Laurele's comments
(member since Jun 09, 2009)
Laurele's comments from the Classics and the Western Canon group.
(showing 1-20 of 202)
Bobby, I really like your website. The video about Flannery O'Connor is tops, and thanks for the reminder that C.S. Lewis, if he had lived, would have turned 111 yesterday.
Susan wrote: "Is this the place to discuss the end? "That thread should be posted on Wednesday, or perhaps late tomorrow.
Eliza wrote: " I'm trying to decide whether to reread Anne Karenina or not. I read it for the first time a little over a year ago(Pevear and Volokhonsky translation) and really didn't love it. One part of me ..."I think reading it with a group could make a big difference for you, Eliza. And the fact that you have read it once. You know the characters now and can start concentrating on some of the things that have made this book a classic that is still read. I usually read it in the old Constance Garnett translation. The Maude translation is good, too. I like to read translations that were done close to the time a book was written. The Pevear/Volokhonsky translation is very
good, though.
Evalyn wrote: "You know, both times I read Anna Karenina were in January - coincidence? It couldn't be the cold, cold winters here that made it seem like a good book to read then. Unless it was the cold, cold Ru..."Perhaps it's because January is such a wonderful time to dress up in Anna Karenina furs and go out riding troikas.
Everyman wrote: "Gerald wrote: "One part per week looks appropriate to me."That looks pretty reasonable to me, too, with maybe a week at the end for overall discussion. Or maybe not if Laurel thinks that can be ..."
How long will the interterm reading last, Everyman?
Everyman wrote: "Our run-off poll is now over. Our next read, starting in January (Laurel can decide exactly which day she wants to start) will be Anna Karenina. Laurel will be the primary moderator for this disc..."To start us thinking about the schedule, here is a breakdown of the approximate number of pages in each of the eight parts of Anna Karenina.
Part Chapters Pages
Part One 1-34 130pp.
Part Two 1-35 140 pp.
Part Three 1-32 140 pp.
Part Four 1-23 100 pp.
--------------------------
Part Five 1-33 130 pp.
Part Six 1-32 130 pp.
Part Seven 1-31 110 pp.
Part Eight 1-19 55 pp.
Sandybanks wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Sandybanks wrote: "I'm curious about the interim reading. What is it, Everyman? "Well, Zeke asked too. Do people want to know now, or wait a bit longer?"
I wanna know now!
My sentiment: Christmas is for surprises.
"
Sandybanks wrote: I thought that some biographical material would be interesting since Tolstoy put so much of himself and his family into the AK characters. I found reading the bios immensely helpful in understanding both AK and War & Peace. But as you say, it will be Laurele's call, and only if there is some interest for the biographical material from the other readers, obviously.
We'll definitely have a thread for information about Tolstoy, Sandybanks. All that you have is very welcome. Feel free also to bring things up about him in the other threads as we read.
Both books are on my to-be-read-over-and-over list, so I am all for doing them both. They are truly exceptional books. Zeke, I do hope you will be able stay with us; your contributions have been excellent. The rest of you, too--what a great gathering!
Everyman wrote: "Peregrine wrote: "It surely is gripping!"
Definitely. It was dragging a bit for me in the middle weeks, but is definitely picking up steam and excitement.
"
It got more and more exciting for me as we near the end. And all the strings he's tying together!
Sandybanks wrote: I find it interesting that all of the characters that are most rigid and dogmatic, like Javert and M. Gillenormand, are described as non-readers, or if they do read at all, only read books that reinforce their existing mindset. Hugo also attributes Mme. Thernadier's bad character to her reading of worthless novels. M. Mabeuf and JVJ are both avid readers of different kinds of books.Great point, Sandybanks.
Sandybanks wrote: "Those coincidences in P & P and Persuasion don't bother me so much since they are quite plausible in a small community shared by people that socialize together or know each other through their acqu..."Both Dickens and Hugo use the word "Providence" quite often, and I believe that explains for them the coincidences.
Sandybanks wrote: "What does the book say about Hugo's dissertation? *curious*"I don't know, because I'm not going to read it.
Sandybanks wrote: Here JVJ takes the role of Bishop Myriel, a saintly man who is willing to lay down his life for his friends, and through his act of mercy on Javert, 'purchases' his soul, just as Myriel had done for him so long ago. Tragically, the enormity of Javert's sins is just too great on his conscience and he had to take his own life in atonement.Very good, Sandybanks. Javert's fatal flaw: he did not believe in God; the law was his only god.
Everyman wrote: "Wow, it's neck and neck. If this were a horse race, the announcers would be hoarse with excitement by now. "Faster, Frou-Frou, faster!
Andrea wrote: To get back to Everyman's comment about darkness, I actually had written down a quote that pertains to that. Don't have the page number, but it's while JVJ is in the sewer.
"The pupil dilates in the night, and at last finds day in it, even as the soul dilates in misfortune, and at last finds God in it."
Darkness made everything more difficult to see and identify, but also forced characters to observe very closely and try to interpret the pieces of information they were able to get.
Wonderful, Andrea!
Sandybanks wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Sandybanks wrote: "YThere are 19th century writers whose stories do not rely on improbable coincidences, such as Austen and Tolstoy"I agree with your overall point. But I do hav..."
There are some big coincidences in Persuasion, too, such as the Crofts just happening to take Kellynch Hall, Anne just happening to meet her cousin, Mr. William Elliot, at Lyme Regis, etc. If you were ever a follower of Ripley's "Believe it or Not," you won't be too surprised by coincidences. They do happen to happen.
I got to Hugo's dissertation on the sewers of Paris and their contents just after reading about this new book:
Patrice wrote: "I agree about Rousseau. He was just imagining to serve a political purpose. I thought Diamond was doing the same thing only calling it science. "
It would be fun to read Rousseau together here sometime. I find him very comical, especially when he writes about the education of children.
Everyman wrote: "Laurele wrote: "Is the ferry working? Lummi Island ferry was damaged, and the island is still in the dark. No problems here, except for a lot of noise last night. The lights blinked twice. It's cal..."I took the bus to Lynden this afternoon (listening to Les Miserables on the way there and back) and saw several new lakes.
Classics and the Western Canon
