Most likely no one is going to like this post. My father was a physicist and he had a large library of books. Growing up all of these books were over my head but I tried reading all of them. The more difficult the book the more determined I became to read and understand the content. I found this to be mind expanding. I began a life long quest to read the most difficult books and texts I could find. It sometimes takes several passes. Some things didn't make sense until years later. I recommend reading outside your comfort zone and above your comprehension. The book doesn't expand your mind it's the reading process and thinking about the reading that forces the mind to expand. I have done this for 50 years and I still do it every day It's not one book but the sum total of books that expand your mind. Read with curiosity and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. A man who reads one book lives once life while a man who reads a thousand books life experiences thousands of lives. I hope these word aren't wasted. I thought my fathers library was the library of Alexandria and it was until I got a library card.
This is precisely what Mortimer Adler suggests in his book "How to Read a Book", to read above your current levels this is only how you grow your mind.
Strong advice but I feel it's much harder nowadays to go down that route when there are distractions like YouTube videos that are easy to watch and make you feel you're learning when really it's scratching a superficial curiosity itch with no depth.
That said, to answer OP's question, I got Mortimer's book called "Great Treasury of Western Thought" that has compiled quotes from Western classics into key themes (the human condition, love, religions, etc), and it provided the missing link between getting meaty samples of key concepts, versus actually reading ALL the classics (the book started as the the index or 'syntopicon' of the 'Great Books of the Western World', a full compilation of Western works)
Aside: The Syntopicon by Adler et. al. is an amazing resource. It is nearly incomprehensible and is keyed to specific editions of The Great Works of the Western World. But, my lord, if you get the ducks lined up in a row, the Syntopicon is an amazing piece of work.
This is a very specific question but... Stoner by John Williams is one of my favorite books. It was also more difficult for me to read than other books I typically pick up which are primarily sci-fi and NYT bestseller fiction books.
When I read the Wiki for Stoner years ago I saw this line, "Bryan Appleyard's review quotes critic D.G. Myers saying that the novel was a good book for beginners in the world of "serious literature"". I looked up D.G. Myers and to see if he had a list of serious literature or a twitter where I could ask about such a list only to find he passed away in 2014.
Does anyone know of such a list? Googling provides results but nothing... conclusive.
I was recommended Stoner by someone I respect.
"Lists" of serious literature are usually crap; either apple polishing bullshit, or political oriented nonsense. I've tried this sort of thing; even Adler related "Great Books" groups are hot garbage at this point. You need to find well read people worthy of respect.
I take well known lists (e.g. Gates') with a grain of salt, but cross referencing with personal recommendations has worked well. I ended up getting a copy of Stoner after it came up a few times in as many weeks, so it was handy last time I went on vacation.
I also usually search HN for threads like these when I'm looking for things to read. I'm fairly certain that's how I came across Seveneves.
I struggle with this since I also want to read something I enjoy and not make it a chore. I tried reading Moby Dick recently and was so disappointed. I wanted to read the original but the old English threw me off and I found it boring.
Reading literature's pretty different from reading easy fiction. It takes a different approach and mindset to appreciate it but it's incredibly rewarding when one does. Think "acquired taste", or maybe the difference between reading a pop-math book and a math textbook. Ditto reading non-contemporary fiction, so that's two hurdles to overcome in this case. I don't have any sage advice on how to gain the ability to read and enjoy literature, aside from that for most people it takes practice and persistence before it's comfortable, like getting used to the temperature of a pool. Starting small helps and is probably how most people work up to the point of being genuinely excited and gripped by something like Moby Dick.
I guess if I had any advice to offer to someone wanting to achieve that (if it's an achievement) it'd be to try older popular literature (try King Solomon's Mines, it's amazing, then work your way to even older stuff) to get used to older English (nb not Old English, which is another thing entirely and you're not likely to encounter much of it in anything but an extremely deep reading of English lit) and to read short, relatively easy "literary" works that are more recent. Vonnegut's way at the easy end. Maybe try Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby or his short stories? Salinger's Nine Stories? I'm not sure—at this point I have trouble judging what's approachable. I'd make a terrible teacher of literature.
Lots of things kinda work this way. Jazz and "classical" music usually take some work on the listener's part, to personally learn and develop, before they yield their greatest fruits. Most folks have trouble enjoying silent films, but there are some damn good ones out there. Just takes effort and time.
Moby Dick and Blood Meridian both have a certain biblical feel to them which really hits hard. Can't say they were mind bending but both were nice trips.
I'll just add that the sweet spot for learning is rarely as far out as your younger self found it to be (much to the credit of your youthful determination). Too easy, and one's engaging in little more than practice. Too hard, and one lacks the conceptual framework onto which extend one's understanding.
However, I do definitely agree with your advice not to fear the uncomfortable feeling of being at the hard end of the spectrum. With time and determination, we're often capable of longer grasps than we realize.
Any advice on how to balance learning/knowing theory vs practical stuff? As a kid, I read tons of books. While I don't regret it, I kinda wish I had spent some time outside doing socializing and physical activities. I'm in awe of people who seem perfectly happy with a book by themselves but also get along nicely with other people as needed.
The best way I know to balance is by scheduling your time. Maybe keeping a log. When I read I usually read two or three books at a time with one book being very difficult and one being normal. I will switch books every 10 minutes to build my recall. I am extremely introverted so I don't talk to people unless I have to. I prefer to write.
I actually am planning to buy a handful of books that are way outside my education / intelligence level in hope to gain a better understanding of some concepts and tech that I'm interested in. Well see how this goes.
I had a similar experience! My grandfather was a Phd in bio from Harvard so I had his library to peruse. My favorite difficult book was Biology and Knowledge by Jean Piaget.
