Please, do more videos like this. This video is like my dream, I always admired and enjoyed the video essay format for films but I never imagined someone doing this with books. Please consider doing this with Pynchon, more Gaddis, Theroux, William T Vollman, William Gass, McElroy, Joyce
Thanks, Esteban! You've got good taste in authors. More videos (on both books and films) coming soon -- and more videos specifically on the Vollmann, Pynchon, etc. crowd as soon as I can make time for more of their books haha. Europe Central and Fathers and Crows are both high on my list.
@@boyinthebadlands no, thank you!, you're doing a truly valuable work. I guess you're already following Leaf by Leaf, he's the one that turned me into great authors. So yeah, keep doing these videos, you now have a huge fan waiting for them!. Can't wait to see the ones of Vollman and Pynchon!
@@estebanmejia3473 I highly recommend Leaf by Leaf, Orpheus, Paper Bird and Better Than Food, and I suggest you check out any you haven't already. Thanks again for your viewership!
Impressive video and very thoughtful and deep analysis of this masterpiece! I have just finished it and found your contribution here. I would like to add that this book is, although challenging in some parts, also extremely funny! Gaddis uses irony with great ability and competence (the character of Otto is absolutely brilliant!). May I suggest to consider also John Barth (The floating opera) and Robert Coover (Universal Baseball Association Inc. J.Henry Waugh Prop.) among the postmodern authors to talk about? Thanks again!!
@@lucaseravalli4924 thank you. And agreed! Gaddis is a fantastic satirist. Otto (“auto”) is probably my favourite character because of all the ways he reflects a young Gaddis. Barth and Coover are both on my TBR list - thank you for the recommendations!
Thank you for making an excellent video about this book. I was horrified by how bad the videos already online were so I made some of own in hope of counteracting the ignorance and you do such a good job discussing the book. Excited to see what else you discuss.
Thank you, Orpheus! I've watched multiple of your Gaddis videos (among many others - I return to your bookshelf tour videos often when I'm looking for reading inspiration), so this compliment means a lot. I'm likewise grateful for how your videos have brought (much needed) attention to Gaddis and his works, so thank you! I'm always looking forward to your uploads.
@@boyinthebadlands I'm glad you found some value in my videos. If you'd ever be interested in talking about books sometime Seeing your video inspired me to get all my Gaddis materials out and look at it again
This is a really interesting and beautiful video. Guess that means I'll have to get the reprint next month then. Looking forward to what's to come on your channel.
I have a Dalkey Archive copy in nice condition, but I've had my eyes on the NYRB reissue(s, including JR) for awhile now... There's absolutely no reason to own two copies, but ...
@@boyinthebadlands I mean there is the argument for getting them for the new introductions or having an extra copy at hand to give as a gift/lend to a friend, but why lie to ourselves? Books are beautiful objects and it's nice to have them around. Especially when they're this good. (Plus there's worse problems to have than too many good books in your house)
An understanding of the historical, cultural, and theological differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism is key to understanding Gaddis' critique of Christianity.
Unfortunately, critics are often too focused on Beat (and counter-culture) aspects of W. Burroughs, while totally ignoring the fact that Naked Lunch, among The Recognitions and John Hawkes novels, is one of the most important pillars of that American mod-pomo 'bridge'. Pynchon's debt to him is equally immense.
Thanks for the insight! I haven’t gotten around to Burroughs yet, but plan to. The transition from modernism to post-modernism is certainly one of my favourite eras of literature - before the pomo movement became an indulgent self-delicacy.
@@boyinthebadlands 'indulgent self-delicacy' - well, yes. they've become too 'cute' and frivolous - but not these 'old guys', writers which debuted during 50s and 60s. South Americans carried the torch through next two decades with some outstanding novels. Rest of it got stale and hollow, soaked in irony and lack of any real stakes, anything-goes kind of attitude. But imagine ending your career with Agapē Agape or, with Gass, Middle C, they were still full of spunk.
