Existentialist Fiction discussion

I'm Branko. Writing keeps me focused, although lately I haven't been persistent; lately being the past few years. I like reading something that keeps me thinking long after I am done with the book, the short story, the blog entry etc. I don't like reading poems for the simple reason that I am unable to understand them without losing my patience.

I am Elizabeth but I go by Quantum Thief on here. Anyway this group looks really cool and fun :)

Great idea for a group. I'm the co-author of The Cowboy and Vampire Thriller series, work in communications by day and love existential writings. No Exit, and Nausea, not surprisingly, are two of my favorites.

Hi everyone,

I'm Antonello Fiore. Thank you for the group invitation. I have just self-publihed my debut novel, Killer Rumors. The genre of my book is mystery and thriller. James Patterson is my inspiration. Therefore, my writing style is very similar as his.

It would be an honor to get to know the rest of you. Wishing you all thr best!

Call me Power. I think that's easiest. In contrast to everyone else so far I scarcely write at all. I like to read fantasy, science fiction, magical realism.

I came here thinking there are a lot of pretty girls here with their bottoms exposed. Now that I know that's not the case, I now asks: why am I here? Does my presence here have any meaning?

welcome all to the group. let's make it count.
any presence has a meaning but the mission is not the meaning itself, but its pursuit.

Hello all...I'm Vern. Sometimes I'm a revolutionary but most times I'm just your typical "cat lady."

Lioness ALL DAY! lol!

Clive wrote: "Hi Vern, nice to meet you. Is that lioness or tigress?

:^}"

Good Afternoon
I studied Philosophy at the University of Wales Swansea. This sounds like a great Book Club. Looking forward to some of your recommendations.

If it takes a man a week to walk a fortnight, how many apples in a bunch of grapes?

I am Max. I love writting but I am not one of those people that are crazy about books. I am 18 years old and I am studying Philosophy. I want to say upfront that I recognize great fiction, I understand and read deep books. BUT I love mystery novels. I love puzzles. And I hate when “deep intelctuals“ discriminate my taste. I know who Plato is and what Dostoevsky represents BUT Agatha is in my heart. I realize that mystery novels are not deep but I adore them. Thank you all.

Hello I'am Ronald glad to be here sounds like a good group.

Thanks for the invite, Branko. I'm Rowena from Vancouver, BC. Slowly making my way through some of philosophy's greats. Finding some a bit challenging so it should be interesting to discuss existentialism with this group:)My favourite literature genres are probably the classics, poetry and American lit but I read just about anything.

Contrary to those "deep intellectuals" hastened words, there is nothing wrong in preferring one genre over another. It is already existentialism when the individual uses the freedom of choice to secure his/her identity and making it known in the midst of a conformity of general thought. In this case, we can say that the group represents that "conformity". No one needs and no one should blindly follow something that comes as second nature. The awareness of it, and the thought process about it is much more meaningful!

Max, Neal, Ronald and Rowena, WELCOME!

Hi everyone my name is Catherine, I live in Ireland and I love to read mostly chick lit and mysteries my fav authors are James Patterson,Virginia Andrews,jk Rowling Cecila ahern :)

Thank you for the invite Branko. I am Marguerite, married and live in Georgia. The books I enjoy reading are fiction, biography, classics, religious, American Old West history, American Indian history, American Civil War history, scifi/fantasy to name a few.lol If it looks and sounds interesting I will read it.rofl I also don't go by what others say about books to decide if I like it or not.lol

Oh yes now to my question, what exactly is Existentialist Fiction?

Hello everybody.
My name is Yamada. I'm 18 and I study computer engineering in Brazil.

This seems like an interesting group.

"And till his gloomy lifetime's close
Nor reason nor experience proud
Will crush nor crumple Destiny's
Ensanguined forget-me-nots"
K.M. Rosen

I'm trying to read all the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I have a degree in Philosophy and have read several books by Hesse (he was very popular at that time in my university together with authors like Kawabata, Bellow, Kierkegaard, Camus) but have forgotten them already except their titles. After joining gr, however, I read for the first time Hesse's Glass Bead Game which I also reviewed.. Also Kafka's The Trial and Sartre's Nausea I like chess too. I'm a lawyer. I do not know why Branko invited me here, haha.

