books

[The Stormbringer]

Not trying to sound highbrow, but I seriously pity you.

 

[metalxmetalx]

Bleh! uke:

I haaate reading. I haven't read more than 2-3 novels in my entire life, and that was only because I was forced to while in school.

Reading, one the best things in life!

 

[Kenneth R.]

Bleh! uke:

I haaate reading. I haven't read more than 2-3 novels in my entire life, and that was only because I was forced to while in school.

More evidence that school curriculum should be revamped with INTERESTING books and not "critically acclaimed" books that nobody likes.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

It's all good; there's no need for pity.

Considering how much I dislike reading, it is beneficial for me to avoid it, which also means that I am not missing out on anything of value to me.

^ The only books I actually read (and I am ASSUMING that I finished them) were books that I picked myself when I was young. uke: school book reports uke:

I do agree, however, that the mandatory books picked for students are even more terrible.

 

[Wander]

I'm going to try to put this in perspective:

You saying that you hate reading and that you haven't read more than 2-3 novels in your life to me is not much different than if you said to me that you hated listening to music and that you hadn't listened to more than 2-3 albums in your life.

In other words: I think you're missing out.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

I'm going to try to put this in perspective:

You saying that you hate reading and that you haven't read more than 2-3 novels in your life to me is not much different than if you said to me that you hated listening to music and that you hadn't listened to more than 2-3 albums in your life.

In other words: I think you're missing out.

I value your opinion.

It's not the books specifically that I dislike, it's the concept of reading as a whole.
There are a lot of people that do not care for music as a whole, and it is not based on what they've heard, but more-so on the overall concept having no value to them.
It has nothing to do with the content.

 

[Wander]

That's true, but that exactly is my point. I know we all find it strange how some people have absolutely zero passion for music. There may even be some people who don't value any art at all. I just find that books - like music - should be considered worthwhile.

Books are a very specific form of art as they are made of nothing, but language. Maybe to truly appreciate books, you have to appreciate the idea of making these worlds and characters and stories by just placing a word after another after another.

Interesting fact though: Apparently novels were considered to be worthless crap by scholars back in the 19th century as they are essentially made up lies. They only valued historical fact. Ironic, isn't it? Now novels are considered the somehow more highbrow form of story-telling compared to movies and whatnot

 

[Phanto]

1400+ posts on an internet forum. registered since 2005. it's made possible by people writing and by people reading. surely you can't say you don't care about the concept of reading 'as a whole'. don't you read news? how far are news from anecdotes? how far are anecdotes from short stories? how far are short stories from slightly less short stories? etc.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

I had a feeling somebody was going to bring that up!

I'd consider my use of reading more along the lines of the non-music-likers using sound on a daily basis to live their day-to-day lives. They don't use their ability to hear for music, but they use it for other important reasons.
I don't read novels, but I read to interact with other people, find out what's going on in the world, etc. (I don't read or watch much news at all, actually).

 

[Kenneth R.]

how about campfire stories? ghost stories, etc?

I can't speak for the others, but I have a love for a good story. And it's only a small step from there to a good story on the page.

 

[_Gentleman of_the Snow_]

It's odd because I'm the type of person one would perceive as an avid reader. I value art, emotion, or anything with depth... Maybe if I give reading another chance, now that I'm older, I will enjoy it. I wouldn't be too surprised.

As I've mentioned here before, my favourite movie is Eternal Sunshine. Many reasons as to why I love this movie is because of the deep characters, the emotional backbone, and the way it makes you think about/relate to your own life. The movie transcends the screen. I know reading has these qualities...

 

[Sword Of Elric]

Maybe reading and playing music go together - reading helps musicians trigger their imagination. Anyway, I'd recommend the following books, all of which I've recently read:

- Anything by H. P. Lovecraft (Gothic horror at its best)
- "The Wanderer's Tale" by David Bilsborough
- "Garden Of Beasts" by Jeffrey Deaver
- "Redemption Ark" by Alastair Reynolds

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

All who know me on here know how much I love Atlas Shrugged. Now for the first time, oddly enough, I am reading The Fountainhead. I had seen the movie and knew how much it cost her(Ayn Rand) to keep that great long courtroom speech intact.



But I'd heard that Fountainhead was a better novel than Atlas, so here I go long past due. LOL

 

[Postulate]

I don't get Ayn Rand. I guess I can see the appeal of a shining individualist hero, but come on...she still comes off as a loon for my money!

 

[Kenneth R.]

They're making a movie(s) of her stuff. Suffice to say, I'm with Postulate. Though I am SUPER EXCITED for the Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell) adaptation.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

I don't get Ayn Rand. I guess I can see the appeal of a shining individualist hero, but come on...she still comes off as a loon for my money!

She'd want you to keep your money. I would read a book of hers, first. Trust me, you don't wanna come off like a typical liberal who hates Ayn Rand...and has never read her.

 

[ABQShredHead]

I'm a big Ayn Rand fan. I enjoyed The Fountainhead, mostly because I was an architecture student before switching to engineering. She's very easy to understand and relate to, given her experiences with the Russian revolution and her attacks on collectivism. But, since her angle is so contrary to the agendas laid forth by today's "Progressives" in control of our educations, I can understand why it's difficult to grasp.

I missed Pt. 1 of Atlas when it came to town since it was only here for two weeks. We've already pre-ordered the DVD though. Can't wait for November!

 

[Kenneth R.]

I read a lot of her stuff, and hated all of it. Somehow, I kept telling myself that there must be SOMETHING to generate all the buzz. Individualism and her whole shebang strike me as a reactionary attack on communism. To me, the entire groundwork of her message seems juvenile and self-centered. No man is an island, Rand.

 

[Wander]

Never ever even heard of Ayn Rand. Apparently her works haven't even been translated to Finnish, so there you go. An American classic and nobody in Finland gives a fuck. I can be proud of my country.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

I read a lot of her stuff, and hated all of it. Somehow, I kept telling myself that there must be SOMETHING to generate all the buzz. Individualism and her whole shebang strike me as a reactionary attack on communism. To me, the entire groundwork of her message seems juvenile and self-centered. No man is an island, Rand.

1. EVERY man is an island. In other words every man is an end in himself.

2. I'm 100% confident that she would say that everyone elses' philosophy was reactionary since Platonistic philosophy has dominated human thought for 2500 years; shunning the individual and advocating his sacrifice to "higher causes"; spawning such things as The Bible, Communism, Socialism, Fascism, Egalitarianism, and the like.

3. The ultimate irony is that the selfish producer does MORE for mankind than the "unselfish" public servant. So SELFISHNESS = SELFLESSNESS by consequence.

Never ever even heard of Ayn Rand. Apparently her works haven't even been translated to Finnish, so there you go. An American classic and nobody in Finland gives a fuck. I can be proud of my country.

Well I heard that Finland has the highest rate of happiness and also one of the highest suicide rates. Message received: QUIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD.