Reading any good books?

[sun-star]

I'm reading it in Modern English, but studying parts of it in Old English (which it was later translated into). Yes, Bede was writing about 150 years before the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Alfred's drive to promote the vernacular, etc.

[Mercutio]

Longitude by Dava Sobel.

Exquisite. So is the movie adaptation.

btw, it is completely historically accurate and details the work of one John Harrison, who built the first "practicable" marine timepiece (which led to being able to find longitude at sea easily...which was a huge step in history...la de da di da...)

[inked]

Mercutio,

LONGITUDE was an excellent read! What was the movie adaptation? I fear I have no recollection of that!

If you enjoy LONGITUDE, I would also suggest TIME LORD (author escapes memory at present).

[Rían]

wow, that sounds interesting!

Anyone read that book about that Everest expedition that ended up with some deaths - I think it was "Into Thin Air", by Jon Krackaur (or something like that)?

I still want to read Dante, but am totally intimidated by the fear of picking a lousy translation ...

[inked]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

wow, that sounds interesting!

Anyone read that book about that Everest expedition that ended up with some deaths - I think it was "Into Thin Air", by Jon Krackaur (or something like that)?

I still want to read Dante, but am totally intimidated by the fear of picking a lousy translation ...

Rian,

Penguin Classics Dorothy L. Sayers I. Inferno (Hell), II. Purgatorio (Purgatory), and III. Paradisio (Paradise). These are available via any good bookstore and Amazon or Barnes&Noble on the 'net. The latter provide good prices on used versions.

DLS has simply the best introductory comments and notes. After you become enamoured of Dante (and you will!) You can branch out to other translations. I think John Ciardi's is excellent, but the accessory materials are not as superb as DL Sayers'.

You know how helpful the Milton works are when they have the necessary aids, right? Same here.

Enjoy! Then we can have a Dante thread!

[Rían]

thank you! Sayers, ay? Read anything else by her? (enjoyed your PM! )

[inked]

O loads and loads of Sayers, but not yet everything available. Some of the texts are harder to locate than others.

Lord Peter Wimsey novels, Detective Club serials, essays on Sherlock Holmes, radio plays/dramas, Dantean studies, lay theological addresses and sermons, educational recommendations, and I just read her letters from 1937 to 1943 as edited by Barbara Reynolds.

[Artanis]

Went to the library yesterday and borrowed a book of Eduardo Mendoza. 'The Savolta case'. Impossible to get it in English or Norwegian in the book stores, only in Spanish.
Looks very promising, htough a bit different from the first Mendoza that I read, 'A light comedy'.

[me9996]

Right now I'm reading:
around the world in 80 days
The hobbit
And The silmarilion

[Pytt]

I finished Neil Gaiman "Neverwhere" yesterday. I have begun reading Dan Brown "Angels And Demons" some time ago, but I'm not sure if I will finish that or begin with Terry Pratchet "Color Of Magic". I'll see when bed time is.

[Rían]

Originally Posted by inked

O loads and loads of Sayers, but not yet everything available. Some of the texts are harder to locate than others.

Speaking of hard-to-find texts, have you ever read Lewis's "Till We Have Faces?"

(and actually I didn't have any aids with Milton, except some footnotes at the bottom explaining archaic words - I loved it anyway!)

[Fat middle]

Originally Posted by Artanis

Went to the library yesterday and borrowed a book of Eduardo Mendoza. 'The Savolta case'. Impossible to get it in English or Norwegian in the book stores, only in Spanish.
Looks very promising, htough a bit different from the first Mendoza that I read, 'A light comedy'.

So you've already made your aquaintance with Domingo Pajarito de Soto, don't you?

Hope you enjoy the book. If you need some help with the Spanish I'm sure I'll be able to make any doubt a bit bigger

[IronParrot]

Finished the rest of the Lemony Snicket series, A Princess of Mars and one graphic novel (V For Vendetta by Alan Moore).

I'm not sure what to move on to next. On one hand, I have Un long dimanche de fiançailles ("A Very Long Engagement") by Sébastien Japrisot, but even though I've watched the film, it's been a long time since I've read anything serious in French and the vocabulary is a bit difficult for me. Next in the English-language fiction lineup appears to be Fleming's From Russia With Love. In non-fiction, I've been working through Stephen Greenblatt's Renaissance Self-Fashioning, mostly for school.

[inked]

Originally Posted by RÃ*an

Speaking of hard-to-find texts, have you ever read Lewis's "Till We Have Faces?"

(and actually I didn't have any aids with Milton, except some footnotes at the bottom explaining archaic words - I loved it anyway!)

Yes, Rian, I have read "Till We Have Faces" - in fact, several times through the years! A retelling of the Psyche and Cupid myth, Lewis considered it his best work, IIRC. I have found it quite profound, particularly in its connections of the inter-relatedness of humans (beginning with family and moving outward to include government then back to the intimately personal).

