Leaf by Leaf have you read ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ by Richard Flanagan... It won a booker back in 2014 and I think you would love it if you haven’t read it already. It has a deep emotional story with historical beats and shows traumas of war prisoners. As for the popular fiction i would recommend ‘I'm Thinking of Ending Things’ by Iain Reid. It is very good psychological thriller and weird in a good way. Charlie Kaufman is making a movie on it.
it is 12 am here in India, i got myself some food and watching over this q & a minute by minute as if to sit in a couch and discuss literature with a friend! I love your channel, Love your content and the depth of your knowledge, Man hats off!
I completely get that feeling you described: the gut feeling of “it’s time to read this”. I think we can trust it and continue to educate it with experience. Nice video!
I just discovered your channel and I gotta say you’re already one of my favorite book themed youtubers. Your thoughts on each book come across as genuinely well thought through, and this Q and A was a great insight as well, thanks and much love from Austria.
Recommended Sci-Fi: The Crystal World - J.G. Ballard Norstrilia - Cordwainer Smith The Fifth Head of Cerberus - Gene Wolfe All of these are short books, to dip your toe in. Love your videos, keep up the good work.
I’ve just discovered your channel, and at the same time I have just discovered my love for reading. Those around me don’t quite share my interest in fiction and philosophy, so your channel has been a real treat!
It’s the same for me-no one in my immediate life is into literature as I am. The channel has been a great outlet. So glad you’ve discovered a love for reading. It will serve you well all your life.
It's interesting that you mention Paperbird because I found both your channels the same way: through Anna Kavan. After finishing Ice I was desperate to read/listen to other people talk about the book and the author, so I searched UA-cam and found both his brilliant and crazy video about Ice and your video about Machines in the Head, and have been following both channels since (there's really not that many people talking about Anna Kavan around here).
I love his videos! They are experiences. He is the one who got me onto UA-cam to begin with. I should probably do a follow up video on Kavan. Maybe Ice. Glad you found me!
Just found out your channel and really enjoying it. Nice to know you're an IT professional. I'm a computer engineering student from Brazil and I love seeing people like you who inspire me to seek knowledge in areas other than the one I've chosen as profession.
Obrigado! And coincidentally I am working on a project to take a software product into the Brazil market, so I am on the phone with people in Curitiba every day!
I recently found your channel and I'm very happy I did. Don't remember how I found it, might have been through another Booktuber, but happy to be here!
About The Girl Next Door: Ketchum’s writing is so beautiful and flowing, I couldn’t help but finish it in a day; you are completely right though, that is one I read once and put way back in the corner of a shelf and rarely tell anyone about. One of the best horror novels I’ve ever read but haunting all the same
Just started reading The Girl Next Door today, after Leaf's commentary. Am seven chapters into it, getting sleepy, will finish tomorrow. The prose reminds me of Thompson's The Killer Inside Me, but like if it were narrated by Holden Caulfield.
IDK, I'm 3/4th of the way through and I just don't think I can finish The Girl Next Door. Not because it's too graphic, I mean I've read a few things by the Marquis de Sade, things that were/are much much MUCH more wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy the eff out there. Things (120 Days and Juliette, and in that order) that are by farrrrrrrrrr much more evil sickening revolting, et cetering. But. It's a bit too convenient. The Girl Next Door just happens to match up exactly with what is allowed. The victim of the drapes is totes faultless. Which is the only Rx for getting yer stuff published. Based on a true story my hinder. Yeah, PARTIALLY based on a true story. But a few particulars have been left out. But if left in, then we wouldn't be able to read all about it.
Ballard---Atrocity Exhibition. The book I have is very oversized and has a ton of illustration. 60'ish pop culture meets depopulated urban landscape. Crime fiction--off the top of my head David Peace, Eoin McNamee, Leif G.W. Persson, Ricardo Piglia's--Money to burn, Dominique Manotti, Leonardo Sciascia. Oulipo? I think I heard you mention Jim Gauer. I'm working my way through Novel Explosives now.
Great video, man! Your humility is refreshing and appreciated. Here I thought I read a lot, and I only do two to three hours per day. You're a reading machine, my friend. PS: I look forward to your McElroy series!
Hey-two to three hours IS a lot! And you read quality stuff, too! I’m already at work amassing my McElroy texts (I have Night Soul and Other Stories; Smuggler’s Bible; Pulse; Women and Men; and Letter Left to Me so far). Thanks for dropping by!
@@LeafbyLeaf I'd like to start watching your videos more regularly, but never seem to find the time. I always enjoy the ones I watch. Your McElroy collection is envy-inducing! I have only Women and Men, which is the sole McElroy I've read to date. I feel like I know the author better than I probably do, simply because of the sheer girth of W&M. You'll have a blast with that one, Chris. Side note: Is Hegel tougher than the Wake? If so, dang!
It’s all good. I’d rather you use your free time to read rather than watch my videos! The Wake and Hegel are two different types of difficulty. For me, the Wake is “easier” because it is creative fiction (on steroids) whereas Hegel is straight philosophy.
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, most of my free time is spent reading (or in the case of tonight, putting up curtain rods). It probably won't surprise you that Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit is on my shelf. (You may also not be surprised that it's one of the hundred or so books in my house I still haven't read.) I've been wary to dive in. I love difficult fiction, but Hegel is new territory for me. What I don't want is to push through it but glean nothing from the experience.
Hi Chris, I'm so glad I finally made it over to check out your channel! (As you said, there are many channels to watch.) What a treat to hear about you and your reading tastes. Everything you talked about reading sounds interesting. Your subscribers are so curious! How wonderful. I love the community here, too. Also, your setup is really nice! Simple can be good! I just checked out your portfolio and it made me curious- how did you get into book reviewing? And finally, I had to mention Brandon Sanderson. His prose is very commercial, but he's quite the worldsmith. His cosmere universe is built using platonic theory and he interacts with religion in really interesting ways, too. That's the mega draw, for me. I hope you don't mind long winded comments 😆 Take care, Christy
I welcome long-winded comments (and books)! I appreciate you stopping by and taking some time to watch the video. (This Q&A session has two more parts that I'll be posting this week.) Thank you for the kind remarks, too. As for book reviewing: It's something I never thought I'd do. I've been writing short stories, poems, novels, and criticism for about 15 years, but, on a whim, I entered a book review competition for Grove Atlantic in 2018 and won honorable mention. So, I found a national journal called Rain Taxi Review of Books, sent a submission, and I've been reviewing regularly for them ever since. SO, serendipity, I suppose. You would not believe the number of friends I have who bombard me with Sanderson. One of these friends has told me he will not talk to me about anything substantive any more until I've read at least one Sanderson book. HAHA! I may end up doing with Sanderson what I've been doing with Murakami (namely, giving them fair reads and reviews to assuage my friends, with an eye to catching the fever myself--to use an ill-timed idiom). Anyway, always nice to hear from another BookTuber. Keep up the good work! Chris
@@LeafbyLeaf Awesome, I can't wait to watch the next parts! I like to write, too, but I haven't gotten anything published. Will definitely go check out your fiction and poetry. I hope you do get a chance to check Sanderson out- and that you enjoy him 😊 I would love to hear your thoughts on his work.
The most confounding, opaque, and elliptical book I have ever encountered is Joyce Carol Oates's novel "Childwold". Someday sit down with this and try to make heads or tails out of it. It is tough going.
For sci-fi recs: virtually all of the mind bendingly prolific work of Samuel R. Delany (from his pulp novels, to memoir, to criticism, to pornographic novels, to sword & sorcery fantasy, to comics, to realist fiction) is some of the best in all American letters, and dare I say that he is the best living American writer. He's the closest the USA has ever come to having its own Borges. I'm sure being a fan of the big postwar novels that Dhalgren is on your radar, but the rest of his work post-Dhalgren is for me where the real gold is.
“He is the closest the USA has ever come to having its own Borges.” SOLD! Can you recommend a good work with which to start? (And, Ted, Dhalgren is on the ole radar.)
@@LeafbyLeaf I would say his Return to Nevèrÿon series is my favorite and the most overlooked of his work in terms of critical reception and readership. I would also say as disclaimer that me giving him the title of America's Borges can be more ascribed to his mind-bending erudition on virtually all literature and philosophy and less on specific style (especially as Delany can be something of a maximalist, having various 700+ page novels under his belt)-he is also the writer from whom I read that the first Borges story to ever appear in english was in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, which I thought was another interesting connection between their two worlds. As to more info on my rec: It is a series of four books of interlocking short stories/novels/novellas that deploy deconstructive/post-colonial/semiotic epigraphs throughout a Sword & Sorcery fantasy narrative that takes place at the pseudo-historical juncture in which writing and money are both simultaneously emerging as widespread systems. The thread through the books is one of a slave uprising across an empire. It can also be noted for being the very first piece of fiction to address the AIDS crisis in the United States in 1985 (though I won't spoil how that is integrated into the above literary context, as it is a true treat) leading it (and Delany's other books) to be banned from Barnes & Noble for years.
@@LeafbyLeaf and one more thing to seal the deal for you that I forgot before. Umberto Eco wrote of him: "I consider Delany not only one of the most important SF writers of the present generation but a fascinating writer in general who has invented a new style."
I'm glad you asked, too! It is gorgeous. There are so many books I forget to talk about; it is so valuable to be asked specific and fresh questions like yours.
Speaking to your statement about to having reading goals I very much have stuck to the personal rule of very vague and generalized goals with the only real rule being quality of quantity. For example the only real rule I have had this entire year is that because its the 2020 I am mainly sticking to sci-fi novels simply just because. I don't honestly read much sci-fi but because I simply felt like this should be my goal for the year I've had a blast discovering things I never knew I would like. As of last week I completed all 6 of the Frank Herbert Dune novels and am just blown away. God Emperor of Dune might be one of the most thought provoking novels I have ever touched and never would have expected it.
@@LeafbyLeaf I just saw where you mentioned wanted to read the first Dune, there is something so very interesting about the themes and the utter complexity the Frank Herbert uses with such ease in this epic of a series. Good luck completing the part about the murders in 2666, it's not light. I have personal thoughts about that section for your video on part 4.
Marginalia... Just can't do it (except junk books). I take notes separately and when done, I transcribe it, and then print them out and keep them with the book.
