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/lit/ - Literature

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4444956 No.4444956[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

'It's doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.'

>> No.4444960

>>4444956
Speaking from experience, I see.

>> No.4444987

like Proust, be an old teahead of time

>> No.4445475

Jonathan Franzen is smart

>> No.4445484

>>4444956
>tfw this probably also applies to non-fiction, e.g. dissertations
>tfw you need the internet for researching shit, though
Dammit.

>> No.4445487

>>4445484
>>tfw you need the internet for researching shit, though

>never heard of a library

>> No.4445491

>>4445487
It's rather sad, the public library in my city shut down. However, even it if hadn't you can not claim that the library, when compared to the internet, is an effective tool of research.

>> No.4445498

Franzen can suck a big shitting dick.

>> No.4445515

>>4445491
I would say it depends on what you're researching and the size of your library's collection. Obviously if it's something obscure you're gonna have some trouble but sources for most graduate level essays could be found in a library. I'm sorry to hear about your library btw, shit sucks, there's nothing better than the social experience of a good library.

>> No.4445550

I hope he realizes that lazy people have existed before the internet

>> No.4445588

What does that even mean?

>> No.4445605

Should I read anything by this guy? He seems annoying as hell but I would like to know more about contemporary literature (I usually just stick to the western canon because I am a CIS white male).

>> No.4445607 [DELETED] 

anyone get the feeling he is trying to copy his idol Karl Kraus?

>> No.4445608

>>4445588
Having access to an outlet for immediate satisfaction will prevent you from achieving long term satisfaction. This is why I browse /lit/ for hours a day instead of reading even though I actually enjoy reading more than browsing lit.

>> No.4445617

>>4445608
damn thats true

why do i ruin my life

>> No.4445625

franzen pisses me off to no end. something about his round, placid, blinking, stupid face and the way he talks and his shitty writing.

>> No.4445622

>>4445608
Why would you write at work?

I think it's doubtful anyone with a job that would afford them time to write a novel while on the clock would have anything interesting to say.

>> No.4445630

>>4444960
ha I laughed

>> No.4445632

>>4445625
are u a grill

>> No.4445637

>>4445625
but anon he is the next great american novelist

time magazine said so

>> No.4445650

Well, Franzen doesn't have the internet at his workstation, so it looks like the absence of the internet is no guarantee of quality writing, either.

>> No.4445669

>>4445625
he's like a white lin tao

>> No.4445681

>>4444960
requesting "Hah I hope you have Burn Heal."

>> No.4445688

>>4445605
his readership is only middle class dilletantes (the ones with suburban houses) and your least favourite english profs.

>> No.4445695

>>4445515
>Obviously if it's something obscure you're gonna have some trouble
It's not exaggerating too much to say that the whole point of postgraduate research is to do something obscure. It is a nice idea to always be in reach of a university library I guess, but even there you'll inevitably be using the internet a lot.

>> No.4445772

That's so true. I need to go away from my computer and do some reading. But first does anyone have a good coffee recipe?

>> No.4445796

>>4445605
This guy is also (presumably) a cis white male

>> No.4445802

>>4445688
>dilettantes
As opposed to what? Professional readers?

>> No.4445813

>>4445802
Not that guy, but there are certainly people who take literature seriously and those who just read whatever hardback came out because it "looks interesting".

>> No.4445828

>>4445802
as opposed to serious readers

>> No.4445831

>>4445617
download a siteblocker for chrome

>> No.4445865

It's doubtful that someone who didn't need to discipline himself to write good fiction despite having the internet as a lifelong distraction can understand writing good fiction with an internet connection.

>> No.4446056

I'll say it again:

His arrogance writes checks his craft can't cash.

>> No.4446084

He's a good writer.

>haters gonna hate

>> No.4446730

>>4446056
>His craft can't cash
>Net worth: approximately 5 million

I despise Franzen's personality, and I don't love his writing, but his success on a critical and commercial level is undeniable.

>> No.4446921

>>4446730
you're clearly retarded

>> No.4446934

Jonathan Franzen occupies a distinguished position in the American literary establishment

>> No.4446939

>>4446934

What, "poor man's DFW?"

