Answering YOUR Questions to Celebrate 100,000 Subscribers (Thank You)

[@severianthefool7233]

I can think of none more deserving. You are a boon to literature lovers everywhere, and I’ve no doubt that you’ll be making a million-subscriber special before long!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, my friend! That is so incredibly kind of you ☺🙏

[@LizziebelleXOX]

Me too I second that. You deserve it Benjamin 🎉🎉I love your channel keep up the fab work 🎉📚📖📙

[@ellenjo283]

Ben…you’re going to be an amazing dad. Much joy to you and your future kids.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much, Ellen. You have warmed my heart with this!! ☺️🙏

[@kevindavis3234]

Right? I'm a little envious of Ben's future kids. Ben has a voice made for storytelling.

[@Sherlika_Gregori]

I’m an expatriate Brazilian, and Rennan is right (and he’s my friend). Machado de Assis is our Shakespeare. I highly recommend Dom Casmurro. And his short stories as well. He, like George Eliot, had elements of philosophy in his writings. I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Guimarães Rosa ( although his masterpiece is not translated to English, only to German. The title is Grande Sertão Veredas) is a phenomenal, an experimental writer such as Joyce , or maybe in a more linguistic direction such as Burgess and Tolkien. And Erico Veríssimo who wrote a fantastic family saga better than Gabriel Garcia Marquez in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Alas, I don’t think he’s been translated either. But if you ever learn Portuguese , do read O Tempo e o Vento.

[@111butterscotch]

WOW! You are the best literature teacher I've ever had! Thank you, Benjamin! Love your joy!! I am so looking to the readings of 2024! Happy Fatherhood!

[@ivatorres4515]

Thank YOU, Benjamin and congratulations. This video is a gem. I learnt so much: As a reader, as a teacher, as a mother and grandmother, who began reading to her children and grandchildren at bedtime. Sorry to say that my "success" with my children was more rewarding than my success with my students, whom I haven't been able to exert any influence on the benefits of reading. Cannot compete with social media, consequently I heard your suggestions very attentively. Thank you for everything. Happy to hear that we will continue to enjoy your presence in 2024. One of my grandchildren often share your videos and comment on them and we call you "our friend Benjamin".

[@AlexisQuednau]

Loved hearing about the teacher who did all the voices in Great Expectations! What a gift.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

He was so amazing :) I'm actually thinking of reaching out to record a conversation with him at some point!

[@dggjr1759]

If it wasn’t for your Hardcore Literature bookclub I would have never attempted to read War and Peace. After finishing it along the lecture series earlier this year I can honestly say it’s the greatest book I’ve read. Congrats on reaching 100K 🙌

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That makes me so happy to hear :) Thank you so much for taking that incredible journey with us! War and Peace truly is an absolute masterpiece, isn't it? I'm already longing to return to Tolstoy's world all over again!

[@shayna2830]

I have wanted to experience War and Peace for years, always just avoided digging in because I had so many books on my shelf that I felt guilty about not reading yet, and I could finish 3 or 4 in the time it would take to finish W&P. I have read Anna Karenina years ago, I've read every single piece of published Dostoevsky and Gogol and a handful of other Russian authors, I absolutely love them. Late 1800, early 1900 Russian Lit and Victorian fiction are my favorite genres. I have a deep hunger for W&P, so I will devour it at some point, sooner than later. I actually read 150 pages of it, 2 weeks ago, just decided to dig in one night and read into the wee hours of dawn. But I stopped because a girl from work brought me a copy of a book she had high praise for, so I couldn't help but start it. It's actually fuckin g great. A Shadow in the Wind, it's called. A nice mystery novel. Couldn't believe how good it was lol

[@MassielZ]

Congratulations! You are an inspiration to me to become a better reader. I am a high school teacher in the Dominican Republic and some of the highest joys of my life have been seeing students become readers and enjoy great literature. I have much to learn still and your channel is an instrument to that. Where did people submit the questions for this Q & A?

[@marianapgar4409]

I love your channel so much. It gives me hope that this many people can see how great it truly is. Congratulations, Ben!

