What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
► Suggest books for me
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Books with existential, philosophical and possibly misanthropic main character
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Whoah thanks for the awesome suggestions! Magic montain definitely sounds interesting. :)
I've already read almost everything by Kafka, hehe.
I'll add them all!
How do 1984 and Brave New World make our society seem absurd?
Because they take situations that already exists and presents them as an extreme. After reading 1984 one is left with a slight suspicion about the information we recieve through the news and social media. Do we see the truth or is the picture skewed? Who and what decides which version you get to read? If not a person then an algoritm... and everything you read is affected by the writers perspective...Also made me think about the knowledge we get in school; who decides which part of history should be taught... And of course that book makes one think about the risk of too much governmental involvment in general, which certainly exists in many countries, also in the western world. Brave new world does the same with social hierchies and people stuck in routines living their predestined life without question... also from that book I remember the part where the citizens learn societal rules and sayings while listening to a tape during their sleep. Made me think about that much of the cultural thinking, knowledge, sayings and opinions are just automatic thoughts we have learned through life and then repeat to others.At least thats my take on it! I read them more as critique of our world than as dystopias or science fiction.
I havn’t read that one actually, I always saw it as this typical book everyone had to read in school so I avoided it :p but perhaps I should read it then and not be so prejudiced ;p
Lobstergirl wrote: "Boy are you going to love The Magic Mountain. Just make sure you set aside a few months."I read Magic Mountain, I did indeed love it, thanks for the suggestion! Also really liked Buddenbrooks by the same author.
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HannaClara wrote: "Looking for novels where the main character is of intelligent and philosophical nature and feels like the rest of the world/society is somewhat absurd and ridiculous. I prefer the ones that actua..."
SOPHIE'S WORLD
I recommend Kurt Vonnegut books. I think it might be right up your alley, especially breakfast of champions.
No Longer Human might fit here, not much that the main character is intelligent, but finds society to be weird and feels forced to "clown" in order to be seen as normal.
Dylan I have read No longer human and I liked it!! :)
If you liked 1984 and Brave new world, then try The Memory Police. Maybe The Shadow of the Wind also fits your list.And on a different note about not fitting in, The Midnight Library (though it's somewhat predictable IMHO).
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
The Midnight Library (other topics)The Memory Police (other topics)
The Shadow of the Wind (other topics)
No Longer Human (other topics)
Eileen (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kazuo Ishiguro (other topics)Franz Kafka (other topics)
Wolfgang Hildesheimer (other topics)
Thomas Bernhard (other topics)
I prefer the ones that actually contains a lot of thinking and philosophical ideas, perhaps eastern influenced thinking or existentialism (meditation, non-attachment, search for meaning, thoughts of eternity, beuty etc etc).
I enjoyed the writings of Herman Hesse (Steppenwolf etc), Dostojevkis Notes from Underground, The stranger by Albert Camus, but also seemingly different books such as "my year of rest and relaxation" by Odessa Moshfegh about this one girl taking strong sleep medication for a year to escape the world while pondering over it's meaninglessness (although thinks almost like an enlightened person at the end of the year ) :P . Also "The dispossessed" by Ursuala K. Le Guin is about a man distanced from society but also filled with philosophical eastern influenced thinking,
Other books I enjoy are ones where the main is not necesserily misantrhopic but the story makes our own society seem absurd, such as Huxley's Brave new World, or Orwells 1984, if you see what I mean.
In short, looking for books that question society and the meaning of life, in the format of fiction.
Hope this all made sense! Thanks in advance!