I used to be the exact same way (as I mentioned to you elsewhere). --BUT-- I will say that when I read the unabridged _Rising Up and Rising Down_ I could not bring myself to write in those books, and I reverted to using Post-It flags in the book and taking notes separately in a dedicated Leuchtturm 1917 A5 lined journal with my treasured LAMY fountain pen. :)
Thanks so much! It was a pleasure to answer all of the questions. Thank you very much for your question. I think a lot of people are interested in opinions about that very topic.
I just discovered your channel, and I love it. Your literary tastes are quite close to mine in many ways, but I've already discovered some new books and writers binge-watching your videos. I've already proposed to the Meetup reading group I run that we pair The Lover with Lolita, which we'd previously already had on the docket.
Than you for another informative video. Very well done. I cannot resist talking about sci-fi when someone asks for recommendations. Condensing my suggestions down to the deepest, most meaningful and elegant S-f: Peake's Gormanghast trilogy, Vance's Lyoness trilogy, Gene Wolfe's Peace, Delany's Dhalghren.
@@LeafbyLeaf btw Ballard's Complete stories is a great buy. However, the difficult to find stories of R. A. Lafferty are ultimately more rewarding in my opinion.
I thought I was a fairly serious reader for getting in an hour or 90 minutes of reading a day, very impressive! I guess I must have more time somewhere to devote to it.
@@LeafbyLeaf I meant "mane" by the way, sorry, but a lane named "Leafy" would sound rather poetic, come to think of it. Hey did you hear about a Canadian writer called Ian Reid? His books are about identity, his last offering deals with the issue of substituting for someone as in a surrogate clone of yourself, it's very eerie. Book's title "Foe"
You might consider The Red Book, with the gorgeous illustrations of his journal and the visionary experiences he endured and documented. And of course, Dune! The series of the Dune books are well worth it, but I have never read outside the Original series by Herbert, but could be convinced to continue the journey, possibly. Thanks for your thoughts and openness about your explorations in literature.
New to your channel. A great find. I didn't know if you see comments on two-year-old videos get your attention, but I would support the other comments that recommend Phillip K Dick. Not always the most artful writer but always worth reading. And Atrocity Exhibition by J.G Ballard. Nobody else seems to have mentioned Ursula K Le Guin. Highly recommend. Especially The Left Hand Of Darkness. Coincidentally she went to High School with Phillip K Dick but didn't know each other. She was a huge supporter of his work and they corresponded but never met in person.
House of leaves was the hardest book I’ve ever read. A very fulfilling read though. I’ve tried gravity’s rainbow a few times, but I’ve not completed it yet. A sense of impending doom perhaps. Thanks for your videos
@@LeafbyLeaf thanks! It feels like that. Which is odd, particularly something which is supposed to be enjoyable. I know it’s got a lot to offer, I will return when healed and I have amassed more provisions. Cheers!
Hi Chris, I couldn't find a video in which this question would be pertinent to to subject at hand so the best I could do is use the question video. I'm curious about which novels you found most difficult to finish because the subject was so disturbing yet brilliantly presented. This is just off the top of my head but some that jump off the top of my head are Naked Lunch, 2666, Blood Meridian, portions of Gravity's Rainbow (particularly the Dodo bird section and the Herero section) and a novel that may not be as well known called The Kindly One by Jonathan Littell ( about an SS officer during Operation Barbarosa that takes part in slaughtering untold numbers of Jews and Russians without much regret yet is being investigated back in Germany for the murdered of one German woman). I highly recommend it but like 2666 in particular the carnage is almost excruciating to read. And one novel that I barely finished was American Psycho. This said, I'd love the hear your list of novels in that category.
Hey man, new to your channel, but based on everything I’ve seen, you really have got to check out Gene Wolfe. I cannot recommend him enough. He’s a literary fiction giant who just happens to write sci fi and fantasy. I would recommend The Fifth Head of Cerberus as a great introduction, and then for you to jump into his Solar Cycle with Book of the New Sun, which is lovingly described as Sci Fi’s Ulysses. Really enjoying your content and approach to reviews, especially your video on The Recognitions.
Nascent book reader here! My favorite author and series has become the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons I think it's a very rewarding Sci-fi story that builds it's world through characters and killer prose. I can't recommend it enough and would love to hear your take on it and where you think it stands among the books you've read.
I am so all over Ketchum ... been on my radar for a while and you just sealed it. 3 Body Problem trilogy is amazing ... not super literary in term of prose and characterization but the ideas in it blew me away. Dune is great too. I recognized all the Faulkners right away even on a tiny iPhone lol. Absalomx2 my favorite of his. And kudos for actually getting through Hegel ... something I couldn’t do even as a philosophy major.
Haha! Ketchum is a very competent writer of the “psychological thriller with shades of horror” genre. I went through a big phase of Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum. I have Dune and Three Body Problem on my sci-fi lift. Faulkner-oh, yes! Thanks for the kudos, yet-I’m often reminded of how little I really retained. I see my first reading of Hegel as having merely prepared me to read Hegel.
@@LeafbyLeaf I remember the version of "Phenomenology of Spirit" we used had summaries at the top of each chapter, which totally saved me, lol. Maybe I'll try to read some of it now for real but if you've retained even a smidgen of it, you've already got me beat. I haven't read as much horror lately as I used to (besides House of Leaves re-read) ... I'm ready for a dose and Ketchum sounds perfect. BTW ... you showed some visual books ... on the subject of pulp horror check out Paperbacks from Hell ... It's an excellent retrospective of the pulp horror genre and includes amazing reproductions of hundreds of now out-of-print book covers, not to mention it's a hysterical read. That's where I first heard of Ketchum and I'm pretty sure Laymon is covered too.
@@LeafbyLeaf "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" and "Ubik" are my favorites. After that, "A Scanner Darkly" and "Martian Time-Slip." I'm lukewarm on "The Man in the High Castle." I can appreciate it but it wasn't the great read that the others were for me. "Valis" is my next read from him. I hear it's autobiographical and based around conspiracy theories he actually believed in and paranormal phenomena he claimed really happened to him. I don't believe in any of that but I am interested in reading how a great writer perceived and portrayed something like that.
I haven’t read any of those. I have heard from several fans that the Valis trilogy is the pinnacle of PKD. I think I’ll check out Ubik next. Have you read any of his short stories?
@@LeafbyLeaf I've got his short stories on the shelf. I've saved them for last out of the books I bought. I had the vague assumption that since they were turned into movies they must be the most conventional. I'm likely wrong about that now that I've written out that thought.
Hey man ~ thanks for your unscripted thoughts. Their very refreshing in the UA-cam-verse. I get a great deal of inspiration from your videos to enrich my reading life. One question for you, have you ever read any of John Boyne’s novels (A History of Loneliness, The Absolutist). I’m ankle deep into his beefy book The Hearts Invisible Furies and really enjoy his dialogue. Totally dig your shelves. Keith
I've been watching a lot of your videos recently. I discovered you in a comments section of a Better Than Food video. Reading Cliff's favorite book "Story of An Eye" really took me through a good habit of reading. As a result, I've read a lot of his recommendations. What's one book that is super special to YOU that you think I should read? To give you a sense of my taste, here are some books I've enjoyed recently: A Episode in the Life of a Landscape Artist by Cesar Aira, Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe, My Struggle Vol 1 by ove knausgaard, Stoner by John Williams, Judas by Amos Oz, Loitering by Charles D'Ambrosio, Chronology of Water by Lydia Yuknavitch, The Dead by Christian Kracht. Thanks for the recs!
Hey! Thanks for contacting me on Instagram too. Off the bat, I’d have to cite Moby-Dick and Miss Lonelyhearts. But I’ll give this some more thought too.
I've only started reading properly over the past year but I would suggest James Ellroy's LA Quartet as a detective story. The drama and build up of the story is amazing and the murders are disturbingly beautiful. Also, if you watch interviews with Ellroy it is clear he is a man to be admired.
I read the first of the LA Quartet as part of my Los Angeles series: ua-cam.com/video/49MIi8_8Ops/v-deo.html I also subsequently watched a documentary (Feast of Death) that really opened my eyes to the author and his life!
@@LeafbyLeaf wow, thanks for the reply. I’ll definitely check both of those out, thank you! Also, I love the content on your channel, it’s really amazing stuff and I can’t wait to deep dive into more of your content! Support from Scotland 🏴
I love sci-fi, so if you haven't read it I absolutely recommend "Parable of the Sower" and "Parable of the Talents" by Octavia E. Butler. They're near-future science fiction, and I feel like they are very relevant to current events. Also "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clark. That one is great too.
Very nice! I love your name, by the way (the allusion to Lovecraft's emblematic university). Ketchum was a great writer. I think the last I read of his was a collaboration with Ketchum and Lucky McKee (about a women who regresses to a childlike state). His psychological depiction of characters was high quality.
Not sure if you're interested in books about books/reading, but Alberto Manguel is worth a look: The Library at Night; A History of Reading; A Reading Diary
Leaf by Leaf Ah! You know and have Manguel! Wonderful. Just discovered your videos and am really enjoying them. I’ll throw some other names/titles at you as time goes by. But I’m sure you’ve already got them!
Late comment but I agree with the people recommending Gene Wolfe. I took about three months and read almost all of his work from last December to this February. I recommend: Fifth Head of Cerberus: great little three-part weird sci-fi novel that unravels masterfully Solar Cycle: massive mythical saga focused on personal spiritual revelation Latro in the Mist: great, fun Herodotus fanfiction but ESPECIALLY... Peace: his most literary work, beautiful, sad, surreal, scary; somewhere between Proust and Poe
"[S]omewhere between Proust and Poe"? I don't think I've ever purchased a book so quickly in my life! Thank you for this. I've only got _Fifth Head of Cerberus_ waiting on me for my Wolfe exposure. Should I save _Peace_ for after?
@@LeafbyLeaf @Leaf by Leaf not at all! Peace is kind of an oddity in his oeuvre, and it can even be read without touching any of his other works (though of course I recommend them too!). I can't say too much more without just talking about the contents of the book itself, so I'll leave it there haha. Have fun!
Some genre recommends that I feel would fit well with you. Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. Thomas Ligotti for horror. Peter Watts' Blindsight. Greg Egan's Diaspora. China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Embassytown. Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book Of The Fallen. Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy. M. John Harrison's Viriconium.
Thank you! I've added all these to the list. The only name I've read is Thomas Ligotti, but that was his non-fiction The Conspiracy against the Human Race.
Great list! I'd add The Culture series by Iain M. Banks. Also Engine Summer by John Crowley is a beautiful and weird sci-fi book that's often overlooked.
