The 6 books that made me study literature

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  • čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
  • Hi everyone. Today I want to talk about the 6 books that made me decide to study literature and what I love about them.
    Enjoy :-)
    00:00 Intro
    00:52 Book 1
    03:44 Book 2
    09:48 Book 3
    13:55 Book 4
    17:22 Book 5
    22:24 Book 6

Komentáře • 388

  • @alattemorning
    @alattemorning Před 11 měsíci +128

    This video is very peaceful and as a fellow bookworm I really enjoyed how you talked about books that are clearly important in your life!

  • @tobyg5318
    @tobyg5318 Před 11 měsíci +61

    This is your first video I’ve ever seen. I hope to have a relationship with literature akin to yours. I’m learning to read again by reading for meaning and not just to consume the words on the page. I’m just starting, but you are inspiring to me. Thank you

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 11 měsíci +5

      So happy to hear that. In a way I'm also feeling like I'm just starting and learning how to slow down. It might always feel like that... :-) All the best on your journey!

  • @lizziebkennedy7505
    @lizziebkennedy7505 Před 10 měsíci +20

    I lecture on literature in college in Australia. I cannot tell you how excited it makes me to hear your journey and perspective. May it exceed your dreams!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +2

      Oh wow how lovely to have you here! Thank you for this kind comment

  • @marcelinazeligowska2733
    @marcelinazeligowska2733 Před 10 měsíci +56

    This feels like a hidden gem and so genuine. I would love to talk about books to you or join your bookclub.

  • @toomi7398
    @toomi7398 Před 10 měsíci +28

    I'm glad the algorithm helped me discover your channel, I think you deserve a lot more subscribers. Your energy and love for books is inspiring. I would love to return to education for the cerebral stimulation around culture, wish you luck on your studies!

  • @Bentoush
    @Bentoush Před 10 měsíci +15

    I share your love for Proust so deeply it forced me to comment for the first time in my life: I truly, truly wish for you to read the German version translated by Eva Rechel-Mertens if you can't find a French one anytime soon! I am currently abroad and I bought the same English edition you have and it feels a lot more... empty. I usually prefer English over German translations if I don't have enough access to the original language but this German translation struck so much more of a chord with me that I think it's definitely worth a re-read.
    Secondly, there is a really beautiful graphic novel adaptation by Stéphane Heuet that you might enjoy as well. I usually recommend it to people who are a little scared to dive into the books and I've converted everyone to liking Proust so far. But having read the book it's lovely nonetheless and the visual support made it a lot easier for me to read with my mediocre French.
    PS: Thanks for bumping up Faust in my reading list, I've been procrastinating the read 🤭

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you for this thoughtful comment! I'll get many translations in the future I'm sure... and now I know where to start. Thanks a lot. And thank you for loving Proust alongside with me. I don't know what he did... But it moves me more deeply than anything before ❤

  • @materiagrix
    @materiagrix Před 10 měsíci +7

    I loved seeing Faust in this collection, I definitely read it too early too. Goethe was such a versatile writer! He’s always inspired me to write in multiple genres. Good luck with your studies!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Thank you so much. I wholeheartedly agree with you about Goethe.

  • @xSakixHarukax
    @xSakixHarukax Před 10 měsíci +5

    Your passion for literature is so infectious! I loved listening to you talk about these 6 books, even more so because I've never read any of them (although I do own a collection of Henry David Thoreau that I've yet to get to). Thank you for sharing these and I hope you enjoy your time studying in Vienna ^^ I'm looking forward to your future content now that I've found you.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Oh! Thank you so much for this lovely comment. And welcome

  • @mitrikoudsi8060
    @mitrikoudsi8060 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I so appreciate how you discuss books concisely while providing enough information for to have something to go on. Thank you.

  • @abalint8097
    @abalint8097 Před 9 měsíci +5

    Your love for reading, so beautiful. I share it too. And you are right about Goethe being better in German. I read it in English and it was a decent book but, as I am learning German now, reading just the first page in German is 1000x better.

  • @Joma93
    @Joma93 Před 10 měsíci +7

    Thank you for reminder no.744 (and counting) that I MUST read Faust. I've scoured the wiki, reviewed translations, yet still it seems I need it thrown in my face 😅 I'll follow your story as if my own and do my duty in respect to Goethe. I've seen Kaufmann and Greenberg's translations highly recommended but would love any words you have on the topic (future video?).
    As someone 10+ years removed from formal education, and flirting with a dream of returning, your decision to pursue literature after similar circumstances is rejuvenating. Though, I fear I would lose the passion needed to make it through. I like chewing on text... slowly; carrying the words, thoughts, scenes in my subconscious and returning to them in different psychological states. I hope any similar thoughts for you may pass. I'll be here cheering you on to the last!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +3

