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Erik
https://www.goodreads.com/eriksilkensen
to-read
(196)
currently-reading (5)
read (510)
did-not-finish (0)
reference (36)
novel (205)
short-stories (123)
poetry (69)
interviews (52)
currently-reading (5)
read (510)
did-not-finish (0)
reference (36)
novel (205)
short-stories (123)
poetry (69)
interviews (52)
periodicals
(52)
computer-science (33)
memoir (25)
philosophy (25)
writing (24)
essays (22)
french (19)
russian (18)
math (16)
computer-science (33)
memoir (25)
philosophy (25)
writing (24)
essays (22)
french (19)
russian (18)
math (16)
“Art, in a sense, is life brought to a standstill, rescued from time. The secret of making it is simple: discard everything that is good enough.”
― Burning the Days: Recollection
― Burning the Days: Recollection
“We believe that we can change the things around us in accordance with our desires—we believe it because otherwise we can see no favourable outcome. We do not think of the outcome which generally comes to pass and is also favourable: we do not succeed in changing things in accordance with our desires, but gradually our desires change. The situation that we hoped to change because it was intolerable becomes unimportant to us. We have failed to surmount the obstacle, as we were absolutely determined to do, but life has taken us round it, led us beyond it, and then if we turn round to gaze into the distance of the past, we can barely see it, so imperceptible has it become.”
― In Search of Lost Time
― In Search of Lost Time
“Looking back at a repetition of empty days, one sees that monuments have sprung up. Habit is not mere subjugation, it is a tender tie: when one remembers habit it seems to have been happiness.”
― The Death of the Heart
― The Death of the Heart
“This evening, which I have tried to spirit away, is a strange burden to me. While time moves on, while the day will soon end and I already wish it gone, there are men who have entrusted all their hopes to it, all their love and their last efforts. There are dying men or others who are waiting for a debt to come due, who wish that tomorrow would never come. There are others for whom the day will break like a pang of remorse; and others who are tired, for whom the night will never be long enough to give them the rest that they need. And I - who have lost my day - what right do I have to wish that tomorrow comes?”
― Le Grand Meaulnes
― Le Grand Meaulnes
“Week before last I went to Wesleyan and read “A Good Man Is Hard to Find.” After it I went to one of the classes where I was asked questions. There were a couple of young teachers there and one of them, an earnest type, started asking the questions. “Miss O’Connor,” he said, “why was the Misfit’s hat black?” I said most countrymen in Georgia wore black hats. He looked pretty disappointed. Then he said, “Miss O’Connor, the Misfit represents Christ, does he not?” “He does not,” I said. He looked crushed. “Well, Miss O’Connor,” he said, “what is the significance of the Misfit’s hat?” I said it was to cover his head; and after that he left me alone. Anyway, that’s what’s happening to the teaching of literature.”
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Erik’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Erik’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
909 books
|
875 friends
11,267 books
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715 friends
444 books
|
60 friends
376 books
|
6 friends
158 books
|
219 friends
456 books
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34 friends
115 books
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92 friends
269 books
|
79 friends
More friends…
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