Ohayo! I'm Kit but prefer Amora if you don't mind. I read basically anything and have written (mainly poems) a few times. I look forward to talking to ya'll in the future.

Welcome to all. I am trying to write more, but time is my archenemy and right now it is on its winning spree.

Michael, what has always occupied my thoughts is that very fact you said that existential novels do not sell. But what occupies my thoughts even more, almost in a violent manner, is to understand why such novels don't sell. I am often pissed off and disappointed how people disregard such writings over some lullabies that keep them happy, feeding them illusions of reality. Sometimes I think it is few people only that are ready to employ in existentialist search because such writings challenge their set-in-stone perceptions of life and of others. And a lot of people don't like to get their ideas challenged, being afraid to see the thin ice they are floating on.

What do you ALL think? Any merit in these words? Other perceptions? I hope so.

I studied Camus and Ionesco in school, and I have been around a variety of criminals and artists in my work, but I still don't understand what existentialism is. I joined this hoping to learn.

I am not sure how it is to teach existentialism to someone that wants to learn. I myself have never been taught of it. I am not qualified to say I understand it. But I will explain you tomorrow. At least what coincides with what is my perception. Now, I am off to bed. Until tomorrow.

Hello I'm Ken. I am a student right now and I have a big interest in philosophy and existentialism in particular. I was introduced to existentialism by way of a philosophy calss in which we did a study on Søren Kierkegaard. I went on to purchase A Kierkegaard Anthology and read the full text of Fear and Trembling. I also read some of Twilight of the Idols (though it has been long enough that I barely remember what it was about) and recently I read Albert Camus' The Guest. Right now I am reading The Brothers Karamazov, Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy, and I plan on starting up Kierkegaard's The Sickness Unto Death: A Christian Psychological Exposition of Edification & Awakening by Anti-Climacus. I guess as you can see from this post I'm not so much an existentialist as I am a Kierkegaardian.

Hello , my name is Alia. And I read almost everything. Well, fiction only. I don't prefer a specific genre as long as its a good book. To be quite honest I didn't know what is existentialism is until I googled it. It sounds very interesting and I discovered some of my TBR falls into this category. Besides its a new year and I want to get out of my comfort box. The only existentialism books I read is a couple of Paulo coelo if they were considered as such. I hated them. But I loved the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as it explored how meaningless to search and look for answers about the universe if we didn't understand the reason for that answer. If anyone could recommend me a work of existentialism fiction to start off I would be entirely grateful :)

Alia wrote: "If anyone could recommend me a work of existentialism fiction to start off I would be entirely grateful."

Well there is Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground which was my first "real" piece of existentialist fiction to read. Quite a few people on Goodreads seem to like Albert Camus' The Stranger which I plan to read.

Ken wrote: "Alia wrote: "If anyone could recommend me a work of existentialism fiction to start off I would be entirely grateful."

Well there is Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground which was my first "real" ..."

Thanks ! That was helpful. I will try to check them out and post about what I think . I read reviews about Notes from Underground and it seems so raw and intriguing.

I'm Fernanda,Mexican and a friend once told me that I spoke like an existentialist, therefore I did a research where I found Jean-Paul Sartre, it helped but not that much until I found Milan Kundera, he is quite a hero to me. I'm really fond of his writing.

I'm a realistic person with a positive approach. I'm still searching a precise idea of existentialism, it's one of those ideas I think I understand, but at the end of the day I'm not so sure about it. Perhaps this group would help me with that.

