MaybeSecondBestMan

MaybeSecondBestMan t1_je0a9uq wrote

I won’t pretend to understand the full nuance of what is no doubt a very complex issue, but as somebody who rides the trains every day, I can say that our public transit is shockingly bad for what is supposed to be the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the world. My impression from a few years of daily riding is that our trains are generally disgusting, inefficient, and probably badly mismanaged.

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MaybeSecondBestMan t1_jdvokhj wrote

> Ironically, I purchased it at the airport in Rio de Janeiro during an 11 hour layover, when I was returning home to live in the US after spending 6.5 years living abroad.

Damn, this book must have hit hard for you. Sometimes you just find the right thing at the right time. That’s awesome.

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MaybeSecondBestMan t1_jdvcttk wrote

The r/books circlejerk is never more obnoxious or banal than when this book gets mentioned. “DAE actually not like the Alchemist?” is pretty much a meme at this point. People take way too much joy pontificating about how the book is “actually not that deep” and ”not as smart as it thinks it is.” I’m guessing these would be better descriptors of the people who pile into these threads than the book itself.

It’s a feel-good fairytale adventure about trusting your destiny and finding some treasure. People almost universally enjoy simple, well-told stories, and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a nice quick read, something to make you reflect a little and feel good for having gone on an adventure. It’s not trying to be the Bible, though you would think so for how much attention it gets on this subreddit.

Do yourself a favor and let yourself enjoy the book. Don’t even look at this subreddit regurgitating the same hackneyed takedown a thousand times over. “WOW, the Alchemist? My thoughts on this overrated ‘novel…’” Oh fuck off, you self-serious knob.

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MaybeSecondBestMan t1_j7grv9a wrote

Comeback of the decade. Though I wonder if these open passageway cars will be a blessing or a curse. Now you can enjoy showtime from three cars away. And no sense in avoiding the empty car with somebody nodding off in a puddle of their own piss and shit—it’s all one car now. “We’re all in this together” will never be more true of the daily subway commute.

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