The Best Books Get Better
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- čas přidán 19. 12. 2022
- In which John discusses why we read more Octavia Butler than John Dos Passos these days, and how Hank's books managed to foresee everything from ChatGPT to Late Stage Twitter.
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"Much of our now wasn't just foreseeable, it was foreseen." What a gut-punch of a sentence. I love that book.
I have to disagree to be honest. Plenty of predictions were made about the future, most of them were wrong. Heck most of the predictions in the books that got a lot right were wrong. Almost every possible turn of events was predicted and so of course the turn of events that eventually happened was predicted too, but I don’t think that means that our now was foreseeable or foreseen in any meaningful way.
@@pantopia3518 Most predictions were wrong, but much of what is going on now was still foreseen. Did you read "most" where it actually says "much"?
on my CZcams channel, i do food reviews while I’m super high😂😂
@@personal6426 I don’t disagree that much of what is happening was foreseen, I would even say most was foreseen by at least someone. What I’m saying is that that is not actually very profound, so many things were predicted that anything that could have happened would have been foreseen, therefore I wouldn’t say the present was foreseeable or that the future is foreseeable
@@pantopia3518 sure, but when one story can call out several (at the time) far fetched ideas that all happen at the same time, and thats the exact situation we find ourselves in, the story does become a lot more impactful. Sure others tried, its like the Simpsons predictions, they just make enough jokes eventually some will come true, but it still stands out when they can predict it so accurately years ahead of its time.
I wasn’t expecting this to be a “Hank Green is great” video but I’m always glad to see it
Books may fade, Pizza John is forever.
Pizza John and the Wu-tang Clan. -John
@@vlogbrothersI discovered this channel about a month ago and have been a huge fan ever since. Kind of hyped that you replied to my comment lol.
Wakanda too
@@vlogbrothers we love you John
@@man-throwing-thing welcome! people here are kind and supportive!
The best books are the ones you can reread again and again, and notice new things you love about it every time!
When I'm writing, I always try to remind myself to write for the rereader. -John
@@vlogbrothers that’s so real king
@@vlogbrothers let me write that down!
@@vlogbrothers Could we get a video sometime about what it means to write for the rereader? My writer soul suddenly got hungry for more on this sentence!
@@KristineNapper Same! My first assumption was to prepare back-up, supporting, or more niche details that back up more main details but allow the main details to take the spotlight, but that's just a first guess and tbh I have no clue, it would be nice to get something on that.
I love how the cover he chose for Parable of the Sower insert also has a John Green quote on it.
john, iwas thinking the other day that i've been following your work for 15 years, which is basically half my life. idk what drove me here, whether it was the odd kinship with someone that has the "same" mental health issues, the fact that i am the older sister (of a science-focused smart sister), the growth from pretentious teen to earnest grown woman or whatever, but i'm happy to still be here and to find stuff that resonates with me and ways to think about them.
which means, thanks for fifteen years of great books that i only found because you recommended them, but even more so for a deeper look at the ones i already loved.
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Really happy you've been here with us all these years! -John
...wherein a random internet stranger induces emotional tears in another random internet stranger all in a youtube comment section.
@@Me3stR strangers and tears in a comment section could be the tagline of vlogbrothers lol. hope you're doing well, fellow stranger
Well, somebody hand me a tissue, please.
I think books getting better (and more relevant) as time goes by also applies to individual lifespans. There are books I read when I was in high school that meant nothing to me, which are now deeply profound and meaningful as I've gotten older. I'm just so thankful I've learned to re-read books, this motivated me to do it more again!
