Borges is my favorite too, but would be difficult for a beginner. Reading is like a muscle that you train, the more you read, the better you get at reading. I suggest starting with collections of short stories, like "Worlds-Greatest-Stories-Thrift-Editions", and see which writer resonates with you the most. Then you can read more of that writer, similar writers, and go down the rabbit hole. The advantage of short stories is that your time investment is minimal (but the enjoyment is the same), so if you read a story that you don't like, you don't have to suffer through 500 pages. Another option is to read books like "1,000 books to read before you die" - they have a brief description of each book, pick up the ones that seem interesting to you, and read those.
It's true but you don't have to start from the bottom to train that muscle You don't have to read a book one time. I read Kafka for the first time at 12 years old and I had no idea at the time, but hit me hard at 21. I'm sure 12 was the right time as it gave me structure and was extremely fun 😅 wake up as a bug......at least what I tought Mortimer Adler advices read the most difficult things in order to really know how to read and I agree Everything worth doing to learn challenges and intimidades you
the first book i read to get me back into reading after a 20 year break was Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut . hilarious book. that was in December. im on book 27 now.
A nice thing about Borges is that you lose little to nothing reading him in translation. The Spanish-language author that I think is the hardest to translate is Juan Rulfo. It was worth learning Spanish just to read him in his original language. For Colombian writers, I would recommend Álvaro Mutis. “Empresas y tribulaciones de Maqroll el gaviero” (Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll) is a treasure trove of seven adventure novellas. I think the book that most surprised me was Lonesome Dove. As someone who primarily reads stories and novellas, I never expected a 900 page western to become one of my favorite books.
Lonesome Dove was great. I read it when I was 17, and I've always meant to circle back to the sequels, and now I'm 50. Ha! Life goes fast. I did manage to read McMurtrys 'The Last Picture Show' which was interesting, but not as good as Lonesome Dove for me.
Since I don’t know his aesthetic taste entirely, I will simply recommend a grab bag of things. As a general pro-tip I recommend starting with short stories so you can get a general taste of an authors feel. Moody vibe books: >no longer human >Notes from underground >miss lonelyhearts >the fall by Albert Camus >Pedro Palermo >Lolita >the invention of morel Historical novels: >brothers Karamazov >the sun also rises >Augustus by John Williams >butchers crossing also by John Williams >any Hemingway short story(capital of the world, hills of kiljamajoro, the life of Francis comber, as I lay me, are particular favorites of mine), or his non fiction works, a moveable feast and death in the afternoon. >
Borges is so f-ing good. Literally makes you fall in love instantly. And the "replayability" is off the charts. It's like finding a song you want to listen to over and over again. Each pass back over (re-readthrough) you notice more and more--It's as if you are mining rich veins.
I've struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for my whole life. Reading books was a constant discouraging cycle of being super excited for 100 ish pages then losing interest and then feeling bad about it. The mantra of "read what excites you, fuck the rest" is very encouraging to me. Thank you.
I think any kind of good short stories with intresting (for potencial reader) permision would be great for start. They're oviously shorter so it's easier to keep attencion. And if they're well writen - usualy the ending slams you in your face and it's very satisfing feeling. Maybe it could also work well for ADHD readers? I othen feel in similar way and then it's usualy working for me.
@@axolotlismybeautystandard HI there! Just an update, I'm currently in the middle of reading three different books, a 300ish page history book, the fellowship of the ring, and a Bertrand Russell Philosophy book. I'm a pretty slow reader and no where near completion of any of them but I've maintained my engagement by employing a few different strategies. 1. For the history book I have Google at the ready to look up any unfamiliar names or events so I'm more clued in to the context the author is giving. 2. For the fellowship of the ring, I'm mentally trying to envision middle earth as a REAL place I can go to, Tolkien writes in this fashion already so it's easy to do that 3. For the Bertrand russell book it's about philosophy, I'm consuming it like an expensive steak, small bite size chunks, and I'm marinating on everything that's being said so I don't feel lost later on. For the first time in many, many years I'm not being hard on myself and I actually feel like I'm absorbing what I'm reading.
For me it’s Hermann Hesse who speaks directly to my soul. I find so many similarities between his books and my thoughts that it’s both fascinating and scary.
Hermann Hesse might be my favourite author. 'Narcissus and Goldmund' is my favourite novel. It breaks your heart in a marvellous way to read about a matching sentience.
First of all, most people like fear and loathing in las vegas so there's that. If you really new to books I think the first book(s) should be 1. (Somewhat of) a classic because that means it will be good as it has stood the test of time and will serve as a benchmark for what "good" actually is 2. not too old because having to adapt to dated language can be pretty off-putting at first 3. have a blurb that excites you just by gut feeling 4. Not too long just because finishing a book feels nice and makes you want to do it again keep that in mind and look around until you find something and start reading
Hi Pablo! First of all I totally agree with Cliff about Borges. I’m not just saying that to be a stooge; it was my love of Borges that led me to his channel to begin with. One thing to keep in mind about great writers is that many of them can have a difficult style of writing. I wouldn’t recommend Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy to a new reader. But if you run into something like that don’t let it discourage you. Just put it aside and know you’ll get there later. I often tell people, one great way to start with literature is with myths and folktales. They tend to be easy to read, be very deep, and are universal enough that it’s easy to find others who have read them with whom you can discuss them. Here are some good choices: Gilgamesh (Sumerian) Theogony (Greek) Iliad (Greek) Odyssey (Greek) The Prose Edda or the Poetic Edda (Norse) The Brothers Grimm stories ( Yes fairy tales. They are deep, meaningful, and pure story) the Bible has great poetry and stories in it. I’m not trying to convert you; there is real literary value here. Especially in: Psalms Job Ecclesiastes I don’t know but I’ve heard many times that Edgar Allen Poe has some excellent Spanish translations. If that’s true that would be a great choice. Maybe some short novels would be less intimidating as well. Here some well done short novels with relatively simple prose styles: Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) Barabbas (Lagerkvist) The Postman Alway Rings Twice (Cain) Pedro Paramo (Rulfo) I haven’t read this one yet but it’s on my list. As far as history goes, you might find The Histories of Herodotus entertaining. He was an Ancient Greek historian who wrote a series of histories of the known world at his time culminating int he Persian Wars. As he admits, he uses a lot of rumors, anecdotes and here-say so don’t count on him being 100% historically accurate her he could be very entertaining.
Hey Clifford, this was a great video, and I wanted to add just a couple of extra points that may be a help to other people getting into reading: 1) Like you stressed in the video, it's a great idea for new readers to find material that resonates with them, as opposed to things they 'should' or 'have' to read, but I wanted to point out that it's really quite easy to find books that are relevant to whatever your current interests are. For example, if you really like any particular genre (like historical fiction, scifi, etc.) It's always a valuable insight to find books that are within that genre, and try to find a spoiler free review/synopsis to see if it interests you. 2) On the topic of literature relevant to current interests, a lot of people have heard that 'the books are better than the film/show', and so they may think something like 'Oh I really loved The Lord of the Rings, I'll grab the books and read those', but unfortunately, if you're not already a diligent reader, than you're going to get bored and just go back to watching the movie/show. Because, even if you've heard that the books are better, there is probably already a 'good enough' version of the story that is much easier to consume than a book, and so you may not have the discipline to stick to it. Instead, you should try to find books that have not yet been adapted to film, so that the only way you can actually get the satisfaction of the story is to read the book (an example is that, if you really like 'The Matrix', you should probably read 'Neuromancer', which hasn't had a proper adaptation yet). 3) Read short stories! (Like Borges). If you haven't spent a lot of time reading, you probably haven't yet developed the stamina for long reading sessions, and so you don't need to stress yourself about not reading an 800 page epic like The Brothers Karamazov, because you haven't yet built up the endurance to spend a lot of time with a book. So, don't feel bad at all about starting with short stories that you could most likely finish in a single sitting. Some great authors in this regard are (for scifi/fantasy) Jorge Luis Borges, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu. Some others (more closer to 'Classics') that I have yet to personally read but have heard about are Flannery O'Connor, JD Salinger, and Ernest Hemingway's short stories. 4) For a personal, actual book recommendation, I recommend Farenheit 451, because if there were any book that makes you confront the potential consequences of a society that doesn't value reading, this book is sure to do it (and it's also a short-ish and quite easy (linguistically) to read) Hope these points help anyone with their search for good literature :)
the true sign of intelligence isn't about what you know but how you react when you don't know. - I forgot where I heard this from but I always come back to it.
