@@machinatingminotaur6285 I had the same problem (tho I gave up after book two), but every time I start thinking about the series, the feeling comes back. Idk if that's normal
I love your meme videos, but I hope you never stop doing this kind of content. I really appreciate the brevity and honesty of your books recommendations.
You might be the first person I’ve heard describe The Road as “a happy book,” Jake, but I love your reason, which I find convincing enough to resolve to quote you the next time I’m recommending it to someone. Great to hear your thoughts on these stories!
I love how when you display your past video of 'A Little Life' it is half watched which is representative of the fact you were hooked for the first half of the book. Brilliant Metaphor. Bravo Man Who Carry Thing.
i just read the road. absolutely amazing book, cant wait to read blood meridan next. i like cormac’s incredibly idiosyncratic writing style. a lot. such a desolate yet moving story
Blood Meridian had me so on edge at one point that I realized I was baring my teeth and bugging my eyes out. Cannot recommend highly enough in the "books about awful things that teach you about humanity" category.
I'm amazed that your balancing both styles of content on the channel and somehow keeping it cohesive. I'm not a big reader but your reviews are pulling me in ❤️
Great point. I've not seen many channels manage that. At least not without throwing off their audience after going one route for so long that a good chunk of subscribers might not like the other kind. Alternatively, the common thing to do would be separate channels for either topic. But I'd probably have a hard time deciding which one to use for the main thing. The humorous videos seem to have drawn in the bulk of the subscriptions, but the more serious side is what got it started.
Personally, I prefer your book videos. I love your funny vids too but these videos remind me to appreciate the art! Thanks for helping me get back into reading again!
I started reading the stormlight archive, in part because of your channel. I had heard things about this series before hand, but you talking about it encouraged me to pick it up!
I started reading the Dark Tower series in part because of your videos on them. I just finished Wizard and Glass, moving on to Eyes of the Dragon next. King has a way of writing that is so offensive and crass that it heightens the tension and makes the rare moments of beauty and catharsis stand out. I love it.
I read Five Decembers because of this vid! I got it for my birthday and read about 20 pages before putting it down for lack of time. I picked it back up the day after Christmas and read the remaining 400 pages. It is absolutely incredible. I love the style and could hear the dialogue in an old-timey radio voice and would love to see this come to a radio performance series. Absolutely stunning work! Thanks for getting me into it!
When I started The Road, I was thrown off by the lack of punctuation in dialogue. But as I read, it somehow made the book better and more intense for me.
Yes, the lack of punctuation almost eliminates the separation between the different gears of "narrator telling the story" and "people talking" you usually see in books. Another book that does this well is News of the World by Paulette Jiles (the choice to do this in a western was almost certainly inspired by McCarthy).
@@AcmeMonkeyCompany When I was reading "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff, mostly after seven years of school English, the punctuation in that book somewhat confused me. We'd been taught pretty much no punctuation rules in our English classes, so I knew it was possible that I had a bad grasp on them. But still, I had never felt that way when reading any other English text. It was years later that I read a review on the book that mentioned its "idiosyncratic punctuation".
Thank you for the warning for "A Little Life"! I've seen this book a lot and I've been smart enough not to pick it up because I know that it could make my mental health issues worse (because the only context I see it in are the videos of people crying because of this book... I don't even know what it's about) but I have never seen anyone put this kind of warning in their content about the book. Maybe sadness can be a good thing, but despair and hopelessness aren't... So thank you again for caring about those who are not very well when it comes to mental health!
I've mostly considered myself a "non-reader" but I read "The Road" for a college class and really liked it. granted my 19-20 year old classmates and I weren't ready to fully process the book as we spent the first two classes debating about what caused the apocalypse (I insisted it was a volcano). Over the course of the book though you could feel our class discussions get more insightful and mature.
The Road is such an odd case with me On a reread I now genuinely love the book for its odd prose and great tone, but man was the taste originally soured when I was in school; everyone was assigned one of five books and i ended up with this one. Problem is, it was a class section on dystopias, and even now I wonder "did she mix up post-apoc and dystopia or am I missing something?"
