Cărtărescu is unavoidably talented. I look forward to reading more of his works as they are translated and I hope to discover more Romanian authors as well!
Thank you for your in depth videos I enjoy and look forward to them! I studied Pride and Prejudice many years ago and one of the topics was the dry humour of the long suffering Mr Bennett. His comments to his tedious and ridiculous wife, Mrs Bennett, are hilarious. Jane Austen has an awesome sense of humour! Lynn
Thank you for what you said about Stoner. I read this book a month or so ago and I had so many mixed feelings about it. It's sad and depressing, certainly, but it also made me angry. Angry at several things, but mainly angry at Stoner for his lack of action in so many instances. While there were some quotes and little nuggets I deemed worthy, for the most part I ended up deciding to take the book as a cautionary tale on inaction and leave it at that. Your words helped shed some light and gave me some new perspectives and more things to think on.
Fantastic picks! Someone recently recommended Solenoid to me because I loved Kazuo Ishiguro's The Unconsoled, and there are similarities. Also adding Quiet Flows The Don to my tbr.
Such good overviews of these books! I also was profoundly affected by Solenoid & agree that it's one of the best novels ever. I look forward to reading the others.
Great list. I’m halfway through Solenoid right now upon your recommendation. It’s taking me a while, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because it’s so intense/brain altering I have to put it down and just say “damn.” I have the Don and the Idiot on my shelf, and M&M is my favorite book of all time. I also read Stoner a few months back and loved it. So, as far as your list goes I’m all on board except P&P I guess haha. Looking forward to the club and another year of reading. 🫡
Solenoid is definitely intense haha. You’re taking a smart approach. Soak in each passage - you definitely don’t want to miss anything or rush the enjoyment
I read Stoner and Butchers Crossing this year. ( both first reads). Williams vaulted way up on my favorite authors list. I will probably get to Augustus soon. I may attempt Solenoid, sounds like a real commitment. 😎
I totally agree about Stoner. Amazing work, I read it three times. I didn't finish The Idiot, though. I will probably come back to it later in the future. My two favorite books this year were Bleak House by Charles Dickens and Blindness by Jose Saramago.
I’ve been putting off Dickens. I’m nervous I won’t like his writing much, but hopefully I’ll be surprised! I think school made me attach tedium to the idea of his books
@@TheActiveMind1 Today, I started reading The Old Curiosity Shop and I was thinking: Why am I not reading only Dickens throughout the whole year? 😀 You definitely should give him a chance ☺
@@TheActiveMind1 Dickens is a tough one. He has a certain maudlin falseness, but at the same time he can be almost incredibly sensitive in his character portrayals. I've only read David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House and of course A Christmas Carol. Bleak House was my favorite by far of those.
Very nice picks! I'm going to start the new year with Sholokhov's other work Virgin soil upturned, since Quiet flows the Don touched me as well this year. Williams is a sleeper hit, I recommend Butcher's Crossing too, since it shows the pitfalls of human greed and capitalism. This year I read some books that will definitely be among my favorites David Copperfield by Dickens (which was Tolstoy's favourite as well), The divine comedy, Mill on the Floss by George Elliot and Growth of the soil by Hamsun
Excellent list! Solenoid sounds like something to be experienced! I enjoyed your analysis of masculinity in Stoner. I highly recommend checking out Williams's Augustus. It's an epistolary historical fiction masterpiece written in a more formal style than Stoner. Butcher's Crossing is excellent as well, but it was my least favorite of the three major Williams novels.
As you loved "Stoner" I'm wondering if you would be interested in "The Professor's House" by Willa Cather. As the professor nears the end of his career he is wondering about whether he has achieved as much as his reputation would suggest. He contrasts his life with that of his protegee and never to be future son in law, Tom Outland, full of aspirations sadly cut short by World War One. I found it very affecting and one of my favourite Cather novels.
