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Post by Stephen on Jun 7, 2018 20:18:03 GMT
I just read Nineteen Eighty-Four in 3 days which is very strange for me as it usually takes me months to read a book.
The book is a dystopian novel published in 1949 by George Orwell. I completely understand why people think it is great. After reading it I felt drained and depressed.
I also wondered should I recommend it to friends.
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Jun 7, 2018 21:49:01 GMT
It's a terrifying book, and perhaps the bleakest novel I have ever read.
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Post by cato on Jun 7, 2018 22:48:26 GMT
It is very bleak but sums up the experience of the many millions who have suffered and died under totalitarian regimes. The section at the end on Newspeak is well worth reading. It shows the power of manipulating language and limiting genuine free thought.
I think we in the West are experiencing more and more a form of soft totalitarianism which is sinister and disturbing but very few of us will be dragged off in the middle of the night by the secret police , tortured or executed. Well hopefuĺly not. Sometimes when I am feeling downbeat I realise the annoyance and discomfort we feel is insignificant compared to the experience of a gulag prisoner or a faithful catholic in modern China.
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Post by cato on Jul 10, 2018 9:42:16 GMT
It's the time of year for drawing up a list of improving reading which will hopefully edify , amuse and educate. I recently picked up Julian Jackson's massive tome "A certain idea of France" a new biography of Charles de Gaulle . I hope to keep dipping into it for the next few months. It is beautifully written and well illustrated , always a bonus in a biography
I cashed in a few Christmas vouchers and also picked up Jan Morris's little coffee book s "Yamato , Of war beauty and irony". It's a meditation on the world's biggest battleship sunk by the USA in 1945 by one of Wales' greatest travel writers, now in her 80s and still writing.
The Penguin book of Haiku is a useful book for bus trips and waiting for appointments. Continuing the orientalist theme is Frank Dikotter's The Cultural Revolution which concludes his trilogy on the cruel barbarity of Mao's China.
I have recently discovered Elizabeth Bowen and her 1950s travel account "A time in Rome" is on my list to read as is Gaudete et Exsultate by the current Bishop of Rome. Grumpy conservatives always need more rejoicing and gladness to lift their gloom and rigidity.
The holy father is a useful source of colourful invective.I don't know if his reference to next door neighbours (paragraph 7) as "the middle class of holiness" is praise or criticism!
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Jul 10, 2018 9:57:27 GMT
It's the time of year for drawing up a list of improving reading which will hopefully edify , amuse and educate. I recently picked up Julian Jackson's massive tome "A certain idea of France" a new biography of Charles de Gaulle . I hope to keep dipping into it for the next few months. It is beautifully written and well illustrated , always a bonus in a biography I cashed in a few Christmas vouchers and also picked up Jan Morris's little coffee book s "Yamato , Of war beauty and irony". It's a meditation on the world's biggest battleship sunk by the USA in 1945 by one of Wales' greatest travel writers, now in her 80s and still writing. The Penguin book of Haiku is a useful book for bus trips and waiting for appointments. Continuing the orientalist theme is Frank Dikotter's The Cultural Revolution which concludes his trilogy on the cruel barbarity of Mao's China. I have recently discovered Elizabeth Bowen and her 1950s travel account "A time in Rome" is on my list to read as is Gaudete et Exsultate by the current Bishop of Rome. Grumpy conservatives always need more rejoicing and gladness to lift their gloom and rigidity. The holy father is a useful source of colourful invective.I don't know if his reference to next door neighbours (paragraph 7) as "the middle class of holiness" is praise or criticism! I liked many parts of Gaudete et Exsultate too, and found them very moving. I think it's a very good point about conservatives, one we joke about but that should also be taken seriously. It CAN be a very gloomy view of the world and it's very important not to slide into miserabilism. I love poetry but I must admit, I've never been fond of haiku. I wonder if the art-form really translates into English, or is it something that has to be situated in its Japanese context? For instance, I understand the actual pattern of haiku is "Westernized" for English, that our linguistic units don't correspond to the Japanese ones. I am currently reading Triumph: The Power and Glory of the Catholic Church by Harry Crocker III, a history of the Church written in an unabashedly partisan manner, and with a light touch at times. I've read it before. I really want to learn much more about the history of the Church. I've come to believe that a great deal of writing on Catholic topics is so vague and mushy that there's not much merit in it. I am more drawn to something like Church history now which is a matter of FACT. I just finished reading That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis, a powerful dystopic vision in which an all-powerful think tank seeks to run Britain using scientific and anti-human methods. Lewis described it as a fictional companion to The Abolition of Man, the short but brilliant book in which he defended the concept of natural law.