[@boscarinoma2305]

Woohoo! Congratulations! You have earned it! I love your channel and I love this community! I belong to a book club, but I consider your channel my true book club! I have learned sooooo much from your channel. My mother who died of COVID in 2020 was a HUGE Shakespeare reader. I’d like to think she would be proud of me today! Thank you!!!

[@drdem00]

How wonderful ... A reader of the "Classics", without pretension ... A cool breeze instead of a dry wind ... Please continue with your easy, natural style ... An American, here; loving all this great literature ... Perhaps it's time for even me, to re-attack "the bard", myself ... Congratulations on your 10,000 ... Loved Swiss Family Robinson & several others, then went to Harper Lee, Mitchner, Capote, Eudora Welty & Willa Cather ... & even the forever sarcastic Salinger ... I will continue to follow you ... Did like "Mill on the Floss", so there's that ...

[@delciagarcia8287]

Congratulations!!!! So well deserved! Thank you for sharing your exquisite intellect with us. I’m a senior citizen lady who has learned much from you. Keep up the good work dear Ben. Respectfully. 🕊️🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🙏

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Delcia!! I'm so grateful to have you here! ☺️🙏

[@habitshare]

So well deserved. I appreciate your chunnel so much. With all the noise out there your voice is clear and clean and very engaging. My 12 years old aspiring author son is a new fan of yours. He says you are very captivating and he just want to read it all. Thanks again and keep going.

[@LuneFlaneuse]

I’ve been watching your channel since the beginning 💗 congratulations! 🎉

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! I'm so grateful for you being here all this time 🙏❤️

[@hanvour]

This is an incredible achievement. In the modern day, most people are often distracted by the pursuit of quick satisfaction. However, a channel dedicated to literature managing to attract such a large number of followers is truly remarkable. It represents a significant glimpse of hope for humanity.

[@josipkomesarovic8319]

If you're interested in delving into Balkan literature, I highly recommend starting with "The Bridge on the Drina" by Ivo Andric, the Nobel Prize-winning writer from Former Yugoslavia. This historical novel is a captivating introduction to the literary treasures of the Balkan region.

[@jamiewalkerdine3705]

Speaking of Clarice Lispector I actually begin with her short stories, even her earliest short stories are incredibly underrated even by the standards of Brazilian literature. They're a wonderful example of the ecriture feminine

[@readlikeaman]

been waiting my whole life for this video!! 😂 congrats bro, you deserve this more than anyone else i know on KZbin!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Paige! I really appreciate that, my friend 😃🙏

[@robhemsley480]

I often read something lighter alongside the more serious reading. P. G. Wodehouse is wonderful. And you can switch between authors depending on your mood.

[@SuperBookdragon]

I think you deserve a million subscribers.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, that is so kind of you! Thank you so much :)

[@qiqisun543]

My first language is Chinese, but it wasn't until I explored Western classic literature with the help of BookTubers like you that I felt a deep desire to read "红楼梦" (Dream of the Red Chamber). It's one of the most challenging novels to read, even for native Chinese speakers. Like "Ulysses," it's full of hidden meanings and references to ancient Chinese philosophies and literature. My Chinese copy is now marked from the first to the last page. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge about books. You are inspiring people to read truly good literature regardless of culture and language. Congratulations on the success of your channel and Patreon book club! 🎉 I've learned so much from you. ❤

[@godsbuckets]

Great advice on coming up with booklists to read with the kids. We have hosted book club in our home throughout the years. One for ages 6-8, and then 9-12, and a “fogey” book club for us mature folk. Your kids are going to be blessed with a dad like you. Congratulations on the 100k. Well deserved!

[@pleasebekind9115]

Benjamin what a joy to have discovered your channel in this time of attack on the humanities! Congratulations on your well-deserved subscriber milestone. I just stumbled across your post from four years ago on the seven poems that haunt you and had to add “Lullaby” by W.H. Auden and Hart Crane’s “The Bridge”. Thank you for all you do and for being an inspiration to serious readers everywhere!