Do u read one book at a time, or jump between several? I have a hard time keeping interest in one, but if I switch to others I lose my train of thought for the first book. Any advice?
I do a mixture of both methods: reading only one book at a time, and alternating between multiple books. But whenever I read multiple books at once, they are always different genres. For example, right now I'm alternating between a biography of Samuel Beckett, his first novel (Murphy), and a Ph.D. student's dissertation on Beckett. In this case, they're all related to Beckett, but one is non-fiction, one is fiction, and the other is academic. At other times, I may alternate between a collection of essays and a novel; or perhaps a book of poetry and a novel; but I will never read, for example, multiple biographies or multiple novels at the same time. But I often read just one book at a time, too. This could be because it is all-consuming (meaning lots of focus and brain power is needed) or it's enormous (e.g. The Dying Grass) or it's just good bloody enjoyable I can't stop reading it. When it comes to the problem of attention/interest in reading, I always suggest that one go through a discovery phase to see just what it is that holds your attention/interest. This is where you simply try out (i.e. reading the first 25pp) a bunch of different books (the public library is useful here) and discover what it is that clicks. Then go down that path. Start reading a bunch of similar books. Over time, your ability to engage with a text will improve. Hope this helps!
Well, it’s been a bit since you posted this, but I would recommend China Mieville’s The City & The City as a completely surprising and unconventional detective story. If you are at all interested in semiotics I think you would enjoy it. Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy is another one of my favorites. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo, a locked room mystery in the tradition of Borges himself, who is a character in the book. Last one is a historical mystery by Iain Pears, An Instance of the Fingerpost, which takes place just after Charles II is restored to the throne in 17th century England.
I've been seeing a lot about China Meiville recently. Never read anything, but I'll take your recommendation. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans I just purchased immediately. Thanks for that! And it's a Brazilian author, too (I've been wanting to read more Brazilian work).
Just wanted to comment and say that you are my favorite channel and I find your commentary and recommendations to be so incredibly insightful. I have just one question, have you read Boswell's Life of Johnson? If you have I would love to know what your thoughts are on it. I myself am getting quite interested with literary criticism and it was only a matter of time before I discovered Dr. Johnson. I'm reading Boswell's biography of him right now and thoroughly enjoying it.
Wow-thanks so much! That’s very nice of you! Shamefully, I have not read Boswell’s great book of the great man. It is on my Goodreads shelf I named “books I’m embarrassed I haven’t read yet.”
Hi Drunzo and Leaf by Leaf! Booktubers that I like unite! You guys are both so great at exciting people about reading thanks for your continued enthusiasm!
If I were ever to set a reading goal, it would be for hours spent reading and not for number of books or pages or whatever. I guarantee my reading is more substantial than someone reading a hundred books per year.
Yes, exactly. I never use number of books as my unit of measure, but rather how many hours per day (currently average 3) I will dedicate to reading. It’s a much, much better focusing goal.
This was delightful! Very much looking forward to part 2. I can't say that I'm a big science fiction reader, but here are some that I would recommend: Day of the Oprichnik by Vladimir Sorokin, I Still Dream by James Smythe, Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, and Shadowbahn by Steve Erickson.
I've let the rigor of the color-coding system slide a bit, mostly because I keep running out of colors. I've never taken that test (or if I did, I've forgotten). My employer tends to put us through these variations on Myers-Briggs every few years. Last one I did was Strengths Finder and I was largely an "Input" type. www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252278/input-theme.aspx
I do know that I am one profile at my day job (highly analytical and organized) and another way in my personal life (emotionally-driven); and books I seem to find a mix between the two. About the PostIts again-yeah, I was spending way too much $ on them there for a while. :-)
@@LeafbyLeaf In MBTI you have a four function stack and you use different ones at different times. Everyone has thinking and feeling, sensing and intuition in their stack. The difference is the order and whether they are introverted or extroverted. How one thinks is as interesting as what one thinks. What I learned on a gazillion youtubes helped me a lot. But now it is back to books 😁 Shoutout to Jori Graham' poetry.
Ahhhh, yes, I’m remembering this one now. If I remember correctly, we employees all received these stacked cubes, each segment of which could be twisted to reveal our 4 letters. I think the intention was that we were to display them prominently on our desks so that visitors could decipher our type straightaway. I’m interested in taking it again now.
Hey man. I was wondering about a mathematicians apology. Is the main focus of the book on maths or hardy's life ? Thanks for showing me that book. im a math major and didnt evan know about it!
It is definitely a classic in the field. But it is not technical. It is more about Hardy explaining to non-mathematicians why he is so passionate about pure mathematics (I say pure to distinguish from applied mathematics). It’s also not an autobiography. The apology of the title is from the Greek apologia-defense. Hope that helps!
@@LeafbyLeaf Definitely sounds worth buying and reading. Thanks for the reply and yes it helped alot. Very excited to see inside the mind of such a great mathematician!
If you like horror and want to try sci fi, "the killing star" by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski - is an amazing psychological horror/sci-fi piece. One of my favorite books.
That's a great question. There are two, somewhat contradictory, answers: 8 and 22. At the age of 8, I started reading the Bible seriously, and at 22 I started reading non-religious (serious) literature seriously.
For a disturbing read from a top notch writer, try Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones. She is a phenomenal black writer that Toni Morrison looked up to. I couldn’t put it down.
Since you asked about Sci-fi writers Chris, I really can't resist: You have to read Dietmar Dath's “The Abolition of Species”. Why? Well, because one has to read Dath and it's the only English translation so far. But why so adamant on reading this voraciously theory ruminating writer, who has a similar output in size and speed as a Vollmann (which I finally read again after a 5 year break thanks to you and your videos on his oeuvre), who's literary idol is maybe the German modernist writer par excellence Alfred Döblin (which seems also like a guy for you) and who lots of people find too hard or complicated to enjoy? Don't you already think that this sounds perfect for a Leaf by Leaf author? The comparison to Vollmann isn't too far off in terms of productivity and demonstration of their research and general education (just recently published another 2000 pages in form of a novel and a Sci-fi poetics). By all his language sensibilities and eagerness for narrative experimentation (of course I can only hope that the English translation does justice to this dimension) in most of his Sci-fi work he manages also to be rather spot on the science. Dath is handling the hard sciences with the same ease and fun as he does his literary, philosophical and Marxist deliberations. His non-fiction work demonstrates that even better and is for some arguably even a bigger joy to read. Sadly, in English one has to work with only one book so far. But it's a good one. “The Abolition of Species” is probably his most famous work - nominated for the short list of the German Book Prize - and compared to his recent output a rather slim book, with maybe 400 pages in English - but hey, maybe that motivates you even more to give him a thorough read. Much like PKD I appreciate his whole oeuvre more than an individual piece, but I'm sure you would not regret your time spent with this one! Also: Love your channel, love your presentation, love your interests, love your voice and of course I love-hate you for “shame-seducing” me to read even more. Bless you!
Thanks for all the input! I gree that Dath sounds like a great fit for Leaf by Leaf, and I do thank you for putting it on my radar. I've been meaning to get around to Döblin for far too long. Actually, there are many Germans I have in queue. Always glad to meet a fellow WTV fan. I will NOT apologize for causing you to read even more. :)
You've just triggered a memory of a professor assigning this book to me in grad school. I'm sitting here trying to recall (1) why she did so, and, furthermore, (2) what I thought of it...
@@LeafbyLeaf I love LOVE much of Twain's work, but Connecticut Yankee is a one-star rated book for me. In contrast, for example, Moby Dick was a huge challenge for me to get through, just because of the zillion page asides, but that work is brilliant.
Thanks! It has been a good 10 years or more since I read that one. Took it with me on a business trip to Sweden. Reading it through a fog of jet lag in the hotel room and in between bouts of nodding off on the return flight both enhanced and diminished the experience. Definitely need to revisit the book since all I can recall are impressions. I think that was during my Henry Miller phase. Thanks for reminding me of it!
I was absolutely horrified by the idea of writing in books right up until I was 26ish and at university. I only wish my marginalia was more... Profound. I remember one of the first books I wrote in was Jane Eyre and one of the biggest that I wrote was just having a go about Jane leaving Rochester XD
I love your videos. My first experience with you was that long video on "Gravity's Rainbow" which inspired me to dig out and dust off my copy that's been sitting in a pile of outbound books for about ten years after reading only 100 pages or so. But your passion and commentary inspired me to re-visit that strange, dense world. So far, I'm very much enjoying my second attempt. I LOVE Philip K. Dick and J.G. Ballard. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly" is what made me a lifer for his books. Scanner is both sad and hilarious, a combination that draws me into a lot of books I've loved including DFW's "Infinite Jest". Favorite Ballard novels: "Crash" and "High Rise". I love Ballard's dry, clinical language he uses to build these dream-like atmospheres of sex and violence. Most disturbing book I've ever read is Marquis de Sade's "The 120 Days of Sodom". That was a book where I would have to pause in mid-sentence and just look away for a while. Take a deep breath and resume reading. Not something you want to take with you on public transit--or have co-workers or casual acquaintances ask you about. Anyway, keep up the great work!
Hey there! Thanks so much for all of this! I need to read more PKD and Ballard for sure. As for de Sade, I think I've had my fill. :) All my best to you!
I would choose Latin too and it’s funny because like you I would have chosen Greek too because I prefer the Greek works but Latin is so formative. I’ve watched this video before. I wonder if what you say entered my brain and hibernated finally reappearing as an original thought but which I’ve actually stolen from you hahaha Who knows. But I really feel like I’ve come to this conclusion on my own 😂
Most I know are big into scifi but not much else (of course, I speak for only the miniscule subset of IT workers with whose reading habits I'm familiar). I've got some catching up to do with them!
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, you may be right. Not many into "serious" literature. But at least they read, I think, disproportionately as compared to the rest of the population.
Well Chris, I'm really flattered I got a mention. Swearengen, like the dude from Deadwood. I used to use my real surname in comments, but was kinda scared off by Tim/Tom types who scour the net looking for i.d signifyers to 'scam yo ass!' I'm sure you dig. Ok, Crime/detective novels. I'm asking you to check out James Ellroy. Seriously. But be careful! For a sense of the author, do NOT search on youtube his bookshop appearances - why? - well, he doesn't come across that well, and I'm being kind! DO check out White Jazz. Ignore those who say start with The Black Dahlia - you can always catch up with that. * Sorry, lots to say * I got my copy of Laura Warholic through the post. I paid £15, 2nd hand, but DANG! No dustcover! Sheeeet! Can't wait to share your thoughts as I read it, hopefully in time for your vid on it. * Listen. Great video! I opened a bottle of scotch to sit back and enjoy this whilst my family are sleeping. Keep up the good work. Long Live The Literati.