Stoner was the book that got me back into reading after a long time. The way John Williams can turn the most simple and mundane moments of life into something truly magical is breathtaking, and he does a great job of imbuing weight and meaning into a life that most would call ordinary and average. That book puts into perspective how meaningful the average life can be. Also, bonus points for invoking genuine emotion through its ending. S/o to Colorless Wonderland who first put me on to this book. 10/10 read, would recommend
Great list, my favourites reads this year are: John Steinbeck - East of Eden Natalia Ginzburg - Family Lexicon Antonio Tabucchi - Pereira Maintains W Somerset Maugham - The Razor's Edge Ford Madox Ford - The Good Soldier
Brock you really have me wanting to finally read my copy of And Quiet Flows The Don that’s been sitting on my bookshelf! I read The Idiot last year and loved it. Looking forward to reading Demons with you! ✌️💚
Nice list! I might read 'And quiet flows the Don' while the bookclub is reading War and Peace! I'm, still brewing my own list of favourites of the year...
The only one of these that I also read this year was "Solenoid". I agree with everything that you have said about it, but I would add one more epithet : frustrating! I say that because sometimes I'd find myself lost in a labyrinth. Was I not noticing the thread that Cartarescu was leaving for me to find or did I need to be a fellow Romanian to find my way? In a way, though it made it all the more intriguing to grapple with and it is certainly in my list too. I also agree with you about those great Russian novels "The Master and Margarita" and "And Quiet Flows the Don" and even though it's decades since I read them, they remain vivid in my memory and count as all time favourites. AQFTD in spite of the subject matter has greater warmth than most books in Russian literature and is sadly under-appreciated. I very much enjoyed "Pride and Prejudice" but unlike "Stoner" it doesn't rank as an all time favourite. As for my favourites of the year, that's difficult because once read they get put away in whatever space I can find, so I can't even be sure if I read them this year, or indeed if there are books hiding somewhere that I've forgotten about. Anyway, for what it's worth : "Solenoid" (of course!); "Doppelganger" Naomi Klein's attempt to make sense of the hall of mirrors in which we find ourselves; "Prophet Song" Paul Lynch's chilling novel of a land descending into fascism; "Eichmann in Jerusalem" Hannah Arendt's wonderful work of reportage and analysis; Gorky's autobiographical trilogy ( decades after I read "My Childhood", this year I finally obtained copies of "My Apprenticeship" and "My Universities"), finally Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and while I prefer James Baldwin this was still a powerful read. I have to say that now being three quarters of the way through "The Magic Mountain" that too will most likely have to be given a place, and maybe too, the two books I intend to read before year's end "Things Fall Apart" and "To the Lighthouse". Could be they'll make me rethink my list.
Master and Margarita is just incredible, one of the best books I've ever read. It was my first Russian novel and made me want to pursue more Russian literature. I suggest it to everyone I can. Great video brother, thank you!
I read The Devils at the beginning of this year. I’ve read all of Dostoevsky’s masterpieces and The Devils was my favorite. Very mysterious plot that Dostoevsky peels away ever so slowly. It starts slow but ramps up speed and the acceleration never stops.
It's decades since I read Quiet Flows the Don and the rest. I must look out my copies. I just received Solenoid, which i shall start reading after lunch. I am going on with The Devils too, which is a fine read.
Yo just found this channel, man. Haven't read any of the books you spoke about, but they went on my goodreads to-read lol. My favorites I read this year were Orbital, The Nickel Boys, and This Is How You Lose the Time War. You may have addressed this in another video, but curious how you chose and prioritize what to read. Is it through research or wanting to go through specific authors' catalogs or by recommendation or what? Great vid bro!
I loved the characters of And Quiet Flows so much, but the historical rigour was sometimes tiring. I'm currently reading all of Dostoevsky's early and lesser-known novels, and it's definitely worth it, it gives a new perspective on his work
I loved Stoner as well, even though it's just outside of top 6 for me for this year. A similar read - Remains of the day by Ishiguro was even better, so there's the suggestion. My top 6 conclude Hunger (Hamsun), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Narcissus and Goldmund, East of Eden and The Night in Lisbon (Remarque). Master and Margarita is an old favorite. Have an even better next reading year!
