tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90008582024-03-13T08:22:26.932-04:00Eclectic Indulgence... classic literature reviews...Classic Literature ReviewsEclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-80046757697504381122018-08-10T16:18:00.002-04:002018-08-10T16:18:56.577-04:00So long and thanks for all the fishSorry, all. I realize it has been very long since I posted anything. I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in November. I will likely not be posting here any more in the future.<br />
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Keep sending out love and silencing hate... and keep reading. The world needs more readers even more than it needs strong writers. Reading is important.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-84239605512669384112013-02-02T16:49:00.001-05:002013-02-02T16:49:56.762-05:00Review: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Unknown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1h7B_M_7MZk/UQ18Pfm8bTI/AAAAAAAAA7U/ZRmBKj8QilM/s1600/sir+gawain+and+the+green+knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1h7B_M_7MZk/UQ18Pfm8bTI/AAAAAAAAA7U/ZRmBKj8QilM/s320/sir+gawain+and+the+green+knight.jpg" width="198" /></a>I cannot believe this is the first time I have ever read an Arthurian Legend. Before a few weeks ago, I didn't know this work was part of said canon... me being notorious for not reading reviews. In August I made a trip to the British Library and paid for a 'special exhibit', where I saw a copy of the Folio Society version of this work and based on the cover and a brief description, I was in love. When I finally joined The Folio Society in December, I knew this would be the first work that I purchased.<br />
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The translation of the Folio Society publication is by Simon Armitage and since I have no object of comparison, there is not very much I can say about it. It had a simple flow and was definitely an easy read. The illustrations by Diana Sudyka were not my cup of tea at all, with the exception of the beautiful cover... of of the most beautiful I have ever owned. The Folio Society publication was fairly large, measuring 13" by 9 1/4" - I believe it was a little too large to read with on the couch and my roomie thought it was a little humorous. There was a lot of blank space on most pages, but for those that love the feel of great paper, this was up to the usual thick standard with a creamy ivory colour.<br />
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The work itself is about a Green Knight that comes at Christmas to challenge the Knights of King Arthur to a holiday 'game'. He is completely green, from his clothing to his skin... and even his horse is green. He challenges anyone to cut of his head with an axe and if he lives, in one year, he gets a chance to cut off the antagonist's head - a sort of 'head for a head' thing. Why anyone thinks this is a cool party game is beyond me, but King Arthur accepts the challenge when no one else will. Sir Gawain stands up to the Knight simply to take Arthur's place. <br />
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I won't go into what happens from there, but the tale is all about honour, truth, sins of men and the temptation of men by women (see quote below). The tale in itself is told quite simply, but has a wonderful message. While Sir Gawain lives by an honour code, even he can fall off track when encountering certain situations in life and he must constantly remind himself of this to stay on what he believes is a righteous and honourable path. <br />
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I would like to eventually read the translation by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was influenced by many of these ancient works including this one and Beowulf which were instrumental in the crafting of his fantastical world. <br />
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I'm glad I read the work in general - it has a good message and I didn't see the plot twist coming, and while it gave me a good preliminary feel for Arthurian legends, it didn't have the impact of some of the other ancient works I have read as of late... such as <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-epic-of-gilgamesh.html">Gilgamesh</a> & <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/02/review-song-of-roland-by-unknown.html">The Song of Roland</a>.<br />
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QUOTATION:<br />
"'And mind you commend me to your mannerly wife, both to her and the other, those honourable ladies who kidded me so cleverly with their cunning tricks. But no wonder if a fool should fall for a female and be wiped of his wits by womanly guile - it's the way of the world. Adam fell for a woman and Solomon for several, and as for Samson, Delilah was his downfall, and afterwards David was bamboozled by Bathsheba and bore the grief. All wrecked and ruined by their wrongs; if only we could love our ladies without believing their lies. And those were fellows from fortunate families, excellent beyond all others existing under heaven,' he cried. 'Yet all were charmed and changed by wily womankind. I suffered just the same, so clear me of my crime.'"Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-32724024085655147822013-02-02T15:40:00.000-05:002013-02-02T15:40:01.611-05:00Review: Song of Roland by Unknown<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLmj7o8EjnQ/UQ1gU-uMi9I/AAAAAAAAA6w/o3Db3BY_rzQ/s1600/song+of+roland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fLmj7o8EjnQ/UQ1gU-uMi9I/AAAAAAAAA6w/o3Db3BY_rzQ/s320/song+of+roland.jpg" width="183" /></a><strong><em>"The Song of Roland</em></strong> (<span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr"><i>La Chanson de Roland</i></span>) is an heroic poem based on the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Roncesvalles" title="Battle of Roncesvalles">Battle of Roncesvalles</a> in 778, during the reign of Charlemagne. It is the oldest surviving major work of French literature. It exists in various manuscript versions which testify to its enormous and enduring popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries. The oldest of these is the Oxford manuscript which contains a text of some 4,004 lines and is usually dated to the middle of the twelfth century (between 1140 and 1170)." -Wikipedia<br /></blockquote>
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I had never heard of The Song of Roland before my membership with The Folio Society, but I'm glad they introduced me to this work. This particular edition is translated by Charles Scott Moncrieff and illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso. It's hard for me to comment on the translation, but I found this work incredibly poetic and very easy to read. The illustrations were hit and miss for me - a very modern take that I don't really think fit the work. Some of the illustrations, such as the one further down in this review, were quite stunning. The cover presented is BEAUTIFUL... and I think, very representative of the story and, in this case, the most poignant scene of the poem.<br />
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This story is really about a battle between Pagans and Christians, the Christians (Romans) attempting to take over large amounts of territory to pass along Christianity to others with 'inferior' religions. King Charlemagne is about to wage war with King Marsile (Muslim), but offers treasure and conversion to Christianity if Marsile and the Franks will go back to France.<br />
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*START OF MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS*<br />
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Roland's stepfather, Ganelon, becomes a traitor in order to get back at Roland for volunteering him to be the messenger of the offer. They betrayal of Roland and the Christian Knights leads to their slaughter. Roland's pride becomes his downfall when he refuses to blow his horn (olifant) when he sees that he is outnumbered. He acts on courage and the belief in God - he himself believing that he is fated to die. After everyone dies, he finally blows his horn... bursting his temples and causing his own martyrdom. He is met by a saint who takes him to Paradise.<br />
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King Charlemange comes to the call to bury the dead and mourn the loss of his nephew. He is eventually met with a Spanish Muslim contingent which is destroyed. Ganelon is quartered for his betrayal and those who stood up for him in his trial are subsequently hanged. <br />
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*END OF MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS*<br />
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The ending of the work, I believe, is the best part. King Charlemagne has another dream (the first from God, warned him about the treachery of Ganelon - which he believes is fated and cannot be stopped) that tells him that he must continue to push on to battle with another foe - I suppose to continue to spread the message from God (Christianity). He is tired, but realizes that man does not choose his own path and he must follow what is presented to him. This reminds me of my favourite Steinbeck quote, "You don't take a trip, a trip takes you." I think that if you let yourself be open to things the universe will guide you. I believe we each have the power of choice, but I believe we are given cues to follow and can choose to do so or not. King Charlemagne is clearly put all his faith in these cues, which he believes come from God. Giving up your control to a 'greater power' creates quite a struggle and this struggle is evident with Charlemagne and is captured quite beautifully.<br />
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This work was a little too 'rah rah Christianity' for my liking, but is quite fascinating when looking back on the believed cleansing by Christians over 1,200 years ago. The blood-thirsty revenge seems very un-Christian on the surface, but this gruesome slaughter was seen as justice and not as cleansing... and I suppose the same could be said of Hitler's belief in the genocide, though not based on religious principles. <br />
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The pride of Roland was quite frustrating and proved to be his Achilleus' heel. This was one example in the poem that showed the characters in the Song of Roland to be quite human... both with strengths and flaws. <br />
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I'm quite glad that I read this work - it has left quite an impression on me. I think I will eventually do some more research into the beginning sweep of the forces of Christianity. I know there is a new set from The Folio Society called <a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/PAC/pagans-and-christians">'Pagans and Christians'</a> by Robert Fox Lane... and I believe I will keep my eye out for this one. If anyone has read that work or The Song of Roland, would love to know your thoughts!Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-970008212898583532013-01-20T16:19:00.001-05:002013-01-20T16:19:33.010-05:002012 Classic Literature Year in Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WONlW00y1-g/UPxdwUaSrhI/AAAAAAAAA50/KuRb8jhCw6A/s1600/books+%2526+globe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WONlW00y1-g/UPxdwUaSrhI/AAAAAAAAA50/KuRb8jhCw6A/s320/books+%2526+globe.jpg" width="320" /></a>So we're three weeks into 2013 and I'm just getting to a 'year in review' post for 2012. I didn't get back into the country until two weeks before Christmas and I have been spending time catching up with people and getting my bearings. From a personal perspective, 2012 was a great year for me and I guess it's very difficult to complain when you only work for 1/3 of it, travel for 1/2 of it and use the remaining time to organize, reflect and read. Last year I was only able to get to 18 books or so and this years' goal was to get through two a month (24 for the year). I did it - and still had time to read a book of short-stories and a Shakespeare play.<br />
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This year I spent a lot of time reading the ancient classics, and I was extremely lucky to have a bookclub which thought this was a good idea. After reading Homer and Aeschylus last year, I was able to read some Euripides and Sophocles in order to round out some of the great tragedians. I was also able to read Virgil's Aeneid to get a Roman epic experience. This led to a better understanding of Dante's Divine Comedy... as Dante travels around Hell, Purgatory and Heaven with Virgil as his guide. <br />
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I was also able to read a bunch of other epic, non-Greek works such as Beowulf, The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and the Tale of Genji. There is only one really long work read this year - that of Genji... a 1,200 page epic from 1,000 AD. <br />
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There are a few books that I have wanted to read for a long time that just don't fit into any categories or grand unified reading plan, such as Walden. There are a bunch more self-help type books this year, as I have been going through some transformational change given some of the life-events mentioned at the top of this post. Many of the other books were ones that I read simply because I had access to them traveling... a freeing way to read when one is used to providing oneself with a very structured approach to reading.<br />
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So here are the 16, with links to my thoughts on them:<br />
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Unknown. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-beowulf-by-unknown.html">Beowulf</a><br />
Alighieri, Dante. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-inferno-by-dante-alighieri.html">The Divine Comedy: Inferno</a><br />
Alighieri, Dante. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/06/review-purgatory-by-dante-alighieri.html">The Divine Comedy: Purgatory</a><br />
Alighieri, Dante. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/review-paradise-by-dante-alighieri.html">The Divine Comedy: Paradise</a><br />
Boulle, Pierre. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-bridge-over-river-kwai-by-pierre.html">The Bridge Over the River Kwai</a><br />
Card, Orson Scott. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/04/review-shadows-in-flight-by-orson-scott.html">Shadows in Flight</a><br />
Chekhov, Anton. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/review-short-stories-by-anton-chekhov.html">Short-Stories</a><br />
Euripides. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-medea-hippolytus-and-bacchae-by.html">Medea, Hippolytus and The Bacchae</a><br />
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-scarlet-letter-by-nathaniel.html">The Scarlet Letter</a><br />
Honore, Carl. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-in-praise-of-slow-by-carl-honore.html">In Praise of Slow</a><br />
Kerouac, Jack. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-on-road-by-jack-kerouac.html">On the Road</a><br />
Khayyam, Omar. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-rubaiyat-of-omar-khayyam.html">The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam</a><br />
Larsson, Stieg. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-girl-with-dragon-tattoo-by-stieg.html">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</a><br />
Melville, Herman. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-typee-by-herman-melville.html">Typee</a><br />
O'Brien, Robert C. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-mrs-frisby-and-rats-of-nimh-by.html">Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh</a><br />
Plato. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/04/review-republic-by-plato.html">The Republic</a><br />
Redfield, James. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-celestine-prophecy-by-james.html">The Celestine Prophecy</a><br />
Rubin, Gretchen. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-happiness-project-by-gretchen.html">The Happiness Project</a><br />
Shakespeare, William. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/review-henry-v-by-william-shakespeare.html">Henry V</a><br />
Shikibu, Murasaki. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-tale-of-genji-by-murasaki.html">The Tale of Genji</a><br />
Sophocles. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-oedipus-king-by-sophocles.html">Oedipus the King</a><br />
Thoreau, Henry David. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-walden-by-henry-david-thoreau.html">Walden</a><br />
Virgil. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/04/review-aeneid-by-virgil.html">The Aeneid</a><br />
Wallace, Lew. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/review-ben-hur-by-lew-wallace.html">Ben-Hur</a><br />
Wells, H.G. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-island-of-dr-moreau-by-hg-wells.html">The Island of Dr. Moreau</a><br />
Woolf, Virginia. <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/review-mrs-dalloway-by-virginia-woolf.html">Mrs. Dalloway</a><br />
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<strong>Biggest Disappointment of 2012: </strong><a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-beowulf-by-unknown.html">Beowulf</a> & <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-rubaiyat-of-omar-khayyam.html">The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam</a><br />
With Beowulf, I think I read the wrong translation (William Leonard). Everyone that read the Seamus Heaney translation seemed to like the work a lot more and given that I tend to generally like these myths/ancient epics (such as Gigamesh), I was quite surprised that this one didn't resonate with me especially since it inspired so much of Tolkien's work. The Rubaiyat is so sacred, that I was surprised that I didn't find more transcendence in it... when I think back, what sticks out the most to me was all the wine drinking.<br /><br /><strong>Most Difficult to Read in 2012: </strong><a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/04/review-republic-by-plato.html">The Republic</a><br />
Plato's Republic was tremendously satisfying, but it was rather academic in many cases. Coupled with some of the language and outdated theories (due to more information now as well as different lifestyles), there were times in this work that I really struggled. I found that it was all worth it, but it did test my patience at times.<br /><br /><strong>Best Book of 2012:</strong> <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-celestine-prophecy-by-james.html">The Celestine Prophecy</a><br />