      Thank you so much for this lovely comment. Faust is SO SO worth it. I will for sure make videos about it in the future, trying to make it more digestable as I've spent a lot of time with the text by now. If you need it thrown in your face, maybe watch my next video coming out on Sunday. I'm doing a give-away that might interest you... 👀 As for translations, the David Luke one is an absolute masterpiece. And as someone who understands German, this translation is giving me goosebumps . And I completely understand your worries about going back to studying. I have many of the same. I'm not a fast reader, I haven't read tons of books, I want to take my time... But I'm gonna give it a try. Then, at least I know... And I'm documenting my experience with Uni here because before I decided to start my studies, I looked up everything I could to find out whether it would be for me. I hope future content can help you to make such a decision. Because I flirted for a long time too :-)

  • @thomasceneri867
    @thomasceneri867 Před 10 měsíci +4

    It’s so wonderful that you’re going to school and studying literature! I have a master’s degree in literature and would go back and get my PhD if I could. Good for you!❤

  • @cyrineh5602
    @cyrineh5602 Před 11 měsíci +10

    Wow i wish to take such a decision myself ! Studying literature in Vienna ... sounds like a dream

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 11 měsíci +1

      You can... :-) It was definitely a dream for me too for a long time!

  • @daisyd581
    @daisyd581 Před 10 měsíci +5

    I have been meaning to read some of the books you mentioned for a long time now. This video definitely inspired to do it at the earliest. 🙂 And also loved the video as a whole. It felt more natural, like a chat. It was great.

  • @roguesodyssey
    @roguesodyssey Před 10 měsíci +3

    I love hearing about the books that impacted people. :) Thanks for sharing and good luck in Vienna!

  • @ti1286
    @ti1286 Před 10 měsíci +6

    the Prust quote made me cry immediately. It’s just that I have the same feeling when my mother reads to me…he’sput it so beautifully in words.
    It made me decide that I need to record her voice her reading to me next time we meet.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Oh wow thank you so much for sharing. Beautiful. I also always tear up when I read that passage. The power of Proust...

  • @LaughingStockfarm1
    @LaughingStockfarm1 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Such a lovely vlog, so chill. I love that you read brief excerpts of the works. I look forward to future postings. 😊

  • @evamatlach1986
    @evamatlach1986 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Literaturstudium wäre mein Traum! 💚 freu mich, dass ich deinen Kanal gefunden habe und dich auf diesem Weg begleiten zu dürfen! Schönes, entspanntes Video. 🌸

  • @Farmynator
    @Farmynator Před 10 měsíci +4

    So awesome that you go after your passions. I hope to see your own writings in a bookstore one day, may it be so! And i also have Faust on my to read list, I'm intrigued by the plot. So far my favorite books are The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare) and The Prince (Machiavelli).
    If you enjoy philosophy i think you would really enjoy Cicero.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Oh wow thank you for this comment and the great recommendations! Welcome

  • @Timiscooking
    @Timiscooking Před 10 měsíci +1

    Love your channel Maria, love to see that you keep posting videos about things you love! Thanks for doing that, I enjoy watching them. :)

  • @catherinepatterson4720
    @catherinepatterson4720 Před 11 měsíci +4

    Thank you. I found it interesting hearing the books that have lead you to study literature. As a result of your vlog, I am inspired to read, ‘Walden’. I know you made a comment that you aren’t good at maths (in this case, reading the Roman numeral 17 and Roman numerals can be tricky to read at the best of times), but how amazing that you can speak and read in more than one language (and fluently). That, to me, is clever. Look forward to following your journey studying literature 📚

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Thank you for this lovely comment! I'm curious what you'll think of Walden... :-) Haha yes... maybe you're right. We all have different gifts, don't we :D

    • @catherinepatterson4720
      @catherinepatterson4720 Před 10 měsíci +1

      @@strange.lucidity Yes, we all have different gifts 🙂I ordered Walden’s book online after watching your vlog. I’ll try my best to remember to come back to this particular vlog and comment to let you know what I thought of the book🦋🌳🏡

  • @JeffRebornNow
    @JeffRebornNow Před 9 měsíci +7

    I think the novel peaked everywhere -- Russia, England, France -- with the great 19th century novelists. Proust was just one of many. Remember, there were no movies; almost all artistic activity was focused on novels or plays. The public's attention was not divided.

