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/lit/ - Literature

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3815795 No.3815795[DELETED]  [Reply] [Original]

What do you guys think of Tao Lin's new book?

Any other young writers you love?

> Paul’s father was 28 and Paul’s mother was 24 when they alone (out of a combined fifteen to twenty-five siblings) left Taiwan for America. Paul was born in Virginia six years later, in 1983, when his brother was 7. Paul was 3 when the family moved to Apopka, a pastoral suburb near Orlando, Florida.

>> No.3815805

> Paul cried the first day of preschool for around ten minutes after his mother, who was secretly watching and also crying, seemed to have left. It was their first time apart. Paul’s mother watched as the principal cajoled Paul into interacting with his classmates, among whom he was well liked and popular, if a bit shy and “disengaged, sometimes,” said one of the high school students who worked at the preschool, which was called the Discovery Center. Each day, after that, Paul cried less and transitioned more abruptly from crying to interacting with classmates, and by the middle of the second week he didn’t cry anymore. At home, where mostly only Mandarin was spoken, Paul was loud and either slug-like or, his mother would say in English, “hyperactive,” rarely walking to maneuver through the house, only crawling, rolling like a log, sprinting, hopping, or climbing across sofas, counters, tables, chairs, etc. in a game called “don’t touch the ground.” Whenever motionless and not asleep or sleepy, lying on carpet in sunlight, or in bed with eyes open, bristling with undirectionalized momentum, he would want to intensely sprint in all directions simultaneously, with one unit of striving, never stopping. He would blurrily anticipate this unimaginably worldward action, then burst off his bed to standing position, or make a loud noise and violently spasm, or jolt from the carpet into a sprint, flailing his arms, feeling always incompletely satisfied.

>> No.3815813

just ordered it a couple hours ago :/

>> No.3815830

Eagerly anticipating. Fucking Helsinki has got it. Cover is dumb. The VICE excerpt hit me in the feels. I always related a little bit to tao's sense of humor and outlook, but the section about his early childhood was very relatable. From the excerpt, his prose felt a little awkward and gets convoluted (unintentionally, not for laugh), stumbles on itself sometimes, and the humor isn't as strong, but other than not being that funny, I think it's okay, I always came to Tao for Tao as a whole, not individual aspects of his work or his technical skill.

>Any other young writers you love?
Not really. I've been reading Rimbaud.

>> No.3815838

goddamn it tao, you just like, fucking suck so hard dude. do you ever literally ever stop sucking this fucking inordinate amount of dicks for even one second?. holy shit you're awful. reading this fragmented monotonous garbage makes me want to swallow a handful of thumbtacks dude. pls die tao
t
a
o
p
l
s
d
i
e
pls die

or at least just go to bed or something

>> No.3815853
File: 36 KB, 382x450, why-shame-is-toxic[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3815853

>tfw about to preorder

>> No.3815874

>>3815853

please dont. i know you know better.
try mutilating your genitals with a can opener instead.

>> No.3815882

>>3815853

I'd like to understand this phenomenon. You know it's bad, yet you still want to order it. Why?

>> No.3815893

Would it be possible to ever find any of Tao's books in a bookstore? I'm sort of interested in picking one up... but don't want to order off amazon

>> No.3815896

>>3815893
Order off bookdepository or something then.

>> No.3815898

>>3815893
He is being published by Vintage so yes.

>> No.3815899

>>3815893

i stole Shoplifting from American Apparel from Chapters.

>> No.3815904

>>3815882

it's because they identify with his life-crippling autism, which still doesnt explain why they would opt for tao when they could just take a corkscrew to both of their fucking eyeballs instead

>> No.3815908

>>3815830
>>Fucking Helsinki has got it.

Really? I popped yesterday by Suomalainen Kirjakauppa and it was not there.

>> No.3815918

>>3815882
>it's bad
No

>> No.3815920

Lemony Snicket and the New York Times like Tao Lin,

why doesn't /lit/?

>> No.3815921

just pre-ordered it

>> No.3816028

>>3815874
>>3815904
>not liking tao for the autist he is

>> No.3816062

>>3816028

if being an autist always entails writing like one, i'll pass ace

>> No.3816072

You guys know Br0 is Tao Lin, right?

>> No.3816074

>>3816072

Oh shit you're right, I just realized now

Hey Tao Lin!!!!

>> No.3816077

>>3816072
No. I know he's some pathetic fanboi pretending to be Tao Lin, though.