Absolutely- I've realized that this applies to *many* things in life, not even just books-
..especially when the education system strips most of the joy of reading away. ive heard many people talk about how they hate [insert book read in school] and i ask if theyve read it sense theyve graduated... answer is often no because most kids who were only told to read for assignments hate reading now and cant fathom doing it recreationally. i was unbelievably lucky to have a tutor in elementary school, she showed me how great reading is by engaging with me and buying books for us to read. books she knew i would enjoy because they catered to my interests, or where similar to books i said i liked. i never struggled with reading after that, and i remember my father being surprised by the near immediate jump in my english grade. point is that i really think its equally if not more important to let kids enjoy reading as it is for grammer or proper pronunciation.. my reading tutor barely touched on those things with me, with my new found love of reading- learning followed without any effort at all.
my english tutor died years ago [much to my sorrow to this day. rest in peace aneta], but how important that is has always stuck with me
My appreciation for _Catch 22_ changed after I had my own military experiences.
Personally, I have to say that I hate this Relevant=Good=Important narrative going on here.
I prefer to read books at least 20 years old and only really care about thematic content and narrative satisfaction. As a sociology student being hyper aware of the "current thing" is kinda my job and fiction books about the topics almost always seem like they were written by people with very surface level of understanding about any given topic and the tiny mistakes cumulate in my mind and after a book is over I'm mostly annoyed with the laziness of the authors research instead of getting a some sort of new perspective from it.
My favorite genre of vlogbrothers video is the “this unassuming topic is actually so I can talk about how much I admire this specific loved one” kind.
I love how big a fan John is of Hank's books. Like yes, Hank's books are good. But I love seeing John's unabashed love of his brother and his brother's work. His admiration is sweet, and I love such genuine expressions of it.
I knew that Parable of the Sower would be mentioned in this video the moment that I saw the title 😊
I knew it was going to be The Great Gatsby. That book really was great.
Me too, it's an amazing book
It’s so sweet how you support your brother’s writing doing successfully. Its refreshing in a world where grown adults cannot be happy for others especially in their own field.
This is one of the things that I really like about these boys. Their parents did a great job. I hope I can be as good a brother to my siblings as these two are to each other.
John never misses an opportunity to fanboy over Hank, and it’s so freakin’ wholesome. 😄
Hank's books have always kinda felt like a modern Fahrenheit 451, especially the second one. Just in terms of messaging about what can happen if we turn our attention too firmly away from knowledge and compassion and instead turn it toward meaningless entertainment
i hadn't made that connection, but you are so right!
Good point! Another poignant observation from F451 as well is how we are getting accustomed to more and more media consumption, but we demand/want something shorter and shorter and attention grabbing. It's been happening a while. Sitcoms with multiple characters and 3+ storylines in a single episode, tik toks/shorts/reels, etc
In 2007, I was 21-22. That was the year that I moved out on my own for the first time. Formed a friendship that to this day is one of my most important. And I discovered vlogbrothers via accio deathly hallows (you guys had less then 10k in subs and we thought that was a huge community then). Now at 37 going on 38, I'm can honestly say that was a life changing year for me. Thank you guys and this community for being with as I became an adult for real. Here's to 16 more years. DFTBA (Dad forgot the bacon again)
A book I keep returning to is Feed by MT. Anderson, and each time I do the world has shifted closer to the book's frightening image. There was this scene in it where the main characters get a vitamin iv drip because that's a trendy thing to do, and the day I reread it, guess what the latest health trend in socialite circles was?
So grateful for the resurgence of Octavia Butler and her brilliantly prescient 'Parable of the Sower' - thanks John!
When he started talking about books that get better over time, I was like: This is gonna be about the Great Gatsby, isn't it? 😂
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That's funny, I had the same thought but about parable of the sower
It’s always been awesome to see Jane Austen remain as popular as ever! Her themes of love, family, and class don’t seem to become less relevant. There’s nothing a little dry humour and eligible bachelors can’t solve! 😉
I read the last line as "edible" bachelors. I think I like how I read it the first time more.
@@aellalee4767 😋 💕
The fact that modern adaptations like Clueless and Bridget Jones's Diary exist and are well loved proves how relevant those original stories still are.
@@melissawalsh8760 Definitely! Can’t wait to see future adaptations! 🙌
@@readilykatie8312 if you haven't already, you should definitely check out the lizzie bennet diaries!
