Roderick Spode was Wodehouse's parody of Oswald Mosely, leader of the British Union of Fascists. His Mr Mulliner stories don't get nearly as much love as they should, but they are incredibly funny with stories like 'The Smile that Wins' and 'Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo'.
Virginia Woolf on the Loebs is amazing: "To those who count themselves lovers of Greek in the sense that some ragged beggar might count himself the lover of an Empress in her robes, the Loeb Library, with its Greek or Latin on one side of the page and its English on the other, came as a gift of freedom to a very obscure but not altogether undeserving class. The existence of the amateur was recognised by the publication of this Library, and to a great extent made respectable. He was given the means of being an open and unabashed amateur, and made to feel that no one pointed the finger of scorn at him on that account; and in consequence, instead of exercising his moribund faculties almost furtively upon some chance quotation met in an English book, he could read a whole play at a time, with his feet on the fender. With such treatment, too, his little stock of Greek became improved, and occasionally he would be rewarded with one of those moments of instant understanding which are the flower of reading. In them we seem not to read so much as to recollect what we have heard in some other life."
He must be joking about the roughness of the german language but, nobody here in Germany pronounces this word as he does with a strange throat sound. It is just Kruger, simple as that, pronounced like an u .
What a great book haul! The Brattle does it again. Wodehouse is hilarious. I have read only one of the Jeeves and Wooster books but I have a goal to read them all. I loved it. Thanks for sharing your book haul.
That particular run of Wodehouse had fun covers but was very cheaply made - the volume I held up in this video is now in four pieces. From the Brattle, to my reading pleasure, to the kitchen trash can, all in 10 hours!
@@saintdonoghue Just thinking, it's quite hilarious to call a pocket dictator built like a brick shed after a famously delicate make of English bone china (!).
If they are still in good condition the old Loeb Classical Library editions are better than the new. I have a 1944 Suetonius where the hardcover feels like leather. I have a hunch that the materials they used back then were a higher quality than what they use now.
I understand how you feel, Steve, I had a day like that a couple years ago and I am still in recovery, As far as your book haul is concerned, I recall The Adventure of the Peerless Peer as being very amusing. I think Doc Savage appears therein, too. I also liked his spoof of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days which was called The Other Log, of Phineas Fogg-- which was better than the Peerless Peer in my memory. I agree with you about Quintus Smyrnaeus. It's a great book and deserves to be better known. I don't know which translation I read (in fact I didn't know there was more than one.) I reacquired a Troy Book by Smyrnaeus a year or too ago, but I haven't re-read it. I believe Way wrote some translations of Chinese poems, and maybe some Japanese poems as well. If it's the same person I know he's a good translator. I'll check on the translation I have. And speaking of Catiline did you know that Dumas pere and A. Maquet wrote a play about Catiline? I translated it. I don't think I published it yet, but it is a magnificent work. Most of the plays about Catiline and Sejanus that I have read are unable to make either of these gentlemen sympathetic. So who cares what happened to them ? Amazingly, Dumas is able make you care without apologizing for his treasonous plots or whitewashing him. I was surprised to hear you say you has written a novel about the Trojan War ? I'm a Trojan war buff, so I would really like to read it. Can you give me the exact title ? Cheers, my friend.
The exact title of my Trojan War book is "Troy War" (first installment in what turned out to be a trilogy: "Troy War," "Steve Donoghue's Ulysses," and "The Telemachiad"), but you won't be able to read it, since it's not published!
In case you are wondering, I enjoyed every minute of this video! I’m waiting to see if Sen Warnock wins, please, please, please! So thank you for helping me get through this night!
Using the passive voice to hide his culpability, Steve says the Romance of the Peerage book he bought was so old that the onion skin paper used to protect the illustrations came off. The active voice would have revealed the truth. Steve tore the onion skin paper off the book w/his rough handling.
![Christopher Hitchens - [~2005] - Why Orwell Matters](/img/n.gif)
I hope you never have a day as bad as this one was today. I’m glad taking to all of us helps 💕
Roderick Spode was Wodehouse's parody of Oswald Mosely, leader of the British Union of Fascists. His Mr Mulliner stories don't get nearly as much love as they should, but they are incredibly funny with stories like 'The Smile that Wins' and 'Mulliner's Buck-U-Uppo'.
Virginia Woolf on the Loebs is amazing: "To those who count themselves lovers of Greek in the sense that some ragged beggar might count himself the lover of an Empress in her robes, the Loeb Library, with its Greek or Latin on one side of the page and its English on the other, came as a gift of freedom to a very obscure but not altogether undeserving class. The existence of the amateur was recognised by the publication of this Library, and to a great extent made respectable. He was given the means of being an open and unabashed amateur, and made to feel that no one pointed the finger of scorn at him on that account; and in consequence, instead of exercising his moribund faculties almost furtively upon some chance quotation met in an English book, he could read a whole play at a time, with his feet on the fender. With such treatment, too, his little stock of Greek became improved, and occasionally he would be rewarded with one of those moments of instant understanding which are the flower of reading. In them we seem not to read so much as to recollect what we have heard in some other life."
