I have been reading Marcus Aurelius Meditations. I'm really enjoying a lot of philosophy from Roman times like Seneca, Epictetus and MA and I think Stoicism in general is a really beautiful philosophy. If anyone has read The Moral Discourses of Epictetus then tell me which translation you have and how you find it? I have an old copy I picked up in a second hand shop translated by Elizabeth Carter and well I know it's translated from an ancient language but I find the wording quite different from the modern copies I have of Seneca for example so wondered if it was just her style and as it's an early 1900s translation so kind of archaic anyway? Marcus Aurelius isn't quite as great at Seneca or Epictetus I feel but I think he is still excellent to read and we could only hope that a modern day politician could have such an amazing grasp of philosophy! I really enjoy dipping into Meditations or an essay by Seneca at bedtime and I love the solitude, simplicity and serenity of the Stoics.
Whatever the world may say or do, my part is to keep myself good; just as a gold piece, or an emerald, or a purple robe insists perpetually, 'Whatever the world may say or do, my part is to remain an emerald and keep my colour true.' Marcus Aurelius - Meditations, Book 7 Part 15
I said before that I had been doing a lot of reading and some of the books I have enjoyed the most have been Baudolino by Umberto Eco and also his novel The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. His writing is such a pleasure, always intriguing and full of hundreds of fascinating references which sit so naturally in the story. A little detail I particularly enjoyed in The Mysterious Flame was the collection of quotes from other novels that the character kept about fog. It led to a whole other list of books I would like to read now. That is something I really enjoy about his writing. Another book I read, which I was surprised to be reminded of another Eco book I read in the past was The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. It's almost a polar opposite in style and setting to an Eco book but the structure and content of that was almost identical to Foucault's Pendulum. I really wonder if Eco read that book?! It doesn't seem his style at all but who knows. I found that very interesting anyway. Both of those books I would really recommend.
I have had a real fascination with the russian novel ever since I read Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. That is one of my favourite books of all time. I remember the only reason I perhaps read it was because I was reading Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being and in that book, the character Teresa is reading it. If you haven't read either of those books I recommend reading Unbearable Lightness, then the Tolstoy and then back to Kundera and read his novel Immortality which follows on to the ideas he starts in Unbearable Lightness and the characters too. Oops I got carried away, I was just meaning to write there that I had finally read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky and the beautiful Tergenev novel Fathers and Sons. Everyone hangs by a thread, at any moment the abyss may open beneath our feet, and yet we go out of our way to invent all sorts of trouble for ourselves to spoil our lives. I believe that book is said to be his masterpiece but I will look forward to reading more Turgenev. I've been meaning to read some essays by Tolstoy soon too. If only I could stop time and just sit and read forever!
I could really write a whole journal on each book but I always feel when I try and write about literature I just cant say anything of particular use, especially when it is a book I really love. It is a solitary pursuit, reading though and that's what I love about it and what is so amazing about a great book is what you find inside it, in silence and alone. Of course discussion is great too and you can find a different kind of appreciation by hearing other peoples opinions but I am still practicing that. I'd love to be able to give concise insights into the plot of a book or what I have gained from it but the things I appreciate are often so abstract that I can't quite put things like that into words.
I think I also read one of the most beautiful books ever written and that is The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. The author was a Sicilian nobleman and price who was born in 1896 and died in 1957. He didn't publish anything in his lifetime but bequeathed this novel, a memoir and some short storied which were published posthumously. I cant really tell you how much I loved this book. Though it is Italian it has everything I love about the russian novel in it. The writing is poetic brilliance, the details and images invoked divine and I was so in love with the character of the Prince who tells the story. I cried so much near the end of the book! I was reading it on the plane coming home from Sweden and I just couldn't stop the tears and was probably greatly disturbing the people next to me. I believe it was made into a film a while ago but I haven't seen that yet. I might try and rent it this week.
Well I'd love to know anyones opinions on any of those books! I'm going to bed now to read Frankenstein. I was ashamed that I had never actually read the book yet knew so much about the story. Although it's a short book, it's taken me a little while to get into the style as I don't read much gothic literature but I'm enjoy it now and I'll probably finish it tonight.
