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2 minutes ago, JarJarBlinks said:

DUDE this is so weird and causes so much depression and weird feelings for me.  I listen to sports talk radio/politics simply because I cannot choose what to listen to.  I have hundreds of cds, and Spotify just makes it worse.  I hardly listen to music anymore. 

Same thing with picking a movie or TV show, the sheer volume of choices overwhelms me and I end up just watching 3 hours of sportscenter or something because it seems like I don't have enough "time" to watch a movie.  I'm so happy someone else feels this lol.

The good news is that it's not just us, either. I took a cultural psychology course in university and many studies have found that the more choices you have, the less happy you are with your choice. Some studies involved something as mundane as ordering ice cream, where people were happier with 3 choices than like 20. Interestingly enough, arranged marriages have both a higher success rate and the couples reporting more happiness and satisfaction rather than those who choose who they marry. Fucked up, right? 

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2 minutes ago, Tom Bot said:

The good news is that it's not just us, either. I took a cultural psychology course in university and many studies have found that the more choices you have, the less happy you are with your choice. Some studies involved something as mundane as ordering ice cream, where people were happier with 3 choices than like 20. Interestingly enough, arranged marriages have both a higher success rate and the couples reporting more happiness and satisfaction rather than those who choose who they marry. Fucked up, right? 

That's why people who adopt a minimalist lifestyle do so well.

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12 hours ago, Ghent said:

Let’s just talk about Dune. I’m all in. Getting a bit obsessed actually. Onto Dune: Messiah now 

Let me know how it goes, I've got that one in my backlog. I've heard from basically everyone that's read the series that it turns to shit at some point, and I know one plot twist that sounds like the dumbest thing ever lol. I think the 2nd book is still good though, it's farther down the line that the wheels come off. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Divine Comedy has been a daunting task and I'm exhausted with it. I had been reading it while researching the background history and philosophy in it and it's a slow, grueling process. I can't remember when I started it ... a few months ago maybe ... but I'm only half way through. It's going on the back burner for a while and I'm starting some other books instead. Tonight is Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life and I think I'll start the Percy Jackson books this weekend for a bit of relaxed reading.

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5 hours ago, Mr. Earl said:

Divine Comedy has been a daunting task and I'm exhausted with it. I had been reading it while researching the background history and philosophy in it and it's a slow, grueling process. I can't remember when I started it ... a few months ago maybe ... but I'm only half way through. It's going on the back burner for a while and I'm starting some other books instead.

The Divine Comedy is about as high as we've got in terms of what Poetry can accomplish as a novel, but going through it by yourself is very difficult since it's all metaphors, figures of speech, references to historical events and people of that time + crazy biblical references that were common knowledge in 1400, but not anymore. Just take your time.

I personally love it, but I was facilitated by the fact that we have a mandatory Divine Comedy class in high school here so the professor explained all the stuffs to us (it took us 3 years, one school year per book).
Inferno is the most popular and accessible and it really reads like a novel because Dante uses a colloquial tone, sometimes even comical, and favours descriptions and actions to philosophy and speculations. Purgatorio is the one with more references to Latin literature (mostly his buddy Virgil) while Paradiso is really ambitious and very difficult to read. My favourite thing about Paradiso is how it is very difficult even for Dante himself, so he conveniently passes out every time things are too hard to handle or to explain.

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2 hours ago, Elisa said:

The Divine Comedy is about as high as we've got in terms of what Poetry can accomplish as a novel, but going through it by yourself is very difficult since it's all metaphors, figures of speech, references to historical events and people of that time + crazy biblical references that were common knowledge in 1400, but not anymore. Just take your time.

I personally love it, but I was facilitated by the fact that we have a mandatory Divine Comedy class in high school here so the professor explained all the stuffs to us (it took us 3 years, one school year per book).
Inferno is the most popular and accessible and it really reads like a novel because Dante uses a colloquial tone, sometimes even comical, and favours descriptions and actions to philosophy and speculations. Purgatorio is the one with more references to Latin literature (mostly his buddy Virgil) while Paradiso is really ambitious and very difficult to read. My favourite thing about Paradiso is how it is very difficult even for Dante himself, so he conveniently passes out every time things are too hard to handle or to explain.