John, I am currently annotating The Anthropocene Reviewed as a Christmas present to my best friend. I have to let you know that, including listening to the podcast, this is my third time experiencing these stories and it is all more moving and meaningful than each time before.
My brain works very similarly to and I love small parts of the world deeply; I can’t wait for her to read your book with my thoughts/art added to it haha.
That sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
For me the book that’s gotten better with time is Brave New World. When I first read it and loved it, I was horribly stuck up, I was a young Christian being trained to be a pastor and thought I was very holier than thou. I thought it exemplified how people were, not me, people.
I’m an adult now, I have seen and understand better now the curiosity of the world, I have become disabled and defiantly becomes more humble. Now I love the book because I can see myself in the characters. I understand the desire to hide from the truth, to mask it in pleasure, because it’s easier. I love this book even move now because I crave what the main characters have and the book reminds me why people keep fighting even when that is the easier course and inspires me to fight despite the temptation to give up.
I read Parable of the Sower based off a recommendation from this channel during a chapter of unexpected change in my life. It was the right book at the right time and will always hold a special place in my heart
I read Parable of the Sower and Kindred last year. I've worked with books for almost 20 years and couldn't figure out why my colleagues haven't been raving about them constantly this whole time. I'm trying to put that right now.
I was just rereading A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor last week and the whole time I was going, "Ohh!! OHH!!" I was not emotionally prepared for how hard it would hit in 2022.
I was also not emotionally prepared to find out vlogbrothers is 16. I've been here since I was 16 and I am now almost 30
I picked up Parable Of The Sower after you discussed it in a couple places, and I've got to say I love it.
John, your book recommendations have become important to me.
I've been watching twelve year old vlogbrothers videos recently for some reason, and having now watched this most recent one, I will say that many of those videos have aged in ways that bring me comfort or make me think, or make me simply sad. I remember Hank talking about never being an author. I remember specifically the FAQ intro to the channel that was there circa 2010. I remember being ten years old.
Turtles All the Way Down came out at an important time for me. It was then the only thing that seemed to understand what I was going through, and the anthropocene reviewed helped my family understand it too. I've never been a particularly obsessive or involved nerdfighter, since my teenage years were spent angry and strange and alone, but I've always watched a video here and there, and hope to remember you both for a long time.
This video is so true! I've been reading The Outsiders for the first time since 7th grade and it's just so good. But also, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, Gilead, Fahrenheit 451, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Slaughterhouse Five, Looking for Alaska, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and so many books by authors that span time and space would fit in this category. All these, and more, are books that speak new things to the people reading them, over and over and over and over again. Thank you John, Hank, and all the authors whose words comfort, inspire, and remind me of what I need when I need them.
I started watching Vlogbrothers in 2012. In 2014 a friend was telling everyone to read The Fault in Our Stars before watching the movie. I read it and it arrived at the right time in my life. I was really sick and doctors couldn't figure out why. I thought I was dying because of how much pain I was in. In 2020 they finally figured out I had a rare autoimmune arthritic disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis, it's a disease that affects your hips and slowly destroys your spine.
A few things kept me going while I waited for my diagnosis. Even though I didn't have cancer but a mystery disease Hazel felt so relatable and she gave me hope. At that point in my life I only had a little bit of hope. When Augustus said "That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt" it really stuck with me.
Thank you for The Fault in Our Stars. And thank you and thank you Hank for Vlog Brothers, it has also kept me going. Here's to many more years of Vlog Brothers!
This gives me hope to write and not feel bad if they don’t resonate immediately. Id want them to have success, I could use the money. But it gives me comfort to know time can help things get better.
Was expecting the thoughtful thoughts on our world, but not expecting the outpouring of brotherly love at the end. After all these years, your videos still manage to keep innovating while remaining true to their original spirit :')
The books that joyfully and sometimes scarily shake me by my collar are books that got better: Parable of the Sower, On Immunity, Outliers, and more. Sometimes video game stories I have played get better too. I’m a mega gamer and beginning Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and LOVING IT.