I'm more of a fiction guy too and agree that Borges is a great starting point. For history, two recent reads I enjoyed were 'The Opium War' by Julia Lovell about the history of opium, China and the British Empire and 'Open Veins of Latin America' by Eduardo Galeano about the history of Central and South America in relation to global capitalism through the centuries. For general non-fiction reading, though, I could not recommend the 'A Very Short Introduction to...' series enough.
Do I love the way you talk? yes, please! Thank you for one more amazing video and straight honesty on Pablo's sincere question. I've always been skeptical when it comes to this " books I should read before I die", in fact I bought one long ago and never really consult it much. I ended up passing it along. At some point I realized classics, the true ones, are those what speak to us. Of course I've read some of the classics appointed as World Masterpieces and yes, some of them are really amazing, but other experiences were not so rewarding, which made me realize I had to read/learn for myself. I love so many things but nowadays I know who are my favorite authors and themes, and that helps me a lot to keep my reading on track without closing the doors to new styles and authors along the way. Pablo, I cannot tell you what you should read but can easily tell you about some books that have made my day already: People of the Book and Caleb's crossing by Geraldine Brooks are on my top list. They both tell gorgeous stories ( with a Historical background you might find interestinf) that are a precious to me. People of the book tells the story of one of the most sacred books in History ( Saravejo 's Haggadah ) and how it survived throughout the years. Caleb's crossing is phenomenal too. It is about one the first Native American to get formal education and how it demanded leaving behind his core beliefs in order to fit in society. They are both novels with such an amazing historical appeal that I found charming and unique. Hope you enjoy them in case you get interested, but in any case just follow the advice given: " read whatever hits you, speaks to you and calls your name."
My recommendation for Pablo : Inherent Vice, by Pynchon, my current read ! I haven't finished it yet, but it's certainly one of my favorite reads from the last months. I think it's a relatively easy read for a beginner (even though there's a ton of references from the 60-70s culture that I don't always get, and the plot can be complex), because it's about an investigation and it's written in a beautiful, yet really funny and sarcastic way, which is really refreshing. The characters are eclectic and colorful, the plot is completely crazy and addictive, and the whole vibe of the book is laid back and super fun. I'm also a young reader (I'm 20), so I think Pablo could be curious about this book, just like I was before starting reading it. Before reading it, I spent a whole month reading the Master and Marguarita (which is not a favorite for me, I completely agreed with Cliff's review of it, even though it's not a bad read and it is considered a classic for many people), so I can say that Inherent Vice feels like a breath of fresh air !
when i was a kid, the first conscious book that i remember to have read was The Amphibian by Alexander Belyaev and it caught me back then. i was so into in, that i have read the whole story during one night before school and couldn’t stop. then it was Professor Dowell's Head by the same author which was included in my literature school program and it was also a real fun to read. nowadays i don’t really like fantastic stories, but these books were the one which showed me how beautiful book world can be. imagine sitting a few hours straight looking right into a paper with inks and have hallucinations. couldn’t be me
I know how Pablo feels. I'm Julián, also from Colombia, and i hated reading. The first book I read for my own choice was Ten Little N**gers by Agatha Christie. But the book that really made me feel like literature is a whole exciting universe to experience was Crime and Punishment. Now I'm obssessed with books. Even wrote my own and have gotten 5 short stories published
@@morenoramonvictor I read online it was one of her best. Also, the plot sounded interesting: a group of people invited to an island, then they start dying one by one, according to a children's song called The Ten Little N-word
FYI, they renamed that book in English, because of the now quite offensive title (which is yes, after a now also not sung children's song). It is now titled "And Then There Were None". It is supposed to be one of her best, glad they renamed it.
@@erinh7450 oh, yes, I'm aware. Here in Colombia we can still find the book as Diez Negritos, cause the word Negrito isnt offensive here. I think they also renamed the book to Ten little indians as well
Borges and Carlos Fuentes (spelling of Spanish names not my forte....don't smack me) I read both authors in my high school comparative literature class.
Upvote for starting with the recommendation! Still watching the remainder of the vid, but now I can start looking where to get some Borges while I watch.
Fantastic video and some wonderful words. I’m moving from Australia to Europe next week and I’m planning to get under the skin of Lord of the Rings as I see the continent. My literary breakthrough was Crash by JG Ballard. Disgustingly beautiful. Reading something so unusual and unrecognisable has had a profound effect.
Really well articulated video, Cliff! Really appreciate the effort you put into answering this question. Long time viewer of yours since 2016 when I was reading Houellebecq in university and found your review for Soumission.
I agree with Borges. Absolutely. I would add Bartleby, The Scrivner by Melville to all of the great recommendations already on here. Also, since you like history I would highly recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast. It's addicting.
Being a youngster, I had a lot of friends who didn't read. Most of it came from either, they weren't interested, or they just thought it was a waste of time. But sometimes they would ask for some guiding advice on where to start. At first I would like them to start with some kind of comic or graphic novel (I see them as a legitimate way of getting started) but if they wanted books, I would ask them a simple question, "Do you like fantasy?". If they said yes, I would hand them Terry Pratchett, and if they said no, I would hand them Elmore Leonard. Their books are great starters to me, (especially for Mr. Leonard) you get the feeling that the writers love what they do and that they had FUN doing it, and that brushes off when you read it.
1:45 As a Spanish speaker I don't get why we're so behind in the world of book cover design; The English translations always, always get the nicer artwork. I'm sometimes inclined to get the English version based solely on the artwork.
There used to be a series of paperbacks by Borges with details of paintings by Hieronymus Bosch on the cover, published by Alianza Editorial. Those looked cool and were cheap. They are hard to get by nowadays.
Charles Bukowski,Laugh, deep, sex, he relates almost to anyone. Guy de Maupassant : short stories. Jg Ballard :Crash. (the film too) :peter benchley :JAWS. (the novel turned into a film in 1975). gory descriptions of attacks. Horacio Quiroga: tales of love, deathband madness. He was from Uruguay.
When I came to a point where I wanted to expand my reading experiences. I asked myself: what am I interested? What do I always claim is something I enjoy or am fascinated in, but don't really know much more beyond some surface level information? From there I looked for books that appealed to those two questions and took my trip down the rabbit hole. Good luck Pablo!
In 7th grade English our teacher, Mr. Dortenzo spent an entire 9 week session on 'A Tale of Two Cities', my first step into true literature. At the end we watched the 1935 version of the movie and that was what opened my eyes for literature. I would start with Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 'Love In the Time of Cholera' and 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'.
I personally think Borges is too challenging for a beginner. I would suggest a good short story anthology of world literature. That way, Pablo will get a good idea of which authors interest him.
I did read a lot as a kid, but I had a bit of a gap between late middle school and high school. The books that got me back into reading in my senior year were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, 1984 by George Orwell, and then my feeble attempt at Infinite Jest which I enjoyed every second of despite putting it down when I got to college.
Totally agree on re reading experience. I didn't like The sound and the fury in my 20s. However at +30s fell in love with As I lay dying and read almost every book by Faulkner. For Pablo: Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures by Zweig. It's a beginning
Again great video. I like when sometimes you give your opinion about smth else than just about a book. And It's interesting how perspective of time changes while listening you. This 20 min felt like 8 min long video!
Hey, do you remember from Perec's novel the conversation between Raskolnikov and Mersault, was that in hell? One year, they put that topic as an essay for high school graduation. lol
Hello. I had to think back to books I read in my 20s. One that sticks in my mind is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules. It was one of the first I read a little deeper than “pop fiction”. Great characters and a story still relevant today. Even more relevant given the revoke of Roe in America.
Self knowledge is a must, for me i was into classic rock, and found out Jim Morrison liked Nietzsche. Nietzsche was a game changer, then Henry Miller. Everything is connected, and the rabbit hole analogy is perfect. Perhaps Spengler's Decline of the West would be good. If there is a time period one likes, like for me now i LOVE the vintage paperback horror stuff. Michael McDowell's in da house!!!
Empire of the Sun by J.G.Ballard. British era colonial China. The Painted Veil by William.S. Maugham is beautiful. Albert Camus' short stories Exile and the Kingdom is fantastic too. I just read The Adulterous Woman again and it is brilliant.
