What are you currently reading?

[Florestan]

A very good book with a very bad title.

Very good because (1) it explodes many myths*, and (2)) it redress the balance with respect to the Byzantine / Greek Orthodox position.

*first and foremost, there was no schism, let alone a great one, in 1054

Very bad title because it implies that the Greek / Eastern Church(es) willingly and selfishly separated themselves from the Roman Church --- whereas the book itself actually makes an erudite and convincing case for the Papacy being much more intolerant and rigid than the Greek / Eastern Churches.

(Full disclosure: I am an Orthodox Christian myself, so I might be biased --- yet I urge anyone with an interest in Byzantine history to read this book --- @SimonNZ)

[SimonNZ]

(Full disclosure: I am an Orthodox Christian myself, so I might be biased --- yet I urge anyone with an interest in Byzantine history to read this book --- @SimonNZ)

Thanks for that. I've read four or five Runcimans, but got know that one.

Read the fall on Constantinople one just a couple of years ago - coincidentally in the Cambridge Canto series.

[vers la flamme]

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins while I've been sick in bed these past few days. Damn it, though, I spoiled the mystery by reading the first paragraph of the introduction. Last time I ever try reading an introduction before the book itself.

[DavidW]

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins while I've been sick in bed these past few days. Damn it, though, I spoiled the mystery by reading the first paragraph of the introduction. Last time I ever try reading an introduction before the book itself.

I have a rule of thumb for classics-- never read the introduction!  They always assume you already know the story.  Especially Penguin, they never properly differentiates between expository material and what should be relegated to the end of the book.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Just reread:



... for the 4th or 5th time, I reckon. Still rate it among my favorite books, but I was struck this time on just how much Wilde owes to J.-K. Huysmans, whose À rebours I read last summer for the first time. Indeed, chapter 11 of Dorian Gray appears to be an homage to that book bordering on plagiarism. Doesn't bother me, however; a great writer, musician or whatever can steal as much as he wants to as far as I care.

Now, I want to read some Walter Pater and John Ruskin.

I've been meaning to read DG; thanks for the reminder!  Years ago, I remember listening to the opera based on it (which I quite enjoyed).  I can't remember if it was a Met broadcast or one from another opera house.  Have you heard it VLF?

Hope that you feel better soon.

PD

[JBS]

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins while I've been sick in bed these past few days. Damn it, though, I spoiled the mystery by reading the first paragraph of the introduction. Last time I ever try reading an introduction before the book itself.

But remember that The Moonstone is a classic because of how it gets to the solution of the mystery.

[vers la flamme]

But remember that The Moonstone is a classic because of how it gets to the solution of the mystery.

I hoped as much, so I haven't given up on it Actually very much enjoying it so far, though the second narrator who came in around page 200 is annoying me with her preachy tone.

@Pohjolas Daughter No, I didn't realize that an opera had been made out of it. It's definitely a very dramatic novel, so I could see it making for good opera material. The novel is short, full of witty epigrams, great decadent late Victorian atmosphere, and interesting ideas art and whether or not it can corrupt the soul, etc. Definitely worth a read. And thank you!

[Spotted Horses]

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins while I've been sick in bed these past few days. Damn it, though, I spoiled the mystery by reading the first paragraph of the introduction. Last time I ever try reading an introduction before the book itself.

Same thing happened to me with Madame Bovary.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

@Pohjolas Daughter No, I didn't realize that an opera had been made out of it. It's definitely a very dramatic novel, so I could see it making for good opera material. The novel is short, full of witty epigrams, great decadent late Victorian atmosphere, and interesting ideas art and whether or not it can corrupt the soul, etc. Definitely worth a read. And thank you!

Looks like at least a few people have written operas based on it.

The one that I heard was written by Lowell Liebermann.  Doing some googling (and checking to see whether or not my neurotransmitters were functioning today), what I heard was the US premiere of it with the Florentine Opera (Milwaukee, WI) from back in 1999 (though I suspect that it was broadcasted at some point later in time).  Really drew me in to the story.  I remember trying to see whether or not I could find a recording of it.  There's a tiny clip of it here:

PD

[vers la flamme]

Same thing happened to me with Madame Bovary.

I've got that on my bookshelf, hopefully will read it soon... I'll make sure to skip the introduction

@PD, sounds, and looks great. Never heard anything from Liebermann before.

[Jo498]

That's a rather bad spoiler! The Moonstone should still be quite entertaining because of the way it is told and the characters. "The Woman in White" might be even better if you like that kind of stuff.

I think the oddest "spoiler" I ever encountered happened to me by reading Fforde's "The Eyre Affair" before ever having read Jane Eyre (I think I had seen a movie but long before, and I am not even sure of that). Not to spoil anyone for either book, I'll say no more (only that the second book of Fforde's series was already so mediocre that I never bothered with any of the others but the Eyre Affair is pretty good, but probably better if one has read Jane Eyre...

[vers la flamme]

That's a rather bad spoiler! The Moonstone should still be quite entertaining because of the way it is told and the characters. "The Woman in White" might be even better if you like that kind of stuff.

I think the oddest "spoiler" I ever encountered happened to me by reading Fforde's "The Eyre Affair" before ever having read Jane Eyre (I think I had seen a movie but long before, and I am not even sure of that). Not to spoil anyone for either book, I'll say no more (only that the second book of Fforde's series was already so mediocre that I never bothered with any of the others but the Eyre Affair is pretty good, but probably better if one has read Jane Eyre...

Can't wait to read The Woman in White, as well... I'll make sure to read neither introduction, nor back of book, nor anything else before reading the book proper.

One thing I will say about Wilkie Collins, is that his use of multiple narrators is very effective, and seems quite modern. The narrator of the second part is very annoying; I'm almost reminded of the kind of characters that Nabokov has narrate his books 

[Jo498]

Admittedly, I don't remember all the details (and I read WiW in translation, albeit a very good one by maverick German author Arno Schmidt (who had to do such jobs because his own books were barely viable commercially)) but I think it's stronger on characters as it is also more of a romance than a mystery and I remember the plot as slightly more probable than the Moonstone. And it has a great villain...

[AnotherSpin]

"Other animals are born, seek mates, forage for food and die. That is all. But we humans – we think – are different. We are persons, whose actions are the results of their choices. Other animals pass their lives unawares, but we are conscious. Our image of ourselves is formed from our ingrained belief that consciousness, selfhood and free will are what define us as human beings, and raise us above all other creatures.

In our more detached moments, we admit that this view of ourselves is flawed. Our lives are more like fragmentary dreams than the enactments of conscious selves. We control very little of what we most care about; many of our most fateful decisions are made unbeknownst to ourselves."

[Florestan]

consciousness, selfhood and free will are what define us as human beings, and raise us above all other creatures.

Amen!

[Florestan]

Googling earlier today "Karl Barth Mozart" led me to this very interesting collection of essays, which I plan to read over the next few days, taking a break from Runciman.



Starting, of course, with Barth's Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

(Free on Archive.org, requires registration)

[Mandryka]

Amen!

But my cat is conscious. There's no reason to think he doesn't have a conception of himself (as the alpha cat in his garden, for example.) I don't believe in free will for anything, people or not.

[Florestan]

But my cat is conscious. There's no reason to think he doesn't have a conception of himself (as the alpha cat in his garden, for example.)

Ask her what is her name.

I don't believe in free will for anything, people or not.

As beautiful and compelling an instance of free will as any.

[Florestan]

Speaking of free will, we're on page 666 of this thread. Just saying...

[Mandryka]

Ask her what is her name.

He said his name is Meeeowwww