Paul Giamatti & Stephen Colbert's Love of Books

[@Scotty-BK]

True story: I ran in to Paul Giamatti at used book store called Iliad in North Hollywood. We were both in the Scfi/ Fantasy section and you could tell he was on the hunt. Saw him a bit later that day and he was chilling on the little couch, reading happily.

[@jbriaz]

That’s a great store with the best cats.

[@GreatMachination]

That's a fantastic book store. I always make time to visit there when I'm in LA. Such a relaxing place.

[@dakotashanenunley6928]

That’s such a great book store. One of my favorites here in LA.

[@ayfray9998]

Stephen Colbert and Paul Giamatti need a book club!!

[@richardichard4237]

A book club...? I think they need a hotel room actually....

[@ordinarypeople20]

This is the very definition of geeking out together. Plus the smell of old books - preferably in a used book store.

[@marciocouto3543]

can we talk about how such a gentleman Mr. Giamatti is? what a class act!

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

I think hes a big fat liar

[@blahblah4129]

Agree. We need more ppl like him.

[@takingiteasy17]

Its very nice watching a lifelong friendship blossom before your eyes.

[@ha222ha222]

Just two nerds, who are so talented you wouldn't know it about either of them.

[@perrywarner648]

I'm a connoisseur of old SF books and can tell the uninitiated that these two have incredible taste.

[@Eluarelon]

Lost me when they were calling newer stuff crap, though. Because there's incredible modern Sci-Fi out there that can go toe-to-toe with even the best of the classic writers.

[@Jackmonster3231]

I would watch a whole series of just these types of conversations.

[@Phineas1626]

The only reality tv I care to see.

[@blackcat4859]

It's what late night uses to be before they turned into tiktok clips.

[@frankiegumdrops8532]

I’ve read to my son nearly every night for his entire life. From the time he was just months old. From board books to early readers, classic storybooks and chapter books, we’ve read, I would imagine, well over 1000 books before bed. He’s now 9 and reads for pleasure, usually finishing 4 or 5 books a month. Having had a hand in developing his love for reading is one of my proudest accomplishments in life.

[@SemiPerfectDark]

❤❤❤

[@patrickmanion9646]

This is my life too! You never get to see this type of conversation on network television! My respect for Paul Giamatti has increased a thousandfold! (I already knew Colbert was cool!)

[@richardichard4237]

Colbert is cool...???

[@lisathornhill4177]

Nothing better than a good book.

[@Phineas1626]

I beg your pardon! Good book and cup of tea or coffee.

[@DRMET]

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." --G. Marx

[@jaypostsvideos4011]

A nice cheesecake and a nice bowl of french fries

[@timdungan-levant7640]

When I was little, my dad always had a stack of books (mostly sci-fi & mysteries) he was working his way through and took me with him to the library once a week. It became a lifelong habit -- I love libraries & I always have a bunch of books I'm working on. So great to hear these two nerds talking about my no. 1 vice.

[@rodsalvador3608]

this is too wholesome for the internet. love it.

[@brentroman]

These two could talk about dirt, and it would still be so lovely to watch them interact. Love this.

[@othoapproto9603]

Greg Bear, Gene Doucette, Andy Weir, Terry Pratchett, Martha Wells, Ted Kosmatka, Dennis E. Taylor, Becky Chambers,

[@kenimiller3896]

Made me smile to hear all the names of sci-fi authors I read in my youth. Brings back great memories.

[@andypeiffer5]

That was so delightful

[@aisforafronica]

Thank you for posting this. Genuine human interaction is lovely to watch.

[@happymaskedguy1943]

Paul Giammatti wrote the introduction for a wonderful book called ‘The Cone Gatherers’ by Robin Jenkins, a writer who lived locally to me. In fact, when Robin died, my parents were in talks to buy his house - we all went over, and the house was very old, almost wavy. I found a study room tucked away in the back, absolutely stacked to the ceiling with hand written and typed manuscripts. As an aspiring writer myself, it was a special moment, a kind of personal connection not privy to many others outside of his family. Was deeply privileged.