  • @martindurkin8837
    @martindurkin8837 Před 10 měsíci +2

    You have such a serene nature and a very calming voice. My German is not as good as it used to be but I am going to attempt The Visit in the German print. Sounds interesting.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you! And lovely about attempting it in German! I'm curious how you'll like it :-)

  • @lauragranda-mateu5810
    @lauragranda-mateu5810 Před 10 měsíci +2

    really enjoyed watching this (and this channel for first time), whilst having a delicious and extremely slow breakfast… it has inspired me and filled me with energy. Made me reflect on my love for languages and european literature…

  • @thomassimms2574
    @thomassimms2574 Před 9 měsíci +3

    Nicely done. Thanks for sharing. I read Walden when I was 15, and it helped me feel better about feeling estranged from society, even though I was actually popular. I just felt people tended to act weird in groups, especially adolescents. Now I am a high school teacher.

  • @painbow6528
    @painbow6528 Před 10 měsíci +8

    This was the best ASMR video I've ever watched. Please make more videos about books where you read from them.

  • @tvark75
    @tvark75 Před 9 měsíci +8

    Here, in Eastern Europe, we are so busy with politics and living, that we forget these treasures, what literature and intellectual beauty can give us. Thank you for help me to remember these treasures.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci

      Thank you for this wonderful comment and all the best to you ❤

  • @angelacraw2907
    @angelacraw2907 Před 10 měsíci +2

    A beautiful video. Thank you for sharing your influences. Funny enough I was reading a love sonnet book only yesterday that included both Shakespear sonnets you spoke about! I loved sonnet 30, but I remember the one you read. I have recently finished A La Research du Temps Perdu and loved Proust's project. However it is his first volume I loved so much. I'm glad you loved it too. It is just so beautiful and so far apart from anything else I have read. I tried it in the French, but my language skills were not quite up to it. Although I could see that it is amazing in the original language. Good luck with your degree.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much for leaving this lovely comment here

  • @paulservini4976
    @paulservini4976 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Your video was calm and yet exuded enthusiasm. And such wonderful books you talk about. I loved Der Besuch der alten Dame which I first read some 40 years ago. Now that I'm retired, I have so much time to read some really life changing books. Hope you enjoy your studies.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Aw lovely to hear that there's other lovers of Dürrenmatt out there. Thank you for this lovely comment. I appreciate it 🙏

  • @skosharocks1354
    @skosharocks1354 Před 10 měsíci +3

    I came across this video yesterday and just wanted to let you know that I picked up Shakespeare's Sonnets at the library today! So glad I watched your video. All the best to you in your studies!

  • @SirRobinDeSway
    @SirRobinDeSway Před 10 měsíci +3

    The way you got your copy of Faust is a central metaphor in your life so far. And what does it teach you? Never let impossible “coincidences” slip by you. The unexamined “big” coincidence NEEDS to be examined. As my life…longer than yours….has gone along I have found myself more and more losing faith in the concept of coincidence….

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Thank you for this. I wish you all the best for your future, no matter what you decide to believe in ❤

  • @angelinajessani8666
    @angelinajessani8666 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Great video, I read The visit today, it really was quite fascinating with all the painful realities convoluted in that humor. I am really looking forward to more recommendations.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Oh yey! I'm so glad you read it and liked it. That's lovely

  • @rufusjones8415
    @rufusjones8415 Před 10 měsíci +1

    A diverse selection of writers and mediums. As somebody keen on drama, it was refreshing to see that a play had such a profound influence on you. One of my favourite plays which I highly recommend is 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza. Best of luck in Vienna.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts here :-)

  • @filipsmit5497
    @filipsmit5497 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Felt touched by you and your intimate connection with books. First, Faust literally thrown at you in the bookshop, and later leaping at you from your bookshelf -through a cloud of LSD- shouting, ‘Do you remember loving me?’ Ha! I read Faust when in high school. Thought I could do it only in one way: at night under candlelight and reading it from a yellowed second hand book in the Gothic script. Didn’t understand a thing, but loved it. In passing you mentioned that you speak Dutch. Good of you! I’m from Holland. Just saying. Be well ~ Filip

  • @cesarvialpado
    @cesarvialpado Před 7 měsíci +1

    so calming to listen to you! defintely love the atmosphere of the video

  • @__loveball
    @__loveball Před 10 měsíci +2

    i am excited to have found this channel, i am interested in everything you listed, and your story about how you got Goethe`s Faust was so funny!!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Aw thanks for this lovely comment and a warm welcome :-)

  • @jackintheworld6639
    @jackintheworld6639 Před 10 měsíci +3

    Literature definitely has her tender, dangerous arms around your heart. She's whispering: write, write, write. In the wondrous words of a commentator below - "Thanks for sharing your qualities." Radiant thoughts, lovely qualities.

  • @aw-g
    @aw-g Před 8 měsíci

    Thank you for these recommendations! you're so lovely, best of luck in your new career!
    i read the pledge for Dürrenmatt and really loved it!

  • @gocoastal1988
    @gocoastal1988 Před 10 měsíci +1

    This is a solid list! Happy reading.

