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We, as a society, are more splintered and divided than ever before, with fringe conspiracy theories being at an all-time high and empathy for peers at an all-time low (one needs to look no further than the right-wing tagline "facts don't care about your feelings" to see that). With short-form content perpetuating the over-simplification of political and social issues, along with simply not being conducive to the consumer becoming empathetic to the people involved, I think it is more important than ever for us to be moving back towards "slower" forms of media. Being in my particular wheelhouse, I would like to focus, in specific, on literary fiction (and adjacent literature).
Literary fiction is a subsection of literature that near-necessitates the viewing of the characters in an empathetic lens by the reader, being a medium that is so focused on the internal workings of the characters. Unlike (for example) movies and plays, you can explicitly read the thoughts and feelings of the characters, or be left guessing by the deliberate omission of those, quite literally putting us in a position where we are forced to understand the emotions and motivations of the characters, lest we be left behind and not comprehend the work. I see this as a beautiful exercise, mentally, and one that not enough of us (particularly gen-z men) are partaking in. What used to be a primary form of entertainment for youth, that forced us to be empathetic and understanding, is slowly being replaced by the short-form media that continues to divide us (and is overwhelmingly dominated by right-wing biased companies and figures such as Meta and Elon Musk).
So, in my mind, the solution is clear. Read more. Go out to that local bookstore, join an online book club, start a community of like-minded (or even unlike-minded) people. Who knows, maybe you'll meet some new friends along the way.
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Now for the fun part! Some review and recommendations based on stuff I read in 2024! I spent the year focusing on getting myself out of my reading comfort zone, exploring more works by black and female authors rather than the white-man world of books I had been living in for most of my previous reading. This is not a comprehensive list, but simply 2 notable groups of books that I personally loved.
Section 1. Some Modern Classics
I read No Country For Old Men
by Cormac McCarthy, a modern western set in 1980s Texas. A thrilling
action novel about a man who happens to stumble on a suitcase full of
enough cash to change his life, and the unknown consequences that come
alongside taking it. If you are a newer reader and need something a little more fast-paced and exciting to get you into the world of reading, take my advice, and pick up this novel from a local bookstore or library.
I also read two of Toni Morrison's works, Song Of Solomon and Beloved, and although both were great masterworks, I have to say that I can only strongly recommend one to fellow readers unfamiliar with her work or the style of magical realism. That being Beloved, a thrilling, horror-adjacent ghost story set in a recently slave-abolished Ohio in the late 1800s. A Pulitzer prize winner, and not for no reason, it is a must-read.
Section 2. Some Comfy Reads
Section 2. Some Comfy Reads
The Sirens Of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. A seminal work by an author I am all too familiar with. This is the novel in which I feel like Vonnegut really became what he is known as. From the deep introspection on free will, to the exciting and dark violence of the martian military plot-line, it is a wonderful work that I recommend to people who enjoyed Star Trek: The Next Generation or Slaughterhouse-Five (which you probably had to read in high school English class.
Run by Ann Patchet is a heartwarming and melancholy novel about class struggles, and the difficulties of finding where you truly belong. I feel like there is no description I could give here that could do the book justice, I write and re-write a summary of the plot but always find I'm leaving details out that feel so integral to an understanding of what this book is. If you want something that you could cuddle up with alongside a warm cup of tea, that just might make you cry along the way, this is for you. Also my first Anne Patchett, so suggestions for other books of hers are very welcome!
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Run by Ann Patchet is a heartwarming and melancholy novel about class struggles, and the difficulties of finding where you truly belong. I feel like there is no description I could give here that could do the book justice, I write and re-write a summary of the plot but always find I'm leaving details out that feel so integral to an understanding of what this book is. If you want something that you could cuddle up with alongside a warm cup of tea, that just might make you cry along the way, this is for you. Also my first Anne Patchett, so suggestions for other books of hers are very welcome!
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And so we come to a close. Thanks for reading all that! I wish I could say even more, but I don't want to put anyone to sleep and I'm out of time myself. Hope you enjoyed and I hope I can continue making more blog posts and write-ups like these in the future!
byyyyyeeee! ^^
byyyyyeeee! ^^
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Maiden Death
I recently finished a book called ‘The Girl in the Photograph’ by Lygia Fagundes Telles, which is set during the 1964 military dictatorship in Brazil. The author plays with narrative focus as she tells the story of three girls who live together in a nuns' boarding house/hostel, Lorena, who lives in her reveries about literature, philosophy, classical music, bath salts and her love for a much older married doctor, Lia, a communist who is part of the movement against the dictatorship who has had her boyfriend - also a communist - arrested by the military, and Ana Clara, a model who is addicted to drugs and haunted by her traumas who promises she will change her life the following year. I just loved this book.
I might have to check it out! As with most people who grew up in the USA, I know very little of Brazilian history, despite spending some time learning a bit of Portuguese (mas só posso falar um pouco, eu esqueci muito). Thanks for the recommendation!
by BlankSlates; ; Report
⸸⛧kishi⛧⸸
I feel so sorry for all of the young people nowadays who are so caught up in the addiction type marketing of social media and online platforms. After I got out of school I didn't read basically at all, and it took an enormous effort after starting college to carve out the time and focus it takes to sit down with a book and just read. My brain was so wired for the instant dopamine hits of whatever nonsense appeared on my screen that it actively made reading difficult. I've since broken through that wall for the most part (not entirely, I still definitely feel the urge to check my phone while doing something else from time to time) and it has been a wonderfully rewarding experience. I also think a good starting point for people looking to get into/back into reading is to read books you enjoyed while you were younger, whether that be fantasy novels in my case or whatever is nostalgic to you. I've since re-acquainted myself with literature enough to really enjoy some classic lit, so if I can read it anyone can!