Always love it when I see a book video from you. In fact you just motivated me to stop wasting time and to pick up my book again. Currently reading a classic, 1984
I gave my Dad my copy of The Road to read. Such a moving piece of fiction. I think it wasn't exactly disturbing, but the depth of detail in the description was so vivid it slapped me in the face like I was there.
After watching this video I read Five Decembers and it has probably become one of my top favorite books of all time. The story is extremely engaging, the character work is solid and it left me with a large variety of emotions. Thank you for the fantastic recommendation and I can’t stress enough for other readers to pick this book up as well!
I studied the road in school and it's stayed with me ever since. The way he describes the desolate environment the book is set in and the constant danger they face, while still managing to weave such a beautiful relationship throughout is haunting. Great review!
My favorite recent book has been One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I ended up buying five of his other books immediately after finishing. I fell in love with the Latin American magical realism genre reading Jorge Borges, but I admit to being a little too slow to understand all of Borges' stories by myself. Gabriel Marquez was so easy to be absorbed in by comparison.
Okay, Five Decembers sounds fantastic. On my Wish List at once, although it sounds like A Little Life needs to drop off that list. McCarthy's a favorite of mine. Definitely get more people to read his work, and that of Westlake and Leonard, too. Have you yet discovered the Pendergast or other novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child? They collaborate seamlessly on elevated, intelligent thrillers, and each writes the same kind of thing on their own. In addition, Douglas Preston's The Monster of Florence and The Lost City of the Monkey God are superb nonfiction books.
I read The Road in high school, but as with pretty much every book in high school (except for, somehow, Great Expectations?) I did not enjoy my experience because of its attachment to homework and school, but also because I hadn't yet reached a level of emotional and mental maturity to really dissect what's happening in the book. I'd love to go back. Anyways, I know your channel really popped off because of your short skits (which is also how I found it) but I really do appreciate your videos on books because, while I don't get to read as much as I'd like, I love to get recommendations because I do keep an eye out for the next book I'm going to read.
I agree - don’t read The Road during a bad time in your life. I read it during one of the best summers of my life and it is probably my favorite novel. Your description of it is exactly on point
The Discomfort of Evening is one of my favourite disturbing books. It's a picture of a young girl's life as she deals with the fallout of severe trauma when left untreated and unrecognised by her highly religious (and equally suffering) family. Very bleak. Very moving, and an accurate portrayal of trauma.
I started reading Revival by Stephen King and felt I had to put the book down after the first 49 pages - just wasn't getting into it. But then three weeks goes by and I decided to give it another chance and literally the story picked up on page 50 with a really disturbing accident that leaves a beautiful young woman and her baby completely disfigured. This book is actually becoming one of my more admirable King novels so far. And I can't wait to check out The Road after finishing it. I really appreciate that you're still making videos about books on occasion because I always value recommendation from content creators I enjoy watching.
I just finished reading Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. Definitely recommend! Also, read The Road in high school. It was a good read but a little more intense than I usually prefer
Yeah The Road was relentlessly bleak, but weirdly optimistic. Father and son carrying the fire and keeping hope alive...very poignant. Also, I read The Mad and The Bad after your rec...pretty cool! Didn't stick with me like The Road, but still a fun story
I can't recommend the short graphic novel Cheer Up! Love and Pom-Poms enough, especially for a queer audience. My trans lesbian ass cried so hard so much at how truly and gently the transfemme experience was handled, and the sappy romance was Supposed to take the edge off but I cried even harder at it. Love love love. Also read Lincoln in the Bardo which is funny, imaginative, experimental (but in a readable way) and strikingly non-patriotic which is welcome :)
Thx for Skillshare. Also thanks for Butcher’s Crossing recommendation. I ordered it a few weeks back and it’s now on my reading list. Really excited for that, the whole idea of transcendentalism as a romantic yet unrealistic aspiration is something that I’ve wanted to write about for a while. To me that’s even what the Adam and Eve story is about, in a way. There’s this tragic quality about humanity isolating itself from the rest of the natural world and being unable to fully integrate itself into it again. Thanks again for the inspiration (Also loved your thoughts on Faulkner)!
