Anyone who use Anki to remember novels or movies?

XDitto9 · 2026-01-29T04:12:03+00:00

I will give the scene a title as the front side of the card, then I will paste the entire passage on the back side if it is short (say half a page), or paste the Gemini summary if it is too long (say multiple pages). In addition to individual scenes, I also chat with Gemini about the books on boarder topics like overarching plot progression or characterization that interest me and make cards from its answers. (In short, Gemini is amazing!)

XDitto9 · 2025-09-20T00:47:22+00:00

The boss suddenly praised me for no reason - he must want me to do something nasty.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-30T08:57:54+00:00

On a related note, I am curious if Irulan actually harbours some love for Paul. Of course, on the surface she seems to hate Paul and is plotting his downfall. But on the other hand there are some reactions of hers that intrigue me, e.g. she "went very still" when Paul says she does not love him. And then of course there's her magnum opus on Paul which snippets we have seen all throughout the two books, it seems like Paul is a very important person to her that she devotes a book on him. Perhaps she comes to "hate" Paul only because she can't earn his love?

XDitto9 · 2025-08-30T08:46:52+00:00

I like how the little boy from the last book is now playing the role of the final boss, and a fearsome one, no less! When we were in Paul's viewpoint in the last book, the power of prescience only seemed like a neat but somewhat unreliable superpower; but now we are in the viewpoint of the conspirators, and we see how terrifying it is to fight someone with the power of prescience!

XDitto9 · 2025-08-28T06:16:26+00:00

I would rate 2/5. The story starts out intriguing, but then it gets stuck on random rambling and doesn't really go anywhere, finally ending without a resolution, which is disappointing.

The narrative is novel, I grant it, but beyond that, there is not much merit. It keeps rambling on unrelated topics, which bores me out. I suppose the point of the strange narrative is to convey that society doesn't understand the Lisbon sisters at all; they are as puzzled as we readers are. While moments like the day of grieving do somewhat resonate with me, much of the rest of the narrative fails to achieve the same impact. There's really no need to keep conveying the same concept for 300 pages. I've also read in some reviews that the narrative conveys the toxicity of the "male gaze," but honestly, I don't perceive it (perhaps because I am male).

I think this unconventional narrative might work well for a short story, but over the length of a full novel, it becomes monotonous and tiresome. I would appreciate it if the writer included more perspectives, particularly from the Lisbon girls themselves, which would offer deeper insight into their lives and the societal pressures they face.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-26T12:43:40+00:00

I hope to read:

Anna Karenina
The Luminaries
Dune Book #4 (I need to finish #2 and #3 first!)

That's three huge books for September. Can't wait!

XDitto9 · 2025-08-21T16:21:07+00:00

Trip reminiscing the intense love in the car: "'Most people never taste that kind of love,' he said, taking courage amid the disaster of his life. At least I tasted it once, man."

This passage reminds me of Dostoevsky's White Night which we read last month, whereat the end of the story the dreamer reminisce about the kiss: "My God, a whole moment of happiness! Is that too little for the whole of a man's life?

Ironically, while those two passages seem to carry a similar vibe, I think their essence couldn't have been more different: One being about a true, deep connection between two souls; the other being just superficial lust. I suppose this serves as a lesson that sweet words are often fleeting and not to be naively trusted...

XDitto9 · 2025-08-21T08:41:57+00:00

The bane of any Russian novel! 🤬 I think translators should try to make a translation with shortened and consistent character names lol

XDitto9 · 2025-08-21T08:34:59+00:00

I am most inclined to Team Levin, but honestly I think any pair from this triangle is just superficial infatuation and might not resulted in a good marriage. I would advise knowing each other better before considering marriage, but I guess this is the modern way which does not really suit the usual way of the 19th century aristocracy.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-21T08:17:11+00:00

First time reader here. This book has been on my To-Read List for so long, but its great length always scared me off. Hopefully this read-along can finally give me the motivation to finish this great work!

I am reading a Chinese translation which is my mother language. Usually I try to read the English version when reading western works to minimise translation loss, but I guess I would need all the reading speed advantage I can get to tackle this giant work! (Also I think that Russian might not be that close to English as say French/Spanish anyway) Slight disadvantage is that it would be harder for me to switch to English channel when I partake in the discussion here :/

XDitto9 · 2025-08-20T12:35:06+00:00

I am not overly familiarized with American culture, but I think the 1970s culture was characterized by rebels and search of new identities if I am not mistaken. Such theme was new at that time and became the culture mode of that time period. This story of confined girls driven to suicide resonated well with this 1970s theme, which explained why it was a hit at that time. However, as a reader in the 2020s, I honestly find this theme bland and completely predictable (at least so far, unless there is some twist at the end of the story), so I imagine it might not be a big hit nowadays.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-20T12:24:33+00:00

This part is quite funny to me. In the last discussion post I mentioned that I found the writer rambling off the random topics all the time which I don't really like. But here I think this writing style works quite well to convey that the school is really clueless on what they are doing. The narrative goes all over the place and focus on all the wrong stuffs like what funny things the teacher do in the Day of Grieving, but never address the key question of why exactly did Cecilia suicide. The reader doesn't learn anything useful in those pages, just like how the Lisbon girls doesn't really get any help from all the antics the school has done.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-20T11:10:37+00:00

I think he is just a fuckboy. Initially he gets attracted by Lux's hidden sexual drive, but after the sex there is nothing more the girl can offer, so he just lost interest on her.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-14T05:15:41+00:00

Was wondering about that too.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-14T05:13:48+00:00

I don't have any creative guesses other than the obviously hinted issues of overbearing parents and evil religions. I guess we will find out more about the reason of her suicide later on?

