I’ve always adored “The Family Man” for Nic Cage chewing up the scenery against the angelic Téa Leoni as his shoulder-have-been bride. A glorious film.
"Tolstoy said, “All happy families are happy in the same way; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own unique way.”
This, of course, as has been discussed before in a previous post, is bullcrap. Pure 100% unfettered bullcrap."
I've often thought that too, but haven't seen anyone take that Tolstoy quote on (probably showing my ignorance). I was looking through your substack for your previous post on this. Is it somewhere else? Or did I just miss it. Link please.
What does this have to do with Tolstoy's remarks on happy and unhappy families? I clicked on the article thinking the author would explore the modern circumstances potentially resulting in various forms of happiness (or the unique form of unhappiness), thereby contradicting the claims made by Tolstoy in his 1877 novel Anna Karenina. Instead, I get a vapid top 10 list wherein the christmas movies under discussion are barely explained, leaving me totally confused as to what they are about, and what this article is even about. What does Tolstoy's profound masterpiece have to do with pop-culture christmas lists?????--I've noticed Substack authors have become a 'genre' at this point...and I don't like it.
I see. I'm not accustomed to "hypertext" reading. I'm traditional, I treat web pages as "books" so I prefer the author summarize thoroughly as if I'm reading a paperback, instead of requiring the reader to open several tabs. It's my way of adhering to the noble ethos of the greats! For this reason, my comment also criticized the entire genre of substack newsletters. I use the platform as a publishing tool, not as an artform. This essay merely served as an example of what I've been noticing for months, so I seized the opportunity to comment.
I've read some of your other articles. I apologize as I may have judged your literary merit based on a piece that is certainly not representative of your general style. While I can appreciate your flair, I must politely admit that we walk in two very different worlds my friend. I am not Catholic or Christian in any way (although I was raised Catholic). I can respect your viewpoints because you are clearly educated, articulate, and capable of refined reasoning. Still, if I am a lager drinker no amount of Guiness or Stout or Ale will make me 'convert' to such types of beer. I respect your talent, but there is just somethings we are not meant to appreciate. And I still disagree with your disagreement with Tolstoy's claim. Happiness is mediocre, boring, 'normie', and plebeian. To suffer, struggle, and fight is to 'ride the tiger' as Evola would say.
Mr Finn, it's the late Senator FRED Thompson, in Die Harder.
Sigh.
For my family the big Christmas film has been A Christmas Story.
"You'll shoot you eye out, kid!"
I’ve always adored “The Family Man” for Nic Cage chewing up the scenery against the angelic Téa Leoni as his shoulder-have-been bride. A glorious film.
“SHOULD-have been”
There's only one Christmas film worth watching: the original Miracle on 34th Street.
"Tolstoy said, “All happy families are happy in the same way; all unhappy families are unhappy in their own unique way.”
This, of course, as has been discussed before in a previous post, is bullcrap. Pure 100% unfettered bullcrap."
I've often thought that too, but haven't seen anyone take that Tolstoy quote on (probably showing my ignorance). I was looking through your substack for your previous post on this. Is it somewhere else? Or did I just miss it. Link please.
https://open.substack.com/pub/declanfinn/p/hf
What does this have to do with Tolstoy's remarks on happy and unhappy families? I clicked on the article thinking the author would explore the modern circumstances potentially resulting in various forms of happiness (or the unique form of unhappiness), thereby contradicting the claims made by Tolstoy in his 1877 novel Anna Karenina. Instead, I get a vapid top 10 list wherein the christmas movies under discussion are barely explained, leaving me totally confused as to what they are about, and what this article is even about. What does Tolstoy's profound masterpiece have to do with pop-culture christmas lists?????--I've noticed Substack authors have become a 'genre' at this point...and I don't like it.
https://open.substack.com/pub/declanfinn/p/hf
I see. I'm not accustomed to "hypertext" reading. I'm traditional, I treat web pages as "books" so I prefer the author summarize thoroughly as if I'm reading a paperback, instead of requiring the reader to open several tabs. It's my way of adhering to the noble ethos of the greats! For this reason, my comment also criticized the entire genre of substack newsletters. I use the platform as a publishing tool, not as an artform. This essay merely served as an example of what I've been noticing for months, so I seized the opportunity to comment.
I'm a historian. I do footnotes.
I've read some of your other articles. I apologize as I may have judged your literary merit based on a piece that is certainly not representative of your general style. While I can appreciate your flair, I must politely admit that we walk in two very different worlds my friend. I am not Catholic or Christian in any way (although I was raised Catholic). I can respect your viewpoints because you are clearly educated, articulate, and capable of refined reasoning. Still, if I am a lager drinker no amount of Guiness or Stout or Ale will make me 'convert' to such types of beer. I respect your talent, but there is just somethings we are not meant to appreciate. And I still disagree with your disagreement with Tolstoy's claim. Happiness is mediocre, boring, 'normie', and plebeian. To suffer, struggle, and fight is to 'ride the tiger' as Evola would say.