MCT, I'm a Canadian viewer who just watched one of your videos. I've read The Hot Rock and The Road, both mentioned in this video (dissimilar, I know). This is the first time I have heard someone speak with your kind of enthusiasm for Donald E. Westlake. Our municipal librarians probably stocked so much Westlake because of Westlake's upstate New York residence, but I would like to shake your hand, MCT, if I met you, to hear what you think. Unlike Westlake's other titles that are disturbing reading, the Hot Rock doesn't bother me, except that Dortmunder and his crew aren't succeeding in their tasks at hand. One of the more disturbing novels of Westlake's is one he penned late in life, titled Humans, about the divine decision to end life on Earth. I want to thank you, MCT, for helping me let go of some of my feelings about Westlake, and I wish you the best of luck with your comedy career.
J.G Ballard covers disturbing quite nicely. High-Rise is a particular favourite (his short stories are brilliant, too). On other notes: The Killjoy, by Anne Fine - The Driver's Seat, by Muriel Spark - The New York Trilogy, by Paul Auster.
I started watching for the memes after the 'intros are getting weird' video, but the booktuber side has gotten me into reading for the first time in like three years. I Just finished 'Capone: The Man and The Era' and started on the 2011 Steve jobs biography. Thanks Jake!
I recently finished reading Five Decembers and I can't say I've read something quite like it before. The book is vivid and intense, but is also quite often melancholy and heartbreaking. It took me a few weeks to get through the beginning, but as soon as the plot picked up the pace I couldn't put the book down. Thanks for the recommendation!
so I scoped The Hot Rcok from one of yer skit videos and checked it out and really enjoyed it from how absurd it was with the cast of goofy heist men. Their escalating efforts to retrieve the stone and the increasing desperation of the man paying for them really starts getting grimy at the end, like drowning rats. Good stuff
I'm only 100 pages into Stephen King's newest book "Fairy Tale" and I'm really, really enjoying it. His newer work isn't for everyone but this book has an intriguing premise that I wish I hadn't spoiled for myself before pre-ordering it.
I got a book recommendation. I read tochman’s Eli Eli as required reading and it was amazing. I love it. It’s a polish report about slums in philippines and photography and partly about slum tourism, but the theme of photography is most prevalent. It might be tough to find an english translation, but if you do, please check it out. I’m not too into reading but this left such an impression on me
I finished Five Decembers in a couple of days thanks to your recommendation! Was an engrossing book, the main character and prose seemed a bit flat at times but the story and circumstances around it had me hooked.
I read Wuthering Heights a few weeks/months ago after watching your vid on it and remembering I had the ebook I'd gotten a long time ago. Absolutely loved it. One of my favorite reads of the year so far for sure.
The road is one of the few times I've cried at a work of art. McCarthy always is wonderful at staring into the absolute evil mankind is able to do and still have moments of true altruism bleed through.
big fan of Cormac McCarthy. No Country For Old Men is one of my favorite books and the movie is my favorite movie. i absolutely loved The Road, it made me cry multiple times and its a book i recommend constantly. it’s beautifully depressing and the relationship between the father and son is so well written. glad you enjoyed it!
It continues to be so difficult for me to get back into reading when I used to do it so often, but I’ll check out some of these recommendations! Thank you, funny meme man
I read the Road as one of my first books in college. To get back into reading. I didn't find it disturbing at all. More sad and touching. One of my favorite books. Now I am into Fantasy books. Please read Name of the Wind and share your thoughts! Its my favorite book of all time.
I know this video is old, but I so wonder what you’d think of The Road as an expecting father, or even better, a new father in the future. I would highly recommend a reread at some point, from my experience!
I bought and read Butcher's Crossing based off one of your earlier videos and it's become one of my favourite books. Don't think I would have ever tried it or even known it existed without your video, so thank you!