To me, existentialism is all about the reasoning that we all make our own heaven and hell by the choices we make and the actions we take. I found online what I think is a good explanation of the concept:

"Existentialism is a philosophical way of thinking that is very different from other philosophical ideas. It was started by the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855). It sees humans, with will and consciousness, as being on a world of objects which do not have those qualities. As it developed in the 20th century, it was an atheistic philosophy. Most of its main thinkers and writers were in Europe.
Many religions and philosophies (ways of thinking about the world) say that human life has a meaning (or a purpose). But people who believe in existentialism think that the world and human life have no meaning unless people give them meanings: "existence precedes (is before) essence".
Existentialists believe that our human essence or nature (way of being in the world) is entirely and simply existence (being in the world). This means that the only nature we as humans have is the nature we make for ourselves. As a result of this, existentialists think that the actions or choices that a person makes are very important. They believe that every person has to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, and what is good and bad.
People who believe in existentialism ask questions like "what is it like to be a human (a person) in the world?" and "how can we understand human freedom (what it means for a person to be free)?" Existentialism is very often connected with negative emotions, such as anxiety (worrying), dread (a very strong fear), and mortality (awareness of our own death).
Existentialism is different from Nihilism. Nihilists believe that human life does not have a meaning (or a purpose) at all."

Hello.

I'm new here, so I'm always hesitant to post anything but I think that it's a very interesting topic, so I couldn't resist. I think the name of the thread itself can't be more existential than it is. I'm not even sure how I should introduce myself here... or should I? :)
As Branko has written: "But people who believe in existentialism think that the world and human life have no meaning unless people give them meanings" and that's the way I see life and that's how I like to write my stories too. The day I realised the life had no general meaning I felt compelled to give it my own in order to survive or be able to find any happiness.

Hi, and welcome. You should introduce yourself here like you did and you are right, my explanation on existentialism does not belong in this thread. I only included it because someone had asked earlier in here. But I will post it under the "background" thread.
I like your realization. I think that existentialism revolves around it and around the constant reflections that our pursuit of meaning creates for us.

Hi Everyone and thank you for the invite Branko.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone in the group.

Hi everyone. I am
Lara Biyuts Thank you for the invite.

Hello! And thank you for the invite! This group seems very different to the others I'm in so I thought I'd give it a go.

Like many others here I come from an academic philosophy background. I have a Masters in Philosophy from Durham University. I was doing a Phd in consciousness but living life got in the way! I have to admit I was more of an analytical philosopher but I did study Kierkegaard and Sartre. I remember liking Camus' The Stranger and Sartre's Nausea at the time but I have a terrible memory and well it's been over 10 years now so should probably re-read.

I like to think I give my existence meaning every day but mostly I just eat chocolate and read romance, when I'm not working and being a mum that is. For me, I'll have lived a happy life if it's full of love and beauty.

I look forward to some interesting chats here and am off to browse the recommendations thread...

Hello, I'm Sebastian. I'm reading alot, thank you for inviting me in this group.
I have not published anything yet. Still writing. :))

Hi I'm Karla. I love writing and reading and am in constant search of books that motivate and inspire me. My favorite example of this type of fiction is the stranger. I look forward to finding new books on here that expand my mind.

Hi,I´m Badb. Thanks for the invitation to the group.I hope to discover new readings thanks to him.

Hi everyone,

I'm Antonello Fiore. Thank you for the group invitation. I have just self-publihed my debut novel, Killer Rumors. The genre of my book is mystery and thriller. James Patterson is my inspiration. Therefore, my writing style is very similar as his.

It would be an honor to get to know the rest of you. Wishing you all the best!

Hi, all, and thanks for the invite to this interesting group. I'm Sarah Black. I write gay romance, and have a new book out today!

Writing truthfully about love is the challenge I have given myself as a writer. I will probably continue to explore this little star for as long as I continue to write. The sky is full, of course, but I have picked out my star.

Though I could go on and on about why I feel love is the very finest human quality to write about, it's been my experience that lessons about fiction are best served as stories! I'll look forward to reading some existential fiction and talking about the stories with this group.

Hi my name is Michael and I decided to give the group a look at after I received an invitation. I live in a lovely little island on the bottom of Australia called Tasmania.

