This has to be the greatest book I've ever read.
I mean... It's literally "pretentious faggot hipster BTFO" the novel.
What do you think of this masterpiece?
It made me believe that OP is not a faggot.
Gaddis anticipated people getting into English or art school for the fuck of looking cool.
I bet Gaddis knew there was going to be shit like Bon Iver and Pitchfork.
>>7574777
Nice trips. Never read it. Is it really that good?
>>7574777
Sounds gud I'll probably order
>>7574818
if only he had anticipated pretty good normie music
It is indeed magnificent. Recently picked up a copy of JR; it'll be a while before I get to it but I'm excited
>>7574777
I read JR a couple of months ago. Took a break and then dove into this for the new year and it is easily the greatest thing I've read. Only 200 pages in and don't want it to end.
Gaddis is GOAT.
>It's literally "pretentious faggot hipster BTFO" the novel.
You do your ideas and message a disservice by throwing this in. It's fine if you don't care, so long as you know.
GOD TIER:
Esme
Anselm
Basil Valentine
Reverend Gwyon
HIGH TIER:
Stanley
Agnes Deigh
Recktall Brown
Fuller
Mr. Pivner
OK TIER:
Otto
Sinisterra
BAD TIER:
Wyatt
SHIT TIER:
Esther
CHRAST TIER:
Ed Feasley
>>7575072
>OCD
>2016
>>7575040
That's an over simplistic way to put it. A more detailed reading would be that the transformation art had by the end of the XIX century had an impact not only in the perception of art itself but on the perception of people, so artists aren't only producers of art, but something else. So people surounding the world of art became self aware and glorified themselves above the work by internalizing what they thought they should become in order to be part of this world.
Ergo, pretentious pricks.
>>7575027
That party scene was like something out of Fellini, and the morning after for Otto was the perfect blend of melancholic sobriety.
>>7575092
So are you saying that people are becoming artist only because they think it has certain glorifying qualities, rather than a desire to produce a work? Or is it some kind of "bad faith" where people adopt their societal role and vocation into their personalities like Sarte's waiter?
>>7575234
I think is the latter. Gaddis says originality is what transformed art in the XX century. Now artists want to be original instead of perfecting the skill (by imitation). That search for originality, which was caused by what happened to art when it seeked to remove technical boundaries is what transformed people and the world of art into what it is.
>>7575246
haven't posted in this thread yet (just a disclaimer so you dont get opinions mixed up)
do you disagree with the search for originality being a necessary developmnt in art? as society progresses, more and more people have access to leisurely activities (i.e. hobbies), wherefore it is more important to distinguish yourself from the massesand past artists (the second is where skill isn't a distinguishing factor)
I haven't read gaddis though
What's the reading level on this? I want to add it in my queue, but I structure my next reads by varying difficulty. Is it around the difficulty of around Pynchon or more like Faulker or what? Is the vocab and wordage more close to that of the early 1900s or beat-era or postmodernism?
Thanks in advance friends.
>>7575276
It's easy. Like Steinbeck easy...
>>7575317
Really? People always say it's difficult, maybe JR is the hard one or are they both easy?
>>7574859
kek'd
>>7575092
>pretentious pricks
>"end of the XIX century..."
>>7575365
His sentences are very long for the first 100 pages or so and he dumps a bunch of religious allusions whenever Gwyon is a part of the story (which includes the beginning). But as far as it goes on a conceptual level, it's a very easy book to follow. Gaddis practically spells out the entire theme of the book in the first sentence, and repeats it over and over afterwards.
It really shows that it was a first novel in many respects, but it is a fun read and is excellent despite its many flaws.
>>7574777
I absolutely love the dialogue in Gaddis' novels. Just wrought with a perfect pitch and ear for actual conversations. I finished this monolith a month ago and it has really changed the way I hear people speak, along with their actions and intentions. Sincerely looking forward to reading the rest of his oeuvre
>>7574905
hahahahaa lllolllllllllll
>>7575447
This is reassuring. I bought infinite jest last year, and it took more work to read than any other book I've read. So I've been wary of these post-modern tomes. The concept of JR sounds incredibly fun, but the book isn't even available on Amazon
I am finding it a bit hard but English is not my first language.
>>7575072
God tier: nameless protagonist
Ok tier: Stephan
Shit tier: Wyatt
>>7574777
I love it too, anon. If you like that, you should check out The Tunnel.
>>7575072
>chrast tier
Chrast
>>7575317
That's a bit of an exaggeration.
>>7574777
entry level at best
>>7575705
Infinite jest isn't a difficult read you memer
Thank you Don Delillo for recommending JR.
>>7578303
I never said it was difficult, it just took a lot of work -- had to look up a lot of words.
>>7575365
JR is all dialogue so its maybe harder but recognitions has a lot of religious allusions that are probably harder to understand if you dont know anything about that kinda stuff
>>7575705
it is on amazon actually http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564784339?keywords=william%20gaddis&qid=1452653580&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
anyone having trouble with gaddis should check out the scene summaries on http://www.williamgaddis.org/, they tell you what's going on if you can't work it out.
>>7578930
>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1564784339?keywords=william%20gaddis&qid=1452653580&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
sorry, I should have specified amazon.ca
>>7578940
>amazon.ca
you could probably just order it straight from dalkey archive. or check abebooks and all those second hand sites
>>7578937
Can`t find the scene summaries, am I a retard?
>>7575447
>excellent despite its many flaws.
This is actually part of what I love about it. It just seems like he dares to put his heart out, and if it fails it fails, but so much of it is just perfect, so you can kinda see him fail on a very high level.
>>7576597
Kek
Tried reading the first few pages and it was a lot of bs about constellations and religion
fuck this
>>7580126
Just enjoy the prose, anon.
>>7578937
Seriously , there are no scene summaries for The Recognitions
>>7581327
http://www.williamgaddis.org/recognitions/I1summar.shtml
here you go you lazy ass bitch
>>7581401
Thanks you.