I'm surprised that I've not seen you mention McCarthy more on this channel, especially with you being a big Faulkner fan and with most McCarthy conversations having the word "Faulknerian" nestled in there somewhere
I read butchers crossing because of your recommendation in your favorite books video since I had just re read blood meridian and was looking for things in a similar western vein... Absolutely loved it. Just wanted to say thanks for pointing that one out.
I got back into reading through classic scifi a little while ago (recently having read dune, 2001, foundation, and currently reading ringworld), and I’m glad youtube is recommending me book videos now so I can find new books to check out and expand my horizons!! Your recommendation really made me want to read The Road so I plan on getting that next. Thanks! :)
You know I really like your chanel because you recommend other stuff than the typical booktuber. I mostly read fantasy but I read butchers crossing on your recommendation and man was it good....and cruel and disillusioning and kind of endlessly sad at the end.
The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/mancarryingthing09221
Sure is taking a long time for 1,000 people to click that link...
Didn’t expect such a glowing recommendation to read the entire Twilight series, but I guess I should start reading it.
you should
I tried that, but by half way through book two I became profoundly disorientated and could no longer feel my feet.
i thought this was a fantano comment section cliche
@@ian_b That's Normal.
@@machinatingminotaur6285 I had the same problem (tho I gave up after book two), but every time I start thinking about the series, the feeling comes back. Idk if that's normal
I love your meme videos, but I hope you never stop doing this kind of content. I really appreciate the brevity and honesty of your books recommendations.
thanks! and i never plan to stop, i love to read
@@ManCarryingThing 🤓
Ooooo brevity what a big word
for disturbing read NIGHT IN ZAGREB by author Adam Medvidović
I love that The Road is basically about how no matter what state the world is in, love and being nice always make things better.
Hey man you're genuinely really good at reviewing these books good job keep it up and keep holding that thing
hey thanks, i appreciate it
He's the man holding things
god I love how many booktubers there r each with their own taste, I'll never run out of books to read thx to u guys
HAVE YOU HEARD OF BRANDEN SUNDERSON
I love how even your serious videos are not taken too seriously.
You might be the first person I’ve heard describe The Road as “a happy book,” Jake, but I love your reason, which I find convincing enough to resolve to quote you the next time I’m recommending it to someone. Great to hear your thoughts on these stories!
hahaha thanks Philip! Yes, the road is a happy book, perfect for a beach read!
@@ManCarryingThing my mother in law actually read it on our beach trip
I'd call it more hopeful than happy
I love how when you display your past video of 'A Little Life' it is half watched which is representative of the fact you were hooked for the first half of the book. Brilliant Metaphor. Bravo Man Who Carry Thing.
It's been Skit Carrying Thing for a while and although i got used to it, I'm glad Man is back!
i just read the road. absolutely amazing book, cant wait to read blood meridan next. i like cormac’s incredibly idiosyncratic writing style. a lot. such a desolate yet moving story
Blood Meridian had me so on edge at one point that I realized I was baring my teeth and bugging my eyes out. Cannot recommend highly enough in the "books about awful things that teach you about humanity" category.
*The Road in thumbnail*
11/10
such an incredible and depresing read, loved it so much!
I'm amazed that your balancing both styles of content on the channel and somehow keeping it cohesive. I'm not a big reader but your reviews are pulling me in ❤️
that's really nice to hear, thanks!
@@ManCarryingThing absolutely! I love your content. Cheers! 🥂
Great point. I've not seen many channels manage that.
At least not without throwing off their audience after going one route for so long that a good chunk of subscribers might not like the other kind.
Alternatively, the common thing to do would be separate channels for either topic.
But I'd probably have a hard time deciding which one to use for the main thing.
The humorous videos seem to have drawn in the bulk of the subscriptions, but the more serious side is what got it started.
Personally, I prefer your book videos. I love your funny vids too but these videos remind me to appreciate the art! Thanks for helping me get back into reading again!