I also think it a fascinating study of the individual psyche (soul in Greek) and the relations of Love (storge, eros, philia, and agape in Greek). And, I am not aware of any critics who have held this position, but I think the work looks at the counterpoint of the Perelandrian EVE - the one who succumbs to the tempter yet is, finally, redeemed. Does that seem likely to you?

Yes, regarding Milton, my copy has the archaic words at the bottom for the actual reading, but I have a copy of Lewis' PREFACE TO PARADISE LOST for referral. I read that last year (again) so I haven't much referred to it recently. Still, for the old neuronal connections, it has been work out.

I just finished re-reading Sayer's translation of INFERNO by Dante and have begun PURGATORY. On the whole, a rather ambitious Lenten project to re-read the entire COMMEDIA (parts I and II) with the Eastertide goal of the PARADISE. (Apropos, don't you think?)

You will probably be amused to learn that I keep the Milton in my truck and read it at intervals while waiting to pick up my daughter from school or for businesses to open in the AM (after rounds at the hospital). A very disjointed method, to be sure! But it has its perks! I have just finished the Creation and the account of the Word's return to Eternity just bowls me over - you know the place where the milky way is used to describe the dust of the highway to heaven? - and I love the passage so much, that I haven't made much headway. I just keep re-reading it. (I hope John thinks that a compliment and not a derogation!)

Also, a point of unmerited pride perhaps, but I find that my past reading has well prepared me for Milton's "archaism". I usually read the passage through and then check my understanding against the following word notes. I find that rarely have I misconstrued a word usage! For that, I give honor and praise to the Inklings and all quality authors who have prepared me in their literary efforts to be able to comprehend! (That and the teachers and professors who managed to get me to learn something.)

TILL WE HAVE FACES should be easily available at major booksellers. But you could try online at abebooks.com for copies from a variety of used booksellers, if you are having trouble finding it.

[Rosie Gamgee]

I'm muddling through Wuthering Heights. I promised a friend I would read a 'Bronte' book, so now I'm bound to finish it. It's not that bad, just a little drawn out at the moment.

[jellyfishannah]

Originally Posted by Rosie Gamgee

I'm muddling through Wuthering Heights. I promised a friend I would read a 'Bronte' book, so now I'm bound to finish it. It's not that bad, just a little drawn out at the moment.

I would read that if I weren't struggling through a gazillion books already. I have read jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Excellent excellent book.

[Mercutio]

The Princess Bride.

Excellent movie.

Exceptional book...

I read the "30th Special Edition;" it is the most recent so it has an extra introduction. The book by William Goldman has everything from the movie plus tons more comments, more plot, humor, etc. Goldman pretends he is abridging a huge long criticism of society by some guy named Morgenstern and taking out "the good parts" (basically the "good parts" he takes out are what they made the movie from; he "leaves out" things out like 40 pages of critique of foliage (don't ask), I mean, since this is entirely make up from him in the 1970s the "original" Morgenstern thing doens't actually exist but what Goldman claims he is cutting out is really really funny. And his explanations... well ...Because of "abridging" it, he puts in his own comments, history, fake publishing problems, sections in the middle of things explaining why he cut this out, our how this confused him...etc....anyway...its hilarious. I read it in about 2 days it was so captivating.

Could you follow?

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by inked

O loads and loads of Sayers, but not yet everything available. Some of the texts are harder to locate than others.

Lord Peter Wimsey novels, Detective Club serials, essays on Sherlock Holmes, radio plays/dramas, Dantean studies, lay theological addresses and sermons, educational recommendations, and I just read her letters from 1937 to 1943 as edited by Barbara Reynolds.

have you read her bio by Barbara Reynolds? Wonderful

we need a sigh//dreamy/pleasant/drifting-off-into-wonderfulness smiley

[strider8]

Lotr Return Of The King

I Am Mordred

The Creature In The Case

[Nurvingiel]

I follow you Mercutio (about "The Princess Bride"). I totally want to read that book - I love the movie.

Has anyone read "Tom Brown's School Days" by Thomas Hughes? I haven't read it but I wanted to give it a shot, especially if he plays rugby. I noticed he goes to Rugby school, and the book was published after 1816 (when William Webb Ellis invented this fine sport), so he could do this thing (as long as the book's also set then). It seems like he plays cricket instead though.

That's okay though, as long as the book isn't too old school. There has to be something that a 21st century woman can relate somehow to this 19th century boy. I skimmed a bit and read part where Tom describes Arthur's (his buddy) mother.... yeah. If he expresses this attitude for the whole book I'm going to look elsewhere for reading material. (I don't care if he has this attitude, as long as I don't have to read about how beautiful and perfect Arthur's mom is with masses of golden curls sweeping back from a broad white forhead and wondering if Arthur's sisters are like that blah blah BLAH for the whole book.) (edit: or at least everytime he meets a girl. Which I suspect is not very often..?)

I'd rather read about him playing cricket and getting stuffed head-first into trash cans and whatnot. (I won't judge the book by that one part though.)

Anyway, your comments are appreciated!