you should read before you die and not necessarily books I want to read.

Again great video. I like when sometimes you give your opinion about smth else than just about a book. And It's interesting how perspective of time changes while listening you. This 20 min felt like 8 min long video!

Do I love the way you talk? yes, please! Thank you for one more amazing video and straight honesty on Pablo's sincere question. I've always been skeptical when it comes to this " books I should read before I die", in fact I bought one long ago and never really consult it much. I ended up passing it along. At some point I realized classics, the true ones, are those what speak to us. Of course I've read some of the classics appointed as World Masterpieces and yes, some of them are really amazing, but other experiences were not so rewarding, which made me realize I had to read/learn for myself. I love so many things but nowadays I know who are my favorite authors and themes, and that helps me a lot to keep my reading on track without closing the doors to new styles and authors along the way. Pablo, I cannot tell you what you should read but can easily tell you about some books that have made my day already: People of the Book and Caleb's crossing by Geraldine Brooks are on my top list. They both tell gorgeous stories ( with a Historical background you might find interestinf) that are a precious to me. People of the book tells the story of one of the most sacred books in History ( Saravejo 's Haggadah ) and how it survived throughout the years. Caleb's crossing is phenomenal too. It is about one the first Native American to get formal education and how it demanded leaving behind his core beliefs in order to fit in society. They are both novels with such an amazing historical appeal that I found charming and unique. Hope you enjoy them in case you get interested, but in any case just follow the advice given: " read whatever hits you, speaks to you and calls your name."

I really enjoy these types of videos

What a well formulated question!

I hope you'll do more of these advising.

I have read far too little to be pandering around recommendations but. One thing that struck a chord with me was to figure out whether you like something you've picked up. And for that one thing you cannot go wrong with is writing what you feel down every few chapters down the line. Soon you'll realise you are thinking for yoursrlf and have beaten advertising. It absolutely, positively bloody well worked for me, and I know it will work for anyone that tries it.

What really pulled me into the joy of reading was Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas after I loved the movie. Can’t say it’s the most accessible right off the bat but I absolutely loved the narration in the movie and just wanted to listen to his words forever, and, well, his books are that all over.

It would be awesome if you did a review on A Confederacy of Dunces. That book is hilarious

Cliff, I went to Budapest on your recommendation. Loved it. I also loved "Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde". It's a short one which can be helpful if you have a problem with commitment and it was very different from what I assumed it was about based on stereotypical pop culture references to it. From there I found myself reading book after book with similar themes: A Picture of Dorian Gray, Heart of Darkness, The Importance of Being Earnest etc. The inherent shadow is my jam

@clairejoy1053

2 жыл бұрын

Also, if you want to take a crack at the Bible, start with the book of Job.

Murakami, Hemingway, Dickens and Steinbeck. Perfect authors for getting into literature.

@Laocoon283

2 жыл бұрын

Hemingway is dogshit tbh

@abi_rose

Жыл бұрын

for a dollar, name a woman

What guides any reader is the willingness to pursue their curiosity wherever it takes them. It motivates me as an experienced reader, and it's what will motivate someone to begin reading. Weirdly it was Ulysses that got me into formal literature. I had no idea it was supposed to be an important one, and I had barely a clue what was going on; I just knew it was beautiful in a way whatever YA or SF I had happened to read could never come close to. Sometimes that's enough.

This was a great, no b.s., and non judgmental response. The older I get and the more I teach high school English, the less I cling to the idea of the sanctity of classics, of the absolute importance of reading a specific kind of literature, or even reading novels at all. Do I love literature and reading? Yes. Do I recognize that there are lots of ways to read or ascertain information in our world? More than ever. Anyway, I love your advice. Find the content and the way that suits you. ✌️

I know how Pablo feels. I'm Julián, also from Colombia, and i hated reading. The first book I read for my own choice was Ten Little N**gers by Agatha Christie. But the book that really made me feel like literature is a whole exciting universe to experience was Crime and Punishment. Now I'm obssessed with books. Even wrote my own and have gotten 5 short stories published

@morenoramonvictor

2 жыл бұрын

can i ask what made you choose that agatha christie book specifically?

@jnbfilm56

2 жыл бұрын

@@morenoramonvictor I read online it was one of her best. Also, the plot sounded interesting: a group of people invited to an island, then they start dying one by one, according to a children's song called The Ten Little N-word

@erinh7450

2 жыл бұрын

FYI, they renamed that book in English, because of the now quite offensive title (which is yes, after a now also not sung children's song). It is now titled "And Then There Were None". It is supposed to be one of her best, glad they renamed it.