I was feeling a bit sad before reading The Road, and felt great afterward. It was like a new appreciation for my life. Thanks for the Video Jake!
I started reading the stormlight archive, in part because of your channel. I had heard things about this series before hand, but you talking about it encouraged me to pick it up!
I started reading the Dark Tower series in part because of your videos on them. I just finished Wizard and Glass, moving on to Eyes of the Dragon next.
King has a way of writing that is so offensive and crass that it heightens the tension and makes the rare moments of beauty and catharsis stand out. I love it.
Super happy to see a book review video! Your short form vids are great but hearing your opinions on titles is really a treat.
What's a books
you have this certain passion with which you speak that makes me want to stay, even if it doesn't really interest me all that much
thanks!
I read Five Decembers because of this vid! I got it for my birthday and read about 20 pages before putting it down for lack of time. I picked it back up the day after Christmas and read the remaining 400 pages. It is absolutely incredible. I love the style and could hear the dialogue in an old-timey radio voice and would love to see this come to a radio performance series. Absolutely stunning work! Thanks for getting me into it!
That's awesome! So glad you enjoyed it
When I started The Road, I was thrown off by the lack of punctuation in dialogue. But as I read, it somehow made the book better and more intense for me.
What did you think about the ending
Yes, the lack of punctuation almost eliminates the separation between the different gears of "narrator telling the story" and "people talking" you usually see in books. Another book that does this well is News of the World by Paulette Jiles (the choice to do this in a western was almost certainly inspired by McCarthy).
@@spectrumto8521 it was disappointing, but I think it was more realistic than other possibilities
@@AcmeMonkeyCompany When I was reading "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff, mostly after seven years of school English, the punctuation in that book somewhat confused me. We'd been taught pretty much no punctuation rules in our English classes, so I knew it was possible that I had a bad grasp on them. But still, I had never felt that way when reading any other English text. It was years later that I read a review on the book that mentioned its "idiosyncratic punctuation".
The road is just a tear-jerker.
Thank you for the warning for "A Little Life"! I've seen this book a lot and I've been smart enough not to pick it up because I know that it could make my mental health issues worse (because the only context I see it in are the videos of people crying because of this book... I don't even know what it's about) but I have never seen anyone put this kind of warning in their content about the book. Maybe sadness can be a good thing, but despair and hopelessness aren't... So thank you again for caring about those who are not very well when it comes to mental health!
love when these drop, they’re really fantastic, man.
thanks my friend
I've mostly considered myself a "non-reader" but I read "The Road" for a college class and really liked it. granted my 19-20 year old classmates and I weren't ready to fully process the book as we spent the first two classes debating about what caused the apocalypse (I insisted it was a volcano). Over the course of the book though you could feel our class discussions get more insightful and mature.
First booktuber I've followed/known about. I've always struggled with finding books/getting recommendations and this is a god send
The Road is such an odd case with me
On a reread I now genuinely love the book for its odd prose and great tone, but man was the taste originally soured when I was in school; everyone was assigned one of five books and i ended up with this one. Problem is, it was a class section on dystopias, and even now I wonder "did she mix up post-apoc and dystopia or am I missing something?"
Always love it when I see a book video from you. In fact you just motivated me to stop wasting time and to pick up my book again. Currently reading a classic, 1984
Five Decembers is my favorite read over the last five years or so. Absolutely loved it
I gave my Dad my copy of The Road to read. Such a moving piece of fiction. I think it wasn't exactly disturbing, but the depth of detail in the description was so vivid it slapped me in the face like I was there.
After watching this video I read Five Decembers and it has probably become one of my top favorite books of all time. The story is extremely engaging, the character work is solid and it left me with a large variety of emotions.
Thank you for the fantastic recommendation and I can’t stress enough for other readers to pick this book up as well!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Always keen to hear what you’ve been reading and enjoying Jake! I get excited when I see you’ve put out new book related videos
I studied the road in school and it's stayed with me ever since. The way he describes the desolate environment the book is set in and the constant danger they face, while still managing to weave such a beautiful relationship throughout is haunting. Great review!