@@AleksandarBloom I agree - irony-poisoned work is just that: poisoned. I have a copy of Agape Agape on my shelf, but I'd like to read JR before symbolically wrapping up his catalogue. I've heard very good things about it, though.
I just stumbled upon this video you just got a new subscriber my friend, your videos are fantastic! What did you use for these amazing graphics? After Effects? How long does an editing for a video like this take? Also keep up the great job this channel is going to take off one of these days!!!
Thank you! I use AE for all motion graphics and premiere for the edit itself. This video took roughly 3 months to make, but I was only working on it part time.
@@boyinthebadlands How hard is it to make the graphics, are you a graphic designer by profession? I've though about picking up a course on After effects because I love the way it looks. I admit I am a total noob regarding graphics, but seeing how awesome these animations look I'm inspired to pick it up and try and experiment with it. I actually stumbled upon your channel when I typed Lex Villena in the search bar and lo and behold, that's how I found the channel. When I saw the thumbnail on one of your videos it instantly reminded me of 1791L, so I had to click it. The graphics were mesmerizing as well as the review it self, so I'm assuming you are a 1791L/Lex Villena fan. I have a certain affinity for people that make sure that their content isn't just well written and well researched but aesthetically pleasing to look at as well!
@@The_Undertow I actually don’t have any motion graphic experience except for making these videos! My background is in filmmaking so although I’ve always had an idea of how AE and PS worked, I’ve had to figure everything out from, essentially, scratch. Lots of UA-cam tutorials. And Lex is a huge inspiration. I think he was the best motion graphic stylist on UA-cam when he was still making videos. And although I am certainly indebted to him, I can only hope my own visual style has begun to speak for itself with these two more recent videos. Like this video essay points out, originality is no simple task. If you’d like to chat more, feel free to DM me on Twitter: @boyinthebadland
You’ve inspired me to go buy a copy of Recognitions. I’ve been thinking about it for some time now but this video was everything I needed to commit to it! It’s my first time reading anything by Gaddis, so I’m looking forward to it 😁 I love the format of this video btw, will you be making a similar one for JR?
Good luck to you! Re JR: not sure. I'll have to see if my reading of the text sparks something like The Recognitions did! But I don't imagine I'll be reading JR anytime soon - lots to get through!
That is not the impression I got, and reflecting on my reading, I can't recall any passages that stood out to me as being homophobic. I'm surprised I haven't heard more people talk about this if it is in fact a point of controversy. You may want to quiz Cliff Sargent, Leaf by Leaf, Orpheus etc. on this as I suspect they're each better equipped to be able to respond to this than I.
"Begs the question" is a logical fallacy meaning to assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved, without arguing it. You should have said: "raises the question" instead. Minor point, but if you're gonna explain a novel like The Recognitions, then at least recognize proper use of phrases and their meanings. I'll get off my grammar box now.
This is an absurd comment and the terrible sort of nitpicking that I despise. From the Oxford English Dictionary (for authority and superior descriptive research) begging the question does mean in common colloquial usage to raise a question. Just because it means something in the lexicon of rhetoric doesn't mean it can't also signify something else in common use. When you are commenting on a video about The Recognitions you should at least recognize the narrowness of your viewpoint and how it can be ignorant of common knowledge. www.lexico.com/en/definition/beg_the_question
Great graphics!
Thank you, Steven! And thank you for the fantastic work you do. Your resources have proven themselves invaluable to me on more than one occasion.
Please, do more videos like this. This video is like my dream, I always admired and enjoyed the video essay format for films but I never imagined someone doing this with books. Please consider doing this with Pynchon, more Gaddis, Theroux, William T Vollman, William Gass, McElroy, Joyce
Thanks, Esteban! You've got good taste in authors. More videos (on both books and films) coming soon -- and more videos specifically on the Vollmann, Pynchon, etc. crowd as soon as I can make time for more of their books haha. Europe Central and Fathers and Crows are both high on my list.
@@boyinthebadlands no, thank you!, you're doing a truly valuable work. I guess you're already following Leaf by Leaf, he's the one that turned me into great authors. So yeah, keep doing these videos, you now have a huge fan waiting for them!. Can't wait to see the ones of Vollman and Pynchon!
