Bizzle

2y

"To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true. At its core, perhaps, war is just another name for death, and yet any soldier will tell you, if he tells the truth, that proximity to death brings with it a corresponding proximity to life. After a firefight, there is always the immense pleasure of aliveness. The trees are alive. The grass, the soil—everything. All around you things are purely living, and you among them, and the aliveness makes you tremble. You feel an intense, out-of-the-skin awareness of your living self—your truest self, the human being you want to be and then become by the force of wanting it. In the midst of evil you want to be a good man. You want decency. You want justice and courtesy and human concord, things you never knew you wanted. There is a kind of largeness to it, a kind of godliness. Though it’s odd, you’re never more alive than when you’re almost dead. You recognize what’s valuable. Freshly, as if for the first time, you love what’s best in yourself and in the world, all that might be lost. At the hour of dusk you sit at your foxhole and look out on a wide river turning pinkish red, and at the mountains beyond, and although in the morning you must cross the river and go into the mountains and do terrible things and maybe die, even so, you find yourself studying the fine colors on the river, you feel wonder and awe at the setting of the sun, and you are filled with a hard, aching love for how the world could be and always should be, but now is not."

Masterpiece init

Bizzle

2y

"To generalize about war is like generalizing about peace. Almost everything is true. Almost nothing is true. At its core, perhaps, war is just another name for death, and yet any soldier will tell you, if he tells the truth, that proximity to death brings with it a corresponding proximity to life. After a firefight, there is always the immense pleasure of aliveness. The trees are alive. The grass, the soil—everything. All around you things are purely living, and you among them, and the aliveness makes you tremble. You feel an intense, out-of-the-skin awareness of your living self—your truest self, the human being you want to be and then become by the force of wanting it. In the midst of evil you want to be a good man. You want decency. You want justice and courtesy and human concord, things you never knew you wanted. There is a kind of largeness to it, a kind of godliness. Though it’s odd, you’re never more alive than when you’re almost dead. You recognize what’s valuable. Freshly, as if for the first time, you love what’s best in yourself and in the world, all that might be lost. At the hour of dusk you sit at your foxhole and look out on a wide river turning pinkish red, and at the mountains beyond, and although in the morning you must cross the river and go into the mountains and do terrible things and maybe die, even so, you find yourself studying the fine colors on the river, you feel wonder and awe at the setting of the sun, and you are filled with a hard, aching love for how the world could be and always should be, but now is not."

Masterpiece init

CRACKASTEPPAVEGAN

2y

Wind up bird chronicle

Capping off this year with this one. Re-read but I read this such a long time ago, it's basically reading anew.

4/5

Can be a slog, but it's weirdly readable nearing the back end. You won't get much of a resolution with this one so you're pretty much reading for the experience, and if you're a history buff, particularly interested in World War II, you'll find much to like here.

earthwalka

2y

Lt. Mamiya story is incredible

CRACKASTEPPAVEGAN

2y

One of my favorite books of all time. Always light up when I see more people check it out

Bizzle

2y

I had high expectations and it surpassed them, really beautiful book

earthwalka

2y

"‘Society won’t stand for it.’
‘It’s not society. You’re the one who won’t stand for it - right?’
‘If you do such a thing society will make you suffer for it’
‘It’s not society. It’s you, isn’t it?’
‘Before you know it, you’ll be ostracized by society.’
‘It’s not society. You’re going to do the ostracizing, aren’t you?’"

The story of a young man growing up in Japan trying to make sense of the world around him. He does not feel like a human being. He feels he must put on an act in order to assimilate with society and not be cast aside. His efforts never work in his favor because although he is seen as not a threat by those around him, he is constantly in mental distress. Fear and loathing consume his life which you would think makes for a depressing book, but it's surprisingly not. Dazai has amazing prose and the words feel like they are floating as you read it. Very easy to follow and understand and even the most devastating of lines come across beautifully.

Smoochill

2y

got this on read-list from a while, man's life was truly something disturbing as well

kogoyos

2y

Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So

collection of short stories that got a lot of praise when it came out last year, sadly shortly after the young author passed away. it's largely about young Cambodian Americans through a queer perspective, which was hard for me to relate to but still interesting. I like his writing, though some of the stories/characters were quite similar. definitely a talented writer who is gone too soon

7/10

Stoner by John Williams (book sxn classic )

had this on my list after seeing it mentioned so many times on here. pretty boring story but this book somehow just works. a well described representation of a generic life and how one's dreams, inhibitions, decisions, and regrets add up over the years before you know it. strangely inspiring in a way that makes you want to go out and live a special life while appreciating the small things that make you what you are

8/10

earthwalka

2y

"‘Society won’t stand for it.’
‘It’s not society. You’re the one who won’t stand for it - right?’
‘If you do such a thing society will make you suffer for it’
‘It’s not society. It’s you, isn’t it?’
‘Before you know it, you’ll be ostracized by society.’
‘It’s not society. You’re going to do the ostracizing, aren’t you?’"

The story of a young man growing up in Japan trying to make sense of the world around him. He does not feel like a human being. He feels he must put on an act in order to assimilate with society and not be cast aside. His efforts never work in his favor because although he is seen as not a threat by those around him, he is constantly in mental distress. Fear and loathing consume his life which you would think makes for a depressing book, but it's surprisingly not. Dazai has amazing prose and the words feel like they are floating as you read it. Very easy to follow and understand and even the most devastating of lines come across beautifully.

CRACKASTEPPAVEGAN

2y

Ayeee I'm currently reading this right now!

CRACKASTEPPAVEGAN

2y

No longer human by Osamu Dazai

4/5

I could have sworn this was semi semi-autobiographical in parts (the way things end between Yozo and Tsuneko)

The prose was great. For such a short book, it is surprisingly dense, but I expect that with Lit Fic. Also surprised by how most of it holds up to modern standards (though some of the other stuff ehh... let's just say it was written during its time). Also like how the title of the book ties in at the near end of the book when you now have context from all that happened before in the book. As detached as he is from everything, the narrator is strikingly relatable at times.

@SOLARIS