hey /lit/

i always like to read before bed, but half the time i end up getting really tired halfway through a chapter/section/whatever. Hence 'bedtime books' -- books with very short chapter lengths so you can hang up at the end of a chapter and dont get stuck in some 40-page glut -- but if you have the energy, you can read it endlessly. it doesnt matter if they're fiction or non-fiction -- although, shorter essay collections are perfect for this. i was just wondering if you have any recommendations in this vein/your favourite types of books to read before bed. books that have worked well previously for this purpose for me: exercises in style, Borges collected fiction, the book of lost books, gargantua and pantagruel. currently reading an octavio paz essay collection for this purpose right now. have a nice day, stay whimsical faggots

>>21951819 (OP)

I didn't read your babble but I read this book of fairytales I bought at an antique shop that was set up in an old church. Really lush old book with some qaint stories

>>21951819 (OP)

Most older books have shorter chapters. Something comfy like Charles Dickens perhaps?

I am reading Tolstoy's short stories and the chapters are like 1-3 pages long

War and Peace is like this as well from what I've seen

>>21951819 (OP)

A friend reads the 1000 and one nights and I’ve been reading Aubrey’s Lives, though they were a bit of a disappointment. I’ll maybe try Queneau as you recommend.

> octavio paz essay collection

Post the index

Coraline is the perfect bedtime book



How is Nicholas Nickleby? Kinda want to read it but I'm not a Dickens fan

>>21951819 (OP)

Herodotus' Histories and Gogol's Dead Souls, both genuinely fun reads

Nice

I'm reading Gogol's Short Stories as well

Going to read Dead Souls soon

yeah this is what gargantua and pantagruel was like, forgot to mention that Anna karenina didn't have long chapters either, was very good, although i can be a bit of a little bitch sometimes when it comes to "readability" or verboseness of old (ie. pre-1800) books, especially before bed. i didnt finish the rabelais but i plan on picking it up after i get thru a couple different novels.

lol my dad some of the 1001 nights and canterbury tales when we were younger. queneau is pretty fun, it goes by really quick tho, see if you can get it from some (university) library or something. also the collection is called "Alternating Current", here's the table of contents, I got it from aforementioned university library, index is quite long.

honestly after getting me into queneau and perec i just wholeheartedly trust the "complete review" website

i think essay collections are the way for this

also thank you! my grandpa taught Greek history, i should do this one next.

also the asterisks came with the book (I fucking love getting second hand/library books full of notes in them, its so cool to see it has a history)