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Post by Séamus on Jul 25, 2018 12:10:07 GMT
I'm about a quarter-way through Vita Sackville-West's THE EAGLE AND THE DOVE, about the two (then) major St Theresas. Although, in hindsight, one can tell that it was written by a poet, I wouldn't call it particularly romantic or over-poetic, she actually concentrates much on Teresa of Ávila's visions of the devil. The opening chapter makes it clear that it was not really directed at a catholic readership, but expected mostly English of protestant persuasion to read it. A poignant preamble by the author announces that travel to European sources at the time of writing was difficult due to the Second World War, and she thanks the Jesuits and s Scottish Benedictine abbess (dame) Laurentia McLachlan for access to their libraries. Aside from her assiduous work with Gregorian chant, Abbess MacLachlan is notable as a enthusiastic correspondent with the socialist George Bernard Shaw, something that's been well written about. I remember some years ago reading a much more romantic book about St Therese of Lisieux written by an American protestant, later Catholic, originally titled WRITTEN IN HEAVEN,I think from memory it was annotated and retitled after her conversion. The copy I was loaned belonged to a retirement village library,I'm not sure if it's remembered at all anywhere now, it was older than EAGLE& DOVE as the author stayed in the Benedictine Abbey where the Martin girls where educated and, in the annotated version, mentions how several of the rooms were destroyed during he war. I can remember her remarking also that it was her second saint biography, she had written once about Bernadette also. This is all coming to mind because the pre-60s Church is often seen as a bit out of touch with everyone else, whatever of that, there DID exist, at any rate a great interest by the non-catholic world with the lives of these amazing cloistered ladies. Recalling that best-selling SONG OF BERNADETTE too was not written by Catholics, but by a Jew. Not to mention the 50s pop hit ST THERESA OF THE ROSES, frowned upon at one point by the BBC radio as offensive to Catholics and blasphemous to protestants, it became a bigger hit in Britain than in the band's native US. How offensive to Catholics? It obviously got it's airplay in Ireland, my father has often started singing it, as did my aunt.
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Post by Tomas on Jul 25, 2018 19:06:17 GMT
Precisely in order to counter that gloomy mood I´ve read a wise man... The last book finished is "Praying the Rosary with Benedict XVI" a compilation of texts to each mystery by Irish priest Fr. O´hAodha. Then I got surprised, even inspired, when reading "Benedict XVI Last Testament. In his own words" the last interviews, after the resignation, made by German journalist Peter Seewald. It´s indeed an antidote to gloominess and most interesting to learn about what he himself has had to say on Church affairs. For one thing he makes very clear that the resignation really was his own decision! It turns out to have been near to meticulously planned and thus makes no room for any conspiracy of fiends pushing him away etc. I knew he was a mild person but this was far more hopeful to ponder than expected.
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Jul 25, 2018 19:53:11 GMT
Precisely in order to counter that gloomy mood I´ve read a wise man... The last book finished is "Praying the Rosary with Benedict XVI" a compilation of texts to each mystery by Irish priest Fr. O´hAodha. Then I got surprised, even inspired, when reading "Benedict XVI Last Testament. In his own words" the last interviews, after the resignation, made by German journalist Peter Seewald. It´s indeed an antidote to gloominess and most interesting to learn about what he himself has had to say on Church affairs. For one thing he makes very clear that the resignation really was his own decision! It turns out to have been near to meticulously planned and thus makes no room for any conspiracy of fiends pushing him away etc. I knew he was a mild person but this was far more hopeful to ponder than expected. Fr. Donncha is a friend of mine...very nice guy. He has encouraged me in my own writing efforts, but I don't think that should be held against him.
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Post by Tomas on Jul 25, 2018 20:21:15 GMT
Precisely in order to counter that gloomy mood I´ve read a wise man... The last book finished is "Praying the Rosary with Benedict XVI" a compilation of texts to each mystery by Irish priest Fr. O´hAodha. Then I got surprised, even inspired, when reading "Benedict XVI Last Testament. In his own words" the last interviews, after the resignation, made by German journalist Peter Seewald. It´s indeed an antidote to gloominess and most interesting to learn about what he himself has had to say on Church affairs. For one thing he makes very clear that the resignation really was his own decision! It turns out to have been near to meticulously planned and thus makes no room for any conspiracy of fiends pushing him away etc. I knew he was a mild person but this was far more hopeful to ponder than expected. Fr. Donncha is a friend of mine...very nice guy. He has encouraged me in my own writing efforts, but I don't think that should be held against him. Wow! His idea to compile Benedict´s reflective texts was simply genial. This wonderful booklet was a gift from a friend in the parish (also a friend of Opus Dei). Please give regards it found a thankful reader in the spiritual quarry & secular paradise aka Scandinavia.