This is sort of an unusual recommendation, but I would personally recommend reading autobiographies. I found over the years that autobiographies are definitely MY thing. And perhaps they might be your thing too. The reason I'd suggest them, and the reason I believe they're important, is because they're about real people, predominantly famous people, who usually start from absolutely nothing. Many of the autobiographies I've read paint a picture of extremely humble beginnings, sometimes downright busted lives. But you see how over time they persevered and became who they are today. To go further with this recommendation, I'd say read the autobiographies of comedians. Not only do most of them write surprisingly very well and straight-forward, but some of them can get very creative with their style of writing/telling their literal life-stories, and they also keep everything entertaining pretty much the whole way through. Two standout autobiographies by comedians are "I Can't Make This Up" by Kevin Hart and "The Last Black Unicorn" by Tiffany Haddish. If you want a good serious autobiography, and a touching one at that, I would highly recommend "A Life In Parts" by Bryan Cranston... Maybe I'm just a sap, maybe the book just hit me the right way, but his life story brought me to genuine tears at multiple parts. Remarkable stuff. But, really, as Mr. Better Than Food says himself, find what YOU are interested in. Maybe autobiographies aren't your bag, maybe they are, but that's really the beautiful thing about books... there's so many different genres/types of books to read. For all anyone knows, maybe you like how-to books, and if that's what gets you excited, and that's what you get lost in, then that's amazing. Maybe you find you like YA novels... some "serious" or "mature" readers may steer you away from YA novels, but YOU might find that you truly enjoy them, and if you do, then forget what naysayers might say. Maybe you can be the person who says, "Hey, wait a minute... this stuff is actually pretty good. I enjoy this. And there IS something important about these books. And this brings invaluable meaning to my life." The answer truly is... whatever you want.
Read Borges. Read Eco. Read Morrison. Read Dumas. Read Dickens. Read Hurston, McCarthy, Endo, O’Connor, Rushdie, Doyle, Christie, Cervantes, Greene, Hammett, Hemingway, Faulkner, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bradbury, my God, Read Ray Bradbury. And then go from there. Anyone have any suggestions? Always looking for more.
Definitely The 120 Days of Sodom. Super good idea. But, here's a good start. The Hawkline Monster - Richard Brautigan. Women - Charles Bukowski. Tobacco Road - Erskine Caldwell. Car - Harry Crews. A Fan's Notes - Fred Exley. Airships - Barry Hannah. Dalva - Jim Harrison. Angels - Denis Johnson. Ice - Anna Kavan. Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon. Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson. Old Jules - Mari Sandoz. Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr. Running The Light - Sam Tallent. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson. Fools Crow - James Welch. The Desert Smells Like Rain - Gary Paul Nabhan. Refuge - Terry Tempest Williams. The Complete Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor. Saguaro - Carson Mell. Half in Love - Maile Meloy. Ballad of the Sad Cafe - Carson McCullers. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy. Art Sex Music - Cosi Fanni Tutti. The Blind Owl - Sadegh Hedayat. Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season - Forugh Farrokhzad. All of Marina Tsvetaeva's poetry. Town Smokes - Pinckney Benedict. The Complete Short Stories of Breece D'J Pancake. The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey. If They Move . . . Kill 'Em!: The Life and TImes of Sam Peckinpah. Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell. Blood and Guts in High School - Kathy Acker. The Ghostway - Tony Hillerman. Speedboat - Renata Adler. Little Birds - Anais Nin. Ok, I'm done.
I absolutely detest, loathe and hate Borges, so i cannot even remotely agree. I would say to him more broadly though, think about what he likes in film/TV, and just go from there.
As young adult fiction began to frustrate me with its largely feminine demographic. In response my first adult novel was No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, and I am very grateful that I did. The style is so present that it is essentially cinematic, like reading a film script, resulting in the story, scenes and emotions being mainlined into your system, making it impossible to feel alienated by the text.
i always recommend Vonnegut to people who wanna start reading because he uses simple language, has short chapters, yet the topics are deep but easy to follow. But yeah read whatever. I started late 18 getting back into reading with the idiot from dostoevsky and naturally much of it went over my head, but i still love that book and wouldn't have changed a thing. In short, pick up a book and read. And if you don't like it, put it away and keep trying till you find the one. And I would suggest slightly judging books by their covers. Saves time and those marketers know what pretentious shit i like
I actually hate this book but Catcher in the Rye seems to be loved by guys. It's an easy read but if you're a girl or women you'll want to punch the protagonist to death. Otherwise, Secret History or Perfume. Maybe try a Novella. Of Mice and Men is fantastic and Steinbeck is one of my favourite writers.
Started reading what I wanted after finishing college. This meant the Western Cannon, starting with the Greeks and currently reading about the Romans. It's absolutely fantastic. However, I noticed after a while that reading all this dense literature can be quite exhausting. It wasn't until I reread Harry Potter - this time in German - that I began to rediscover the basic pleasure of reading. This doesn't take anything away from the joys of ploughing through the Western Canon. But reading doesn't always have to be this wonderful choir, at times it should also be effortless fun. I believe it is important to strike a balance between these two. In terms of a recommendation: Herodotus - Histories, a fascinating read and far less dry than the other famous Greek historian Thucydides.
Dear Pablo, I would answer this question much in the same way that Cliff has: go to whatever INTERESTS you most and ABANDON what you feel like is sucking up your time. Borges is of course a great way to start. I usually answer this question by recommending either "Siddartha" or "Demian" by Herman Hesse. I think that those two books are a great starting point for readers becoming interested in new and challenging literature. Think about everything you could learn about history and theology from "Siddartha"! Same with "Demian"! - So many of the deep philosophical problems that Germany into World War II introduced in a very colorful, concise, and accessible way. I also commonly answer with Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground." I think that this is an excellent place for you to start, getting into more serious work. You will find the influence of this work everywhere, but it still feels SO fresh and powerful and shocking. And it's crucial, I think, to understanding the "four big" novels of Dostoevsky as well. "2666" was the gateway book for me . . . Bolano is a great place to start as well; plenty of longer and shorter works from. Denis Johnson was key for me early on as well. "Jesus's Son" is a must-read. If you're looking to get into the English novel, starting off on classes, on the other hand, I'd recommend "Jude the Obscure" or anything by Thomas Hardy. "Jude the Obscure" is the bleakest novel of the nineteenth, or twentieth century, in my opinion. If you're interested in "historicizing" your reading, that novel really sets the context for what will follow with Modernism, in culture and in literature. (I'm especially fond of "Return of the Native" by Hardy). Take a look at any of these and see if they're of interest. Hope this was useful as well Pablo. Cheers from Hanoi, Vietnam! Brock Eldon
Some of the books that changed my life, in no particular order: Something Wicked this Way Comes - Ray Bradbury The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien The Hobbit - ' ' The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas A Scanner Darkly - Phillip K Dick Dr. Blood Money - ' ' The Little Sister - Raymond Chandler Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo The Gunslinger - Stephen King The Shining - ' ' The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac On the The Road - ' ' Mason and Dixon- Thomas Pynchon Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - ' ' Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy All the Pretty Horses - ' ' The Collected Stories of Ernest Hemingway Hopes this helps
Borges is a personal favorite of mine, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. Some beginner friendly books would be stuff like 1984, Animal Farm, maybe Stephen King or Neil Gaiman. I agree with the rest of the advice, though. Read what excites you! And if that's Borges, then so be it. Just be careful to not lose motivation because of how dense a book is.
The Catcher in the Rye started it for me. Rebellious, in your face, and hip to the core, exactly what I wanted in a Jesuit boarding school. And on it went to more serious stuff, and also different formats, shorts stories, poetry, etc. Go with the flow, as Cliff mentions, with your gut. You'll find exactly what you need to read.
Absolutely hated this book when I read it when I was about 23. I recon it's one of those books that completely changes what you think about it depending on your age and where you are in life. I kind of feel the same way about other 'beginner friendly' books such as 1984, Brave New World, etc. They are good books but at 21, you might be looking for some more 'challenging' stuff. This is where I completely agree with you about going with the flow and following your gut
I read the book during my when I was a high school Junior. Maybe I missed my timing, but the way the book was written came off annoying to me. I understand why it was such a revolutionary piece, though.
I absolutely hate that book but I also recommended it because it's an easy read and very young guys seem to like it. As a woman reading it, I just wanted to hit the protagonist repeatedly.
Some people think that Borges if very difficult, but that is not correct. It has many layers but always a great story. I always recommend to start by Los dos reyes y los dos laberintos of Borges. Very short, if you like it, then ficciones and move on to his others short stories.
this is my comfort channel. you just have a warm air about you that makes me want to listen to you talk about books. this is the greatest. thank you for inspiring me to continue reading, and thank you for introducing me to Jorge Luis Borges.
This is very true. It is about interest! I picked up War & Peace at 19 because I was interested in the history of the Napoleonic Wars and a painting of Napoleon was on the cover of this edition. I didn't think about it in the context of global literature, it's reputation, length or it's artistic value at the time. I was just drawn to it on my mother's bookshelf. It was the greatest literary decision of my life.
