Let's see those Friday morning bookshelves, and have some cozy literary discussions.
Currently reading the two on the right, but I've been flipping through some other shorter works recently (some of Borges short stories, Orwell essays, The New York Trilogy, and the odd Shakespeare poem).
Any suggestions for someone starting to feel burnt out on reading? I haven't run into this problem before. What do you anons find works best? Just push forward and get through it, switch to reading shorter stuff, or take a break to recoup your drive?
Lovely collection OP, what translation of the Divine Comedy is that?
My advice would be to just finish what you're reading now and then take a break. Why read if you aren't enjoying it?
>>7798061
Thank you! And, it's the Mandelbaum translation.
That's a fair point, I think I might do that. I've been averaging a book every two weeks or so for several months now, and it's starting to feel more like work than anything at this point. Perhaps a little break would be best.
Though I definitely want to finish Catch-22, first. Despite what I described above, I'm having an extremely fun time with it.
>>7798061
Mandelbaum
>>7798042
I'd say either a break like that other anon suggested, or, if you're still enjoying reading shorter works, keep doing that for a bit.
I usually switch to reading plays when I get that feeling. By the time I blow through a couple, the urge to return to prose is strong.
>>7798108
It is the Everyman, and it's a pretty excellent choice. There's a chart floating around here that breaks down all the Divine Comedy translations, but from the one's I've looked at, this is a pretty good balance of everything. Certainly a good starting point, if nothing else.
>>7798115
I have it here, though it says incomplete. This actually helped me decide on the Mandelbaum, I was considering the Ciardi translation beforehand.
>>7798042
Read a short an fun book which you know you will enjoy, that's what got me back into reading
>>7798042
I remember when you posted that Murakami and the snowman book sitting on your car dashboard. It was a comfy picture, rain on the window, I think.
>>7798484
I sometimes feel like this (though, not quite to the degree that you describe).
It's usually the fatigue aspect that gets to me. I sit down to start reading, then suddenly find my eyes getting heavy. It's awful.
>>7798495
I'm really surprised someone remembers that! You're right, that was me!
I'm glad you liked it, anon
>>7798042
Maybe drop down to not reading as much per day - maybe read 10 or 20 pages (depending on how much you read at the moment) then when you start feeling like reading more slowly build it back up to a higher number each day. I wouldn't stop reading completely - at least not myself, because it'd get me into bad habits - so try and keep it up, even if it's not much. And like other anons said - read something fun that you enjoy/know you'll enjoy, and hopefully your desire to read will come back.
lovely shelves though - did you enjoy The Sound And The Fury? I'm stuck between ordering that or As I Lay Dying for my first Faulkner book, so would love to hear what you have to say about it.
>>7799053
triggered
>>7799311
>>7799375
patrician
>>7799756
Like clockwork
my current read is not in the pic: nathanael west's complete works.
so far i read "the dream life of balso snell" which is weird parody, dark comedy stuff
and
"miss lonelyhearts" which is less comedy and more depressing.
>>7799756
please die
>>7799793
Are you doing a phd on dante or something? Is there any reason to read every translation?
where are all the leatherbound books from senpai?
>>7798042
Fight me.
>>7799838
Someone actually owns Fanny Hill? I read some of it in eBook format.
>>7799953
i haven't read it yet, ancient porn is sort of my special interest though.
i like josephine mutzenbacher a lot and i adore de sade.
>>7800075
>josephine mutzenbacher
mah nigga
>>7800075
It's pretty interesting, I'll give you that.
>>7798042
Don't think we can't see that Confederate flag behind your shelf, OP.
>>7798903
That seems like a pretty good system for me, actually. I don't particularly like the idea of stopping completely, so maybe I'll try that.
I wish I could be of some help, but I've regretfully not started reading it yet. I can say, though, that I tend to read author's works in release order. So, were I in your position, I'd be going for The Sound And The Fury first.
>>7799908
I bought them all at various used bookstores, anon. The publisher is Easton Press, but I'll warn you that they're incredibly expensive to purchase new. I'd search high and low in your nearest college town's used shops, if I were you.
