According to Hesiod, the purpose of literature is to give men relief from their pain
>>24798988Reading philosophy and the Greeks just gives me mental pain.I beat myself up trying to understand political philosophy and metaphysics. I wish I was stupid and always stoned sitting by the side of a lake watching the sunset every night instead.
>>24798988does that only mean escapism? art is a conversation with the artist. fiction teaches you about the author - his own weaknesses and follies - and, since you must know that no failings are unique, you may be helped to acquire tolerance for them in others. if the novel comes off at all, the reader will accompany the writer in some parallel process of self-discovery.
>>24798998Just smoke weed
>>24799025>Just smoke weedYeah but it bothers me if I don't "get it." And I'll diagram and write out arguments etc. Feels like I left the oven on if i just read something I want to understand but don't