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Sept 6, 2018 11:03:18 GMT
I am reading "Ghost Stories and Mysteries", edited by E.F. Bleiler, a collection of stories by the Irish Victorian author John Sheridan Le Fanu (died 1873).
I'm a member of a horror club, and the taste of the other gents in the club runs to nineteenth century horror. I can't keep up with their conversations when it comes to this, so I'm re-reading Le Fanu, who is one of their favourites. It's not that I haven't read Le Fanu. I read him a lot when I was younger. But I don't remember the stories that well.
In the "customs and traditions" thread, I might put "the Irish horror tradition", since it's widely acknowledged that Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu were seminal writers in this genre.
The first Sheridan Le Fanu story I ever read was "An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street"-- not one of his most famous, but my father described it as the scariest story he'd ever read. I didn't find it all that scary. To be honest, I don't find LITERATURE scary at all-- I'm more of a horror film fan than a horror fiction fan.
Nevertheless, I'm trying Le Fanu again because he is so lauded. He was a hugely popular writer in his day, in many genres, and very prolific. His novella "Carmilla" was the first lesbian vampire story (although, as you might imagine, the lesbianism is very understated). It's a powerful story. I find his work a bit stodgy, but then, I feel the same way about Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott and many other lauded writers of around that era.
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Post by Séamus on Sept 6, 2018 23:55:34 GMT
I am reading "Ghost Stories and Mysteries", edited by E.F. Bleiler, a collection of stories by the Irish Victorian author John Sheridan Le Fanu (died 1873). I'm a member of a horror club, and the taste of the other gents in the club runs to nineteenth century horror. I can't keep up with their conversations when it comes to this, so I'm re-reading Le Fanu, who is one of their favourites. It's not that I haven't read Le Fanu. I read him a lot when I was younger. But I don't remember the stories that well. In the "customs and traditions" thread, I might put "the Irish horror tradition", since it's widely acknowledged that Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu were seminal writers in this genre. The first Sheridan Le Fanu story I ever read was "An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street"-- not one of his most famous, but my father described it as the scariest story he'd ever read. I didn't find it all that scary. To be honest, I don't find LITERATURE scary at all-- I'm more of a horror film fan than a horror fiction fan. Nevertheless, I'm trying Le Fanu again because he is so lauded. He was a hugely popular writer in his day, in many genres, and very prolific. His novella "Carmilla" was the first lesbian vampire story (although, as you might imagine, the lesbianism is very understated). It's a powerful story. I find his work a bit stodgy, but then, I feel the same way about Charles Dickens and Sir Walter Scott and many other lauded writers of around that era. I have a collection of his short stories. Not many of the ones included were noticeably set in Ireland, some were a bit unIrish,I think one had a chimpanzee ghost from memory
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Post by cato on Nov 10, 2018 12:36:34 GMT
I just finished Fr George Rutler's collection of essays Calm in Chaos. The title sums up his attitude towards the present political and religious turmoil. He has a wonderful polished writing style , a profound long term view and a wicked ( in the post modern sense) fondness for absurd aspects of modern life. A lively and entertaining antidote to the lunacy of the present.
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Post by Maolsheachlann on Nov 14, 2018 11:44:37 GMT
I'm re-reading Idylls of the King by Lord Alfred Tennyson. It's a collection of stories in blank verse set against the background of King Arthur's court, Camelot. It took Tennyson several decades to write, all told, and was a popular success at the time.
We often discuss social decline on this forum, and whether it can truly be said society has declined. One area where I think it has certainly declined is the popular appetite for poetry. Can you imagine a blank verse saga based on Arthurian legend being a popular success today? Indeed, I find it takes a great deal of effort to read it-- it's a strain, though it's a rewarding strain. I finally managed to read the whole thing last year, after many false starts, and now I'm thinking of making it an annual tradition.
The theme of the poem is the endless conflict of "soul and sense", as Tennyson put it. King Arthur represents idealism and the spiritual aspect of man. It's quite a dark work, as it mostly chronicles the fall of Camelot, initiated by Guinevere's adultery with Lancelot, but also ushered in by the weaknesses of the various other characters.
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Post by Stephen on Nov 29, 2018 11:56:30 GMT
I'm reading orthodoxy by Chesterton and it is very good so far
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Post by cato on Dec 5, 2018 20:56:05 GMT
Am reading and enjoying Declan Kilberd's After Ireland , a history of Irish literature from Beckett to the present. It is thought provoking and wide ranging. Kilberd is I think a nationalist but doesn't romanticise the old Ireland which is now dead. We are now in a post Ireland scenario , a claim many conservatives may also agree with.
This is book to get you thinking. There is much to disagree with too but it is written by someone who understands and loves his homeland.A good present for a book loving family member or friend at this festive time of year, or treat yourself and pick up a copy. Refreshingly free from Theory and obscure jargon too.
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