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Sara, I would like to have a peek at that list of authors/books
Aimee, I'll assemble the links and get them to you by Monday at the latest! There's some amazing stuff out there that so many people miss.
Wonderful! Look forward to it! Thank you!
Mind sharing the links with me too? It would be much appreciated!
No problem. I'm almost done compiling my list--should have it ready by later today.
Okay, so I spent far too much time trying to get URL tags to work. My apologies, but they won’t behave in this format, so you’ll have to copy and paste. But ALL of these have titles on GoodReads, so you should be able to pull them up with minimal effort.
Not all of these works are directly related to the specific philosophy proposed in The Alchemist, but these are some of the greatest books that I’ve read that actually made me think and were comprised of a philosophy that fit in something larger than a greeting card.
Some of these works also terrified the living crap out of me, which is a good thing. To vaguely paraphrase Nietzsche, “When you gaze into the void, the void looks back into you,” and that experience can sometimes be the experience of true and riveting terror. However, the experience of staring into the void can be like staring toward the stars balanced within the vacuum of space—the majesty within has the potential to be transformative.
So, below are some of those writings that have had that power for me, or that reveal a great deal of thought on the part of the writer that are ultimately successful (at at least for me) at inspiring thought, reflection and growth. I separated them by type of work, for your convenience.
Poetry
Trilogy by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)
A bit dense to unpack (but what good poetry isn’t?), but Trilogy is a synesthesia of philosophical and mythological perspectives. Written while she was in Europe during World War 2, the trilogy of long poems weaves together the cultures and religions of a variety of modern and ancient Western cultures and performs its own splendid alchemy in creating an incredibly moving piece of unified poetry that discusses the sublimity that transcends religion and conflict. I can’t begin to describe how much I love H.D. as a poet, and this is the height of her talent as a weaver of words that was truly transformative for me in my first read.
View With a Grain of Sand: Selected Poems by Wisława Szymborska
An amazingly underrated poet in the West, Szymborska is a recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature. Her style is sort of a direct postmodern imagism that has a knack for making seemingly ordinary or even absurd moments utterly profound.
The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot
Chances are, if you’ve heard the term “Waste Land” referenced in popular culture and art, the speaker was referencing this poem. I can’t promise that this one’s terribly positive overall (okay, so it’s downright depressing), but the piece is so overwhelming and moving that I couldn’t keep it out of the list. He addresses the issue of the loss of self that is so common starting especially in the modern era. He offers no answers, but instead points a microscope at the inner process and asks all the right questions. I’d also strongly suggest reading “The Hollow Men,” which was initially supposed to exist as a part of this original text. And everything else he wrote. Seriously. He’s amazing.
Transformations by Anne Sexton
Taken from the rich history of Western mythology and fairy tales, Sexton weaves a series of poems that are personal, penetrating and, at times, darkly humorous.
Philosophy
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
This text that essentially launched entire theoretical analyses in literature is a little dated, but I still find the core idea fascinating—the idea that we, as a human culture, carry within us some sort of proclivity toward a heroic narrative that’s roughly common across cultures offers possibilities for consideration of the psyche that binds us as a species. Straightforward where authors like Coelho tend to be vague, I appreciate Campbell’s direct approach to the idea that while culture is unique, those things that drive us emerge from much further within.
Self Observation: The Awakening of Conscience: an Owner's Manual by Red Hawk
I’m on my second round through this book, and it’s pretty fantastic. His ideas are simple and extremely powerful if put to use, though the practice he proposes can be deceptively simple. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this man in person and discussing his ideas face-to-face, and he is obviously someone who practices what he preaches. Practical and direct, I really feel that Red Hawk encompasses a philosophy in these pages that should be taken very seriously. The idea of stillness and self-examination as the core to balance exists, to some degree, in numerous religions, but I love how he manages to break through pretension and present it in a dense, but short, text.
Gita Wisdom: Krishna's Teachings on the Yoga of Love by Joshua Greene
This is the most accessible way to approach the Bhagavad-Gita, one of the seminal religious texts of Hinduism, that I’ve ever read. Greene does a splendid job of encapsulating the ideas of the work in a practically verse-by-verse analysis.
