Absolutely. And any time the discussion comes up where people try to justify why, it’s such a fascinating, packed opening line that there’s so much to dissect. Funnily, in various top 10 lists, I’ve seen it referred to as both over and underrated.
There are a few books out there like that. I've heard people say they'd never date someone who liked books by certain authors (Yuval Noah Harari comes up quite a bit).
Indeed it is. Sadly, I sometimes played it in class for my students ( it has great vocabulary in it, this is how teachers think!) but it wasn't a big hit with most of them. Teenagers and their rubbish taste, eh?
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle got me through my marriage breakdown. I’ve never read the Alchemist. Atomic Habits, is on my lap right now, my daughter’s RE teacher ‘forced’ the class to buy it 🤣 she’s never read it, but I want to. Cracked up that you shared the break up email with your class 😁
I haven't read the Power of Now, perhaps I should. I might start with a sample and see how it goes. I should perhaps also give Atomic Habits another go, though my brother-in-law told me definitely not to bother. So much conflicting advice!
(I shared way too many things with my students over the years, that's for sure!)
Atomic Habits is excellent. It's a shame he blabs on so much at the beginning, but I think it's a requirement for the self help genre. A couple of chapters of "this book is so great!" and I'm always thinking "why the fuck are you stilll trying to sell it? Whoever's reading this far has bought it." Anyhoo.
There's a really good podcast called If Books Could Kill, where the hosts focus on self-help/pop culture books (Freakanomics, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis, 48 Laws of Power, stuff like that). Atomic Habits is one episode, but I haven't listened to it. I've tried to be fair and objective in only listening to episodes talking about books I know. But I think just knowing that there's an episode on it weighs on my mind.
As I mentioned, I think there's room for humility in introductions, or at least less bragging. Your point is a great one on one hand (why sell it?) but on the other hand, I tried the free kindle sample and after the intro I was like, 'nope!'
Tell you what - I'll keep it on my radar and if it drops to an absurdly low kindle price (he doesn't need my money!), I'll get it and at least give it another chance.
Then again, life is too short, my TBR pile is growing and growing...
I admit I do like metaphysical books, but I was never able to get into The Alchemist because it seemed kind of trite.
As a former EFL teacher, I love how you turned the Irish barmaid's final email to you into a really fun class project. I wish I'd thought of something similar back in the day! I also laughed out loud when you said that your second thought about her letter was "How could she have misspelled weird?" That would have been my second thought as well!
I did things like this once or twice over the years, using a friend's email or something similar. I also have a chapter from my book that I'm going to publish here soon about me being a grammar pedant and how it cost me a girlfriend! I seem to have a habit of letting bad grammar and spelling get in the way of romance 😂
I'm on p 150. I read about 100 pages on my trip and now it's my evening before bed reading, a chapter or two a day. I have 5-6 books on the go at a time (there are a couple more I didn't mention in my post) and I take them all slowly. So far, so good, I'm really into it now - the pace has picked up and the intrigue is really building.
By the way, have you read any David Mitchell? I noticed he has a quote on the back and certain aspects of the Pachinko remind me of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, a book I love.
A few things - a love story (of course), but the dynamic is different in Thousand Autumns - that features a Dutch trader in Japan at the end of the 18th century. There's the colonial/war similarity, both set in Japan, but again with a different power dynamic - the Dutch were voluntarily in Japan, whereas the Koreans had no choice. There's also the religious aspect - the anti-Christian laws in 18th century Japan play a significant part, much like in Pachinko.
So glad you wrote up this story - loved it! And happy to have the final reveal of the author that would have got me/us blocked. What a relief that no one suggested him, you will be able to sleep at night now knowing that your subscribers are snobs too hehehe 😝
Haha, I'm sure I've pissed off one or two readers at least. This is a rough generalisation, but in my experience the ratio of love: hate for The Alchemist is 3:1. So I'm bound to have readers who love it (but maybe they're too afraid to say?). One thing that gets my goat, and that I've complained about once or twice on Substack, are the people who, when I share my posts on IG or FB, comment there, and only on the headline! I had two comments along the lines of 'yay, I loved that book!' They clearly didn't read the post, but even the title and subtitle give it away, no?
(btw, Leaving the Atocha Station did make the final cut, so when I do get to it, I will of course officially thank you 😉)
Hahaha, always good to inspire debate. And I get the feeling you aren't adverse to a bit of controversy! 😛
That's funny (and irritating) about those people commenting without reading the actual post, tsk tsk and shame on them!
I did notice that Leaving the Atocha Station wasn't mentioned, but didn't want to get all petulant about it 😂 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts when you get to it!
I'm definitely a bit of a rabble rouser, but disappointingly, I have yet to really get into a tiff with anyone no matter how hard I try! I need to up my game and start saying some outlandishly over-the-top stuff. 😂
I haven't read The Alchemist because it always seemed like the type of book with no subtlety that I would hate, and your post only reinforces that. Though Atomic Habit I actually enjoyed for the most part, so what do I know, haha. As for books that changed my life, I don't believe there are any, to be honest. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and I can't come up with anything. Reading as a whole changed my life, that's obvious, but one book? Idk. Maybe The Hunger Games, because it got me back into reading as an adult.