This has nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the literary acumen, but simply that this book changed my life when I was in need of self-discovery.<br />
<br /><strong>New Authors
Discovered/Explored in 2012: </strong>Dante, Boulle, Chekhov, Euripides, Hawthorne, Honore, Kerouac, Khayyam, Larsson, Melville, Redfield, Rubin, Shikibu, Sophocles, Thoreau, Virgil, Wallace, Woolf... a good majority of my reads this year were from new authors (to me).<br /><br /><strong>Genres/Books/Authors I wish To Read More
Of in 2013:</strong> I really want to read more Greek works, other ancient epics, some myths, some poetry and at this very moment... I feel like more Hemingway and Steinbeck. I also want to try some Russians like Gogol and Pushkin (both of whom I've never read).<br />
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Thanks for reading this post and bearing with me through my hiatus from book reviewing. Looking forward to hearing about your experiences from last year, any recommendations you have for me, and/or your thoughts in general.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-68495876353573076542013-01-20T15:33:00.000-05:002013-01-20T15:33:08.903-05:00Review: Short-stories by Anton Chekhov<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aAk1IjEPxc0/UPs3aKe9bwI/AAAAAAAAA4w/NWkyu9JgcwY/s1600/anton+chekhov+short+stories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aAk1IjEPxc0/UPs3aKe9bwI/AAAAAAAAA4w/NWkyu9JgcwY/s200/anton+chekhov+short+stories.jpg" width="200" /></a>Short-stories are a difficult to review on the whole, even at the best times. In my case, I have traveled thousands of miles (kilometers) as of late, it has been many months since I read this work, I have read about 10 books since these stories, and I didn't write down any notes! This 'review' is an impossibility and it had been daunting for me, which is why I left it until last in my reviewing backlog. <br />
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I'm a big fan of the Russians greats, which I think I have documented here quite often: Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Nabokov, Turgenev, Pasternak, etc. I was lucky to have picked up a few of Chekhov's stories in Nottingham when I was traveling around; I thought that it would be a great idea to read a few of them on trains or before bed or at other moments where I didn't have very much time to read something seriously. I had never read any short-stories by Chekhov before, but since he is well known as one of the masters of the short-story, I was excited to plow through them.<br />
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I read somewhere that one thing that many people struggle with is Chekhov's particular style in regards to the 'message' located within each story. I found that the reviews I had read were correct - Chekhov leaves it up to the reader to decide which lessons to glean from most of his stories. I believe he tells a story to have told it and once it's completed, he moves onto the next not really caring what readers THINK of it. Chekhov was a physician before he ever became a writer and I could theorize that he just began to write for sheer enjoyment and not with a greater purpose in mind. I don't pretend to know if I would be right in making this assumption, but it seems to make sense after reading these 24 stories.<br />
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I also agree that he seems to embody the Russian way of life (granted, I am fairly ignorant in a very good portion of their history), preferring to focus on common people as opposed to the aristocracy and 'elite' of society. When I think back upon the stories many months after reading them, I can FEEL various scenes in the stories and I think that's indicative of a good writer. I will definitely re-read some of these stories in the future and make substantial notes on my feelings about each one, and which ones are my favourites. I'll now just present a list of which stories were involved in my edition (along with a small amount of quotations), more for my own benefit than anything else. Would love to hear what you think of Chekhov's short stories or his only novel, The Shooting Party.<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overseasoned<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Night Before Easter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“why is it that even in the presence of great happiness, a
man cannot forget his grief?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“when a man is tired and drowsy he thinks that nature, too,
is in the same condition.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At Home<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No doubt that is one of the laws of society – the less an
evil is understood the more bitterly and harshly it is attacked.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The more enlightened a man is the more he is given to
reflection and hair-splitting; the more undecided he is, the more full of
scruples, and the more timidly he approaches a task.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Champagne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Malefactor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Murder Will Out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Trousseau<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Decoration<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Man in a Case<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“How many wrong and foolish deeds are committed in our
country towns because we are bored!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Little Jack<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">11.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dreams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Death of an Official<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">13.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Agatha<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">14.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Beggar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">15.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Children<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">16.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Troublesome Guest<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">17.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not Wanted<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">18.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Robbers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">19.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lean and Fat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">20.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the Way<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">21.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Head Gardener’s Tale<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">22.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hush!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">23.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Without a Title<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">24.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the Ravine</span></div>
Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-47746520069699677322013-01-20T14:42:00.002-05:002013-01-20T14:43:27.805-05:00Review: Henry V by William Shakespeare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytNEDLjjOSI/UPs3ZoJsqUI/AAAAAAAAA4k/6FXsJtGBupM/s200/Henry+v+book+cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="136" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't read the Graphic Novel but...<br />
I thought this was an unusual,<br />
non-formulaic image of Henry V</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ytNEDLjjOSI/UPs3ZoJsqUI/AAAAAAAAA4k/6FXsJtGBupM/s1600/Henry+v+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>There I was sitting in my hostel in Nottingham after just finishing <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/review-ben-hur-by-lew-wallace.html">Ben-Hur</a>, and I came across a copy of Henry V by Shakespeare (eventually passed down to a friend in Luxembourg). Somehow or other, a few weeks later when I arrived in London... I went to go see a show at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Globe_Theater">Shakespeare's Globe</a> - and as it turned out, they were playing Henry V. I only read the work AFTER the play, which is generally in the opposite order I usually do these things. I was incredibly surprised on how more enjoyable the overall experience was following this methodology. Since Shakespeare is supposed to be watched MORE SO than it is read. I think this inherently makes sense. <br />
<br />
Many aspects that I missed in the theatre, I was able to dedicate more time to while reading the work. In addition, because I had SEEN all the characters they became alive on the page much quicker - and I was able to compare the characters in the novel to how the actors portrayed the characters in the play to see if I felt they were able to get the characters right or if they did Shakespeare himself a disservice.<br />
<br />
Henry V at Shakespeare's Globe was quite breathtaking, despite the tremendous uncomfortable feeling present in my seating arrangement. I have long legs and I sat in the front row with a wooden railing in front of me - I was never comfortable and it took away much of my concentration on the dialogue. This play was quite enjoyable and stimulated much further research into the King and the story itself. I do also remember thinking that the movie adaptation with Kenneth Branagh was one of the better Shakespeare film adaptions I've seen (along with Hamlet with Kenneth Branagh, if I recall correctly - unsure if I enjoyed this one more or less than the Mel Gibson version).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEcryvM_AA8/UPs3bB81xfI/AAAAAAAAA5A/8DC2kPFKRJA/s1600/henry+v+movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEcryvM_AA8/UPs3bB81xfI/AAAAAAAAA5A/8DC2kPFKRJA/s320/henry+v+movie.jpg" width="320" /></a>In summary, the play is about the events pre and post <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt">The Battle of Agincourt</a>, a battle between the English and the French in 1415. The battle is won by the British, and according to the play, there is such an extreme difference in body count that Henry V believes that God has intervened on his behalf. The best part about the play is Henry's personal struggle between doing what is good for the people and what is good for himself, along with overcoming the legacy of his father. These are classic themes and Shakespeare really allows you to FEEL them as you read the play. Like most Shakespeare, there is an ample supply of wit - both intelligent and bawdy. In addition, like Shakepeare Histories, there is a 'happy' ending... when Henry marries the French princess. I believe the ending is drawn out too much - with all the signing of documents, courting, etc... but this will be a matter of preference. It reminded me of the feeling I had when reading the last instalment of the Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, which seemed like the ending took so long to wrap up that it didn't feel like an ending anymore.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
So, as you can tell this is not a strong 'review' and should probably not even be classified as such. This lack of detail is a direct result of me not writing down any of my views as soon as I finished watching the play or reading the work. Would be interested to know what YOU think of it - perhaps it will bring some of my personal thoughts back. Shakespeare, I believe, is best when discussed and dissected.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-41439906724796193392013-01-20T13:53:00.000-05:002013-01-20T13:53:15.510-05:00Review: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ThK__Cj9fI8/UPs3apqRPtI/AAAAAAAAA44/AJSgHyIy8VI/s1600/celestine+prophecy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ThK__Cj9fI8/UPs3apqRPtI/AAAAAAAAA44/AJSgHyIy8VI/s1600/celestine+prophecy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ThK__Cj9fI8/UPs3apqRPtI/AAAAAAAAA44/AJSgHyIy8VI/s200/celestine+prophecy.gif" width="133" /></a>I am going to keep this review extremely short. <br />
<br />
You will either love this book or you will hate it. If you believe in a higher form of spirituality, but aren't quite convinced about structure existing in religion, it may be a good book for you to read. If you do not believe in anything and think all 'spiritual stuff' is hokey, then don't bother reading this work. If you're a devout Christian/Muslim/Hindu/etc and cannot fathom anything that your religion does not teach explicitly, then don't read this book.<br />
<br />
You should only read this book if you believe there is something else going on that you can't quite grasp, but are open to... or you believe you're currently in the midst of a spiritual awakening.<br />
<br />
This book has some hokey elements in it - and I must admit to not believing in certain concepts by the author (especially those relating to 'what happened to the Mayans' - which I believe tarnished an otherwise great book), but I will say that The Celestine Prophecy changed my life. If you fit the criteria mentioned above, then I encourage you to see if there is anything in this work that can change yours too.<br />
<br />
I should also mention that the writing in this work is not very good at all. It is all about the message and it's important to keep that in mind if you decide you wish to read it.<br />
<br />
Since I have provided no summary, you can find one here: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Celestine_Prophecy</a><br />
<br />
To purchase the book, there are over 2,300 used copies here:<br />
<a href="http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?fromanz=fromanz&sts=t&tn=the+celestine+prophecy&x=24&y=12">http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?fromanz=fromanz&sts=t&tn=the+celestine+prophecy&x=24&y=12</a><br />
<br />
For those of you who give it a shot, good luck... and enjoy.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-64538301292575741472013-01-20T13:03:00.002-05:002013-01-20T13:03:12.479-05:00Review: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-cE575S3tc/UPsyGJOjinI/AAAAAAAAA38/9zvpWdgMW00/s1600/scarlet+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-cE575S3tc/UPsyGJOjinI/AAAAAAAAA38/9zvpWdgMW00/s1600/scarlet+letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I-cE575S3tc/UPsyGJOjinI/AAAAAAAAA38/9zvpWdgMW00/s200/scarlet+letter.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Scarlet Letter is the story of Hester Prynne, a woman that commits adultery and is brandished with a red letter A - as a warning to others of the sin she committed. She is publicly ridiculed and despite this, refuses to give up the identity of the male culprit. Pearl, Hester Prynne's daughter, is also a constant reminder to Hester of her sin... and the child is credited with many spiritual qualities, both angelic and demonic.<br />
<br />
Hawthorne reminds me of a poor man's Thomas Hardy. He has thought out the plot, spirituality, an ostracizing from society, redemption, etc of this book very well - the story itself is a marvel. However, the prose is far from Hardy standards and of course, the work does not have the typical Hardy tragic ending. However, the carefully woven plot is indicative of Hardy with the exception that it doesn't seem to be as complex a web. The work is brilliant in it's own right, but feels amateur when compared to some of the other greats of Hawethorne's time.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed reading the story of Hester - she was a lovable character that you couldn't help but root for. The innocence, depth and devilishness of Pearl was written beautifully and it made you love her and feel creeped out by her at the same time. Her presence lingers on you well after you read about her and I haven't felt this way about a character since nearly a year ago, when I read Jack London's <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2011/12/review-sea-wolf-by-jack-london.html">The Sea-Wolf</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-X-Npz7qzM/UPs3Zo793zI/AAAAAAAAA4g/v7uN0lrDlwk/s1600/Scarlet+letter+B.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-X-Npz7qzM/UPs3Zo793zI/AAAAAAAAA4g/v7uN0lrDlwk/s320/Scarlet+letter+B.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kind of humour</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the conclusion was not quite expected, I found myself predicting much of the plot elements - indicative of a slight formulaic approach to writing. The story itself is one that will stick with you, and I believe that when coupled with the carefully woven plot, the work is justly considered a classic. I <span style="font-family: inherit;">wouldn't classify it as one of the top 50 of all-time, but I'm glad that I read it... I enjoyed the story and it taught me both positive and negative aspects of writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>QUOTATIONS</u>:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“An effect – which I believe to be observable, more or less,
in every individual who has occupied the position – is, that, while he leans on
the mighty arm of the Republic, his own proper strength departs from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loses, in an extent proportioned to the
weakness or force of his original nature, the capability of self-support. If he
possesses an unusual share of native energy, or the enervating magic of place
do not operate too long upon him, his forfeited powers may be redeemable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ejected officer – fortunate in the
unkindly shove that sends him forth betimes to struggle amid a struggling world
– may return to himself, and become all that he has ever been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this seldom happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He usually keeps his ground just long enough
for his own ruin, and is then thrust out, with sinews all unstrung, to totter
along the difficult footpath of life as he best may.” 42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“…there has never been, for me, the genial atmosphere which
a literary man requires, in order to ripen the best harvest of his mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I shall do better amongst other faces; and
these familiar ones, it need hardly be said, will do just as well without me.”