The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock
I felt this book was a more personal recounting by Murdock rather than the generalist analysis that some think it is supposed to be. I thought it was a fascinating look into the quest to find the self inside the parameters set out in a society in which you may not necessarily be the “target audience.” It also discusses the ways that “the hero’s journey” may not apply across the board when the goals of the text isn’t centered toward the same core goal. Leans sometimes toward the “self-help” drivel that I find annoying, but overall I think the ideas presented are very useful.
Is Real Only Then, When I Am: All and Everything by G.I. Gurdjieff
I’m just starting this one—just grabbed it from Amazon a few days ago for my Kindle—so I’m not sure I can entirely honestly recommend it quite yet, but I do know Coelho lifts liberally from Gurdjieff and others of his ilk for his work, so I decided to mention him in particular. This is the third in the series, but its summary was also the most compelling for me.
Novels
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin
This one’s still a bit didactic, but I can’t get over the minimalistic beauty of her style. I also appreciate the fact that Le Guin suggests the dangers of something that is all too common in modern society—extremism. She illustrates two extremist societies in the piece, and both are equally fascist, even if the core motivators behind each society are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum (religion and Capitalism). While the culture of The Telling itself is fascinating, I was more drawn to the story for the fact that it illustrates so beautifully how the Tyranny of the Majority can destroy the beauty within the “dissident” elements of society. Variety creates beauty, not uniformity.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
This is another novel of Le Guin’s that pursues some rather deep socioeconomic issues and asks some significant philosophical questions about the nature of all people (can’t say just humanity, considering the story!) and the motives of individuals and society and what we do with the power to rule. I greatly appreciate the fact that the negative aspects of both societies are unabashedly presented by the author. Definitely a book that inspires reflection on perception of what is “right.”
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis
I received this book as a Christmas gift and was entirely glued to it for a couple of days until I’d made it through the story. An exquisite retelling of the Cupid and Psyche story from a unique point of view, Lewis does a splendid job of illustrating the inner conflict that comes when we run up against the boundary between the sublime and the mundane.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Read this with the lights on. This disjointed, glorious mess of a book will have you measuring your walls and reaching to the end of your closets, not to mention where the line lies between truth and madness. But it also illustrates so splendidly the nature of the self and examines the root of all fear. Probably the best and most frightening book I’ve ever read. I adore the fact that he not only challenges the reader’s perception of reality, but also of the entire format of the traditional book as well.
Equus by Peter Shaffer
Not technically a novel, but I didn’t want to make a new category just for a single play. This is a masterpiece of postmodernist questioning, a terrifying examination of the basic human psychological need for the catharsis of worship, and the damage that can be done when that need is juxtaposed against a resistance of that very basic need.
Graphic Novels
India Authentic: Volumes 1 and 2 by Saurav Mohapatra
Retelling of Hindu myths in illustrated beauty and accessible prose, with each chapter (initially each issue release) focusing on one god or goddess. These stories make them real in a way that I’d never experienced before, and expose the beauty and tragedy of the rich stories that make up the pantheon of Hindu divinity (and, since these gods and goddesses speak to very real aspects of the self—they are all a part of Vishnu, after all—each is revealing in its own way). It’s so sad that Virgin comics went under. They were creating really amazing works of reflection and great stories that managed to do a fantastic job of exploring the self in a genre that’s still often trying to grasp at its potential.
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis (Author), Christos H. Papadimitriou (Author), Alecos Papadatos (Illustrator), Annie Di Donna (Illustrator)
Part graphic novel, part philosophical text, Logicomix is an examination of logic and life through the lens of a surprising medium. This comic examines the structure of logic, mathematics and philosophy in a really down-to-earth manner. Sometimes I felt that they were actually a little more confined by the medium than I’d like, but that might be by virtue of the fact that I was already familiar with some of the basic concepts they were expressing. It’s a really great way to launch dialogue about the ideas brought up in the book, and hopefully to encourage the reader to pursue more.