You've missed nothing by not reading the Alchemist - those quotes I shared pretty much tell you the gist of the story. Perhaps I should give Atomic Habits a chance though, if I can ignore the introduction. There's a great podcast I listen to called 'If Books Could Kill' and the hosts take books like Atomic Habits (and Freakanomics, The 48 Laws of Power, Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, those types of books/authors) and attack them, pick them apart, and it's highly amusing. I have yet to listen to an episode on a book I haven't read, and I'm not sure whether to listen to the Atomic Habits one or give it another read.
No E.M. Cioran on your list of life-changing books? 😂
Your Hunger Games example is a nice one - it often takes just one book to kick-start and re-energise an old habit.
If this helps, Atomic Habits doesn't really say anything revolutionary if you've read about habits before. I enjoyed it because I found it motivational, the sort of self-help book that actually makes you want to take action once you put it down. I think that's why it was so successful, because it's easily digestible and engaging as long as you vibe with the writing style. Which you might not if you didn't like the intro.
Also no Cioran. I'm not sure I've read anything by him to be honest so I'm obviously bringing shame to my country. Now that you brought him up I realize I might relate to his writing as an adult since he was so morose, lol.
You ought to be stripped of your Romanian citizenship! 🤣
Funnily enough, I used to teach Romanians, they were some of the loveliest students to teach and whenever literature came up, I'd ask them about Cioran. I've read a couple of his books and I 'enjoyed' them (that's not the right word, but they were interesting, for sure). Most of my students thought I was nuts! 'How can you like that guy?!' they would ask. So you're not alone 😉
You're lucky that you've managed to avoid it all these years. I'm biased, of course, but I'd wholeheartedly say no. There are so many better books out there. Not sure if bleak existentialism is your thing (it's a far cry from the Spider!), but I often recommend The Sheltering Sky as an influential book.
Earthly Powers has the best opening line of any novel.
Absolutely. And any time the discussion comes up where people try to justify why, it’s such a fascinating, packed opening line that there’s so much to dissect. Funnily, in various top 10 lists, I’ve seen it referred to as both over and underrated.
It's lame as fuck. If someone says it's their favourite I immediately know we won't be great friends.
There are a few books out there like that. I've heard people say they'd never date someone who liked books by certain authors (Yuval Noah Harari comes up quite a bit).
Just came to say that Modern Love by Bloc Party is a CHOOOOON! No strong feelings about The Alchemist, though.
Indeed it is. Sadly, I sometimes played it in class for my students ( it has great vocabulary in it, this is how teachers think!) but it wasn't a big hit with most of them. Teenagers and their rubbish taste, eh?
Booo what do they know 🙄
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle got me through my marriage breakdown. I’ve never read the Alchemist. Atomic Habits, is on my lap right now, my daughter’s RE teacher ‘forced’ the class to buy it 🤣 she’s never read it, but I want to. Cracked up that you shared the break up email with your class 😁
I haven't read the Power of Now, perhaps I should. I might start with a sample and see how it goes. I should perhaps also give Atomic Habits another go, though my brother-in-law told me definitely not to bother. So much conflicting advice!
(I shared way too many things with my students over the years, that's for sure!)
Atomic Habits is excellent. It's a shame he blabs on so much at the beginning, but I think it's a requirement for the self help genre. A couple of chapters of "this book is so great!" and I'm always thinking "why the fuck are you stilll trying to sell it? Whoever's reading this far has bought it." Anyhoo.
There's a really good podcast called If Books Could Kill, where the hosts focus on self-help/pop culture books (Freakanomics, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Lewis, 48 Laws of Power, stuff like that). Atomic Habits is one episode, but I haven't listened to it. I've tried to be fair and objective in only listening to episodes talking about books I know. But I think just knowing that there's an episode on it weighs on my mind.
As I mentioned, I think there's room for humility in introductions, or at least less bragging. Your point is a great one on one hand (why sell it?) but on the other hand, I tried the free kindle sample and after the intro I was like, 'nope!'
Tell you what - I'll keep it on my radar and if it drops to an absurdly low kindle price (he doesn't need my money!), I'll get it and at least give it another chance.
Then again, life is too short, my TBR pile is growing and growing...
I admit I do like metaphysical books, but I was never able to get into The Alchemist because it seemed kind of trite.
As a former EFL teacher, I love how you turned the Irish barmaid's final email to you into a really fun class project. I wish I'd thought of something similar back in the day! I also laughed out loud when you said that your second thought about her letter was "How could she have misspelled weird?" That would have been my second thought as well!
I did things like this once or twice over the years, using a friend's email or something similar. I also have a chapter from my book that I'm going to publish here soon about me being a grammar pedant and how it cost me a girlfriend! I seem to have a habit of letting bad grammar and spelling get in the way of romance 😂
Perfectly understandable!
How far along have you gotten with Pachinko?