  • @weenyboyscott6222
    @weenyboyscott6222 Před 10 měsíci

    You are also "a beautiful thing that I want to explore"; so nicely put.

  • @battybibliophile-Clare
    @battybibliophile-Clare Před 9 měsíci +2

    I too love Thoreau. I love the variety of the books that have influenced you. I have tried to read Proust several times, but haven't got past the first few volumes. I think I will do it next year and make it my year long project. That way I can read it and some supplementary material eg a biography and some criticism. This year my project is reading the works of Shakespeare in chronological order of composition. It is interesting that although Shakespeare was English, his first translators and performers outside of England were the Germans in the early 17th century and reaching a flurry of interest in the 18th. Maybe it is a small recompense for the huge amount of German music that has influenced Britain. I have subscribed to your videos now.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci

      Cool! I applaud you for reading Shakespeare in chronological order. I'd love to do that one day too. Thanks a lot for sharing ❤

    • @battybibliophile-Clare
      @battybibliophile-Clare Před 9 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity I'm loving your channel, and I only found it yesterday.

  • @flossredbass1
    @flossredbass1 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Thank you ,your enthusiasm has made me order your first choice

  • @pinchmitra
    @pinchmitra Před 9 měsíci +3

    Best wishes in your studies. I love Shakespeare, Thoreau and Proust, so I'm going to have to chase down your other favorites. First novel I read was Slaughterhouse 5 (that wasn't assigned to me in school). Another important book is The Hobbit, which as a teenager I read in a day, in a feat of reading. I have since gone through many authors and books, not sure what my other 4 would be. I really liked New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. I liked Hemingway and Philip Roth for a time. Murakami is a favorite. Been reading the poems of Mary Oliver lately. I really like the travel books of Bill Porter in China and his translations of Chinese poetry. Really appreciate your passion for literature, best wishes.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci

      Thank you a lot for sharing all that. I enjoyed hearing the books that are meaningful to you. Many people who love Thoreau say Mary Oliver is great... I think I should check her out soon :-) All the best to you too!

    • @nedludd7622
      @nedludd7622 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Vonnegut wrote many wonderful things. As you are interested in Chinese, may I suggest that you read the classics like "The Water Margin", "Jin Ping Mei"(my favorite), "Journey to the West", "Dream of the Red Chamber".

    • @pinchmitra
      @pinchmitra Před 5 měsíci

      Thank you!@@nedludd7622

  • @LeonardoFranklin30
    @LeonardoFranklin30 Před 3 dny

    This is one of the best videos I ever encountered on this platform honestly it is like meditation watching this thank you from India.

  • @weenyboyscott6222
    @weenyboyscott6222 Před 10 měsíci +1

    You are gonna j'adore diving into and delving further amongst Shakespeare, his outpourings are a lifetime's beholding of joy for all of us, and he, primarily, is the reason I feel blessed that English is my language.

    • @Farmynator
      @Farmynator Před 10 měsíci

      YES. his sonnets are excellent.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Yeah I'm sure you're right. He's wonderfully deep. Inexhaustible.

  • @read_with_chloe
    @read_with_chloe Před 10 měsíci +2

    Thank you for the book recommendations, a fantastic video and good luck with starting your studies💕

  • @ThoughtReset-rn1vi
    @ThoughtReset-rn1vi Před 10 měsíci +2

    I loved your authentic exposition. Thank you very much.

  • @ZorbaPress
    @ZorbaPress Před 10 měsíci +6

    Thank the gods for all the lovers of great books! ... For an English-language translation of Faust, I want to recommend the translation of Martin Greenberg, the updated edition with an introduction by W. Daniel Wilson.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you! I was actually just looking into translations yesterday since I'd love to make a video about Faust.

    • @LaughingStockfarm1
      @LaughingStockfarm1 Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you for this recommendation!

  • @WINGTV9
    @WINGTV9 Před 9 měsíci +4

    One of my favorite short stories I came across in John Pelan's THE CENTURY'S BEST HORROR FICTION Vol. 2. I wouldn't really call it a horror story, but it is a sort of science fiction, and that story is "I Am Nothing" by Eric Frank Russell. I can't vouch for Russell's other fiction, but this story is just priceless.... Thank you for your delightful video, by the way.

  • @loriansaceanu
    @loriansaceanu Před 10 měsíci +8

    Hello! Comparative literature is when you read the books in the language they were written. So you have to read Proust in French, Shakespeare in Englsih and so on. Try to find the best books of universal literature and read them. I will give you some examples: Cervantes - Don Quijote de la Mancha, Dante - Divina Comedia, Shakespeare's plays, Ibsen's theater etc. Actually I was learning languages only to read these books on the language they were written. Best regards!