@jnbfilm56

2 жыл бұрын

@@erinh7450 oh, yes, I'm aware. Here in Colombia we can still find the book as Diez Negritos, cause the word Negrito isnt offensive here. I think they also renamed the book to Ten little indians as well

@eduardovelezarbelaez9614

2 жыл бұрын

Hola. Publicaste tu libro?

What a fantastic video!

First of all, most people like fear and loathing in las vegas so there's that. If you really new to books I think the first book(s) should be 1. (Somewhat of) a classic because that means it will be good as it has stood the test of time and will serve as a benchmark for what "good" actually is 2. not too old because having to adapt to dated language can be pretty off-putting at first 3. have a blurb that excites you just by gut feeling 4. Not too long just because finishing a book feels nice and makes you want to do it again keep that in mind and look around until you find something and start reading

@Hitithardify

2 жыл бұрын

Cormac McCarthy sounds like a great start because his work is not too old, but not too new either.

Fantastic video and some wonderful words. I’m moving from Australia to Europe next week and I’m planning to get under the skin of Lord of the Rings as I see the continent. My literary breakthrough was Crash by JG Ballard. Disgustingly beautiful. Reading something so unusual and unrecognisable has had a profound effect.

I'd recommend short books. Anytime someone that doesn't read much asks me for a recommendation i always go with The old man and the sea (Hemingway) or Kafka's Methamorphosis. They are both easy to read and to grasp the concept, and you'll finish it quite quick. That might give you a sense of accomplhishment that get you going to the next one.

I find the perspective of read what you want to read (and listen to the music you want to listen to for that matter) applies so much better to books than movies. There are many lists of films across genres, decades, and narrative, technical feats (from the canon to cult) that a larger percentage of people would agree that "Yes, those are must-sees."

Great advice on life itself too Cliff - books = life and life = books

"There's no should" perfect answer. Because that's it.

Clifford's advice was great and Borges is not a bad start! Ray Bradbury was my start, I fell in love with science fiction and short stories at the same time. Try Hawthorne and Willa Cather for American Lit. 101. When trying to choose what to read: go big! Enjoying a Joseph Conrad novel can lead to his other fiction and works of his contemporaries. Don't worry, it's just a gigantic buffet, with an anti pasta course and desert!

Hey Clifford, this was a great video, and I wanted to add just a couple of extra points that may be a help to other people getting into reading: 1) Like you stressed in the video, it's a great idea for new readers to find material that resonates with them, as opposed to things they 'should' or 'have' to read, but I wanted to point out that it's really quite easy to find books that are relevant to whatever your current interests are. For example, if you really like any particular genre (like historical fiction, scifi, etc.) It's always a valuable insight to find books that are within that genre, and try to find a spoiler free review/synopsis to see if it interests you. 2) On the topic of literature relevant to current interests, a lot of people have heard that 'the books are better than the film/show', and so they may think something like 'Oh I really loved The Lord of the Rings, I'll grab the books and read those', but unfortunately, if you're not already a diligent reader, than you're going to get bored and just go back to watching the movie/show. Because, even if you've heard that the books are better, there is probably already a 'good enough' version of the story that is much easier to consume than a book, and so you may not have the discipline to stick to it. Instead, you should try to find books that have not yet been adapted to film, so that the only way you can actually get the satisfaction of the story is to read the book (an example is that, if you really like 'The Matrix', you should probably read 'Neuromancer', which hasn't had a proper adaptation yet). 3) Read short stories! (Like Borges). If you haven't spent a lot of time reading, you probably haven't yet developed the stamina for long reading sessions, and so you don't need to stress yourself about not reading an 800 page epic like The Brothers Karamazov, because you haven't yet built up the endurance to spend a lot of time with a book. So, don't feel bad at all about starting with short stories that you could most likely finish in a single sitting. Some great authors in this regard are (for scifi/fantasy) Jorge Luis Borges, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu. Some others (more closer to 'Classics') that I have yet to personally read but have heard about are Flannery O'Connor, JD Salinger, and Ernest Hemingway's short stories. 4) For a personal, actual book recommendation, I recommend Farenheit 451, because if there were any book that makes you confront the potential consequences of a society that doesn't value reading, this book is sure to do it (and it's also a short-ish and quite easy (linguistically) to read) Hope these points help anyone with their search for good literature :)