Glad you showed up, John! And thanks for the affirmation on your fake surname. My eyes transferred Joseph McElroy to my brain, so I was initially very confused about those titles! I have seen James Ellroy’s name here and there but know nothing. I will add your recommendation to my master list. It’s always a bummer to received a book in poor condition or with missing apparatuses. I run into that so much that I have started sending a questionnaire to potential sellers of my procurements. Speaking of Laura Warholic, wait til Steven Moore’s book comes out in September-he dishes out a section on the book that you won’t want to miss. Thrilled to hear that I was worthy of a scotch! Single-malt? And, yes-long live the literati!
@@LeafbyLeaf not a single malt - that would be for birthdays, anniversaries and the like!! Just a nasty blend for a Monday night. Cheers! * I picked up Mr Moore's, My Back Pages. There's pieces on Theroux within to tide me over until September. Thanks for the recommend.
For some reason English and American critics have used genre distinctions to deny the extraordinary writings of authors like Simenon, Mosely, LeCarre and others. It’s curious as there’s a dissertation there...not mine:)
You reminded me of Manuel DeLanda. Have you read any of his works? I've read his "A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History" a long time ago, and just recently I bought his "A New Philosophy of Society". Btw have you read any Fernand Braudel, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari? I would like to know what do you think about Jared Diamond, Daniel Dennett, Robert Trivers and Steven Pinker? About Sci-Fi. I've read Herbert in high school, probably all Dune series novels, but when I see all those great novels behind you I would say just skip it! I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy reading them, but that was in high school. Rereading them today I would be probably disappointed and spoil nice memories. I was watching "Dune" movie recently, and I remember that I did like it, but today omg! Brothers Strugatsky are not bad. Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin ( The Left Hand of Darkness is great, The Word for World Is Forest, The Dispossessed), A. Clarke... Oh, I recently read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? but that was just because I was watching Blade Runner.
I will only mention those with whom I have history (you can assume all the others I haven’t read...yet). Read Gilles and Deleuze a long time ago. Anti-Oedipus. Brilliant perspective of schizophrenia and human as machine. And quite fun to read too. Of Diamond, I’ve read his most notable world (Guns...) and The Third Chimpanzee. Brilliant guy. Dennett is a favorite. I talked about him and a few of his books in my science bookshelf tour. Of Pinker I’ve read Words and Rules, which I liked and think about from time to time. Androids is one of the few PKD’s I’ve read and that was also because I had watched Blade Runner. Thanks for all the recommendations!
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, everyone loves Santa Claus! : ) DeLanda was a programmer before he switched to Philosophy. ua-cam.com/video/u3aE3Z6llMc/v-deo.html Try The Blank Slate by Pinker.
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series is a love letter to literary fiction, philosophy, varying genres of fiction and even nonfiction, along with music and film. Even his autobiographical text “On Writing” ties in fantastically. They are fast reads. The first 2 books are usually recommended to be read as a single unit: “The Gunslinger” and “The Drawing of the Three”. I am doing a more extended read-through of King books with my father-in-law, but none of the tie-ins are necessary for the primary novels. But the main series opens much of his bibliography with new eyes. It has been a huge joy to have a shared experience with him.
You write in your books????😭😭 I thought you were Neurotic about your books. I couldn't even write on my Text Books at University!! I don't do this because I may read the book again at a different time and my thoughts may change and don't want my scribbles in it .
I suppose I’m neurotic about the OUTSIDE of the books. For a long time I didn’t write in them but then I found that it is addictive, much like a good conversation. I definitely get what you’re saying though and that is why I often buy multiple copies of books I read a lot. But as for seeing my previous notes, I like this. I recently reread Infinite Jest and it was cool to see what I got out of certain passages years ago versus what I got now. My tactic here is to use a different color ink and then mark in the very front of the book (in the corresponding ink colors) the dates that I read the book. Yet this is purely for marginalia. For extensive notes I use a separate journal. But again I definitely get where you’re coming from. There is something very inviting and calming about clean text for reading.
Are you familiar with the channels of RC Waldun and Better Than Food? I feel they have similar taste to you! I bet they would collaborate with you if you are ever looking to expand your youtube reach a little. Love this channel!! 🤠 (Edit: I immediately now see that you mention better than food in the video, my bad)
No problem. I actually just recently discovered RC Waldun-great stuff! I really enjoy both of their videos. Perhaps one day I may reach out but for now I’ll refrain from pestering them.
@@LeafbyLeaf Well it looks like it was only temporary :-) The thing I found interesting about that book, and I am not all that big into sci-fi, is the concept of the design and implementation of the "monastery". I believe it may be in the audio version or it could be on youtube at this point the different voices depending on what location one is in said "monastery". He also had an interesting concept for his Baroque Trilogy.
Not surprised if I mispronounced something-but could you time stamp this or I’ve me there context because I can’t think of what this references? Thanks!
Oh, no-not offended at all. No worries. Looks like autocorrect corrupted my first reply anyway. What I mean is that I don’t get what your first comment is in reference to (it has been so long since I made this video that I can’t recall the possible context). Thanks!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Only Q and A i have ever watched with such delight and curiosity.
What a compliment! I am humbled and honored.
Leaf by Leaf that’s the least i can do for your efforts and service to the literary community 🙏🏼
Leaf by Leaf have you read ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ by Richard Flanagan... It won a booker back in 2014 and I think you would love it if you haven’t read it already. It has a deep emotional story with historical beats and shows traumas of war prisoners.
As for the popular fiction i would recommend ‘I'm Thinking of Ending Things’ by Iain Reid. It is very good psychological thriller and weird in a good way. Charlie Kaufman is making a movie on it.
No, I haven’t! I will add this to my recommendations spreadsheet immediately with you as the source. Thank you!
Leaf by Leaf You will not be disappointed.
it is 12 am here in India, i got myself some food and watching over this q & a minute by minute as if to sit in a couch and discuss literature with a friend! I love your channel, Love your content and the depth of your knowledge, Man hats off!
Thanks for hanging out with me!
I completely get that feeling you described: the gut feeling of “it’s time to read this”. I think we can trust it and continue to educate it with experience. Nice video!
Exactly. That instinct gets sharper with every good read.
I took 3 years of Latin and got proficient enough that I could struggle through some of the greats like Caesar and Livy. I wish I had kept up with it
I could do a day-long video on the things I wish I'd kept up with. *sigh*
It's always a pleasure listening to you!
☺️
I just discovered your channel and I gotta say you’re already one of my favorite book themed youtubers. Your thoughts on each book come across as genuinely well thought through, and this Q and A was a great insight as well, thanks and much love from Austria.
That’s very nice of you to say! Happy holidays to you and yours!
Recommended Sci-Fi:
The Crystal World - J.G. Ballard
Norstrilia - Cordwainer Smith
The Fifth Head of Cerberus - Gene Wolfe
All of these are short books, to dip your toe in.
Love your videos, keep up the good work.
What’s better than a compliment? Answer: Book recommendations! Thanks for this. Just what I need to amend my sci-fi impoverishment.
I second the Gene Wolf.
I’ve just discovered your channel, and at the same time I have just discovered my love for reading. Those around me don’t quite share my interest in fiction and philosophy, so your channel has been a real treat!
It’s the same for me-no one in my immediate life is into literature as I am. The channel has been a great outlet. So glad you’ve discovered a love for reading. It will serve you well all your life.
It's interesting that you mention Paperbird because I found both your channels the same way: through Anna Kavan. After finishing Ice I was desperate to read/listen to other people talk about the book and the author, so I searched UA-cam and found both his brilliant and crazy video about Ice and your video about Machines in the Head, and have been following both channels since (there's really not that many people talking about Anna Kavan around here).
I love his videos! They are experiences. He is the one who got me onto UA-cam to begin with. I should probably do a follow up video on Kavan. Maybe Ice. Glad you found me!
Great video Chris, as always! Cheers from Brazil
Obrigado! 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Just found out your channel and really enjoying it. Nice to know you're an IT professional. I'm a computer engineering student from Brazil and I love seeing people like you who inspire me to seek knowledge in areas other than the one I've chosen as profession.
Obrigado! And coincidentally I am working on a project to take a software product into the Brazil market, so I am on the phone with people in Curitiba every day!
@@LeafbyLeaf What a coincidence! Hahaha
I recently found your channel and I'm very happy I did. Don't remember how I found it, might have been through another Booktuber, but happy to be here!
About The Girl Next Door: Ketchum’s writing is so beautiful and flowing, I couldn’t help but finish it in a day; you are completely right though, that is one I read once and put way back in the corner of a shelf and rarely tell anyone about. One of the best horror novels I’ve ever read but haunting all the same
Well put! He is actually a very good writer. But, yeah, not one to read in public. “Whatcha reading?” *snaps book shut* “NOTHING!”
Just started reading The Girl Next Door today, after Leaf's commentary. Am seven chapters into it, getting sleepy, will finish tomorrow. The prose reminds me of Thompson's The Killer Inside Me, but like if it were narrated by Holden Caulfield.
IDK, I'm 3/4th of the way through and I just don't think I can finish The Girl Next Door. Not because it's too graphic, I mean I've read a few things by the Marquis de Sade, things that were/are much much MUCH more wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy the eff out there. Things (120 Days and Juliette, and in that order) that are by farrrrrrrrrr much more evil sickening revolting, et cetering.
But.
It's a bit too convenient. The Girl Next Door just happens to match up exactly with what is allowed. The victim of the drapes is totes faultless. Which is the only Rx for getting yer stuff published. Based on a true story my hinder. Yeah, PARTIALLY based on a true story. But a few particulars have been left out. But if left in, then we wouldn't be able to read all about it.
I'll second the Better Than Food channel. Cliff is a great host and has excellent taste. You might also want to check out the Bookchemist.
Oh, yes, I watched BC’s video on Gravity’s Rainbow last year and loved it. Should’ve mentioned that one. Thanks!
Ballard---Atrocity Exhibition. The book I have is very oversized and has a ton of illustration. 60'ish pop culture meets depopulated urban landscape.