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
This is easily one of the best graphic novels I’ve read—an examination of the meaning of, to borrow from Douglas Adams, “life, the universe and everything.” I find the main character a bit angsty, but I think that overall his ennui is understandable. This graphic novel manages to do everything that Coelho attempts to do on a regular basis in his work and falls flat on his face attempting to accomplish. The concepts illuminated here aren’t new, but the presentation and the plot completely blew me away. Read. Now. Then think about it for a week, a month, a year. Then reread it. Fantastic. I’d give it six stars if I could.
Watchmen by Alex Ross
I can’t talk about philosophical graphic novels without talking about Watchmen. This one is going to probably leave you just as cheerful as Asterios Polyp, and perhaps less so, actually, because it speaks of similar themes on a wider scale…the consequences of an increasingly hopeless society on the eve of Apocalypse. Alex Ross was reading a lot of T.S. Eliot when he wrote this one.
Now you see why this took me a couple days. ;) This is actually a rather limited list based on the pieces that came to mind—since I spent a bit of time on each one, I tried to avoid making the list TOO terribly long, or I’d still be writing. But these are definitely a good start. Grab one and follow the inner labyrinth they open up as you read.
Disclaimer: writer of this post claims no responsibility if the Void devours you in the process. ;)
Sara, I appreciate the time you put into this...I will dive right in! Thanks again
Not a problem! I have a great deal more, especially in the realms of philosophy and religion, but as far as "entry level" philosophy, etc., the titles I list are probably the best. If you want the more "in-depth" philosophers, I am happy to provide those, too (included would be thinkers like Nietzsche, Julian Jaynes, Plato, Heideigger, Black Elk and perhaps even Simone DeBeauvoir).
Wow! I'm excited to check these all out! Thank you SO much!
"Watchmen by Alex Ross"
Surely, you mean Alan Moore?
Yes, Alan Moore. My apologies. Alex Ross is the artist (not of Watchmen, but a comic artist nonetheless).
No problem, it just took me aback for a moment.
My brain is really weird with those two. I mix them up CONSTANTLY for some reason.
Have you read any other Alan Moore? I highly recommend you do if you haven't. From Hell is a fantastic novel.
I liked From Hell. Also really liked V for Vendetta. TOTALLY different from the movie, but I love how ambivalent the character is, whereas the film version makes him much more heroic. Moore's heroes are always much less "heroic." Very postmodern. Love his stuff.
He also did The Killing Joke, didn't he? GOD that was good.
Have you read any of his new stuff? I think he put out a couple series in the last couple years: Neonomicon and Absolute Promethea or something like that? I haven't picked them up yet.
I still love the movie V for Vendetta, but the novel is undoubtedly better. He did do The Killing Joke, which is probably my most read graphic novel besides Black Orchid (by Neil Gaiman - check it out if you haven't). Another good one by Moore is A Small Killing which is a lesser known work of his, but equally compelling and thought provoking.
I haven't read any of his newer stuff, unfortunately.
I love the movie, too, I just have to mentally separate it from the book, because there's just so much more there. But that's what happens when you adapt a film (unless you're Roman Polanski doing Rosemary's Baby, but that's another story).
I've never read Black Orchid but LOVE me some Gaiman, so I'm going to have to look that up.
I'll also have to look up A Small Killing. I hadn't managed to dig that one up. Definitely getting added to my "To-Read" list NOW! :)
That's the big downside to this website. My to-read list has gotten almost out of hand! I don't even keep track of that many on my profile, most I have written down on several sheets of notebook paper that seems to grow exponentially every couple of months.
I think that A Small Killing was 780th on my list of "To Read" books. Evil, evil, evil. But it DOES help me keep track of them as they're mentioned. Kinda. And then I go to a book store and find fifteen more.
I'd say the list reproduces like bunnies, but I think it's more akin to a virus.
780!!! Okay, if what you have is a virus, than what I have is a slight headache.
I'm only at about 150; however, I've only been keeping track for about 6 months now.
