Literature

[Facetious]

I have to take a literature class in school, and I just absolutely can't stand the stuff. I sit here with Beowulf in front of me and no matter how many times I were to read it, if I read a passage like "and the swans breath pressed over the swordsman's neck with a passion unparalleled to even the way the hungriest of men would cherish a double-stufed oreo, propelling the vessel across the bluest, deepest, most incorrigible drink*" all I get out of it is "the motherfucking dude was on a motherfucking boat that crossed the motherfucking water." I have to take the course, do any of you guys have any advice for how I can not hate every second of this class? It's kind of a vague question, but basically, have any of you more literal-minded types found a way to appreciate flowery language?

*edit: In reality, it would be like 10 sentences in a row about the dude crossing the water, not just one. I could probably handle one.

[Galleleo]

Man, I had to read Beowulf in old English and learn passages by heart.. I forgot them though.

[DoTheFandango]

Beowulf sucked, Gilgamesh sucked more.

[genocidal]

Well if you aren't interested in Old English literature you shouldn't have taken that particular class. There's a really good Chaucer class at my school but I think it's boring and stupid so I'll never take it. Try to find some type of literature that interests you, otherwise keep chugging along. I've taken some miserable lit classes before (18th century British literature tested my patience daily) but I'm actually glad I read Clarissa now.

Currently I'm taking a major author literature class where we only read Philip Roth. I'm a huge fan of his and I have a feeling you'd be interested in him too, Face (if you're unfamiliar with him the best comparison I can make is Salinger but Roth is better imo). I'm also taking a 20th century British poetry class because I think I need it and I have to try to make myself enjoy it. I'm not a huge British poetry fan but Yeats and Eliot make the class worth it. Also, I'm taking 19th century British literature, which is far more entertaining than 18th century. Sure we have to read Jane Eyre (worst book ever) but I can suck it up, appreciate the Protestant work ethic, and wait until we start Bleak House or Mill on the Floss.

You'll probably dislike at least one text in any given literature class. Try to isolate what pisses you off about it because usually those things are important (if you're going to have to write papers). Don't sound like an amateur critic of age-old literature that's pretty much accepted as fabulous but try to figure out why the author did what he did or what effect it has. Try not to limit your mind to just saying "this shit blows purple dickheads".

[NaiLed]

I sort of know what you mean. In my Philosophy classes we sometimes got given sections of old philosophy books with fancy writing which seemed impossible to comprehend or understand.

anyway the moral of the story is: I hated reading things like that and always will.

hm this doesn't really help. and that wasn't really a moral.

[CrvenBan]

depending on how important that class is to you, you can either just suck it up or try to have some fun with it. Read Bukowski at the same time, try to find similarities, call the writer a pompous word-masturbator who covered his lack of writing skill or lack of originality by adding too extraordinary or too vague descriptions of obviously ordinary things, try to find a theme other than the one everyone agreed upon, stuff like that


I studied literature myself and sometimes it felt like being in Office space. The part where 70 people were looking at me as if I was insane when I tried to pimp the gay theme in Frankenstein was just so hilarious: Capt saving Victor, Victor falling in love with him but having no guts to tell him then goes on to create a man for himself, but since he sees it as something horrific he uses body parts of dead people. When he's done he freaks out and runs away and leaving this distorted gayness behind him which takes vengeance on Victor's brother who had strong issues with that. The gayness (the Monster) only wants to be loved and percieved as regular and in an attempt to adjust to the rules of the society it creates a Woman for himself, but it destroys the Woman because it can't be gay and with a woman. It would cease to exist. Victors wife dies = symbolism for him coming out...you know, just random shit like that.

[genocidal]

The part where 70 people were looking at me as if I was insane when I tried to pimp the gay theme in Frankenstein was just so hilarious:

I can see why they laughed at you.

Capt saving Victor, Victor falling in love with him but having no guts to tell him

He doesn't fall in love with him. If anything, Walton falls in love with Victor but it's more in search of a friend with whom to learn from than romantic love.

then goes on to create a man for himself, but since he sees it as something horrific he uses body parts of dead people.

