While I agree with the general premise of the video, he's definitely romanticizing a lot of faggots who don't deserve it and getting dangerously close to making false dichotomies. The "nihilistic, transgressive anti-establishment rebels" of the past contributed towards the garbage that we have today, and books can still be about identity and personal struggles without sacrificing aspects such as a compelling plot, its just that these writers chose to eschew it because they're incompetent, retarded faggots who don't understand what good writing is because they're against the idea of structures and rules to begin with. They're just doing what's hip and trendy to their group.
On a personal note, I used to enjoy reading books a lot when I was a kid, but my love for video games took over all my free time around middle school and basically never let go afterwards. That extends to other visual media that I gradually got more into as I grew older.
I remembered devouring the LotR trilogy repeatedly as a kid. I must've read the Hobbit over 20 times, not even exaggerating. Not to mention a bunch of other large series at the time.
Then I tried reading the Silmarillion much later while I was in college... it was a snooze factory. Granted, that might've been partly the fault of the Silmarillion itself since it was finished by Chris instead of J.R.R., and the fact that it wasn't really made to be a "story" in the same way as the previous works from my understanding, but still.
The Silmarillion is a slog. The beginning is quite good though as it details the creation of middle earth. However, it gets bogged down in so many name drops that you have to reference the genealogy tables in the back of the book.
Excluding the Bible and textbooks, nah. (assuming you're referring to books of course) Not unless you count mostly visual stuff like manga or stuff like light novels.
Last actual book I was reading was "Works of Love" by Kierkegaard, but I was only a few chapters in before I put in on pause. It was very dense and I have to be in the right mood and mindset to read something like that, as I don't have the same levels of patience that I used to when I was younger. Its been around 2-ish years or so since I put it on pause. He's one of the very few philosophers I respect and admire, but dang if his work isn't difficult to penetrate. (at least his later works, I have to get around to checking out his earlier works too and see if they're easier to start with, might be a good idea)
Saw this the other day. No surprise at all. Just look at the sad puppies and what has been done to sci-fi and fantasy. Now I’d say fantasy readers are a more even split but sci fi has always been a genre that skews male and they have been working to change that. I hear the question about why boys don’t read but it seems there is nothing nowadays being made for them
Nothing aside from history books about war or medieval things are made for boys, and even then it’s getting more common for those things to be feminized as well.
Yea it’s almost comical how I’ve gotten into the habit of checking when a book was published. I don’t trust many modern history books since modern historians will sell out to explain why a period piece set in 1700’s Norway but looks like downtown LA actually is accurate
My newest rule of thumb is never buy anything written by a woman. They have to cram in some kind of lesbian sex scene in anything they write. They just can’t help it.
Older novels by female authors are fine. But the newer ones are awful.
I don't read anything written past 1989. Something happened in the 90s. It's like all of humanity entered a state of hightened social awareness. We gained an unrestricted access to a kind of psychological source code, something we were completely ignorant and innocent of in the previous decades. All fiction became more cynical, more streamlined and in control of the audience's interpretation. Things have become even worse in the recent 10-15 years with the rise of Straight-To-Kindle literature. No more publishing being solely for the most talented and/or profitable writers. Now, any Tom, Dick and Tranny can become a self-published author. All of my favorite writers, now in their 70+s have retired and most of the current literature is written by soyjacked millennials and nihilistic zoomer weebs, so why the fuck should I bother?
Yeah, Gen X college grads discovered Sylvia Plath and were carrying over their Post-Punk angst into the mainstream.
Americans in general were also becoming more self-conscious of how they were being "sold" a lifestyle. All the assumptions of what it meant to be a "good" American and live a "happy" life came under question. Naturally, as a community turns their eyes away from God, they begin looking at the emptiness inward. The easiest way to become unhappy to question if you're happy, to preoccupy yourself with yourself. We're tribal creatures. The happiest people you'll ever know are those who are busy helping others.
