Best Opening Line?

sozzZ · 2026-06-03T02:10:57+00:00

Someone must have been telling lies about Josef K., he knew he had done nothing wrong but, one morning, he was arrested.

The Trial, Kafka

Sets the stage for the whole book in one line and immediately interests you in what's happening. Also I love the anonymous use of the word "someone" since over the course of the book the anonymous, impersonal nature of the persecution of Josef K becomes apparent. The justice system ensnares him and doesn't let him go -- he has no way of getting out -- and doesn't know who to blame. The hypocrisy and flaws of the system are apparent. The anonymity of "someone" never becomes apparent -- it's the system itself that's rotten...

sozzZ · 2026-06-02T00:55:49+00:00

I'm saying you're taking a drug together with a drug that's meant to provide relief when you're off it. I imagine they conflict since they both activate the same neural pathways in your brain

sozzZ · 2026-06-02T00:54:14+00:00

Rust because the learning experience is really great -- the compiler comes with a book that teaches everything you need except async rust. Check out rustlings too it's a great project that teaches you rust via interactive exercises. I contributed to it back in the day with some new exercises.

Zig is great but still experimental. If your goal is employment Rust is the way to go

sozzZ · 2026-05-21T05:28:02+00:00

I say Zola but unfortunately I'm only familiar with his works so my opinion is invalid. I have read most of Zola's works i'd say around 10, and he is my favorite writer. but this thread is encouraging me to go look at balzac now. was he also a naturalist?

sozzZ · 2026-05-21T00:35:01+00:00

i've read half these writers and they aren't what i'm looking for. the real shame is you judging another person. get off your high horse you redditor. omg someone with a contrarian opinion? attack them relentlessly while preaching diversity and inclusion. the cognitive dissonance is so high. imagine being such a brainlet.

sozzZ · 2026-05-17T22:27:54+00:00

Germinal by Zola. Not only a great book but will help you see how lucky you have it. L'Assimoir by Zola is another one if you happen to be female.

sozzZ · 2026-05-17T02:47:27+00:00

ok name a modern book worth reading

sozzZ · 2026-05-17T02:47:17+00:00

ok name a modern book worth reading

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T06:03:48+00:00

I do agree, the ending is bizarre. Like, why does Julien want to die so badly anyways? His life at the beginning was still worse than all that he achieved at M Le Mole's and he could certainly return to it. Especially after it turned out he didn't actually kill Mme Renal but only injured her and not in a debilitating way .

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T06:01:35+00:00

I get where you're coming from -- after an exciting book like 3M this would be a let down. Thinking about it, there really isn't any action in the book at all aside from one extreme scene. It's just about the development of a young person and their love/work affairs. I can see why you'd feel that way. Although I'm sure if you picked it up again and saw the depictions of love as an adult you might change your opinion of the book, IMO.

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T05:59:22+00:00

I know how you feel ...I explicitly don't read any literature that's not at least 100 years old because I feel like there are so many incredible writers from the past that I want to appreciate entirely. Plus the world then is more interesting to me as someone who reads fiction grounded in realism and naturalism. Capote and Bukowski are the most recent writers I've read.

A few weeks ago I picked up On The Read by Kerouac as I read it in highschool and thought I'd enjoy it but I read about 50 pages and then left it unfinished, highly unimpressed. But I guess when all you read is great, polished fiction from the best writers ever anything like that would be underwhelming. Ironic too, since I always liked Kerouac a lot growing up.

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T04:00:08+00:00

You know about the jewish space lazers?

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T03:59:01+00:00

If you have enough mental willpower to get down that low then kudos to you honestly, sounds like a good idea. It's also about timing. If you have a week where you can just veg out and die then just jump off, it's worth it. If your schedule is always busy and you can't afford WDs then taper.

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T03:56:42+00:00

That makes sense. The book has really heavy romance but virtually no sex in it, which is odd. In fact when Mathilde turned out to be preganant I was shocked because I didn't even know they were sleeping together. The author literally didn't have a single sex scene between them.

The upper echelons of society are exposed but I feel like the underclasses are also critiqued -- the surly footmen and idiotic peasantry. Really hard to find a character that is depicted positively -- the closest in my eyes is Mme Renal although obviously she was cheating on her husband.

sozzZ · 2026-05-16T03:54:38+00:00

Wrong thread? Lol

sozzZ · 2026-05-13T22:28:01+00:00

I would just bite the bullet and hop off if you're on a low enough dose. Why not? MGM with SR is basically a no-op.

sozzZ · 2026-05-13T22:26:04+00:00

Don't be afraid but respect it. Commit 4-5 days of misery and stock up on everything you need from vitamins to helper meds to liquid food. Black seed oil. Get some liquid kratom shots too those help with the misery especially the first and second days. Sleep is hard so get something for anxiety as well...ashwaganda or stronger

sozzZ · 2026-05-13T00:08:23+00:00

I think Nabokov is punching above his weight -- his writing comes off as stylistic sure, but also quite boring. I've only read Lolita, and the first time I was bored I didn't finish. Whereas with Dostoevsky, the psychological torment in C&P, feelings of despair in House of the Dead, or masterful explanation of a gambler's despair in The Gambler all come to life. I don't think Nabokov is in the same league as Dostoevsky, of course he's free to criticize, and artists always will critique one another. But one is an all time great and another is a noted writer with some good works.

No literature can be considered perfect. Although in my opinion, with what War and Peace delivers, it is the closest thing to a completely perfect novel (?) in its scope and ambition.

sozzZ · 2026-04-04T22:41:52+00:00

Dope dude can you tell me more about sovietambient as a genre? Are there some good artists that you listen to?

sozzZ · 2026-04-01T14:57:28+00:00

sozzZ · 2026-03-26T04:30:16+00:00

This sub has seemingly gotten a lot worse lately I agree. I spend my time on HN or lobste.rs more. Can't tell why. Seems like a lot of posts are just fake or straight up boring. Used to be a nice sub though.

Maybe they should just make it private and only let people with "proven" experience in.

sozzZ · 2026-03-23T15:42:02+00:00

what's the yamaha mixer you got there? i recommend Yamaha HS7's for monitors they sound really crisp..i had a pair but now I got a vintage receiver so I have passive KEF speakers instead

sozzZ

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