@@TheActiveMind1I'm yet to dive into his other works, but from what I know and after reading Remains of the day, I think it's the perfect starting point. Consider Hamsun as well, I think you will quite enjoy it.
@TheActiveMind1 I've read five of his works and Remains of the Day is my favorite still and was the first I read. However, The Unconsoled is very different but also wonderful.
I too read "East of Eden" this year, and even though I thought it a very good book it didn't make my top list, I think because he rather laboured the Cain and Abel analogies and I found it impressive but flawed.
Since you're already planning to read White Noise by Don DeLillo and you like Solenoid so much, I'd like to draw your attention to the last third of White Noise, which served as Cărtărescu's inspiration for Solenoid. Although I would recommend that you definitely read To the Lighthouse as well, because it is one of the best books I have ever read. But don't be fooled by the fact that the book is short, it took me two months to read it, and at least partially understand it.
I also read _Stoner_ and appreciated it as you described. I also read another book by John Williams, _Augustus._ _Augustus_ is an epistolary novel giving letters and journal entries of people surrounding the first Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. The final chapter is from Augustus himself. Provides interesting perspectives on an important historical character. Another great read from 2024 was _The MANIAC,_ by Benjamin Labatut, a history of computer technology from the initial breakthroughs by John von Neumann to the most recent advances in Artificial Intelligence and the _AlphaZero_ system that defeated the Go world champion. Finally I would recommend the story of the final days of Martin Luther King and his assassination by Hampton Sides, _Hellhound on his Trail._
You seem very passionate about all these books, and I think that excitement seeped into you spoiling the books. I now don't feel much need to read the books because you've said pretty much everything about them. PS: Just my observation.
Any great book isn’t about the spark notes or plot summary, it’s about your personal experience and takeaways - hope it shapes you and makes an impression on you. I’d recommend you read them
I read Stoner a few months ago. It was a great book and I enjoy it very much. It was a sad and depressing read. Anyone, I because of Stoner I bought Butcher’s Crossing and Augustus. I haven’t read those yet but I’m sure if they are as great as Stoner I will love them.
Read The Overstory’ by Richard Powers. He does an excellent job of presenting both sides of an environmental issue (timber industry). Also, I now think of tress in a different way than before
I'm going to download 'Solenoid' to my Kindle after your review. The one book you mentioned that I have a different opinion of is 'Pride and Prejudice'. I finally read it this autumn. Torturous. 🤣. Was like reading a literary Harlequin Romance novel, haha. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and it are the only classics I've read in my life that I didn't jive with. Can't wait to read 'Solenoid' now.
Nice job. It was pleasing to hear a young man review Pride and Prejudice. You are on the right track, and Austen has many layers to her books, which is why her fans reread them so frequently. Pride and Prejudice may be the least nuanced. I was also pleased to see someone speak about The Idiot. Mind-blowing how free of shame Dostoevsky is when he describes delusional mental and emotional states. You would almost think he had experienced them all.
When the first volume of Sholokhov's novel was published, Gorky wrote (Gorky did not live to see the publication of the entire novel): "This novel is the 'War and Peace' of the twentieth century." I think it is the 'anti-War and Peace' of the twentieth century, Sholokhov - the 'anti-Tolstoyan'. There is no novel more modernist in content than this, even though it resembles a classical novel in form.
I’m a Gorky fan and I think he’s spot on. I know the novel isn’t a secret or unheard of, but relative to how magnificent it is, it’s deserves far more recognition and exposure
Like half of your list are books I plan on reading in 2025. I am really looking forward to Pride and Prejudice and Crime and Punishment. I have never read a book by either author, and am eager to see whay they are all about.
Solenoid is a true modern classic. Special mention should be made of his brilliant translator, Sean Cotter. Unforgettable. I thought The Idiot was good, but all its characters were out of control.
As a massive Dostoyevsky fanboy I think The Idiot is pretty overrated right next to Master and Margarita. I'd like to suggest Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol and Fay or Joe (both 5/5) by Larry Brown.