I'm on p 150. I read about 100 pages on my trip and now it's my evening before bed reading, a chapter or two a day. I have 5-6 books on the go at a time (there are a couple more I didn't mention in my post) and I take them all slowly. So far, so good, I'm really into it now - the pace has picked up and the intrigue is really building.
By the way, have you read any David Mitchell? I noticed he has a quote on the back and certain aspects of the Pachinko remind me of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, a book I love.
Nice! It's great spending more time with a book—I always feel a bit of a hangover when I rush through them.
I haven't to my memory, though it's possible I read Cloud Atlas many years ago. Which aspects remind you of Pachinko?
A few things - a love story (of course), but the dynamic is different in Thousand Autumns - that features a Dutch trader in Japan at the end of the 18th century. There's the colonial/war similarity, both set in Japan, but again with a different power dynamic - the Dutch were voluntarily in Japan, whereas the Koreans had no choice. There's also the religious aspect - the anti-Christian laws in 18th century Japan play a significant part, much like in Pachinko.
That sounds really interesting—thanks for sharing! Have you read any books by Tan Twan Eng? If you like these books, I think you'll enjoy his.
I haven't but I've added his books to my TBR list now. They sound fascinating and it's an area of history that I'm not as familiar with.
So glad you wrote up this story - loved it! And happy to have the final reveal of the author that would have got me/us blocked. What a relief that no one suggested him, you will be able to sleep at night now knowing that your subscribers are snobs too hehehe 😝
Haha, I'm sure I've pissed off one or two readers at least. This is a rough generalisation, but in my experience the ratio of love: hate for The Alchemist is 3:1. So I'm bound to have readers who love it (but maybe they're too afraid to say?). One thing that gets my goat, and that I've complained about once or twice on Substack, are the people who, when I share my posts on IG or FB, comment there, and only on the headline! I had two comments along the lines of 'yay, I loved that book!' They clearly didn't read the post, but even the title and subtitle give it away, no?
(btw, Leaving the Atocha Station did make the final cut, so when I do get to it, I will of course officially thank you 😉)
Hahaha, always good to inspire debate. And I get the feeling you aren't adverse to a bit of controversy! 😛
That's funny (and irritating) about those people commenting without reading the actual post, tsk tsk and shame on them!
I did notice that Leaving the Atocha Station wasn't mentioned, but didn't want to get all petulant about it 😂 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts when you get to it!
I'm definitely a bit of a rabble rouser, but disappointingly, I have yet to really get into a tiff with anyone no matter how hard I try! I need to up my game and start saying some outlandishly over-the-top stuff. 😂
I'll get the popcorn ready 😅
I haven't read The Alchemist because it always seemed like the type of book with no subtlety that I would hate, and your post only reinforces that. Though Atomic Habit I actually enjoyed for the most part, so what do I know, haha. As for books that changed my life, I don't believe there are any, to be honest. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and I can't come up with anything. Reading as a whole changed my life, that's obvious, but one book? Idk. Maybe The Hunger Games, because it got me back into reading as an adult.
You've missed nothing by not reading the Alchemist - those quotes I shared pretty much tell you the gist of the story. Perhaps I should give Atomic Habits a chance though, if I can ignore the introduction. There's a great podcast I listen to called 'If Books Could Kill' and the hosts take books like Atomic Habits (and Freakanomics, The 48 Laws of Power, Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, those types of books/authors) and attack them, pick them apart, and it's highly amusing. I have yet to listen to an episode on a book I haven't read, and I'm not sure whether to listen to the Atomic Habits one or give it another read.
No E.M. Cioran on your list of life-changing books? 😂
Your Hunger Games example is a nice one - it often takes just one book to kick-start and re-energise an old habit.
If this helps, Atomic Habits doesn't really say anything revolutionary if you've read about habits before. I enjoyed it because I found it motivational, the sort of self-help book that actually makes you want to take action once you put it down. I think that's why it was so successful, because it's easily digestible and engaging as long as you vibe with the writing style. Which you might not if you didn't like the intro.
Also no Cioran. I'm not sure I've read anything by him to be honest so I'm obviously bringing shame to my country. Now that you brought him up I realize I might relate to his writing as an adult since he was so morose, lol.
You ought to be stripped of your Romanian citizenship! 🤣
Funnily enough, I used to teach Romanians, they were some of the loveliest students to teach and whenever literature came up, I'd ask them about Cioran. I've read a couple of his books and I 'enjoyed' them (that's not the right word, but they were interesting, for sure). Most of my students thought I was nuts! 'How can you like that guy?!' they would ask. So you're not alone 😉
Phew, glad our reputation as being generally nice holds up 🤭
Thank you for the mention. I have never read The Alchemist. Should I? Shouldn't I? I didn't even know about this book until today, so thanks for that.
You're lucky that you've managed to avoid it all these years. I'm biased, of course, but I'd wholeheartedly say no. There are so many better books out there. Not sure if bleak existentialism is your thing (it's a far cry from the Spider!), but I often recommend The Sheltering Sky as an influential book.