  • @princesssimplicity5172
    @princesssimplicity5172 Před 10 měsíci +2

    I loved this video. I loved your commentary and stories.

  • @LiteraryGladiators
    @LiteraryGladiators Před 10 měsíci +1

    I am so glad that I came across your channel and I am surprised that I did not see it sooner. I love how immersed you are with your subject matter and the works that you covered and how you covered them are just amazing! I have read The Visit, Faust, and Shakespeare's Sonnets and discussed the three on my channel. The Visit is probably my favorite of the three, because it was something that I thought a lot about and how it is reflective of the flaws within human nature. Claire has definitely become vain and a cruel woman, but her actions do speak truth to the way that society operates and by all means a society of flawed individuals. The response of the media really stuck out and is a demonstration about how much of a show society really happens to be. While Faust did not stick with me as much, I am familiar with the concept and how it is played out. I really like Shakespeare's sonnets on the basis that Shakespeare was best as a writer and his way of crafting words rather than his storytelling. I would like to revisit Walden by Henry David Thoreau, for I read it for college and want to refamiliarize myself with his writing and his way of thinking. Thoreau was a champion of independent thinking and a college instructor of mine actually has a picture of Thoreau as his icon when signing onto his computer. Speaking of college instructors, I, too, took a Shakespeare class and my instructor is a contributor and panelist on my channel. We went over the romances, or the later plays, as well as The Two Gentlemen of Verona. I am planning to reread Hamlet for a Roundtable Read on my channel. You really made me inclined to look into Proust and in particular In Search of Lost Time. I have heard different things about him and really need to pick him up at some point. I would want the entire collection, though. I am glad that you are pursuing a literature degree and wish you all the best with your pursuit. I hope you are able to obtain a job where you can fulfill your dreams and work with literature in any which way your heart desires. Thank you for sharing and I will watch more videos from your channel! -Josh

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much for this lovely comment and the encouragement. I enjoyed reading it! I'm glad you're here. All the best to you too Josh!

    • @LiteraryGladiators
      @LiteraryGladiators Před 9 měsíci

      It's my pleasure! I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of videos you have in store!

  • @Kjt853
    @Kjt853 Před 10 měsíci +7

    Pardon my pedantry, but the author of “Walden” stated that his last name should be pronounced to rhyme with “furrow.” He occasionally made a pun on his name. When hired to survey land, he would promise his employer that he would do a “thorough - [the actual pronunciation]- job.”

  • @marygarrapa3537
    @marygarrapa3537 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Thank you for reminding me of a beautiful experience. My mother took me to the theatre in London, where we lived, when I was 12 , to see a performance of "the visit" which must be the book you mention. It was beautifully actef by Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fonteyne. It was wonderful and my real love for the theatre.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci

      Ow this sounds amazing. Happy to have triggered this memory

  • @pushniqa
    @pushniqa Před 10 měsíci +1

    This is very interesting, listening to you explain why you love this books that now brought you to where you are is inspiring. I hope your journey goes well

  • @sententialavenda7823
    @sententialavenda7823 Před 10 měsíci +3

    That's so cool, i'm going to study "Komparatistik" at LMU Munic in October. So excited!!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Oh wow! How exciting. Are you planning on documenting your journey. We're not far apart... So I''d be curious what differences and similarities there are in our studies. In any case, wishing you all the best

    • @sententialavenda7823
      @sententialavenda7823 Před 9 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity i'm so sorry, i just found your comment🤦🏻‍♀️ i'm not sure, kinda tempted but i don't quite know where to start

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci +1

      I think that doesn't matter much :-) If you ever do upload something let me know! All the best to you ❤ @@sententialavenda7823

    • @sententialavenda7823
      @sententialavenda7823 Před 9 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity thank you i'll keep you updated. All the best ❤️

  • @Lana-ou8vu
    @Lana-ou8vu Před 8 měsíci +1

    I am Frysian too! So glad I found you 😊

  • @Lisa-qt4hh
    @Lisa-qt4hh Před 10 měsíci +4

    What an interesting and relaxing video. I loved hearing your thoughts about the books :) It is so cool that you decided to go to university to study literature. What made you decide not to go to university when you came out of high school? I'm just interested because I feel like we have a way too linear idea of education and that stories like yours are important to show a different pathway you could take. I can totally see you as a university professor one day and you very much sound like an artist/poet/writer in the way you talk. How special is the book of your partner's grandfather (I am Dutch by the way so I was surprised by the mention of Frisian). It is also very precious that people in both your families love languages and literature. Was that something you talked a lot about with each other or is it more something you know about them.
    Have a lovely day!