Octavia Butler's stories are so amazing. It's tragic she isn't taught more in schools
Ugh. I love Parable of the Sower, and really feel like more people need to read it.
For a second at the end there I swore you were going to say "on January 1st, Vlogbrothers will be ending" or something similar and my heart nearly stopped. Glad the news was more innocuous than that! Thanks for being part of my life for nearly all of those 16 years, I'm grateful we're still here.
SAME.
"old enough to drive" was a pretty bad gut punch, but at least it was better than that
I love that I was actually thinking of Hank's books as you were talking about the general concept of Books getting better and then you went there. I'm re-reading them now and they are so good.
Both of your books are thriving over here in Kuwait!
That's so lovely to hear! -John
@@vlogbrothers thank you guys :,) your words and writing truly mean so much to me
I can't wait for the videos of Vlogbrothers learning to drive and getting its license.
holy cow this might be my new favourite vlogbrothers video. something about it just makes me feel so amazed or a feeling close to amazed. thanks john
When I read 1984, I couldn’t stop thinking about how different it would have felt to read it before the year 1984. It’s interesting how the genre kind of changed from a possible future dystopia to alternate history. I’m curious if I’ll look back at books like Ready Player One in a similar way in a few decades.
I just read The Parable of the Sower because John mentioned it here, and since the events in the story take place between 2024 and 2027, it feels almost like that's what I should expect to happen in a year's time, like a prophecy that's about to be fulfilled. It's really kind of frightening.
@@fugithegreat I had a whole doom spiral when I read it last year because obviously we're not going to leap quite to some of the extremes of Parable of the Sower in the next year but I mean...even if Butler was off by 5-10 years it feels terrifyingly close and familiar
Wow, 16 years! I've been here actively for only the past 6 or 7 years but my older sister was a Nerd Fighter much earlier. I've also appreciated many other projects this community has done for years before that! (Looking at you, Crash Course!)
Happy New Year, John and thanks for all the good you and Hank and this community put into the world! 💛
Aww this is not only an incredible video, but such a sweet expression of brotherly love, respect and support. Thank you John for always making my day a bit brighter.
I just finished PotS two days ago, and when I saw the video title I just *knew* he was going to mention it. We are just about at the years the book is set in, and it hits soooo close to home.
Parable of the Sower has been a favorite of mine since reading it in the 90s when I was in college. I always love Ursula K Le Guin too. But now that we are living in it, I can't bring myself to read dystopian future novels anymore. Which used to be my favorite genre. Sigh.
I have never read The Great Gatsby. So maybe I should read it. But what I really should read are all of the Green brothers' books. I can't physically hold a book easily these days (f*** Multiple sclerosis). I really need to get an audio book subscription.
Congratulations on turning 16! Although I am newer to the Vlogbrothers, I've been watching Hank via Scishow for a few years. I am now binging Vlogbrothers complete video list and I bought my first Pizza John shirt. I can't explain how much I Iove and respect you both and how much y'all are helping me through one of the darkest times in my life. So congrats again and thank you 🤗 💖
This is sooo sweet. I'm envious of this supportive brotherly bond.
one’s always gotta love john’s passion for books. thanks for the “experiment” live yesterday, we had tons of fun
Thanks for all the thoughtful commentary, knowledge and fun you brought me this year! Enjoy your holiday and happy new year.
I remember hearing about this video when I was listening to one half of a podcast yesterday.
Gotta say it was a lot like listening to the Beatles with one headphone. I would also like to petition that when John does a solo ep that they rename the podcast Dear Blank and John.
