I discovered my favorite type of books
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
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This was honestly SO validating. I’ve never heard an avid reader talk about how they struggle to read classics and it’s honestly made me doubt myself. I’ve seen these at bookstores but never bought one bc I thought I couldn’t read classics.
You are and always have been able to read classics; they can be scary but I promise you are a good reader and will crush them!
Wow the number of times I’ve read one paragraph and not felt like a good enough reader 😂 glad someone else has felt the same
Yeah joining Booktube was the best thing for my reading mental health because I found videos where people were going through the same reading struggles that I was! So I always want to be as transparent as possible on this! Thank you for the comment!
@@colorlesswonderland I’m sure you get enough recommendations, but let me add to it anyway 😛. Germinal by Emile Zola. It’s about a coalminers strike in France in the 1860s. Even though written in 1885, it reads very modern and is probably one of the best classics I have ever read (and I’ve read many English classics, American classics, Russian classics and Latin American classics).
Just as a side note - NYR Books always have the most stunning/mesmerizing book covers. Whoever works within the art department needs several kisses.
Im loving this alternative booktube content. I discovered your channel 2 days ago and already bought a book recommended by you. I'm loving it, man. Keep going :)
This is exactly how I feel about all of my nyrb books, I was lucky enough to find Stoner at a used bookstore and it's the next book to read! Naked Earth is such a banger!
Naked Earth is absolutely riveting right now I am so excited to talk about it
I keep seeing Stoner come up… ok, adding to tbr list now… 😀
NYRB is literally the 'Criterion Collection' for books, great vid! Subbed and cheers from India :)
I was just thinking of that comparison, as I looked over my little set of 4 from John Williams. These editions are so nice and tight, will be looking for more.
I’ve noticed that 19th century books for “young readers” are some of the best classics I’ve read. Florence Kingsley, Emma Leslie, and EDEN Southworth come to mind.
They were written at a time that people didn't talk down to young people. They wrote about things young people like that adults may feel not sophisticated enough, but its in a similar tone. Basically saying "sure kids like different things to what adults like but they are not dumb".
@@BadgerOfTheSea yeah that’s a good point, before they had childhood classified as its own “science” to be studied, kids were just treated like little adults.
I agree on the nyrb and criterion comparison! They both highlight such underrated gems in their respective mediums. If you’re up for it, a tour of your nyrb collection would be sweet!
I love NYRB Classics, especially the new copy of The Anatomy of Melancholy, which is ridiculously cheap. It’s frankly amazing to me that we can own this book for so cheap, I mean for centuries it wasn’t at all accessible, it’s just so amazing to have such a great book for so cheap, when that book was ridiculously expensive for centuries.
you said it’s cheap five times!
I discovered this book not long before the NYRB edition became available, and up to that time, it was very hard to find. I used a library, and scoured all the used book stores I could. I bought the Anatomy of Melancholy in the NYRB edition as soon as it was available. It is my number 1 favorite book of all time. More recently, it has been published in a new Penguin edition, which is excellent and I got it in an ebook version. The NYRB edition is a reprint of an older three-volume Everyman edition. But it is great and I would never part with it!
NYRB and New Directions are always putting out bangers!
For New Directions I highly recommend Mrs. Caliban, His Name Was Death, and Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust (they're all fairly short) as starters if you want to stick with contemporary classics.
Pretty good reads, that's for sure
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Nice shirt too btw
Thank you :)
Stoner was (and still is) my first NYRB copy too!!
It's truly an incredible book that the more I think about the more it's a shame I haven't read it 100 times already
Ooh, yeah, nice editions! Thanks for introducing them to me.
THANK YOU for introducing me to NYRBs! Every book is a new favorite!
Your self critical commentary on “reader imposture syndrome” was elucidating. Thank you for it ✨
Wow that’s how I realized I loved penguin too when I was enjoying the long intros they provided when I read The Count of Monte Cristo!
omg your catcher in the rye poster is the most beautiful thing i've seen
When I started seriously reading again in my early twenties, I devoured everything from classics to contemporaries, and just like you, it seems like it's that middle ground of "contemporary classics" (late 40s to early 90s) that really ended up doing it for me. Very few can beat authors like Gombrowicz and Kawabata, and not to mention Williams. Always nice to hear your thoughts, looking forward to following you along the lovely road of reading!