I'm not sure how long I've been around here, but I was able to transfer books from another program over, so I've been collecting my "To Read" list for AGES now.
But if loving books is a disease, I don't ever want the cure, baby. *cue rim-shot*
Oh wow, super corny! You get a smattering of applause from the audience followed by crickets.
Dear Sara, Thank-you for the list. I cant wait to read them up now. Thanks a bunch!
You're welcome! If you need more, PM me or just let me know here and I'll happily supply some more options. I read like a madwoman, so I usually have lots to suggest.
Thank-you once again. I enjoy non-fiction. Recently the philosophy/allegory bug got me. I will surely write to you when I am done with your provided list.
It's been a few months. Anybody had a chance to read anything from the list and have comments? I'd suggest either posting here or starting discussions under the book pages themselves (which may elicit better discussion).
And I'm sorry, Will, I haven't yet read anything we discussed. When I finish Dune I'll get to them! Dune has been a bit of a slog for me, surprisingly enough. But it ALSO has some great philosophy to it.
In general I liked the story, but found that it didn't deliver what is claimed it was delivering. Also, I got bored with it in the last stretch, it seemed to get repetitive.
I read this book at a book club and I had never heard of it or the author. I had no idea it was considered a classic. I didn't enjoy it. I'm not a very spiritual person and I don't like books where the character goes on a quest for something. Maybe it's just a little too cerebrial for me but it felt like it was over my head and totally unrelatable. Having said this, I have read my share of classics (War and Peace, Moby Dick, Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises).
I read it standing in the aisle at Barnes & Nobles. Did not engage even 50 % of my brain
"And I'm sorry, Will, I haven't yet read anything we discussed."
Haha, that's okay. I know how it is! I've read a couple that you listed in the comments. The Waste Land I had read a long time ago, but I re-read it and I'm glad I did now that I'm older. Till We Have Faces I've read a few years ago as well and recently re-read it. House of Leaves has been sitting next to my nightstand to read forever, but I have a few specific books I want to knock out first. Namely, Nabokov's Pale Fire, Joyce's Ulysses (which I can't start until I finish the prequel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), and Kafks's The Metamorphosis.
Pale Fire and Ulysses will be very, very helpful when you read House. I definitely recommend reading the other two first--I wish I had. They're sort of the forerunners and inspiration of Danielewski's style and approach.
he select words carefully from a word that has the same meaning. remarkable writer he is. his work is various anthropological life style, meaning, and philosophy. what a man he is?
And I thought it was just me.....plotless, boring, trite. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Barb, I am with you. I read it because it was assigned to my son, and I felt sorry for having to make him read it!
Also, not impressed. I feel like I should have been considering the long list of my friends who loved it
I was not impressed by this book. Im glad I picked up this discussion thread as I would have continued to feel that I was the only person thinking it was pretentious cr*p.
It's too simple. He is just saying his ideas in the front line. The good author will put them as lesson, experience or feeling. He just said it right away...
I'd love to know which authors and books you recommend!
Ce, I actually posted a really monstrous list at the beginning of the thread this spawned, so if you go to the first page of this discussion, you can see it! Let me know if you can't find it--I can always copy and paste into a message.
Very thoughtful. For a long time I was looking for somebody to clearly state that.
Have you read his books in Portuguese? I always wonder at people criticizing the style of an author when they've only read translations.
I've read translations in English, Spanish and Czech, he seems to write very simply so it's great for learning a language. I wouldn't say that in and of itself made him a bad writer since Albert Camus books are easier to read than Harry Potter.
I found this book limiting. In this particular work, if you don't have a penis, you don't have a real role not only in the story, but in life. Note to authors everywhere: minimizing half the species might not help your sales.
Oh it's so true! The women in his books are like shadows. Brida might be an exception as the main character is a woman but guess what? She has the mind of a child! Then you have The Zahir, in which his wife practically is a ghost you never really meet and only hear of the impressions she leaves on men. Shadows, we're shadows!
I am glad I am not the only one who had this reaction to this famous author.