I agree with the broad sentiment. If someone asked me this question, I would answer, "Pick up what seems interesting to you. If it's meant to be, everything will unfold from there."

when i was a kid, the first conscious book that i remember to have read was The Amphibian by Alexander Belyaev and it caught me back then. i was so into in, that i have read the whole story during one night before school and couldn’t stop. then it was Professor Dowell's Head by the same author which was included in my literature school program and it was also a real fun to read. nowadays i don’t really like fantastic stories, but these books were the one which showed me how beautiful book world can be. imagine sitting a few hours straight looking right into a paper with inks and have hallucinations. couldn’t be me

Solid advice

I'm more of a fiction guy too and agree that Borges is a great starting point. For history, two recent reads I enjoyed were 'The Opium War' by Julia Lovell about the history of opium, China and the British Empire and 'Open Veins of Latin America' by Eduardo Galeano about the history of Central and South America in relation to global capitalism through the centuries. For general non-fiction reading, though, I could not recommend the 'A Very Short Introduction to...' series enough.

Hello. I had to think back to books I read in my 20s. One that sticks in my mind is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules. It was one of the first I read a little deeper than “pop fiction”. Great characters and a story still relevant today. Even more relevant given the revoke of Roe in America.

I think the biggest issue is what books are considered "must reads". I'm a huge reader, and authors such as Orwell, Austen, Tolkein, Fitzgerald, Herbert, S. King, Gaiman, the Brontes or any generic circlejerked booktok booktube books that got forgotten instantly I either have read and dislike or have zero interest in reading. I got into serious reading with Salinger, Ellis, Burroughs, Welsh, Palahniuk and so on, so I'd massively disagree with where most people are told to start. you just have to think what you like and look for in entertainment and go from there, especially if you an interest in film or history, those two I feel are good.

If you've never read *any* books, then I would recommend starting out with some Stephen King or Michael Crichton; just some fun stuff that you can get lost in. Then, when you've established that you can derive pleasure from reading, then maybe step up to some deeper stuff with more thematic content to explore. If you're a person who enjoys challenges, things will be a lot easier. Some books are difficult, but there are rewards to be had (most of the time, at least). Moby Dick is brutal but it has a veritable wealth of insights to offer. Reading has certainly been a worthwhile experience for me, and one which I would highly recommend at least attempting to get into. :)

Thomas Pynchon is this author for me, the humor and ability of injecting history into his comedic musicals is incredible

Radetzkymasch by Joseph Roth. It is short, goes down easily, but at the same time it is moving and full of insights on history and politics. A deep and great book that at first glance seems simple.

Hi Pablo! First of all I totally agree with Cliff about Borges. I’m not just saying that to be a stooge; it was my love of Borges that led me to his channel to begin with. One thing to keep in mind about great writers is that many of them can have a difficult style of writing. I wouldn’t recommend Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy to a new reader. But if you run into something like that don’t let it discourage you. Just put it aside and know you’ll get there later. I often tell people, one great way to start with literature is with myths and folktales. They tend to be easy to read, be very deep, and are universal enough that it’s easy to find others who have read them with whom you can discuss them. Here are some good choices: Gilgamesh (Sumerian) Theogony (Greek) Iliad (Greek) Odyssey (Greek) The Prose Edda or the Poetic Edda (Norse) The Brothers Grimm stories ( Yes fairy tales. They are deep, meaningful, and pure story) the Bible has great poetry and stories in it. I’m not trying to convert you; there is real literary value here. Especially in: Psalms Job Ecclesiastes I don’t know but I’ve heard many times that Edgar Allen Poe has some excellent Spanish translations. If that’s true that would be a great choice. Maybe some short novels would be less intimidating as well. Here some well done short novels with relatively simple prose styles: Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) Barabbas (Lagerkvist) The Postman Alway Rings Twice (Cain) Pedro Paramo (Rulfo) I haven’t read this one yet but it’s on my list. As far as history goes, you might find The Histories of Herodotus entertaining. He was an Ancient Greek historian who wrote a series of histories of the known world at his time culminating int he Persian Wars. As he admits, he uses a lot of rumors, anecdotes and here-say so don’t count on him being 100% historically accurate her he could be very entertaining.