Crime fiction--off the top of my head David Peace, Eoin McNamee, Leif G.W. Persson, Ricardo Piglia's--Money to burn, Dominique Manotti, Leonardo Sciascia.
Oulipo?
I think I heard you mention Jim Gauer. I'm working my way through Novel Explosives now.
Thanks! How are you liking Novel Explosives? That was my maiden voyage here on UA-cam!
@@LeafbyLeaf I like it very much actually. I'll have to check out your video on it when I'm done.
Great video, man! Your humility is refreshing and appreciated. Here I thought I read a lot, and I only do two to three hours per day. You're a reading machine, my friend.
PS: I look forward to your McElroy series!
Hey-two to three hours IS a lot! And you read quality stuff, too! I’m already at work amassing my McElroy texts (I have Night Soul and Other Stories; Smuggler’s Bible; Pulse; Women and Men; and Letter Left to Me so far). Thanks for dropping by!
@@LeafbyLeaf I'd like to start watching your videos more regularly, but never seem to find the time. I always enjoy the ones I watch.
Your McElroy collection is envy-inducing! I have only Women and Men, which is the sole McElroy I've read to date. I feel like I know the author better than I probably do, simply because of the sheer girth of W&M. You'll have a blast with that one, Chris.
Side note: Is Hegel tougher than the Wake? If so, dang!
It’s all good. I’d rather you use your free time to read rather than watch my videos!
The Wake and Hegel are two different types of difficulty. For me, the Wake is “easier” because it is creative fiction (on steroids) whereas Hegel is straight philosophy.
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, most of my free time is spent reading (or in the case of tonight, putting up curtain rods).
It probably won't surprise you that Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit is on my shelf. (You may also not be surprised that it's one of the hundred or so books in my house I still haven't read.) I've been wary to dive in. I love difficult fiction, but Hegel is new territory for me. What I don't want is to push through it but glean nothing from the experience.
youre the man man, wish you the best
No. YOU’RE the man, man. I insist it!
Cheers!
Hi Chris,
I'm so glad I finally made it over to check out your channel! (As you said, there are many channels to watch.) What a treat to hear about you and your reading tastes. Everything you talked about reading sounds interesting.
Your subscribers are so curious! How wonderful. I love the community here, too.
Also, your setup is really nice! Simple can be good!
I just checked out your portfolio and it made me curious- how did you get into book reviewing?
And finally, I had to mention Brandon Sanderson. His prose is very commercial, but he's quite the worldsmith. His cosmere universe is built using platonic theory and he interacts with religion in really interesting ways, too. That's the mega draw, for me.
I hope you don't mind long winded comments 😆
Take care,
Christy
I welcome long-winded comments (and books)! I appreciate you stopping by and taking some time to watch the video. (This Q&A session has two more parts that I'll be posting this week.) Thank you for the kind remarks, too. As for book reviewing: It's something I never thought I'd do. I've been writing short stories, poems, novels, and criticism for about 15 years, but, on a whim, I entered a book review competition for Grove Atlantic in 2018 and won honorable mention. So, I found a national journal called Rain Taxi Review of Books, sent a submission, and I've been reviewing regularly for them ever since. SO, serendipity, I suppose. You would not believe the number of friends I have who bombard me with Sanderson. One of these friends has told me he will not talk to me about anything substantive any more until I've read at least one Sanderson book. HAHA! I may end up doing with Sanderson what I've been doing with Murakami (namely, giving them fair reads and reviews to assuage my friends, with an eye to catching the fever myself--to use an ill-timed idiom). Anyway, always nice to hear from another BookTuber. Keep up the good work! Chris
@@LeafbyLeaf Awesome, I can't wait to watch the next parts! I like to write, too, but I haven't gotten anything published. Will definitely go check out your fiction and poetry.
I hope you do get a chance to check Sanderson out- and that you enjoy him 😊 I would love to hear your thoughts on his work.
The most confounding, opaque, and elliptical book I have ever encountered is Joyce Carol Oates's novel "Childwold". Someday sit down with this and try to make heads or tails out of it. It is tough going.
Very interesting! I have not heard those adjectives applied to JCO before. You've got my attention.
For sci-fi recs: virtually all of the mind bendingly prolific work of Samuel R. Delany (from his pulp novels, to memoir, to criticism, to pornographic novels, to sword & sorcery fantasy, to comics, to realist fiction) is some of the best in all American letters, and dare I say that he is the best living American writer. He's the closest the USA has ever come to having its own Borges. I'm sure being a fan of the big postwar novels that Dhalgren is on your radar, but the rest of his work post-Dhalgren is for me where the real gold is.
“He is the closest the USA has ever come to having its own Borges.” SOLD! Can you recommend a good work with which to start? (And, Ted, Dhalgren is on the ole radar.)
@@LeafbyLeaf I would say his Return to Nevèrÿon series is my favorite and the most overlooked of his work in terms of critical reception and readership. I would also say as disclaimer that me giving him the title of America's Borges can be more ascribed to his mind-bending erudition on virtually all literature and philosophy and less on specific style (especially as Delany can be something of a maximalist, having various 700+ page novels under his belt)-he is also the writer from whom I read that the first Borges story to ever appear in english was in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, which I thought was another interesting connection between their two worlds.
As to more info on my rec: It is a series of four books of interlocking short stories/novels/novellas that deploy deconstructive/post-colonial/semiotic epigraphs throughout a Sword & Sorcery fantasy narrative that takes place at the pseudo-historical juncture in which writing and money are both simultaneously emerging as widespread systems. The thread through the books is one of a slave uprising across an empire. It can also be noted for being the very first piece of fiction to address the AIDS crisis in the United States in 1985 (though I won't spoil how that is integrated into the above literary context, as it is a true treat) leading it (and Delany's other books) to be banned from Barnes & Noble for years.
You sure know how to pique interest! Samuel R. Delaney is on the infamous LIST.
@@LeafbyLeaf and one more thing to seal the deal for you that I forgot before. Umberto Eco wrote of him: "I consider Delany not only one of the most important SF writers of the present generation but a fascinating writer in general who has invented a new style."
Holy Moly I need to get that Shanameh book. I'm so glad I asked!
I'm glad you asked, too! It is gorgeous. There are so many books I forget to talk about; it is so valuable to be asked specific and fresh questions like yours.
Speaking to your statement about to having reading goals I very much have stuck to the personal rule of very vague and generalized goals with the only real rule being quality of quantity. For example the only real rule I have had this entire year is that because its the 2020 I am mainly sticking to sci-fi novels simply just because. I don't honestly read much sci-fi but because I simply felt like this should be my goal for the year I've had a blast discovering things I never knew I would like. As of last week I completed all 6 of the Frank Herbert Dune novels and am just blown away. God Emperor of Dune might be one of the most thought provoking novels I have ever touched and never would have expected it.
Isn’t it grand when serendipity yields unexpected pleasures that last? I like your tack here!
@@LeafbyLeaf I just saw where you mentioned wanted to read the first Dune, there is something so very interesting about the themes and the utter complexity the Frank Herbert uses with such ease in this epic of a series. Good luck completing the part about the murders in 2666, it's not light. I have personal thoughts about that section for your video on part 4.
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Part 4!
Marginalia... Just can't do it (except junk books). I take notes separately and when done, I transcribe it, and then print them out and keep them with the book.
I used to be the exact same way (as I mentioned to you elsewhere). --BUT-- I will say that when I read the unabridged _Rising Up and Rising Down_ I could not bring myself to write in those books, and I reverted to using Post-It flags in the book and taking notes separately in a dedicated Leuchtturm 1917 A5 lined journal with my treasured LAMY fountain pen. :)
Yay, a Dreiser shout out. Ever read any Frank Norris?
No, I haven’t. Where should I start?
@@LeafbyLeaf McTeague, probably. I'm a fan of Vandover and the Brute, but McTeague is the most "him."
Thanks!
Haha PaperBird. Such an awesome channel, he gives a lot of great suggestions. And yea his more recent videos are a total trip
Paperbird's channel defines "sui generis"--nothing else like his stuff!
Such a cool vid thank you
Thanks!
I recommend Connie Willis for your science fiction reading.
Thanks so much!!! 🙏
Another amazing video! Enjoyed this one a lot. Loved your answer to my question (03:30)! Absolutely agree with you, by the way.
Thanks so much! It was a pleasure to answer all of the questions. Thank you very much for your question. I think a lot of people are interested in opinions about that very topic.
I just discovered your channel, and I love it. Your literary tastes are quite close to mine in many ways, but I've already discovered some new books and writers binge-watching your videos. I've already proposed to the Meetup reading group I run that we pair The Lover with Lolita, which we'd previously already had on the docket.
Hey there! Glad you’re enjoying the video. All my best to you and your reading group!
Awesome answers! Have you ever considered auditioning for the Do’s Sequis “most interesting man on booktube” commercial?
🤣🤣😂
Than you for another informative video. Very well done. I cannot resist talking about sci-fi when someone asks for recommendations. Condensing my suggestions down to the deepest, most meaningful and elegant S-f: Peake's Gormanghast trilogy, Vance's Lyoness trilogy, Gene Wolfe's Peace, Delany's Dhalghren.
You are welcome. This is just what I needed-a date to guide me through the wilds of sci-fi. Thanks!
@@LeafbyLeaf btw Ballard's Complete stories is a great buy. However, the difficult to find stories of R. A. Lafferty are ultimately more rewarding in my opinion.
We’re in luck! There’s a compendium is the best of Lafferty coming out in February 2021! Just preordered my copy.
I thought I was a fairly serious reader for getting in an hour or 90 minutes of reading a day, very impressive! I guess I must have more time somewhere to devote to it.
Caveat emptor: I have virtually nothing to seriously talk about with people who don’t read. 😜
I'm afraid I recommend all of Philip Kindred Dick's writing, which the filmmaker Heinz Emigholz has also read all of.
Of what I've read, I've really enjoyed his writing. I definitely plan to read more and more. Thanks!
that was back in the day when you emulated He-Man hairwise! (It's pure envy on my part, I wish I had such a lane)!!!
HAHAHAHA!
@@LeafbyLeaf I meant "mane" by the way, sorry, but a lane named "Leafy" would sound rather poetic, come to think of it. Hey did you hear about a Canadian writer called Ian Reid? His books are about identity, his last offering deals with the issue of substituting for someone as in a surrogate clone of yourself, it's very eerie. Book's title "Foe"
Leafy Lane-I like it! Haha. I figured you meant mane.