I find Borges somewhat challenging for a first read (and I'm a native Spanish speaker) but I see where you're coming from. For a young reader I think Cortázar would be more appealing, especially his short stories. I don't read Cortázar anymore, but my twenty-year-old self enjoyed it a lot. Also, Jared Diamond is a hack. Please don't start there your history reads. Natalie Zemon Davis' "The Return of Martin Guerre" is a fun, well researched and easy read by a true historian (there's Spanish translation).
If he's looking for history books, I'd recommend "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild. It could be interesting for him to read that and immediately follow it up with Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to get a taste of historical fiction on the same topic.
I started my literary journey by reading Greek tragedy in high-school and I couldn't believe how much the ancients knew about the depths of the human soul. Everybody talks about Dostoyevsky's psychological insights but for me it was Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides who showed me how flawed we are as species. Oedipus Rex and Medea are some of the most popular tragedies, but I also recommend the Oresteia trilogy, or the lesser-known play Ajax.
When getting into reading, I believe age to be a key factor. As someone who only graduated high school a year ago, I consider classics to be important, but not the key to getting into literature. Some sort of middle ground needs to be used, one which heralds the book as relatively “good” while also being immediate. Something that interests you, or topics you’d like to think about more. Something that paints the world with a brush that you can recognize and feel. Authors like Knausgaard, Ellis, and McCarthy all come to mind for me. They are relatively respected writers who are also immediate and understandable. Once an author lights you up, you will be more willing to face the classics that many will throw at you, and you can make up you’re own mind about them. If I was forced to read Ulysses as my first book, I’d likely throw it at a wall. You have to believe that there’s something worth understanding and learning about before taking on books of higher difficulty.
Essentially this. I got in reading back in high school and of all the things I read in school (mainly classics that I didn’t appreciate fully) it was what I read outside of school that got me into reading and to eventually re-read some of those classics and actually enjoy the experience. It was a fantasy series (GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire) when I read that I wanted more and just went from there. Delving into history, a little philosophy, literary fiction, and whatever else I fancied reading.
Not sure about borges. He's quite academic and offers ideas. Some prefer short stories. I don't. You really need to try everything. What kind of content do you like otherwise? Movies etc. Try to find something similar to start. Then expand.
I've always thought that 1984 serves as a great door into the world of literature: It is captivating on many levels, it works as a straight story and it is quite easy to read between the lines, so it motivates the reader to think and consequently look for other challenges.
4th book i read." in my return to books" i started with Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. then straight into Dune ...lmao. it was so good. then i read a Dean Koontz book called The Bad Place. and then 1984. I'm on book 27 now since December and keep finding stuff I can't live without reading.
If you've never read *any* books, then I would recommend starting out with some Stephen King or Michael Crichton; just some fun stuff that you can get lost in. Then, when you've established that you can derive pleasure from reading, then maybe step up to some deeper stuff with more thematic content to explore. If you're a person who enjoys challenges, things will be a lot easier. Some books are difficult, but there are rewards to be had (most of the time, at least). Moby Dick is brutal but it has a veritable wealth of insights to offer. Reading has certainly been a worthwhile experience for me, and one which I would highly recommend at least attempting to get into. :)
My reading journey has been an interesting one to say the least! I started with classic children's stories, moved to horror books, fell in love with classics like Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde (Dorian Grey is very readable), Evelyn Waugh then moved towards to authors like Bukowski, Kundera. Next came my crime thriller phase. Once I became a voice over agent (which meant a lot of reading), exposing me to even more genres and I fell in love with literary fiction and translated fiction. I now find myself circling back to classics. My point is, is that it’s worth dipping into a variety of genres and over a course of a few books, you’ll figure out what floats your boat. I’m also finding that I’m enjoying non fiction, mostly essay collections. I think the trick is keeping an open mind : )
I think the biggest issue is what books are considered "must reads". I'm a huge reader, and authors such as Orwell, Austen, Tolkein, Fitzgerald, Herbert, S. King, Gaiman, the Brontes or any generic circlejerked booktok booktube books that got forgotten instantly I either have read and dislike or have zero interest in reading. I got into serious reading with Salinger, Ellis, Burroughs, Welsh, Palahniuk and so on, so I'd massively disagree with where most people are told to start. you just have to think what you like and look for in entertainment and go from there, especially if you an interest in film or history, those two I feel are good.
I read recently that Patti Smith, a great lover of high minded literature and Bolaño and all things intellectual, that her go to reads are pulp novels by Louis L'Amour. So there ya go. I prefer modern southern gothic( Daniel Woodrell, David Joy, Ron Rash,etc.) over the "classics"( Faulkner, O'Connor), but thats just my taste and my cultural background. Great video that I'm spreading around 'cause people don't read enough.
samuel beckett's murphy? it's weird it's funny it's wonderful it's profound it's short as hell. lean and mean! beckett was a completely life altering voice in my early 20s
Even though is hard for me to admit it, The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway might be _the_ book to read. Also: La casa verde, and Conversación en La Cadedral by Mario Vargas Llosa. Also: Brazilian classics, Japanese classics, French classics, Italian classics, German classics, Spanish classics, anything by Faulkner, anything by Nabokov, anything by John Banville...
@@JalenZachhM O, don't let me start talking about Faulkner; he's my absolute favourite, an unparalleled genius, a true master... I can keep going on and on until my last breath.
@@JalenZachhM Sure. I am missing only some of his essays and the Uncollected Stories, and I say this: even a "bad" Faulkner is better than most (of my) contemporaries. The lack of style, minimalism, or artificial simplicity which still dominates literature today is mostly boring to me. Faulkner, Proust, Claude Simon, Nabokov... I love density, baroque, poetic purple prose, it elates me. (And Faulkner a master of such prose).
Big thanks to Ridge for sending me this wallet and supporting the channel! Here’s the site if you want to check them out! > ridge.com/BETTERTHANFOOD
Borges is my favorite too, but would be difficult for a beginner. Reading is like a muscle that you train, the more you read, the better you get at reading. I suggest starting with collections of short stories, like "Worlds-Greatest-Stories-Thrift-Editions", and see which writer resonates with you the most. Then you can read more of that writer, similar writers, and go down the rabbit hole. The advantage of short stories is that your time investment is minimal (but the enjoyment is the same), so if you read a story that you don't like, you don't have to suffer through 500 pages. Another option is to read books like "1,000 books to read before you die" - they have a brief description of each book, pick up the ones that seem interesting to you, and read those.
It's true but you don't have to start from the bottom to train that muscle
You don't have to read a book one time. I read Kafka for the first time at 12 years old and I had no idea at the time, but hit me hard at 21. I'm sure 12 was the right time as it gave me structure and was extremely fun 😅 wake up as a bug......at least what I tought
Mortimer Adler advices read the most difficult things in order to really know how to read and I agree
Everything worth doing to learn challenges and intimidades you
In the arena of history + fiction, I would highly recommend Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
I always recommend Vonnegut to people who don’t read!
Oh damn me too! And show them my 2 tatttoos of him!
the first book i read to get me back into reading after a 20 year break was Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut . hilarious book. that was in December. im on book 27 now.
A nice thing about Borges is that you lose little to nothing reading him in translation. The Spanish-language author that I think is the hardest to translate is Juan Rulfo. It was worth learning Spanish just to read him in his original language.
For Colombian writers, I would recommend Álvaro Mutis. “Empresas y tribulaciones de Maqroll el gaviero” (Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll) is a treasure trove of seven adventure novellas.
I think the book that most surprised me was Lonesome Dove. As someone who primarily reads stories and novellas, I never expected a 900 page western to become one of my favorite books.
Lonesome Dove was great. I read it when I was 17, and I've always meant to circle back to the sequels, and now I'm 50. Ha! Life goes fast. I did manage to read McMurtrys 'The Last Picture Show' which was interesting, but not as good as Lonesome Dove for me.
Love these advice videos every once in a while . The problem is there's TOO many books
Since I don’t know his aesthetic taste entirely, I will simply recommend a grab bag of things. As a general pro-tip I recommend starting with short stories so you can get a general taste of an authors feel.
Moody vibe books:
>no longer human
>Notes from underground
>miss lonelyhearts
>the fall by Albert Camus
>Pedro Palermo
>Lolita
>the invention of morel
Historical novels:
>brothers Karamazov
>the sun also rises
>Augustus by John Williams
>butchers crossing also by John Williams
>any Hemingway short story(capital of the world, hills of kiljamajoro, the life of Francis comber, as I lay me, are particular favorites of mine), or his non fiction works, a moveable feast and death in the afternoon.