49<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“There was a remarkable intelligence in his features, as of
a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mold
the physical to itself, and become manifest by unmistakable tokens.” 65<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“’…up to that epoch of my life, I had lived in vain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world had been so cheerless!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart was a habitation large enough for
many guests, but lonely and chill, and without a household fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I longed to kindle one! It seemed not so wild
a dream – old as I was, and somber as I was, and misshapen as I was – that the
simple bliss, which is scattered far and wide, for all mankind to gather up,
might yet be mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so, Hester, I
drew thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber, and sought to warm thee by
the warmth which thy presence made there!’” 81<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Love, whether newly born or aroused from a deathlike
slumber, must always create a sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance
that it overflows upon the outward world.” 224<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to
himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to
which may be the true.” 237<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“’Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if
not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!’” 285<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“It is a curious subject of observation and inquiry, whether
hatred and love be not the same thing at the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each, in its utmost development, supposes a
high degree of intimacy and heart knowledge; each renders one individual
dependent for the food of his affections and spiritual life upon another; each
leaves the passionate lover, or the no less passionate hater, forlorn and
desolate by the withdrawal of his subject.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Philosophically considered, therefore, the two passions seem essentially
the same, except that one happens to be seen in a celestial radiance, and the
other in a dusky and lurid glow.” 286</span></div>
Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-46996671750111684532013-01-19T18:38:00.002-05:002013-01-19T18:38:41.342-05:00Review: On the Road by Jack Kerouac<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k8JVH1xb0BU/UPsXbBfVU6I/AAAAAAAAA3c/RfCr-qY7A2I/s1600/On-The-Road-Jack-Kerouac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k8JVH1xb0BU/UPsXbBfVU6I/AAAAAAAAA3c/RfCr-qY7A2I/s200/On-The-Road-Jack-Kerouac.jpg" width="128" /></a>Not sure where in my travels I picked this book up, but I think it was in Copenhagen. I had heard quite a few good things about it and it seemed like a really great book to take traveling around Europe with me, so I picked it up from a hostel. Not sure where I left it but I hope whomever is reading it now is enjoying the novel as much as I did and is not deterred from my marginalia (something unheard of for me, generally).</div>
<br />
This book started off quite slowly. Kerouac was off on one of his mad adventures and I was observing him from afar. At some point, EVERYTHING changed. I began to travel WITH Kerouac and it was a madly satisfying ride. I remember him going back and forth between Denver and somewhere in California, constantly picking up companions and getting drunk, doing drugs, having sex (consensual, with prostitutes, etc) and generally getting into all sorts of trouble. But - he and his friends were LIVING! At the end, Kerouac and his buddy Neal Cassady make it down to Mexico to experience a culture completely different than their normal scene in the United States and they're completely excited. If I recall correctly, the work ends abruptly there...<br />
<br />
I should mention at this point that I read 'The Original Scroll' version, not knowing the differences between this publication and others. The version I read kept the original names of the characters and kept the explicit material that was cut out of the standard publication in 1957. I believe that it was edited quite a bit less than the original publication, and perhaps this led to some of the slowness at the beginning of the work. That said, I would rather get as close to the original unedited journey as possible, and I remember FEELING very strongly about the journey the further I got into it.<br />
<br />
Kerouac is a master of description, and his insight into his friend Neal Cassady was something to behold. I'm going to cut and paste a few of my favourite Kerouac descriptions - which are also present in the quotes below in this post. Here is a description of Allen Anson, to start:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“He had more books than I’ve ever seen in all my life… two libraries, two rooms loaded from floor to ceiling around all four walls, and such books as ‘The Explanation of the Apocalypse’ in ten volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He played Verdi operas and pantomimed them in his pajamas with the great rip down the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t give a damn about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a great scholar who goes reeling down the NY waterfront with original 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century musical manuscripts under his arm, shouting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He crawls like a great spider through the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His excitement blew out of his eyes in great stabs of fiendish light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rolled his neck in spastic ecstasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lisped, he writhed, he flopped, he moaned, he howled, he fell back in despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could hardly get a word out he was so excited with life.” 228<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
...and then of Bill Burroughs...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It would take all night to tell about Bill Burroughs; let’s just say now, he was a teacher, and had every right to teach because he learned all the time; and the things he learned were the facts of life, not out of necessity but because he wanted to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He dragged his long thin body around the entire US and most of Europe and No. Africa in his time only to see what was going on; he married a German countess in Yugoslavia to get her away from the Nazis in the Thirties; there are pictures of him with big cocaine Berlin gangs with wild hair leaning on one another; there are other pictures of him in a Panama hat surveying the streets of Algiers in Morocco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never saw the German countess again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an exterminator in Chicago, a bartender in New York, a summons server in Newark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Paris he sat at café tables watching the sullen French faces go by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Athens he looked out of his hotel window at what he called the ugliest people in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Instanbul he threaded his way through crowds of opium addicts and rug sellers, looking for the facts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In English hotels he read Spengler and the Marquis de Sade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Chicago he planned to hold up a Turkish bath, hesitated just two minutes too long for a drink, and wound up with two dollars and had to make a run for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did all these things merely for the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a dawdler of the oldfashioned European school somewhat along the lines of Stefan Sweig, the young Thomas Mann, and Ivan Karamazov.” 244-245<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
...and then, of course, of Neal Cassady...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Suddenly I had a vision of Neal, a burning shuddering frightful Angel palpitating towards me across the road, approaching like a cloud, with enormous speed, pursuing me like the Shrouded Stranger on the plain, bearing down on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw his huge face over the plains with the mad bony purpose and the gleaming eyes; I saw his wings; I saw his old jalopy chariot with thousands of sparking flames shooting out from it; I saw the path it burned over the road; it even made its own road and went over the corn, through cities, destroying bridges, drying rivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came like wrath to the West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew Neal had gone mad again.”360<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6I2IHM5HSg/UPsXW_86XoI/AAAAAAAAA3U/5EU3vTj0Xi0/s1600/on+the+road+tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6I2IHM5HSg/UPsXW_86XoI/AAAAAAAAA3U/5EU3vTj0Xi0/s1600/on+the+road+tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n6I2IHM5HSg/UPsXW_86XoI/AAAAAAAAA3U/5EU3vTj0Xi0/s320/on+the+road+tattoo.jpg" width="320" /></a>These character descriptions floored me; it's been quite some time since I came upon anything this good and besides the feeling of adventure, shunning societal conventions and the concept on what it means to really LIVE, this is what stood out the most for me. There were many points where I felt connected and disconnected with Kerouac. He seemed to be a great observer of human nature and a great scribe of the human condition, but he seemed to be something of a tremendous jack-ass as well... it made me feel uncertain if I should root for him or not. That said, I understood his plight. <br />
<br />
Kerouac was somehow able to put how I feel about people into a condensed, beautiful passage... my favourite quote of the novel, which I found in a slightly edited version tattooed on some courageous soul - which I have added above to this post. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“…the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that that never yawn or say a commonplace thing.. but burn, burn, burn like roman candles across the night.” 113</span></blockquote>
It's been many months since I read this work, and I will read it again - most likely in the edited 1957 published version, in an effort to compare the two works. For now, my heart lies with the scroll... an uncensored version of a travel epic that is guaranteed to stand the test of time.<br />
<strong><u></u></strong><br />
<strong><u>QUOTATIONS</u>:</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“…the only people that interest me are the mad ones, the
ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, desirous of everything at the same time,
the ones that that never yawn or say a commonplace thing.. but burn, burn, burn
like roman candles across the night.” 113<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“…most of the time we were alone and mixing up our souls
ever more and ever more till it would be terribly hard to say goodbye.” 191<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“We turned at a dozen paces, for love is a duel…” 201<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“’I want to marry a girl’ I told them ‘so I can rest my soul
with her till we both get old.’” 218<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“My mother once said the world would never find peace until
men fell at their woman’s feet and asked for forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is true.” 223<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Explanation of Allen Anson:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“He had more books than I’ve ever seen in all my life… two
libraries, two rooms loaded from floor to ceiling around all four walls, and
such books as ‘The Explanation of the Apocalypse’ in ten volumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He played Verdi operas and pantomimed them in
his pajamas with the great rip down the back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t give a damn about anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He is a great scholar who goes reeling down the NY waterfront with
original 14<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century musical manuscripts under his arm,
shouting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He crawls like a great spider
through the streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His excitement blew
out of his eyes in great stabs of fiendish light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rolled his neck in spastic ecstasy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lisped, he writhed, he flopped, he moaned,
he howled, he fell back in despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
could hardly get a word out he was so excited with life.” 228<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“You always expect some kind of magic at the end of the
road.” 234<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“’Now, dammit, look here all of you, we all must admit that
everything is fine and there’s no need in the world to worry, and in fact, we
should realize what it would mean to us to UNDERSTAND that we’re not REALLY
worried about ANYTHING.’” 235<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Explanation of Bill Burroughs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It would take all night to tell about Bill Burroughs; let’s
just say now, he was a teacher, and had every right to teach because he learned
all the time; and the things he learned were the facts of life, not out of
necessity but because he wanted to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
dragged his long thin body around the entire US and most of Europe and No.
Africa in his time only to see what was going on; he married a German countess
in Yugoslavia to get her away from the Nazis in the Thirties; there are
pictures of him with big cocaine Berlin gangs with wild hair leaning on one
another; there are other pictures of him in a Panama hat surveying the streets
of Algiers in Morocco.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He never saw the
German countess again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was an
exterminator in Chicago, a bartender in New York, a summons server in
Newark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Paris he sat at café tables
watching the sullen French faces go by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Athens he looked out of his hotel window at what he called the
ugliest people in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Instanbul he threaded his way through crowds of opium addicts and rug sellers,
looking for the facts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In English hotels
he read Spengler and the Marquis de Sade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In Chicago he planned to hold up a Turkish bath, hesitated just two
minutes too long for a drink, and wound up with two dollars and had to make a
run for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did all these things
merely for the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a
dawdler of the oldfashioned European school somewhat along the lines of Stefan
Sweig, the young Thomas Mann, and Ivan Karamazov.” 244-245<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“And for just a moment I had reached the point of ecstasy
that I always wanted to reach and which was the complete step across
chronological time into timelessness shadows, and wonderment in the bleakness
of the mortal realm, and the sensation of death kicking at my heels to move on,
with a phantom dogging its own heals, and myself hurrying to a plank where all
the Angels dove off and flew into infinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the state of my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought I was going to die the very next moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I didn’t…” 274<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“My whole wretched life swam before my weary eyes, and I
realized no matter what you do it’s bound to be a waste of time in the end so
you might as well go mad.” 278<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“But they need to worry, their souls really won’t be at
peace unless they can latch on to an established and proven worry and having
once found it they assume facial expressions to fit and go with it, which is,
you see, unhappiness, a false really false expression of concern and even
dignity and all the time it all flies by them and they know it and that TOO
worries them NO End.” 306-307<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“’They just turn their minds away from you and like changing
fur coats they don’t care any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Women can forget what men can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s forgotten you, man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
don’t want to believe it.’ ‘I can’t.’” 345<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Suddenly I had a vision of Neal, a burning shuddering
frightful Angel palpitating towards me across the road, approaching like a
cloud, with enormous speed, pursuing me like the Shrouded Stranger on the
plain, bearing down on me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw his
huge face over the plains with the mad bony purpose and the gleaming eyes; I
saw his wings; I saw his old jalopy chariot with thousands of sparking flames
shooting out from it; I saw the path it burned over the road; it even made its
own road and went over the corn, through cities, destroying bridges, drying
rivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came like wrath to the
West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew Neal had gone mad again.”