@@estebanmejia3473 I highly recommend Leaf by Leaf, Orpheus, Paper Bird and Better Than Food, and I suggest you check out any you haven't already. Thanks again for your viewership!
Impressive video and very thoughtful and deep analysis of this masterpiece! I have just finished it and found your contribution here. I would like to add that this book is, although challenging in some parts, also extremely funny! Gaddis uses irony with great ability and competence (the character of Otto is absolutely brilliant!).
May I suggest to consider also John Barth (The floating opera) and Robert Coover (Universal Baseball Association Inc. J.Henry Waugh Prop.) among the postmodern authors to talk about? Thanks again!!
@@lucaseravalli4924 thank you. And agreed! Gaddis is a fantastic satirist. Otto (“auto”) is probably my favourite character because of all the ways he reflects a young Gaddis. Barth and Coover are both on my TBR list - thank you for the recommendations!
Thank you for making an excellent video about this book. I was horrified by how bad the videos already online were so I made some of own in hope of counteracting the ignorance and you do such a good job discussing the book. Excited to see what else you discuss.
Thank you, Orpheus! I've watched multiple of your Gaddis videos (among many others - I return to your bookshelf tour videos often when I'm looking for reading inspiration), so this compliment means a lot. I'm likewise grateful for how your videos have brought (much needed) attention to Gaddis and his works, so thank you! I'm always looking forward to your uploads.
@@boyinthebadlands I'm glad you found some value in my videos. If you'd ever be interested in talking about books sometime
Seeing your video inspired me to get all my Gaddis materials out and look at it again
@@Orpheuslament I’ll 100% take you up on this, thank you. Chat soon.
It's 2020 and I don't ever wanna leave this channel.
This is a really interesting and beautiful video. Guess that means I'll have to get the reprint next month then. Looking forward to what's to come on your channel.
I have a Dalkey Archive copy in nice condition, but I've had my eyes on the NYRB reissue(s, including JR) for awhile now... There's absolutely no reason to own two copies, but ...
@@boyinthebadlands I mean there is the argument for getting them for the new introductions or having an extra copy at hand to give as a gift/lend to a friend, but why lie to ourselves?
Books are beautiful objects and it's nice to have them around. Especially when they're this good. (Plus there's worse problems to have than too many good books in your house)
@@gurkepro "the new introductions"
mike...dude.....
An understanding of the historical, cultural, and theological differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism is key to understanding Gaddis' critique of Christianity.
Absolutely killer video on a killer novel. Thanks for laboring over this vid. So meticulous
This is an incredible video! I just picked up a copy of The Recognitions for my next read. I'd love to see more 😁👍
I love your videos man, please come back!
Insightful. Rare to see such thought out reflections on a work like The Recognitions.
Much appreciated.
Unfortunately, critics are often too focused on Beat (and counter-culture) aspects of W. Burroughs, while totally ignoring the fact that Naked Lunch, among The Recognitions and John Hawkes novels, is one of the most important pillars of that American mod-pomo 'bridge'. Pynchon's debt to him is equally immense.
Thanks for the insight! I haven’t gotten around to Burroughs yet, but plan to. The transition from modernism to post-modernism is certainly one of my favourite eras of literature - before the pomo movement became an indulgent self-delicacy.
@@boyinthebadlands 'indulgent self-delicacy' - well, yes. they've become too 'cute' and frivolous - but not these 'old guys', writers which debuted during 50s and 60s. South Americans carried the torch through next two decades with some outstanding novels. Rest of it got stale and hollow, soaked in irony and lack of any real stakes, anything-goes kind of attitude. But imagine ending your career with Agapē Agape
or, with Gass, Middle C, they were still full of spunk.
@@AleksandarBloom I agree - irony-poisoned work is just that: poisoned. I have a copy of Agape Agape on my shelf, but I'd like to read JR before symbolically wrapping up his catalogue. I've heard very good things about it, though.
Beautiful video. Waiting for more content.