>
Borges is so f-ing good. Literally makes you fall in love instantly. And the "replayability" is off the charts. It's like finding a song you want to listen to over and over again. Each pass back over (re-readthrough) you notice more and more--It's as if you are mining rich veins.
I've struggled with undiagnosed ADHD for my whole life. Reading books was a constant discouraging cycle of being super excited for 100 ish pages then losing interest and then feeling bad about it. The mantra of "read what excites you, fuck the rest" is very encouraging to me. Thank you.
I think any kind of good short stories with intresting (for potencial reader) permision would be great for start. They're oviously shorter so it's easier to keep attencion. And if they're well writen - usualy the ending slams you in your face and it's very satisfing feeling. Maybe it could also work well for ADHD readers? I othen feel in similar way and then it's usualy working for me.
@@axolotlismybeautystandard HI there! Just an update, I'm currently in the middle of reading three different books, a 300ish page history book, the fellowship of the ring, and a Bertrand Russell Philosophy book. I'm a pretty slow reader and no where near completion of any of them but I've maintained my engagement by employing a few different strategies.
1. For the history book I have Google at the ready to look up any unfamiliar names or events so I'm more clued in to the context the author is giving.
2. For the fellowship of the ring, I'm mentally trying to envision middle earth as a REAL place I can go to, Tolkien writes in this fashion already so it's easy to do that
3. For the Bertrand russell book it's about philosophy, I'm consuming it like an expensive steak, small bite size chunks, and I'm marinating on everything that's being said so I don't feel lost later on.
For the first time in many, many years I'm not being hard on myself and I actually feel like I'm absorbing what I'm reading.
Losing your book virginity:
Splash on some cologne,
make sure you’re well-groomed,
read Don Quixote.
This has to be the correct answer.
I tried Don Quixote and found it boring after 100 pages… everyone has different taste I guess. Borges I love though
A man after my own heart.
Greatest novel of all time. Agree.
Agreed. A very easy to love book, even if it doesn’t end up being a favorite.
The Tunnel by Sabato. Short book, short chapters, Spanish language, and awesome.
Apparently in the Spanish speaking world De Héroes y tumbas is better known and easier to get by.
@@13tuyuti Abaddon el exterminador as well.
For me it’s Hermann Hesse who speaks directly to my soul. I find so many similarities between his books and my thoughts that it’s both fascinating and scary.
Hermann Hesse might be my favourite author. 'Narcissus and Goldmund' is my favourite novel. It breaks your heart in a marvellous way to read about a matching sentience.
First of all, most people like fear and loathing in las vegas so there's that.
If you really new to books I think the first book(s) should be
1. (Somewhat of) a classic because that means it will be good as it has stood the test of time and will serve as a benchmark for what "good" actually is
2. not too old because having to adapt to dated language can be pretty off-putting at first
3. have a blurb that excites you just by gut feeling
4. Not too long just because finishing a book feels nice and makes you want to do it again
keep that in mind and look around until you find something and start reading
Cormac McCarthy sounds like a great start because his work is not too old, but not too new either.
The book that sparks my love for literature is the lesser-known book by George Orwell entitled Down and Out in Paris and London.
Great, great book, Orwell is a very fine writer beyond Animal Farm and 1984.
Thomas Pynchon is this author for me, the humor and ability of injecting history into his comedic musicals is incredible
Great video as always. Love the reccomendations. Yes, Catcher in the Rye is a great way in.
Hi Pablo!
First of all I totally agree with Cliff about Borges. I’m not just saying that to be a stooge; it was my love of Borges that led me to his channel to begin with.
One thing to keep in mind about great writers is that many of them can have a difficult style of writing. I wouldn’t recommend Faulkner or Cormac McCarthy to a new reader. But if you run into something like that don’t let it discourage you. Just put it aside and know you’ll get there later.
I often tell people, one great way to start with literature is with myths and folktales. They tend to be easy to read, be very deep, and are universal enough that it’s easy to find others who have read them with whom you can discuss them. Here are some good choices:
Gilgamesh (Sumerian)
Theogony (Greek)
Iliad (Greek)
Odyssey (Greek)
The Prose Edda or the Poetic Edda (Norse)
The Brothers Grimm stories ( Yes fairy tales. They are deep, meaningful, and pure story)
the Bible has great poetry and stories in it. I’m not trying to convert you; there is real literary value here. Especially in:
Psalms
Job
Ecclesiastes
I don’t know but I’ve heard many times that Edgar Allen Poe has some excellent Spanish translations. If that’s true that would be a great choice.
Maybe some short novels would be less intimidating as well. Here some well done short novels with relatively simple prose styles:
Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck)
Barabbas (Lagerkvist)
The Postman Alway Rings Twice (Cain)
Pedro Paramo (Rulfo) I haven’t read this one yet but it’s on my list.
As far as history goes, you might find The Histories of Herodotus entertaining. He was an Ancient Greek historian who wrote a series of histories of the known world at his time culminating int he Persian Wars. As he admits, he uses a lot of rumors, anecdotes and here-say so don’t count on him being 100% historically accurate her he could be very entertaining.
Hey Clifford, this was a great video, and I wanted to add just a couple of extra points that may be a help to other people getting into reading:
1) Like you stressed in the video, it's a great idea for new readers to find material that resonates with them, as opposed to things they 'should' or 'have' to read, but I wanted to point out that it's really quite easy to find books that are relevant to whatever your current interests are. For example, if you really like any particular genre (like historical fiction, scifi, etc.) It's always a valuable insight to find books that are within that genre, and try to find a spoiler free review/synopsis to see if it interests you.
2) On the topic of literature relevant to current interests, a lot of people have heard that 'the books are better than the film/show', and so they may think something like 'Oh I really loved The Lord of the Rings, I'll grab the books and read those', but unfortunately, if you're not already a diligent reader, than you're going to get bored and just go back to watching the movie/show. Because, even if you've heard that the books are better, there is probably already a 'good enough' version of the story that is much easier to consume than a book, and so you may not have the discipline to stick to it. Instead, you should try to find books that have not yet been adapted to film, so that the only way you can actually get the satisfaction of the story is to read the book (an example is that, if you really like 'The Matrix', you should probably read 'Neuromancer', which hasn't had a proper adaptation yet).
3) Read short stories! (Like Borges). If you haven't spent a lot of time reading, you probably haven't yet developed the stamina for long reading sessions, and so you don't need to stress yourself about not reading an 800 page epic like The Brothers Karamazov, because you haven't yet built up the endurance to spend a lot of time with a book. So, don't feel bad at all about starting with short stories that you could most likely finish in a single sitting. Some great authors in this regard are (for scifi/fantasy) Jorge Luis Borges, Ted Chiang, Ken Liu. Some others (more closer to 'Classics') that I have yet to personally read but have heard about are Flannery O'Connor, JD Salinger, and Ernest Hemingway's short stories.
4) For a personal, actual book recommendation, I recommend Farenheit 451, because if there were any book that makes you confront the potential consequences of a society that doesn't value reading, this book is sure to do it (and it's also a short-ish and quite easy (linguistically) to read)
Hope these points help anyone with their search for good literature :)
Great advice on life itself too Cliff - books = life and life = books
the true sign of intelligence isn't about what you know but how you react when you don't know. - I forgot where I heard this from but I always come back to it.
I'm more of a fiction guy too and agree that Borges is a great starting point. For history, two recent reads I enjoyed were 'The Opium War' by Julia Lovell about the history of opium, China and the British Empire and 'Open Veins of Latin America' by Eduardo Galeano about the history of Central and South America in relation to global capitalism through the centuries. For general non-fiction reading, though, I could not recommend the 'A Very Short Introduction to...' series enough.
Do I love the way you talk? yes, please! Thank you for one more amazing video and straight honesty on Pablo's sincere question. I've always been skeptical when it comes to this " books I should read before I die", in fact I bought one long ago and never really consult it much. I ended up passing it along. At some point I realized classics, the true ones, are those what speak to us. Of course I've read some of the classics appointed as World Masterpieces and yes, some of them are really amazing, but other experiences were not so rewarding, which made me realize I had to read/learn for myself. I love so many things but nowadays I know who are my favorite authors and themes, and that helps me a lot to keep my reading on track without closing the doors to new styles and authors along the way. Pablo, I cannot tell you what you should read but can easily tell you about some books that have made my day already: People of the Book and Caleb's crossing by Geraldine Brooks are on my top list. They both tell gorgeous stories ( with a Historical background you might find interestinf) that are a precious to me. People of the book tells the story of one of the most sacred books in History ( Saravejo 's Haggadah ) and how it survived throughout the years. Caleb's crossing is phenomenal too. It is about one the first Native American to get formal education and how it demanded leaving behind his core beliefs in order to fit in society. They are both novels with such an amazing historical appeal that I found charming and unique. Hope you enjoy them in case you get interested, but in any case just follow the advice given: " read whatever hits you, speaks to you and calls your name."
