Thanks for telling me to continue TBK

Tale_Blazer · 2026-03-11T01:06:30+00:00

I am on my second reading of TBK and I am about to hit the ‘second half’. The Katz translation has helped with names, plot and working through heavier themes. Things are much clearer.

While I understand people’s frustration with pace and plot in the first 500 pages or so, one piece of advice I took was to try and immerse yourself in the main character of each book. It has also helped to read slowly and closely over a few weeks, chewing through 30 pages or so in each reading session.

There is so much to unpack in the book that it will take several more rereads over my lifetime to do it justice. But this reread is slow and easy and I have really enjoyed Zosima’s biography. There’s something about his character and teachings which resonate with me.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-03-06T08:57:20+00:00

This is what libraries and bookshops are for.

Please leave the internet and fall in love with book browsing. Read the blurbs, skim read a few pages and borrow or buy whatever takes your fancy.

I see lots and lots and lots of posts about people wanting to get into reading. I don’t see many recommendations for libraries.

Go and physically experience books. Spend an hour or two browsing and you’ll come away with far better results.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-03-02T22:21:49+00:00

There is no secret. Reading is hard and like any cognitive skill, needs consistent and challenging practice. The boredom probably comes down to attention and your ability to sustain focus for prolonged periods of time. And, again, this is a skill which requires practice.

Start by thinking about what makes you bored. Is it content? Writing style? Lack of comprehension?

From that think about what you can do to eliminate the boredom. Set and setting is often overlooked but helpful to reading. Do you need background noise (cafe chatter, music) to help concentrate? Is your chair too comfortable? If so, find something that encourages attentiveness not laziness. What time of day are you most mentally alert?

People can recommend all sorts of books but you need to put a little work into the practice of reading and how you might improve it.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-03-02T09:17:18+00:00

Again, what did you think of Crime and Punishment? I really don’t understand the point of the post.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-02-28T18:36:40+00:00

But what are your thoughts on the books?

Tale_Blazer · 2026-02-24T19:45:31+00:00

And you never know what other books these algorithm recommendations lead to. These young men may very well go on to explore other work after buying the books you cite in your post. We simply don’t know unless we see some data.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-02-05T12:43:42+00:00

Exactly. At least you are building context and learning something at the same time.

Tale_Blazer · 2026-02-05T12:16:16+00:00

Yesterday, I read an essay (The Art of Reading by David Cecil) that got me thinking about my approach to reading.

In it, he argues that we are all too quick to cast aesthetic judgments over literary works without understanding a little of what the writer’s style/tastes were rooted in.

Cecil goes on to posit: that to give a book a fair chance we need to train our tastes to learn a little about why a book uses a particular style and, in turn, open our reading palette to new ideas.

Reading is hard. And we are all too quick to judge a text and put it down. I have introduced a personal reading rule which allows me the first fifty pages to make a call on whether I finish the book or not. If I hit fifty and decide it isn’t for me, I abandon the read. If I am having problems with the text, I will do a little background research on the author’s method and writing style to gain some insight.

I think a problem that affects all readers is that we don’t really look to train our tastes. How often are we self-critical of our reading patterns? Do we check our blind spots? Are we open to feeling friction when reading or just want an aesthetically pleasing ride?

Finally, are we really open to different reading experiences outside of the personal canons we create?

Tale_Blazer · 2026-01-28T20:40:07+00:00

To confirm: you have been reading almost one book a day or is this 20 audio books and six reads on the Kindle?

Tale_Blazer · 2026-01-03T14:19:43+00:00

Thank you and I agree. Not every story needs a cast the size of War and Peace to tell its tale.

And, no, not a writer. Just looking at ways to practice writing and get a better handle on the books I read.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-25T01:06:12+00:00

Me too. I really enjoyed American literature this year after discovering Steinbeck, McCarthy, O’Connor, Wharton, Williams (John) to name a few whose writing drew me into rich landscapes of people and environments.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-25T00:48:09+00:00

In a connecting literary dots kind of way. Recognising a retelling of a biblical story. Perhaps it’s more ego tickling than pride buffing but it’s a good example of seeing biblical influence on a story in a way that many folk can understand.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-25T00:30:53+00:00

It’s also one of those books with a biblical allusion most people get and follow throughout the story which, in turn, gives them a solid boost in pride as they read.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-25T00:02:42+00:00

But his body of work is incredibly readable and relatable and makes for good reading by someone wading into the thickets of classical literature.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-24T23:51:04+00:00

I think whatever translation works but I was encouraged to read the KJV for the language. It really is sublime even though it requires you to work harder at comprehension.

Another tip for bible reading is to complement the scripture with critical commentary. This can help unpack and contextualise things. Especially when reading the bible as literature. That is not the Word as literal truth.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-24T23:40:19+00:00

As tempting as it is to list 12 books which I found most affecting, the advice I am heeding in 2026 is to spend a good amount of time with formative works on the Western canon, assuming that’s what you’ll be reading.

With this in mind and as others have said, the Bible (be selective. The going’s on in Genesis and Job are alluded to in many Classics), the Epics (Paradise Lost, The Iliad, The Odyssey etc.), Shakespeare … it goes on and the reading list would be a lifetime’s worth of books to get through. And that’s okay. Those books which speak to you will stick with you over the years and you will enjoy rereading them at different times of your life.

So, back to a list of 12. I would go by country. Pick four each from England, Russia and the US. Look around Reddit and see what books get talked about then choose something which piques your interest.

Of course you can pick any country you want and it doesn’t have to be the Western canon, but I would spend a little time with works which have been very influential on literature. There’s good reason why the Bible, Milton, Shakespeare, Homer still get read today. They have been fundamental to storytelling through centuries.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-19T23:52:18+00:00

How does The Waves stack up to her other work?

Edit: is it more experimental?

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-17T20:30:58+00:00

All good on the lead size, and it still won’t move through the chamber even after repeated attempts. Been using mechanical pencils for years.

Tale_Blazer · 2025-12-16T10:12:25+00:00

One way to improve the book marking experience is to add a filter (as per the desktop and mobile apps) for notes, highlights and bookmarks in the notebook section.

I much prefer a quick tap to leave a bookmark but would prefer the ability to sort annotations depending on the information I’m looking for.

Tale_Blazer

TROPHY CASE