I really enjoyed it a lot but each Canto was it's own little research paper. I have Ciardi's translation and I think he did a pretty good job explaining things in the footnotes and a preface to each Canto but, still, there's just so much that needs to be read more in to that Ciardi doesn't even touch.

I'm about midway through Purgatorio now but decided to step back and let it breathe a little bit. The whole is fascinating but exhausting. I think I'll finish the books I've started now and then go back to it, give it a month or two off so I can recharge my batteries a bit. I was naive to think I could just sit down and knock it out in a few sittings.

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10 minutes ago, Mr. Earl said:

I really enjoyed it a lot but each Canto was it's own little research paper. I have Ciardi's translation and I think he did a pretty good job explaining things in the footnotes and a preface to each Canto but, still, there's just so much that needs to be read more in to that Ciardi doesn't even touch.

I'm about midway through Purgatorio now but decided to step back and let it breathe a little bit. The whole is fascinating but exhausting. I think I'll finish the books I've started now and then go back to it, give it a month or two off so I can recharge my batteries a bit. I was naive to think I could just sit down and knock it out in a few sittings.

If you take a break and then come back to it, you can appreciate it even more.

The only other book that comes close in that regard is I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed); it's a 19th century novel which, just like the Divina Commedia, had an enormous influence on society and what modern Italian language is, it's not quite as famous as the Divina Commedia outside of our borders, but it's way easier to read.

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Just now, Elisa said:

If you take a break and then come back to it, you can appreciate it even more.

The only other book that comes close in that regard is I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed); it's a 19th century novel which, just like the Divina Commedia, had an enormous influence on society and what modern Italian language is, it's not quite as famous as the Divina Commedia outside of our borders, but it's way easier to read.

I'll check it out if I can find a decent translation. Thats the hard part, translations tend to be all over the place in terms of quality ... I seriously bought 6 different translations of Divine Comedy before settling on Ciardi's.

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1 minute ago, Mr. Earl said:

I'll check it out if I can find a decent translation. Thats the hard part, translations tend to be all over the place in terms of quality ... I seriously bought 6 different translations of Divine Comedy before settling on Ciardi's.

I can imagine, but I can help you with that, if you want. I'll look it up for you tomorrow or later today. 

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9 minutes ago, Mr. Earl said:

I would appreciate that, thank you!

I already have an answer because I just asked my friend who is a translator and she knows her stuffs haha she said one of the best is Bruce Penman's translation published by Penguin Classics because he used school books as a reference for the translation so it's very close to the original and you can't go wrong with that.

(I'm not forcing you to buy this book of course, it was just a suggestion since you're very into the Divina Commedia and I thought you might like this one as well).

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2 minutes ago, Elisa said:

I already have an answer because I just asked my friend who is a translator and she knows her stuffs haha she said one of the best is Bruce Penman's translation published by Penguin Classics because he used school books as a reference for the translation so it's very close to the original and you can't go wrong with that.

(I'm not forcing you to buy this book of course, it was just a suggestion since you're very into the Divina Commedia and I thought you might like this one as well).

Thank you, I am about to order it now! I don't feel forced at all, I love reading and will take on just about anything so I appreciate any and all suggestions! 

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  • 1 month later...

I'm indecisive on what to start reading ... The Dark Tower series or The Lord of the Rings.

On one hand, It'll be my 4th time reading through the Dark Tower series. On the other hand, I hate the LotR movies so I'm hesitant to try and read the books.

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6 hours ago, Speedo said:

Lord of the Rings won out ... because my wife said so ... I did pick up Congo on Audible though, so I'll start that tomorrow.

Your wife is wise. Lotr books are great. I read them every second year or so.

 

8 hours ago, Speedo said:

On the other hand, I hate the LotR movies

You're dead to me.

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