My recommendation for Pablo : Inherent Vice, by Pynchon, my current read ! I haven't finished it yet, but it's certainly one of my favorite reads from the last months. I think it's a relatively easy read for a beginner (even though there's a ton of references from the 60-70s culture that I don't always get, and the plot can be complex), because it's about an investigation and it's written in a beautiful, yet really funny and sarcastic way, which is really refreshing. The characters are eclectic and colorful, the plot is completely crazy and addictive, and the whole vibe of the book is laid back and super fun. I'm also a young reader (I'm 20), so I think Pablo could be curious about this book, just like I was before starting reading it. Before reading it, I spent a whole month reading the Master and Marguarita (which is not a favorite for me, I completely agreed with Cliff's review of it, even though it's not a bad read and it is considered a classic for many people), so I can say that Inherent Vice feels like a breath of fresh air !
Pynchon is a bit of a rough ride for popping a cherry.
“What engages you against your better judgement”
Trust your gut.
when i was a kid, the first conscious book that i remember to have read was The Amphibian by Alexander Belyaev and it caught me back then. i was so into in, that i have read the whole story during one night before school and couldn’t stop. then it was Professor Dowell's Head by the same author which was included in my literature school program and it was also a real fun to read. nowadays i don’t really like fantastic stories, but these books were the one which showed me how beautiful book world can be. imagine sitting a few hours straight looking right into a paper with inks and have hallucinations. couldn’t be me
Everyone needs to read A Farewell to Arms and The Great Gatsby until you like it. After that wanting to read will become second nature.
I know how Pablo feels. I'm Julián, also from Colombia, and i hated reading. The first book I read for my own choice was Ten Little N**gers by Agatha Christie. But the book that really made me feel like literature is a whole exciting universe to experience was Crime and Punishment. Now I'm obssessed with books. Even wrote my own and have gotten 5 short stories published
can i ask what made you choose that agatha christie book specifically?
@@morenoramonvictor I read online it was one of her best. Also, the plot sounded interesting: a group of people invited to an island, then they start dying one by one, according to a children's song called The Ten Little N-word
FYI, they renamed that book in English, because of the now quite offensive title (which is yes, after a now also not sung children's song). It is now titled "And Then There Were None". It is supposed to be one of her best, glad they renamed it.
@@erinh7450 oh, yes, I'm aware. Here in Colombia we can still find the book as Diez Negritos, cause the word Negrito isnt offensive here. I think they also renamed the book to Ten little indians as well
Hola. Publicaste tu libro?
Borges and Carlos Fuentes (spelling of Spanish names not my forte....don't smack me) I read both authors in my high school comparative literature class.
You got them both right.
Upvote for starting with the recommendation!
Still watching the remainder of the vid, but now I can start looking where to get some Borges while I watch.
Fantastic video and some wonderful words. I’m moving from Australia to Europe next week and I’m planning to get under the skin of Lord of the Rings as I see the continent. My literary breakthrough was Crash by JG Ballard. Disgustingly beautiful. Reading something so unusual and unrecognisable has had a profound effect.
Really well articulated video, Cliff! Really appreciate the effort you put into answering this question.
Long time viewer of yours since 2016 when I was reading Houellebecq in university and found your review for Soumission.
I hope you'll do more of these advising.
Still Life with Woodpecker: Tom Robbins & Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: Robert Pirsig were the 2 that hooked me around that age.
I agree with Borges. Absolutely. I would add Bartleby, The Scrivner by Melville to all of the great recommendations already on here. Also, since you like history I would highly recommend Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast. It's addicting.
Being a youngster, I had a lot of friends who didn't read. Most of it came from either, they weren't interested, or they just thought it was a waste of time. But sometimes they would ask for some guiding advice on where to start. At first I would like them to start with some kind of comic or graphic novel (I see them as a legitimate way of getting started) but if they wanted books, I would ask them a simple question, "Do you like fantasy?". If they said yes, I would hand them Terry Pratchett, and if they said no, I would hand them Elmore Leonard.
Their books are great starters to me, (especially for Mr. Leonard) you get the feeling that the writers love what they do and that they had FUN doing it, and that brushes off when you read it.
1:45 As a Spanish speaker I don't get why we're so behind in the world of book cover design; The English translations always, always get the nicer artwork. I'm sometimes inclined to get the English version based solely on the artwork.
There used to be a series of paperbacks by Borges with details of paintings by Hieronymus Bosch on the cover, published by Alianza Editorial. Those looked cool and were cheap. They are hard to get by nowadays.
@@13tuyuti That sounds cool. Yes, cool looking covers do happen but they're exceedingly rare.
Charles Bukowski,Laugh, deep, sex, he relates almost to anyone.
Guy de Maupassant : short stories.
Jg Ballard :Crash. (the film too)
:peter benchley :JAWS. (the novel turned into a film in 1975). gory descriptions of attacks.
Horacio Quiroga: tales of love, deathband madness. He was from Uruguay.
When I came to a point where I wanted to expand my reading experiences. I asked myself: what am I interested? What do I always claim is something I enjoy or am fascinated in, but don't really know much more beyond some surface level information? From there I looked for books that appealed to those two questions and took my trip down the rabbit hole. Good luck Pablo!
In 7th grade English our teacher, Mr. Dortenzo spent an entire 9 week session on 'A Tale of Two Cities', my first step into true literature. At the end we watched the 1935 version of the movie and that was what opened my eyes for literature. I would start with Gabriel Garcia Marquez - 'Love In the Time of Cholera' and 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'.
I personally think Borges is too challenging for a beginner. I would suggest a good short story anthology of world literature. That way, Pablo will get a good idea of which authors interest him.
I did read a lot as a kid, but I had a bit of a gap between late middle school and high school. The books that got me back into reading in my senior year were Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, 1984 by George Orwell, and then my feeble attempt at Infinite Jest which I enjoyed every second of despite putting it down when I got to college.
Totally agree on re reading experience. I didn't like The sound and the fury in my 20s. However at +30s fell in love with As I lay dying and read almost every book by Faulkner.
For Pablo: Shooting Stars: Ten Historical Miniatures by Zweig. It's a beginning
Again great video. I like when sometimes you give your opinion about smth else than just about a book. And It's interesting how perspective of time changes while listening you. This 20 min felt like 8 min long video!
my biggest flex is that I can read Borges in the original language heheh
Hey, do you remember from Perec's novel the conversation between Raskolnikov and Mersault, was that in hell? One year, they put that topic as an essay for high school graduation. lol
Cliff's Letter to a Young Poet (Rilke). Enlightening.
Hello. I had to think back to books I read in my 20s. One that sticks in my mind is John Irving’s The Cider House Rules. It was one of the first I read a little deeper than “pop fiction”. Great characters and a story still relevant today. Even more relevant given the revoke of Roe in America.
If I had a curse on me which permited me to recommend a book only once in my life I'd go with "Citadel" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
Catcher In The Rye was my first book and went onto Charles Bukowski not to long after
Never forget your first time. I remember at 14 graduating from Stephen King to Hemingway.
Self knowledge is a must, for me i was into classic rock, and found out Jim Morrison liked Nietzsche. Nietzsche was a game changer, then Henry Miller. Everything is connected, and the rabbit hole analogy is perfect. Perhaps Spengler's Decline of the West would be good. If there is a time period one likes, like for me now i LOVE the vintage paperback horror stuff. Michael McDowell's in da house!!!
Empire of the Sun by J.G.Ballard. British era colonial China.
The Painted Veil by William.S. Maugham is beautiful.
Albert Camus' short stories Exile and the Kingdom is fantastic too. I just read The Adulterous Woman again and it is brilliant.
What a well formulated question!