[@deveryshepardson3640]

When I lived in Portland, Oregon I used to hang out at the best bookstore ever, Powell’s. It was massive and amazing. It was literally a full city block with an equally big storage building next door. I would buy a book and sit at the lunch counter on the street level and read and people watch. It was delightful. If you’ve never been to Powell’s I would highly recommend it as they have huge sections on every subject imaginable!

[@JustineOh]

One of my favorite places on earth. I wish we had an equivalent here where I am!!

[@murphbee]

It was my only “must do” when I went to Portland. I had been ordering hard to find books from them for years. I spent a glorious few hours there. I’d return in a heartbeat.

[@FosterZygote]

Just last Saturday my wife, daughter and I went to pick up our son after his freshman year of college, and we stopped in Silva, NC for lunch, then went for a walk and stopped in a used book shop. I immediately found the sci-fi/fantasy section, which was in a little alcove that, had it had a heavy curtain across the entry, could have been the porno section of an '80s mom & pop video rental place. I scanned the shelves until I found a treasure - a 1978 copy of 'The Best of Murray Leinster', whom I've loved since I read his funny, and amazingly prescient 1946 short story 'A Logic Named Joe', in which he predicted the personal computer, complete with keyboard interface and monitor, and the internet. I could watch these two geek out over sci-fi all day long.

[@mlmattin]

OMG, love it! I too am a lover of sci-fi and fantasy books. My kids think I'm crazy because I like to smell the books. I told them it's like a time machine for me. I close my eyes, take it in, and it takes me back to my childhood. I assured them that I am not the only one that does this. Now I have proof!

[@darktrain1971]

So nice to see them both geeking out!!

[@mypradasatthecleanerss]

Paul Giamatti recently called in at the old and rare bookshop I work in. Wanted to tell him how much I loved The Holdovers, but you gotta let people just have their own time and space.

[@bman4503]

Giamatti’s giddy laugh after receiving the books.

[@blumbe]

My reading list just grew by dozens of books

[@nprichard1]

Dozens

[@katough]

this very much like it is when you find someone else that enjoys something that so few other people you meet are into.

[@poolhall9632]

I honestly didn't care for him as an actor very much until I saw the John Adams miniseries on HBO and he blew me away.

[@justadudeintheworldman.120]

He flew under my radar for awhile and then I watched Billions. He absolutely stole that entire series. Such a great actor. John Adams is on my list

[@rares_21]

It.s great to see two people sharing their passion about something. I didn't knew Paul Giamatti loves SF books.

[@benbergin538]

Please get Paul to do the Colbert Questionnaire

[@AntoinetteSarpong]

Yes!!

[@Coco-zu9ob]

​@@AntoinetteSarpong seconded

[@franciscoojeda8986]

Great men read!

[@charold3]

Nerds after my own heart!

[@m.c.master4622]

One of the best interviews I've ever seen and I have been watching since Jack Paar!

[@blahblah4129]

Respect! Book worms are wonderful, especially nowadays.

[@comets4sale]

Book lovers! Gotta love it.

[@StephanieNics]

I'm a fairly well read sf reader - especially for classic speculative fiction - but Paul Giamatti got me, and I had to hunt ebay for some of these books/authors I haven't read before. Thank you, sir.

[@thelibrary8878]

USED Book stores are the best. Vintage Paperbacks rule. The smell is glorious.

[@TheLinguistsLibrary]

Now I love them more!

[@Saladbar1120]

Talking about books with a fellow bookworm is my favorite pastime. This video made my day. 😁

[@cloverg7]

Love their love for books

[@jennyho8737]

Didn't think it was possible to love these two any more, but I have been proven wrong. Love the sci-fi recs! :)

[@GM-xj2ez]

Love these two nerds❤️

[@HeyNins]

Loved this! Thank you!!!

