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I just finished it recently after two years of reading. It’s a book composed of essays by Roland Barthes, a literary theorist. I am kind of an analytical person, and always like to make connections between symbols and reality and ramble. If you’re a person like me, you’ll prolly like this book. The essays are written based on his precise semiotic principles and logic, but they also have very poetic qualities to them, which is cool. Now it’s displayed by the kitchen table and used as a trivet when I eat ramen noodles. -Jae
2d ago
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I know I am technically late to this book but I just finished it and it has fundamentally changed me forever. Maybe its because I am an academic, or because I often introduce myself as the speaker of 2 and a half languages but it hit hard. It is vivid and spectacular and grief inducing and devastating. It has so much heart, so much love, yet so much despair. The attention to detail regarding history and conflicting philosophies, politics, religious beliefs and belief systems is so carefully and precisely constructed, it is in and of itself poetry. It's so vivid that I can taste it, I can feel the texture of the pages, different passages are rattling around my brain and I can remember where I read them, I am a different person from before I read this book. After the reading slump I was in, it feels like all along I was waiting to find this book, I didn't know I was missing it, or waiting for it and yet when I read it it is like all at once I suddenly knew that I had needed this book all along. Read it, if you are one of those people that gets skeptical of things that reach a certain level of popularity, just know that all the hype in the world has undersold this book. It is that good. And yes, I attached a low light photo of my copy because I have reread chapters of this so often that the pages are curling, fished it out of my backpack when I found random spots to sit or stand idly, accidentally smudged it when I immediately reached for it after writing sprawling pages in my notebooks. You see how my earphones aren't connected to anything because all I am thinking about is this book? Yeah exactly! This is a good fucking book I am so serious you guys if you have held off on reading it, bump it up your list.
Jan 9, 2025
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By Gaston Bachelard. Haven’t finished the book but recommend the introduction. it’s amazing how he is able to put into words the process of creativity and the phenomenology of ideas. Brilliant
May 30, 2024
Absolutely the best book I’ve ever read but it took me, if I’m remembering correctly, over a month to get through. It’s so dense with material I had to reread things over and over to get everything being put together. It has an academic vibe, so if that’s not your thing, you probably wouldn’t enjoy. But god, I loved it.
Feb 7, 2025
Top Recs from @extra-small
Been playing poker with my highschool friends and my older brother recently. We started with Monopoly cash but bought the damn chips just now. It made me pay attention to lots of things like the vibe in the room and facial expressions like I’m on some “Casino” shit. Overrated movie by the way. Found out that I’m such a lucky guy. There is no gambling. The first person who loses all their money has to do either 100 push-ups (min 25 each time), 250 squats (min 50 each time) or 8 minutes of plank position (min 2 min each time). Great memory. -Levy
2d ago
Found out about this album at the secret exhibition-type gallery thing back when I was in South Korea last November. Then I saw this CD case with such a beautiful cover so I had to look it up and it was from Jon Rafman. Didn’t know he made music until then but definitely blew my mind. -Levy
2d ago
We’ve both been fans of Dirty Beaches for a while. This album is so unique and uncompromising, and yet still so pleasurable and beautiful at the same time. Any time I play it, it’s a hard hitter, cuz it is how I feel 90% of the day, honestly. It has gotten to a point where I started playing this every time during my 30-minute YouTube workout routine. Now, that’s a really good spiritual, contemplative practice for Korean men. -Jae
2d ago