This is sort of an unusual recommendation, but I would personally recommend reading autobiographies. I found over the years that autobiographies are definitely MY thing. And perhaps they might be your thing too. The reason I'd suggest them, and the reason I believe they're important, is because they're about real people, predominantly famous people, who usually start from absolutely nothing. Many of the autobiographies I've read paint a picture of extremely humble beginnings, sometimes downright busted lives. But you see how over time they persevered and became who they are today. To go further with this recommendation, I'd say read the autobiographies of comedians. Not only do most of them write surprisingly very well and straight-forward, but some of them can get very creative with their style of writing/telling their literal life-stories, and they also keep everything entertaining pretty much the whole way through. Two standout autobiographies by comedians are "I Can't Make This Up" by Kevin Hart and "The Last Black Unicorn" by Tiffany Haddish. If you want a good serious autobiography, and a touching one at that, I would highly recommend "A Life In Parts" by Bryan Cranston... Maybe I'm just a sap, maybe the book just hit me the right way, but his life story brought me to genuine tears at multiple parts. Remarkable stuff. But, really, as Mr. Better Than Food says himself, find what YOU are interested in. Maybe autobiographies aren't your bag, maybe they are, but that's really the beautiful thing about books... there's so many different genres/types of books to read. For all anyone knows, maybe you like how-to books, and if that's what gets you excited, and that's what you get lost in, then that's amazing. Maybe you find you like YA novels... some "serious" or "mature" readers may steer you away from YA novels, but YOU might find that you truly enjoy them, and if you do, then forget what naysayers might say. Maybe you can be the person who says, "Hey, wait a minute... this stuff is actually pretty good. I enjoy this. And there IS something important about these books. And this brings invaluable meaning to my life."
The answer truly is... whatever you want.
I recommend Murakami’s The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (fiction + history)
Can you turn on the caption function ? :) love your channel
The sex analogy was good. The only thing about that is that a lot of men's taste in women is heavily influenced by society!
Read Borges. Read Eco. Read Morrison. Read Dumas. Read Dickens. Read Hurston, McCarthy, Endo, O’Connor, Rushdie, Doyle, Christie, Cervantes, Greene, Hammett, Hemingway, Faulkner, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Bradbury, my God, Read Ray Bradbury. And then go from there.
Anyone have any suggestions? Always looking for more.
The first book that struck me was Huckleberry Finn
Definitely The 120 Days of Sodom. Super good idea. But, here's a good start. The Hawkline Monster - Richard Brautigan. Women - Charles Bukowski. Tobacco Road - Erskine Caldwell. Car - Harry Crews. A Fan's Notes - Fred Exley. Airships - Barry Hannah. Dalva - Jim Harrison. Angels - Denis Johnson. Ice - Anna Kavan. Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon. Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson. Old Jules - Mari Sandoz. Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr. Running The Light - Sam Tallent. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson. Fools Crow - James Welch. The Desert Smells Like Rain - Gary Paul Nabhan. Refuge - Terry Tempest Williams. The Complete Short Stories of Flannery O'Connor. Saguaro - Carson Mell. Half in Love - Maile Meloy. Ballad of the Sad Cafe - Carson McCullers. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy. Art Sex Music - Cosi Fanni Tutti. The Blind Owl - Sadegh Hedayat. Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season - Forugh Farrokhzad. All of Marina Tsvetaeva's poetry. Town Smokes - Pinckney Benedict. The Complete Short Stories of Breece D'J Pancake. The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey. If They Move . . . Kill 'Em!: The Life and TImes of Sam Peckinpah. Down and Out in Paris and London - George Orwell. Blood and Guts in High School - Kathy Acker. The Ghostway - Tony Hillerman. Speedboat - Renata Adler. Little Birds - Anais Nin. Ok, I'm done.
Borges👍 and try Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
I absolutely detest, loathe and hate Borges, so i cannot even remotely agree.
I would say to him more broadly though, think about what he likes in film/TV, and just go from there.
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Easy to read, eccentric characters, tragedy, loss and love. What more do you want in a book?
Pablo, comience con la trilogía de la conquista de William ospina. El primero es ursua. Me a mí me encantaron. Saludos
As young adult fiction began to frustrate me with its largely feminine demographic. In response my first adult novel was No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, and I am very grateful that I did. The style is so present that it is essentially cinematic, like reading a film script, resulting in the story, scenes and emotions being mainlined into your system, making it impossible to feel alienated by the text.
Cuz only men belong to books! Ever heard about misogyny?
A Hemingway chapter a day keeps the YA chicklit away
i always recommend Vonnegut to people who wanna start reading because he uses simple language, has short chapters, yet the topics are deep but easy to follow. But yeah read whatever. I started late 18 getting back into reading with the idiot from dostoevsky and naturally much of it went over my head, but i still love that book and wouldn't have changed a thing.
In short, pick up a book and read. And if you don't like it, put it away and keep trying till you find the one. And I would suggest slightly judging books by their covers. Saves time and those marketers know what pretentious shit i like
A Confederacy of Dunces
I'm sorry quite catch what you said, but what were the two books that you bought with your first pay cheque?
And what about the french language ??
Is Clifford Lee Sergeant is real name?
Ever read any Christopher Beha?
How to pop my book cherry
I actually hate this book but Catcher in the Rye seems to be loved by guys. It's an easy read but if you're a girl or women you'll want to punch the protagonist to death. Otherwise, Secret History or Perfume. Maybe try a Novella. Of Mice and Men is fantastic and Steinbeck is one of my favourite writers.
@lostcanyon that's a shame but it doesn't surprise me - there are many women who are misogynists themselves, sadly
Started reading what I wanted after finishing college. This meant the Western Cannon, starting with the Greeks and currently reading about the Romans. It's absolutely fantastic. However, I noticed after a while that reading all this dense literature can be quite exhausting. It wasn't until I reread Harry Potter - this time in German - that I began to rediscover the basic pleasure of reading. This doesn't take anything away from the joys of ploughing through the Western Canon. But reading doesn't always have to be this wonderful choir, at times it should also be effortless fun. I believe it is important to strike a balance between these two. In terms of a recommendation: Herodotus - Histories, a fascinating read and far less dry than the other famous Greek historian Thucydides.
Xenophon is sad.
Xenophon is great too, so is Arrian. I especially liked Cyropaedia by Xeno @@renezc
The Crying of Lot 49
The Bible is a great place to start
harry potter. the only correct answer
Dear Pablo,
I would answer this question much in the same way that Cliff has: go to whatever INTERESTS you most and ABANDON what you feel like is sucking up your time.
Borges is of course a great way to start.
I usually answer this question by recommending either "Siddartha" or "Demian" by Herman Hesse. I think that those two books are a great starting point for readers becoming interested in new and challenging literature. Think about everything you could learn about history and theology from "Siddartha"! Same with "Demian"! - So many of the deep philosophical problems that Germany into World War II introduced in a very colorful, concise, and accessible way.
I also commonly answer with Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground." I think that this is an excellent place for you to start, getting into more serious work. You will find the influence of this work everywhere, but it still feels SO fresh and powerful and shocking. And it's crucial, I think, to understanding the "four big" novels of Dostoevsky as well. "2666" was the gateway book for me . . . Bolano is a great place to start as well; plenty of longer and shorter works from. Denis Johnson was key for me early on as well. "Jesus's Son" is a must-read.
If you're looking to get into the English novel, starting off on classes, on the other hand, I'd recommend "Jude the Obscure" or anything by Thomas Hardy. "Jude the Obscure" is the bleakest novel of the nineteenth, or twentieth century, in my opinion. If you're interested in "historicizing" your reading, that novel really sets the context for what will follow with Modernism, in culture and in literature. (I'm especially fond of "Return of the Native" by Hardy).
Take a look at any of these and see if they're of interest. Hope this was useful as well Pablo.
Cheers from Hanoi, Vietnam!
Brock Eldon
Some of the books that changed my life, in no particular order:
Something Wicked this Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
The Hobbit - ' '
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexander Dumas
A Scanner Darkly - Phillip K Dick
Dr. Blood Money - ' '
The Little Sister - Raymond Chandler
Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo
The Gunslinger - Stephen King
The Shining - ' '
The Dharma Bums - Jack Kerouac
On the The Road - ' '
Mason and Dixon- Thomas Pynchon
Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men - ' '
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
All the Pretty Horses - ' '
The Collected Stories of Ernest Hemingway
Hopes this helps
Great list. Love to see Pynchon in there.
Wonderful list
For me its "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, i feel its a perfect gateway for someone to get back into reading.
Borges is a personal favorite of mine, but I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner.
Some beginner friendly books would be stuff like 1984, Animal Farm, maybe Stephen King or Neil Gaiman.
I agree with the rest of the advice, though. Read what excites you! And if that's Borges, then so be it. Just be careful to not lose motivation because of how dense a book is.