360<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Everything amazed him, everything he saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A picture on the wall made him stiffen to
attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He went up and looked closer,
he backed up, he stooped, he jumped up, he wanted to see from all possible
levels and angles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had no idea the
impression he was making and cared less. People were now beginning to look at
Neal with maternal and paternal affection glowing in their faces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was finally an Angel, like I always knew
he would become.” 364<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-60808880141085635292013-01-19T16:50:00.001-05:002013-01-19T16:50:41.002-05:00Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUBI47fOMf8/UPsOs_J898I/AAAAAAAAA24/dNlOo1MaiC8/s1600/The+Girl+with+the+Dragon+Tattoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lUBI47fOMf8/UPsOs_J898I/AAAAAAAAA24/dNlOo1MaiC8/s200/The+Girl+with+the+Dragon+Tattoo.jpg" width="130" /></a>I was sitting in my hostel in Brussels a couple of months ago, and left on the little night table by my bed as a copy of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' - in the dreaded movie edition cover. It turned out to be an English copy in a French/Flemish city, so I figured it was a good idea to pick it up and give it a shot despite it being quite different then my usual diet of classics (it ended up with a friend in Croatia, then to Canada). But, I was on vacation! So I traveled around quite a bit on the train and read it when I had finished all my expenses and the landscape on the train wasn't very exciting. <br />
<br />
If you're looking for literature, this book isn't what you're after. It was a decent 'thriller' novel, but nothing really special. The best part of the book for me was the backdrop of the book - the country of Sweden - which I had passed through a bit earlier on my trip. As I was reading this work I could not help but see Daniel Craig running around, piecing together clues of the crime and sleeping with quite a few of the characters. The fact that I had watched the movie and remembered a bit of the plot made it so that I couldn't really give this novel a fair shake.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRC_5F1pgd4/UPsOnlEugxI/AAAAAAAAA2w/KaVgcvxwAZo/s1600/The+Girl+with+the+Dragon+Tattoo+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PRC_5F1pgd4/UPsOnlEugxI/AAAAAAAAA2w/KaVgcvxwAZo/s200/The+Girl+with+the+Dragon+Tattoo+%25282%2529.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art courtesy of <br />
<span id="rg_hr">hollytheterrible.deviantart.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The constant mention of female abuse in the work was a direct result of Larsson's experience watching three of his friends gang-rape a woman (see Wikipedia). This theme overlaid much of the novel - much more so than I felt in the movie at the time. There were themes of revenge, redemption, the triumph of good over evil, greed, sexual exploitation and sexual experiences in general (quite a few). <br />
<br />
If you like modern day thrillers and aren't squeamish, you'll probably enjoy this work. Otherwise, I would suggest steering clear of it altogether. A decent book for what it is, but now that I've tested the hype, I will not read the remaining books.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-45093331974341599542013-01-19T15:23:00.001-05:002013-01-19T15:23:36.203-05:00Review: Typee by Herman Melville<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gWNe_IE7T7s/UPsANMfG12I/AAAAAAAAA2U/QZRkIUS6GDE/s1600/Typee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gWNe_IE7T7s/UPsANMfG12I/AAAAAAAAA2U/QZRkIUS6GDE/s200/Typee.jpg" width="130" /></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gWNe_IE7T7s/UPsANMfG12I/AAAAAAAAA2U/QZRkIUS6GDE/s1600/Typee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;" unselectable="on">
</div>
</a>If only physical books themselves could talk. I encountered Typee while back-packing in Copenhagen in a hippy yoga hostel. It's customary for backpackers to pick up books here and there and drop them off when completed. I must have read this work for awhile because I don't remember giving it away until I met a woman from New Zealand (and South Africa), living in London... in southern Italy. This book traveled to more countries than most people did - and who knows where it ends up after London!<br />
<br />
Like typical Melville style, this information is purely tangental. I should really discuss the story of Typee, briefly... as it's been quite some time since I perused the pages. <br />
<br />
<strong>MINOR SPOILERS BEGIN HERE</strong><br />
<br />Typee is the real-life, non-fictional account of Melville's habitation with savages in the Marquesas Islands in Polynesia. He was on a trading boat, which he felt would NEVER stop it's journey on the seas, so he decided to leave with a fellow sailor (Tom) on an island in the Marquesas during a stop at a friendly French port (the island being partially occupied by the French). After running out of food while in hiding, they both decided to risk the cannibalistic 'savages'. After a time, Tom leaves to get help for Melville when he falls ill... but never returns. At the time of publication of Typee, no one yet knows what happened to Tom... and we only find out from Melville in a follow-up publication.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8H0eE3dytcA/UPsANCrsMBI/AAAAAAAAA2M/1rseh9bkvL0/s1600/marquesa+islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8H0eE3dytcA/UPsANCrsMBI/AAAAAAAAA2M/1rseh9bkvL0/s200/marquesa+islands.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marquesas Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I won't give away any details about what happens to Melville, but you already know that somehow he lives to tell this story as well as his infamous <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2013/01/review-moby-dick-by-herman-melville.html">Moby-Dick</a>. Melville details many aspects of the Typee, the name for a specific islander tribe, in great detail. It is a fascinating account of a man that finds himself held captive by cannibals. Melville is happy, depressed and frightened as he learns more and more about the native tribe and you feel like you are right there with him. For the most part, he tries to partake in their customs without too much of his own influence... but it is evident that he's not as open to try new things as some would be - but I can't blame him for not having his face tattooed! <br />
<br />
<strong>END OF MINOR SPOILERS</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
While not the epic work of literature that Moby-Dick was, I enjoyed this work more for its simple pleasures. The prose was simple and to the point, the detail was very strong at times but did not feel heavy-handed and you really felt the characters come alive. All in all, a very good first work by Melville, in my opinion. Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-45647969098408640672013-01-19T13:46:00.001-05:002013-01-19T13:46:31.003-05:00Review: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CNnhxGdMRY/UPrfaloWhUI/AAAAAAAAA1o/yiabF4NCgfY/s1600/MobyDick+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CNnhxGdMRY/UPrfaloWhUI/AAAAAAAAA1o/yiabF4NCgfY/s1600/MobyDick+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--CNnhxGdMRY/UPrfaloWhUI/AAAAAAAAA1o/yiabF4NCgfY/s200/MobyDick+cover.jpg" width="134" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">As it seems to be with well-accepted classic epics of literature, I felt guilty for not having read about Moby Dick, the white whale. My first foray into Melville began a couple of months ago when I delved into his initial work, Typee (to be reviewed later). I expected a very similar style from Melville with Moby-Dick, but was astounded by the differences in technique. Typee was a good story with a simple re-telling of the facts, unencumbered by allusions but heavy with tangental information pertaining to the tribes of the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquesas_Islands" title="Marquesas Islands"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marquesas Islands</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Moby-Dick was tangental to the extreme. There was one chapter dealing with objects that are the colour white, like the whale. There were three chapters detailing certain paintings that Melville liked and disliked about whales. All this is mixed up with the actual story of Captain Ahab's obsessive search for the mammal. I found that, while the tangents were welcome in Typee, they were at times counter productive in Moby-Dick. The obsessive detail over small points in the story, coupled with the lack of detail on what I considered to be more important to the character development or understanding of the inner workings of the ship, the Pequod, was shocking. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The allusions in the work were in the hundreds, and I made quite a concerted effort to read most of them. Many allusions did not stand up over the course of time and seemed superfluous. Others showed the tremendous intelligence and bookish obsessiveness of Melville, and these allusions were a delight to me in many cases. All this said, there are many that will disagree with this statement, but I believe Melville's editor dropped the ball on this work. The work could have been a hundred pages shorter easily without stripping away character development or key aspects of the story. In addition, I still feel that more time should have been spent in discussing how the boats were brought out to the whale and other hinted at but misunderstood components of whaling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The initial scenes with Queequeg in the inn, the description of the impending death of Queequeg, the obsessions and ramifications of the obsessions of Ahab, all actions and interactions between Ahab and Parsee (the clairvoyant) as well as some great sea epiphanies by Ishmael... all these points were absolute marvels. Melville was on the top of his game here and it was so beautiful and enthralling to read. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uho4t1iaXdQ/UPrfam1BUxI/AAAAAAAAA1s/kAjWONMZWF4/s1600/rockwell+kent+mobydick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uho4t1iaXdQ/UPrfam1BUxI/AAAAAAAAA1s/kAjWONMZWF4/s200/rockwell+kent+mobydick.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Rockwell Kent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There were some drawbacks other than what I previously mentioned. I believe Melville continued to further the damage caused by whaling by making assumptions about their resiliency despite the continual whaling: “…we account the whale immortal in his species, however perishable in his individuality.” 381. This is a true disservice and is one of the results of a desire to express opinions on subjects Melville himself knew nothing about. It was quite evident that Melville knew nothing about the migratory patterns of whales - he simply states that they have a 'large playground'. He states that whales can go hide in the arctic where people cannot follow them, not knowing the seasonality of such migrations... and the eventual ability of man to fish these waters.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Melville did not detail how many whales were in the ocean to determine if they were over fished. He assumed that they weren't and that was that. Granted, at the time whales were not being killed at the rates that eventually constituted the peak of the whaling industry, but if anything... Melville did not do the whales any justice by claiming that the species was immortal. He had no idea about the long gestation periods of whales or their low reproductive rates. He assumed incorrectly that more whales would take the place of the ones killed. While most were ignorant about whales in those days, Melville did not need to make such bold statements backed without evidence... and I found this to be an extremely perturbing flaw in this work. Melville's continual attack on bad research in regards to the authors of literature and illustrations of whales, I find laughable given his own statements presented as facts with little or no evidence.</div>
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</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All this said, Moby-Dick had some flashes of brilliance and I was glad to have experienced it. It wasn't a page turner, it could have used better editing and less assumptions, but the humanity in the work was dripping, the spirituality of the quest and impending doom was haunting and tantalizing and I found that I enjoyed learning about the nuances of the characters. A very solid work of literature, but in my opinion... falling short of the hype.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><u><span style="font-family: inherit;">QUOTATIONS:</span></u></strong></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“But all the things that God would have us do are hard for
us to do – remember that… And if we obey God, we must disobey ourselves; and it
is this disobeying ourselves, wherein the hardness of obeying God consists.” 37<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“You cannot hide the soul.” 43<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“I have no objection to any person’s religion, be it what it
may, so long as that person does not kill or insult any other person, because
that other person don’t believe it also.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when a man’s religion becomes really frantic; when it is a positive
torment to him; and, in fine, makes this earth of ours an uncomfortable inn to
lodge in; then I think it high time to take that individual aside and argue the
point with him.” 73<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange
mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast
practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than
suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but his own.” 189<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“…man is a money-making animal, which propensity too often
interferes with his benevolence.” 342<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“…we account the whale immortal in his species, however
perishable in his individuality.” 381<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“…the Parsee’s mystic watch was without intermission as his
own; yet these two never seemed to speak – one man to the other – unless at
long intervals some passing unmomentous matter made it necessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though such a potent spell seemed secretly to
join the twain; openly, and to the awe-struck crew, they seemed pole-like
asunder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If by day they chanced to speak
one word; by night, dumb men were both, so far as concerned the slightest
verbal interchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times, for
longest in his scuttle, the Parsee by the main-mast; but still fixedly gazing
upon each other; as if the Parsee Ahab saw his forethrown shadow, in Ahab the
Parsee his abandoned substance.” 438<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“…Ahab never thinks; he only feels, feels, feel;, that’s
tingling enough for mortal man! To think’s audacity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God only has that right and privilege.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thinking is, or ought to be, a coolness and a
calmness; and our poor hearts throb, and our poor brains beat too much for
that.” 460</span></div>
Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-55577662950108290752013-01-19T12:29:00.000-05:002013-01-19T12:30:18.253-05:00Review: Epic of Gilgamesh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_eoFaI5dehs/UPrMN5d_koI/AAAAAAAAA00/fYbvjb5jIog/s1600/epic+of+gilgamesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_eoFaI5dehs/UPrMN5d_koI/AAAAAAAAA00/fYbvjb5jIog/s1600/epic+of+gilgamesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_eoFaI5dehs/UPrMN5d_koI/AAAAAAAAA00/fYbvjb5jIog/s320/epic+of+gilgamesh.jpg" width="320" /></a>I want to apologize for the hiatus from the blog for the last six months or so. I haven't mentioned this on the site, but in July I went traveling around Europe for nearly six months. Over 20 countries later, I'm back in Canada... at least for now.<br />
<br />
I managed to read a decent amount despite my globetrotting. I'll try to write up some quick accounts of the books, but to be honest, there has been a lot in my mind that books have had to compete with. I've had some dedicated time with two books this month, so I'll start out by reviewing them both.<br />
<br />
I have been thinking a lot about re-focusing my reading. I feel as if there are some glaring holes in my reading background - namely ancient epic works and the Bible. I don't want to delve into religion here, but I do want to read as much of the Bible as possible in order to understand some references that I feel have been going over my head when reading the classics. <br />