>> No.3816078
File: 247 KB, 565x848, kidney-stone-symptoms[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3816078

>>3816062
I assume you're taking the piss but you don't have to be a fan of a writer's prose to be a fan of his work.
You see, Tao Lin is proficient in multiple multi-media mediums (quite representative of the multi-tasking prevalent in today's ADHD generation, excuse the pun), he is a new form of artist, a body of work that embodies his body (and mind), whose documented actions on various digital networks are part of, and necessary, to appreciate his singular, larger commercially proliferated efforts. His expression is vertical, linear and genuine. In a world of quick consumption and self-branding, say hello! to the contemporary artist.

>> No.3816079

>>3816062
that's the whole point. at least tao brings something new and interesting to the table stylistically compared to most others.

>> No.3816102

>>3816072
>>3816074
i used to think so but after googling i think he's someone different

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e-BgnZY5qg

tao's youtube is http://www.youtube.com/user/binkymallomar

>> No.3816135

Hey, it's Tao, go here

http://www.taolin.info/

>> No.3816193

>>3816135
Hey, your books suck and you have no dignity.

Fuck off.

>> No.3816197

>>3816078

please dude, i understand all that. i just don't buy into the idea that the accurate reflection of a niche part of societal degeneration deserves praise by virtue of its accuracy alone. the way our language is devolving we'll soon enough be communicating strictly through grunts and tao's writing captures that. i get it.
but why should a piece of work deserve merit just because it is faithful to the great bore which has become the life of the "modern internet youth"?fuck that. if some dude with downsyndrome wrote a piece which remained faithful to his retardation i would not give it praise just because it was an example of "hrhrh honest realism".

>> No.3816198

>>3816135
we love you tao, never change

>> No.3816212

>>3816135

Prove that you're tao.

>> No.3816232

>>3816197
Tao Lin's writing isn't neccesarily simplistic. Have you read Eeeee or Bed?

>> No.3816254

>>3816197
>language
>devolving

i was shocked when i saw you posted this, satan. i thought you'd know better. language is always in a state of "devolution," insofar is it is always changing based on usage. even if it isn't, i'd still disagree. world illiteracy rates have been dropping since we've been able to measure them and more people have a higher education than ever have before (meaning a greater proportion of the population has a greater vocabulary than in the past). people are reading, writing, and speaking with a greater knowledge of language than ever have in the past.

>> No.3816263

anybody got dat leak?

>> No.3816264
File: 204 KB, 855x1205, PhilMusArt-Dali-Figure[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3816264

>>3816197
You're projecting alt lit's output onto Tao. It's hardly an accurate reflection of any group or society considering his writing is strongly imbued with his ironic sense of humor and outlook, which is what I'm personally attracted to. The only thing it's purportedly realistically depicting is Tao's perspective, ironic, satirical, self-deprecating, l'etranger incarnate. All art is a window into man's soul, m8: Tai Pei = Tao Pai.

>> No.3816269

I like Tao Lin cause he writes about real life, and I don't just mean real settings, i mean real god damn day to day average life, and all the thoughts and observances that usually come with it (that we ignore, because it's all usually so in the back of our brain) but Tao has seemed to have tapped into those thoughts and if you look at his work closely I think you'll find a lot of yourself in there.

>> No.3816289
File: 273 KB, 497x655, 1330535588889.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3816289

The excerpts from this were bad, as per usual with Lin.

People seem to like Tao Lin because he depicts some empty, uninteresting existence they identify with and -in their generational narcissism- enjoy being reflected back at them. It's not for me. Outside of a few brutally dryly-funny scenes, he's worthless.

>> No.3816298

>>3816289
>le wrong generation absurdism face

>> No.3816318

>>3816289
Wow, I just realized that that picture is a piece of paper wrapped around a block of wood.

>> No.3816322

>>3816298
I don't quite follow.

If you're chalking me up as one of those "hurr born in the wrong generation" types, then no. But sometimes the vanity of those who have grown up with social networking parallels even the fucking baby boomers.

>>3816269
>I think you'll find a lot of yourself in there.

Except that I'm not an autistic edamame-consuming zombie.

>> No.3816328

>>3815898
Is it going to be available worldwide?

>> No.3816336

>>3816318
that's a brick nigga

>> No.3816342

>>3816328
well its available in finland

>> No.3816345

>>3816135
>>>bed

>> No.3816356

>>3816254

Compare the daily vernacular of people in the Victorian period to the daily vernacular of modern people. Internet acronyms have invaded conversation.