>> No.4446961

>>4444987
ol' k-rack

>> No.4446969

>>4446730
That's it, five million?

I mean, shit I'd love to make five million dollars writing, but he's one of the most prolific modern literary figures and his net worth is only five million?

>> No.4446975

>>4446969
I don't think you know waht prolific means

>> No.4447088

>>4446730
>check
>cash
>he obviously means literal money

>> No.4447097

>>4446730
Nothing about the line, "his arrogance writes checks his craft can't cash" even hints that the real issue is monetary earnings.

You might as well whine about how arrogance can't write checks, only people and hands can. It's a stupid thing, this stupid thing you've said.

>> No.4447102

>>4446969
>serious literature
>2013

im not surprised

>> No.4449074

>>4445605
You can drop that. Why apply faggot labels to yourself. Lrsbe that for angry fags

>> No.4449125

>>4446921
Intelligent response there
>>4447097
He was implying that Franzen's personality has somehow gained him fame. A comment like that might work if aimed at a Harold Blum type, but it doesn't fly here. No one pays to see Franzen make generalizations and toot his own horn, they pay for his writing, so the original comment is just a poorly formed criticism.

>Inb4 autism

>> No.4449146

>>4449125
Your comment only works if fame somehow equals talent.

The initial comment is that his level of arrogance does not match his level of skill as a writer--that there is a gross imbalance.

The counter-argument that Franzen has garnered fame and a following and has sold books does not negate the fact that he has barely any talent. An argument could actually be made that he has fame and a following because his talent level is low.

>>4449125
>No one pays to see Franzen make generalizations and toot his own horn

People do buy tickets to see Franzen talk, as ridiculous as it sound.

>> No.4449164

Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

>> No.4449176

>>4445622
smh. workplace i.e place you do your work. Franzen means anywhere that a writer writes.

>> No.4449184

what franzen is saying is that he has no self discipline. poor guy.

>> No.4449365

http://hudsonhongo.com/franzen/index.php

Franzen is so fucking smart, the internet is really ducking stupid, seriously. Including me. Maybe one of the few who gets it

>> No.4449380

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowt9Wq7zYU#t=123

>> No.4449395

>>4446939
That's like pretty much everybody younger than DFW, man.

>> No.4449410

>>4449365
7/10 woo

>> No.4449512

>>4449410
Me too!

>> No.4449515
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4449515

hypocrite!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>> No.4449543

How the fuck is he unable to finish moby dick? Melville's writing amazingly lyrical and it's pretty fucking funny and entertaining for the most part.

>> No.4449545

>>4449543
because he's not a dumb pleb?

>> No.4449555

>>4449545

m8. this bait was just sad.

apply yourself.

>> No.4449566
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4449566

>> No.4449635

>>4449555
m8 you one pleb piece of shit, try and apply yourself to some real literature

>> No.4449792

>>4444987
Is this a subtle Rose thread?

>> No.4449827

>>4444987
Go back to ded jack

>> No.4449847

>>4449635

im not sure if you're being shit at this ironically or what but it's still sad

>> No.4449851

>>4444956
Maybe I'm taking this quote out of context (and I'm saying this just to give Franzen the benefit of the doubt), but that quote just screams, "I'm a close-minded idiot." I've never read any of his books, though I intend to, but this quote cast a very negative impression upon him...

>> No.4449915
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4449915

>>4449851
'internet at the workplace' He's not saying the net is bad. Though he hates twitter. 'Twitter stands for everything I despise.'

>>4449146
>An argument could actually be made that he has fame and a following because his talent level is low.
I'd like to see you argue this regarding Franzen.

>> No.4449929

Can I get a concrete answer as to why you guys think Franzen is trash? I thought The Corrections did an okay job of merging post-modernist style cultural critiques with a realist use of perspective. I mean DFW did it better, but it isn't bad.

>> No.4449939

>>4449929
Because he's popular. Just like GRRM used to be pretty well regarded on here before the TV series.

>> No.4450219

>>4449365
Ten out of motherfucking ten.

