The Reader By Rainer Maria Rilke

The Reader by Rainer Maria Rilke

Who knows him, this one, whose own face

sinks away out of its being into a second one,

that only the quick turning of whole pages

sometimes forcibly interrupts?

Even his own mother would be uncertain

if that were him, who, together with his shadow, was drenched with reading.

And we, hours to spare, what do we know, how much he fades away, until,

in fatigue, he stops: raising up everything

into himself which has happened in the book below,

with eyes, which, instead of taking, nudge up

against the full and finished world as they give:

like quiet children, who, playing alone,

suddenly experience that which is at hand;

and yet his features, ordered as they were,

remain now forever rearranged.

To all University students out there: Do you still have online classes or is campus life normal again? I'm from germany and i haven't had a normal lecture in 20 months. Does anyone else find this tiring?

Living in Germany, this is also really scaring me. We are really close to a big war.

I don’t even know if I’m scared or angry anymore. I’m just…tired. 

I’m so tired.

Auto Mechanics Pose Dramatically to Recreate Renaissance Paintings

Photographer Freddy Fabris has paid homage to the great Renaissance master painters using his camera instead of a brush. This unique tribute—aptly called The Renaissance Series—fuses contemporary culture with the dramatic styling of the original portraits.

Most underrated movies of the last decade

1. Filth (2013)

One of the greatest movies of the last decade, maybe McAvoy's best performance ever: A tragic, funny, absolutely unapologetic movie about the downfall of a scottish police officer.

2. Swiss Army Man (2016)

I promise that you have never seen a movie like this before. It is absolutely strange, macabre and loaded with dark humor: a man stranded on a deserted island tries to keep his sanity by talking to a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe).

3. Rush (2013)

Rush is a 2013 biographical sports film centred on rivalry between two Formula One drivers, the British James Hunt and the Austrian Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula 1 motor-racing season. One of the best Sport Dramas out there.

4. Mother! (2017)

I know some people dislike this movie but I think it is one of Aronosfky's masterpieces. A political, philosphical and brutal allegory of the destruction of our planet brilliantly acted by Jennifer Lawrence.

5. The Flowers of War (2011)

Watching this movie was one of the most eye-opening experiences for me: An American (Christian Bale) tries to protect a group of Chinese students and prostitutes from Japanese soldiers in 1937 Nanjing.

6. Sheperds and Butchers (2016)

A different kind of "true crime story": A lawyer takes on the murder case of a prison guard traumatized by the executions he took part in.

7. Slow West (2015)

The cinematography in this is beautiful: A bounty hunter keeps his true motive a secret from the naive Scottish teenager he's offered to serve as bodyguard and guide while the youth searches for his beloved in 1800s Colorado.

8. Enemy (2013)

This movie will mess with your head: A college Professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) discovers a man who looks and talks exactly like him. A strange tale of what is true and what is fictional begins to unravel.

9. La grande bellezza (2013)

This arthouse movie is for the ones who look for deep conversations, philosopical questions and the horrors and beauties of everyday life. A slow paced and hugely moving tale about modern italy.

10. The Lighthouse (2019)

Everything about this movie is top notch: the acting, the story, the visuals. A modern masterpiece that has the chance of becoming a classic: Two lighthouse keepers are stranded on an island as they slowly dive into insanity.

6. 84 Charing Cross Road (1987): I watched this movie a few days ago and totally fell in love with it. It is a love letter to reading and the importance of words: Based on true events this moving film tells the story of an incredible friendship between the american writer Helen Hanff and an antique's bookshop employe in London

Some of my favourite literary/ academic movies

1. The Oxford murders (2008): This one is great for people who love mathematics, mysteries and murders. A suspenseful thriller for all admirers of the dark academia aesthetic.

2. Me and Orson Welles (2008): This one unfortunately is a lesser known movie. A big recommendation for everyone who has a love for Shakespeare, theatre and period dramas.

3. My afternoons with Margueritte (2010): This is a heartwarming french movie about a unique friendship between an old book-loving lady and a younger, poor educated craftsmen. She shares her wisdom with him and introduces him to the world of literature: A touching ode to loving books and bringing people together with literature.

4. The words (2012): This one is a touching and highly underrated movie about the power of words and books. It is a beautiful love story, thriller and drama all in one and tells the story about a writer during different timelines and dimensions. It is basically a book within a movie where the protagonist (a famous author played by Bradley Cooper) bears a big secret.

5. A beautiful mind (2002): This has to be one af the most beautiful movies of all time. Telling you to much about it would only take something away from the experience of watching it for the first time. Just watch it for yourself and be prepared for a huge twist and one of the most heartwarming, intelligent films ever produced.