I'm gonna cry with joy. Sometime this year (not sure when) will be the 15 year anniversary of me getting into vlogbrothers and becoming a nerdfighter, and I'll tick over to having spent over half my life as a nerdfighter. Thank you Brother's Green, and especial thank you to all nerdfighters past and present (and future!) for making the world more awesome and making my life so much better too
brb making a vlogbrothers drivers license
Happy sweet 16, vlogbrothers! I've been watching since *I* was 16, and it's wild that I'll have been a nerdfighter for half my life. I remember just how excited I was to discover this channel, and how seen I felt by these videos and the community at large, especially at livestreams and the Beckoning of Lovely. I'm marrying a nerdfighter this year, and I've realized that it never occurred to me that I wouldn't!
Hey John, This video makes me think of the book that had the most profound impact on my worldview. Night by Elie Wiesel, which we read in English Class sometime during my Junior or Senior year of High School, is such a heartbreaking tale of the time of its subject matter and also of Fatherhood and of perseverance and it remains foremost in my mind of all books I've even been assigned to read. To such an end that it makes me want to recommend it to others, though how to do so has always remained a mystery to me. Thanks for the video John, enjoy your vacation.
Just wanna say I thoroughly enjoyed the one man show livestream and am now looking forward to the pod even more
good one man stream, _great_ two man pod
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I was so happy when I saw this video because I was like “hey it’s the video John was talking about!” I like that we see a bit into the process
Those two books that hank wrote have genuinely changed the way I think about so many things in the past few years. They are a source for so much of both my skepticism and my optimism.
Congrdulations!! So proud to see blog brothers grow up and get a license!
hey john thanks for another great year of videos, I hope you have a lovely winter and end of the year
How lovely indeed. Happy New year all!
I love this. Happy holidays guys
Parable of the Sower feels like the most important book I've ever read.
A happiest of New Years to you and yours!!
TATWD is a book that gets better and more meaningful for me over time, each time I read it. I can relate to it, yet it’s fictionality gives it enough distance from me and my struggles that, without even realising it in the moment, the instinctual kindness it creates towards Aza teaches me to be kinder to myself. It reaches into the dark isolation I often feel and helps me shine my own light. Thank you for this video John, and all you have made in 2022. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Daniel
I cannot begin to thank you & Hank enough for sharing your fascinating perspectives and observations
and always with kindness & respect.
Thank you for this. I just presented a piece of my writing today to an audience who I thought would appreciate it...but didn't seem to as much as I had hoped (which was disappointing). But, upon reflection, I think there's a lot that goes into how something is received... sometimes it's just not the right day or the right audience, and it doesn't really have anything to do with us or how good our writing is. So I appreciate the reality check and perspective.
Happy holidays hank and john!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, John!
The ascendance of new, to aging, too older... to old. Birthdays and New Year's and anniversaries become the definitions of time and the markers of its passing. The wrinkles that decorate us also embed in our psyche, all that passes and what is left. The hopeful feeling of something ripening rather than wilting or fading away is a lovely way to see the new year. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I filled out the annual Nerdfighteria census yesterday and the question about my favorite book put me onto a little existential adventure. I ultimately settled on a young adult book I first read when I was about 12, which would have been 30 years ago. I re-read it every year up and through college and I still pick it up every now and again. I carry the main character and her view of Seattle with me. It was so exciting to see Seattle in person as an adult, and to ride the ferries and think about her descriptions. As I've gotten older, I really have come to appreciate her thoughts on what a family is, how trauma disrupts lives, and how the stories we tell about our past shape our sense of self. It's definitely a book that, for me, has gotten better and better. The Rain Catcher by Jean Thesman
Whoa, your quote at the top of Parable of the Sower! That’s awesome!
You guys are the best - much love and appreciation!
Happy holidays John!
I work at a tutoring center that is taking part in a VR pilot program. I spend a lot of time in a headset now, and I can’t stop thinking about Hank’s books!
Merry Christmas, John!
So crazy how these books mentioned took time to be recognized and appreciated. Great video.
I love the John Green review on the picture of Parable of the Sower in a video where John Green reviews the Parable of the Sower
Happy holidays and new year everyone!
I just started anyhropenece and you in the book were talking about the great gattspi. Even 10 topics in, I understand a lot more about you and your other books.