I love reading and reviewing a wide range of books. My job as a correctional officer gives me a doorway into the darker side of the human soul and it scares me how easy some people can do evil.

I hope I can be a productive member of this group.

Hi everyone! Thanks very much for the invitation, my name is Pedro and I'm from Portugal.

I read books since I was 10. I'm very interested in the characters' density in Haruki Murakami, the gay universe of Christopher Isherwood' and the complexity of Richard Yates.

Looking forward to know all your recomendations. I started a knew blog inspired by the movie of Luca Guadagnino, Io Sono D'Amore.

Enjoy my blog: http://saloniste.blogspot.pt/

I have mubi too.

If you want: http://mubi.com/users/1454910

I'm reading Dangerous Liaisons by Laclos.

Bless you all!

Pedro wrote: "Hi everyone! Thanks very much for the invitation, my name is Pedro and I'm from Portugal.

I read books since I was 10. I'm very interested in the characters' density in Haruki Murakami, the gay un..."

You have very good taste in authors! In my opinion...

Thanks Mickey, nice to meet you! I started reading Murakami with Sputnik Sweetheart, my sister was the one who know him first and introduce him to me. I loved the book, it's one of my favorites. I loved Miu, her story, her challenges. I discovered Yates with Revolutionary Road, the year when Kate Winslet won the best actress in The Reader. About Isherwood, it was A Single Man with Julianne Moore. I loved the movie. And the book too.

What are you reading?

Since we are talking about Murakami, have you heard that he recently unveiled his latest novel, called "Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage"? As far as I have heard, it deals with stories related to the tsunami and the disaster in Fukushima. I am very curious about it, although personaly I have not been blown away by reading Norwegian Wood. I like his style of writing, very comprehensive and straightforward, but there is something in it that I cannot describe that takes a star down in my mind. Maybe I need to read a few of his books more.

How is Kafka on the shore?

Hi Branko,

No, I haven't heard his latest novel. Here in Portugal the last book in shops is Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World.

Kafka on the shore is one of my favorite books ever. I cried, because it was very personal to me. There was mainly three characters who were special enough and have their own adversities. The sensible relationship between them creates a new universe for those like me who always feels that they don't belong to the stereotype people.

What are your favorite books?

Hi Branko and Pedro:

To fall in love with Murakami, try The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. You may have to make yourself stick with it for a while before you fall into his world. It's worth the effort, in my opinion. A truly unique voice. Magical realism. Simple to read but with great attention to detail.

As for Yates, I read the book after seeing the movie, then I read all his other books. Revolutionary Road is his best, but in general his work was overlooked and it's a shame.

Simple Man is another example of a film that led me to a great author. I love it when that happens.

Mickey

I agree with Mickey, The Wind-Up Bird Chroniclie is a lovely choice.

Simple Man or A Single Man?

Pedro wrote: "I agree with Mickey, The Wind-Up Bird Chroniclie is a lovely choice.

Simple Man or A Single Man?"

My bad: A Single Man. Terrific writing.

Pedro wrote: "Hi Branko,

No, I haven't heard his latest novel. Here in Portugal the last book in shops is Hard Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World.

Kafka on the shore is one of my favorite books ever. I..."

Here is an article about Murakami's new novel. It looks like it is only in Japanese at the moment, and there is no indication of when it will be translated.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/page...

I will definitely read up on Kafka on the shore.

My favorite book (or at least one of my favorite) is probably "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. Many people do not quite like Ayn Rand and don't agree with her selfish philosophy, but the way she is writing and the way the story line is so personal, yet it is as if it is all perceived from the distance.

Another one I really love is Hero of our times by Mikhail Lermontov!

Mickey wrote: "Hi Branko and Pedro:

To fall in love with Murakami, try The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. You may have to make yourself stick with it for a while before you fall into his world. It's worth the effort, i..."

Thanks Mickey, I will definitely try The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I read the synopsis and it seems an honest book. I like that a lot in a book.