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Aimee
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Sep 30, 2011 10:16AM
Sara, I would like to have a peek at that list of authors/books
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Aimee, I'll assemble the links and get them to you by Monday at the latest! There's some amazing stuff out there that so many people miss.
Wonderful! Look forward to it! Thank you!
Mind sharing the links with me too? It would be much appreciated!
No problem. I'm almost done compiling my list--should have it ready by later today.
Okay, so I spent far too much time trying to get URL tags to work. My apologies, but they won’t behave in this format, so you’ll have to copy and paste. But ALL of these have titles on GoodReads, so you should be able to pull them up with minimal effort. Not all of these works are directly related to the specific philosophy proposed in The Alchemist, but these are some of the greatest books that I’ve read that actually made me think and were comprised of a philosophy that fit in something larger than a greeting card.
Some of these works also terrified the living crap out of me, which is a good thing. To vaguely paraphrase Nietzsche, “When you gaze into the void, the void looks back into you,” and that experience can sometimes be the experience of true and riveting terror. However, the experience of staring into the void can be like staring toward the stars balanced within the vacuum of space—the majesty within has the potential to be transformative.
So, below are some of those writings that have had that power for me, or that reveal a great deal of thought on the part of the writer that are ultimately successful (at at least for me) at inspiring thought, reflection and growth. I separated them by type of work, for your convenience.
Poetry
Trilogy by H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)
A bit dense to unpack (but what good poetry isn’t?), but Trilogy is a synesthesia of philosophical and mythological perspectives. Written while she was in Europe during World War 2, the trilogy of long poems weaves together the cultures and religions of a variety of modern and ancient Western cultures and performs its own splendid alchemy in creating an incredibly moving piece of unified poetry that discusses the sublimity that transcends religion and conflict. I can’t begin to describe how much I love H.D. as a poet, and this is the height of her talent as a weaver of words that was truly transformative for me in my first read.
View With a Grain of Sand: Selected Poems by Wisława Szymborska
An amazingly underrated poet in the West, Szymborska is a recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature. Her style is sort of a direct postmodern imagism that has a knack for making seemingly ordinary or even absurd moments utterly profound.
The Waste Land and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot
Chances are, if you’ve heard the term “Waste Land” referenced in popular culture and art, the speaker was referencing this poem. I can’t promise that this one’s terribly positive overall (okay, so it’s downright depressing), but the piece is so overwhelming and moving that I couldn’t keep it out of the list. He addresses the issue of the loss of self that is so common starting especially in the modern era. He offers no answers, but instead points a microscope at the inner process and asks all the right questions. I’d also strongly suggest reading “The Hollow Men,” which was initially supposed to exist as a part of this original text. And everything else he wrote. Seriously. He’s amazing.
Transformations by Anne Sexton
Taken from the rich history of Western mythology and fairy tales, Sexton weaves a series of poems that are personal, penetrating and, at times, darkly humorous.
Philosophy
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
This text that essentially launched entire theoretical analyses in literature is a little dated, but I still find the core idea fascinating—the idea that we, as a human culture, carry within us some sort of proclivity toward a heroic narrative that’s roughly common across cultures offers possibilities for consideration of the psyche that binds us as a species. Straightforward where authors like Coelho tend to be vague, I appreciate Campbell’s direct approach to the idea that while culture is unique, those things that drive us emerge from much further within.
Self Observation: The Awakening of Conscience: an Owner's Manual by Red Hawk
I’m on my second round through this book, and it’s pretty fantastic. His ideas are simple and extremely powerful if put to use, though the practice he proposes can be deceptively simple. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting this man in person and discussing his ideas face-to-face, and he is obviously someone who practices what he preaches. Practical and direct, I really feel that Red Hawk encompasses a philosophy in these pages that should be taken very seriously. The idea of stillness and self-examination as the core to balance exists, to some degree, in numerous religions, but I love how he manages to break through pretension and present it in a dense, but short, text.
Gita Wisdom: Krishna's Teachings on the Yoga of Love by Joshua Greene
This is the most accessible way to approach the Bhagavad-Gita, one of the seminal religious texts of Hinduism, that I’ve ever read. Greene does a splendid job of encapsulating the ideas of the work in a practically verse-by-verse analysis.