I’d probably argue against the term overrated, but is it Dostoevsky’s best novel? No. The Master and Margarita isn’t perfect, but for me it does construct a unique atmosphere and blends the cultural/political/religious quite well. The Overcoat is a great short story - I’d like to reread it at some point next year
as a romanian, it really made me so happy seeing you talk about one of our authors and loving him :’) great book list!
Cărtărescu is unavoidably talented. I look forward to reading more of his works as they are translated and I hope to discover more Romanian authors as well!
Thank you for your in depth videos I enjoy and look forward to them! I studied Pride and Prejudice many years ago and one of the topics was the dry humour of the long suffering Mr Bennett. His comments to his tedious and ridiculous wife, Mrs Bennett, are hilarious. Jane Austen has an awesome sense of humour! Lynn
Thank you for what you said about Stoner. I read this book a month or so ago and I had so many mixed feelings about it. It's sad and depressing, certainly, but it also made me angry. Angry at several things, but mainly angry at Stoner for his lack of action in so many instances. While there were some quotes and little nuggets I deemed worthy, for the most part I ended up deciding to take the book as a cautionary tale on inaction and leave it at that. Your words helped shed some light and gave me some new perspectives and more things to think on.
Fantastic picks! Someone recently recommended Solenoid to me because I loved Kazuo Ishiguro's The Unconsoled, and there are similarities. Also adding Quiet Flows The Don to my tbr.
Wonderful! Glad to add one to your list as you've added one to mine!
Such good overviews of these books! I also was profoundly affected by Solenoid & agree that it's one of the best novels ever. I look forward to reading the others.
Great list. I’m halfway through Solenoid right now upon your recommendation. It’s taking me a while, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because it’s so intense/brain altering I have to put it down and just say “damn.” I have the Don and the Idiot on my shelf, and M&M is my favorite book of all time. I also read Stoner a few months back and loved it. So, as far as your list goes I’m all on board except P&P I guess haha. Looking forward to the club and another year of reading. 🫡
Solenoid is definitely intense haha. You’re taking a smart approach. Soak in each passage - you definitely don’t want to miss anything or rush the enjoyment
I read Stoner and Butchers Crossing this year. ( both first reads). Williams vaulted way up on my favorite authors list. I will probably get to Augustus soon. I may attempt Solenoid, sounds like a real commitment. 😎
I’ll likely pick up more of William’s works, as it seems a lot of people have enjoyed Butchers Crossing and Augustus
Solenoid has a good audiobook
@TheActiveMind1 unfortunately he's only got three books :( you've already read 66% of his books
I totally agree about Stoner. Amazing work, I read it three times. I didn't finish The Idiot, though. I will probably come back to it later in the future.
My two favorite books this year were Bleak House by Charles Dickens and Blindness by Jose Saramago.
I’ve been putting off Dickens. I’m nervous I won’t like his writing much, but hopefully
I’ll be surprised! I think school made me attach tedium to the idea of his books
@@TheActiveMind1 Today, I started reading The Old Curiosity Shop and I was thinking: Why am I not reading only Dickens throughout the whole year? 😀 You definitely should give him a chance ☺
@@TheActiveMind1 Dickens is a tough one. He has a certain maudlin falseness, but at the same time he can be almost incredibly sensitive in his character portrayals. I've only read David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House and of course A Christmas Carol. Bleak House was my favorite by far of those.
Camp Concentration, A Short Stay in Hell, and Subcutanean were my top 3. Thanks for the video! I am going to be picking up Solenoid from your list.
Wonderful! And I’ll add those three to my list!
Very nice picks!
I'm going to start the new year with Sholokhov's other work Virgin soil upturned, since Quiet flows the Don touched me as well this year.
Williams is a sleeper hit, I recommend Butcher's Crossing too, since it shows the pitfalls of human greed and capitalism.
