I'm on page 170 approximately and so far it has been a slog. Will it just be the political talk of a rich family for 700 pages? I'm guessing it will get good when Leto is betrayed and Paul becomes an active character, yet the book has been baiting me for the last 70 pages or so with Irulan's notes.
the first half is better than the second. admit you got filtered and move on.
>>25087129>first half is better than the secondwhereas in star wars* dune is a shithole where political refugees hide and planes crash* magic comes from breeding and wuxia meditation* religion is disparagingly referred to as a way to procure magicbasically less tedious midwit whaargarbl
>>25087151im not disputing that, most sci-fi is just manlet-core anyway
>>25086623It's genre fiction. It never gets good. Learn your lesson, and next time drop a work if there is no literary merit in the first 10 pages (first 10 paragraphs really).
>>25086647Do you eat shit to intersperse with good meals? The light snack still needs to be of good taste to fulfill its purpose.
What do you think of this book? So thats how its like having a gf?
>>25083616
>>25084634Just be a Chad bro, its easy
>>25083999>tripsChecked. The point isn't that her characters need to make different life choices. People can be Marxists and get married and have kids, obviously. The point is about narrative structure and what the novels reward. You can write a novel where characters end up in heterosexual coupledom and still interrogate what that means, still let it feel like a compromise or a choice with weight behind it. Rooney's novels don't do that. The settling down IS the resolution, presented without friction, and every potentially destabilizing element (the bisexuality, the polyamory, the class tension) gets quietly absorbed on the way there, which is what makes the structure conservative.>>25084252The conservative thing isn't really about marriage and pregnancy as endpoints, you're right that those are just personal choices. It's more about what the novels systematically exclude. There's never a version of the good life in a Rooney novel that doesn't look like bourgeois domesticity. The characters talk about capitalism being broken but nobody experiments with an alternative way of living that sticks. Nobody stays in the complicated arrangement. Nobody finds meaning through political work or community or anything collective. The only emotional resolution available is the couple form. And that's fine for 1 novel, but across 4 books it starts to look like an imaginative limit, the radicalism staying at the level of opinion while the narrative grammar underneath is completely conventional. That's what I mean by conservative, not her politics but her formal imagination>>25084593Rooney's prose is good at the sentence level even if you find it dry. IMO she handles dialogue better than most of her contemporaries. The intellectual content of the novels is shallow, agreed, the political conversations are surface-level. But I don't think she's dumb. I think she's a talented writer operating inside a very narrow frame and probably not fully aware of how narrow it is. The Beautiful World emails show someone trying to think through her own position and not quite getting there. If she were dumb the books wouldn't work as well as they do at the thing they're actually doing, which is constructing an emotionally compelling fantasy with real craft behind it>>25084629He's probably the closest Rooney gets to writing a character who's abrasive. He's dismissive, he can be cutting, there's real class hostility in how he interacts with Alice's world. I'd still say the novel ultimately domesticates that cruelty though. By the end he's folded into the couple structure and the sharpness gets sanded down. But I get what you're saying, Felix is a real counterpoint to the idea that nobody in these books does anything you'd have to judge them for. He does, but the question is whether the novel lets that meanness have lasting consequences or just routes around it, and IMO it's the second
>>25086269Felix poster here, thank you for the effort post. I see indeed what you mean, but I was thinking about convos with friends, and that ending is more ambiguous than the others. Although Francis has made up with Bobbi, she still runs back to Nick, and will likely suffer for it emotionally later. Rooney at least understands some aspect of head-on-wall banging that people might want to do. In fact, ill say that Convos is probably my favorite book of hers
>>25083224Real hoe's intuit this breakup response rather than learning it from feminist literature>I miss her bros
Why is the goblin cum poison when it is forced down Laura's throat, but an antidote when she licks it off her sisters face? I don't get why Lizzie's resistance of the goblins is salvific for Laura, nor the significance of the payment coin and its return to her purse.
Lizzie uttered not a word;Would not open lip from lipLest they should cram a mouthful in:But laughed in heart to feel the dripOf juice that syrupped all her face,And lodged in dimples of her chin,And streaked her neck which quaked like curd.
Books about how usury conquered the world?
>>25085411Fractional reserve lending is essentially counterfeiting. More specifically, it's defrauding everyone in the world that possesses any of the currency being lent. Making a living off fraud is not morally superior to making a living off slavery.