[@chrissy1510]

Congratulations, dear Ben, on this magnificent achievement! You, your channel, and your bookclub have touched so many lives, not least mine. You continue to amaze and inspire me, and I wish you all the joy that life can bring. Much love 🧡

[@jdfromparis6230]

Jorge Amado comes to mind when it comes to Brazilian literature. Truly a stellar writer. And Pessoa for Portuguese poetry of course.

[@gommine]

Dona Flor and her two Husbands is a really brilliantly book!

[@jdfromparis6230]

@@gommine I haven't read that one. The first one I read is Red Field, then I've read Cacau and Sweat. I might have read another, but it was over 30 years ago and in the French translations. I should go back to reading Amado.

[@mplcreative]

Congratulations on 100k followers! I’ve been following for almost two years and loving it.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! I'm so grateful that you've been here all this time ☺️🙏

[@shabirmagami146]

Amazing as always ....you are a gift to all the readers.... I just finished reading The Woman in the Dunes ....brilliant book and great translation .... thank you for that.... about this video ...I was waiting for it and it is finally here ....congratulations!!! You deserve more and more audience.... brilliant content but I disagree with you on Blake ....I think he is one of the greatest writers in English ...one of the great geniuses....in both style and content...especially in his longers works/ prophetic books ....thank you again, Benjamin ... love and respect

[@thelordofillusions]

Congratulations! And greetings from Los Angeles! Your channel has been such a joy and an inspiration. Keep it up!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that :) Happy reading over in sunny LA!!

[@NjIceTea]

Congratulations! No one does classics like you :) You are so incredibly knowledgeable and eloquent - your love for the classics is palpable and highly contagious!

[@PoppyAndForgetmenot]

Hello Benjamin, many thanks for your intense and in-depth discussions of so many books I use to read and re-read since early youth. Just love to listen to your thoughts. As you mentioned in this video that you‘d welcome any advice on good books from the Balkan countries: May I draw your attention on Ivo Andrić? His 1945 novels „Bridge on the Drina“ and „Travnik chronicles“ make such wonderful reading. The only author who would come to my mind who wrote about the condition of man in similar profoundness and sympathy would be John Steinbeck. Indeed the Nobel Prize Committee had chosen Andrić over Steinbeck, Tolkien and others like E.M. Forster for the 1961 Nobel prize. Cheers!

[@drdem00]

How wonderful ... A reader of the "Classics", without pretension ... A cool breeze instead of a dry wind ... Please continue with your " Eezee style ... An American, here; loving all this great literature ... Perhaps it's time to re-attack "the bard", myself ... Congratulations on your 10,000 ...

[@anitas5817]

Congratulations!!!🎈🍾🎊 Well deserved. All of your videos are worth the wait. I’m going to go make a nice cup of tea and settle in for a pleasurable hour!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Aw, thank you so much! That is so lovely of you to say. I'm going to join you there and make myself a nice cup of tea too ☕☺️

[@ikemeitz5287]

Personally, I'd like to see you talk about David Foster Wallace because I love him so much. I've read Infinite Jest and many of his shorter essays, and I'd love to have someone delight in them along with me!

[@gommine]

The essay on the cruise ship is the best.

[@ThaiEcka555]

Agreed... very funny. @@gommine

[@Jack-l9g1n]

Cant wait to see youre top 100 greatest books

[@WeSLifechronicles]

"Congratulations Benjamin! on reaching 100k subscribers! Your platform is truly transformative, reshaping how we perceive literature and enriching our lives. Thanks to your influence, I've embraced classic literature, something I once found intimidating. I've embarked on the beautiful journey of reading 'Anna Karenina,' savoring every moment. Thank you for your inspiration!"

[@jerrysacct]

Congrats to you. Greatly appreciated.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you very much, Jerry!

[@shaanparwani]

eca de Querioz too read Dom Casmurro The Posthumous Memiors of Bras Cubas for eca I found The Maias. Congrats on 100 subscribers.