>>7800143
I'm sure you can; I make no effort to hide it.
(Though, admittedly, I do need raise it a bit higher since I put up that bookshelf. Just haven't gotten around to it.)
>>7800075
>ancient porn
I knew there was a literary avenue I wasn't exploring.
I must dig deeper.
Should I feel bad that the majority of books I buy is the black penguin and cheap penguin classic books?
>>7800616
are*
>>7800616
no, who cares? as long as you read them. some people like nice books other just want cheapo shit they can read.
>>7800616
You shouldn't feel bad, no. They're affordable and allow you to read what you want to read, which should be satisfying at the most basic level to anyone interested in literature.
That being said, the spines are awful, and so are most of the translations (though not all). If that matters to you, perhaps purchase some different editions in the future. If not, who gives a fuck? Just keep reading, m8.
All that in mind, considering this is a bookshelf thread, why don't you share your collection with us anon?
>>7800678
Not him but while on the topic, what are /lit/s thoughts on the Oxford World Classics and Everymans Library books?
>>7800678
I am currently living far away from home. However I will hold on my promise and post my bookshelf. If I remember that is.
>>7800753
They're pretty fantastic overall, but aren't without their issues:
Oxford World's Classics are usually pretty great editions for whatever you want, and often have good translations. They also have a strong footnote game.
Only comment that I'll make is that the paper is really thin, to me, and the overall physical quality could be a bit better. The books themselves can bend easier than you'd think, and I've ripped a decent amount of pages before I realized just how gently to handle them.
The pros do outweigh the cons, though. I love my Oxfords.
There isn't much to say about Everyman's Library that I can think of. Great binding, durable paper, very readable font/format, and usually are my preferred publisher for translations (Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky aside).
Only drawback that I can think of is a personal one; $25 a book adds up really quick as a student, especially if there's no decent used bookstores nearby to search through as an alternative.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some points, so I encourage others to comment on this, as well.
>>7800763
Sounds like a plan, anon.
.gif unrelated
One of my shelves.
And on my nightstand.
How is everyone doing?
>>7800910
Appreciate the insight man
>>7800959
OP here, I'm doing pretty well.
How are you?
I've seen your shelf a few times before, but never commented. I love that Modern Library collection you have. I never realized they had such uniquely designed dust covers before. They look extremely nice on your shelf.
I'm curious, though; why three copies of Nausea?
>>7800976
You're welcome! I hope I was of some help.
>>7800753
>>7800910
>oxford
good: notes, essays, etc.
bad: paperback, average build quality
>everymans
good: hardcover, great build quality
bad: usually doesn't have notes/essays, but some prefer that.
>neutral
translations are important, so if my preferred translation is with a completely different publisher, that usually sways my choice.
>>7799889
>being this pleb
It's okay man, reading only a single translation of one of the greatest classics in all of literature is totally acceptable.
Don't have that many books, as I only recently started getting into reading again. I also have The Complete Fiction of HP Lovecraft, Count of Monte Cristo, Arabian Nights, and Infinite Jest on another shelf. And a really big translation/commentary of the Quran.
The bookmarks are for the books that I plan on reading next.
Oh this thread again. Don't mind if I do. 1/6
2/6
3/6
>>7801690
>lost girls
toppest of keks
4/6
>>7801700
Hey what's wrong with Alan Moore. Sure it's porn, but besides that.
5/6
Lost girls is gr8
6/6
This is genre fiction corner
I just moved so some of my library is at home. All I have is Neil Gaiman, Kafka, and Asimov.
>>7801336
>why do you have so many books that you haven't read yet? What was the point in buying them before reading the others?
>>7801713
The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Long Walk, good stuff.
Most of the books I have with me in Indiana, the other 2/3rds are in Louisville
Currently reading 1984
>>7799309
>Janet Evanovich
>Sophie Kinsella
>Dan Brown
Mom, is that you?
>>7800927
Stacks all his fantasy books in front of his palahniuk books. This is double layered bait.
>>7800959
What's up with that 2666 in a box set? Looks cool.
>>7801803
>J. F. Powers.
Aww yisss
Never read his short stories before. Any good?
