Dustin J Allen > Recent Status Updates

First non-philosophy book since before I started my master’s, which I have now finished. I love Frank O’Hara and it’s so hard to find any of his poetry at used stores, but found this biography beside his collected works at a little shop in Brooklyn. Really good so far.

good stuff

Maybe it's just my bad conscience punishing me through this story, but this book is existentially brutal to read. I think that's the point though? Still, tense as hell. Brothers Karamazov, Notes From the Underground, and The Gambler are all books I absolutely love, but so far C & P brings Dostoevskyian angst to another level.

Really good book if you happen to be interested in this formation of a niche faction of German Jewish neo-Marxist philosophers and social theorists who came together to form the Frankfurt School, only to be chased out of the country by nazis and forced to develop their intellectual project abroad and on the run. Well-written, informative on a wide range of relevant topics, super engaging.

Makes me want to drink gallons of red wine with friends on a warm evening and never work again.

Some light reading, for fun.

Re-reading this old chestnut (for the first time outside of a classroom setting). Curious as to why I would have given it only 3 stars a few years ago, if I recall correctly it is a pretty good book.

Too real. Good read, though.

This book is incredible so far.

Ugh hate it when two beloved minor-ish characters die in short order— wtf thought the war was basically over. This isn't a spoiler btw there's like 900 characters in this book.

Dang, 13% of this giant long ass book left and life starts again tomorrow morning. So good though, can't rush it. Sometimes the war sections seem like they'd mean more if I knew literally anything about the history of Napoleon vs. Russia, but the existential crises and intense character development and love stories and yeah even the war scenes are great. Even Tolstoy just describing seasons changing is so beautiful.

Nearing the end. So much has gone down with all sorts of people, including fucking Napoleon. Hoping to finish this by Wednesday-ish.

I took a 1-year break from this book once I hit the halfway point. Just ran out of time and then never had the urge to pick it up again... Feels good to jump back in. I think it's a really good book.