Відео

I'm only at 3:55. This is the first time in years I've listened to anyone on the internet who could construct a logical argument and STAY with it for over 3 minutes. My new Poster Child.

I just don't understand how anyone could think "A Wizard of Earthsea" was poorly written. It's masterful in its use of sparse prose and exposition, and in the way it uses the style of the Norse sagas and Old English texts like Beowulf. When I read it, I was blown away by its style, and by how she builds the world seemingly without really trying. I have yet to read the second book, but after hearing you say her writing style "improved" I'm afraid that her style will become more contemporary and mainstream (and therefore more boring), and that I will dislike it as a result.

I bought this a week or two ago, after reading an old paperback of "A Wizard of Earthsea", but I'll probably use it only to read the afterwords, because I can't see holding that for any length of time. I intend to buy the novels individually.

you should read worstward ho its like how it was but with even more emphasis on syntactic non-structure its the most sincere depiction of meta-narrative ive seen.

3@@@

I'm finishing the spanish translation right now and is an excellent reading 😊

Hi Lukas! I love the Pieter Bruegel on the wall behind you.

Glad to see you again!

Good to see you again, and for ShakeTember.

Welcome back! And great selection for ShakeTember.

The sun shines on booktube once more - yeehaw!!! Welcome back, Lukas!

Lovely to see you again, Lukas! I hope it won’t be a whole year before you make another video ;) Your criticisms are very valid. Even though I really enjoy the play, it isn’t top tier.

I was wondering if you would ever come back!

What the???? It's Banquo's Ghost!!!

Lukas! So wonderful to hear from you and see you and have you join in Shaketember! 💛🎭

Having read the Ganguli translation, I would NOT recommend it to anyone but the most stubborn of academics. At ~3 million words, it is incredibly stuffy, confusing, unnecessarily long, and at times undecypherable, with whole pages just listing someone's titles/honorifics (which are mostly the same for any of the hundreds of characters) and a multitude of romanized sanskrit terms left untranslated and unexplained. There is a wide selection of abridged versions, and while these focus mostly on the central narrative of the dynastic struggle between the Pandavas and Kauravas, leaving out a wealth of side stories and theophilosophical discussion, they are the way to go. I've read the ~200 page version by C.V. Narasimhan (Columbia University Press) and found it too short, more of a rushed summary than a satisfying story. At ~900 pages, the Smith translation (Penguin Classics) seemed like a good middle ground but after reading a sample I found it was just a shorter version of Ganguli's dusty style. A couple of days ago I found Satyamurti's retelling and after reading a short sample I ordered the book which is now on its way to me. Being written by a poet instead of a scholar, I'm hoping this will be the one to win my heart in terms of literary style, since the story is very much worthy of piercing the Western canon with the same or even greater force than the epics we've become accustomed to revere.

I think your desultory experience of reading Don Quixote being one of a slog mainly comes down to an unfaithful (bad)translation issue because you neither read the Edith Grossman nor the John Rutherford modern versions that are widely popular in the contemporary literary landscape. That's unfortunate really, considering how the story is comedic in character and has poetic aesthetic elements sprinkled throughout the book.

ive always wanted to read it as a literary experience but also my reading comprehension is not good 😔

Tales From Earth Sea is a collection of love tales. It is about the nature of love relative to the dogma that love both emotional and physical love can not be engaged in by "men of power". It is sometimes sad and often sweet. There is even the "bromance" between Haleth and Aihal ( who you know as Ogion). Indeed in that story we learn the Haleth, the greatest wizard on Gont, was trained by Ard, a woman-wizard from Perregal. Come on. Give it a try as LOVE STORIES rather than epic adventure.

Thanks for the review, got here through 'the Newton project', looking for a letter to Ann Babington, not found yet of course, looks like a must read, loved the cats review too lols.

I am an atheist but I begin to read the bible because those stories are interesting windows to the past. Through them I can see and understand how people lived, how society changed with the ages, how we are still similar in world views and morals to the people of the past. I find it interesting how those stories were and still are material for political propagandas.

Started reading this in the morning after watching your review, and then 4 hours later the dude is nominated as Trump's VP. Insane synchronicity, just had to share it.

Nobody has a problem with viewing the bible as a work of art. The problems start when a bunch of angry fanatics start throwing bombs on your country in the name of jesus. If people would invade your country in the name of gandalf, people would have a problem with lotr and a lot of people would refuse to read it. Nobody would care about the literary qualities of lotr.

Old video but I really appreciate the open mindedness that’s resonating me as I age. Religious trauma makes it scary to come to terms and be able to look at the Bible for what it is, and glean the wisdom it has with all its flaws.

So, Miles' God makes mistakes? Where is omniscience, omnipotence in all this? And please don't say, "It was added later."

I’m reading this at the moment. My number one thought? Screw Ted Hughes.

"Death and the Dervish" by Mese Selimovic is also an excellent read.

