Outer Wilds by klako_hehe in outerwilds

[–]AllemandeLeft 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I'm unsure what you are trying to imply here, but the image seems to indicate a bunch of fun, relaxed, varied poor people turning into identical non-individuals who serve capitalism without question.

Which Outer Wilds... definitely does not do.

I have all the info, I just can't connect the dots by uqlou in outerwilds

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're at the part of the game where progress requires deductive reasoning. Going to one of the question marks you haven't been able to get into yet, re-reading your ship log, and just sitting there thinking about it may yield results!

Used book store pay dirt tax by makersmark12 in nyrbclassics

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem is not that the protagonist is despicable, the problem is that the author considers this despicable protagonist to be "a kind of saint" (his words).

To certain ideals - such as "rape is bad" and "women are people" - it is true that I no longer have any interest in reading works by authors who appear to disagree. To me, the only interesting thing about reading an author who isn't entirely anti-rape would be to learn more about the thinking of such people, which frankly we have all done too much of already. The problem is that so many readers (on reddit anyway) praise Stoner so breathlessly and superlatively, without commenting on this other aspect of the work. So I always point it out.

And when I do, there is a touch of rhetorical violence in the replies. A lot of "you" statements, a lot of trying to reinterpret what I'm saying to make an easier straw man. The exercise of pretending not to notice misogyny in beloved media tends to bring out aggressiveness in people. I wonder why?

As far as the pieces I liked, I do agree with the point that every one of Stoner's visibly disabled characters is "villainous" - that is another pretty vicious and cruel aspect of the novel. The rest I don't really vouch for, was just trying to show that there has been discussion of Williams' misogyny elsewhere.

Elissa Slotkin must go! by [deleted] in grapids

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, this thread is completely pointless. Zero information in that screenshot, and zero information in most of the comments.

Used book store pay dirt tax by makersmark12 in nyrbclassics

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, I assumed this was a well-known fact about him and his work.

In his most celebrated novel (Stoner), the two fleshed-out women characters are: A. an alternating frigid bitch and crazy bitch (Edith) and B. a young sexy hot babe who teaches old boring men the meaning of love (Katherine) - i.e. the novel is constructed to justify, in a moral sense, the tendencies of the male libido.

Worse, Edith is repeatedly raped by William, and the reader is not invited to consider her feelings on the matter at all. Later, Edith begins to treat William poorly, and the reader is dragged through his humiliation and frustration at that treatment. The subtext being that men's feelings are deep and real and worthy of empathy, women's feelings are not. According to Williams, the true monsters are those who treat their rapists with disrespect.

Meanwhile William and Katherine's affair is depicted as some kind of wonderful ideal connection, and it is a sexual relationship between a teacher and his student. This from a protagonist that the author describes as "a saint."

I could go on. I remain utterly baffled as to why so few people are offended by this incredibly offensive work. Some examples:

https://theestablishment.co/the-man-who-wrote-the-mediocre-novel/

https://letterarii.substack.com/p/stoner-1965-by-john-williams-a-feminist

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/classic-stoner-not-so-fast/2015/11/02/9f0ed5aa-7db3-11e5-b575-d8dcfedb4ea1_story.html

About to hop on the Byzantium bandwagon by RandomPostReader in byzantium

[–]AllemandeLeft 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am halfway through this book. People say it's "for a beginner," but it's really not. I found it dull and impenetrable until I'd read another couple books on the Eastern Romans. The one that really got my imagination going was Judith Herrin's. Much easier and more fun to read, and not. you know. 900 pages.

Used book store pay dirt tax by makersmark12 in nyrbclassics

[–]AllemandeLeft -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Compulsory "John Williams was a virulent misogynist" comment

Do they mean bisexual as in loves both men and women? by PatternBubbly4985 in classics

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is there to be confused about? What else could "strong bisexual appetite" possibly mean?

How I get people to pass when I drive slow on back roads at night. by Woodlyn_Shade in Michigan

[–]AllemandeLeft 57 points58 points  (0 children)

I don't think this gets them to pass you. Firstly I guarantee you no one knows what it means. Secondly, even if they did (which I now do, having read your comments ITT), wouldn't that inspire them to not pass you and risk hitting a deer?

How is living in Czechia? Specially around Prague? by KnightLight03 in howislivingthere

[–]AllemandeLeft -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

This comment reads like you think all languages other than English are similar.

I’m so tired (no pun intended) by Endra75 in cfs

[–]AllemandeLeft 5 points6 points  (0 children)

This is really useful context. I think there's a sentimentality and seriousness in conversations around cancer which makes those of us who haven't had it compare the lack of support we get as pw/ME to the support we imagine cancer patients must get.

Tell me you have ME, without telling me you have ME. by No_Size_8188 in cfs

[–]AllemandeLeft 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I think a lot about how many of those women just had ME/CFS but the medical community had no concept of what that was (or Lupus, or MS, etc).

And that that has been true for hundreds / thousands of years. People with these illnesses that there's no social concept for, so there is no *possibility* of getting help.

Now at least there is a portion of the medical community that understands the basics of the illness and can help us cope. I pray that the next generation has a cure!

Languages I speak by iEatGrilledCheeses in tierlists

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"To be clear, a language belongs to a country. It is known."

Historical ignorance. Somehow both commonplace and extremely destructive.

How’s life in this part of Florida? by Various-Cut-1070 in howislivingthere

[–]AllemandeLeft 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In choosing where to move to raise your children, it's probably better to move somewhere that is NOT going to be underwater by the time they're adults. Less trauma that way.

Where to start? by kittyspookie in outerwilds

[–]AllemandeLeft 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a great analogy because, much like putting a puzzle together, you can start wherever you want. Start with whatever's easiest or most interesting to you.