I enjoyed Hank's books, and have been surprised and how often I think about them in regards to current events.
I second you on Parable of the Sower. I finally read it last year and I was baffled at how amazing it tracked to actual, current time.
Thanks for another wonderful year :)
Thank you for mentioning Parable. I loved it when I read it -- more than that, I was stunned by it. I need to re-read it and read more Butler.
It’s really a boost for me that I’ve read everyone of the books mentioned here😂 I AGREE with everything you said 🤠
This is such great timing-- I'm reading Parable of the Talents now!
vlogbrothers have been the quite backdrop of my life since i was a child. to grow upon the internet with some people to speak to our experiences and to help escape them. To see older men astonished about something good centers me in the hellish world.
I don't know when Harper Lee wrote "Go Set a Watchman", but as a Southerner who grew up looking up to some of my family, only to find out later in my life that they have some, shall we say, troubling views, I really appreciated Scout's journey through the book, cause I can see my own story in her's
Great video!! Parable of the Sower is so good!!
I read Parable of the Sower after hearing your high praise for it years ago and I'm forever thankful for it, an absolutely stunning book
Happy holidays John
Have a lovely, gentle, restful holiday! 😊
I’ve had my copy of Parable of the Sower for a few months now, and since I gave Gatsby another shot because of you, it’s only fair I read this book too!
This turned out to be a different video than I thought! Lately I’ve been thinking about how the best books (for me) have become better as I’ve grown with them. I was thinking yesterday “it’s time to reread The Order of the Phoenix” because it has things to teach me about grief, and teenage-hood, and not being believed, and believing you are alone when you are not, and coming of age in a terrifying time.
John, you can't just begin a sentence with: I have some interesting news for you, in 2023 vlogbrothers will....
My heart started racing, thinking you are going to announce you were winding things down on the channel or something.
Many many many things in my life have changed since 2010 when I first started watching you all but this channel has remained an extremely comforting constant. I know nothing can last forever but I'm definitely not ready for you all to be done with CZcams...
"I don't know Hank... I'm not going to be very good at this!" -John Green, 2007
That may be true but I have to respect your commitment to the bit!
What amazing timing this video has! I am late to finding the gems that are John and Hank Green, but better late than never. I just finished reading all of John’s books, and this morning I picked up both of Hank’s books from my local library. Thank you both for being the wonderful humans that you are!
That Hank and the running his mind's eye over the yet uncomprehensible patterns
But better, having his dear brother appreciate his labors 🖤
So going to check Parabal of The Sower! Thanks John!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 🥳
My favorite example of our opinions on authors changing is that during his lifetime, Nathaniel Hawthorne was seen as an author who writes about wholesome family values. One of his most critically acclaimed words was “Little Annie’s Ramble.” A story that reads as VERY creepy in a modern context.
Thank you for everything John! ❤️
A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor especially felt so ahead of its time, and I first read it during the beginning of COVID times. It was odd to be reading a book that was predicting the problems that were happening *right now* even though when the book was written, no one knew what was about to happen. I love books like that and I can't wait to see how that continues to be the case
Also, I agree, I really like Hank's writing and can't wait to see what he writes next
As someone who's reading Hank's novels for the first time (im about to finish book two, like in an hour), not only can I agree that they're good books but it's a little bit of a surreal experience reading them for the first time in late 2022.
Also john I'm finishing up reading all your books in a binge over the last month or so. It's so fascinating how differently you write from your brother and how similarly in the smallest places.
I like your writing too - Hank! Just today I recommended AART to a loved one :)
If you can make space for writing in your life, we're here for you!
I love watching John be such a fanboy of Hank's writing. It's just so lovely to see them continuously support each other in all that they do.
Hank could have not followed this dream because of John being such a well-established writer himself and John could have been happy to let him make that choice but that has never been who they are or what their relationship has been. Hank is a dream dreamer and a dream follower and John is an amazing cheerleader and sidekick.