What?
A.) He doesn't use the body parts of dead people.
B.) He sees it as horrendous after he makes it, not before.

When he's done he freaks out and runs away and leaving this distorted gayness behind him which takes vengeance on Victor's brother who had strong issues with that.

Victor's brother was like 5 - how could he have strong issues with homosexuality or anything?

The gayness (the Monster) only wants to be loved and percieved as regular and in an attempt to adjust to the rules of the society it creates a Woman for himself, but it destroys the Woman because it can't be gay and with a woman.

Uhhh Victor made the female monster - not the Monster. Victor also destroyed the female monster. That's what pissed the monster off and said, "I'll be with you on your wedding night."

It would cease to exist. Victors wife dies = symbolism for him coming out...you know, just random shit like that.

How is the Monster killing Elizabeth symbolism for homosexuality? Victor destroys the Monster's bitch so the Monster kills Victor's bitch.

[Twerp]

spark notes

[genocidal]

Those stop being very useful after middle school, Twerp.

[Squeezer]

Beowulf did suck.

I had to memorize passages from that and the Canterbury Tales for English. Stupidest assignment other.

On the whole homosexuality in Frankenstein....Wha? I got a lot of weird things out of that book....and there were a few plot holes here and there, but I guess I missed the gay vibe.

[Pummel]

Find the humour

Yes I have been touched
By His Noodley Appendage
It was a Good Touch
Flying Spaghetti
Monster is the way of Life
Praised be He! RAmen.
Midget, moutains, trees,
His Noodley Appendage
Has made all to be.
Pirates the Chosen
Dictating the global temp
Wear your Regalia
With His noodley
Appendage I have been touched
But not like that priest
To be a Pirate
and save the hole earth from DOOM
is great joy ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGG
Our Noodly master
Created the seven seas
For use by pirates
All hail His noodles
His meatball’s flavor sacred
And his sauce divine
Priests Molest Children
But the Spaghetti Monster
Loves Us Properly
Noodles in the Sky
Pirate fantasies fulfilled
Now cool down, hot world!
The Pasta Monster
He grasps my with his noodles
Crap, I got scurvy
A POEM:
The creator who holds us dear
did not look as what we hear.
he was not a man, or human at all
he was made of spaghetti and two meat balls.
he made us all
originally short
and it wasn’t even his last resort
Pirates are his people,
holy are they
who end every sentence with “Arrgh” as they pray.
Some might not believe,
but it is a fact,
our God was pasta
no, this isn’t an act
So lets all give
a hip hip horray
the FSM is here to stay

[Vykromond]

Dropping in to say that Beowulf is great, so is Chaucer. Beating up on Beowulf is especially lame though because it's in translation. Odds of Galleleo actually reading and memorizing Beowulf in its original tongue: pretty much 0%.

[Squeezer]

Dropping in to say that Beowulf is great, so is Chaucer. Beating up on Beowulf is especially lame though because it's in translation. Odds of Galleleo actually reading and memorizing Beowulf in its original tongue: pretty much 0%.

To be honest with you, part of the reason I disliked Beowulf and the Canterbury Tales is because of the Olde English. I really liked the stories and all, I just didn't enjoy having to work my ass of just to understand every sentence.

[genocidal]

Well Beowulf is Old English which is 100% unreadable unless you're trained. You maybe can pick out one word a line but other than that it's pretty much a different language. Canterbury Tales is Middle English which is much more approachable but still a strain (probably what you're talking about).

[Squeezer]

Well Beowulf is Old English which is 100% unreadable unless you're trained. You maybe can pick out one word a line but other than that it's pretty much a different language. Canterbury Tales is Middle English which is much more approachable but still a strain (probably what you're talking about).

same diff. I did read Beowulf in old english. It sucked. I had to memorize the first 15 lines in old english...fucking gay. Actually, now that I think about it, I think it was full of endnotes and footnotes saying what the text actually meant.

But yeah, it was a real strain to read them both.