>>7800910
Everyman's Library also put their footnotes at the back of the book instead of the footer of the page, which is fucking annoying when the text has a lot of footnotes, but overall they're great solid books. And $25 per book? Wew, they're £10-£12 mostly here, and a few £15 which isn't bad for hardbacks but $25 is steep as fuck.
The only other downside I can think is that if you're looking to buy War And Peace it's nicely split into 3 volumes but you have to pay for each individual book whereas other publishers (Vintage, Penguin) just lump them all into one and charge average paperback price.
>>7800616
I love penguin modern classics & penguin vintage better than any other paperbacks - they're afforable, have simple, uniform spines, and the cover designs usually if not always appeal to me. Black pingus also aren't bad, they look smart and uniform. Don't worry about it anon, just enjoy reading the contents.
>>7801894
Eraserhead book? what is that m8?
>>7801994
James Wood wrote an essay about his works that I read a while back which got me interested in him but I haven't taken the time to read his stuff yet. Now that you've pointed out that book in particular I'll hopefully pick it up here pretty soon, the Catholic authors I've read so far have failed to disappoint me.
>>7801753
Not sure desu. I know that it's better than I finish reading the books I buy before buying more, but I can't help myself when I see a book that I'm interested in on sale at the bookstore or on bookdepository and for cheap-ish.
>>7801894
I like your taste. What's that Eraserhead book?
>>7802164
Damn
>>7801336
I have that same version of lolita!
>>7798042
What translation of C&P and TBK is that?
>inb4 translations
1/2
>>7802732
I'm waiting for 2/2 damn.
>>7799053
Full of shit.
i am reading de profundis by oscar wilde now.
Epub so nothing special to show.
Anyway i am looking for a word that means, 'retaliate at what is perceived as unfairness' It can be used like, he is not guilty, he is being ___. Anybody knows the single word?
>>7802732
2/2
>>7802738
sorry m8 I was answering a friend on fb and forgot to post it
>>7801803
Dat Women & Men peeking out between Kafka and Céline.
>>7801753
>Not buying enough books to last months on reading and rereading
ultimate pleb detected
>>7801713
>L.. Ron Hubbard
wew
>>7803048
Good basic shite mate
>>7802721
Both are the Constance Garnett translations.
My collection is fully digital.
Am I pleb?
>>7803158
a bit, yes
>>7803158
You're living the modern bohemian/poorfag literary lifestyle.
So, yes, kind of.
>>7803363
More of a retard than a pleb. You could've just sold those books for anything
Balthus has now been replaced by Trump's Crippled America pn this shelf
>>7803372
>>7803338
I have eclipsed the need for books. Why would I want to have physical books? They take up space and I'm not as insecure as to show off my collection to boost my self-esteem. Digital is fine.
>>7803365
>selling books
laughingbitches.jpg
>>7798042
Either stop reading or finish catch 22, that one really burned me out too, so just the act of gerring it out of my system was liberating.
>>7803377
give them to a library or some shit then
burning them just make you look like some edgy cunt trying to show everyone how you're not materalistic but still needs attention from the whole fucking neihgbourhood
>>7803376
If the power grid goes down (either due to terrorists, mejicans, or neocons), you might as well be in an infinite library, with your glasses broken.
>>7798903
Read As I Lay Dying first, no exceptions.
>>7803394
Probably nobody irl knows that I burnt them. I burnt them in a clearing in a forest.
Libraries nearby are ass, and improving them would be polishing a turd. Donating them to a thrift store would only make them very temporarily not total shit.
Give me a good reason why I shouldn't have the final decision over my inanimate possessions.
>>7803410
Oh, you absolutely should.
That doesn't make those decisions not shit, though.
>>7803412
No less than the worth of your opinions, frankly.
Even before I built a library, I never cared what people do with their personal belongings. Money literally flushed down the toilet? Those athletes leak money back to their slave holders anyway. Antique editions of Shakespeare having their pages ripped out for blunts? Those books will eventually crumble anyhow. You just think about that anon.
>>7803363
>Hey everybody, I burned all my books!
>Aren't I an independent intellectual!