<br />
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem, written around the 18th century BC, and is one of the first known works of literature/poetry in the world. It was written on clay tablets - the central epic story being contained on 12 of them, with other tablets found in different areas of the world used to fill in gaps on the main tablets (due to illegibility). The Folio Society edition, translated by Andrew George, contains a "standard version" of the Epic which is entitled "He Who Saw the Deep" which is supplemented from material found in other fragments of the other tablets found. In addition, these supplementary tablets are contained in their translated entirety - adding about double the Gilgamesh of other translations. I would caution, based solely on one perusal of Wikipedia, as being cautious about the Stephen Mitchel translation: "Stephen Mitchell in 2004 supplied a controversial translation that takes many liberties with the text and includes modernized allusions and commentary relating to the Iraq war of 2003." I haven't done any further research into this, but I was glad to be reading a seemingly superb translation by Andrew George.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si6dxo1fpQ4/UPrVa_xycMI/AAAAAAAAA1M/mRmoi9NUiMA/s1600/francis+mosley+gilgamesh1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Si6dxo1fpQ4/UPrVa_xycMI/AAAAAAAAA1M/mRmoi9NUiMA/s320/francis+mosley+gilgamesh1.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Francis Mosley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a work that must be read - period. It shows you where many stories from the Bible probably come from, including the great flood and the story of Adam and Eve. There are many small references, including fairly evocative snake shenanigans (sound familiar?)! In addition, the concepts of the heavens and the underworld coupled with many different Gods, shows the influence Mesopotamia had on Greek culture... eventually giving rise to such greats as Homer. In addition, the work has the ability to put present day life into context. Gilgamesh's struggles with mourning, mortality, female relations, friendship, etc... all serve to put into perspective our own struggles. There are many current hardships that we face, that have been a constant with humanity for over four thousand years; there is evidence of this contained in Gilgamesh and there comfort in this, somehow.<br />
<br />
What surprised me, is that ignoring the religious, cultural and humanity significances... this epic is also a great story. I did not ever want to put it down. Many ancient texts seemingly lack readability and my assumption was that this work would be the worst of the lot, but this could not be further from the truth. Despite the fact that there are still many holes in the work due to illegible tablets, the story flowed beautifully. Note that you will have to get used to the style by which the epic is presented. In my translation, there are quite a few repeats of information... but if you have a shady memory like my own, it will serve to solidify the text. Those of you who have read Homer will see parallels in this repeating method of storytelling.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to include any spoilers in this review. I suggest that if anything in this post intrigues you, go pick up a good translation of this work and give it a go one afternoon. It's less than 100 pages and I think you'll be as impressed as I was - especially if you are a fan of the Ancient Greeks or appreciate the stories of the Bible at any level.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-1305650521128254652012-08-15T15:45:00.004-04:002012-08-15T15:45:55.302-04:00Review: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_YgiiDkWBOIumOqP1ctSiE2ljPk1DvGbeKcEodz3MmV4oJfCnxsORKobg9pjff5tBBvnpmHSBg93f30A2GJTZFx0-uqiR1awk-n-5W3rBBJQzT88dzO4-z1Mxg1WgPvIOs64/s1600/mrs-dalloway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_YgiiDkWBOIumOqP1ctSiE2ljPk1DvGbeKcEodz3MmV4oJfCnxsORKobg9pjff5tBBvnpmHSBg93f30A2GJTZFx0-uqiR1awk-n-5W3rBBJQzT88dzO4-z1Mxg1WgPvIOs64/s1600/mrs-dalloway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_YgiiDkWBOIumOqP1ctSiE2ljPk1DvGbeKcEodz3MmV4oJfCnxsORKobg9pjff5tBBvnpmHSBg93f30A2GJTZFx0-uqiR1awk-n-5W3rBBJQzT88dzO4-z1Mxg1WgPvIOs64/s320/mrs-dalloway.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mrs. Dalloway was my first journey down the rabbit hole with
Virginia Woolf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, I plunged into
dark recesses of Woolf’s mind and it was evident to me that she probably had
very little friends, as she seemed to hate a lot of things about people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the novel evolves, we learn the most about
the two main characters – Clarisa Dalloway and Peter Walsh, two former lovers
who now appear in their early fifties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Peter Walsh tried to marry her many years ago, but was revoked because
Clarissa thought that a marriage would damage them, despite the fact that they
were in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clarissa ends up marrying
Richard Dalloway, whom she loves, but not in the kindred spirit way she did
with Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter has several failed
relationships with women under his belt, and a proposal to marry a wealthy and
prominent girl from India.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Woolf lets us know this information in between bits of
trivial life information; though, in the trivial, we learn about the thought
processes of the characters and obtain a deep understanding of what they’re
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woolf does a marvelous job with
character development with seemingly small pieces of information about minor
events in life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Characters are real and
whole, and not plagued by stereotypes or other simple tools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their flaws are presented but not summarized
and as a reader, you’re able to form your own decisions about the characters
without Woolf intending you to feel one way or the other about them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At times, the text seems jagged and disconnected and as
such, is not always an enjoyable read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The point of the work does not make itself evident to the very end and
seems to be summed up a little too succinctly for my tastes, though I do like
the message: “’What does the brain matter,’ said Lady Rosseter, getting up, ‘compared
to the heart?’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The message is
particularly relevant to me at the moment and follows up the message about love
in Ben-Hur quite nicely, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
brings us back to the age-old question – follow your mind or follow your heart?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think we’re meant to believe that things would have been
better, at least for Peter and Clarissa, had they given love a shot and stopped
overthinking – something we learn that both of them do on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing is, we really can’t be certain that
it would have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps Clarissa was
right and they would have destroyed each other, which leads me back to the
adage that maybe “it’s better to lose in love than not love at all.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ending is left ambiguously and I will replicate it in
its entirety here, so skip this part if you don’t want to hear it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“’What does the brain matter,’ said Lady
Rosseter, getting up, ‘compared to the heart?’<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“’I will come up,’
said Peter, but he sat on for a moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What is this terror? What is this ecstasy? He thought to himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it that fills me with extraordinary
excitement?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is Clarissa, he said.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For there she was.” 215<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Perhaps being terrified and excited to see someone is
love?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You would hope that the former
would dissipate with time but the real question is if the latter does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is love a constant excitement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many questions brought forth by Woolf, and I
suppose it’s our job as readers to debate the answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the whole, an enjoyable read which will
eventually lead me to jump down Woolf’s dark rabbit hole again – in another
work.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">P.S. It didn’t really fit in this mini-review, but both
Clarissa and a shell-shocked Septimus had a way of viewing the world for it’s
incredible beauty followed by its seedy underbelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was quite a thing to witness – and I felt
as if these characters had some very similar traits with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It leads me to question whether all truly
passionate and observant people go through this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">OTHER QUOTATIONS:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“And down his mind went flat as a marsh, and three great
emotions bowled over him; understanding; a vast philanthropy; and finally, as
if the result of the others, an irrepressible, exquisite delight; as if inside
his brain by another hand, strings were pulled, shutters moved, and he having
nothing to do with it, yet stood at the opening of endless avenues down which
if he chose he might wander.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had not
felt so young for years.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He has escaped! Was utterly free – as happens the downfall
of habit when the mind, like an unguarded flame, bows and bends and seems about
to blow from its holding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t felt
so young for years! Thought Peter, escaping from being precisely what he was,
and feeling like a child who runs out of doors, and sees, as he runs, his old
nurse waving at the window.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">--<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“The compensation of growing old, Peter Walsh thought,
coming out of Regeant Park , and holding his hat in his hand, was simply this;
that the passions remain as strong as ever, but one has gained – at last! – the
power which adds the supreme flavour to existence – the power of taking hold of
experience, of turning it round, slowly in the light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Life itself, every moment of it, every drop of it, here,
this instant, now, in the sun, in Regent’s Park, was enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much, indeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A whole lifetime was too short to bring out,
now that one had acquired the power, the full flavour; to extract every ounce
of pleasure, every shade of meaning; which both were so much more solid than
they used to be.” 88<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">--<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“…to know her, or anyone, one must seek out the people who
completed them; even the places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Odd
affinities she had with people she had never spoken to, some woman in the
street, some man behind a counter – even trees, or barns.” 169<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-88420589003619322182012-08-05T17:08:00.000-04:002012-08-05T17:08:04.217-04:00Review: Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLMhvywNrtPOOPE0lTlc60t1RZ_hB4wp_WG3xhPlmBuvZByjlB0aYCGwcuOuzH8V_LFw65qAQyvj6C0QWcWokiV2XRTNvbI1VUU0QNI5hRQVk4RX8Lip0FmFcD4kWfY-1J0Ca/s1600/Ben-Hur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLMhvywNrtPOOPE0lTlc60t1RZ_hB4wp_WG3xhPlmBuvZByjlB0aYCGwcuOuzH8V_LFw65qAQyvj6C0QWcWokiV2XRTNvbI1VUU0QNI5hRQVk4RX8Lip0FmFcD4kWfY-1J0Ca/s320/Ben-Hur.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn`t read the abridged version, obviously</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s very interesting reading books while you’re traveling,
as they seem to take on a new life depending on where you are that coincides
with your head space at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
remember being in Venezia (Venice, Italy) and being completely absorbed with
Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Edinburgh, I found myself frequently wanting to get home early (despite falling
in love with the city), so I could finish Ben-Hur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly enough, I missed a few sights
in Edinburgh due to books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was walking
to the Royal Botanical Gardens (a long trek from the city), and I found a
really interesting book store with Dickens’ first editions and an eccentric
Scot who talked to me until his store closed down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I missed two other bookstores on the street
because of all my chatting, and the Botanical Gardens as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, as Steinbeck states “You don’t take a trip,
a trip takes you,” and I believe my conversation with this bookseller was more
important to my overall knowledge of books, book selling, UK bookstore
distinctions from North America, Edinburgh city planning, and a multitude of
random topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That was a slight digression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now on to Ben-Hur, written by Lew Wallace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I originally bought Ben-Hur due to the great movie with, if
memory serves, Charlton Heston, which won best picture in 1980 if I recall
correctly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The parts I remember the most
as a youth were those of the chariot scenes in the Roman Coliseum – and I guess
I thought this was going to be a book about the gladiators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t have been more wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book is all about the life and meaning
of Jesus and the struggle between the Romans and the Jews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ben-Hur is a descendant from a prominent Jewish family who
is incorrectly accused of attempted murder on the Roman emperor Gratus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gratus puts Ben-Hur into a life of slavery as
a rower of military ships and his family is removed from their home, which is
seized by the Romans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben-Hur eventually
becomes free and plots a course of revenge and a quest to find his mother and
sister.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Ben-Hur searches for his family, he also searches for a
life meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He eventually comes to the
conclusion that his purpose is to help the King of the Jews in his endeavors,
both physically and financially (since, by this time he is a wealthy man).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His initial belief is that Jesus has come to
overthrow Rome and become King, and only later does he learn that Jesus of
Nazareth has come to save the souls of men and show them life through his resurrection.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In addition, Ben-Hur has found what he believes to be love
with the daughter of a wise Egyptian Sheik.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Her physical beauty knows no bounds and she has a sharp tongue and an
independent and saucy personality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>He
also has an attraction to a sweet, simpler Jewish woman named Esther.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can relate to Ben-Hur’s struggle between
the women and his desires for finding a mate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is some great writing about love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of my particular favourites is the determination of a moral of an
ancient Egyptian tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Egyptian
states that the only cure for love is another love, while Hur exclaims that the
only cure for love is death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been
thinking a lot about this and it’s hard to pick answer if forced to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those worried that this book will be too religious, I’m
going to attempt to quell your concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I found the back story of Jesus, which I have heard a million times