When I came to a point where I wanted to expand my reading experiences. I asked myself: what am I interested? What do I always claim is something I enjoy or am fascinated in, but don't really know much more beyond some surface level information? From there I looked for books that appealed to those two questions and took my trip down the rabbit hole. Good luck Pablo!

Gravity’s Rainbow is the perfect place to start 😂

@13tuyuti

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, get them started with an easy read. Then maybe Finnegan's wake and the Cantos.

Just being introduced to your channel today but I love your videos and I love the wholesome environment in these comment sections, it's not to get away from the toxicity sometimes

This was really inspiring, thanks Cliff. Murakami made me appreciatie good writing way earlier than I could've otherwise.

More fan discussions!!

You should read Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh! Any Moshfegh is amazing, but Lapvona is her newest, and for some reason feels like a book you might enjoy reading. I can’t recommend her work enough! All of her books are well written, dark, funny, and (I think) always profoundly insightful.

I agree with Borges. Absolutely. I would add Bartleby, The Scrivner by Melville to all of the great recommendations already on here. Also, since you like history I would highly recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast. It's addicting.

Really enjoyed this video and couldn't agree more with your views on "should". It does raise an interesting question: if you were asked to name your five favourite books, and the five 'best books', would you name the same five? Intuitively, I would say I probably wouldn't - but why not? Why is your subjective value subsumed by your perception of a book's 'worth' to other people but not to you? For Pablo's benefit, for history I would really recommend Tom Holland's books for narrative non-fiction. For fiction, my first stops would be Cormac McCarthy and Patricia Highsmith - more so the latter for introductory readers.

Like he said, read the books that pull you towards them. What resonates with you. Forget what others think about what you're reuading. Some of my recommendations: 1:Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness (truly a badass novel. It inspired Apocalypse Now). 2. Knut Hamsun - Pan 3. Epitaph of a Small Winner - Machado de Assis 4. For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway (quite diff from his other novels, more descriptivr) 5. Journey to the End of the Night - Louis-Ferdinand Céline That's some starters. I got more and more if you wnat them

i think i can speak for all but i cant but i do: we are waiting for your book...

My recommendation for Pablo : Inherent Vice, by Pynchon, my current read ! I haven't finished it yet, but it's certainly one of my favorite reads from the last months. I think it's a relatively easy read for a beginner (even though there's a ton of references from the 60-70s culture that I don't always get, and the plot can be complex), because it's about an investigation and it's written in a beautiful, yet really funny and sarcastic way, which is really refreshing. The characters are eclectic and colorful, the plot is completely crazy and addictive, and the whole vibe of the book is laid back and super fun. I'm also a young reader (I'm 20), so I think Pablo could be curious about this book, just like I was before starting reading it. Before reading it, I spent a whole month reading the Master and Marguarita (which is not a favorite for me, I completely agreed with Cliff's review of it, even though it's not a bad read and it is considered a classic for many people), so I can say that Inherent Vice feels like a breath of fresh air !

@TeatroGrotesco

Жыл бұрын

Pynchon is a bit of a rough ride for popping a cherry.

I think one good way to prepare oneself to read Borges is to read Julio Cortázar's short stories.

Alot of wisdom in this video to say the least. Ray Bradbury was pretty hardcore in that he'd go to the library pick random authors and if he didn't like the first 2 pages hed move on to the next one. I'd reccomend reading your favorite authors' favorites.

Gibbons is a great writer, loved reading him

I would recommend books that tackle philosophical questions/ideas. Some classics (that are not too complicated) include: The Metamorphosis by Kafka, The Outsider by Camus, 1984 by Orwell, Frankenstein by Shelley, Brave New World by Huxley.

Still Life with Woodpecker: Tom Robbins & Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Robert Pirsig were the 2 that hooked me around that age.

Non-fiction history: Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel and Yuval Noah Harari's Sapiens. The two give a very good overview of how present day civilization came into being.