Cheers! More on the way.
thank you for your video. I love it. I'm reading The Recognitions right now :)
Exhaustive, brilliant, illuminating review.
I just stumbled upon this video you just got a new subscriber my friend, your videos are fantastic!
What did you use for these amazing graphics? After Effects? How long does an editing for a video like this take? Also keep up the great job this channel is going to take off one of these days!!!
Thank you! I use AE for all motion graphics and premiere for the edit itself. This video took roughly 3 months to make, but I was only working on it part time.
@@boyinthebadlands How hard is it to make the graphics, are you a graphic designer by profession? I've though about picking up a course on
After effects because I love the way it looks. I admit I am a total noob regarding graphics, but seeing how awesome these animations look I'm inspired to pick it up and try and experiment with it.
I actually stumbled upon your channel when I typed Lex Villena in the search bar and lo and behold, that's how I found the channel. When I saw the thumbnail on one of your videos it instantly reminded me of 1791L, so I had to click it. The graphics were mesmerizing as well as the review it self, so I'm assuming you are a 1791L/Lex Villena fan.
I have a certain affinity for people that make sure that their content isn't just well written and well researched but aesthetically pleasing to look at as well!
@@The_Undertow I actually don’t have any motion graphic experience except for making these videos! My background is in filmmaking so although I’ve always had an idea of how AE and PS worked, I’ve had to figure everything out from, essentially, scratch. Lots of UA-cam tutorials. And Lex is a huge inspiration. I think he was the best motion graphic stylist on UA-cam when he was still making videos. And although I am certainly indebted to him, I can only hope my own visual style has begun to speak for itself with these two more recent videos. Like this video essay points out, originality is no simple task. If you’d like to chat more, feel free to DM me on Twitter: @boyinthebadland
I love the book and I love your video! Great editing, too.
You’ve inspired me to go buy a copy of Recognitions. I’ve been thinking about it for some time now but this video was everything I needed to commit to it! It’s my first time reading anything by Gaddis, so I’m looking forward to it 😁 I love the format of this video btw, will you be making a similar one for JR?
Good luck to you! Re JR: not sure. I'll have to see if my reading of the text sparks something like The Recognitions did! But I don't imagine I'll be reading JR anytime soon - lots to get through!
I wished we knew each other. Your mind intrigues me..!
This is Jonathan Franzen speaking.
Hello, Jonathan
@@boyinthebadlands You’re not worthy.
Wonderful!!!
I think I know what I’m going to read next
If you're interested in systems novels, maximalist style, etc., I think it's an essential read!
Astounding video, wonderful stuff.
Thanks, Brayton!
Great vid
Thanks!
Ahahhha, bless, thank you
I have heard people say The Recognitions is deeply homophobic even for the time period. Is this true and if so what did you make of it?
That is not the impression I got, and reflecting on my reading, I can't recall any passages that stood out to me as being homophobic. I'm surprised I haven't heard more people talk about this if it is in fact a point of controversy. You may want to quiz Cliff Sargent, Leaf by Leaf, Orpheus etc. on this as I suspect they're each better equipped to be able to respond to this than I.
@@boyinthebadlands thank you for the reply. That is interesting. I guess I will read it myself :) 😀
@@Ali94749 That's the best way to know for sure!
"Begs the question" is a logical fallacy meaning to assume the truth of an argument or proposition to be proved, without arguing it. You should have said: "raises the question" instead. Minor point, but if you're gonna explain a novel like The Recognitions, then at least recognize proper use of phrases and their meanings. I'll get off my grammar box now.
You're right; I'm not sure how this slipped through editing. Thanks for the feedback!
This is an absurd comment and the terrible sort of nitpicking that I despise. From the Oxford English Dictionary (for authority and superior descriptive research) begging the question does mean in common colloquial usage to raise a question. Just because it means something in the lexicon of rhetoric doesn't mean it can't also signify something else in common use. When you are commenting on a video about The Recognitions you should at least recognize the narrowness of your viewpoint and how it can be ignorant of common knowledge.
www.lexico.com/en/definition/beg_the_question