>>25086780the problem is, without girls being given to financially stable men by their fathers and being beaten and forcibly impregnated by those men, if a man doesnt want to live beyond his means, he wont reproduce and all his living within his means will be meaningless. in fact, if he does manage to beg a woman to carry his child, she can steal everything hes accumulated by living within his means by going to a divorce judge. usury works because women are evil whores who need to be beaten with sticks, by stopping the men whose responsibility it is to take care of women from beating them with sticks. the taliban survived 20 years of occupation because they werent stopped from beating women with sticks
>>25086622I swear, the only thing you people caee about is sex
>>25087260(1) as aquinas ii-i q2a1 quotes [Eccl 10], all things obey money(2) women are things, not people like ai agents
>>25086459Based. TOTAL JEW CASTRATION
According to Adorno and Horkheimer, antissemitism has nothing to do with what jews do or fail to do, and jews are unfairly targetted. The suppression of mythological discourse by the Enlightenment is undone the moment that Enlightenment civilization fails its prerrogatives (sell God for money), then mythological discourse manifests in the form of conspiracy theories targetting minority groups, in order to create a fake nationalist narrative to cope with the failure of capitalism and of the Enlightenment civilization.According to them, jews are just a random target, and there is nothing they could have done or not done to stop this.I think they stand correct, considering how antissemitism is rising again, quickly so, as capitalism (and Enlightenment civilization itself) fails a younger generation. What is their first reaction? Blame the jews.
>>25079796It's a fact because jews dominate at the narrowest distribution of complexity management and creativity, It follows in IQ, education, achievements, wealth.. literally everything. Large % of the conspiracies around the Jews fail to recognize the force factor Jews have within normal distribution curve, In any meritocratic system you should expect the square root of production to be dominated by Jews, given their population isn't extremely neglectable.
>>25076844>According to them, jews are just a random target, and there is nothing they could have done or not done to stop this.woah man... that's deep...>>25076885lol
>>25076844I think they're wrong. Antisemitism in the West is mostly a reaction to behavior patterns common among peoples from the Middle East and South Asia that many Westerners dislike. This can be more easily recognized nowadays thanks to the presence of significant un-selected populations of Arabs, Indians, and Pakistanis in Europe and/or North America.
>>25086702>People just will never leave the Jews aloneI am a founding stock American. My earliest American ancestors came to these shores four hundred and six years ago and have engaged in warfare on and off to expand their dominion ever since. I do not feign ignorance or get offended when some indignant minority screeches about how my country is "stolen land". My ancestors took it from theirs by force and deception and occasionally even legally. I am glad my ancestors did so, else I would not be here, and I feel no shame for them; though as always there are the historical regrets in hindsight that always appear when one engages in navel-gazing.If you people had the balls to own it then you'd be better off. Within living memory and acting in the finest tradition of their old testament forebears, Jews committed acts of terrorism, betrayal and genocide to carve out their independent state well within living memory and have continued to take such actions in the interest - if not name - of its defense, integrity and expansion.The context that Israel has fostered, however, is beyond odious. You are always the blameless victims who nonetheless step forward to defend themselves with great courage and prevail at the end. More to the point, it's the transparent hypocrisy of Israel that has engendered the "increasing anti-semitism" that is causing Jews everywhere to weep and gnash their teeth while doubling down and reinforce the feedback loop.On an interpersonal level, I generally do not care about the rest of the world and in particular I do not care about browns and yellows. Some Israelis getting stabbed registers for me in the same way as hearing that a bunch of Bangladeshi protestors got mowed down at a demonstration. However, my government has not been suborned by Bangladesh. While Bangladeshis dying violently has virtually zero impact on my life, Israelis dying violently impacts my life because purchased politicians have ensured that Israeli and American interests are inseparable. While I make no imposition on the personal consciences of my fellow countrymen, I want my government to give as few shits about dead Jews as I do about dead Bangledeshis and I resent interests that oppose this. I want my government to deal with Israel as it would deal with any other comparable state - belligerent, solipsistic and in possession of undeclared nuclear weapons.I would truly love to not be able to care about Israel in the same way that I don't care about Tajikistan but Israel has decided that that is a luxury which I am not entitled to and it is for this reason more than any other that my opinion of Israel and its advocates is dim and eternally darkening.
>>25076844>>25076893Why do you consistently spell antisemitism with an extra s? What's your angle here?
>age>location>current book + what you think about it27, NC USA, War and Peace -- about 200 pages from the end, getting tired of Tolstoy bloviating about his philosophy of history but want to see what happens to Pierre and Natasha
>>25069242>25>North of England, but I am from the home counties.>Callirhoe by CharitonAlmost finished, but it has been enjoyable. These so-called "novels" are not the peak of the Ancient Greek or Roman literary output, nor are they my favourite thing to read of the ancient world; but are an interesting window into simple prose-fiction of the day, stories of eros, which are quite grounded, in that roles of the gods are reduced to the currents of life; as opposed to the gods being characters which are portrayed as actively interfering in mortal concerns. Instead they will just be tangentailly refered to in terms of forces like Luck, and Love. Callirhoe much like Daphnis and Chloe etc., is centred around two young lovers who have to endure a series of trials and tribulations in order to win the happy conclusion of being united/reunited with their lover; the girl is always chaste and respectable, the boy usually is usually chaste too (Daphnis is an exception, though he was quite innocently taken advantage of). I am moving on to Leucippe and Clitophon next.