>>7798085
A book every 2 weeks is what, 30 minutes of reading per day? And it's too much for you?
>>7803426
Still doesn't make it less stupid. And those pages are as resistant as the care you take of them, unlike eletronics that can literally just fuck themselves up over nothing.
>>7803438
And for every response like this, I'll burn every treasure trove of books I get a hold of. And I'm very good at that.
I'm the reason your second hand book shop is loaded with chaff.
>>7803464
Holy shit, you're the definitive proof people can be edgy about absolutely anything.
I bet those 2000 books you've burned were mostly Nine Inch Nails songbooks, Thomas Ligotti and idk, Hot Topic Allan Poe editions
>>7803462
Basic digital and print (tree-based) books both last about 100 years. Cloth-based books last centuries if well maintained, but tend to get destroyed long before then. Advanced digital theoretically lasts for millenia, and is harder to track down and destroy if cached.
My decisions are fully justified.
>>7803470
And you're definitive proof idiots can't form an argument without exaggeration.
>>7803473
Still stupid tbqh
>>7803464
What a faggot
>>7803446
I'd usually shoot for an hour a day, but the issue is more so finding the time to read through the week. I pretty much never get the chance on weekends, which is a bit annoying.
>>7803482
You're just jealous you don't have a library to burn down.
>>7803496
I do have one. I use it mostly for reading though, wood is better for burning down.
>>7803497
I was being sarcastic. Obviously it would have been better to donate it someone who deserved it. But as it is, I don't see anyone who really deserves a donation of books in my local area. I've tried to donate to blacks and latinos. Everytime I popped by their houses, the books were clearly being kicked around on the floor, or mutilated. Whites and Asians never really needed my assistance. And I especially have no obligation to donate to petty, inbred runts questioning my decisions on shitty 4chan.
>>7803509
>I was only pretending to be retarded
>describes himself being retarded
What are you trying to accomplish?
>>7798042
>Not alphabetized
Disgusting.
That's about 10 groups of books to burn now.
Keep 'em coming.
>>7803521
I've struggled with deciding how to order them all for quite a while now. It's somewhat by publisher, and yet not quite.
Any specific suggestions?
>>7803426
Were all the books by Chuck Palahniuk you edgy faglord?
>>7803410
Libraries don't keep the books, they sell them at big sales twice a year and put the money towards things like museum passes.
>>7803534
I separate paperbacks and hardcovers and and set aside groups for stuff like philosophy and nonfic, and from there alphabetize each section.
>>7803398
Doesn't happen a lot and gets fixed within an hour. Also my phone can run on its batteries while I read a book on it.
>>7803615
That's besides the point. Electricity is a house of cards
>>7803488
Do you have an active sex life?
>>7803937
I do, yeah. I've been dating someone for a little over 3 months now.
I'm pretty content, presently.
>>7803523
>>7800959
You have a lot of the same stuff I do. I like you.
>>7801979
I lowkey wish more books were like that, it's a pain to carry around the entire book, and there's no way I will read an entire third in one outing
Yeah, I have shit tier lighting and blackberry camera
>>7805693
Looks like a decent collection hidden in that photo, anon. I hope to see it posted again when you're set up wherever you are.
>>7805869
Yeah, I'm hosting alanparty right now, so I had to move my collection to this shitty table. If I remember tomorrow I'll post a better picture
>>7805974
>lanparty
What are you boys playing?
>>7806268
day of defeat
>>7807881
>Day of Defeat
Man, I'm really glad to hear people still play that game, let alone have a lan-party.
God bless you, anon.
>>7805190
Post your shelf anon
>>7798042
What are those editions of The Iliad and The Oddessy? I'm starting on the Greeks and it'd be nice to have them as a pair.inb4 newfag
>>7808038
Those are the Penguin deluxe editions, translated by Robert Fagles.
It's probably the most accessible translation, certainly a good place to start with the Greeks.
Go for the three-piece box set, though: Odyssey, Iliad, and the Aeneid.
>>7801324
>reading the same book 10 times instead of learning the original language
I love plebs who believe themselves to be patricians.