[@TheWalkMan1234]

This is great.

[@dansawyer7654]

These are two men I've always admired. I love them both now. Now, I've got some book store "diving" to do. Thanks gentlemen for the info and for your brilliant careers! I'm in CT...if you ever need a singer/songwriter for a party, I'm available and cheap (for you).

[@Illumirage]

you've always admired Colburrt even after his terminal TDS diagnosis?

[@JamesAdams-ev6fc]

If you haven't seen The Holdovers, you might check it out. Paul Giamatti is great in that movie.

[@cathymoore8587]

Omg, Cordwainer Smith is one of my favorite authors.

[@ramses_is_numba_one]

The two Jurassic park books by michael Crichton are awesome.

[@annemullen6751]

True story: I ran into Paul Giamatti at a book store on Vashon Island, WA in 2019. He was in the SciFi/Fantasy section with a group of friends. I looked him up afterwards and he has ties to Seattle. I didn’t say anything to him but he had a friendly atmosphere.

[@marilynsue4273]

Don't forget Octavia E. Butler, dudes.

[@KristineMaitland]

I would also recommend Nalo Hopkinson.

[@psychyard]

This was better than the show

[@JeffreyKeen-vf9ny]

Perfect! They read Sci Fi like little children. This is hilarious! They think it’s impressive. 😂

[@danielartist123]

So cool!

[@kitano0]

Sci-Fi nerds are so very obsessive it's fun to watch.

[@carlrs15]

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream

[@helenaboskovic]

❤

[@OnMeds1]

Cool stuff

[@jillfromatlanta427]

Zenna Henderson, fellas?

[@mevl4822]

I can support anyone that needs to take time out of there day for a cheeseburger and to look for good books.

[@analusilvaj]

I highly recommend The Word for World is Forest, by Ursula K. Le Guin.

[@Klopp619]

Books are so important for the development of our minds. It is obvious fewer and fewer people are reading.

[@VCT3333]

Paul's father was a professor at Yale and was a commissioner of MLB before passing away suddenly. No wonder Paul's into books like a nerd.

[@Garbageman28]

Cordwainer Smith is a proper deep cut, these guys are über nerds.

[@AndreaDance]

Why there aren't thousands of views of Paul Giamatti and Stephen Colbert geeking out on science fiction, I do not understand 😉 ok now I will watch Ryan Gosling on Jimmy Kimmel

[@joellewhite912]

Everyone is addicted to 'celebrity talk'

[@leeannsolice7473]

Can we just let these two sweet nerdling boys host a book club instead? I'd actually watch that.

[@leafyconcern]

This video is highly Leafy-approved

[@Michael-hw5wk]

I do NOT care for science fiction or fantasy books, but do love classic literature and postmodern literature.

[@Phineas1626]

What is an example of postmodern literature?

[@Michael-hw5wk]

@@Phineas1626 Sorry, I haven't checked my comments. Examples of postmodern literature are the works of Jorge Luis Borges, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Pynchon, etc. They are novels that play with the concept of time and reality but are different from magical realism novels which also have fantastical elements. A postmodern novel might be about a library that houses every novel that could possibly exist with every possible text or a protagonist that jumps backwards and forwards in time and/or space (but not through explainable methods which would make it sci-fi). There might be anachronisms and even well-read dogs who can speak and interact with actual historical figures (but again, without explanation). They generally play with our concepts of reality, time, and space while still telling a narrative.

[@Phineas1626]

@@Michael-hw5wk Thank you so much for the detailed explanation. Now the genre makes perfect sense, to the point I’m nearly embarrassed I didn’t figure it out given the name. One more question-I saw something recently that got me very interested in Tolstoy. Do you think that English translations give credit to authors’ original works-that is to ask: would I get a feeling of just how good a writer’s native writing is? Thanks again.