I love seeing the longer form videos from you. It’s engaging
Nice to see another book related vid!
My favorite recent book has been One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I ended up buying five of his other books immediately after finishing. I fell in love with the Latin American magical realism genre reading Jorge Borges, but I admit to being a little too slow to understand all of Borges' stories by myself. Gabriel Marquez was so easy to be absorbed in by comparison.
"the handsomest drowned man in the world" is one of my all time favorites
I'm reading this right now and it's beautiful
The Road is my favorite dad story! You're right that above all it is a story about human connection and surviving together at all costs
I read The Sound and The Fury based off one of your other video recommendations. So glad I did. What a great book.
Getting into books, this channel is perfect. I love your comedy and I appreciate the good recs
your channel is probably the one with the best evolution over time that i’ve ever seen
❤️
It's always a pleasant surprise when you drop some bookish content. 👏
thanks david!
Okay, Five Decembers sounds fantastic. On my Wish List at once, although it sounds like A Little Life needs to drop off that list.
McCarthy's a favorite of mine. Definitely get more people to read his work, and that of Westlake and Leonard, too.
Have you yet discovered the Pendergast or other novels by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child? They collaborate seamlessly on elevated, intelligent thrillers, and each writes the same kind of thing on their own. In addition, Douglas Preston's The Monster of Florence and The Lost City of the Monkey God are superb nonfiction books.
I read Butcher's Crossing, Valdez is Coming, and Stoner all because of your recommendations. I loved them all, hope the book content keeps rolling.
that's terrific, glad you enjoyed them
I read The Road in high school, but as with pretty much every book in high school (except for, somehow, Great Expectations?) I did not enjoy my experience because of its attachment to homework and school, but also because I hadn't yet reached a level of emotional and mental maturity to really dissect what's happening in the book. I'd love to go back.
Anyways, I know your channel really popped off because of your short skits (which is also how I found it) but I really do appreciate your videos on books because, while I don't get to read as much as I'd like, I love to get recommendations because I do keep an eye out for the next book I'm going to read.
love your longer videos- they’re always really interesting (even as someone who doesn’t read very often) keep up the good work
I agree - don’t read The Road during a bad time in your life. I read it during one of the best summers of my life and it is probably my favorite novel. Your description of it is exactly on point
The Discomfort of Evening is one of my favourite disturbing books. It's a picture of a young girl's life as she deals with the fallout of severe trauma when left untreated and unrecognised by her highly religious (and equally suffering) family. Very bleak. Very moving, and an accurate portrayal of trauma.
I started reading Revival by Stephen King and felt I had to put the book down after the first 49 pages - just wasn't getting into it. But then three weeks goes by and I decided to give it another chance and literally the story picked up on page 50 with a really disturbing accident that leaves a beautiful young woman and her baby completely disfigured. This book is actually becoming one of my more admirable King novels so far. And I can't wait to check out The Road after finishing it. I really appreciate that you're still making videos about books on occasion because I always value recommendation from content creators I enjoy watching.
Revival is a good one
I could have sworn this channel was called Man Carrying Things MANDELA EFFECT
i would never carry THINGS
I'm still trying to catch up on Sanderson so I don't have much time for recommendations. But I always enjoy your vids and it motivates me to read more
I just finished reading Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. Definitely recommend!
Also, read The Road in high school. It was a good read but a little more intense than I usually prefer
I second this. The Audio book version was phenomenal!
Yeah The Road was relentlessly bleak, but weirdly optimistic. Father and son carrying the fire and keeping hope alive...very poignant. Also, I read The Mad and The Bad after your rec...pretty cool! Didn't stick with me like The Road, but still a fun story
I can't recommend the short graphic novel Cheer Up! Love and Pom-Poms enough, especially for a queer audience. My trans lesbian ass cried so hard so much at how truly and gently the transfemme experience was handled, and the sappy romance was Supposed to take the edge off but I cried even harder at it. Love love love.