[@marnasorensen988]

Congratulations! Well done and well earned.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Marna! I really appreciate that :)

[@toddbelanger1923]

YAHOOOOOOOO So happy for you..I've been a huge fan for almost the beginning... Congratulations brother Dudely Dude.. BRAIN SHAKING AWESOMENESS

[@jakeballinger6033]

Keep us updated on Dream of the Red Chamber! The great seven novels of China (Dream of the Red Chamber/Story of the Stone, Investiture of the Gods, Water Margin/Outlaws of the Swamp, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, The Scholars, and The Plum in the Golden Vase) are all books I'd love to read. When I do a focus on China, maybe.

[@454mike5]

bless you my dude, i found alot great classic book by your recommendation

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, my friend, and bless you too! :)

[@lilspeth]

Yes! I read Becker many years ago, and that quote has guided and inspired me.

[@moeenhassan6600]

Among such a cluster of content creators, you oddly dont seem like one. You channel is a safe space, a library in heavy rainfall, all are invited yet only a few choose this option to expensive cafés and their cars. Thank youuuuuu

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

That is such a beautiful compliment. Thank you so much, my friend. I appreciate you ☺️

[@dorotheafinan2419]

What a great job you do for reading with your videos and patient enthusiasm. Congratulations on your 100k so well deserved. Very generous advice today. I do hope you come to Dublin to walk in Joyce’s footsteps. And Beckett’s of course…. As I live alone I am free to read while eating which means that at least twice each day i can have a long read. But I generally have a lightweight book on the go as well. And I read a poem each morning and a few essays in between major books. At present the essayist is Elizabeth Hardwicke and her essays lead to other wonderful lesser known books. Happy Reading!

[@vanessawei3533]

Big congrats! English is not my first language, but you inspired me into English literature since I first watched your videos. Thank you ❤❤

[@alexandracharles8894]

This channel fills me with such joy. I've recently developed an increased passion for classic literature and this channel continues to fuel that interest and love so thankyou so much!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Alexandra!! I appreciate you being here and sharing your love of these great books with me ☺️

[@m.c.3541]

Congratulations Ben, being part of the Hardcore Literature Book Club, has really enhanced my life. Looking forward to many years of great reading. Best of all Maria

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Maria! I'm so incredibly happy to hear that. That means the absolute world to me! 🙏☺️

[@ninamargaritacook]

Yay!!! Been looking forward to this! :)

[@spacemanspif2]

congrats my man, I am really happy for you and you deserve this so much. Amazing job.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate that!! :)

[@Nurse_Kathy]

Congratulations, Benjamin!! This year I’m most thankful for you and the Hardcore Lit Book Club. The experience has enriched my life in many ways. 💛

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Kathleen! That makes me so happy to hear. I'm incredibly grateful for you reading these great books with so much love with us! 🙏 ☺️

[@shrineshpatel2642]

Always a good day when Ben drops a video

[@KindleAndCoffeeCups]

Great video Ben. I can only imagine we'll be here when it's 200K in no time :) I've been a viewer since around 4.5K subs. My daughter has special needs and she is also a subscriber. She has used your videos to learn about the great works - she doesn't let me go on and on about them lol. I've decided to let go of that dreaded FOMO. Sure, it can seem silly to read and re-read the same novels year after year, but I enjoy extracting every ounce of wisdome to be found. This year alone I've read Jane Eyre twice. Every year I read (in full) Anna Karenina and always always always an Austen. Hardy appears every few months, and Proust is a constant companion on long winter nights. Also, I HIGHLY recommend The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. If you enjoy Proust (and I know you do), you'll love this work. Happy reading. 📕

[@elsitacacahuete427]

So true, life is too short to read books that leave you with nothing.

[@hazelsun8493]

Congratulations Ben! We are very lucky to have your channel and the Hardcore Literature Book Club! Sometimes I worry that you’ll decide you’ve had enough and need a break. But for the time being, I am thankful for you guiding us through great literature, being a continuous presence here and on Patreon, and for the kindness that comes through everything you do. 100K ain’t no joke 😉

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Hazel! Your kind words have made my heart heavy with gratitude! I really hope to keep discussing these great books with you all for as long as possible! 😊

[@Will-nr5ow]

Always love your channel...your brilliance shines.