The Heroine’s Journey by Maureen Murdock
I felt this book was a more personal recounting by Murdock rather than the generalist analysis that some think it is supposed to be. I thought it was a fascinating look into the quest to find the self inside the parameters set out in a society in which you may not necessarily be the “target audience.” It also discusses the ways that “the hero’s journey” may not apply across the board when the goals of the text isn’t centered toward the same core goal. Leans sometimes toward the “self-help” drivel that I find annoying, but overall I think the ideas presented are very useful.
Is Real Only Then, When I Am: All and Everything by G.I. Gurdjieff
I’m just starting this one—just grabbed it from Amazon a few days ago for my Kindle—so I’m not sure I can entirely honestly recommend it quite yet, but I do know Coelho lifts liberally from Gurdjieff and others of his ilk for his work, so I decided to mention him in particular. This is the third in the series, but its summary was also the most compelling for me.
Novels
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin
This one’s still a bit didactic, but I can’t get over the minimalistic beauty of her style. I also appreciate the fact that Le Guin suggests the dangers of something that is all too common in modern society—extremism. She illustrates two extremist societies in the piece, and both are equally fascist, even if the core motivators behind each society are on completely opposite ends of the spectrum (religion and Capitalism). While the culture of The Telling itself is fascinating, I was more drawn to the story for the fact that it illustrates so beautifully how the Tyranny of the Majority can destroy the beauty within the “dissident” elements of society. Variety creates beauty, not uniformity.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin
This is another novel of Le Guin’s that pursues some rather deep socioeconomic issues and asks some significant philosophical questions about the nature of all people (can’t say just humanity, considering the story!) and the motives of individuals and society and what we do with the power to rule. I greatly appreciate the fact that the negative aspects of both societies are unabashedly presented by the author. Definitely a book that inspires reflection on perception of what is “right.”
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis
I received this book as a Christmas gift and was entirely glued to it for a couple of days until I’d made it through the story. An exquisite retelling of the Cupid and Psyche story from a unique point of view, Lewis does a splendid job of illustrating the inner conflict that comes when we run up against the boundary between the sublime and the mundane.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Read this with the lights on. This disjointed, glorious mess of a book will have you measuring your walls and reaching to the end of your closets, not to mention where the line lies between truth and madness. But it also illustrates so splendidly the nature of the self and examines the root of all fear. Probably the best and most frightening book I’ve ever read. I adore the fact that he not only challenges the reader’s perception of reality, but also of the entire format of the traditional book as well.
Equus by Peter Shaffer
Not technically a novel, but I didn’t want to make a new category just for a single play. This is a masterpiece of postmodernist questioning, a terrifying examination of the basic human psychological need for the catharsis of worship, and the damage that can be done when that need is juxtaposed against a resistance of that very basic need.
Graphic Novels
India Authentic: Volumes 1 and 2 by Saurav Mohapatra
Retelling of Hindu myths in illustrated beauty and accessible prose, with each chapter (initially each issue release) focusing on one god or goddess. These stories make them real in a way that I’d never experienced before, and expose the beauty and tragedy of the rich stories that make up the pantheon of Hindu divinity (and, since these gods and goddesses speak to very real aspects of the self—they are all a part of Vishnu, after all—each is revealing in its own way). It’s so sad that Virgin comics went under. They were creating really amazing works of reflection and great stories that managed to do a fantastic job of exploring the self in a genre that’s still often trying to grasp at its potential.
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis (Author), Christos H. Papadimitriou (Author), Alecos Papadatos (Illustrator), Annie Di Donna (Illustrator)
Part graphic novel, part philosophical text, Logicomix is an examination of logic and life through the lens of a surprising medium. This comic examines the structure of logic, mathematics and philosophy in a really down-to-earth manner. Sometimes I felt that they were actually a little more confined by the medium than I’d like, but that might be by virtue of the fact that I was already familiar with some of the basic concepts they were expressing. It’s a really great way to launch dialogue about the ideas brought up in the book, and hopefully to encourage the reader to pursue more.
Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
This is easily one of the best graphic novels I’ve read—an examination of the meaning of, to borrow from Douglas Adams, “life, the universe and everything.” I find the main character a bit angsty, but I think that overall his ennui is understandable. This graphic novel manages to do everything that Coelho attempts to do on a regular basis in his work and falls flat on his face attempting to accomplish. The concepts illuminated here aren’t new, but the presentation and the plot completely blew me away. Read. Now. Then think about it for a week, a month, a year. Then reread it. Fantastic. I’d give it six stars if I could.
Watchmen by Alex Ross
I can’t talk about philosophical graphic novels without talking about Watchmen. This one is going to probably leave you just as cheerful as Asterios Polyp, and perhaps less so, actually, because it speaks of similar themes on a wider scale…the consequences of an increasingly hopeless society on the eve of Apocalypse. Alex Ross was reading a lot of T.S. Eliot when he wrote this one.
Now you see why this took me a couple days. ;) This is actually a rather limited list based on the pieces that came to mind—since I spent a bit of time on each one, I tried to avoid making the list TOO terribly long, or I’d still be writing. But these are definitely a good start. Grab one and follow the inner labyrinth they open up as you read.
Disclaimer: writer of this post claims no responsibility if the Void devours you in the process. ;)
Sara, I appreciate the time you put into this...I will dive right in! Thanks again
Not a problem! I have a great deal more, especially in the realms of philosophy and religion, but as far as "entry level" philosophy, etc., the titles I list are probably the best. If you want the more "in-depth" philosophers, I am happy to provide those, too (included would be thinkers like Nietzsche, Julian Jaynes, Plato, Heideigger, Black Elk and perhaps even Simone DeBeauvoir).
Wow! I'm excited to check these all out! Thank you SO much!
"Watchmen by Alex Ross"Surely, you mean Alan Moore?
Yes, Alan Moore. My apologies. Alex Ross is the artist (not of Watchmen, but a comic artist nonetheless).
No problem, it just took me aback for a moment.
My brain is really weird with those two. I mix them up CONSTANTLY for some reason.
Have you read any other Alan Moore? I highly recommend you do if you haven't. From Hell is a fantastic novel.
I liked From Hell. Also really liked V for Vendetta. TOTALLY different from the movie, but I love how ambivalent the character is, whereas the film version makes him much more heroic. Moore's heroes are always much less "heroic." Very postmodern. Love his stuff. He also did The Killing Joke, didn't he? GOD that was good.
Have you read any of his new stuff? I think he put out a couple series in the last couple years: Neonomicon and Absolute Promethea or something like that? I haven't picked them up yet.
I still love the movie V for Vendetta, but the novel is undoubtedly better. He did do The Killing Joke, which is probably my most read graphic novel besides Black Orchid (by Neil Gaiman - check it out if you haven't). Another good one by Moore is A Small Killing which is a lesser known work of his, but equally compelling and thought provoking.I haven't read any of his newer stuff, unfortunately.
I love the movie, too, I just have to mentally separate it from the book, because there's just so much more there. But that's what happens when you adapt a film (unless you're Roman Polanski doing Rosemary's Baby, but that's another story). I've never read Black Orchid but LOVE me some Gaiman, so I'm going to have to look that up.
I'll also have to look up A Small Killing. I hadn't managed to dig that one up. Definitely getting added to my "To-Read" list NOW! :)
That's the big downside to this website. My to-read list has gotten almost out of hand! I don't even keep track of that many on my profile, most I have written down on several sheets of notebook paper that seems to grow exponentially every couple of months.
I think that A Small Killing was 780th on my list of "To Read" books. Evil, evil, evil. But it DOES help me keep track of them as they're mentioned. Kinda. And then I go to a book store and find fifteen more. I'd say the list reproduces like bunnies, but I think it's more akin to a virus.
780!!! Okay, if what you have is a virus, than what I have is a slight headache.I'm only at about 150; however, I've only been keeping track for about 6 months now.
