“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into an enormous insect.”

(who amongst us, etc)

This week we're talking Kafka's 1915 novella The Metamorphosis.

Rich swoons over Gregor and is deeply moved by his plight. Cam wonders whether the giant freaky bug might bear some responsibility for events. Benny starts out sorta lukewarm on the whole thing but comes around in the end.

Is this story meant to be a depiction of depression? An autobiographical work about an artist becoming alienated from his philistine family? A Marxist commentary on capitalism? A subconscious Freudian incest thriller?

We fearlessly explore all of these interpretations... and if you can believe it, even more

CHAPTERS

• (00:00:00) reinterpreting kafka thru the lens of richard dawkins tweets
• (00:01:50) what kinda filthy vermin are we dealing with here??
• (00:06:57) arguing about what Gregor’s initial reaction means
• 00:15:44) part two synopsis: I didn't choose the bug life
• (00:19:17) Cam’s incest theory: who is the real parasite?
• (00:25:15) Metamorphosis as kafka's autobiographical self-therapy
• (00:36:30) Alienation and depression
• (00:44:12) genuinely upset about Gregor’s plight
• (00:50:48) Is kafka meant to be funny?
• (00:54:23) Refreshing subversion of realism
• (01:01:29) closing thoughts

Send us mail: doyouevenlitbro@gmail.com

NEXT ON THE READING LIST:

Ubik - Philip K Dick The Fall - Camus Hamlet - Shakespeare

Wrapping up Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which we all loved.

Nature vs nurture: the monster as proto-incel, to what extent do we feel sympathy for him, should Victor have made him a bride, self-loathing and recrimination, and whether hot people are actually more virtuous than ugly people.

Also: why rousseau was a giant piece of shit, the monster as Byronic hero, importance of pariahs and moral entrepreneurs, pitbull discourse, etc

CHAPTERS

• (00:00:00) just grave robber problems
• (00:05:20) peephole language learning montage
• (00:09:00) Nature vs nurture debate
• 00:17:00) Cam’s crank theory that hot people are more virtuous
• (00:24:11) Frankenstein as the original incel
• (00:28:40) pitbull digression
• (00:33:31) Ethics of making frank a bride and letting him go
• (00:42:20) The monster as the true Byronic hero
• (00:52:50) Sympathy for the devil
• (00:59:02) Romantic heroes as moral entrepreneurs

Send us mail: doyouevenlitbro@gmail.com

COMING UP

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

Ubik - Philip K Dick

The Fall - Camus

Discussing chapters 1-10 of Mary Shelley's 1818 genre mash-up Frankenstein.

On Mary Shelley's stacked genetics, the 'scenius' with Lord Byron and Percy Shelley, questions over authorship including a suspiciously accurate depiction of post-nut clarity.

Forbidden knowledge: are infohazards real, taking accountability for new technology, guilt and the disgust instinct, strong parallels with AGI, arguments for and against creating new species. Can we defend a parochial concern for our own family/friends/species?

Is the monster innately evil? Or a product of his environment?

We love this book. hyped to hear the monster's side of the story in part 2.

CHAPTERS

• (00:00:00) pop culture Frankenstein and namespace collision
• (00:04:55) synopsis
• (00:07:56) Initial reactions
• 00:11:20) Suspiciously accurate depiction of post-nut clarity
• (00:13:38) Mary Shelley’s elite genetics
• (00:16:54) Forbidden knowledge and infohazards
• (00:26:08) Victor as deadbeat dad
• (00:31:15) AGI comparison: how do we feel about creating a new species?
• (00:38:00) The burden of guilt (the bumblebee incident)
• (00:41:27) Nature vs nurture and rebelling against god
• (00:45:08) Back to the question of AGI and creating new species
• (00:55:35) Parochialism and expanding moral circles
• (01:03:45) Cultural legacy of this book
• (01:08:43) should Zuckerberg and friends try to model consequences of AI?

Send us mail: doyouevenlitbro@gmail.com

COMING UP

The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka

Ubik - Philip K Dick

The Fall - Camus