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Can’t wait to read your review of Middlemarch. Are you a Magic Mountain fan? You inspired me to order both Diaz books.

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Thanks, Brian! I hope you enjoy the Diaz books. Let me know what you think of them. I have not read The Magic Mountain, but I have it on my shelf. I read Death on Venice, and have meant to get back to him but haven’t yet. I’m full stream ahead on Middlemarch now. Hope I can do it justice!

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No doubt you will do it justice! You are a fine book reviewer.

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❤️🙏🏼

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Nietzsche is so much more complicated than his reputation! You've reminded me of this piece by his biographer, partly about how his anti-semitic nightmare of a sister doctored his writings after his death: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/06/exploding-nietzsche-myths-need-dynamiting. It's possible I'm going to need to read that biography.

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Thanks, Julie! Pourtalès touches on his sisters efforts to profit from his work and how she corrupted it. You could make a strong case that no one ever correctly understands what he meant or was after with his work. It could just be, at its most simple, that all he wanted us to do was listen to rad music and keep an open mind about things. I will definitely read that Guardian piece. Thanks for sharing it. And if you end up reading this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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It's so ironic that keeping an open mind was his greatest wish, given how he's been used. And I'll definitely let you know if I read it. But--I'm guessing you can relate--the tbr list over here is staggering.

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I liked Castle of Otranto! As far as old gothic novels go, I actually think it's one of the faster moving ones.

Need to check out Nietzsche in Italy.

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Thanks, Timothy! I'm glad you enjoyed Otranto. If it is a fast-moving gothic novel, I think I'd be in real trouble with a slow one lol! if you end up checking out Nietzsche, I'd love to know your thoughts

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Aug 28, 2023Liked by Books on GIF

Wow! I haven't heard anyone mention The Castle of Otranto in years! It was one of the books I had to read for a History of the English Novel class way back in my college days. Pretty sure I remember that it's considered the first gothic novel? Thanks for the blast from the past!

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Thanks, Kim! Glad you got a kick out of the memory! And yes, it’s considered the first gothic novel, according to all the notes and preambles to this edition.

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