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Counterpoint for anyone out there trying to decide if they should read it: Don't. Life is short, do things in a way you think makes sense, not because some dude

by moate 3y ago

Counterpoint for anyone out there trying to decide if they should read it: Don't. Life is short, do things in a way you think makes sense, not because some dude on the internet said it <(Irony lives here). Fuck the classics. No seriously, that's my stance: Who cares? I know people who spend time and energy culturing themselves and many of them are absolutely boring at parties. The world has no purpose or meaning except what you conjure up yourself or subscribe to by choice. Never read another book again, ever. Only read classical Greek philosophy. Only read the side of cereal boxes. The rules are made up and the points don't matter.

keiferski 3y ago
I mean, you don't need to take my opinion for it. I am just a dude on the Internet, although I do have a little blog about the arts, so I guess I'm marginally more qualified than just a random person? I'll let you decide. But a whole lot of very intelligent people that know a lot about literature have very good things to say about Moby Dick. To disregard their collective opinions in favor of reading whatever makes you exciting at parties [0] doesn't seem like a wise choice to me. For example: - Hubert Dreyfus lecturing about MD for 8 hours: https://youtu.be/eq5LDSZDr2E?si=pBlpoHH14ByTlE5o https://youtu.be/eq5LDSZDr2E?si=pBlpoHH14ByTlE5o - Harold Bloom on MD: https://youtu.be/xFt59_E_g5s?si=oORJveHu2hs3cW8n https://youtu.be/xFt59_E_g5s?si=oORJveHu2hs3cW8n - EL Doctorow: https://youtu.be/rzFr5PNE5pE?si=PvPowjQPWbglayQH https://youtu.be/rzFr5PNE5pE?si=PvPowjQPWbglayQH 0. I'm curious what that is, actually. Do you have some suggestions?
- archagon 3y ago
  Not OP. I’ve personally never read Moby Dick — been meaning to at some point — but I don’t see any purpose in continuing to slog through a book that you find interminably boring. It’s just a cargo cult mentality of becoming “cultured”. My world expanded quite a bit when I realized that not all the classics were worth anything to me, and that some works that people turn their noses up at are far more valuable culturally.
coldtea 3y ago
>Counterpoint for anyone out there trying to decide if they should read it: Don't. Life is short, do things in a way you think makes sense, not because some dude on the internet said it <(Irony lives here). Counterpoint to the counterpoint: do it. Don't live life as an automaton. Broaden your horizons. Venture outside your comfort zone and expand your culture outside quick entertainment. Not convinced? Well, go binge watch the Nth streaming/cable series, watch the Nth MCU movie, and be content with what you're fed by cynical media moguls and assumed to like because that's your station in life as an average Joe. See if I care...

by moate 3y ago

keiferski 3y ago

I mean, you don't need to take my opinion for it. I am just a dude on the Internet, although I do have a little blog about the arts, so I guess I'm marginally more qualified than just a random person? I'll let you decide. But a whole lot of very intelligent people that know a lot about literature have very good things to say about Moby Dick. To disregard their collective opinions in favor of reading whatever makes you exciting at parties [0] doesn't seem like a wise choice to me. For example: - Hubert Dreyfus lecturing about MD for 8 hours: https://youtu.be/eq5LDSZDr2E?si=pBlpoHH14ByTlE5o https://youtu.be/eq5LDSZDr2E?si=pBlpoHH14ByTlE5o - Harold Bloom on MD: https://youtu.be/xFt59_E_g5s?si=oORJveHu2hs3cW8n https://youtu.be/xFt59_E_g5s?si=oORJveHu2hs3cW8n - EL Doctorow: https://youtu.be/rzFr5PNE5pE?si=PvPowjQPWbglayQH https://youtu.be/rzFr5PNE5pE?si=PvPowjQPWbglayQH 0. I'm curious what that is, actually. Do you have some suggestions?

archagon 3y ago
Not OP. I’ve personally never read Moby Dick — been meaning to at some point — but I don’t see any purpose in continuing to slog through a book that you find interminably boring. It’s just a cargo cult mentality of becoming “cultured”. My world expanded quite a bit when I realized that not all the classics were worth anything to me, and that some works that people turn their noses up at are far more valuable culturally.

coldtea 3y ago

>Counterpoint for anyone out there trying to decide if they should read it: Don't. Life is short, do things in a way you think makes sense, not because some dude on the internet said it <(Irony lives here). Counterpoint to the counterpoint: do it. Don't live life as an automaton. Broaden your horizons. Venture outside your comfort zone and expand your culture outside quick entertainment. Not convinced? Well, go binge watch the Nth streaming/cable series, watch the Nth MCU movie, and be content with what you're fed by cynical media moguls and assumed to like because that's your station in life as an average Joe. See if I care...