before, was finally brought to life for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The impact of Herod was also present, and it was very enjoyable to get a
feeling like you were brought back in time (whether of fiction or non-fiction,
I will not debate).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really felt
transported and that my knowledge of the time period, if not strengthened, was
enhanced by what I read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The characters
were all very three dimensional to me and I felt interested in all of
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben-Hur himself was presented with
faults, but I was surprised that only a few of his weaknesses came back to
haunt him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt that his quest for
revenge and vengeance instead of Christ’s teaching of love for all mankind,
should have made itself known to him if not spelled his doom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither outcome occurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, his lackadaisical nature is
protecting his past (ie: his loose tongue), did constantly create difficulties
for him and Wallace makes this very evident slightly before the end of the
work.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I didn’t find myself wanting to write down very many quotes,
but a lot of the dialogue was very engaging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wallace does have a tendency to talk to the reader, something that I
don’t generally like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was distracting
at points, as he explicitly states in the novel why he has outlined a scene
prior to – for the benefit of the reader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This should be implicit instead of stated directly, and it made me feel
as if I was being talked down to a bit. The story also seemed to lack fluidity
when the backdrop and history of scenes were drawn out in too great a detail,
but this was an infrequent occurrence throughout the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Overall the book was an enjoyable read with concepts and
historical context that I believe will take with me on my travels through this
life. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“A man drowning may be saved; not so a man in love.” 413<o:p></o:p></span></div>Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-60313584549395056752012-08-05T16:57:00.000-04:002012-08-05T16:57:02.360-04:00Review: Paradise by Dante Alighieri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0Eo2vtoc_dBxgYayUoVuAo0CifPH7NB9ZawrJXEKRM-VdX6jHW1Eko6mKQUYqJIOUdjLQrM6CyA6fbDXNlvGLYo3W8oucyqtb-wOPGiwRdvLQTpkLi64oYacjusVyn2ZR6bi/s1600/paradiso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0Eo2vtoc_dBxgYayUoVuAo0CifPH7NB9ZawrJXEKRM-VdX6jHW1Eko6mKQUYqJIOUdjLQrM6CyA6fbDXNlvGLYo3W8oucyqtb-wOPGiwRdvLQTpkLi64oYacjusVyn2ZR6bi/s1600/paradiso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0Eo2vtoc_dBxgYayUoVuAo0CifPH7NB9ZawrJXEKRM-VdX6jHW1Eko6mKQUYqJIOUdjLQrM6CyA6fbDXNlvGLYo3W8oucyqtb-wOPGiwRdvLQTpkLi64oYacjusVyn2ZR6bi/s320/paradiso.jpg" width="245" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is not really a review, but I haven’t said anything
about Paradiso yet and I feel that without at least a quick post, Dante would
not be sufficiently covered off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
been traveling for a month in Europe, so Dante has not really been at the
forefront of my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, train
time can be a forced productive time!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The beauty of Inferno was twofold – the imagery and the
multitude of historic and cultural references.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The beauty of Purgatorio was in the struggle and the redemption of Dante
himself, coupled with some great imagery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In my opinion, Paradiso had very little that made the first two books so
enjoyable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The imagery was not as
piercing and the stages of Paradiso do not stand out in my mind only a month
after reading it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I read a new Penguin edition and I believe the translator’s
given and surname began with a K (Klein, perhaps?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This edition as not illustrated as planned,
as I had packed all of my books into storage by this time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found the best translator to be Ciardi and
the best illustrator to be Dore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ciardi
seemed more fluid then the other two translations I read, and it was a good mix
between being modern and accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dryden’s translation was much stiffer and the recent penguin translation
seemed to be oversimplified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dante
illustrations seemed to add so much depth to the work that I felt a void when
they were not there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even renowned
artistic great, Blake, was not able to capture the essence of Dante (in my
opinion)… making the Dore illustrations seem more profound in comparison. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Paradiso is frequently the Dante that most people do not
read – and it’s my opinion that if you HAVE to miss one, this is the one to
miss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I have heard from others
that this is their favourite work, but since no one in my book club was able to
get through all three in the month, I was the only one who could offer an
opinion on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would suggest reading
it for completeness and trying to read it with a Ciardi/Dore combination to get
the most out of the text.<o:p></o:p></span><br />Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-52951090528042432682012-06-10T12:26:00.003-04:002012-06-10T12:26:48.756-04:00Review: Purgatory by Dante AlighieriReading The Divine Comedy has been a humbling experience. The novel has so many layers and references within it, I feel as though there are many passing me by. My initial feeling on the best way to get the most out of Dante is to first read all the Greek works and then read the Bible and if possible, a bit about the history of Italy around the time period of publication. The references and allusions would become deeper in meaning and the text would be more enjoyable.<br />
<br />
After reading Melville Best Anderson's translation in my Easton Press edition (100 Greatest Books Ever Written), I felt like the translation was weighing me down. I could not read more than a few canto's at a time - they seemed to be thick... kind of like walking in Atreus's Swamp of Sorrows in The Neverending Story. In addition, the illustrations by William Blake were of a muddled quality, due to the printing of the edition. It all seemed to add to the overwhelming feeling that I needed to try a new edition.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Dr6Bz4tiRREdHc93JC6-HQv0MdZk5A_u8onp_YzD9NzEtHqM7tSws4iCph851vcbrr5_RRBbBhHQVAu09a_wdKZjnDjh5cAX6urAJPbb8LwB_0UBVEwEXErPhK1zsGp2IyVV/s1600/Dante+-+Purgatory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Dr6Bz4tiRREdHc93JC6-HQv0MdZk5A_u8onp_YzD9NzEtHqM7tSws4iCph851vcbrr5_RRBbBhHQVAu09a_wdKZjnDjh5cAX6urAJPbb8LwB_0UBVEwEXErPhK1zsGp2IyVV/s400/Dante+-+Purgatory.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante is carried away to Purgatory <br />
[Illustration by Gustave Dore]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As luck would have it, I found a copy made by the Franklin Library (part of the 100 Greatest Books of All-Time series). The Franklin Library books were made by the Franklin Mint before their publishing arm went out of business. What I really enjoyed about this edition was the translation. John Ciardi has done an excellent job of making the text more readable and fluid, without losing the important details. In addition, I now have chapter summaries preceding each Canto which gives you background detail on the allusions/references - which I previously stumbled through (checking wikipedia at every turn for further information). These analytical chapter summaries have proved invaluable. And just how the illustrations by Blake seemed to match the muddiness of the Easton Press' translation, Gustave Dore's illustrations seemed to match the fluidity of the Ciardi translation. The translation and illustrations are so good, that I'm actually dreading moving on to the third edition - it's quite possible that I revert back to Ciardi/Dore at some point.<br />
And now on to the work itself. Dante has just left Hell and is being carried away to Purgatory. Purgatory is a place where souls purge themselves of their sins - consequently, there are seven terraces on the mountain in Purgatory - to match the seven deadly sins. We are shown souls atoning for their sins on every terrace, one for lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. I wonder if the reader's thoughts affect which stories stick in the mind the most. For me, I have an overwhelming picture of the emaciated souls repaying their sins of gluttony and the souls whirling around at a high pace and never stopping - repenting for their sins of sloth. <br />
<br />
My favourite part of this work is Dante breaking down before Beatrice and atoning for his own sins. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Portinari">Beatrice</a> was a woman that had such effect on Dante, he ended up immortalizing her in his work - despite only meeting the woman twice in a nine year span... before her death at the age of 24. What I enjoyed most about his repentance is that he does not specify what he is repenting for - and I took it as the author respecting his own privacy in his work and showing that each of us has our own personal sins which we atone for in our own private ways. It was very beautiful to me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHP_nA17Aju03BBXcClF1_8x-fmXODeHeFykQw5XNqtbX1rx99EygR_Veq5VascpsmTdOeW2o_tYU8bV4KsO3j4G4Ogi2L9GRZ6sxneg4XBK8NaMHFvt4XoA5hzqHR8PQggPq/s1600/Dante+-+Matilda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHP_nA17Aju03BBXcClF1_8x-fmXODeHeFykQw5XNqtbX1rx99EygR_Veq5VascpsmTdOeW2o_tYU8bV4KsO3j4G4Ogi2L9GRZ6sxneg4XBK8NaMHFvt4XoA5hzqHR8PQggPq/s400/Dante+-+Matilda.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matilda guides Dante in cleansing in the river Lethe <br />
[Illustration by Gustave Dore]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The imagery in the work was made even stronger by Gustave Dore's illustrations - I felt incredibly moved when reading the scene where Dante is dipped in the pure river Lethe in Purgatory by Matilda to wash away his memory of meeting Jesus and Beatrice and cleanse himself of his sins. The illustration coupled with the work had a profound impact on me. I cannot separate the illustrations from the beautiful translation and summaries - all flow into one and provided me with a beautiful experience in reading Purgatory.<br />
<br />
I'm excited to begin Paradise (Paradiso) - we will see how the translation by Thomas G. Bergen and illustrations by Leonard Baskin compare, and if I revert back to Ciardi/Dore.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-35346868661091348332012-05-31T15:16:00.002-04:002012-05-31T15:19:40.199-04:00Review: Inferno by Dante Alighieri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGcptzglxrb9p24qYVxKuGE8WEqPAR1aY7qn3r47xPGM0TVKj5AjgqmbhmTShIx5Sknk0kFs2Q37wQglIUiZY9yVs2rkzzbCDlOTRjlf2sIcLsAxLdPU9UxqqhQ8Tdd9sS5iw/s1600/Divine-Comedy-Dante-Alighieri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGcptzglxrb9p24qYVxKuGE8WEqPAR1aY7qn3r47xPGM0TVKj5AjgqmbhmTShIx5Sknk0kFs2Q37wQglIUiZY9yVs2rkzzbCDlOTRjlf2sIcLsAxLdPU9UxqqhQ8Tdd9sS5iw/s320/Divine-Comedy-Dante-Alighieri.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
For June, our book club has decided to read Dante's 'The Divine Comedy' in it's entire three parts. One of the most important lessons of my experience in the classics has been that of translations. Oftentimes, the translation will have a profound effect on your enjoyment of the novel but it is difficult to foresee when such difficulties will exist prior to reading.<br />
I found this very striking in Beowulf - the book club seemed to be divided in opinion of the work based on translations (parenthetically, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Heaney">Seamus Heaney</a> seems to be a good choice). In the case of War & Peace - the translations didn't seem to matter as much... each member enjoyed the translation they read. <br />
Since I have a compulsion with buying books, I have amassed three editions of Dante's 'The Divine Comedy', with three different translators. As such, I have decided to read one of each of the three epic poems with a different translator.<br />
Inferno - Melville Best Anderson [Illustrator: William Blake]<br />
Purgatory - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ciardi">John Ciardi</a> [Illustrator: Gustave Dore *SWOON*]<br />
Paradise - Thomas G. Bergen [Illustrator: Leonard Baskin]<br />
<br />
All books I'm reading were published between 1969 and 1978, but I'm unsure of the translation dates save for John Ciardi (1977). My assumption is that the Melville translation was much older, but cannot find a wikipedia entry for him or Thomas Bergen. Now, on to the review...<br />
I'm fascinated by Dante. Before reading 'Inferno', I had no preconceived notions of what to expect other than a fiery pit of gruesome. Dante himself walks through Hell with his friend, Virgil... who wrote 'The Aeneid' - the Roman poetical account of the sacking of Troy and the founding of Rome by Aeneas. Virgil takes Dante around as his guide and they converse and point out the tormented souls in the Inferno.<br />
<br />
Dante gives Hell a very succinct structure. There are nine circles in all, but beyond that, there are distinctions set within each circle. Spirits found in hell are classified based on the evil deeds they have committed. Many of these deeds would be applicable today, such as 'violence against neighbours' but many would not be considered as important... such as 'flatterers'. Regardless, Dante has plotted distinctions between crimes and prioritizes them. For instance, he believes that 'fraud' is worse than 'violence' and he structures Hell accordingly [part of the fun in today's time is to debate the merits of such a classification].<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSUDHHvbovstn3nRQdqpmicFU3G-GQKcRCMHNIh0YCSK8mR11KCaL0eebnps-_e7pgDYJ_UOQ-pkCjNv_cGJC5gZhDElN-1rOhB7ITndlfn4h384Lr-1BsvImhZLRH9L-9zfB/s1600/william_blake_dantes_inferno_whirlwind_of_lovers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYSUDHHvbovstn3nRQdqpmicFU3G-GQKcRCMHNIh0YCSK8mR11KCaL0eebnps-_e7pgDYJ_UOQ-pkCjNv_cGJC5gZhDElN-1rOhB7ITndlfn4h384Lr-1BsvImhZLRH9L-9zfB/s400/william_blake_dantes_inferno_whirlwind_of_lovers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Blake's 'Whirlwind of Lovers' from Dante's Inferno</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Hell is strewn with various souls - some questionable high ranking, corrupt, officials from the church exist there as well as some of the ancient Greek warriors. Jason, whom appears in Euripides play '<a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-medea-hippolytus-and-bacchae-by.html">Medea</a>', is found in the 8th circle of Hell (panders, seducers, flatterers). Perhaps surprisingly, Greek hero Ulysses from <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2011/10/review-odyssey-by-homer.html">The Odyssey</a>, is also in Hell (Parenthetically, I agree with Dante that he should be due to the gruesome scene upon his return home). <br />
<br />
There are many allusions to persons in Hell that we would probably have not known about today, if not for Dante's assistance. He has put men that have done personal harm to himself, into Hell. What I find ironic is that he immortalizes his enemies by mentioning them - arguably libelous, unless you believe that any publicity is good publicity. ;)<br />
In the final circle of hell (9th), there exists three people: Judas, Brutus and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Cassius_Longinus">Cassius</a> (who was the "leading instigator in the plot to kill Julius Caesar). We also get to meet Lucifer in the 9th circle, and I was particularly interested in the frozen lake, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocytus">Cocytus</a>, where souls are imprisoned.<br />
<br />