>> No.3816368

>>3816289
>“The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours” - Alan Bennett
Enjoying literature in which you can see aspects of your life is not narcissistic.

>> No.3816373

>>3816356
>Compare the daily vernacular of people in the Victorian period to the daily vernacular of modern people.
ok I'll just go talk to all the victorian people I know

>> No.3816382

>>3816264

>It's hardly an accurate reflection of any group


then you clearly have no insight into this niche community within modern youth, and you've clearly never ironically attended parties... trust me man, i've tried my hand at the life of a cynical, indifferent, pretend-illiterate, drugged up youth. the layer of irony, added to muffle the "honest intention" of actually enjoying something, is nothing but a weak shield from criticism. it's all really fucking underwhelming and gay, and nothing worth writing about.
ironic autism is just as boring as honest autism, etc

>> No.3816385

>>3816373

Are you fucking retarded?

>> No.3816383

>>3816368
Lin seems to write expressly for this purpose. There's very little incentive to read much of his stuff otherwise.

>> No.3816398

>>3816382
>pretend-illiterate
What does that even mean

>> No.3816411

>>3815838
Can we just, like, ban this guy or something?

>> No.3816414

>>3816398

dumbing down your vocabulary and speech to not seem like a try-hard, have you ever socialized with your peers, ever?

>> No.3816419

>>3816414
What in the world are you talking about

>> No.3816421

>>3816411

i'm awesome you stupid faggot, but you can easily filter me if you'd like, which never works as you just constantly end up clicking that little arrow to see what i say...this would in effect just add another chore to your /lit/ experience, hth

>> No.3816424

>>3816382
hey you fucking asshole OK maybe I have never attended any pomo hipster parties and maybe i live vicariously through tao b/c not every1 is so cool as u to make it up in the big city OK so y dont U get off MY back

>> No.3816435

>>3816419

lel, don't worry about it ace, do go out much

>> No.3816444

>>3816419

He's right though.

>> No.3816468

>>3816424
I'm sorry that was a cheap move.
Like I said, I think you're projecting alt lit's output onto Tao, you've definitely described what they write and how they behave but I don't like what they make or how they behave, I like what Tao makes and how he behaves. Tao doesn't do drugs because he's branded himself apathetic and existential, he does adderall because of his social anxiety, even he announces it with self-awareness. I think a lot of his work is informed by his social anxiety, and it grants his ironic self-consciousness a level of sincerity, a fundamental difference from forced irony.
And he has a funny sense of humor and his perception of things are funny, that's why I like him. He's funny, and I can relate to him and general anxiety. I don't like all his stuff (I like his essays, tweets/instagrams and his 'dry' prose), but I respect his approach, I'm sure he's thought his shit like his hamster drawing shit through a bit and found some solid foundation that I don't care enough to understand.
Other similar lit generally has a imitative sense of humor that is less clever and less interesting. I can't relate to pseudo-sincere minimalist realism because I think it's fucking stupid and transparent, I don't think they're funny and I don't find their emotional baggage and self-assurance amusing or valuable, either told through beautiful flashes of art or ironic self-deprecation, it's stupid, derivative, produced from a social effort, heavily artificial in the most sincere sense.

Tao Lin isn't writing the same shit, his approach and views are similar, and they look up to him, but I don't find his so diluted, washed down or appropriated, because he behaves so sincerely and embodies them so fully.

>> No.3816489

>>3816468


what are you talking about he's always going on about xanax and E, but ok, you're basically repeating yourself at this point and i get your infatuation with something that i find downright boring (for reasons explained above) so i'll not reciprocate by repeating myself and we'll just agree to disagree, how does that sound?

>> No.3816494

>>3816424
i doubt tao lin goes to any "pomo hipster parties" either...real life is never as good as the stuff you see on blogs, hate to break it to you.

>> No.3816505

>>3816489
Yea, sounds good!

bur ymaneon

>> No.3816528

>>3816385
no, but you might be
your sources for what victorian people talk like will be biased as fuck towards favouring the rich and educated (being created by the rich and educated and/or subscribing to a form created by the rich and educated, if they're primary sources, or based on the above if they're secondary sources), and your perception of it will be biased as fuck by your presumption that old and latinate = better.

language changes
get over it

>> No.3816545

>>3816383
And? If he succeeds at capturing the mood of a generation, that's a pretty good achievement. Maybe it's not what you look for in a book, but it doesn't make it bad or the people who dig it narcissists.

(dunno if tao lin succeeds at that though haven't read anything by him lol)

>> No.3816557

>>3816494

>as good

lel

>> No.3817748

any dl links yet?