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you for your lovely comment. I'll pin it and want to answer your questions in the next Q&A. I feel it would be too much to get into here.
      So happy to have someone from the NL here. Welcome

    • @Lisa-qt4hh
      @Lisa-qt4hh Před 10 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity Thank you! Looking forward to the Q&A

  • @simonschreyer4559
    @simonschreyer4559 Před 9 měsíci +2

    Excellent choices! Good luck with your studies. When in Vienna, check out the bookshop/café PHIL in Gumpendorferstraße and Shakespeare&Company.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much ❤ I know and love both of them!

  • @christopherpaul7588
    @christopherpaul7588 Před 10 měsíci +7

    Thank you for this I need to read some Thoreau! Also In Search of Lost Time. I'm currently reading Don Quixote. I studied Spanish literature at the university and had the opportunity to read a few chapters in English and Spanish. It's an amazing novel! So funny and intelligent and innovative. My favorite book is the Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño. I think it's the best Spanish-language novel since 100 Years of Solitude.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +2

      Thank you so much for this! I'm pretty sure Don Quixote is the first novel I'm gonna have to read for my studies... what an influential book!

    • @christopherpaul7588
      @christopherpaul7588 Před 10 měsíci +2

      @@strange.lucidity You're welcome! I'm sure you'll love it! It's considered to be the first modern novel. Happy reading! I also hope you read The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. She's an amazing writer!

    • @nedludd7622
      @nedludd7622 Před 5 měsíci +1

      Have you read "Fortunata y Jacinta" by Galdós?

    • @christopherpaul7588
      @christopherpaul7588 Před 5 měsíci

      @@nedludd7622 Noo I should read some Galdos. I haven't read anything by him. I read mostly chapters from Quixote, Golden Age poetry. Stories and poetry mostly. No long novels. I've heard it's amazing though,

  • @j4BnSPUgdu
    @j4BnSPUgdu Před 10 měsíci +1

    Thank you. wonderful. I had a try with Proust some number of years back. Perhaps I wasn't in the right, receptive mind. Hearing you read it, it felt a perfect kind of beauty that I could go on listening to forever, happily. And thank you for speaking English for the sake of those of us, what is the word? shipwrecked here with this language. I fell asleep watching TV once and when I woke up everyone was starting at me. They said I was speaking German. How could they know it was German? It was probably gibberish. None of us knows German. Which is such a shame, given how closely related these languages are. Even more so with Frisian, perhaps. Fascinating that you have a book of poems, of poetry, written in Frisian. My goodness. Have a wonderful day and be well and happy.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci

      Thank you for this wonderful comment. My dream would be to bring difficult (German) literature closer to people, make it accessible, by reading, by talking about it... So your comment gave me motivation to do that. :-)

  • @imaineesfih1848
    @imaineesfih1848 Před 6 měsíci +1

    Thank you for sharing your love of Books. Your Channel is wonderful. I just discovered it Yesterday. I suscribed and I will go and watch all of your vidéos. You have such a soft calming voice. I love listening to you. ❤

  • @NoeticEidetics
    @NoeticEidetics Před 9 měsíci +1

    Great list. I recently acquired the NYRB paperback of Swann’s Way, as well as OWC Faust 1 & 2.

  • @anezkamunzarova9459
    @anezkamunzarova9459 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Thank you very much, I study German and German literature and this was so great video ❤

  • @pendoring282
    @pendoring282 Před 10 měsíci +2

    I enjoyed this so much!

  • @lynnware8810
    @lynnware8810 Před 10 měsíci +1

    I loved listening to you. It was almost therapeutic. I too enjoy and love literature. I have been meaning to read 'Faust' for a long time. And curious to try 'In Search of Lost Time'. I loved the Shakespeare sonnet that you read - I had not heard of it before. I know you will find 'Hamlet' incredible. It is my favourite Shakespeare play. One recommendation from me: 'The Scarlet and the Black" by Stendhal - French. It really absorbed me. Best wishes as you set out on your Literary voyage. 😊❤

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci

      Thank you so much for this lovely comment! I much appreciate your words and recommendations :-) All the best ❤

  • @Pretermit_Sound
    @Pretermit_Sound Před 10 měsíci +5

    9:26 this is such an excellent point that I don’t think a lot of people consider. There is so much that can be “lost in translation” so to speak, because there is a certain “flavor” that various different languages and cultures adds to the world that are totally unique from one another. Great channel! Cheers from America ✌🏻🇺🇸

  • @corrupt1238
    @corrupt1238 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Love your passion. I got your channel on recommendation. Good luck with your studies, and I hope it meets your expectations.

  • @leornendeealdenglisc
    @leornendeealdenglisc Před 10 měsíci +1

    The algorithm led me to your video. Hope your studies go well.

