So, I’m taking a leisurely stroll through “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. Haven’t read it since college. I’m finding it fascinating how I’m picking up things I missed (particularly appeals to emotion) at age 20. Makes me think I need to revisit some other fiction titles. Anybody else have a similar experience? What works of fiction have influenced your political opinions or worldview? A few that really helped get the wheels turning for me when young were “The Odyssey” and “Iliad”, “Brave New World”, “The Merchant of Venice” (yes I’m including plays), and “The Pillars of the Earth”.
I've very rarely read a book I didn't learn something from. Be it Asimov's 'Foundation' series, E.E. Doc Smith's Lensmen series Keith Laumer's 'Retief' series or Chandler's 'Campaigns of Napoleon' or other nonfiction, there is always something to be learned.
I recently started Dantes' Inferno. But I think of the books I have read recently, When the Moon was Ours by Anne-Marie McLemore is really good.
That and its polar opposite 1984, along with C.S. Lewis' science fiction trilogy and The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. And the Dune series. Read pretty much everything by Vonnegut, Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky, plus Madame Bovary by Flaubert, Les Miserables by Hugo, and East of Eden by Steinbeck. And The Story of Civlization by Will and Ariel Durant, and one volume of The Gulag Archipelago. And the Bible, of course, though I haven't read all of it.
I’ve never read anything by Dante that I can recall. Should probably remedy that. Sorry, had to google McLemore. When you say good, do you mean just entertaining, or was it quite thought provoking as well?
Thanks for sharing. I haven’t read Lewis’ fiction since grade school. I’ll bet I would interpret much of it differently now. I don’t think much of it would be thought provoking without some biblical knowledge. Just my opinion. 1984 is a favorite of mine. Being a “farmer”, Animal Farm actually “speaks” to me more than 1984. Similarly to Lewis and the Bible, Animal Farm can’t be fully appreciated without a little understanding of actual species specific animal behavior and personality. I like Tolstoy, but for some reason, even though it’s good writing, it’s slower going for me. Kind of like Zane Grey as opposed to L’Amour.
Oh yeah you should. I’m really liking my copy of the poem so far. I thought it was both. It is a very interesting take on gender and I happen to love magical realism.
What is magical realism? Is it woke fantasy or what? I suppose it’s to my detriment, but magic, fantasy, and even most sci-fi are torture for me so my knowledge of them are limited. C.S. Lewis’ fiction we referenced above was tough for me to stomach even as a 5-6 grader. I’m the same way with movies. If it isn’t realistic I can’t get into it.
Magical realism is when magic or fantastical happens in a realistic setting, and the fantasy is treated as a kind of realism. The light is the like the water is my favorite go to example for short stories. It’s about these two kids that want and boat and how they manage to flood their apartment in Madrid with light. When the money was ours is another great example. I don’t think I’ve seen any in western literature. I think it’s more Latin America and Hispanic literature. I never read C.S.Lewis. I couldn’t get into his fantasy world. For me I like when movies with good plots. Video games too. I absolutely love the Netflix version of the little prince. I cry eveytime I see it.
I'd expect kids that age to be reading Chronicles of Narnia rather than anything I mentioned. IIRC, Tolstoy himself described War and Peace as "wordy trash". I wouldn't go that far, but I'd say he did better with Anna Karenina and Resurrection. Incidentally, I believe it was Paul Johnson who wrote Intellectuals, which has a chapter on Tolstoy that is most uncomplimentary. Among other things, that 19th century beacon of literary morality evidently made arrangements such that an illegitimate son of his never learned to read, thus ensuring he'd never find out who his father was.
more of a science fiction and fantasy fan myself. I've learned plenty despite the fact they they were not intended as political reading. asimov Anthony donaldson Tolkien martin (overrated) chalker (amazing talent) farmer
Thanks. That’s interesting about it being ensconced in certain cultures. Probably a good reason for that but a subject for another thread. Do you have a working knowledge of the Bible? If not, Lewis will be shallow or unintelligible. Plots are important. Good character development is what gets me fired up.
At that age I read everything I could get my hands on. Cereal boxes to religious doctrine. Agree on Anna Karenina. Haven’t read Resurrection. “Beacon of literary morality”. That’s good. I’ll have to file that away.
I’ve discovered you can learn from anyone. Someone intelligent enough to write a book certainly has some tidbit of knowledge for us.
You might be interested in David Webber's novels specially the Honor Harrington stuff. Best Space opera in years more detailed universe than e.e. doc Smith's Lensmen series.
Just re-read The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach again. I am amazed at just how much really good philosophy he put into that one book. Sorta like the treasure of Knots by R. D. Laing. Not sure who here has read those two...but I recommend them highly to everyone.
I've always like Bach with perhaps Biplane being my favorite. I also liked the story at the beginning of Illusions, which is mostly a fish version of the Johnathon Livington Seagull story. Mostly though I like to read non-fiction. Some biographies and philosophies, but mostly technical or scientific literature.
Brave New World is hardly the polar opposite of 1984. They are both about totalitarianism and lack of freedom.
Interesting. I guess that’s literature in a nutshell. It’s art and perceived differently by everyone. So did it come across as just a well written story or as something with an underlying objective or agenda?
I agree. I think Huxley hit closer to the mark of people actually desiring to give up their freedom. That’s how it’s playing out.
Not sure why, but I re-read Brave New World recently...and it had nowhere near the impact it had on me earlier in life.
Doing a book report on The Call of the Wild in grade school, and then doing a 50 page paper on it in college were quite different experiences. In the first Buck was a great wonder dog who conquered which enthralled a young kid. In the second it was literary naturalism which proved that killing is good, and the man who wore the Red shirt was evil.