The translation by Melville Best Anderson was not the greatest - it had a very pleasurably sounding meter and rhyme to it, but it was very difficult to digest. Despite the interesting subject, I did not really have the ravenous desire to read it as I assumed I would. I could only really read 10 pages or so at a time before I became somewhat exhausted. The illustrations by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blake_Dante_Hell_XII.jpg">William Blake</a> are famous, but I did not find them as beautiful as the ones in Paradise Lost. I have a tendency to prefer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Dore">Gustave Dore</a>, so I am excited to start with a different edition and hopefully enjoy the more modern translation by John Ciardi, for Purgatory.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-79040192353791936572012-05-31T14:17:00.000-04:002012-05-31T14:17:13.085-04:00Review: The Bridge Over The River Kwai by Pierre Boulle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyT0Q4fRm077EFhS_cZRwiX0BNYsRYbtAH9Q9XGquVYVCD5K0gyB95xUFsdLgqnzVZfr-PipvEh8lYl-XpOnJKNi1cnpp89fSPsSwefTXvtfWOxTewpMyrpJPLqk1Z6fPBDDJ/s1600/bridge+over+the+river+kwai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyT0Q4fRm077EFhS_cZRwiX0BNYsRYbtAH9Q9XGquVYVCD5K0gyB95xUFsdLgqnzVZfr-PipvEh8lYl-XpOnJKNi1cnpp89fSPsSwefTXvtfWOxTewpMyrpJPLqk1Z6fPBDDJ/s320/bridge+over+the+river+kwai.jpg" width="213" /></a>"There's always a chance of something happening when you least expect it, Warden. You know that as well as I do. I don't know exactly why it is, but I've never yet come across a single instance of things going according to plan." 179<br />
<br />
The Bridge Over the River Kwai is a work of historical fiction. It takes place in a Japanese-run POW camp for British soldiers in WWI (in actual fact, the solidiers were French). The book deals with the creation of a bridge for the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Railway">Death Railway</a>" between Siam and Burma, to transport soldiers and military supplies.<br />
<br />
The book begins with the Japanese POW official Saito ordering British Lt. Colonel Nicholson and his officers to work on the bridge. There is no need for personnel supervision - all must go to work on the bridge to ensure time lines are met. Colonel Nicholson refuses and he is sent into solitary confinement.<br />
<br />
Saito and Nicholson are at a standstill and this continues to go on for weeks. However, the Japanese are not very familiar with engineering or management techniques and British are purposely sabotaging efforts to build the bridge correctly until their Colonel is set free. The Japanese mantra of 'saving face' comes into play - because Saito has announced that all must work, he cannot give in.<br />
<br />
When all efforts at compromise between Saito and Nicholson are exhausted, Saito finally gives in, to right efforts with the bridge construction and meet his ordered time lines. Nicholson and his officers take over and the bridge is properly planned for, the POW's efforts are managed and even the bridge location is moved to a more desirable spot. After more than a year's worth of building, the bridge is finally constructed.<br />
<br />
However, their is a small British task force that has been charged with blowing up the bridge. The optimal timing of such an event is after construction, when the first train arrives at the River Kwai. As the train arrives at the station, all necessary checks have been completed by the Japanese but Nicholson decides that due to the incompetence of the soldiers, he should complete one final check... and this check has some dire consequences.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbOhTpUDkwuEIUXmT0smYO2KJkV_spg6eGPFrWQyEzvCMBHnRy0hAf2oSIX1-wdzDxC6eOk4wGyvGbnpOtYqIHwhK6OVXGgD8YIdRILQUqv9j-9oWyRjB1i4TDCleERFx-sFk/s1600/kwai+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKbOhTpUDkwuEIUXmT0smYO2KJkV_spg6eGPFrWQyEzvCMBHnRy0hAf2oSIX1-wdzDxC6eOk4wGyvGbnpOtYqIHwhK6OVXGgD8YIdRILQUqv9j-9oWyRjB1i4TDCleERFx-sFk/s320/kwai+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
'The Bridge Over the River Kwai' was an enjoyable and quick read. The characters were described as three-dimensional, and the reader faces an obvious conundrum - for whom do you cheer? Either a year's worth of POW deaths become pointless while the bridge is blown, or the bridge remains and the Japanese are able to transport supplies and soldiers for military efforts - ultimately leading to more deaths. This is the same conundrum that Nicholson faces at the end of the book.<br />
<br />
I didn't find the language very poetic, but the dialogue between the commanders as well as the task force operatives was interesting. The writing was very condescending to the East and oftentimes called out Western methods as 'genius' to the East's inferiority. Perhaps this is true in bridge construction, but the tendency at the time to think that Britain was beyond measure is a fallacy that many countries express... and it lead me to think about the same complex employed by the Romans and Greeks as they progressed as a society.<br />
<br />
I prefer Hemingway's account of war, as it contains a human element that was only touched on (though, unexplored) in Boulle's work, but overall this was an enjoyable read.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-40156797606374238102012-05-31T13:04:00.000-04:002012-05-31T13:04:05.976-04:00Review: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHReeOMGzHWIAsLub1qsHmQLCqliiGyHSh8_u-xRnf9fvICqJsTlWB91LDNndxEr7WC0-715fBq-RZSPo23F0aI3xTdYFDgsiu4cnocjS4Skm7s0AIai0akIyNaQur0L_z1VIa/s1600/the+rubaiyat+of+Omar+Khayyam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHReeOMGzHWIAsLub1qsHmQLCqliiGyHSh8_u-xRnf9fvICqJsTlWB91LDNndxEr7WC0-715fBq-RZSPo23F0aI3xTdYFDgsiu4cnocjS4Skm7s0AIai0akIyNaQur0L_z1VIa/s320/the+rubaiyat+of+Omar+Khayyam2.jpg" width="252" /></a>"One thing is certain, and the Rest is Lies;<br />
The Flower that once has blown for ever dies." XXVI<br />
<br />
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is a collection of quatrains by a tent maker... who happened to also be a poet, mathematician and astronomer, written in Persia in the 11th-12th century.<br />
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It's estimated that Omar Khayyam wrote over 5,000 quatrains in his life - this work contains 75.<br />
<br />
I liken this work to a modern day self help book, with some flowery poetical language. The premise is that life is short, focus on the present (not the past or the future) and enjoy life because when you are gone, you're gone. Khayyam states that we are born as earth and die as earth and copious amounts of wine should be drunk in between... wine has the power to turn metal into gold (XLIII). <br />
<br />
In stanza LII, Khayyam states that praying to the sky is useless. God creates and he can take it away (LXI) and we should not take life too seriously (XLVI). <br />
<br />
These quatrains can be read in less than half an hour, and I hypothesize where you are in your current life will dictate strongly whether you enjoy the work or not. If you are cannot help but fret about your worries, this work may do what thoughts on the scope of the universe and our place in it, will do for you. It may provide some perspective and shed worry.<br />
<br />
The language was beautiful at times, but in poetry... I want to feel overwhelmed and impulsed to clutch at my heart and this feeling never came in this work. I prefer the Lebanese poet, Khalil Gibran, personally.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-52522312226065294992012-05-29T11:44:00.000-04:002012-05-29T11:44:09.461-04:00Review: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ877j3Nz5xplxgLASOGEVILW3CcJ6UDhy7nohCBwbM_k6lUHw4TZBUDTdx0T2xXB-vjHzlApAOllPs0VAdnq4pUVsCiqFgLwbeIs18QqP-c4BlW9mmgagCXriRWYUk67GbJy/s1600/mrs+friby+and+the+rats+of+nimh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQ877j3Nz5xplxgLASOGEVILW3CcJ6UDhy7nohCBwbM_k6lUHw4TZBUDTdx0T2xXB-vjHzlApAOllPs0VAdnq4pUVsCiqFgLwbeIs18QqP-c4BlW9mmgagCXriRWYUk67GbJy/s1600/mrs+friby+and+the+rats+of+nimh.jpg" /></a>Earlier in the month I felt like going down to a river close to my house to read. I was currently in the middle of Dante's Inferno but did not really want to read about hell on a nice spring day by the water. I perused my shelves and came to 'Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh,' which I read in grade school. It's rare that I re-read anything, but I find it's exhilarating to re-experience some of my favourite childhood books as an adult. I was not disappointed.</div>
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The premise of the novel is a simple one. Mrs. Frisby's son, Timothy, is sick with pneumonia and is on the verge of death. She goes to visit a fellow mouse (a doctor) for a cure and Timothy begins to recover. However, it's spring time and the farmer will eventually plow his field for this summer's crops; consequently destroying the Frisby's home. A move of Timothy while he's recovering could cause him to relapse with his illness. Unsure of where to turn to, a conversation with a wise owl takes her to the Rats of Nimh who live under a rosebush close to the farm. But these aren't ordinary rats... <br />
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The rats have escaped from 'Nimh', a research facility who were enhancing neurological functioning of rats they found on the streets. When the Rats escaped, they moved to the rosebush where they created a modern rat hole (with electricity, a library, etc). They have something called 'The Plan' - where they abolish their prowess in technology to live a simpler life where they are self-sufficient. They want to create their own food instead of having to steal from farmers. Mrs. Frisby finds out that her husband used to frequently visit these rats and died at the paws of the farmer's cat, trying to help the rats with an expedition. In the end, the rats are able to move Mrs. Frisby's house so that it is not plowed and Timothy is able to recover.<br />
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While I was expecting an adventurous tale of a rat society, I was not prepared for the depth of this work. O'Brien discusses the history of evolution. The rats have decided they can evolve to self-sustainment because monkeys were able to evolve into humans. They talk about their thought process in creating a new society and I cannot help but be reminded of Plato's Republic - an idealist society created to maximize justice and contentment. The rats have learned that despite all the 'things' and 'luxuries' they had accumulated, they became discontented and longed for a simpler way of existing.<br />
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While there are obvious comparisons between this work and others such as 'Watership Down' by Richard Adams (about a society of rabbits), there was an added depth to this work that was refreshing and different - there are many parallels to the trials of humanity. Thoughts of a simpler life chronicled by Voltaire in "Candide" and Thoreau in "Walden", swam in my head as I read this novel.<br />
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I believe this is a great book for children as well as adults - one filled with both magic and meaning that all can take something from. Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-8072253144907575832012-05-29T10:53:00.001-04:002012-05-29T10:53:40.009-04:00Review: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwwtrtarVDLJdKW9aEmlDYqg10imuOufVj-CSF7O-t-nenVlJhyphenhyphen-2FzX8WYuH0pi0OYN4d4fcnGoZ2rYnHlEickzIPPPYlXQ-eTmqtNqI5vuIokOhAUtjd9nBNDyTsDo1QzKv/s1600/Happiness-Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZwwtrtarVDLJdKW9aEmlDYqg10imuOufVj-CSF7O-t-nenVlJhyphenhyphen-2FzX8WYuH0pi0OYN4d4fcnGoZ2rYnHlEickzIPPPYlXQ-eTmqtNqI5vuIokOhAUtjd9nBNDyTsDo1QzKv/s320/Happiness-Project.jpg" width="218" /></a>"We are happy when we are growing." - William Butler Yeats</div>
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I'm starting off here with a quote for good reason - this book contains quite a few good ones. Gretchen Rubin was a lawyer turned biographer turned self-help book writer. Her career history is evident when you read this book. She's very detail-oriented in her research and she utilizes many quotes from influential people in history including Yeats, Samuel Johnson, Michel de Montaigne and Leo Tolstoy. <br />
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This book is basically a journey that chronicles Gretchen's quest to increase happiness in her life. She comes up with tangible ideas to strive towards with a list of personal maxims to guide her. Her resolutions are loosely put into categories and she focuses on improving different areas of her life each month for a year. There are a lot of personal experiences of Gretchen in the book and you get a very good sense of her emotional state, neuroses and way of thinking. <br />
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One of the issues I have with this book is that there are many instances where Gretchen contradicts herself. One really important point from the early stages of the book was that the opposite of happiness is unhappiness - not depression. Then in page 107, she contradicts her own words. She also states that "we" need to "anticipate" something in order to be happy - a contradiction to an earlier report that unexpected events make us happiest. Stating "we" need to anticipate something in order to be happy is presumptuous, though it seems that it makes sense for Gretchen (perhaps she should have used "I" or backed up her claim with research). There are a lot of jumping to conclusions by Gretchen based on her own beliefs without backing... something I find strange for someone with a background as a biographer and lawyer.<br />
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Gretchen also mentions a few ideas that she doesn't get around to trying and states repeatedly that perhaps she'll leave them for "Happiness Project II", which I found absurd because you would think that this would become a lifestyle initiative which is ongoing, instead of a project you do and then abandon like someone who eats really healthily before a wedding and then pigs out afterwards. Given that Gretchen has turned this book into a business idea and mantra, I doubt this was her intention, but it still comes across poorly. There is one very good point in this regard on page 288 where Gretchen states the difference between goals and resolutions (goals are completed and resolutions are ongoing).<br />
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On page 6, Gretchen mentions that research states (source not given, if I recall correctly) that happiness is composed of the following:<br />
<br />
50% genetics<br />
10-20% life circumstances (age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, income, health, occupation, religious affiliation, etc)<br />
30-40% thinking/acting...<br />
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...which implies that each person has the power to improve upon their happiness in this last category. <br />
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The reason why I personally read this book was to see if it would stimulate any thought in regards to increasing my own happiness. Like Gretchen, I'm not an unhappy person, but am simply looking for ideas to improve upon happiness in my life. Since I'm currently in a large transition period, this seemed like an appropriate book to be reading at this junction.<br />
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I wrote down a bunch of my own goals as I was reading this book, in a spreadsheet. There is a tool for your own project at one of her websites: <a href="http://www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com/">http://www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com/</a>, but I just created my own for various reasons. I'm not sure how gung-ho I'm going to be about tracking things but I will keep a few of these ideas in the back of my mind at the very least.<br />
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One thing I have tried has been de-cluttering my life. I have removed my twitter account and stopped reading other blogs... because I found myself spending far too much of my time on 'checking' things. I have an addictive personality and rarely do things half-assed, so I knew that I would have to give these items up cold-turkey. Plus, I have many bloggers on Goodreads and I can see what they've thought of books passively on that site. You can find me under the "Eclectic Indulgence" moniker.<br />
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I have also started to de-clutter my apartment so that moving will be easier, working my way to getting to sleep earlier, exercising more and generally focusing on becoming more patient. These are just a few generic examples (I won't get into specifics here) - and while healthy eating/exercising is pretty straightforward, there is a reason why many people list this as their goal... some for personal aesthetics but many for a general uplift in mood.<br />
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Anyway, I feel I'm rambling here so I'm going to cut this off and get to some quotes. In summary, don't expect anything transcendent from this book. There are some good examples given and many ideas you should be able to personally apply from this book, but you will have to read much rambling about unnecessary circumstances of Mrs. Rubin's life to get at them. In the end though, it's all about application... and if you're searching for something to do, at the very least, this book should begin to stimulate your own thought processes.<br />