While I agree with the general premise of the video, he's definitely romanticizing a lot of faggots who don't deserve it and getting dangerously close to making false dichotomies. The "nihilistic, transgressive anti-establishment rebels" of the past contributed towards the garbage that we have today, and books can still be about identity and personal struggles without sacrificing aspects such as a compelling plot, its just that these writers chose to eschew it because they're incompetent, retarded faggots who don't understand what good writing is because they're against the idea of structures and rules to begin with. They're just doing what's hip and trendy to their group.
On a personal note, I used to enjoy reading books a lot when I was a kid, but my love for video games took over all my free time around middle school and basically never let go afterwards. That extends to other visual media that I gradually got more into as I grew older.
I used to read a lot. I used to get so involved I'd spend days reading with little sleep. Nowadays I read 3 pages and get sleepy
Same.
I remembered devouring the LotR trilogy repeatedly as a kid. I must've read the Hobbit over 20 times, not even exaggerating. Not to mention a bunch of other large series at the time.
Then I tried reading the Silmarillion much later while I was in college... it was a snooze factory. Granted, that might've been partly the fault of the Silmarillion itself since it was finished by Chris instead of J.R.R., and the fact that it wasn't really made to be a "story" in the same way as the previous works from my understanding, but still.
The Silmarillion is a slog. The beginning is quite good though as it details the creation of middle earth. However, it gets bogged down in so many name drops that you have to reference the genealogy tables in the back of the book.
Do you read much now? If it’s a topic that interests you?
Excluding the Bible and textbooks, nah. (assuming you're referring to books of course) Not unless you count mostly visual stuff like manga or stuff like light novels.
Last actual book I was reading was "Works of Love" by Kierkegaard, but I was only a few chapters in before I put in on pause. It was very dense and I have to be in the right mood and mindset to read something like that, as I don't have the same levels of patience that I used to when I was younger. Its been around 2-ish years or so since I put it on pause. He's one of the very few philosophers I respect and admire, but dang if his work isn't difficult to penetrate. (at least his later works, I have to get around to checking out his earlier works too and see if they're easier to start with, might be a good idea)
Understand.
Saw this the other day. No surprise at all. Just look at the sad puppies and what has been done to sci-fi and fantasy. Now I’d say fantasy readers are a more even split but sci fi has always been a genre that skews male and they have been working to change that. I hear the question about why boys don’t read but it seems there is nothing nowadays being made for them
Nothing aside from history books about war or medieval things are made for boys, and even then it’s getting more common for those things to be feminized as well.
Yea it’s almost comical how I’ve gotten into the habit of checking when a book was published. I don’t trust many modern history books since modern historians will sell out to explain why a period piece set in 1700’s Norway but looks like downtown LA actually is accurate
My newest rule of thumb is never buy anything written by a woman. They have to cram in some kind of lesbian sex scene in anything they write. They just can’t help it.
Older novels by female authors are fine. But the newer ones are awful.
I don't read anything written past 1989. Something happened in the 90s. It's like all of humanity entered a state of hightened social awareness. We gained an unrestricted access to a kind of psychological source code, something we were completely ignorant and innocent of in the previous decades. All fiction became more cynical, more streamlined and in control of the audience's interpretation. Things have become even worse in the recent 10-15 years with the rise of Straight-To-Kindle literature. No more publishing being solely for the most talented and/or profitable writers. Now, any Tom, Dick and Tranny can become a self-published author. All of my favorite writers, now in their 70+s have retired and most of the current literature is written by soyjacked millennials and nihilistic zoomer weebs, so why the fuck should I bother?
Yeah, Gen X college grads discovered Sylvia Plath and were carrying over their Post-Punk angst into the mainstream.
Americans in general were also becoming more self-conscious of how they were being "sold" a lifestyle. All the assumptions of what it meant to be a "good" American and live a "happy" life came under question. Naturally, as a community turns their eyes away from God, they begin looking at the emptiness inward. The easiest way to become unhappy to question if you're happy, to preoccupy yourself with yourself. We're tribal creatures. The happiest people you'll ever know are those who are busy helping others.
That's why I rarely read novels now.