>>25069242Well I was going to call you a datamining faggot for asking location but given you're from NC I'll say I'm from there too. I'm in my early 20s and am reading 'The Gate' by Natsume Soseki. It's pretty great I'm only ~70 pages in but I quite like it. It's not very eventful but it's about an older couple living through life. It's a bit melancholy but not overbearing. I've been going through a lot of stress as of late so this book met me at a great time. I was at first going to read Cormac McCarthy's 'Outer Dark' and while I was digging it I was too stressed to read something like that, and will probably read it in the summer or something
>>25084886read magic mountain next, interesting to read on the heels of no longer human
>>25074544>Body culture
27. Chile. Moby Dick. This is my first time reading it, despite having planned to for years. The current situation really tells you how easy it is to postpone everything, and even more so how time suddenly slips away in between. I'm enjoying the book more than I expected, and I find it surprisingly immersive for its time. There's something incredibly contemporary about Melville's prose—I'd read his work before, but not with this level of engagement. It's also the first time in quite some time that I've read a literary classic. I hope to get back to many other books I've been meaning to read for a while after this.
Thoughts on Han Kang? Should I start with The Vegetarian or Human Acts?
>>25086988WTF? That should be fucking illegal.
>>25086988Don't have sexDon't get a jobDon't join a unionDon't read anything more complicated than a race realist's substack
>>25085745>>25086069>vegetarian = the memei take the confucian point seriously; the novel does assume a reader who understands what it costs to refuse a father in that structure, & smith's english softens that cost by making yeong-hye more internally articulate than kang wrote her. the korean is colder. the suppression is part of the meaning. fair.but the force-feeding scene doesn't need context. the father holds pork to her closed mouth. the brother pins her arms. the mother tries dressed oysters because yeong-hye liked them as a child -- weaponizing tenderness, which is worse. every person at that table has a different theory of what her refusal means & a different strategy for ending it. she has no theory. she has a mouth that won't open. every translation gets that right.smith's translation gave yeong-hye interiority the original withholds. the korean critics wanted the withholding preserved -- a faithful translator should disappear into service. the controversy isn't about accuracy. it's about whether a woman translating a woman's silence gets to decide how much silence to keep.human acts does formally what no other korean novel does. the vegetarian does something no formal innovation can protect you from: it makes the reader another interpreter standing over a woman's closed mouth, certain they understand.three translations deep & the jaw still holds. that's not a meme.
>>25087071Your insults are as meaningless as calling a thin person fat.
>>25086988>Dont read marginalized voices>There are more women than men worldwide>There are more asians than any other race worldwide
"The Death of /wg/" EditionPrevious: >>25059976/wg/ AUTHORS & FLASH FICTION: https://pastebin.com/ruwQj7xQRESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS: https://pastebin.com/nFxdiQvCPlease limit excerpts to one post.Give advice as much as you receive it to the best of your ability.Discuss the written works below for practice; contribute, and you shall receive.If you have not performed a cursory proofread, do not expect to be treated kindly. Edit your work for spelling and grammar before posting.Shitposters should be ignored and reported.Beginner guides on writing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHdzv1NfZRMComment too long. Click here to view the full text.
https://pastebin.com/ysFEUziMshort story, looking for critique
>>25086843sorry, looking at this again i see that it isn't very good. also, "canere" means to sing, not to shine. whoops
>>25086837So you're saying to not write stuff down? And if the idea comes back to my mind later that means it's good?
>>25086843absolutely awful
>>25087030Yeah, I don't start putting words to the page unless I'm consistently brainstorming the idea
>>25086574It's not pedantry, retard. The shiites and sunnis have so much bad blood between them, going back 1000 years at least, that they are politically closer to the Christians than they are to each other. That's why you can say it's an even split. They do not "gang up" on the Christians because they despise each other.
>>25084205It's always hilarious when religious people just come out and say "yeah, religion is irrational and false" thinking they are defending religion.
The biggest scam in history is actually the heliocentric grabbity globe earth lie
>>25087221Too based for this flat world.
>>25083023How is tricking brutes & perverts into behaving themselves a bad idea?
I have read Essays on Analytical Psychology and Modern Man in Search of a Soul, now I need recommendations: Which other Jung works should I read next/which are essential to understand the philosophy, and which authors/works influenced by or influencing Jung are essential to read next?Please help I am in desperate need of existential meaning.
>>25080625nkigger i CANNOT read that
>>25084385And in society generally.
Jung said just read The Origin and History of Consciousness if you want to read a proper summary of his works.
>>25080650God, you Mossad agents are tiresome.
>>25083738Ok, name the things you gained reading him.