This year I read some books that will definitely be among my favorites David Copperfield by Dickens (which was Tolstoy's favourite as well), The divine comedy, Mill on the Floss by George Elliot and Growth of the soil by Hamsun
I have a feeling I'll fit Virgin Soil Upturned into my 2025 plans, but I'll have to find a used copy because I don't think it's in print at the moment
@@TheActiveMind1I hope you find it.
It'll definitely be a quality read
Excellent list! Solenoid sounds like something to be experienced! I enjoyed your analysis of masculinity in Stoner. I highly recommend checking out Williams's Augustus. It's an epistolary historical fiction masterpiece written in a more formal style than Stoner. Butcher's Crossing is excellent as well, but it was my least favorite of the three major Williams novels.
Advocation for Augustus and Butcher's Crossing seems to be the general consensus. I'm on it for 2025!
@@TheActiveMind1 Yay!!!
As you loved "Stoner" I'm wondering if you would be interested in "The Professor's House" by Willa Cather. As the professor nears the end of his career he is wondering about whether he has achieved as much as his reputation would suggest. He contrasts his life with that of his protegee and never to be future son in law, Tom Outland, full of aspirations sadly cut short by World War One. I found it very affecting and one of my favourite Cather novels.
Stoner was the book that got me back into reading after a long time. The way John Williams can turn the most simple and mundane moments of life into something truly magical is breathtaking, and he does a great job of imbuing weight and meaning into a life that most would call ordinary and average. That book puts into perspective how meaningful the average life can be. Also, bonus points for invoking genuine emotion through its ending.
S/o to Colorless Wonderland who first put me on to this book. 10/10 read, would recommend
Great list, my favourites reads this year are:
John Steinbeck - East of Eden
Natalia Ginzburg - Family Lexicon
Antonio Tabucchi - Pereira Maintains
W Somerset Maugham - The Razor's Edge
Ford Madox Ford - The Good Soldier
I’ll have to add those to my list! Besides East of Eden, I don’t think I’ve heard of those besides William Somerset Maugham
Great list ! Stoner was my favorite read of 2024.
Brock you really have me wanting to finally read my copy of And Quiet Flows The Don that’s been sitting on my bookshelf! I read The Idiot last year and loved it. Looking forward to reading Demons with you! ✌️💚
Get to it!
Solenoid sounds epic. Great video
Every time you discuss Solenoid I think, 'Okay, okay, I'll get to it!' haha.
Stop delaying!!
Nice list! I might read 'And quiet flows the Don' while the bookclub is reading War and Peace! I'm, still brewing my own list of favourites of the year...
That’s not a bad swap! Keep me updated if you do!
@@TheActiveMind1 Will do!
Such a great list! ❤
The only one of these that I also read this year was "Solenoid". I agree with everything that you have said about it, but I would add one more epithet : frustrating! I say that because sometimes I'd find myself lost in a labyrinth. Was I not noticing the thread that Cartarescu was leaving for me to find or did I need to be a fellow Romanian to find my way? In a way, though it made it all the more intriguing to grapple with and it is certainly in my list too. I also agree with you about those great Russian novels "The Master and Margarita" and "And Quiet Flows the Don" and even though it's decades since I read them, they remain vivid in my memory and count as all time favourites. AQFTD in spite of the subject matter has greater warmth than most books in Russian literature and is sadly under-appreciated. I very much enjoyed "Pride and Prejudice" but unlike "Stoner" it doesn't rank as an all time favourite.
As for my favourites of the year, that's difficult because once read they get put away in whatever space I can find, so I can't even be sure if I read them this year, or indeed if there are books hiding somewhere that I've forgotten about. Anyway, for what it's worth : "Solenoid" (of course!); "Doppelganger" Naomi Klein's attempt to make sense of the hall of mirrors in which we find ourselves; "Prophet Song" Paul Lynch's chilling novel of a land descending into fascism; "Eichmann in Jerusalem" Hannah Arendt's wonderful work of reportage and analysis; Gorky's autobiographical trilogy ( decades after I read "My Childhood", this year I finally obtained copies of "My Apprenticeship" and "My Universities"), finally Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" and while I prefer James Baldwin this was still a powerful read. I have to say that now being three quarters of the way through "The Magic Mountain" that too will most likely have to be given a place, and maybe too, the two books I intend to read before year's end "Things Fall Apart" and "To the Lighthouse". Could be they'll make me rethink my list.