>physical books
not that I won't build a 5000-tome personal library when I'm rich
>>7809675
So why hate those who are already well-off and building theirs?
>>7809707
>hate
how did you gather that
they are impractical tho unless you've got room and know you're not moving anywhere in the next few years
>>7801803
very patrician. very patrician indeed
>>7802730
What edition of The Art of War is that?
>>7798042
Finally an OP with a nice shelf. Good work. A slightly higher res pic would be nice.
>>7810892
>>7810898
>>7809773
Thank you, friend. My collection is much nicer when all my books are together and organized.
>>7810859
Thank you! I'm glad you like it, anon.
The original pic was much higher res, but was around 37MB.
>>7801803
Here's some of my other books :)
>>7811249
What'd you think of Maldoror and the Perec?
>>7811254
Funny you mentioned those two, I read both of them one after the other a couple years ago. I remember the Perec volume being very nice, kind of like taking a leisurely tour through Paris. Maldoror was a bit of a slog for me and I can only recall a couple scenes vividly, the shooting of the drowning people, and the shitting on God. Very strange book, especially when coupled with his Poesies.
>>7800753
Oxfords are my goto publisher for most things
Pros:
Academic translations
Cheap new (if used penguins are cheaper)
Wide subject matter
Obscure philosophers and titles
Nice covers
Cons:
Flimsy
Only paperbacks
White covers get dirty
Most notes are in the back
I don't have any everymans so I have no idea.
>>7798042
>>7811350
How much did the Bayer cost you?
>>7811379
About 65 US dollars for the selected works and like 13 for the Vitus Bering, definitively worth though.
There are usually around 6-8 copies being sold on Amazon used and I just kept checking the prices every month until I got it for that.
>>7811395
Congrats anon, that's a great price on the Selected Works.
I've been thinking of ordering direct from their site for the works they still have in stock, but I always put it off.
>>7803446
embarrassing.jpg
Depending on the specific lengths, I feel like I'm slacking if I don't knock out 2-3 books a week.
>>7811424
The first piece in the Selected Works
>>7812364
>no majuscules
>>7811249
OP here. Damn good shelf!
What's your opinion on The Invention of Morel? I was thinking about ordering that myself earlier today, actually, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
>>7813141
Definitely worth the read, I'm not sure how to talk about it without spoiling the story, I'll just say it's a short, low key sci fi novel with some inspiration from h g wells. Borges praised it highly, maybe too much, but it's nice.
Appreciate your shelves too, anon, good selection and very neat. I noticed we also have the same copies of Suttree, Carver's stories, and Orwells essays.
Have you read that copy of Simon Leys' essays? I thoroughly enjoyed it.
>>7813303
That description definitely intrigues me. Thank you, I think I'll go ahead and order it.
Thank you! I'm glad you like it. I noticed the same; similarities aside, you have quite a lot that I'd like to eventually read. I'm quite jealous of your Library of America collection in particular.
And, I've haven't read the entire collection, but the essays I have read from it I found incredibly interesting (the opening one on Quixotism, and several of the Chinese ones in particular).
>>7798042
>Dat bookshelf
Marry me.
Seriously though, try taking a break from reading for a bit. I find journal writing makes a great substitute hobby when I've run out of fresh reading material.
>>7814007
What do you write about?
>>7813620
I love LoA, I rarely ever buy them at full price or I wouldn't have so many but whenever I find a volume I've been looking for at a half price books or somewhere similar my heart leaps with joy. And there's still so many more I'd love to own.
>>7814034
I split my notebooks in half. The left page is for when I first wake up, i.e. weird dream journal shit, plans for the day, the occasional shopping list.
The right side is for the end of the day, here I summarize the events of the day and my general thoughts.
>>7801049
>oxford
>good notes
Depends entirely on the editor or whoever wrote the notes for the given book.