This was such an interesting video. I’ve never seen any other of your videos, this was randomly recommended to me, but I stayed because you made me intrigued right off the start. I’ve never heard anyone talk about such unique topics and It’s always interesting to listen to people like you.
Sounds like when I’m in the mood for a classic, but also not in the mood for a classic, I’ll pick up those editions.
That is exactly my mindset with these!
Dude thank you so much! What a passionate "manifesto" for reading and ESPECIALLY when you do NOT understand everything. The joy: going into something unprepared, intuitive, going with the flow of the words and then being transformed about it, getting outside your comfort zone etc etc etc! As the host of the Second Life Book Club I KNOW how you feel in re self-confidence ;) every week a new author and I feel I need to project an aura of KNOWLEDGE about literature and context etc while the point is DISCOVERY and JOY and being ABSORBED by worlds that may be intimidating and DESTABILIZING you even, at least temporarily. Anyhow = great stuff man!
I understand completely - I've been a NYRB fan for years (and bought the sale books) butt am also currently plowing through Ann Radcliffe's MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO in the Penguin edition. You're correct that it's hard to find NYRBs in used bookstores - the copies I donate locally at my store in Houston disappear almost immediately (I also work there part-time, so it's easy to spot what's gone). Hope you got around to reading Gaddis - I'm a big fan and am constantly shoving folks towards him and Mark Helprin. And STONER is excellent!
Great video as always, and congrats on the 12k! I'm also from a small town in MA! I can only imagine how surreal the amount of support feels, even though it's well deserved.
Hell yeah we love our small town Massachusetts people here!
Hi everyone! A lot of NYRB's are on sale right now at the Harvard Bookstore Warehouse Sale (online) until 7/11! They ship in the United States.
Emma you are my hero I had no idea that sale was going on and I just bought 13 books. I also got my other friends to buy books to it was euphoric
First time stumbling onto your video. This video, your personal story and most of all the way you talk about things are amazing! I subscribed 8mins into watching, it was a no-brainer.
The books just feel so damn good too! Something about the paper and size, just great hand feel. So far Victor Serge has been my favorite NYRB discovery!
we love an ally !!
btw you should check out the penguin english library and oxford world classics edition, they would absolutely make a great collection. also noticed the tabs on your books and maybe take us on how you do annotations ??
Great idea! I would live a video on annotation.
I have had a couple people ask me about annotations before and as much as I would love to say that I have a very intricate method of annotating my books, I really just mark passages that are well written/engaging/interesting/etc
NYRB books deserve more attention! What introduced me to the collection is this magnificent bildungsroman classic NOTES OF A CROCODILE by Qiu Miaojin (Translated from the Chinese by Bonnie Huie) and it still remains one of my favourite books of all time. If you're into historical fiction and bildungsroman, I highly, highly recommend it!
one of my favorite books of all time!!!! a special place in my heart fr
@@leftiesmudge the aesthetic!!
Having a dark shelf full of worn out penguin classics is the highest mark of intellect a person can flex.
I totally relate to the feeling of going through phases of confidence with reading! Sometimes I pick up a book and get intimidated by the language or the sentence structure, even though I've been a voracious reader my whole life. I have a copy of Eve Babitz's "Slow Days, Fast Company" and I'm reading it next because of this recc!
Omg I remember Borders books! That takes me back to being a kid in that book wonderland. Anyway, great video.
Your comment about NYRB Classics being like the Criterion Collection is perfect. I completely agree!
Yess!! Love the nyrb editions!! They are gorgeous
I love NYRBs. I always look for them every time I visit a bookstore. In the beginning it was just because of how they looked but now I just love the content they put out.