[@LilaCerullos]

You deserve it! And much more, i hope much people find your channel because is a gem of literature! Congratulations 🎉❤

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! I really appreciate that 🙏❤️

[@jsmi601]

So exciting, congratulations!! Well deserved.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Jessica!! ☺️

[@exildoc]

Congratulations, dear Benjamin! What an amazing achievement, and well deserved!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Florian!! 🙏 ❤️

[@elliemcevoy6233]

Congratulations & well done, very well deserved !

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! ❤️☺️

[@pablogamberomasson-qg2px]

You actually anwered my question! I can't believe it. Awesome video, as always. You've changed my life and many others for the better. Thank you ❤

[@arijitbanerjee9008]

My friend Ben, you are simply awesome. :) I learnt and am still learning a lot about literature from your videos. Keep up the great work, I wish you all the very best!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Arijit! I appreciate you, my friend 🙏😊

[@rodneyadderton1077]

Congratulations Benjamin. Hello from Tennessee. I love your channel.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Rodney. I really appreciate that! Happy reading over in beautiful Tennessee :)

[@georgeglaros349]

Ben, this is a wonderful achievement! Congratulations to you; this is so well deserved. I love books and have loved them for decades, to the point that I can actually say they not only enriched my love but have on occasions during my youth saved it. I read Nikos Kazantzakis epic long poem, The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, in the Kimon Friar translation from the original modern demotic and multi-colored idiomatic Greek to English. This book hit me with all its forces in a way that changed me like a tidal wave- for the better. I wonder if you are familiar with it?

[@SaulRobles-wu5wz]

I could tell it takes a lot of work to do these videos, they are so good! Well done and thank you.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Saul! I really appreciate that, my friend! :)

[@ceciliabustos9979]

Hi Ben, I am addicted to your videos. English is not my first language but I am hooked. I am reading classics and just love it. Thanks Benjamin❤

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Cecilia! I'm so grateful that you are here enjoying these great books with me ☺️❤️

[@tamaragrottker7677]

Fabulous@. Congratulations. I referenced you to the parents and children at our literacy night, with respect to really getting into books and having the characters becoming your friends and going back to re-read stories. I appreciate your wisdom. Congratulations to 100K!

[@kevindavis3234]

'Musashi' was great! I stumbled across that by accident maybe ten years ago. That got me in Miyamoto Musashi's 'The Book of Five Rings', which I can also highly recommend. This was a great video! So many thought-provoking questions. I do hope you decide to film a second part.

[@MirandaKHayes]

Congrats 🎉 was just thinking yesterday how much I was eagerly anticipating a new video! Looking forward to revisiting Jane Eyre soon alongside your JE video. Thank you for all you do! ❤

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Miranda! I really appreciate that! I'm so happy that you'll be revising Charlotte Brontë's masterful story ☺️❤️

[@3primenumber]

So happy for you, wishing you exponential growth going forward!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! :)

[@Emma_S76]

Congratulations Ben 🎉!!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Emma! :)

[@FrancisGo.]

Congratulations, Benjamin! You have one of the best channels on KZbin, with over 3,000 years of classical, literary wisdom shining through your friendly personality--like an actual Time Lord. Newly regenerated. ❤

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Francisco! You have made my day! I appreciate you, my friend ❤️🙏

[@JuneTurner-dt4fb]

Congratulations Ben. Well deserved. So great to watch someone talk passionately about the classics. I would love to see videos on any of the following writers/books: Geoffrey Hill, Aldous Huxley (not just Brave New World), Anthony Burgess, Willa Cather, Joseph Campbell, P. G. Wodehouse, Martin Amis, Robert Graves (specifically 'The White Goddess'), Ted Hughes, Philip Larkin, Joseph Conrad, Ian McEwan, Henry Fielding (especially Tom Jones), William Blake, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Virginia Woolf, Thomas Hardy, Evelyn Waugh, Primo Levi, Kurt Vonnegut.

