Report UrFace21's Profile

If i remember correctly you were studying medicin and economics right? This break is definitely needed, once i start working there probably wont be time for such breakes anymore.

I have seen almost all of s1 of Deadwood, but it got removed from hbo so now i will have to find it through other means. I have like 100 pages left of a norwegian book im reading, so i’ll be starting TCOMC right after finishing that. Keep me posted on your progress with Paradise Lost and renewed experience with aot/monster.

Thank you! So you are finishing a bachelors degree next year right? I am finished by integrated masters in engineering of electrical systems. I’ll probably start applying for jobs very soon, but i atleast plan to have an extended vacation until at least september. I started UNI straight from highschool and never took any time off, so i dont really worry that much about getting a job right away.

These HBO series are really something else, each one resonating with me in a unique way. I believe i rewatched all of aot in 2022, so it has been a couple years for me as well. I also watched Monster in the fall of 2022, and i do own the entire manga physicallyso i should probably do a reread soon. That being said, i do have several books lined up, starting with The Count of Monte Cristo, and i also ha e to finish Six Feet Under and Deadwood. Will you be reading anything in the near future?

Hey bro, sorry for the late reply! How is it going? Happy to hear you enjoyed BCS, it is also among my favorites. I also feel that the altered approach to storytelling compared to BB really succeeded in what it aimed to do. Comparing the series i feel like BB has a greater sense of direction, but BCS is more polished in terms of character utilization as you mentioned. Gilligans style of applying music is also once again an element i love with the series. Regarding the characters i would say that Jimmy reigns supreme, and the rest of the cast is very strong with consistent quality across the board. The show also offers as you mentioned great character dynamics, most notable with Jimmy/Chuck and Jimmy/Kim. I also like how tragic Howards character is. I would probably rank the two last seasons and s3 at the top, and s1 last as you said.

I just finished my thesis and graduated from college, so i have allot of time this summer to watch and read stuff. Rn i am on s2 of "Six Feet Under", and i would def recommend it to you. It is very raw and forces the viewer to face various exitential questions and fears.

It would be very interesting to hear your thoughts on Kafka on the Shore, so i would recommend it for that reason only even though i rate it a 3/10 haha

That aspect of Mad Men is also crucial, and i for one look down upon reducing the image of success and happiness to the level of wealth one has achieved.

Better Call Saul is very good, it is more reserved compared to breaking bad, and i can see arguments elevating both over the other, but i am more inclined towards BB due to it being more determined in its story telling.

Both 1984 and TGG were interesting, but i must say that i found the narrative quite boring in both. I didn’t really fancy any of the characters either, which further added to my lack of interest. What you mentioned about the folly of the american dream was a good aspect though, and i really hated the chracters that embodied the upper class of the novel (TGG). I might have found an english translation on amazon, though im not sure since it says "English/Norwegian". Here is the link if you are curious: https://www.amazon.com/Haugtussa-Forteljing-Norwegian-Arne-Garborg/dp/1277286817. Faust part 1 and 2 essentially tells the same story, but in completely different ways. Faust p1 is linear and easy enough to comprehend, but p2 jumps from one absurd situation to another while incorporating vast amounts of references and allusions to contemporary german society, history and mythology. I prefer p1, though both have some of the best written verse i have read. The language flows extremely well and you could easily read p1 in one sitting. It reads far better than shakespeare imo, considering both are plays. P1 is a tragedy, while P2 offers redemption for Faust. P2 is much more dense and complex, while p1 is more concise and entertaining. Frustration while reading p2 puts it below p1 for me.

I have read Norwegian Wood and Kafka on the Shore by Murakami, and i vastly prefer the former. My biggest issues with his writing are how they are overtly sexual and how he writes women. Sex is written unrealistically and it seems his fetish for older woman/young man permeats his books, which i find distasteful. Norwegian wood is mostly good but has some issues with this, while kafka on the shore is plagued by these issues. The story in the latter is essentially about an edgy teenager with incest desires towards his mom and sister that moved away from him and his father when he was a kid. It is basically loosely inspired by Oedipus Rex but falling short in every way. I gave it a 3/10, the entire plot was stupid and nasty, with only a few redeeming qualities in how the plot followed two sepererate narratives with one of them not being from the teenagers perspectives.

House of Leaves is pretty damn good so far, currenlty about 2/3 through it.

I can totally see that, i also find myself less inclined to reading in such periods. I am still looking forward to your thoughts once you get around to reading it.

Mad Men was a great show, not on par with the likes of Sopranos and The Wire, but still a 9/10. I would say that the stretch from s2-s4 was the most consistent of the show, and it lost some momentum for the last three seasons(still very good). Donald Draper is for sure among my fav characters, how he embodies the human condition, search for meaning, existential dread and lack of identity was excellent. I loved how this show utilized music, and that they used music to end every episode. There are many examples of great scenes that does this, for instance the end of s6 when he shows his childhood home to his kids with Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" in the background. Themes of indulgence in debauchery, nihilism, patriarichal entitlement, womens emancipation were deeply integrated in the plot and characters, which elevates the series above its contemporaries like Breaking Bad. We have discussed this before, but this show also does not lean on plottwists and over the top, borderline unrealistic scenarios for entertainment, which adds to its longevity.