My first NYRB Classic was Skylark by Dezső Kosztolányi, and it kickstarted a pretty strong obsession for me too. I wasn't even really much of a reader at the time, but it was short and I liked the cover so I rented it from my local library. I loved it, and when I returned it and looked through the shelves I started seeing more and more of those familiar spines all over the shelves. That kind of uniformity of design is really striking to the eye so it makes it really easy to spot the books on shelves; the first few experiences I had with their publications were really positive so it inspired trust in the quality of the material, and those two qualities (in addition to everything you said in the video, which I didn't even really think about until now) are what caused me to actually be able to turn recreational reading into a hobby that I do consistently. Not sure which books you've already read, but the aforementioned Skylark, Qiu Miaojin's Notes of a Crocodile, and Elliott Chaze's Black Wings Has My Angel stick out to me as especially high quality.
i loved notes of a crocodile! one of my fav books of all time! was such a gem to find and maybe one of the most stunning covers on my shelf!
my boyfriend introduced me to nyrb and i haven’t gone back. Currently I have Nightmare Alley by William Lindsay Gresham and That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gada. But I’m hoping to build out a collection!
An educator wearing that shirt gives me hope for our future. Thank you.
omg i’ve never seen these editions before! they’re so pretty wow!!
You're audio quality sounds so great!
Really fascinated by this, honestly have no idea if I’ve come across NYRBs or not but I’m gonna pay attention now.
This reminded me of when I was 12 and started reading a tale of two cities and loved it but felt like I didn’t fully understand what it was about so waited a few years to read it fully and really felt like that was the right call. I grew as a reader between time.
I also pace myself with classics, they do wear you out! I usually cycle through a easier read, a classic, And a non fiction so I’m never fully burnt out on something haha
This is such a fun video, you're so darn articulate! Love to see it.
thank you so much for introducing me to this!!! I'm in love with the editions and I'll probably read one of their books this month!!!!
I cant wait for you to check them out! Let me know which ones you get and what you end up thinking about them!
This exactly the content I didn't know I needed !!
felt the need to mention how great the audio quality of this video is, damn
If you haven’t, definitely give some books from New Directions publishing a shot, too! Some of my favorites from them have been The Hole, by Hiroko Oyamada, Unclay, by T.F. Powys and The Houseguest, by Amparo Dávila.
Seconded! New directions publishing is my NYRB : )
Very interesting video and different point of view, which was great help for me. Thanks you.
Wow, everything you described about nyrb books sounds so very up my alley - I am a Criterion enthusiast as well lol - and browsing their collection now has me so excited to check some out!! Very contagious enthusiasm, thank you for sharing 🙌
This video spoke to my soul. I also discovered NYRB through Stoner (which may actually be my favourite book of all time) and subsequently fell down a rabbit hole. I've now read 5 books from them and have loved them all. They really said all bangers all the time.
The Criterion Collection comparison is spot on! I'm also obsessed with them.
@Kev S I think if you're okay with somewhat slow pacing and dense (but beautiful) prose then definitely give it a read. The book is beautiful because of the mundanity of Stoner. There's something that was so comforting about reading about a character who isn't extraordinary. He really just tried his best.
The last 20 pages were so heart-achingly beautiful, I was caught off guard by how emotional I got. I've never cried so much over a book.
Huh... maybe I should actually read the introduction to my classics because then maybe I would understand them so much better! I will start doing that and hopefully it will help my comprehension! :D
the way I relate to this is uncanny
thanks for making me realise how i feel about classics
i've seen a few of your videos but your shirt made me a subscriber today
I’m currently reading The Recognitions. Don’t be intimidated and just jump in whenever you’re ready. It’s going to take a long time but mostly because most of the passages are so amazing you’ll find yourself wanting to read them over and over. I have had some of the best reading experiences of my life so I’m extremely thankful of NYRB for these Gaddis reprintings.
I cant wait to read it then! Both Mark and Matt have heavily recommended it so many times so I will have to tackle that soon 👀
@@colorlesswonderland day 61 to tell you to pls read demon slayer at least 10 chapters
Ohhh I have a manga from nyrb but instead it's nyrc.