I still need to finish Gorky's trilogy. I'll have to find #2 online somewhere!
Master and Margarita is just incredible, one of the best books I've ever read. It was my first Russian novel and made me want to pursue more Russian literature. I suggest it to everyone I can. Great video brother, thank you!
I read The Devils at the beginning of this year. I’ve read all of Dostoevsky’s masterpieces and The Devils was my favorite. Very mysterious plot that Dostoevsky peels away ever so slowly. It starts slow but ramps up speed and the acceleration never stops.
I’m re-reading Demons by Dostoevsky in the fall! It’s one of my favorites as well!
Johanna made me want to read 'Stoner', it's on my December tbr, so glad to know you liked it! 'The idiot' is my favorite Dostoevsky
Join the hype train and read Stoner! In the meantime, I’m hopping on the Lispector train as you know
It's decades since I read Quiet Flows the Don and the rest. I must look out my copies. I just received Solenoid, which i shall start reading after lunch. I am going on with The Devils too, which is a fine read.
Yo just found this channel, man. Haven't read any of the books you spoke about, but they went on my goodreads to-read lol. My favorites I read this year were Orbital, The Nickel Boys, and This Is How You Lose the Time War.
You may have addressed this in another video, but curious how you chose and prioritize what to read. Is it through research or wanting to go through specific authors' catalogs or by recommendation or what? Great vid bro!
I’m partly working me way through classics in the western canon, but largely letting my curiosity and recommendations I’ve received guide my choices
I loved the characters of And Quiet Flows so much, but the historical rigour was sometimes tiring. I'm currently reading all of Dostoevsky's early and lesser-known novels, and it's definitely worth it, it gives a new perspective on his work
I loved Stoner as well, even though it's just outside of top 6 for me for this year. A similar read - Remains of the day by Ishiguro was even better, so there's the suggestion. My top 6 conclude Hunger (Hamsun), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Narcissus and Goldmund, East of Eden and The Night in Lisbon (Remarque). Master and Margarita is an old favorite.
Have an even better next reading year!
I’ve been tempted to dip my toes into Ishiguro’s work. Would you recommend starting with that book or somewhere else?
@@TheActiveMind1I'm yet to dive into his other works, but from what I know and after reading Remains of the day, I think it's the perfect starting point.
Consider Hamsun as well, I think you will quite enjoy it.
@TheActiveMind1 I've read five of his works and Remains of the Day is my favorite still and was the first I read. However, The Unconsoled is very different but also wonderful.
I too read "East of Eden" this year, and even though I thought it a very good book it didn't make my top list, I think because he rather laboured the Cain and Abel analogies and I found it impressive but flawed.
Since you're already planning to read White Noise by Don DeLillo and you like Solenoid so much, I'd like to draw your attention to the last third of White Noise, which served as Cărtărescu's inspiration for Solenoid.
Although I would recommend that you definitely read To the Lighthouse as well, because it is one of the best books I have ever read. But don't be fooled by the fact that the book is short, it took me two months to read it, and at least partially understand it.
I also read _Stoner_ and appreciated it as you described. I also read another book by John Williams, _Augustus._ _Augustus_ is an epistolary novel giving letters and journal entries of people surrounding the first Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. The final chapter is from Augustus himself. Provides interesting perspectives on an important historical character.
Another great read from 2024 was _The MANIAC,_ by Benjamin Labatut, a history of computer technology from the initial breakthroughs by John von Neumann to the most recent advances in Artificial Intelligence and the _AlphaZero_ system that defeated the Go world champion.
Finally I would recommend the story of the final days of Martin Luther King and his assassination by Hampton Sides, _Hellhound on his Trail._
Wow! So coincidental you mentioned Labatut. I just discovered him two days ago and am eager to read him soon!