Since we last spoke i have read Faust, Pride & Prejudice, Kafka on the Shore, The Tempest, The Doors of Perception/Heaven and Hell, The Ice Palace, 1984, The Great Gatsby, and The Mountain Maid. The most noteworthy of these are Faust, Pride & Prejudice, The Ice Palace, The Tempest, and The Mountain Maid which i would all rate an 8/10. Faust part 1 was excellent, part 2 was extremely challenging to comprehend due to excessive references to greek mythology and an otherwise abstract and chaotic narrative. Pride & Prejudice was just tightly written, The Ice Palace was beautiful and tragic tale spoken in metaphor which i believe you would enjoy. The Mountain Maid is also something i believe you would like, but i am afraid it does not have an english translation. It was written by a Norweigan poet in 1895, and is essentially a collection of poems connected by a narrative of a girl in the country side of norway that becomes a psychic that can see and experience supernatural phenomena in nature and in humans. She is thus alienated from her local community, and her inner struggle becomes a symbol for the battle between good and evil in the human mind. it is written in the second official written language in norway, and was at times quite challenging due to its abstract nature and extensive vocabulary.

I have now started "House of Leaves", and will hopefully finish it within the next two weeks.

Hey, how you doing man? Have you gotten around to reading/watching anything interesting? I finished Mad Men and a couple books, nothing particularly crazy

Thanks for getting back to me.

Enjoy.

Hey, how ya doin?

I'm well myself. How's progression with reading Tomodachi Game?

Yesterday, I put on a nice little hour film called Angel's Egg. It's one of those kinds of nonsensical media, I liked it a lot. I don't have to analyze anything because the movie is up for interpretation, the director couldn't even tell you what it meant lol. I like things like that. I've got a bigger appeal now towards anime movies, I'll watch more sometime.

I'm more than halfway done reading Blade of the Immortal. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Also looking into Maruo Suehiro's work a bit in between. I've finished a short story collection, as well as a one chap by him. [DDT] [The Dancing Dwarf]

Hi, thank you for the friend request! 💚💗🧸🪄 I hope you have a great day! ♡

Aha! Very cool nonetheless!

Tomodachi Game, huh? I've seen some people talking about it.
Also that Italian novel sounds pretty interesting!

You will LOVE Homunculus. It is so masterful and super easy to digest while still being one of those tough analysis mangas.

It is always tempting to buy new books, i had to stop myself from getting the entire "In Search of Lost Time" lol. Some of the books on my plan this year are a bit discouraging since they are so long, for instance Don Quixote, Monte Cristo, The Border Trilogy by McCarthy, House of Leave and Moby Dick. Still look forward to them though

Also wanted to comment on how much i enjoy the direction they are taking Don Drapers character in terms of his attempted self improvement and his anxiety.

Hey! I noticed it's my first time commenting on your profile. I hope everything is well with you. Is anything interesting going on? Have you read anything? I've just finished reading all four physical omnibuses of Blade of the Immortal that I own. As far as samurai manga goes, it's a goldie!

Of Mice and Men is perhaps the most consistent and cohesive book i have read, it carries subtle subtext and is very emotional. I read it in 2 hours, and it made me look forward to the other books i want to read from Steinbeck, namely "East of Eden" and "Grapes of Wrath". His book titles are excellent imo. Glad to hear you will read Paradise Lost next, i have it fresh in memory now so feel free to update me on your thoughts while you read. I'll be starting Faust today, which i have high expectations for. My general reading plan for this year is mostly comprised of books i have collected over the years but have not yet read. I need to finish more books before i buy new ones lol,

The Doors of Perception was written by Aldous Huxley while he was on a psychedelic trip, so i recon it will have some similarities with Ultra Heaven. The Birds is a novel by a very important norwegian writer, it is usually curriculum in school but somehow they didn't force it upon us so i will read it for myself. Speaking of Norwegian authors, have you read "Hunger" by Knut Hamsun? He belongs to some extent to the same literary era as Dostoevsky, and "Hunger" reminds me in many ways of Crime & Punishment. It is about an unsuccessful writer in Oslo that tries to make ends meet while he is starving and experiencing borderline insanity. He explores intrusive thoughts and exaggerated impulsiveness. I would recommend it, i feel it is something you would enjoy.

I do have some historical knowledge about the great depression, but i will do a bit of pre-reading to refresh my memory before i start the novel. Monte Cristo will most likely be my summer break project due to its length and rumored adventorous nature, have been looking forward to that one for quite some time now. I will keep you posted on my progress, i'll prob just read Of Mice and Men in one sitting today. The novels i am most excited for you to read rn are definitely Blood Meridian and Paradise Lost