not that the MC is a ghost or something but just that feeling a book gives off when you only know the characters' first names (how should a person be sheila heti) or you dont know their name at all (whereabouts jhumpa lahiri). even the autobiography of alice b toklas is sort of like this because toklas didn't actually write it and it's barely about her.
like they obviously exist in the world of the story but because you have less details and definitions, there's no question that you are reading a story as you read. when the characters are sort of enigmatic or allegorical it leaves more room for imagination and projection. makes them more of an idea than something you have to physically picture which is dope
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Sheila Heti is one of my favorite novelists. Each new book seems to be a step in a larger literary project, or an expansion of a Heti-ian way of thinking. They break aesthetic ground but are also a pleasure to read. How Should a Person Be is key reading for whatever “modern life” is at this point and Motherhood is a daring examination of choice — her use of I Ching coin tosses as a literary mechanism is breathtaking Her latest is Pure Colour, which moves from a fairy-tale-ish story of young city-dwelling adults into a more abstract mythology of grief, art, nature, and beauty. It can’t be described, which is high praise for writing, and yet it’s seamless and joyous. Almost more a painting than a novel.
Feb 22, 2022
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Somebody’s Daughter is like stomach droppingly exacting in describing identity related struggles growing up as a girl with a family and relationships like omfg but you won’t even realize you’re reading nonfiction
I Am Not Myself These Days is like being brought into a vaccume like emotional word that is so wacky that you also will hesitate to lump it in with a more traditional nonfiction book
Nov 14, 2024
The concept and the storyline makes it a really great book in my opinion. It’s post apocalyptic but anti survival. The main protagonist has no memory of before the disaster so is completely unattached to the idea of the world so has to create her own in an almost barren landscape. Poses some really interesting questions on existence.
Oct 2, 2024
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little co-rec: if anyone's interested in more literature along these lines, SPARK by John Ratey is a book i read in a PE independent study in high school (bc i didn't want to take gym my last semester) that makes a very compelling argument for integrating physical exercise in your life as a solution to mental health issues. comes to similar conclusions in regard to SSRIs and really any medication in that they can't compare to the results that actually using your body can give you.
it really changed my perspective on exercise because i think physical exercise is wrapped up in 'self-improvement' when in reality it should be seen as self-care. and to bring it back to dancing: this is physical exercise that really connects you with the spirit in you and those around you, something that is undeniably a form of care
a study issued last month found that dancing is the most effective way of treating and mitigating depression. Walking, therapy, and yoga also outpaced SSRIs. and if you're saying 'oh this was probably funded by Big Dance', there's no evidence of that and if you're saying 'that's just what a Big Dance shill would say', well honey you're right
Mar 4, 2024
Mar 31, 2024
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especially the ones you Think you have hate in your heart for
Mar 5, 2024
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pfff that dumbass eclipse you guys must really hate the sun if you want to see it get blocked out for three minutes i personally love the sun because it gives us life pshhh total darkness all around you? ever heard of NIGHT? i'll be enjoying darkness every nite without the goofy glasses thank you very much
Apr 6, 2024