[@signdigger]

Congratulations on the 100k Ben, and hope you continue to fight the good fight to keep the Great Books alive. I think it's wonderful that your reading Cao Xueqin's Story of the Stone. I read an abridged edition, but have just recently acquired the 5 volume set by Penguin. If you enjoy it you might want to check out the haiku of Matsuo Basho. He is very vivid, and powerful with words. Looking forward to the next reading schedule for next year!

[@thehoneyreads]

Congratulations again Ben! 🎉 Everyone gave such amazing questions. I really enjoyed hearing readers thoughts as well as yours! Cannot wait to see what we’re reading next year 😊

[@setipereira7123]

The Moby-Dick Festival that you are referring too is actually at the whaling museum in my hometown of New Bedford! It is an amazing experience where speakers take turn reading Moby-Dick continuously until it is done. There is even a portuguese edition that is read. And to top it off, across the street is the Seaman's Bethel that inspired the famous church scene!

[@daveg4036]

Congratulations! Well earned

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, my friend 😀

[@patriciadattoma4479]

Congratulations, Ben! I found your channel a few months ago, loved it so much I joined the Hardcore Literature Book Club last week…best decision!! I am thoroughly enjoying it!! Thank you for all you do, bringing so much book joy to our lives!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Patricia! That is so kind of you to say! I'm incredibly grateful that you're reading these great works with so much love and joy with us!! ☺️🙏

[@judygoddard3869]

Well done Ben. I so enjoy your videos. It’s wonderful to see someone defend the canon. People are beginning to seriously attack the canon, and all literature lovers need to unite to defend it.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Judy! The really means a lot to me :)

[@graceyao2838]

Congratulations, i am inspired so much by you, and like a lot of your thoughts

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Grace! :)

[@JonStallings]

Congratulations Benjamin. I always enjoy hearing your passion for literature

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Jon!! :)

[@nickele]

"Measuring twice, cutting once" was a very apt reminder as I listened to this while measuring the fabric for a sewing project. 🙃

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Lovely synchronicity right there :)

[@nickele]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy Sometimes advice can be taken literally ;)

[@ornleifs]

I'm definitely guilty of mass reading instead of deep reading but I have for quite a while really wanted to read and re-read certain books deeply and thoroughly and your talk here has inspired me to do so. among those books are Hamlet by Shakespeare - Immortality by Milan Kundera - Flaubert Parrot by Julian Barnes - Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin.

[@ancabanca4228]

Congratulations, you deserve it🎉

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! :)

[@JonathasGoncalvesSilva]

Hi from Brazil! Love your channel! ❤🇧🇷

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you for watching in beautiful Brazil, Jonathas! 🇧🇷 ❤️

[@GoGoGirl22100]

congratulations benjamin!! you deserve it 🎉

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much, Jocey!! ☺️

[@FelicityDeverell]

So excited when you mentioned Charlotte Mason! She was a true classical educator. I’m educating my own children using her methods with the help of the CMEC which is based on the PNEUMONIA from her time. ❤

[@TheFisherKing00]

Hey Ben, congrats on 100k! You earned by being the best channel on booktube. I was just wondering where abouts you and hardcore literature are in Proust? I've just finished Part Two: Chapter One of The Guermantes Way, and I'm absolutely devastated.

[@CurtRowlett]

Congratulations on 100K subscribers for the best literature channel on KZbin. You've certainly earned it. Thank you for all that you do.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! That is so lovely of you! I really appreciate that ☺️

[@peskylisa]

Congratulations, Benjamin. This is a wonderful channel, and I wish it and you had existed when I was in school. You've put a good amount of work into these videos and helping me to re kindle my own love of literature. Literature really hits a visceral part of us (in a good way) and can re-connect us with our own humanity. My question: Where can you go online or off to purchase older books which are no longer in print?

[@ikemeitz5287]

"Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children" Now THAT is a title that would have been irresistible to me as an arrogant 12-year-old!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Ha, it would have been irresistible for me too :) I like to think Bloom was thinking of readers like us when he chose it!