I'll check out their books too, great video!
Life and Fate was my gateway to nyrb. Love going to someone’s house for the first time and seeing nyrb on the shelf. I think “Yay, the conversation isn’t going to suck.”
Check out Everyman's Library editions. I love them just as much as NYRB editions
O my gosh i love the way you talk about books. So passionately. The vibe you have is amazing, a subscribe from me
I also recomend the publication companies "Forgotten Books" and "Wordsworth Classics" (the later being very cheap too)
You already were such a comfort wat h to me. But the shirt had me. I’m sold.
Yes!!! Finally someone mentions NYRB!! Have been collecting these editions since I first found them :)
First time watching your channel and I loved this video! Been looking for these books everywhere, I know the covers but didn’t know from where. I am excited and thankful and my wallet is now in tears.
I had no idea NYRB existed! The editions look great. I need to start paying more attention to publications and presses
I miss reading books in high school English class when we would learn about the author, time period and the context of books. Because now when I try to read a classic it’s harder since I have to actively learn any context of a book by myself 😂
I have two of them. Now I just need to get the other 628 and I'll have a complete NYRB collection!
I have literally described NYRB to my mother as the Criterion Collection of books!
Great video.
This is the first vid from you I came across and I like how you talk about them and I checked out the other videos you made and they're all very interesting topics! Immediately subscribed!
Thanks for introducing me to this awesome website. Would love to watch a beginners guide of what nyrb books to start with!
I think NYRB published a few of Eve Babitz’s books. Her writing is incredible!! Highly recommend
I have a shelf specifically for my NYRB collection. And another one for Europa. 🤓
Oh crap I don't have any Europa books but they look amazing....damn you you may have started another addiction
@@colorlesswonderland LOL! Let me know if you want some suggestions. 🤣
Jane Gardam and Elena Ferrante are a few Europa favorite authors. Oh and Negar Djavadi.
NYRB has a cool comics line. If you're in to manga I would recommend The Man Without Talent by Yoshiharu Tsuge. It is not like a lot of the manga you see and also has a great essay in it by the manga scholar Ryan Holmberg. Also check out the graphic novel they put out called Pittsburgh by Frank Santoro.
A wonderful book put out by NYRB is Uwe Johnson's Anniversary: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl
penguin introductions and extras are really great for tackling a classic text headon. only downside is that if you havent read the text by itself, the introductions can be real spoilery!
off topic but I love your t-shirt!!!!
Lowkey the target pride month selection goes kinda hard
just found your channel & I love it here 🙂
Damn you’re good at talking. Subscribed!
I honestly think that you have just now inspired me more than I already was to start reading fiction. I typically read fantasy and sci-fi novels and am getting into history and philosophy but I’ve always been a bit cautious with fiction just because I believe that I will get bored with it very very quickly so the way you talk about it makes me want to give it a better shot than what I was giving it before
These NYRB editions are great and much needed. Some of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend some recent ones, if you like Russian literature: The Story of a Life, by Konstantin Paustovky, the first half of an extraordinary memoir of a man who was a young adult at the time of the Russian Revolution. Even this first half is very long (769 pages), but it is very interesting and not difficult or dull. The author is sane and sensitive, and writes vivid pictures of people, places, nature, and of what is now a lost world.
NYRB estions of Leskov and Platonov, two lesser known writers (in the West, at least) are very rewarding. And don't miss Patrick Leigh Fermor's "A Time of Gifts," a memoir of his walk across Europe on foot, solo, in his youth from Rotterdam to Constantinople in the 1930s. Incredible! There are many others. NYRB selects titles of real literary merit. You almost can't go wrong.
Maybe Lanny by Max Porter or Sarah Moss' early work? When the Booker longlist is announced, check it out and read what strikes your fancy?
This video was in my recommendations and I feel lucky! You have a nice voice and cool way of speaking, and I feel happy that you talk about what you love the most! Thank you so much for the content! New subscriber here!