I'm not sure how long I've been around here, but I was able to transfer books from another program over, so I've been collecting my "To Read" list for AGES now.
But if loving books is a disease, I don't ever want the cure, baby. *cue rim-shot*
Oh wow, super corny! You get a smattering of applause from the audience followed by crickets.
Dear Sara, Thank-you for the list. I cant wait to read them up now. Thanks a bunch!
You're welcome! If you need more, PM me or just let me know here and I'll happily supply some more options. I read like a madwoman, so I usually have lots to suggest.
Thank-you once again. I enjoy non-fiction. Recently the philosophy/allegory bug got me. I will surely write to you when I am done with your provided list.
It's been a few months. Anybody had a chance to read anything from the list and have comments? I'd suggest either posting here or starting discussions under the book pages themselves (which may elicit better discussion). And I'm sorry, Will, I haven't yet read anything we discussed. When I finish Dune I'll get to them! Dune has been a bit of a slog for me, surprisingly enough. But it ALSO has some great philosophy to it.
In general I liked the story, but found that it didn't deliver what is claimed it was delivering. Also, I got bored with it in the last stretch, it seemed to get repetitive.
I read this book at a book club and I had never heard of it or the author. I had no idea it was considered a classic. I didn't enjoy it. I'm not a very spiritual person and I don't like books where the character goes on a quest for something. Maybe it's just a little too cerebrial for me but it felt like it was over my head and totally unrelatable. Having said this, I have read my share of classics (War and Peace, Moby Dick, Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises).
I read it standing in the aisle at Barnes & Nobles. Did not engage even 50 % of my brain
"And I'm sorry, Will, I haven't yet read anything we discussed."Haha, that's okay. I know how it is! I've read a couple that you listed in the comments. The Waste Land I had read a long time ago, but I re-read it and I'm glad I did now that I'm older. Till We Have Faces I've read a few years ago as well and recently re-read it. House of Leaves has been sitting next to my nightstand to read forever, but I have a few specific books I want to knock out first. Namely, Nabokov's Pale Fire, Joyce's Ulysses (which I can't start until I finish the prequel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), and Kafks's The Metamorphosis.
Pale Fire and Ulysses will be very, very helpful when you read House. I definitely recommend reading the other two first--I wish I had. They're sort of the forerunners and inspiration of Danielewski's style and approach.
he select words carefully from a word that has the same meaning. remarkable writer he is. his work is various anthropological life style, meaning, and philosophy. what a man he is?
And I thought it was just me.....plotless, boring, trite. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
Barb, I am with you. I read it because it was assigned to my son, and I felt sorry for having to make him read it!
Also, not impressed. I feel like I should have been considering the long list of my friends who loved it
I was not impressed by this book. Im glad I picked up this discussion thread as I would have continued to feel that I was the only person thinking it was pretentious cr*p.
It's too simple. He is just saying his ideas in the front line. The good author will put them as lesson, experience or feeling. He just said it right away...
I'd love to know which authors and books you recommend!
Ce, I actually posted a really monstrous list at the beginning of the thread this spawned, so if you go to the first page of this discussion, you can see it! Let me know if you can't find it--I can always copy and paste into a message.
Very thoughtful. For a long time I was looking for somebody to clearly state that.
Have you read his books in Portuguese? I always wonder at people criticizing the style of an author when they've only read translations. I've read translations in English, Spanish and Czech, he seems to write very simply so it's great for learning a language. I wouldn't say that in and of itself made him a bad writer since Albert Camus books are easier to read than Harry Potter.
I found this book limiting. In this particular work, if you don't have a penis, you don't have a real role not only in the story, but in life. Note to authors everywhere: minimizing half the species might not help your sales.
Oh it's so true! The women in his books are like shadows. Brida might be an exception as the main character is a woman but guess what? She has the mind of a child! Then you have The Zahir, in which his wife practically is a ghost you never really meet and only hear of the impressions she leaves on men. Shadows, we're shadows!
I am glad I am not the only one who had this reaction to this famous author.