[@ikemeitz5287]

@@BenjaminMcEvoy It's lovely how literature has such a powerful humbling effect. The very books I read out of arrogance ended up forcing me to learn humility. You can't weep at Father Zosima's death and maintain an aloof disconnectedness.

[@smalltown2223]

Well done! You put a lot of work into your channel. You’ve been very instrumental in widening my reading. I still read thrillers, science fiction etc. But I’ve read quite a few classics now, on your recommendation. I’m about a third of the way through Anna Karenina. I find myself thinking it could be the best thing I’ve ever read.

[@glezaranda]

Congrats 🎊🎈

[@SteveHofmeyrTV]

Well deserved, bud. In the spirit of HIGH FIDELITY and ever since I read it in 1997, I have manically kept my top 10 lists of everything: from cars, beers, ice-creams to poems, movies and books. My top 3 English poems are In My Craft Or Sullen Art - Dylan Thomas The World Is Too Much With Us - William Wordsworth Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent's Narrow Room- William Wordsworth English is not my first language, but my top 10 fiction include Diary of a bad year a, Atlas Shrugged, The Outsider, High Fidelity, and The Dying Animal. * Love to know yours... .😊

[@roryfreeman8486]

Yessss well done Mr Ben!

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Mr Rory!! :)

[@grvhppr]

The absolute GOAT of literature. Well deserved, Ben.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! :)

[@nicholasbrooke9455]

This was great! Bring on part 2. Super excited to see the 2024 book club list.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you, Nicholas! I'm definitely down for a part two :) There were so many thought provoking questions that I'd still love to get into!

[@Piotr-c4k]

Wow, a nice informal chat with you and past teachers of yours who've influenced and inspired you would be phenomenal - don't sleep on this!

[@soniasaldarriaga5166]

Congratulations Ben🍾🎉 👏💖✨🇬🇧

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much!! ❤️

[@nourished3496]

Congratulations Ben!! So happy for you, and so happy to learn and get so excited about literature with your videos! I am beyond happy to learn you are reading Clarisse Lispector and that you will read Machado de Assis. I think you will like Machado a lot, he was very inspired in Shakeaspeare and the book you are reading was influenced by Laurence Sterne and Chateaubriand. It’s a shame that many great Brazilian authors are not translated, but if you can find Erico Veríssimo (O Tempo e o Vento) narrates the birth of the south of Brazil through a family story… hints of philosophy, politics, and loads of history and depth of characters. We have a tradition with short stories, you may wish to read the ones from Clarisse and Machado, but equally Lygia Fagundes Telles, Guimarães Rosa and Graciliano Ramos. Thank you for reading our literature, so curious to hear your thoughts on it. Aaaaand dreaming about a group read of the Magic Mountain, maybe on next year? Congratulations for your work, I’m a big fan!!!

[@ilikekiwis3521]

Nice comment!

[@brentwilliamson8642]

Hello Ben, I am one of those that asked you about Infinite Jest. I worked my way through this novel a few years back; I had so many different emotional responses, as soon as I put it down I wanted to reread it. However, it is about a six month read for me so I have yet to do so. I joined the HCLBC in January of 2023 for the start of War and Peace. I have so enjoyed your lecture series, that I thought a guided reread of IJ with you would probably be invaluable. For those that haven't read it, the name comes from Hamlet's description of Yorick as a man of Infinite Jest and this is incredibly apt, as the majority of the book is uproariously hilarious, but they exist amidst scenes of unspeakable horror. It affected me greatly and I consider it one of my more significant endeavors. I would be absolutely delighted to hear your thoughts on this one and to read it through again.

[@goldmourn]

Congratulations on your milestone! I have been enjoying the Hardcore Literature Book Club. 'Invisible Man' by Ralph Ellison was my first read with you and I enjoyed your insightful lectures immensely.

[@BenjaminMcEvoy]

Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear :) Invisible Man really was extraordinary, wasn't it? Ralph Ellison's prose gets right into one's soul!