I can tell you love references based on your name. Eva is definitely part of the canon

1:25 what contradictions are you talking about?

In English… Terrible!

As an Athiest, we should definitely read it. I'm so tired of hearing "You don't know what your talking about". Also, most Christians don't read their bibles (front to back), including myself. So some stuff you're told in church isnt in the bible. (Such as Noah warning people the flood was coming. Never happened) can't wait to finish.

I didn't like it

Can i have your email or personal contact of you? Am doing this course in my second year and i really need some help😢

Yes, it is hard to 'find' Merrill I was talking about him today (in Auck, NZ) to friend keen inter alia on Rilke and languages including German and mentioned Merrill's 'Lost in Translation' where I knew he talks about his loneliness as a boy and puzzle (which has metaphorical meanings) he is waiting for (when it comes there is a piece missing which has various implications) and about his servant or 'Mademoiselle' who is like a mother to him, I think she is actually German but Merrill, in his huge house (he's too young to know much of WWI), (but) and his parents keep it more or less a 'secret' or she does, but it is almost all I have read of Merrill...He has a quote from Rilke, and it is Rilke's translation of part of 'Palme' by Valery. I 'discovered' Merrill in Lyn Keller's book: Re-Making it New which talks of those poets more or less after Modernism and she couples the poets, so Ashbery is linked to Stevens, Creeley to WCWs, Bishop to Moore and Merrill to Auden. This is a device. I liked that book though as it is very informative of those poets... (I seem to recall there was a Russian-US poet linked with someone but that might be a false memory). In my edition of an Am. anthology he gets only one poem in and he doesn't appear in Seymour-Smith's book about modern writers...so who else writes about him, not sure... What puts these guys in the picture so to speak is a movie about their lives (well done) .... Even Berryman is more visible, and Lowell could be "obscure" but is pretty well, and rightly, celebrated...but Merrill was perhaps too august, or seems to be perhaps for people who like only the Beats etc....But why not like or be interested in all or many or, a range of styles....others object that he was "too rich", as if being from a rich family was a crime...(I got this criticism from another Pulitzer winning poet when I mentioned Merrill but I don't buy it....

I am from the czech republic and I love your poster!

I always thought as an atheist that It was important to read It. But now, at 57, I read and I found a deep difference between Greek books for instance... The levei of "Wisdom" If you will, is way lower then the Greek myths and of what I espected... ( I really was especting more...)

Interesting point of view. I'm a long time atheist who wanted to really figure out the west's view on messianic and epic stories after watching Dune 2. I'm working from the front to back and am seeing it mostly in your "literary" point of view. The KJV is a foundational cultural text for the west and is what a lot of government policy and organization has been based off even to this day (which I disagree with of course, but reading the bible at least helps me understand where some backwards ideas are coming from.) Anyway, don't know if you care but here's my thoughts so far of the different books: Genesis: Pretty standard creation myth but it sort of cements in my mind the idea of God as a sort of stand in for the overall "conscious mind" of humans. He's the main character of the book and is basically the only character to get any sort of character development or change anything in the story (like when he wipes out humanity then promises never to do it again). God being the main character is kind of a strange thing though because he does make a lot of concessions and develops/matures a lot with the world but this is never really alluded to and Christians very much see this character as this infallible entity. Exodus: Good book, Moses is one of my favorite characters and the Exodus out of Egypt is one of the most well adapted stories and always interesting to go through. Moses is also one of the few characters who also gets character development (starting as a reluctant hero into being the spiritual leader of Israel) really good imagery in this. The descriptions of the tabernacle get old but I get that they were trying to craft vivid imagery so people would actually make stuff like the tabernacle. Leviticus: Very dry prose, of course it sets up the moral framework for the bible, I get it, they reference it a lot. It's a book that makes me think that the Bible could've used a really good editor since it's a lot of exposition but they could've trimmed it down a lot with everything being repeated constantly. I guess it might be intended since it's easy to recall a lot of the laws outlined here. Numbers: Build up/training arc chapter I suppose. Has some applications of the laws outlined in Leviticus. Interesting how god makes concessions, again seeming to have character development. Deuteronomy: Moses's speeches and stuff, basically just a recap. Only thing I remember is Joshua getting declared the successor of Moses and Moses dying (which bummed me out). Joshua: Conquest of Canaan. Can really see where the west got their attitudes for expansion and things like Manifest destiny from. The imagery of Rahab with conquered people betraying their nation to more "righteous" nations is a persisting image to this day. Judges: By far the most interesting book I've read so far. The Judges are just these incredibly interesting, almost sinister characters really treading the line between good and evil. All of them are super dynamic and their place in art is well deserved. Such a dramatic book I really like how grizzly it all is. I guess it's important to note that the Judges are not supposed to be considered "good" characters in the canon, and pointing out how bad they are is kind of the point. My favorite part is when the Levite and his concubine visit Benjamin and are harassed my a mob just like in Genesis and I was actually getting anxious that Israel was getting so corrupt God was going to wipe them out and only leave a couple survivors. Ruth: Short breather book. The shorter story was nice and is easy to remember since David is pretty important later. Samuel: The establishment of Israel going from a tribal society to a kingdom. Saul and David are both interesting characters although I still feel like Moses was more dynamic overall. This book is up there with Judges and has lots of cool battles and quotable lines. Kings: Solomon was cool, everything else is very dry. Basically Leviticus part two, Israel just can't seem to stop themselves from worshipping other gods and sinning. Solomon is really interesting though and deserves his own book. It also has one of the few stories that actually made me laugh, where a group of teens call Elisha bald and then god mauls them with bears. Something I forgot to say earlier is that Israel itself also feels like a character, going through a lot of dynamism if you look at it like another character developing. Chronicles: LOOOOOONG recap episode. If I was the bible's editor this one would've been an easy axe. Still reading and maybe I'll change my point of view, but just really does not feel like it needed it's own book, especially since so much of the text is just straight up copied from other books. Anyway, hope this was respectful enough, I really am trying to come at this book from a position of good faith (no pun intended).