I’ve always had trouble with the Classics, and only recently tried to read them. Only beginning to enjoy them by taking them really slow. Good to see a book tuber admitting that Classics can be difficult. The NYRB s sound like a really good middle ground. Oh and congrats on your subscriber count. I’m watching from Ireland. 😊📚
You have such a welcoming and nice aura
Just finished this first video, and loved listening to you, looking forward to the next ones :)
I'm really excited to have my first NYRB arrive in the next week and it's also Stoner! I too loved their website and I have no less than about 20 of their books that I'm eyeing to buy over the next few years. I mostly read the classics and so finding out about all of these under read and previously out of print books has been like discovering a treasure trove. I'm so excited to see what they are like and slowly grow my collection.
This is the first video of yours that I’ve watched, and (perhaps because I don’t live in North America) I haven’t come across NYRB books before, so I’ll definitely have to look into these! Persephone Books in the UK is another publisher that publishes books that were out of print, and I’ve had a good time with some of their books, so I’m excited!
I've enjoyed many Penguin classics and adore the NYRBs. LOVED Stoner. Stefan Zweig's writing is also wonderful. Go you!
We need that criterion showcase!
If you haven’t seen it yet, they’ve got a very interesting book called Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, by Daniel Paul Schreber
Interestingly, NYRB had gone under my radar. I know and love the Penguin Classics, even being mostly a fantasy and scifi reader. I'll have to check their selection out.
Their selection is amazing! Let me know what you end up getting!
_The Enchanted April_ by Elizabeth von Arnim - It looks interesting! I used self-control and only got one. 😆
Ah, Borders brings back fond memories. Never mourned the loss of a chain bookstore as much as Borders
Love the Penguin Classics editions. Somehow never heard of NYRB but will explore now.
Stoner is my favorite book of all time!
I love NYRB editions I have a little collection :) They're hard to find in my city so I look for them traveling or secondhand.
You hit the nail on the head ! NYRBs are definitely taking me places I didn't think possible ! It's an expertly curated selection of books I have never ever heard of, but completely need in my life ! Just found "Black Wings Has My Angel" for $5 at an awesome shop here in San Diego.
I started scrolling through NYRB and there is already a few that got me curious. So different and love it.
The first nyrb I bought was Notes On the Cinematograph by Bresson because I found it in a second hand shop. Fell in love with the editions!!
Also given that it was a Bresson book it’s hard to separate the Criterion association in my head, lol
I have that one too! It's an amazing edition especially if you love his movies!
I love NYRB books, although I think I've gotten more gnarly paper cuts from their sharp covers and paper than from any other publishing line. If you're ever in Minneapolis, there's a store here (Magers & Quinn) that has several full shelves of remaindered NYRB books all around $9 a piece. Also, kudos to NYRB for republishing THE Great American Horror Novel: The Other by Thomas Tryon.
I deeply understand getting used to an author style. The first page of Judith Buttler felt like trying to run underwater. The second book thing is chinese novels which I adore, but there is so much to go through before you NEED to understand in order to actually read it and I felt so proud the first time I actually understand their chit chat about traditional poetry and I did understand. It was a refrence of a poet that talked how his wife was just the best and how he didn't felt the appeal of any other human like he did to his wife. He goes to say other lands may have beautiful skies, but none it's like that one place he belongs.
"It took forever for me to get through Pride and Prejudice. It took me 3 weeks!"............ ah yes......
Wasn't sure if I could get NYRB editions in the UK, but a visit to my nearest bookshop showed that indeed we can and at the back of "We Think the World of You" which was what I bought, is a super list of titles showing just what is available.
On a different note, will you be reviewing "The Professor's House" which I know you were in the process of reading?
Absolutely agree with you and your love of NYRBC because honestly me too. I was able to find Notes of a Crocodile through them a saphic Taiwanese story. Just the struggles you could see the author Qiu Miaojin reflect on her character, I am forever glad they are republishing these stories.
I'm kinda happy that my Austen books are translated lol i can enjoy them without a problem