No, I haven’t heard of that one.
You might consider The Red Book, with the gorgeous illustrations of his journal and the visionary experiences he endured and documented.
And of course, Dune!
The series of the Dune books are well worth it, but I have never read outside the Original series by Herbert, but could be convinced to continue the journey, possibly.
Thanks for your thoughts and openness about your explorations in literature.
Thanks so much for these recommendations!
All this…and Bud Powell.
👍
😁🙌
New to your channel. A great find.
I didn't know if you see comments on two-year-old videos get your attention, but I would support the other comments that recommend Phillip K Dick. Not always the most artful writer but always worth reading.
And Atrocity Exhibition by J.G Ballard.
Nobody else seems to have mentioned Ursula K Le Guin. Highly recommend. Especially The Left Hand Of Darkness.
Coincidentally she went to High School with Phillip K Dick but didn't know each other. She was a huge supporter of his work and they corresponded but never met in person.
Thanks much! I'm always up for recommendations!
House of leaves was the hardest book I’ve ever read. A very fulfilling read though. I’ve tried gravity’s rainbow a few times, but I’ve not completed it yet. A sense of impending doom perhaps.
Thanks for your videos
Sometimes we have to go through a couple sparring matches with a book first. Then, one day, we go the whole battle. All my best to you!
@@LeafbyLeaf thanks! It feels like that. Which is odd, particularly something which is supposed to be enjoyable. I know it’s got a lot to offer, I will return when healed and I have amassed more provisions. Cheers!
Hi Chris,
I couldn't find a video in which this question would be pertinent to to subject at hand so the best I could do is use the question video. I'm curious about which novels you found most difficult to finish because the subject was so disturbing yet brilliantly presented.
This is just off the top of my head but some that jump off the top of my head are Naked Lunch, 2666, Blood Meridian, portions of Gravity's Rainbow (particularly the Dodo bird section and the Herero section) and a novel that may not be as well known called The Kindly One by Jonathan Littell ( about an SS officer during Operation Barbarosa that takes part in slaughtering untold numbers of Jews and Russians without much regret yet is being investigated back in Germany for the murdered of one German woman). I highly recommend it but like 2666 in particular the carnage is almost excruciating to read. And one novel that I barely finished was American Psycho. This said, I'd love the hear your list of novels in that category.
Very cool man! I enjoyed this, you did get great questions
Thanks! The second round of questions I will take on are just as good!
i love ur videos, keep going:)
Thanks so much!
Hey man, new to your channel, but based on everything I’ve seen, you really have got to check out Gene Wolfe. I cannot recommend him enough. He’s a literary fiction giant who just happens to write sci fi and fantasy. I would recommend The Fifth Head of Cerberus as a great introduction, and then for you to jump into his Solar Cycle with Book of the New Sun, which is lovingly described as Sci Fi’s Ulysses. Really enjoying your content and approach to reviews, especially your video on The Recognitions.
I've had more than a few people recommend Gene Wolfe and Brandon Sanderson to me. Thanks for also giving me a good starting point!
Nascent book reader here! My favorite author and series has become the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons I think it's a very rewarding Sci-fi story that builds it's world through characters and killer prose. I can't recommend it enough and would love to hear your take on it and where you think it stands among the books you've read.
Welcome to the good life of being a reader! Thanks for that suggestion, too; I have that one on my sci-fi to-read list! Happy New Year!
I am so all over Ketchum ... been on my radar for a while and you just sealed it. 3 Body Problem trilogy is amazing ... not super literary in term of prose and characterization but the ideas in it blew me away. Dune is great too. I recognized all the Faulkners right away even on a tiny iPhone lol. Absalomx2 my favorite of his. And kudos for actually getting through Hegel ... something I couldn’t do even as a philosophy major.
Haha! Ketchum is a very competent writer of the “psychological thriller with shades of horror” genre. I went through a big phase of Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum. I have Dune and Three Body Problem on my sci-fi lift. Faulkner-oh, yes! Thanks for the kudos, yet-I’m often reminded of how little I really retained. I see my first reading of Hegel as having merely prepared me to read Hegel.
@@LeafbyLeaf I remember the version of "Phenomenology of Spirit" we used had summaries at the top of each chapter, which totally saved me, lol. Maybe I'll try to read some of it now for real but if you've retained even a smidgen of it, you've already got me beat. I haven't read as much horror lately as I used to (besides House of Leaves re-read) ... I'm ready for a dose and Ketchum sounds perfect. BTW ... you showed some visual books ... on the subject of pulp horror check out Paperbacks from Hell ... It's an excellent retrospective of the pulp horror genre and includes amazing reproductions of hundreds of now out-of-print book covers, not to mention it's a hysterical read. That's where I first heard of Ketchum and I'm pretty sure Laymon is covered too.
Highly recommend Philip K Dick. I'm not much of a sci-fi reader but his books definitely hit the spot. Normally I read the same books you cover here.
I've read a few of his and you're right--they are appetizing. Any particular one of his that stands out for you?
@@LeafbyLeaf "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" and "Ubik" are my favorites. After that, "A Scanner Darkly" and "Martian Time-Slip." I'm lukewarm on "The Man in the High Castle." I can appreciate it but it wasn't the great read that the others were for me. "Valis" is my next read from him. I hear it's autobiographical and based around conspiracy theories he actually believed in and paranormal phenomena he claimed really happened to him. I don't believe in any of that but I am interested in reading how a great writer perceived and portrayed something like that.
I haven’t read any of those. I have heard from several fans that the Valis trilogy is the pinnacle of PKD. I think I’ll check out Ubik next. Have you read any of his short stories?
@@LeafbyLeaf I've got his short stories on the shelf. I've saved them for last out of the books I bought. I had the vague assumption that since they were turned into movies they must be the most conventional. I'm likely wrong about that now that I've written out that thought.
Hey man ~ thanks for your unscripted thoughts. Their very refreshing in the UA-cam-verse. I get a great deal of inspiration from your videos to enrich my reading life. One question for you, have you ever read any of John Boyne’s novels (A History of Loneliness, The Absolutist). I’m ankle deep into his beefy book The Hearts Invisible Furies and really enjoy his dialogue. Totally dig your shelves.
Keith
I've been watching a lot of your videos recently. I discovered you in a comments section of a Better Than Food video. Reading Cliff's favorite book "Story of An Eye" really took me through a good habit of reading. As a result, I've read a lot of his recommendations. What's one book that is super special to YOU that you think I should read?
To give you a sense of my taste, here are some books I've enjoyed recently: A Episode in the Life of a Landscape Artist by Cesar Aira, Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe, My Struggle Vol 1 by ove knausgaard, Stoner by John Williams, Judas by Amos Oz, Loitering by Charles D'Ambrosio, Chronology of Water by Lydia Yuknavitch, The Dead by Christian Kracht.
Thanks for the recs!
Hey! Thanks for contacting me on Instagram too. Off the bat, I’d have to cite Moby-Dick and Miss Lonelyhearts. But I’ll give this some more thought too.
@@LeafbyLeaf Thank you!
I've only started reading properly over the past year but I would suggest James Ellroy's LA Quartet as a detective story. The drama and build up of the story is amazing and the murders are disturbingly beautiful. Also, if you watch interviews with Ellroy it is clear he is a man to be admired.
I read the first of the LA Quartet as part of my Los Angeles series:
ua-cam.com/video/49MIi8_8Ops/v-deo.html
I also subsequently watched a documentary (Feast of Death) that really opened my eyes to the author and his life!
@@LeafbyLeaf wow, thanks for the reply. I’ll definitely check both of those out, thank you!
Also, I love the content on your channel, it’s really amazing stuff and I can’t wait to deep dive into more of your content!
Support from Scotland 🏴
Thanks so much! Always a pleasure hearing from people outside the States. Scotland is one place I’ve wanted to travel for a long while.
I love sci-fi, so if you haven't read it I absolutely recommend "Parable of the Sower" and "Parable of the Talents" by Octavia E. Butler. They're near-future science fiction, and I feel like they are very relevant to current events. Also "Childhood's End" by Arthur C. Clark. That one is great too.
Thanks so much for the recs!
Scott Bradfield’d channel is great- shamelessly low production, funny, tasteful. Reading Good Books in the Bathtub
Thanks for the recommendation. Sounds interesting!
I've published two of Jack Ketchum (Dallas Mayr) books in my publishing career. He is an amazing guy and I miss him dearly.
Very nice! I love your name, by the way (the allusion to Lovecraft's emblematic university). Ketchum was a great writer. I think the last I read of his was a collaboration with Ketchum and Lucky McKee (about a women who regresses to a childlike state). His psychological depiction of characters was high quality.
"...Social disorder plus bibliomania" hahaha don't know why but that tickled me.
It’s my cross to bear. 😜
Hey! Great video. Do you mind dropping the ISBN for your Shahnameh copy?
Thanks! Here you go: 978-1593720513.
I couldn't restrain my sick mind and ended up reading The Girl Next Door. I should've listened to you.
Exactly. I do NOT recommend this book. I’m so sorry.
Haha no need to apologize. I think the most disturbing thing about the book is that it's based on a true story :s
No kidding.
Here to stay.
Not sure if you're interested in books about books/reading, but Alberto Manguel is worth a look: The Library at Night; A History of Reading; A Reading Diary
Check out my Literary Studies library tour 😉
ua-cam.com/video/MfSCrp8ms0A/v-deo.html
Leaf by Leaf Ah! You know and have Manguel! Wonderful. Just discovered your videos and am really enjoying them. I’ll throw some other names/titles at you as time goes by. But I’m sure you’ve already got them!
I love Manguel! Bring it on-I love recommendations.
Leaf by Leaf I see a lot of my favourites in your lit. studies section: Bloom; Barthes; Auerbach!
Late comment but I agree with the people recommending Gene Wolfe. I took about three months and read almost all of his work from last December to this February. I recommend:
Fifth Head of Cerberus: great little three-part weird sci-fi novel that unravels masterfully
Solar Cycle: massive mythical saga focused on personal spiritual revelation
Latro in the Mist: great, fun Herodotus fanfiction
but ESPECIALLY...
Peace: his most literary work, beautiful, sad, surreal, scary; somewhere between Proust and Poe
"[S]omewhere between Proust and Poe"? I don't think I've ever purchased a book so quickly in my life! Thank you for this. I've only got _Fifth Head of Cerberus_ waiting on me for my Wolfe exposure. Should I save _Peace_ for after?