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---<br />
QUOTES:<br />
<br />
"I had come to understand one critical fact about my happiness projected: I couldn't change anyone else." 40<br />
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"It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light." -G.K. Chesterton<br />
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"...research shows that HOW a couple fights matters more than HOW MUCH they fight. Couples who fight right tackle only one difficult topic at a time, instead of indulging in arguments that cover every grievance since the first date." 47<br />
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"The most reliable predictor of not being lonely is the amount of contact with women. Time spent with men doesn't make a difference." 52 [this applies for both men and women]<br />
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From a commenter on her blog: "Knowing what you admire in others is a wonderful mirror into your deepest, as yet unborn, self." 209<br />
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"We are happy when we are growing." - William Butler Yeats<br />
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"The least strained and most natural ways of the soul are the most beautiful; the best occupations are the least forced." -Michel de Montaigne<br />
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"He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him." -Spanish proverb<br />
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"Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness." -Leo TolstoyEclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-18281954639204240162012-05-10T21:50:00.001-04:002012-05-10T21:50:34.381-04:00Review: Beowulf by Unknown<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQnUv1S0xoRKkLbYvOMSUdhb78_x8o0oBRcsRrrVFD6iRoHSrcPPGYqesVYA6QfUhnQgc4FeBcDz_7FuA4B_LoOwqpddrMuKnaIM0qERehNd4a_3pcTE79H_kU21RuwAb1ivG/s1600/beowulf.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQnUv1S0xoRKkLbYvOMSUdhb78_x8o0oBRcsRrrVFD6iRoHSrcPPGYqesVYA6QfUhnQgc4FeBcDz_7FuA4B_LoOwqpddrMuKnaIM0qERehNd4a_3pcTE79H_kU21RuwAb1ivG/s320/beowulf.gif" width="210" /></a>I had no idea what to expect before I picked up Beowulf. I knew it was the oldest English epic in existence, but I was unaware that it was only translated into English in 1815 and was apparently damaged in a fire in 1731 and nearly lost. <br />
<br />
The story is about a character named 'Beowulf' and is set in Scandinavia. He belongs to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geats">Geat</a>-clan, which lived in modern day Sweden. Beowulf comes to the rescue of the King of the Danes, who is exasperated by the death of many in his kingdom by a giant named Grendel. Beowulf slays the giant as well as his mother who seeks retribution after Grendel's death. Fifty years apparently pass and Beowulf has become king of the Geats. They go after a treasure guarded by a dragon, who is slain... but Beowulf sustains an injury that kills him.<br />
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Does any of this sound familiar to you? I could not help thinking about 'The Hobbit' as I worked my way through this epic poem. Tolkien's world contained rings (reference frequently) as well as a large dragon named Smaug, who dwelled on a mountain of treasure. There is a thirteen member party, very similar to the party that goes on the hobbit adventure. The naming conventions are similar - there is one reference to a man named Eofur, which has a striking resemblance to the dwarven Bifur and Bofur. There is even a character named Guthlaf which looks a lot like Gandalf to me. Beowulf is buried on a large Tumulus (or barrow) upon his death, similar in nature to the barrow downs in The Hobbit where Bilbo is buried alive. </div>
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There is no question that Tolkien borrowed a few ideas from this work. This was just a theory of mine, until I found this on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolkien">Wikipedia</a>: "Tolkien also revealed how highly he regarded Beowulf: "Beowulf is among my most valued sources," and this influence may be seen throughout his Middle-earth legendarium. </div>
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Anyway, this work can be a tough slog at times. The chapters are thankfully short and preceding each one in my edition, there is a summary of what will happen. This is helpful since the text is an olde English translation. You eventually get used to the style and the rhyming convention almost flows, but it takes some time to get used to.</div>
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Since the work was not preserved in its entirety, there are pieces and chapters missing. In addition, there are historic stories with unknown characters thrown in the work which makes it fairly choppy and incongruent with the original story. </div>
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I would recommend it to hardcore Tolkien fans, as it gives you further insight into Middle Earth. I'd also recommend it to those who enjoy ancient tales from Scandinavia or the surrounding area and for those that love adventure and fantasy tales. It's not really something that most parents would read to their children, though perhaps it's possible to find a version that is translated into simpler verse.</div>
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Would love to hear what those in the book blogging community think of this one before my book club meeting in late May!</div>Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-66713593676568681602012-05-10T20:39:00.003-04:002012-05-10T20:39:42.220-04:00Review: Walden by Henry David Thoreau<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpwd86_Y-ubcShD09R0I9jX0xsFxYuABINTiw1TAaXk5LKdoPhk-gsOAhyphenhyphenT-kMPl1bNbS4ClaCxw31gpiDCAe4aFqC3jUQyi_zXNECjg8bzzwCEXiZyCBabRwy1a2B47v0cMv/s1600/walden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpwd86_Y-ubcShD09R0I9jX0xsFxYuABINTiw1TAaXk5LKdoPhk-gsOAhyphenhyphenT-kMPl1bNbS4ClaCxw31gpiDCAe4aFqC3jUQyi_zXNECjg8bzzwCEXiZyCBabRwy1a2B47v0cMv/s320/walden.jpg" width="207" /><br />
</a><em>"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion." 109</em><br />
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I have felt strongly drawn to read this book many times in my life, and what with me quitting my job, traveling to Europe and reading <a href="http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.ca/2012/05/review-in-praise-of-slow-by-carl-honore.html">In Praise of Slow</a> a few weeks ago, I decided it was now the perfect time to read Walden.<br />
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What I was expecting was an account from a hermit - someone that had left society to go live in the woods because he hated people (Salinger-esque). This could not be further from the truth. While Thoreau partially left society because he hated the materialism and poor conversations from aristocrats, he didn't leave society to get away from people altogether. He enjoyed talking with people, if they were the RIGHT people and if it was the RIGHT conversation. He went into town frequently, and wasn't that far away from the the town. I hesitate to use words for town like 'civilization' or 'the heart of things', because I bet Mr. Thoreau felt like the woods represented those words - not the town.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkIc9CTIo2uTMyJQHa9IKZwKgIMb8dSs3xvL1_rx_wTQwQ6Q4ragvzJsVmrcf7opQ38HjxIfb_7pAC_mxhrHknZ46gBDqJgsYnjOn1vrJYALqjENIKcDTaHg7fAyeAZAO1XP-/s1600/Walden+Pond+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtkIc9CTIo2uTMyJQHa9IKZwKgIMb8dSs3xvL1_rx_wTQwQ6Q4ragvzJsVmrcf7opQ38HjxIfb_7pAC_mxhrHknZ46gBDqJgsYnjOn1vrJYALqjENIKcDTaHg7fAyeAZAO1XP-/s320/Walden+Pond+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Pond<br />
[I looked at many but this fit my imagination the best]</td></tr>
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In the first 90 pages or so, Thoreau talks all about some of the downfalls of society and I must admit I fell in love right then and there. Beautiful thoughts - I found I couldn't stop putting down the pen. There were some beautiful sentiments throughout the book (I have pages full of quotes) on nature, living simply and the beauty of men. I was particularly fascinated with his interactions and opinions on others, especially those that were of inferior mental prowess (simpler folk). He was able to appreciate the beauty in people, and this reminded me a lot of Hemingway without all the drinking and depression. Of course, Hemingway had a special way of bringing their characters to life... much better than Thoreau. That said, still a lot of charm in the details of some of Thoreau's experiences with people in nature and in his cabin.<br />
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He outlines how he built his cabin, the changing of seasons from winter to spring and back again. He tells us about the history of the area, the influence of people on the lake and describes in detail the plants and animals of the surrounding area. There are stories about particular animal events, and there are many references to the Ancient Greeks - something that I was interested in given my recent past. I particularly enjoyed a story of a solitary red ant that he likened to Akhilleus and detailed the fight between red and black ants like a battle of the Trojans and Argives. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFPVWRs58anf57sLPvZL4YM74CETDUp0apiOp5Uc57MCQeyAN6BIto6XmVaR03dzxScIc5j2CAjgz4wZ011cC_Afh7YyphrL8WKLzdCLLOdmptmBmW4pOmh2XIEPQwWgktKeK/s1600/walden+pond.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFPVWRs58anf57sLPvZL4YM74CETDUp0apiOp5Uc57MCQeyAN6BIto6XmVaR03dzxScIc5j2CAjgz4wZ011cC_Afh7YyphrL8WKLzdCLLOdmptmBmW4pOmh2XIEPQwWgktKeK/s320/walden+pond.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thoreau's Cabin</td></tr>
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This book teaches you a lot about Thoreau himself - he bleeds from the pages. He was rebellious against society (he didn't feel like he should pay taxes), he was learned in the Classics (and consequently Latin), and he was passionate and at many times very angry. I was expecting him to be much more Zen Master; of course, he was a passionate young man of 28 years when he went into the woods. He was also a devout Christian, which you can see creep into a few parts - without being overly distracting.<br />
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The most important take away is that life is short and it's possible to live for prolonged spells of leisure if you live simply. It's amazing how much less you can live with once you get used to it. In North America, we all live very extravagant lifestyles, myself included. I can't help but think that Walden would have laughed at me reading my leatherbound book on a comfy couch. At one point I went down by a river to read and I must admit that it was more enjoyable (though my back hurt!). I suppose I have a long way to go in simplifying.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQKimRWo0PdpHk2sMdTPf_1P1eWFP6pcRZmneRwJ2Mi1aOh5tkazE-ia_RGMZjAiGHcOV3q7Kdh0glpQ0_H33UFOGXVg1iQ4ewEqSXPHGWZuMZ92zrhQ6XnjjCbhrG524hMM/s1600/walden+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgQKimRWo0PdpHk2sMdTPf_1P1eWFP6pcRZmneRwJ2Mi1aOh5tkazE-ia_RGMZjAiGHcOV3q7Kdh0glpQ0_H33UFOGXVg1iQ4ewEqSXPHGWZuMZ92zrhQ6XnjjCbhrG524hMM/s320/walden+interior.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior of the Cabin</td></tr>
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I did feel like moving to the country to live in the woods by a lake, but that is nothing new to me. I enjoy a more leisurely pace whether in a slower city or in the country and I have often debated moving to Northern Ontario, Canada to live. At this point in my life, it's not the time... but I would rather live up north than have a place in the city and a cottage in the country that I commuted up to on weekends. It's simply not the same.<br />
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Anyway, this novel is a must read. I personally found the beginning and ending of the book the most quote worthy - it had the most meat overall. You may find that it lulls a bit (I personally wasn't that interested with the detailed calculations of the pond depth or the many pages on how bubbles form in ice), but perhaps it was just my experience with the work. Would be really interested to hear what others think.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9000858.post-78860146038175130912012-05-10T19:28:00.000-04:002012-05-10T19:28:26.108-04:00Review: In Praise of Slow by Carl Honoré<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUx6tQYMWEPgWdw0rbuRdGJPw52jv9BJ2HJphyb1Gcx-hhGlBwcA0MuwV7cGwvQ8at2biX34jNwCNIn0PSMW4C85WJwmCCezb8_1z1D7HaDhdG2Qk-mhvUGh6lvaJYGIxXl1Ly/s1600/In+Praise+of+Slow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUx6tQYMWEPgWdw0rbuRdGJPw52jv9BJ2HJphyb1Gcx-hhGlBwcA0MuwV7cGwvQ8at2biX34jNwCNIn0PSMW4C85WJwmCCezb8_1z1D7HaDhdG2Qk-mhvUGh6lvaJYGIxXl1Ly/s320/In+Praise+of+Slow.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Don't just do something, sit there!"</td></tr>
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"There is more to life than increasing its speed." -Gandhi<br />
<br />Great quote to start off this book, but first a little context. This is a fairly large departure from my recent readings of the ancient Greeks. I've had this book sitting on my shelf for a number of years, and since I've recently quit my job in part to 'slow down' and in part to explore myself, I thought this would be a good time to meander through this work.<br />
<br />The beginning of the book is absolutely fascinating. Honore takes us through history to show how we became a society obsessed with speed. He talks about the evolution of time and how many people in the beginning of our history rebelled against sundials to tell time (clock time vs. natural time), as it imposed contraints. Then we get to the breaking up of time into segments - first hours and then eventually minutes, seconds and more finite units of time. He details the fundamental shift (during the industrial revolution?) where corporations starting paying workers by time (hourly wage) instead of by units of output.<br />
<br />The book is broken down into chapters about food, cities, mind/body, medicine, sex, work, leisure and raising children. This is where the book becomes a little self-help-ish, but you're able to take away from the book what you want and leave the rest. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_food">Slow food</a> is a concept that has been around for a long time, though coined in 1986. Honore teaches us that there are now <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cities">Slow cities</a> with official guidelines which are followed by many cities throughout the world (only one in Canada). The mind/body chapter focuses on ways to become an oasis of calm while the world is chaotic - central to Buddhist teachings. There is talk about active sports, yoga and meditation. Medicine talks specifically about naturopathy/homeopathy and other alternative therapies where doctors take more time with patients, listening to their concerns and coming up with individualized treatment plans. Since I know a bit about this area, this chapter was particularly ignorant to me. Honore tells us of his experience with tantric sex - slowing down for closeness, prolonged orgasms, etc. Work and leisure are self explanatory, though he does mention the resurgence of slow activities such as knitting. Honore mentions giving our children a childhood without as many activities and much time for play.<br />
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I took away a few important things from this book:<br />
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1. Slow Cities - I did further research on this concept, and I'm hoping to visit some of the recognized slow cities when I'm in Europe.<br />
2. Gentle Reminders - I'm not sure about finding the time for Yoga, but I definitely want to try to meditate more... especially in the mornings.<br />
3. Investigate places that emphasize work-life balance - <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35-hour_workweek">35 hour work week in France,</a> Netherlands tendency towards part time employment (1/3 of their workers are part-time), etc<br />
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I think the main point that I reached from this is that you need to 'fight for your own slowness'. This is fairly intuitive, but since we cannot change all of our surroundings/environments, each person needs to cultivate their own inner peace/slow. <br />
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Anyway, the book reads like something Gladwell would write with less 'ah-ha!' moments. It's not fascinating literature, but it does contain a few nuggets of information that I'm better off knowing about.Eclectic Indulgencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09773640906287038956noreply@blogger.com1