That's me and Cleo, my cat that is being a super sweet friendly little thing since the other one died. She is a great comfort, I would be so lonely if there were no little creatures in the house. And here are some picture of the one who died recently, she was called CousCous! My little brother named her when he was about 6. I miss her so much, she was the sweetest natured most perfect little creature. I had a dream about her the other night and I remember in it I was so happy because I could hold her again
But so it goes.
Whatever the world may say or do, my part is to keep myself good; just as a gold piece, or an emerald, or a purple robe insists perpetually, 'Whatever the world may say or do, my part is to remain an emerald and keep my colour true.' Marcus Aurelius - Meditations, Book 7 Part 15
I said before that I had been doing a lot of reading and some of the books I have enjoyed the most have been Baudolino by Umberto Eco and also his novel The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana. His writing is such a pleasure, always intriguing and full of hundreds of fascinating references which sit so naturally in the story. A little detail I particularly enjoyed in The Mysterious Flame was the collection of quotes from other novels that the character kept about fog. It led to a whole other list of books I would like to read now. That is something I really enjoy about his writing. Another book I read, which I was surprised to be reminded of another Eco book I read in the past was The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. It's almost a polar opposite in style and setting to an Eco book but the structure and content of that was almost identical to Foucault's Pendulum. I really wonder if Eco read that book?! It doesn't seem his style at all but who knows. I found that very interesting anyway. Both of those books I would really recommend.
I have had a real fascination with the russian novel ever since I read Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. That is one of my favourite books of all time. I remember the only reason I perhaps read it was because I was reading Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being and in that book, the character Teresa is reading it. If you haven't read either of those books I recommend reading Unbearable Lightness, then the Tolstoy and then back to Kundera and read his novel Immortality which follows on to the ideas he starts in Unbearable Lightness and the characters too. Oops I got carried away, I was just meaning to write there that I had finally read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky and the beautiful Tergenev novel Fathers and Sons. Everyone hangs by a thread, at any moment the abyss may open beneath our feet, and yet we go out of our way to invent all sorts of trouble for ourselves to spoil our lives. I believe that book is said to be his masterpiece but I will look forward to reading more Turgenev. I've been meaning to read some essays by Tolstoy soon too. If only I could stop time and just sit and read forever!
I could really write a whole journal on each book but I always feel when I try and write about literature I just cant say anything of particular use, especially when it is a book I really love. It is a solitary pursuit, reading though and that's what I love about it and what is so amazing about a great book is what you find inside it, in silence and alone. Of course discussion is great too and you can find a different kind of appreciation by hearing other peoples opinions but I am still practicing that. I'd love to be able to give concise insights into the plot of a book or what I have gained from it but the things I appreciate are often so abstract that I can't quite put things like that into words.
I think I also read one of the most beautiful books ever written and that is The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. The author was a Sicilian nobleman and price who was born in 1896 and died in 1957. He didn't publish anything in his lifetime but bequeathed this novel, a memoir and some short storied which were published posthumously. I cant really tell you how much I loved this book. Though it is Italian it has everything I love about the russian novel in it. The writing is poetic brilliance, the details and images invoked divine and I was so in love with the character of the Prince who tells the story. I cried so much near the end of the book! I was reading it on the plane coming home from Sweden and I just couldn't stop the tears and was probably greatly disturbing the people next to me. I believe it was made into a film a while ago but I haven't seen that yet. I might try and rent it this week.
Well I'd love to know anyones opinions on any of those books! I'm going to bed now to read Frankenstein. I was ashamed that I had never actually read the book yet knew so much about the story. Although it's a short book, it's taken me a little while to get into the style as I don't read much gothic literature but I'm enjoy it now and I'll probably finish it tonight.
That's me and Cleo, my cat that is being a super sweet friendly little thing since the other one died. She is a great comfort, I would be so lonely if there were no little creatures in the house. And here are some picture of the one who died recently, she was called CousCous! My little brother named her when he was about 6. I miss her so much, she was the sweetest natured most perfect little creature. I had a dream about her the other night and I remember in it I was so happy because I could hold her again
But so it goes.
VIEW 25 of 86 COMMENTS
madneil:
Welcome back never realised you had come back.
miyo:
thank you x x x