The Master and Margarita is one of the best books I have ever read. But it took me two months to finish reading it and at least understand some of it.
You seem very passionate about all these books, and I think that excitement seeped into you spoiling the books. I now don't feel much need to read the books because you've said pretty much everything about them.
PS: Just my observation.
Any great book isn’t about the spark notes or plot summary, it’s about your personal experience and takeaways - hope it shapes you and makes an impression on you. I’d recommend you read them
@TheActiveMind1 yeah, I will try them. Thanks!!!
I read Stoner a few months ago. It was a great book and I enjoy it very much. It was a sad and depressing read. Anyone, I because of Stoner I bought Butcher’s Crossing and Augustus. I haven’t read those yet but I’m sure if they are as great as Stoner I will love them.
Based on the comments, it seems like we all need to read more John Williams! Looks like we've got work to do in 2025
Read The Overstory’ by Richard Powers. He does an excellent job of presenting both sides of an environmental issue (timber industry). Also, I now think of tress in a different way than before
I'm going to download 'Solenoid' to my Kindle after your review. The one book you mentioned that I have a different opinion of is 'Pride and Prejudice'. I finally read it this autumn. Torturous. 🤣. Was like reading a literary Harlequin Romance novel, haha. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and it are the only classics I've read in my life that I didn't jive with. Can't wait to read 'Solenoid' now.
Nice job. It was pleasing to hear a young man review Pride and Prejudice. You are on the right track, and Austen has many layers to her books, which is why her fans reread them so frequently. Pride and Prejudice may be the least nuanced. I was also pleased to see someone speak about The Idiot. Mind-blowing how free of shame Dostoevsky is when he describes delusional mental and emotional states. You would almost think he had experienced them all.
When the first volume of Sholokhov's novel was published, Gorky wrote (Gorky did not live to see the publication of the entire novel): "This novel is the 'War and Peace' of the twentieth century."
I think it is the 'anti-War and Peace' of the twentieth century, Sholokhov - the 'anti-Tolstoyan'.
There is no novel more modernist in content than this, even though it resembles a classical novel in form.
I’m a Gorky fan and I think he’s spot on. I know the novel isn’t a secret or unheard of, but relative to how magnificent it is, it’s deserves far more recognition and exposure
@@TheActiveMind1 I am a fan of this channel precisely because you are a Gorky fan and a reader "obsessed with Russian literature", like me.
bookshelves lookin' full
I could say that the best one of 2024 is Yo, Pol Rubio by Hector Lozano
Just found this channel. Beautiful video, good choice althou it was very russian-lastig. 🤣
This is cool.
Like half of your list are books I plan on reading in 2025. I am really looking forward to Pride and Prejudice and Crime and Punishment. I have never read a book by either author, and am eager to see whay they are all about.
Those are great places to start with each other! You’ve got a fun year ahead of you!
Solenoid is a true modern classic. Special mention should be made of his brilliant translator, Sean Cotter. Unforgettable.
I thought The Idiot was good, but all its characters were out of control.
Can’t wait for Theodoros translated by Cotter in 2026!
As a massive Dostoyevsky fanboy I think The Idiot is pretty overrated right next to Master and Margarita. I'd like to suggest Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol and Fay or Joe (both 5/5) by Larry Brown.
I’d probably argue against the term overrated, but is it Dostoevsky’s best novel? No. The Master and Margarita isn’t perfect, but for me it does construct a unique atmosphere and blends the cultural/political/religious quite well. The Overcoat is a great short story - I’d like to reread it at some point next year
_The Idiot_ was my third Dostoevsky novel and I DNF’d it at about the 55% mark. I’ve never gone back to him.
Gotta be real bro, for a while I took you for a dudebro-type reader but this video changed my mind. Apologies for the assumption
lol you should try fantasy or scifi, might actually have more fun.
Darcy’s name is Fitzwilliam Darcy. Not Darcy Fitzwilliam.
Correct