So glad you are on you tube...thanks my friend...
Another great video!
Nice to know another Spider Robinson fan! Been a follower of his books for a long time.
Oh I DARE you
I double DOG dare you
Get this Harris readalong underway!
Nice haul! I love those old sci-fi short story magazines.
Every time you said the title of that Thomas Mann book I had to wipe off my monitor!
He must be joking about the roughness of the german language but, nobody here in Germany pronounces this word as he does with a strange throat sound. It is just Kruger, simple as that, pronounced like an u .
So many Roman/Greek books! Some of my favorite subjects! I’ll have to look into many of these you talked about.
What a great book haul! The Brattle does it again. Wodehouse is hilarious. I have read only one of the Jeeves and Wooster books but I have a goal to read them all. I loved it. Thanks for sharing your book haul.
That particular run of Wodehouse had fun covers but was very cheaply made - the volume I held up in this video is now in four pieces. From the Brattle, to my reading pleasure, to the kitchen trash can, all in 10 hours!
I can’t believe I’ve always walked past the sales racks without even looking. You found some amazing books.
Spider Robinson is definitely a gem for me. His Callahan's stories are among my favorites. Dated perhaps, but very comforting to read.
Hah! No "perhaps" about the "dated" in this case, but still, I agree!
What an excellent haul! Thank you Steve.
Re-reading Van Wyck Brooks The Flowering of New England and he just discussed Bullfinch.
Such a good book!
Seeing you haul An Arrows Flight reminds me I need to have another go at it!
Thanks Steve you're video cheered me up keep up the good work
The Bullfinch book looks like a treasure. Enjoy! And of course, Wodehouse is always good news. Eulalie!
Eulalie! Hah! Naturally, it comes to mind every time I read about Spode ...
@@saintdonoghue Just thinking, it's quite hilarious to call a pocket dictator built like a brick shed after a famously delicate make of English bone china (!).
If they are still in good condition the old Loeb Classical Library editions are better than the new. I have a 1944 Suetonius where the hardcover feels like leather. I have a hunch that the materials they used back then were a higher quality than what they use now.
I think you're right - the earlier volumes are just made better.
I understand how you feel, Steve, I had a day like that a couple years ago and I am still in recovery, As far as your book haul is concerned, I recall The Adventure of the Peerless Peer as being very amusing. I think Doc Savage appears therein, too. I also liked his spoof of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days which was called The Other Log, of Phineas Fogg-- which was better than the Peerless Peer in my memory.
I agree with you about Quintus Smyrnaeus. It's a great book and deserves to be better known. I don't know which translation I read (in fact I didn't know there was more than one.) I reacquired a Troy Book by Smyrnaeus a year or too ago, but I haven't re-read it. I believe Way wrote some translations of Chinese poems, and maybe some Japanese poems as well. If it's the same person I know he's a good translator. I'll check on the translation I have.
And speaking of Catiline did you know that Dumas pere and A. Maquet wrote a play about Catiline? I translated it. I don't think I published it yet, but it is a magnificent work. Most of the plays about Catiline and Sejanus that I have read are unable to make either of these gentlemen sympathetic. So who cares what happened to them ? Amazingly, Dumas is able make you care without apologizing for his treasonous plots or whitewashing him.
I was surprised to hear you say you has written a novel about the Trojan War ? I'm a Trojan war buff, so I would really like to read it. Can you give me the exact title ?
Cheers, my friend.
The exact title of my Trojan War book is "Troy War" (first installment in what turned out to be a trilogy: "Troy War," "Steve Donoghue's Ulysses," and "The Telemachiad"), but you won't be able to read it, since it's not published!
@Steve Donoghue That better change soon!
In case you are wondering, I enjoyed every minute of this video! I’m waiting to see if Sen Warnock wins, please, please, please! So thank you for helping me get through this night!
Sen Warnock won!
Steve…have you watched ‘Mike Travels Nowhere’? Best deadpan booktuber around, hands down
I haven't - I'll go look him up!
@@saintdonoghue I’ve only seen the videos marked ‘popular’, but I cracked up from a bunch of them
Using the passive voice to hide his culpability, Steve says the Romance of the Peerage book he bought was so old that the onion skin paper used to protect the illustrations came off.
The active voice would have revealed the truth.
Steve tore the onion skin paper off the book w/his rough handling.
Hah! Noooooooo! I swear, in this case I really did find that onion skin sheet that way! But that little Wodehouse volume ... well ... RIP
@@saintdonoghueEgads, NOT the Wodehouse!
I remember the last 1/4 of Whirlwind being really good and the rest was tediously boring.
Sorry your day was so awful. If you're spending more time indoors, I'm sure chat (guys? guys?) would be happy for longer Stevestreams.
Guys? Guys? HAH! I was in no mood for a Stevestream, believe me!