  • @wlrlel
    @wlrlel Před 10 měsíci +1

    Immer schön zu sehen, wenn sich andere auch zum Studium einer der Literaturwissenschaften entschließen (fange jetzt im WS auch mit Germanistik an, nachdem ich meine bisherige Jugend hauptsächlich damit verbracht habe, die Weltliteratur zu einem guten Teil durchzulesen😂)

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Wow schön! Alles Gute beim Studium. Hätt mich auch fast für Germanistik entschieden... ♥

  • @michaelmayo
    @michaelmayo Před 7 měsíci

    You lucky dog. Good luck, and yowsa to your callout to Durrenmatt. The most tremendous unknown writer. Hope more people check him out because of you.

  • @petersantospago1966
    @petersantospago1966 Před 10 měsíci +2

    You're very interesting and intelligent... This was a pleasant vid to watch...I love Walden...I live quite close to Walden pond... It's not very big, but it's very peaceful in the summer... This can walk around the pound in less than an hour... The water is very clean and refreshing... Sadly you do hear the trains go by and it's obnoxious... Then when you leave the pond you can drive a short way into Concord and do some great sightseeing... It is a very nice summer day trip....👍

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you for this comment, it made me smile :-) What a dream to live near Walden Pond. I would love to go there one day and project all my romantic thoughts and feelings onto the place... To read Thoreau next to the water... Maybe one day! I'm so happy to have someone listen to my video from way over there though... Greetings from Europe

    • @petersantospago1966
      @petersantospago1966 Před 10 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity you'll get there someday 👍

  • @nandhiniarumugam6477
    @nandhiniarumugam6477 Před 4 měsíci

    Your videos are so peaceful... And motivate me to study...

  • @helenadonorte
    @helenadonorte Před 10 měsíci +1

    I loved to hear about your relationship with Faust ❤

  • @kubuprem
    @kubuprem Před 10 měsíci +3

    Very glad to introduce me.I am professor of English literature.I am from India.I love teaching literature.i love teaching European and Latin American literature.I l love teaching poets like Wordsworth and Keats .

  • @johnsharman7262
    @johnsharman7262 Před 10 měsíci +2

    Loved your relaxing approach: you seem to have all the time in the world. Have you thought of doing
    Best books of Eurpean literature?
    I'd love that. 😊

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you for saying that. I appreciate it a lot! I would love to do a video like that. What a great idea. I feel like I have to wait a bit before making it though. I haven't read nearly enough to get a good sense of that. But I'm sure my studies will help with that :-)

    • @johnsharman7262
      @johnsharman7262 Před 10 měsíci

      There are some really good European classics, and a need to go over them. Can you think of any titles that come to
      you offhand?

  • @kseniyasbooknook4172
    @kseniyasbooknook4172 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Your love for books is so true and interesting! Haven't heard many of the books you mentioned. I loved Thoreau and Proust too. Only read volume 1 and hope to make it my goal to read over the winter this year- I wish it could be my job so much!! Have you read any of the 'modern Proust'- Karl Ove Knausgaard?? I just finished his 6 books of My Struggle and loved how much he's inspired by all kinds of authors, especially Proust.

  • @BaileeWalsh
    @BaileeWalsh Před 10 měsíci +2

    this is such a beautiful video! your voice is so nice and I love hearing about books that have significant personal meaning to others :)
    will you be doing any videos on your courses and reading for school? good luck with your studies!!

  • @user-hj7ld4ff7p
    @user-hj7ld4ff7p Před 9 měsíci +2

    Nice to see Thoreau coming back from afar. The locals in Concord looked at him askance, and at his book hardly at all. I grew up a half hour's river skate from town. A pile of stones marks the site of his little house, and you were meant to add to it if you approved of Thoreau. My father was a giant and would heave the largest stone from the pile far into the forest, then go swim in the pond, even if it snowed. While he swam I would recover the stone and return it to the pile. Cold war.

    • @smkh2890
      @smkh2890 Před 9 měsíci +2

      "I grew up a half hour's river skate from town" a unique measure of distance!

  • @androhealthnutrition
    @androhealthnutrition Před 10 měsíci +1

    congratulations on this ground-breaking video !! Wishing you success on this channel

  • @patrickgleason2066
    @patrickgleason2066 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Very engaging stories of a great love of literature, thank you.

  • @none8680
    @none8680 Před 10 měsíci +3

    You have such a well-developed taste in literature. How lucky you are to be able to read Goethe's works in their original form. And you know french too? Leave some languages for the rest of us. Haha I envy you but it's okay, you at least share your experiences with us. Subscribed:)

  • @luismanuelclaps7761
    @luismanuelclaps7761 Před 9 měsíci

    Lovely close up on the Freark Dam book

  • @ocdtdc
    @ocdtdc Před 10 měsíci +2

    Really inspiring. Makes me want to read.