Also read Lincoln in the Bardo which is funny, imaginative, experimental (but in a readable way) and strikingly non-patriotic which is welcome :)
Just finished ‘Five Decembers’ which I read solely due to your recommendation! Really enjoyed it :) Thank you!
The sick twisted form is the thing you’re carrying.
As in the Thing (1982)
A horrible shapeshifting alien
Thanks for the videos!
You've helped reignite my love for reading, these videos are great
I read Five Decembers based on your recommendation and I really liked the book! Thank you!
halfway through butcher's crossing and really enjoying it - the road up next! appreciate the recommendations!
Thx for Skillshare. Also thanks for Butcher’s Crossing recommendation. I ordered it a few weeks back and it’s now on my reading list. Really excited for that, the whole idea of transcendentalism as a romantic yet unrealistic aspiration is something that I’ve wanted to write about for a while. To me that’s even what the Adam and Eve story is about, in a way. There’s this tragic quality about humanity isolating itself from the rest of the natural world and being unable to fully integrate itself into it again. Thanks again for the inspiration (Also loved your thoughts on Faulkner)!
Nice! Hope you enjoy Butcher's crossing!
I love your meme videos and also love these book videos too! I'm gonna check out Five Decembers when I can. Thanks!
MCT, I'm a Canadian viewer who just watched one of your videos. I've read The Hot Rock and The Road, both mentioned in this video (dissimilar, I know). This is the first time I have heard someone speak with your kind of enthusiasm for Donald E. Westlake.
Our municipal librarians probably stocked so much Westlake because of Westlake's upstate New York residence, but I would like to shake your hand, MCT, if I met you, to hear what you think. Unlike Westlake's other titles that are disturbing reading, the Hot Rock doesn't bother me, except that Dortmunder and his crew aren't succeeding in their tasks at hand. One of the more disturbing novels of Westlake's is one he penned late in life, titled Humans, about the divine decision to end life on Earth.
I want to thank you, MCT, for helping me let go of some of my feelings about Westlake, and I wish you the best of luck with your comedy career.
That's really nice to hear, thanks for the message. I need to check out Humans now - currently reading Smoke
J.G Ballard covers disturbing quite nicely. High-Rise is a particular favourite (his short stories are brilliant, too).
On other notes: The Killjoy, by Anne Fine - The Driver's Seat, by Muriel Spark - The New York Trilogy, by Paul Auster.
The Road is good, but Blood Meridian is perhaps the finest piece of literature written in the last hundred years.
I need more for these cuz you're only one I take recommendations from and for the past year I've read mostly books I've heard from you.
I started watching for the memes after the 'intros are getting weird' video, but the booktuber side has gotten me into reading for the first time in like three years. I Just finished 'Capone: The Man and The Era' and started on the 2011 Steve jobs biography. Thanks Jake!
That makes me happy to hear
I recently finished reading Five Decembers and I can't say I've read something quite like it before. The book is vivid and intense, but is also quite often melancholy and heartbreaking. It took me a few weeks to get through the beginning, but as soon as the plot picked up the pace I couldn't put the book down. Thanks for the recommendation!
so I scoped The Hot Rcok from one of yer skit videos and checked it out and really enjoyed it from how absurd it was with the cast of goofy heist men. Their escalating efforts to retrieve the stone and the increasing desperation of the man paying for them really starts getting grimy at the end, like drowning rats. Good stuff
haha glad you liked it!
The Road is a must read. Not so much disturbing as bleak.
I got a used donald e westlake book recently because I liked the cover, and now im even more excited for it
I'm only 100 pages into Stephen King's newest book "Fairy Tale" and I'm really, really enjoying it. His newer work isn't for everyone but this book has an intriguing premise that I wish I hadn't spoiled for myself before pre-ordering it.
Thanks for recommending Five Decembers, just finished it. Fantastic work.
glas to hear!