@@LeafbyLeaf @Leaf by Leaf not at all! Peace is kind of an oddity in his oeuvre, and it can even be read without touching any of his other works (though of course I recommend them too!). I can't say too much more without just talking about the contents of the book itself, so I'll leave it there haha. Have fun!
Thanks for "leaving it there": I like to go in cold on books (and movies, and music, and...well...just about everything)!
Some genre recommends that I feel would fit well with you.
Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun.
Thomas Ligotti for horror.
Peter Watts' Blindsight.
Greg Egan's Diaspora.
China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Embassytown.
Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book Of The Fallen.
Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy.
M. John Harrison's Viriconium.
Thank you! I've added all these to the list. The only name I've read is Thomas Ligotti, but that was his non-fiction The Conspiracy against the Human Race.
Yes Ligotti ..good and Lovecraft
Great list! I'd add The Culture series by Iain M. Banks.
Also Engine Summer by John Crowley is a beautiful and weird sci-fi book that's often overlooked.
Do u read one book at a time, or jump between several? I have a hard time keeping interest in one, but if I switch to others I lose my train of thought for the first book. Any advice?
I do a mixture of both methods: reading only one book at a time, and alternating between multiple books. But whenever I read multiple books at once, they are always different genres. For example, right now I'm alternating between a biography of Samuel Beckett, his first novel (Murphy), and a Ph.D. student's dissertation on Beckett. In this case, they're all related to Beckett, but one is non-fiction, one is fiction, and the other is academic. At other times, I may alternate between a collection of essays and a novel; or perhaps a book of poetry and a novel; but I will never read, for example, multiple biographies or multiple novels at the same time. But I often read just one book at a time, too. This could be because it is all-consuming (meaning lots of focus and brain power is needed) or it's enormous (e.g. The Dying Grass) or it's just good bloody enjoyable I can't stop reading it. When it comes to the problem of attention/interest in reading, I always suggest that one go through a discovery phase to see just what it is that holds your attention/interest. This is where you simply try out (i.e. reading the first 25pp) a bunch of different books (the public library is useful here) and discover what it is that clicks. Then go down that path. Start reading a bunch of similar books. Over time, your ability to engage with a text will improve. Hope this helps!
Leaf by Leaf Wow! I didn’t expect this much quality feedback. U rock!
🤟
Well, it’s been a bit since you posted this, but I would recommend China Mieville’s The City & The City as a completely surprising and unconventional detective story. If you are at all interested in semiotics I think you would enjoy it. Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy is another one of my favorites. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo, a locked room mystery in the tradition of Borges himself, who is a character in the book. Last one is a historical mystery by Iain Pears, An Instance of the Fingerpost, which takes place just after Charles II is restored to the throne in 17th century England.
I've been seeing a lot about China Meiville recently. Never read anything, but I'll take your recommendation. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans I just purchased immediately. Thanks for that! And it's a Brazilian author, too (I've been wanting to read more Brazilian work).
Just wanted to comment and say that you are my favorite channel and I find your commentary and recommendations to be so incredibly insightful. I have just one question, have you read Boswell's Life of Johnson? If you have I would love to know what your thoughts are on it. I myself am getting quite interested with literary criticism and it was only a matter of time before I discovered Dr. Johnson. I'm reading Boswell's biography of him right now and thoroughly enjoying it.
Wow-thanks so much! That’s very nice of you! Shamefully, I have not read Boswell’s great book of the great man. It is on my Goodreads shelf I named “books I’m embarrassed I haven’t read yet.”
Hi Drunzo and Leaf by Leaf! Booktubers that I like unite! You guys are both so great at exciting people about reading thanks for your continued enthusiasm!
Cows is like a top grossest novel out there
😱😱😱
If I were ever to set a reading goal, it would be for hours spent reading and not for number of books or pages or whatever. I guarantee my reading is more substantial than someone reading a hundred books per year.
Yes, exactly. I never use number of books as my unit of measure, but rather how many hours per day (currently average 3) I will dedicate to reading. It’s a much, much better focusing goal.
This was delightful! Very much looking forward to part 2. I can't say that I'm a big science fiction reader, but here are some that I would recommend: Day of the Oprichnik by Vladimir Sorokin, I Still Dream by James Smythe, Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, and Shadowbahn by Steve Erickson.
Thanks for the recommendations, as always! The only one already on my TBR is Annihilation. Adding the others.
The bibliomania I totally get. The color coded notation system, wow. Do you know your MBTI type? An NT of some type?
I've let the rigor of the color-coding system slide a bit, mostly because I keep running out of colors. I've never taken that test (or if I did, I've forgotten). My employer tends to put us through these variations on Myers-Briggs every few years. Last one I did was Strengths Finder and I was largely an "Input" type. www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252278/input-theme.aspx
@@LeafbyLeaf "mostly because I keep running out of colors"🤣🤣🤣
My guess is INTP. We feelers learn so much from you thinkers.
I do know that I am one profile at my day job (highly analytical and organized) and another way in my personal life (emotionally-driven); and books I seem to find a mix between the two.
About the PostIts again-yeah, I was spending way too much $ on them there for a while. :-)
@@LeafbyLeaf In MBTI you have a four function stack and you use different ones at different times. Everyone has thinking and feeling, sensing and intuition in their stack. The difference is the order and whether they are introverted or extroverted. How one thinks is as interesting as what one thinks. What I learned on a gazillion youtubes helped me a lot. But now it is back to books 😁
Shoutout to Jori Graham' poetry.
Ahhhh, yes, I’m remembering this one now. If I remember correctly, we employees all received these stacked cubes, each segment of which could be twisted to reveal our 4 letters. I think the intention was that we were to display them prominently on our desks so that visitors could decipher our type straightaway. I’m interested in taking it again now.
Hey man. I was wondering about a mathematicians apology. Is the main focus of the book on maths or hardy's life ? Thanks for showing me that book. im a math major and didnt evan know about it!
It is definitely a classic in the field. But it is not technical. It is more about Hardy explaining to non-mathematicians why he is so passionate about pure mathematics (I say pure to distinguish from applied mathematics). It’s also not an autobiography. The apology of the title is from the Greek apologia-defense. Hope that helps!
@@LeafbyLeaf Definitely sounds worth buying and reading. Thanks for the reply and yes it helped alot. Very excited to see inside the mind of such a great mathematician!
You’re welcome. Enjoy!
JG Ballard, yes. Dune, no.
Jung's memoir (Dreams & Memories maybe?) is excellent. A great portal into literature and other art forms
Ooooo, I've read several of his works, but haven't read his memoire! Thanks!
Totinos! I ate those every day in grad school.
Yes! I distinctly recall cutting them with scissors once because I couldn't find a pizza roller. That's the big leagues right there!
@@LeafbyLeaf that's next level! I didn't even have a pizza cutter. I had to hack up my triple-meats with a dull dinner knife.
Lol
What are your thoughts on Paul Theroux's short fiction?
I haven't read any of Paul's work yet, but it's on my radar!
If you like horror and want to try sci fi, "the killing star" by Charles Pellegrino and George Zebrowski - is an amazing psychological horror/sci-fi piece. One of my favorite books.
When did you start taking reading seriously? At what age I mean
That's a great question. There are two, somewhat contradictory, answers: 8 and 22. At the age of 8, I started reading the Bible seriously, and at 22 I started reading non-religious (serious) literature seriously.
You’re a fucking legend man
Very kind of you to say!
For a disturbing read from a top notch writer, try Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones. She is a phenomenal black writer that Toni Morrison looked up to. I couldn’t put it down.
Thanks so much! I’m acquainted with Jones via a somewhat recent essay on her life and work in The New Yorker. Time to read her for myself!
Since you asked about Sci-fi writers Chris, I really can't resist:
You have to read Dietmar Dath's “The Abolition of Species”. Why? Well, because one has to read Dath and it's the only English translation so far. But why so adamant on reading this voraciously theory ruminating writer, who has a similar output in size and speed as a Vollmann (which I finally read again after a 5 year break thanks to you and your videos on his oeuvre), who's literary idol is maybe the German modernist writer par excellence Alfred Döblin (which seems also like a guy for you) and who lots of people find too hard or complicated to enjoy? Don't you already think that this sounds perfect for a Leaf by Leaf author?
The comparison to Vollmann isn't too far off in terms of productivity and demonstration of their research and general education (just recently published another 2000 pages in form of a novel and a Sci-fi poetics). By all his language sensibilities and eagerness for narrative experimentation (of course I can only hope that the English translation does justice to this dimension) in most of his Sci-fi work he manages also to be rather spot on the science. Dath is handling the hard sciences with the same ease and fun as he does his literary, philosophical and Marxist deliberations. His non-fiction work demonstrates that even better and is for some arguably even a bigger joy to read. Sadly, in English one has to work with only one book so far. But it's a good one.
“The Abolition of Species” is probably his most famous work - nominated for the short list of the German Book Prize - and compared to his recent output a rather slim book, with maybe 400 pages in English - but hey, maybe that motivates you even more to give him a thorough read. Much like PKD I appreciate his whole oeuvre more than an individual piece, but I'm sure you would not regret your time spent with this one!
Also: Love your channel, love your presentation, love your interests, love your voice and of course I love-hate you for “shame-seducing” me to read even more. Bless you!
Thanks for all the input! I gree that Dath sounds like a great fit for Leaf by Leaf, and I do thank you for putting it on my radar. I've been meaning to get around to Döblin for far too long. Actually, there are many Germans I have in queue. Always glad to meet a fellow WTV fan. I will NOT apologize for causing you to read even more. :)
Most difficult book for me to get through: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The accented dialogue makes this almost unreadable.
You've just triggered a memory of a professor assigning this book to me in grad school. I'm sitting here trying to recall (1) why she did so, and, furthermore, (2) what I thought of it...
@@LeafbyLeaf I love LOVE much of Twain's work, but Connecticut Yankee is a one-star rated book for me.
In contrast, for example, Moby Dick was a huge challenge for me to get through, just because of the zillion page asides, but that work is brilliant.
Just discovered your channel yesterday (mason and dixon) very impressed!, how about Journey To The End Of The Night.....Celine
Thanks! It has been a good 10 years or more since I read that one. Took it with me on a business trip to Sweden. Reading it through a fog of jet lag in the hotel room and in between bouts of nodding off on the return flight both enhanced and diminished the experience. Definitely need to revisit the book since all I can recall are impressions. I think that was during my Henry Miller phase. Thanks for reminding me of it!