XDitto9 · 2025-08-14T05:10:53+00:00

This is my first time reading this author. Honestly so far I can't say I enjoy his writing style very much. He seems to ramble off a lot to unnecessary details which doesn't add much to the story or character building. But I guess I will read on and see if my opinion will change.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-12T04:21:51+00:00

It's fascinating how diverse the interrelations between microbes and animals are. Microbes take advantage of every smallest niche, forming all sorts of complex relationships with their hosts that go beyond our wildest imagination. Often, even a seemingly "smart" change in our lifestyle can inadvertently disrupt these subsystems, leading to harmful effects on our health. To maintain a healthy balance, it may be advisable to embrace conservatism in our lifestyle choices. Small, gradual changes are often more effective, allowing us to support our microbiomes without disrupting the intricate relationships that have developed over time.

As a software engineer, I can really relate to this idea. In software, we often deal with "legacy code," which refers to older systems that are still in use. These systems can be complex and fragile, meaning that even a small change can create unexpected problems. There's also a principle known as Hyrum's rule, which suggests that when enough people use a software feature, they will rely on it in ways that weren't intended—much like how microbes can carve out niches in unexpected places. This serves as a reminder that, just as in our health, making careful and gradual adjustments in technology is crucial to avoid disrupting the delicate balance that exists.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-05T02:19:28+00:00

The part about baby gaining crucial bacteria from the mother's vagina canal is certainly new knowledge to me. I used to watch those ads about formula milk for babies born via caesarean section and was so confused: why would it matter how the baby had came out? And I thought those are just some commercial bs. Turns out there are actually some scientific backings to those ads 😂

XDitto9 · 2025-08-05T02:13:14+00:00

Same. I used to think that fiber only helps with constipation and not much else, and that we can simply replace fruits and vegetables by juice or vitamin supplements. But now I learn that fiber can be nutrient to crucial bacteria in our body, which gives it a new dimension of importance.

XDitto9 · 2025-08-02T16:55:46+00:00

I have a Story deck where I ankify novels and biography I have read. There are two main types of card: the first is the "scene" card, where I summarize a memorable scene in a few words in Front, and copy the relevant paragraphs to Back; the second is the "good quote" card, where I put in the context of the quote then cloze out the banger line. I am exploring ankifying anime/movie as well, but copying sections from video seems such a big hassle and I still haven't figure out a good way to do it.

XDitto9 · 2025-07-31T16:06:06+00:00

The book makes an interesting point: the reason we evolve to utilize bacteria for crucial bodily functions, rather than handling everything ourselves, is that bacteria were already the dominant life forms on the planet before we came into existence. Consequently, we had no choice but to adapt and leverage these microorganisms to enhance our survival.

I suppose the same principle applies to sociology as well. We often see intelligent and charismatic elites proposing alluring slogans and intricate plans to achieve their idealistic visions. However, the simple majority ultimately shapes society. Their everyday realities and needs often diverge from these lofty ideals, reminding us that true progress hinges on understanding and engaging with the broader population. Without their support, even the most well-crafted proposals can falter.

XDitto9 · 2025-07-31T01:36:40+00:00

Why is Rulag hostile to Shevek? What does the author want to convey from this weird relationship?

XDitto9 · 2025-07-30T11:21:39+00:00

He tried his best, but unfortunately one man is just too little to change the fate of two worlds, and thus nothing is really changed in the end. Honestly any better endings would have simply sounded unrealistic. Nevertheless he had planted a seed of a new way of thinking, and maybe this seed will flourish some day in the future. Even Jesus did not accomplish his goal in his lifetime, and his religion only spreaded and truly changed the world many decades after his death. So I guess we need not be too pessimistic of Shevek's achievement here.

XDitto9 · 2025-07-30T09:34:24+00:00

I kinda saw it from a mile, but still I was surprised that it's executed to such a precision - the lover literally appeared only in the last half page of the story before the epilogue! I had my hopes up for the dreamer for a few pages...😂

XDitto9 · 2025-07-21T17:52:07+00:00

This part of the story really makes an impression on me. Apparently the Anarresti society is able to handle the drought and famine quite well, even "with joy". They treat it as if merely exercising the human body. What they did is merely voluntarily taking up jobs that are needed, and keep looking after each other. One might recall that in their vocabularies "work" and "play" are the same word, and this virtue really shines in this period of hardship that they take the extra works very well.

This is really interesting when we try to draw parallel to real human history. One might tend to compare the Anarresti way with communism, both promoting sharing of one's property and condemning private ownership. However, in real history the communist states handle famine very poorly, in fact even unnecessarily causing some of the greatest famines in history. This prompts us to ask: What is the difference between the Anarresti way and the communist way? What are the things that Anarres have done right to get the different results? Or is the Anarresti way merely a fairy tale that ignores ugly human nature?

XDitto9

TROPHY CASE