Cf. the first chapter of Joyce's portrait when Mr. Casey tells Stephen 'that he had got those three cramped fingersmaking a birthday present for Queen Victoria' (p. 23). This is OBVIOUSLY a bomb which Mr. Casey tries to circumvent later by talking about 'champagne' , and yet you find this nugget of retardation in the notes: 'imprisoned as an Irish revolutionary, he [Mr. Casey] has "picked oakum" at Her Majesty's leisure, that is in an English prison: i.e. picked old rope to obtain the loose fibres which are then used for other things.' This is wrong firstly and useless information secondly, and you have to be insanely British to think that Mr. Casey was talking about anything but bombs or bomb-related activities.
>>7814048
Sounds interesting anon, but I'd probably be too lazy to consistently follow through with it
>>7814084
Also it's not every Oxfords World Classic that has little markings whenever a word/passage has an entry in the notes. Conrad's HoD does but Joyce's Portrait doesn't, for example, and reading Joyce this way can be a hassle.
>>7801803
>all that nyrb
nice
>>7804134
but le gun nuts are all le virgins xDD please upvote fellow redditors!
>>7814228
Tan, thick, old enough to have a "must" to them but not that "been damp in an attic for a decade must". Just that nice, distinctive book smell.
OP here.
Despite the flag, I'm actually a canuck.
Got these the other day. What does lit/ think about it?
>>7814774
I didn't know Planeta had printed translations of Lispector's works. The Siruela editions are obscenely expensive.
>>7814900
That's a Siruela ed. but it wasn't that expensive . I paid 17 us dollars.
>>7814909
I'm so used to seeing the Planetas in those garish crayon colours.
Have you begun reading A maça... yet?
>>7814931
Not yet. Did you liked it? I read The Passion According to G.H. last year. It was great, but exhausting so I'm not in a rush with maca.
>>7809675
boring
>>7814940
It was great, I really enjoyed how Lispector constructs the world and the characters one block at a time; it seemed almost faulknerian in its structure.
Definitely build up your strength for this one, it's not to be taken lightly; although, once you get into the groove, you'll really enjoy it.
>>7814953
Thanks, anon. Sounds great. Where are you from? Brazil?
>>7814967
No, I'm from California. I went through a big Brazilian/Portuguese phase when I attended university and my uni's library was very well-stocked.
>>7815056
I dont have any more Brazilian books to show. What else do you recommend from there?
>>7799756
You feel like posting a dl link for thOse?
>>7798042
I'm sorry for being an illiterate faggot, my books are in storage. I have plans though.
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/53423282-nathaniel
>>7816710
3/10
you tried too hard
>>7816710
>guy fawkes mask
Get involved in a car crash, soon.
>>7816741
It came with the book.
>>7816727
I know, but that's not everything I've read.
>>7816710
my new #1 best troll shelf. thanks.
>>7816710
I- I underestimated you /lit/, I thought this was the nice board... But I appreciate your opinion, I shall consider that car-crash.
>wrecking your spines
>>7816710
V for Vendetta is absolute fucking garbage but HP Lovecraft and Illuminatus are top tier stoner core
not sure whta that second shelf is but i'm guessing it's some kind of anime sex novel
>>7816710
Nice shelf tbqhwy.
>>7816888
andrew shulman is a fagit
>>7816888
This is retarded.
>>7816888
Wanna know how I know you're autistic?
>>7814048
I really should start doing that. I've been struggling recently with the reality of fading memories, so that would get two birds stoned at once.
Any tips, or just write?
>>7816710
your photo gave me cancer.
>>7816888
That's the exact reason I don't read books at all. I buy them for my shelf and read their contents on my Kindle.
>>7816888
Wouldn't it damage them more to constantly take them all out and put them back in just to find a certain book?
>>7798042
I think I did well over the years
Top shelfs: Kipling
Middle: Joseph Conrad
Bottoms: Steinbeck, Joyce, Mann, Tolstoi, Twain, Heller, TS Eliot, Pound, ect.
Going to finish Hemingway, Dostoevsky, then poetry Keats,Byron, Tennyson
>>7802730
didnt know that edith hamilton book is soo small, when i saw the cover, it looked like a 400 page text book. nice.
>>7817068
Agreed bro, he sucks.
>>7809675
>strategic therapy
wtf is that lol
>>7820824
Nice shelf. I'm slightly jealous of the uniform look.