@@LeafbyLeaf Yes ,I think it would be wor5h revisiting. Ive read it 17 times. Going for 20. Sort of funny
@@LeafbyLeaf Sorry...referring to Journey
Wow! Have you read it in French?
😜
Knausgaard in the back.
Linda and Karl 😉
I was absolutely horrified by the idea of writing in books right up until I was 26ish and at university. I only wish my marginalia was more... Profound. I remember one of the first books I wrote in was Jane Eyre and one of the biggest that I wrote was just having a go about Jane leaving Rochester XD
Haha, don't put too much pressure on yourself. The profundity comes with time and practice.
Nope. Can't do it unless a throwaway book (for school or work or whatever). Even then, I cringe.
I was the exact same way for years and years. It seemed like a desecration!
Video response in the works
This promises greatness!
I love your videos. My first experience with you was that long video on "Gravity's Rainbow" which inspired me to dig out and dust off my copy that's been sitting in a pile of outbound books for about ten years after reading only 100 pages or so. But your passion and commentary inspired me to re-visit that strange, dense world. So far, I'm very much enjoying my second attempt.
I LOVE Philip K. Dick and J.G. Ballard. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly" is what made me a lifer for his books. Scanner is both sad and hilarious, a combination that draws me into a lot of books I've loved including DFW's "Infinite Jest". Favorite Ballard novels: "Crash" and "High Rise". I love Ballard's dry, clinical language he uses to build these dream-like atmospheres of sex and violence.
Most disturbing book I've ever read is Marquis de Sade's "The 120 Days of Sodom". That was a book where I would have to pause in mid-sentence and just look away for a while. Take a deep breath and resume reading. Not something you want to take with you on public transit--or have co-workers or casual acquaintances ask you about.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
Hey there! Thanks so much for all of this! I need to read more PKD and Ballard for sure. As for de Sade, I think I've had my fill. :)
All my best to you!
I would choose Latin too and it’s funny because like you I would have chosen Greek too because I prefer the Greek works but Latin is so formative.
I’ve watched this video before. I wonder if what you say entered my brain and hibernated finally reappearing as an original thought but which I’ve actually stolen from you hahaha
Who knows.
But I really feel like I’ve come to this conclusion on my own 😂
Hahaha!
IT guys. Tech workers are commonly big readers.
Most I know are big into scifi but not much else (of course, I speak for only the miniscule subset of IT workers with whose reading habits I'm familiar). I've got some catching up to do with them!
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, you may be right. Not many into "serious" literature. But at least they read, I think, disproportionately as compared to the rest of the population.
Neologism is pronounced neolojism (soft g). As a non-native speaker and big reader, that kind of stuff happens to me all the time. :)
Haha-thanks! I knew I was saying it wrong when it came out, but I could remember how it was supposed to be pronounced!
I knew you were going say the girl next door ...i have heard bout it but will never read it. Enjoy the video though.
Well Chris, I'm really flattered I got a mention. Swearengen, like the dude from Deadwood.
I used to use my real surname in comments, but was kinda scared off by Tim/Tom types who scour the net looking for i.d signifyers to 'scam yo ass!'
I'm sure you dig.
Ok, Crime/detective novels.
I'm asking you to check out James Ellroy. Seriously. But be careful! For a sense of the author, do NOT search on youtube his bookshop appearances - why? - well, he doesn't come across that well, and I'm being kind!
DO check out White Jazz. Ignore those who say start with The Black Dahlia - you can always catch up with that.
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Sorry, lots to say
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I got my copy of Laura Warholic through the post.
I paid £15, 2nd hand, but DANG! No dustcover! Sheeeet!
Can't wait to share your thoughts as I read it, hopefully in time for your vid on it.
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Listen. Great video! I opened a bottle of scotch to sit back and enjoy this whilst my family are sleeping.
Keep up the good work.
Long Live The Literati.
Glad you showed up, John! And thanks for the affirmation on your fake surname.
My eyes transferred Joseph McElroy to my brain, so I was initially very confused about those titles! I have seen James Ellroy’s name here and there but know nothing. I will add your recommendation to my master list.
It’s always a bummer to received a book in poor condition or with missing apparatuses. I run into that so much that I have started sending a questionnaire to potential sellers of my procurements. Speaking of Laura Warholic, wait til Steven Moore’s book comes out in September-he dishes out a section on the book that you won’t want to miss.
Thrilled to hear that I was worthy of a scotch! Single-malt?
And, yes-long live the literati!
@@LeafbyLeaf not a single malt - that would be for birthdays, anniversaries and the like!!
Just a nasty blend for a Monday night.
Cheers!
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I picked up Mr Moore's, My Back Pages. There's pieces on Theroux within to tide me over until September. Thanks for the recommend.
For some reason English and American critics have used genre distinctions to deny the extraordinary writings of authors like Simenon, Mosely, LeCarre and others. It’s curious as there’s a dissertation there...not mine:)
You are my new discovery
I hope it proves to be a good one! Welcome!
@@LeafbyLeaf Thank you!
Who was the scandinavian booktuber? Couldn’t make out her name (celiu?)
Sorry about that. Her name is Silje.
ua-cam.com/users/siljeblomst1
Sure, you clearly had a goal of reading Faulkner.
I know, I know, it's shameful.
Have u read about satanism and luciferianism if yes then pls make a video on this
Not as a practice, but more of a conception à la Milton’s Paradise Lost. But perhaps one day!
You reminded me of Manuel DeLanda. Have you read any of his works? I've read his "A Thousand Years of Nonlinear History" a long time ago, and just recently I bought his "A New Philosophy of Society". Btw have you read any Fernand Braudel, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari? I would like to know what do you think about Jared Diamond, Daniel Dennett, Robert Trivers and Steven Pinker?
About Sci-Fi. I've read Herbert in high school, probably all Dune series novels, but when I see all those great novels behind you I would say just skip it! I'm not saying that I didn't enjoy reading them, but that was in high school. Rereading them today I would be probably disappointed and spoil nice memories. I was watching "Dune" movie recently, and I remember that I did like it, but today omg! Brothers Strugatsky are not bad. Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin ( The Left Hand of Darkness is great, The Word for World Is Forest, The Dispossessed), A. Clarke... Oh, I recently read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? but that was just because I was watching Blade Runner.
I will only mention those with whom I have history (you can assume all the others I haven’t read...yet).
Read Gilles and Deleuze a long time ago. Anti-Oedipus. Brilliant perspective of schizophrenia and human as machine. And quite fun to read too.
Of Diamond, I’ve read his most notable world (Guns...) and The Third Chimpanzee. Brilliant guy.
Dennett is a favorite. I talked about him and a few of his books in my science bookshelf tour.
Of Pinker I’ve read Words and Rules, which I liked and think about from time to time.
Androids is one of the few PKD’s I’ve read and that was also because I had watched Blade Runner.
Thanks for all the recommendations!
@@LeafbyLeaf Yeah, everyone loves Santa Claus! : )
DeLanda was a programmer before he switched to Philosophy. ua-cam.com/video/u3aE3Z6llMc/v-deo.html
Try The Blank Slate by Pinker.
hOW IS jIM gOWER SPELLED? DIDNT FIND HIM ON GOODREADS
Sorry about that. It is Jim Gauer. Enjoy!
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series is a love letter to literary fiction, philosophy, varying genres of fiction and even nonfiction, along with music and film. Even his autobiographical text “On Writing” ties in fantastically. They are fast reads. The first 2 books are usually recommended to be read as a single unit: “The Gunslinger” and “The Drawing of the Three”.
I am doing a more extended read-through of King books with my father-in-law, but none of the tie-ins are necessary for the primary novels. But the main series opens much of his bibliography with new eyes. It has been a huge joy to have a shared experience with him.
You write in your books????😭😭 I thought you were Neurotic about your books. I couldn't even write on my Text Books at University!! I don't do this because I may read the book again at a different time and my thoughts may change and don't want my scribbles in it .
I suppose I’m neurotic about the OUTSIDE of the books. For a long time I didn’t write in them but then I found that it is addictive, much like a good conversation. I definitely get what you’re saying though and that is why I often buy multiple copies of books I read a lot. But as for seeing my previous notes, I like this. I recently reread Infinite Jest and it was cool to see what I got out of certain passages years ago versus what I got now. My tactic here is to use a different color ink and then mark in the very front of the book (in the corresponding ink colors) the dates that I read the book. Yet this is purely for marginalia. For extensive notes I use a separate journal. But again I definitely get where you’re coming from. There is something very inviting and calming about clean text for reading.
Are you familiar with the channels of RC Waldun and Better Than Food? I feel they have similar taste to you! I bet they would collaborate with you if you are ever looking to expand your youtube reach a little.
Love this channel!! 🤠
(Edit: I immediately now see that you mention better than food in the video, my bad)
No problem. I actually just recently discovered RC Waldun-great stuff! I really enjoy both of their videos. Perhaps one day I may reach out but for now I’ll refrain from pestering them.
Enema?
No, thanks.
Anathem
?
Oh, are you recommending Neal Stephenson’s book?
@@LeafbyLeaf yes
👊 I forgot that I asked for sci-fi suggestions in this video.
@@LeafbyLeaf Well it looks like it was only temporary :-) The thing I found interesting about that book, and I am not all that big into sci-fi, is the concept of the design and implementation of the "monastery". I believe it may be in the audio version or it could be on youtube at this point the different voices depending on what location one is in said "monastery". He also had an interesting concept for his Baroque Trilogy.
Not relevant. But you have gorgeous hair
Thanks so much!
Of course-it’s pretty much all gone now. 😮
#Bibliomaniac
😜
Great podcast but it’s R-eee-vers! 😊
Not surprised if I mispronounced something-but could you time stamp this or I’ve me there context because I can’t think of what this references? Thanks!
@@LeafbyLeaf I hope you were offended. I am in awe of your talents ! It was yesterday 1/19 21. Best
I meant I hope you weren’t offended!
Oh, no-not offended at all. No worries. Looks like autocorrect corrupted my first reply anyway. What I mean is that I don’t get what your first comment is in reference to (it has been so long since I made this video that I can’t recall the possible context). Thanks!
@@LeafbyLeaf hey there!! The Reivers by Faulkner
Read dune
It's on my list of "Books to Read Before I Turn 10"--I still have a couple years. :)