The Catcher in the Rye started it for me. Rebellious, in your face, and hip to the core, exactly what I wanted in a Jesuit boarding school. And on it went to more serious stuff, and also different formats, shorts stories, poetry, etc. Go with the flow, as Cliff mentions, with your gut. You'll find exactly what you need to read.
I always recommend this book to younger adults, can't miss.
Interesting. I have never been able to find the appeal of that book. My fault, I know...
Absolutely hated this book when I read it when I was about 23. I recon it's one of those books that completely changes what you think about it depending on your age and where you are in life. I kind of feel the same way about other 'beginner friendly' books such as 1984, Brave New World, etc. They are good books but at 21, you might be looking for some more 'challenging' stuff. This is where I completely agree with you about going with the flow and following your gut
I read the book during my when I was a high school Junior. Maybe I missed my timing, but the way the book was written came off annoying to me. I understand why it was such a revolutionary piece, though.
I absolutely hate that book but I also recommended it because it's an easy read and very young guys seem to like it. As a woman reading it, I just wanted to hit the protagonist repeatedly.
I don't consider Borges hard to start. It's a great pick.
The book that opened my eyes to literature was Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. A masterpiece.
Siddartha is great, too! I’ve yet to read Steppenwolf
Some people think that Borges if very difficult, but that is not correct. It has many layers but always a great story. I always recommend to start by Los dos reyes y los dos laberintos of
Borges. Very short, if you like it, then ficciones and move on to his others short stories.
some of his stuff can be challenging but his most mainstream collections like fictions and the aleph are pretty accessible
Steppenwolf is a fucking masterpiece
Same here!!
this is my comfort channel. you just have a warm air about you that makes me want to listen to you talk about books. this is the greatest. thank you for inspiring me to continue reading, and thank you for introducing me to Jorge Luis Borges.
Couldn’t agree more. He’s just a vibe.
This is very true. It is about interest! I picked up War & Peace at 19 because I was interested in the history of the Napoleonic Wars and a painting of Napoleon was on the cover of this edition. I didn't think about it in the context of global literature, it's reputation, length or it's artistic value at the time. I was just drawn to it on my mother's bookshelf. It was the greatest literary decision of my life.
I find Borges somewhat challenging for a first read (and I'm a native Spanish speaker) but I see where you're coming from. For a young reader I think Cortázar would be more appealing, especially his short stories. I don't read Cortázar anymore, but my twenty-year-old self enjoyed it a lot.
Also, Jared Diamond is a hack. Please don't start there your history reads. Natalie Zemon Davis' "The Return of Martin Guerre" is a fun, well researched and easy read by a true historian (there's Spanish translation).
Cliff you are a true legend, books have saved me from suicide, stay cool my friend
Glad you’re here🤗
@@AmandaS18 love always xx
@@davidpritchard4263 ❤️
Me too, man. Literature has lifted me out of dark times on many occasions. I owe them my life, and I sense many feel the same.
Same here, literature and music have saved my life so many times
If he's looking for history books, I'd recommend "King Leopold's Ghost" by Adam Hochschild. It could be interesting for him to read that and immediately follow it up with Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" to get a taste of historical fiction on the same topic.
I started my literary journey by reading Greek tragedy in high-school and I couldn't believe how much the ancients knew about the depths of the human soul. Everybody talks about Dostoyevsky's psychological insights but for me it was Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides who showed me how flawed we are as species. Oedipus Rex and Medea are some of the most popular tragedies, but I also recommend the Oresteia trilogy, or the lesser-known play Ajax.
When getting into reading, I believe age to be a key factor. As someone who only graduated high school a year ago, I consider classics to be important, but not the key to getting into literature. Some sort of middle ground needs to be used, one which heralds the book as relatively “good” while also being immediate. Something that interests you, or topics you’d like to think about more. Something that paints the world with a brush that you can recognize and feel. Authors like Knausgaard, Ellis, and McCarthy all come to mind for me. They are relatively respected writers who are also immediate and understandable. Once an author lights you up, you will be more willing to face the classics that many will throw at you, and you can make up you’re own mind about them. If I was forced to read Ulysses as my first book, I’d likely throw it at a wall. You have to believe that there’s something worth understanding and learning about before taking on books of higher difficulty.
Essentially this. I got in reading back in high school and of all the things I read in school (mainly classics that I didn’t appreciate fully) it was what I read outside of school that got me into reading and to eventually re-read some of those classics and actually enjoy the experience. It was a fantasy series (GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire) when I read that I wanted more and just went from there. Delving into history, a little philosophy, literary fiction, and whatever else I fancied reading.
Not sure about borges. He's quite academic and offers ideas. Some prefer short stories. I don't. You really need to try everything. What kind of content do you like otherwise? Movies etc. Try to find something similar to start. Then expand.
I've always thought that 1984 serves as a great door into the world of literature: It is captivating on many levels, it works as a straight story and it is quite easy to read between the lines, so it motivates the reader to think and consequently look for other challenges.
This is literally THE book that made me become interested in reading. I couldn't agree more.
Would add 1984 film from year 1956, It was also very entertaining.
4th book i read." in my return to books"
i started with Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.
then straight into Dune ...lmao. it was so good. then i read a Dean Koontz book called The Bad Place. and then 1984.
I'm on book 27 now since December and keep finding stuff I can't live without reading.
If you've never read *any* books, then I would recommend starting out with some Stephen King or Michael Crichton; just some fun stuff that you can get lost in. Then, when you've established that you can derive pleasure from reading, then maybe step up to some deeper stuff with more thematic content to explore. If you're a person who enjoys challenges, things will be a lot easier. Some books are difficult, but there are rewards to be had (most of the time, at least). Moby Dick is brutal but it has a veritable wealth of insights to offer. Reading has certainly been a worthwhile experience for me, and one which I would highly recommend at least attempting to get into. :)
Machado de Assis❤️ Epitaph of a Small Winner
My reading journey has been an interesting one to say the least! I started with classic children's stories, moved to horror books, fell in love with classics like Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde (Dorian Grey is very readable), Evelyn Waugh then moved towards to authors like Bukowski, Kundera. Next came my crime thriller phase. Once I became a voice over agent (which meant a lot of reading), exposing me to even more genres and I fell in love with literary fiction and translated fiction. I now find myself circling back to classics. My point is, is that it’s worth dipping into a variety of genres and over a course of a few books, you’ll figure out what floats your boat. I’m also finding that I’m enjoying non fiction, mostly essay collections. I think the trick is keeping an open mind : )
The complete works of H.P. Lovecraft.
Oooooooh, you meant… like.. what book… pffft, yeah course, no no no, I… yeah totally
I think the biggest issue is what books are considered "must reads". I'm a huge reader, and authors such as Orwell, Austen, Tolkein, Fitzgerald, Herbert, S. King, Gaiman, the Brontes or any generic circlejerked booktok booktube books that got forgotten instantly I either have read and dislike or have zero interest in reading. I got into serious reading with Salinger, Ellis, Burroughs, Welsh, Palahniuk and so on, so I'd massively disagree with where most people are told to start.
you just have to think what you like and look for in entertainment and go from there, especially if you an interest in film or history, those two I feel are good.
I read recently that Patti Smith, a great lover of high minded literature and Bolaño and all things intellectual, that her go to reads are pulp novels by Louis L'Amour. So there ya go. I prefer modern southern gothic( Daniel Woodrell, David Joy, Ron Rash,etc.) over the "classics"( Faulkner, O'Connor), but thats just my taste and my cultural background.
Great video that I'm spreading around 'cause people don't read enough.
samuel beckett's murphy? it's weird it's funny it's wonderful it's profound it's short as hell. lean and mean! beckett was a completely life altering voice in my early 20s
Even though is hard for me to admit it, The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway might be _the_ book to read. Also: La casa verde, and Conversación en La Cadedral by Mario Vargas Llosa. Also: Brazilian classics, Japanese classics, French classics, Italian classics, German classics, Spanish classics, anything by Faulkner, anything by Nabokov, anything by John Banville...
Yes!! Anything from Faulkner is a must!!
@@JalenZachhM O, don't let me start talking about Faulkner; he's my absolute favourite, an unparalleled genius, a true master... I can keep going on and on until my last breath.
@@AlencarFaulkner I’ve read half of everything he’s published. I need to read them all!
@@JalenZachhM Sure. I am missing only some of his essays and the Uncollected Stories, and I say this: even a "bad" Faulkner is better than most (of my) contemporaries. The lack of style, minimalism, or artificial simplicity which still dominates literature today is mostly boring to me. Faulkner, Proust, Claude Simon, Nabokov... I love density, baroque, poetic purple prose, it elates me. (And Faulkner a master of such prose).