I realize that this is hotly debated, but can someone recommend what version/translation of the Bible would you suggest? I am an atheist interested in reading the Bible both as a literary work and for better cultural understanding.

I have read this book at least ten times. Edith Wharton is fantastic. I think this is her best book. Lilly Bart is one of my favorite literary characters. I am sad every time the end for her comes. In a way, though, that was the best outcome for her. It was best for her to pass before she fell further into degradation

A good review of the novel. Perhaps a little more background to the book? Cather’s ancestors were slave-state WASPS (Virginians) who moved her (as a young child) to the Nebraska prairie ~1880. She was a fish out of water with her own gender struggles, yet she moved among many Central European migrants (many catholic) and learned to love literature, music, opera, and culture. Her novel upbringing made her and provided her with the material for her best books. She was also part of the early American fascination with the southwest; she likely visited there in the late teens or 20’s. Such SW themes show up in three or four of her major novels. Her "Shadows on the Rock" is a re-creation of the years of catholic French Canada before the British takeover. Your discussion of the relationship between Father Latour and his Vicar was good. Cather showed that people can be holy and influential in different ways…..the cultured, educated, attractive and sound Latour in contrast to Vailant (initially indecisive in taking the plunge to leave France), homely, awkward, abrupt, but strong in the faith and tough. This subtle and lovely comparison and discussion of faith and friendship is the core of the book. I also noted the sophistication of Cather’s grasp of the powers at play in 19th century New Spain/ Mexico and her presenting the Indian’s suspicions of Spanish, Mexican, and American intentions. She, however, was obviously snowed by the Kit Carson “mystique” (a mixed bag, surely) despite presenting Americans (gringos) in less than stellar light. Cather's Indian characters and the simple peasants of Mexican-Spanish descent are presented in sympathetic but not condescending tones, or at least so I read her intent. DCFTA is an interesting read, and yes, it’s beautifully written. The last time my brother and I were there we tried to get to the of top Acoma (AAH’-com-a), but covid has shut down access. The country is beautiful and much as she described it….a VERY big sky with white clouds, the drab green of juniper and pinon, and the reds and pinks of bold sandstone monuments and carved canyons.

Much to learn, you still have.

If someone believes they need a god or some external reason to be good, then that's a questionable morality IMO. The point of morality is that being kind contributes to a better world for everyone, rather than being nice because god said so. I don't know about you, but I don't need a book to tell me how to act, in order to be a good person.

'Classic Literature ', & 'Classical Literature' are not the same: A work of 'classical' literature refers only to ancient Greek & Roman works/civilizations(language,literature,and philosophy), while 'classics' are great works of literature throughout the ages,widely read,& influenced the culture. To be 'Well-read' (adjective)has nothing to do with the number of 'books' that you've read, nor with how many hours, or years, you've spent reading those 'books'. To be: informed,literate, deeply versed across multiple literary genres is to be 'well-read'.

Read the holly Quran for the next time.

1:15 False dichotomy. While the Bible is popular, it's just another book and I'm simply not interested in trudging through it. Listening to Drunk Bible Study made consuming the Bible easier with entertaining hosts, but I gave up partway through Deuteronomy. I found this video while looking for summarizations of the Bible.

❤❤❤

Since you liked this series & seem to enjoy Le Guin’s writing & approach, I’m curious what you’d think of some of her other novels, especially The Left Hand of Darkness!

Slavery was so insane, little boys. You know he buggered them

Six excursion soups please!

Read Haji Murat for the first times a teenager without understanding/being aware of the history, geography, religion and tradition involved. Read it again as a 50 year old man just recently, and it blew my mind. When you talked about it i got goose bumps.