[@Michael-hw5wk]

@@Phineas1626 Translations matter as some translators leave out entire passages or completely change the meaning of a sentence. I try to research the translations scholars/reviewers consider to be the best before purchasing a book, but cost can also be an issue. I read Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf as it was well-reviewed, and I believe the edition of War and Peace I purchased was well-regarded as well (at least, at that time). Accurate translations are also very important when it comes to religious texts as we have come to believe Moses parted the Red Sea when many translators believe a more accurate translation would make it the Sea of Reeds. Another example is that we assume Jesus to have been a carpenter when many modern translators believe a more accurate passage describing Jesus would be "Son of Joseph who worked with his hands," making it more likely he was a stone mason. If you read the intros to various translated books, you will often find examples detailing how the translator attempted to write a more accurate version than previous translations. I recently reread the Tao Ye Ching and The Bhagavad Gita and I believe both introductions covered the efforts made to create a better translation. However, some of us cannot always afford the "best" translation, so we make do with what we can access. None of this may be very helpful to you, but I'm very tired as I am writing this, so I possibly missed the point of your question completely. I do love Tolstoy though (not as much as Dostoevsky) and consider The Death of Ivan Ilyich to be my 3rd favorite work of literature after Hamlet and Withering Heights.

[@llchapman1234]

Two sci fi nerds swapping books. My heart ❤️ 😂

[@Coco-zu9ob]

Those books looked short....i bet Paul read them both that night. Lol

[@dansawyer7654]

Oh! Check out Dan Simmons' sci-fi stuff. Bueno.

[@mongolianqwerty123]

Muy bueno

[@SAK1855]

Stephen loves showing off. We already know you’re really smart, dude.

[@cherylwilkinson3228]

I don't think he was showing off. He was excited to find someone who loves to read the same books he does. Who doesn't like to find someone who you have so much in common with.

[@SAK1855]

​@@cherylwilkinson3228 To be sure, I love Stephen's intelligence -- and I love having a late night host who has guests from a wide range of subjects. He just has his moments where I lift an eyebrow -- like, he didn't *really* have to rattle off details of Catholic theology right then.

[@Illumirage]

guy has lost his mind actually but

[@qmass]

are you the guys that keep yelling "books" ?

[@notbatman1001]

Wow! Validation.

[@brownbananabooks]

#booksarebetterthanmovies #usedbooksarebetterthannewbooks

[@badgumby9544]

I'd bet neither has read a book by Thomas Sowell.

[@jazzfan7491]

Let’s hope not

[@badgumby9544]

@@jazzfan7491 I know. People like you and them hate the truth. It hurts those few brain cells you have.

[@Illumirage]

@@jazzfan7491 stay in your echo chamber.

[@jazzfan7491]

@@Illumirage I will! MAGA baby!

[@Illumirage]

@@jazzfan7491 so you're maga and you hate Thomas Sowell?

[@marilynsue4273]

In n Out in Salt Lake City is NOT the same.

[@willt.9654]

It makes for truly terrible television but that adds to the charm.

[@Beatleguy]

Does anyone have a list of thr athors mentioned?

[@lilaccilla]

this guy just plays himself all the time

[@dewimatthews]

Beard without moustache...a bad look since before Abraham Lincoln.

[@ZehoOriginality]

Those fucking artisan overpriced bookstores. Give me some ratty copies of Fletch and pastrami sandwich from the deli next door and I'm a happy man.

[@Illumirage]

Who still watches this crap? The only book Stephen is reading is rules for radicals and anything anti-Trump. Guy has lost his mind.

[@vaughngaminghd]

You should get out more

[@Illumirage]

@@vaughngaminghd this isn't about me

[@Phineas1626]

@@IllumirageActually, it is.

[@Illumirage]

@@Phineas1626 nope

[@Illumirage]

@@Phineas1626 whataboutism

[@weirdloverwilde]

I always say I hope to die reading. I love books so much. I can’t think of a better way to go.