reposting from another thread because i'm honestly interested in answers.
>not to be flippant, but why do people here often ask what books they should read or read next? i always found it exhilarating to go to a bookstore of library and hunt down my next reading experience. anyone who has been half-educated should be aware of at least a handful of the greats - Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, etc - and reading them always leads to reading their contemporaries or researching them, which in turn leads to more discoveries of authors. is it because some people, mainly students, are used to people (teachers) telling them what to read that they come here looking for surrogate teachers? for me, part of what makes reading an adventure is the adventure of who or what i'll read next. do yourselves a favor and do your own research. you'll appreciate your discoveries far more than if someone hands you a book and tells you to read it.
>>7982931
>for me,
theres your answer. not everyone is like you.
>>7982931
some people just dont have time for that. why waste time going through slime when you have the fair people of /lit/ to feed you suggestions
idk about other people but I've always had a strong impulse that when I get interested in an art form, I need to get familiar with ALL the essential works/artists before I can start forging my own path. But that doesn't really work out, and I end up enjoying myself more if I just follow my interests where they lead.
>>7982931
>Why collect opinions and suggestions from far and wide when you could choose the most tedious and unnecessary restrictive method of doing it?
>Why google when you could library?
>Why paper when you could stone tablet?
You're just a dummy.
>>7982952
if you have the time to do the reading, you have the time to research the field, mate.
>>7982963
>I just follow my interests where they lead
indeed. i just find it a little odd people outsource their interests here or get at them through consensus rather than forging their own path. i really think it's the student/teacher paradigm. instead of having been taught to do their own thing and seeing where it leads, they are seeking another mentor type to follow, forever remaining the student to a degree.
>>7983007
i guess it's the difference between wanting to be told what to read and finding out for yourself. i am not particularly against listening to recommendations, but it seems every other post is someone asking what to read next and i'm trying to get at the core reasons why that is so. i am not opposed to google to research in any way, but spending several hours in a library or bookstore is a splendid way to seek your next read, mate. i enjoy doing so. if that makes me a dummy, then so be it.
I pretty much agree, OP. What I want to read next is always a very personal choice, I wouldn't let other people decide for me.