>> No.3817779

>>3815908
Akateeminen has had it for a week. The one next to Kolmen Sepän Patsas.

Anyhow - I find very little enjoyment from the sterile, neutral prose. Is it wrong to? I expected a magnum opum of sorts (it's my first Lin book) and what I read was a quite normal autobiographic work about bohemian life of the author, his alienation and hard adulthood. Is there more? I don't know.

>> No.3817781

>>3815795

I'm reading it at the moment. It's just a bit....I honestly don't know how to describe it.

It's closer to 'Bed' than it is to SFAA or Richard Yates, but it still isn't really anything.

There are a lot of scenes that are almost direct transcriptions of scenes from his 'movie' Mumblecore.

>> No.3817816

>>3817748
also curious about this

>> No.3817944

OP confirmed for shit posting

>> No.3818477

>>3817748
>>3817816
yeah if the mobis go out early on amazon as they tend to do sometimes someone pls up it

standard shipping is anus and i'm gonna be out of town the day it should get here

>> No.3818502

>>3817944
OP is Tao

>> No.3818509

> young writers

tao lin is like 30 bro

>> No.3818629

Tao, I'll marry you next.

>> No.3818957
File: 120 KB, 460x550, 219.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3818957

Hey guys.
Is this going to be available in Spanish?

>> No.3819115

>>3816421
wow, so cold, so meta #Rare

>> No.3819173

>>3819115
Don't reply to that guy, let him hang.

>> No.3819222

>>3818957
>some of it is quite dark... with girl on girl action.... It's quite unpleasant
>girl on girl action
>dark
>unpleasant
what

>> No.3819232

>>3816468
He's shit and you're just coloured obsessed.

>> No.3820165

go away, carles

>> No.3820974

Bump

>> No.3821486

I have never read any Tao Lin books but how safely can I assume his new novels show the absurdity of modern life from the extremity of some kind of external-internal looking position?

I just read a review in the NY Times and really, nothing about Tao's book seems good beyond the fact he's exemplifying, through the act of writing, how vacuous a lot of the things we regard as normal are in 201X. He seems more self-aware than clever but I suppose both ideas intertwine in some manner.

>> No.3821492

>>3816368
>Enjoying literature in which you can see aspects of your life is not narcissistic.
Of course it is. 'not narcisstic' would be reading lit that lets you see how others live.


you're the one with the negative connotations of narcissism, not me.

>> No.3821493

>>3821486
tao lin is the literary equivalent of the harlem shake, horrible meme culture for the easily led which of course makes him a perfect fit for the people who hang out on cheesy anime and lolcat image boards, so enjoy

>> No.3821498

>>3815795
>gif that doesnt loop

oh that is the final straw
FUCK OFF TAO

>> No.3821499

Much of the Tao Lin hate here has to do with jealousy, I'm convinced of it. He's a successful young male author which is what many of you want yet will never achieve.

His writing is ambitious, controversial, unlike anything in the last 20 years. The way he relates a story is incredible and his style of prose will be mimicked in the Hemyway's iceberg theory was.

I wish I could see the look on the face of a Tao Lin hater when his grandchild tells him they're reading Taipei in English class.

>> No.3821501

>>3821499
Post of 2013

>> No.3821525

>>3821499
> successful
got paid 50k for two years work writing that tripe, any decent programmer makes that in 6 months
> young
dude is like 30 years old

sorry bro but if we were looking for "successful young authors" to be jealous of there are a lot of better ones to pick

>> No.3821527

>>3821498
>gif that doesnt loop
+1
burn in a fire towelin

>> No.3821531

>>3821525
>got paid 50k for two years work writing that tripe, any decent programmer makes that in 6 months
Programmers don't get paid for living the literary lifestyle in New York and writing about it though. They get paid for being a monkey in a cubicle. And you're describing the salary of a managerial position, where you're a monkey that goes around chastising the other monkeys.

>> No.3821533
File: 18 KB, 500x431, 1321129949308.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3821533

>>3821499
>reading Taipei in English class

Thanks for playing.

I'm just afraid of the supposed pull and influence he might have on young writers, seeing as he's balls-out terrible.

>> No.3821549

i read shoplifting from american apparel by him and found it to be somewhat boring with an occasionally charming or witty passage, though ill still probably buy taipei just to see if hes improved any. he definitely has the wit to write a good book and he's the key guy to pin the alt-lit magnum opus but i could easily see him never doing so

>> No.3821558

>>3821525
>money equals success