  • @normanleach5427
    @normanleach5427 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Thoreau spoke of being a philosopher...He use to borrow Emerson's eastern texts which implies an ontological approach to Life.

  • @celebrityauthor7942
    @celebrityauthor7942 Před 10 měsíci +2

    I first read Thoreau when I was working at a call centre. Not as idyllic as the location of your reading, but I feel the same way about it.

  • @mohamadkebbewar6827
    @mohamadkebbewar6827 Před 9 měsíci +2

    Great video, thank you for sharing your thoughts on literature. Can you recommend a good translation of Faust?

  • @kwm123123
    @kwm123123 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I love your video, voice and content. I wished I could drop a hit of LSD while reading Dostoevesky. I can only imagine

  • @samikshyadas.
    @samikshyadas. Před 10 měsíci +1

    Subscribed! With hopes of watching more bookish content! All the best❤

  • @frogmouth
    @frogmouth Před 10 měsíci +1

    Ich habe Die Besuch der alten Dame gelesen . Auch Goethes Faust. Thoreau , Proust, nicht . Shakespear I have loved all my life even when I understood very little of it as a teenager. It sounds so good. The Friesian author i have never heard of

  • @gusriley9785
    @gusriley9785 Před 9 měsíci +1

    SL, - congratulations on your college placement and studies, - you seem to have as Joseph Campbell, the Mythology scholar and general modern sage suggested we all do: "Follow Your Bliss" - Good luck, and wonderful sharing of your passion, regards from England, - Gus :)

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 9 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much for the encouragement. What a lovely comment! All the best to you too!

    • @gusriley9785
      @gusriley9785 Před 9 měsíci

      @@strange.lucidity In that case, another J Campbell quote :) "Love what you, do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" - he's right, I've structured my life full time music, and I wake up chomping at the bit, - keep following your passion SL, Peace, Gus :)

  • @juliasampaio3364
    @juliasampaio3364 Před 10 měsíci +1

    you talking about how certain books changed you - i know exactly what you're talking about, i feel the same! to me is mainly Hamlet and Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Amazing. Still have to read Notes from Underground. Thanks for sharing :-)

  • @TheOldMundane
    @TheOldMundane Před 10 měsíci +1

    Wonderful video. I enjoyed your passion and your voice and am excited to follow your journey.
    One critique, if I may. The added sound effect around 1:47 was very disrupting of the overall pleasant and relaxing vibe. I almost closed the video at that point for fear of more of the same, but I’m thankful that I stuck it out.

    • @strange.lucidity
      @strange.lucidity  Před 10 měsíci +1

      Thank you so much!

    • @TheOldMundane
      @TheOldMundane Před 10 měsíci

      @strange.lucidity I wouldn't worry about it, I just wanted to let you know that your personality, aesthetic, and ideas are great! No need to spice things up with sound effects. Have a great day.

  • @gnarwhal7562
    @gnarwhal7562 Před 9 měsíci

    I used to find reading anything other than graphic novels very difficult. It wasn't until recently that I realized I was going about it all wrong. Most books I struggled to read in the past I just wasn't very interested in to begin with. It was after having this epiphany that I decided to take up literature again and I've been absolutely devouring book after book now.
    The ones that helped to shift my perspective include How To Rap by Paul Edwards, Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee, A ClockWork Orange by Anthony Burgess, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, and The Book On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts.
    If you're someone who struggles to read, I implore you to consider trying again. Pick one of your favourite interests (be it sports, movies, music, science, art, etc), and find a paperback on that. You'd be surprised how effective this one correction can be to help you read again. And if you just don't have the patience or suffer from a disability, there are plenty of audio books to choose from as well

  • @Allie_Rose
    @Allie_Rose Před 9 měsíci +1

    I don’t know if you’ve given any thought on becoming a literature professor or instructor, but I think you would be good at that. Great video.

  • @carlosrojas8175
    @carlosrojas8175 Před 9 měsíci

    I'm from Perú and i love Dürrenmatt's books! Saludos!

  • @TheJimmiececil
    @TheJimmiececil Před 9 měsíci +1

    Good luck with your studies.

  • @SK-lt1so
    @SK-lt1so Před 10 měsíci +1

    This what is needed more often-someone who has studied a subject giving their opinion about what you should spend your time on.

  • @gemox3225
    @gemox3225 Před 9 měsíci +1

    I read Thoreau and Emerson in high school. I was too young to appreciate them. I was a prolific reader then, but I didn't have much the patience for that kind of writing though somehow I had the patience for poetry.

  • @iklodyp
    @iklodyp Před 10 měsíci +1

    Glad I stumbled upon your channel - your 676th subscriber:)