Gods, Divinities, Religion, and Faith Edition 2: Beautiful Goddess BoogalooFAQ:>What is worldbuilding?Worldbuilding is the process of creating entire fictional worlds from scratch, all while considering the logistics of these worlds to make them as believable as possible. Worldbuilding asks questions about the setting of a world, and then answers them, often in great detail. Most people use it as a means of creating a setting or the scenery for a story.>"Isn't there a Worldbuilding general in >>>/tg/ already?"Yes, there is. However, that general is focused on the creation of fictional worlds for the intended purpose of playing TTRPG campaigns. Here you can discuss worldbuilding projects that are not meant to be used for a roleplaying setting, but for novels, videogames, or any other kind of creative project.>"Can I discuss the setting of my campaign here, though?"If you want to, but it would probably be better to discuss it on >>>/tg/ . We don't allow the discussion of TTRPG mechanics, however. If you want to discuss stats or which D&D edition is best, this is not the place.>"Can I talk about an existing fictional setting that is not mine?"Yes, of course you can!>"Does worldbuilding need to be about fantasy and elves?"Worldbuilding, as already stated above, and contrary to what many believe, does not inherently imply blatantly copying Tolkien. In fact, there are many science-fiction setting out there, and even entire alternative history settings which do not possess supernatural elements at all. Any kind of science fiction book has an implied setting at least, which involves a certain degree of worldbuilding put into it.Old thread: >>25016601
>>25087197You sound bitter. Writers block blues, anon?
>>25087205You sound like you don't write and never intend to write. This isn't the thread for you. You don't belong and never have belonged. Prove me wrong if you can. Post what you have done.But you can't because you have nothing.
>>25087218I'm willing to share if you are, but you're obviously in a bad mood and no one wants to deal with your seething. Post something - it might make you feel better.
>>25087227And that attempt to dodge providing proof is conformation.You are a troll and shall not receive any more attention. Enjoy the dead thread.
>>25087230stay mad, I guess?
Convention says there are "Short Stories" and <i>Novels</i>. Really there are "Short Stories", <i>Novels</i>, and sometimes the <b>Magnum Opus</b>.An author never has more than one magnum opus. Not every author has a magnum opus relative to their career worthy of the distinction from ordinary novels. But the magnum opus is significantly more annoying and also slightly more interesting than their other work. Everything wrong in individual novels is usually boldfacedly present in the magnum opus. And, every bit of filler. But, only the magnum opus contains the ultimate thesis of the author, as well as the peak scene. No author has ever written a magnum opus that doesn't have a scene that is at least as good as their best short story, and a fraction that is at least as good as which ever novel is comparably long. So a career is 50% magnum opus, and 25% longer remainder novels, and 12.5% shorter remainder novels, and 6.25% short stories, and 3.125% excerpts from published nonfiction, and on down through the different types of writing, including nonpublished works and drafts.
>>25087100if i have the choice, i take... helveticagotta go, thanks for helping me kill some time
>>25087073>samefagThat's like saying any author who doesn't coerce short stories into a continuous narrative is wasting time. Some things are meant to be picked apart individually. Some are meant to be lumped into a real compilation.>>25087106I accept your concession.
>>25087107i accept your inability to comprehend the point i was making, hope your actual writing isnt as grim as this
>>25087124Imagine accepting someone else's acceptance of your concession.
Was Homer's "magnum opus" the Iliad or the Odyssey?
Wait, empiricism is actually based? How the fuck did we get from Humean radical, double-edged skepticism and epistemological minimalism to the hyperrationalist objectivism LARP of "empiricists" in the 21st century?Why is it that every time I ditch 3rd and 2nd degree sources and just go straight to the actual authors, I find out that the underlying theory is much more sensible than whatever their ideas are mangled into in popular culture? Is this phenomenon what Baudrillard was talking about?
>>25087056what does that have to do with the price of fish in china? literally not what the topic was about
>>25087103I'm aware that you lack the ability to examine any claim you make critically, you literally just said that in the post I responded to. No point arguing, you have as good as said you don't believe it is possible to argue in good faith. Might as well say nothing then.
>>25087117entertaining different ideas is nothing close to legitimately questioning your own views, dipshit. the only way you could confuse them is if you believed in nothing substantial, which was already covered by my first post
>>25087117>I'm aware that you lack the ability to examine any claim you make critically,What do you use to critically analyse anything if you don't work from any assumptions? All reddit atheist types can do is project and assume everyone is as mindlessly dogmatic as them. You're religious fanatics, the dumbest branch of Christianity.
Morality isn’t real. Religion isn’t real. Self is real. Causation is not unique in any way, all rationality is built on pragmatic associations for the purpose of reward seeking. Induction is the definition of rational, as it is a good way to get you more good stuff.
I get it.
keep it real people!
>>25086799I liked the bbc chapter