@EWOKakaDOOM

2 жыл бұрын

I hear Jared Diamond is wrong from a lot of people

@joaovaranda4759

2 жыл бұрын

@@EWOKakaDOOM well, in my opinion the thing is he writes about anthropology, sociology, geography, etc. It's not math, not simply that he's right or wrong. There are different perspectives and competing theories. Personally I found his arguments quite compelling and well provided with evidence. Does that mean I agree completely with everything he says? No. I've read a couple of his books (Guns, Germs and Steel is the best I think) and he does have the tendency to extrapolate a lot from the particular things he's familiar with. But for what it's worth, he is a very respected and influential academic in his field with 50 years experience, not some provocateur. He won the Pulitzer prize for this book. I think much of the criticism he gets nowadays has more to do with the political climate we're living in. This book is about trying to explain why it was European civilizations that explored and conquered the world and not African or native american. And instead of antagonizing "the white men" it argues natural and geographical causes, so you can see how woke culture would take it as racist. Personally, i think it's one of the most anti-racist book I've ever read. But to each it's own...

@ericsierra-franco7802

Жыл бұрын

@@EWOKakaDOOM Wrong in what way? Specifics?

I read recently that Patti Smith, a great lover of high minded literature and Bolaño and all things intellectual, that her go to reads are pulp novels by Louis L'Amour. So there ya go. I prefer modern southern gothic( Daniel Woodrell, David Joy, Ron Rash,etc.) over the "classics"( Faulkner, O'Connor), but thats just my taste and my cultural background. Great video that I'm spreading around 'cause people don't read enough.

Another Colombian here 👋, I would say a great place to start would be some Hemmingway. Maybe a short story or one of his longer works. Pick either based on how interesting they sound. If you want Latin American writers go for Borges, Mario Vargas Llosa (Death in the Andes is great), Clarice Lispector, and Machado de Assis.

Even though is hard for me to admit it, The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway might be _the_ book to read. Also: La casa verde, and Conversación en La Cadedral by Mario Vargas Llosa. Also: Brazilian classics, Japanese classics, French classics, Italian classics, German classics, Spanish classics, anything by Faulkner, anything by Nabokov, anything by John Banville...

@JalenZachhM

2 жыл бұрын

Yes!! Anything from Faulkner is a must!!

@AlencarFaulkner

2 жыл бұрын

@@JalenZachhM O, don't let me start talking about Faulkner; he's my absolute favourite, an unparalleled genius, a true master... I can keep going on and on until my last breath.

@JalenZachhM

2 жыл бұрын

@@AlencarFaulkner I’ve read half of everything he’s published. I need to read them all!

@AlencarFaulkner

2 жыл бұрын

@@JalenZachhM Sure. I am missing only some of his essays and the Uncollected Stories, and I say this: even a "bad" Faulkner is better than most (of my) contemporaries. The lack of style, minimalism, or artificial simplicity which still dominates literature today is mostly boring to me. Faulkner, Proust, Claude Simon, Nabokov... I love density, baroque, poetic purple prose, it elates me. (And Faulkner a master of such prose).

Totally agree on re reading experience. I didn't like The sound and the fury in my 20s. However at +30s fell in love with As I lay dying and read almost every book by Faulkner. For Pablo: Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures by Zweig. It's a beginning

My vote would be for gun germs and steel. As it was the book which made me like ancient history and history overall but it is a slow read so would pick a book which is less dense for your first book. For literature that is a hard question so good luck. Pick a subject your interest in from motor bike to sport or board games really anything as there is probably a book on the topic.

Everyone needs to read A Farewell to Arms and The Great Gatsby until you like it. After that wanting to read will become second nature.

True reading starts with asking question and see where that takes you. Certainly I believe one should read everything from across the world. Poetry, novels, short stories, plays. I think look at where you love literature is an adventure. I think the goal of literature is to question and look for answers in fiction or nonfiction. All literature is worth reading it's just a matter of what questions u want to answer and what you want to know

I'm so tempted to recommend Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy, but that would be way too much for someone just starting their journey into literature. I'll go with Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.

A good first book recommendation I think is Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse because it’s a pretty accessible book, and the lessons in the book kind of reflect the theme in the video: Find you own way to enlightenment/wisdoms/contentment or at least that’s what I got out of it. A fun history book, that I found easy to read, is A Short History of Nearly Everything By Bill Bryson.

I did read a lot as a kid, but I had a bit of a gap between late middle school and high school. The books that got me back into reading in my senior year were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, 1984 by George Orwell, and then my feeble attempt at Infinite Jest which I enjoyed every second of despite putting it down when I got to college.

Not sure about borges. He's quite academic and offers ideas. Some prefer short stories. I don't. You really need to try everything. What kind of content do you like otherwise? Movies etc. Try to find something similar to start. Then expand.