I got a book recommendation. I read tochman’s Eli Eli as required reading and it was amazing. I love it. It’s a polish report about slums in philippines and photography and partly about slum tourism, but the theme of photography is most prevalent. It might be tough to find an english translation, but if you do, please check it out. I’m not too into reading but this left such an impression on me
I finished Five Decembers in a couple of days thanks to your recommendation! Was an engrossing book, the main character and prose seemed a bit flat at times but the story and circumstances around it had me hooked.
I read Wuthering Heights a few weeks/months ago after watching your vid on it and remembering I had the ebook I'd gotten a long time ago. Absolutely loved it. One of my favorite reads of the year so far for sure.
when the rest of the dark tower reviews coming?
I hope to finish the last book by the end of thee year, if not early next year
@@ManCarryingThing my reaction upon finishing series: 😱🤯🥰
Your reaction:
🤔(we will see…)
The road is one of the few times I've cried at a work of art. McCarthy always is wonderful at staring into the absolute evil mankind is able to do and still have moments of true altruism bleed through.
I read Butcher's Crossing based on your recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it, will check out Five Decembers next.
cool! yes please do
big fan of Cormac McCarthy. No Country For Old Men is one of my favorite books and the movie is my favorite movie. i absolutely loved The Road, it made me cry multiple times and its a book i recommend constantly. it’s beautifully depressing and the relationship between the father and son is so well written. glad you enjoyed it!
Agree completely with your review of The Road. Very moving depiction of father's love for his son. Great book
It continues to be so difficult for me to get back into reading when I used to do it so often, but I’ll check out some of these recommendations! Thank you, funny meme man
I came to your channel for short funny haha videos, i stayed for the books
please don't stop that, it's great
I read the Road as one of my first books in college. To get back into reading. I didn't find it disturbing at all. More sad and touching. One of my favorite books. Now I am into Fantasy books. Please read Name of the Wind and share your thoughts! Its my favorite book of all time.
I know this video is old, but I so wonder what you’d think of The Road as an expecting father, or even better, a new father in the future. I would highly recommend a reread at some point, from my experience!
Damn this channel has everything; love yer content mate...
i followed you for the funny skits, but you also talk about books! what a nice surprise
I bought and read Butcher's Crossing based off one of your earlier videos and it's become one of my favourite books. Don't think I would have ever tried it or even known it existed without your video, so thank you!
I already had The Road on my tbr so that's awesome to hear. Concerning Five Decembers, I just put it on my TBR and I'm excited to eventually read it.
A BOOK VIDEO, MY FAITH HAS BEEN REWARDED
I'm surprised that I've not seen you mention McCarthy more on this channel, especially with you being a big Faulkner fan and with most McCarthy conversations having the word "Faulknerian" nestled in there somewhere
Oh a video that more then 30 secs, omg he is feeding us good today
I read butchers crossing because of your recommendation in your favorite books video since I had just re read blood meridian and was looking for things in a similar western vein... Absolutely loved it. Just wanted to say thanks for pointing that one out.
I got back into reading through classic scifi a little while ago (recently having read dune, 2001, foundation, and currently reading ringworld), and I’m glad youtube is recommending me book videos now so I can find new books to check out and expand my horizons!! Your recommendation really made me want to read The Road so I plan on getting that next. Thanks! :)
As you command, funny man in my phone.
Also, congrats on 200k (almost)
hey thanks
This is without a doubt your craziest parody video yet, keep it up man
Love the skits but my true love is the booktalk.. Adding these recommendations to my list. Also the Road movie with Vigo Mortensen was awesome
You know I really like your chanel because you recommend other stuff than the typical booktuber. I mostly read fantasy but I read butchers crossing on your recommendation and man was it good....and cruel and disillusioning and kind of endlessly sad at the end.
found you becasue of the short skits, but im really enjoying your book talks. cant wait to see more of these. best wishes!
I checked put Lawrence block after your recommendation and I have to say, loved every moment of it. Great writer!
Congrats for 200k subscribers, Man!
thanks dr!
It so strange how Jake is such a genius in these videos and have such an intellectual mind. While also being incredibly relatable and hilarious