>> No.4450230
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4450230

>>4450219
This deserves a fucking bump holy shit.

>> No.4450248

>>4449929
I loved The Corrections

there's a piece of me that wonders if the people on /lit/ who trash him have even read the book

>> No.4450254

>>4450248
of course not

>> No.4450257
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4450257

>>4450248

>there's a piece of me that wonders if the people on /lit/ who trash him have even read the book

there's a piece of me that wonders if you discovered /lit/ today or yesterday

>> No.4451330

He has less discernible talent than DFW.

>> No.4451640

franzen: how many metaphors does a man have to extend before you can call him a man?

>> No.4451666

>>4450248
>there's a piece of me that wonders if the people on /lit/ who trash him have even read the book
I think they're the main offenders. The Corrections is widely considered a great book by most critics worth a damn for a reason.

>> No.4451741
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4451741

Are there more posts by this kid that I like to call "Caps chan"?
I thought I saw similar posts before?
Was thinking of keeping track of her posts and making a project out of it and perhaps writing some essays.

>> No.4451763

>>4451640
>extend

>> No.4451793
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4451793

>>4451741
Surely.
You can peruse his/her posts in the archive and also his/her tumblr:
http://ryzhknd.tumblr.com

If you finish the essays post them here so we can enjoy and have merry laughs together

>> No.4451800

>>4451741
>writing an essay on a pseudo-intellectual schizophrenic

>> No.4452136

>>4451741
i like what he has to say

>> No.4452145

>>4451741
His name is R E I and he's been here for ages.

>> No.4452160
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4452160

>>4451741
>Was thinking of keeping track of her posts and making a project out of it and perhaps writing some essays.

>> No.4452248

probably a good way of estimating peoples' newfaggotry here is how they refer to KOZ

>> No.4452259

>>4452248
>Being a tripfag
>Being a newfag
I'll take the latter any day of the week.

>> No.4452300

>>4452259
I never understood how "newfag" was an insult. Basically, it just means you haven't been wasting your life away refreshing the pages of 4chan.

If anything, being an oldfag reminiscing about past threads is far more pathetic.

>> No.4452372

It means you can't follow the memes and trends of a board's community nor do you know who particular significant members of that community are. This is peripheral really to how much time you spend on the board, you could spend little time here and yet by paying attention to the right posts perfectly well have your finger on the pulse of the community. The idea that someone is an oldfag just because they mash the f5 key every two minutes reading this board is inane. I know REI's previous instantiations not because of the amount of time I spent here, for someone could spend much more time here than I do and yet still not be aware of REI's previous instantiations, but because I paid attention to REI's posts and consciously became more familiar of his particular input in relevant threads, as any naturally social person does in a community.

>> No.4452377

>>4450248
I read freedom. Franzen can write, but his storys and the plot of it is fucking boring and nauseating.

>> No.4452399

>>4452372

Wow you are such a faggot lol

>> No.4452407

>>4452372
>significant members

lol, good one

>> No.4452415

>>4452372
>The idea that someone is an oldfag just because they mash the f5 key every two minutes reading this board is inane.

How so? It's fairly accurate, every way I look at it, bro.

One oldfag to another, we're losers. By the way, aren't there lads with whom you must go have fish and chips?

>> No.4452434

>>4452372

You've mentioned community a couple of times lately, and I like the sentiment, but I can't bring myself to feel that. 4chan seems too transient. There's a constant influx of new people, and the aggression here, if I were to view it as a real community which I am a part of, it would be so poisonous to me as an individual. I know that nothing here can touch me unless I let it, but I think a big part of a community is that you do let yourself be touched, you open yourself, and that is impossible here, because all you'd open yourself to would be hatred. It would wear me down.

I liked your posts in support of trips, but those days are over.

>> No.4452482
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4452482

>>4452372
This shit is jokes

>> No.4454406

>>4451793
he writes short "stories". he's been "published".

>> No.4455030

>>4445669
If Tao Lin was insanely pretentious and hated fun.

>> No.4455295

>>4452372
nice to see you back m8