The Bowie Book Club discussion
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The Iliad
Dec 17 & Jan 18 - The Iliad
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Reading discussion and book review
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Here we are, Th Iliad! It will be a reread for me. I really love this book. I remember that at university we spent a whole semester by analyzing it. Not that I remember much of those lessons, as the lectures bored me stiff - but the book is really beautiful. I will be reading it again in Hungarian, as I don't read ancient Greek:(Anybody wants to join me? I'm at chapter 1 so far, so it's easy to catch up:)
Mod
What did you graduate in?
I'll be waiting for you:) One week it is.I graduated in film theory and script-writing. What did you study? Or are you still at University?
Mod
Great choice of subjects! In my early twenties, I graduated in Communication and Journalism. In my mid-thirties, I graduated in Midwifery. And, now in my early forties, I went to medical school (but this is on hold at the moment because of an inadequate choice of university).
I remember fondly of a course in film analysis during my communication studies.
Are you doing script-writing in your line of work?
Sound like a plan, going from the more abstract to the more real. I have friends in media how do that: after a career they are fed up by the unreality of television, and become nurses or similar. A friend of mine is an ambulance nurse for a couple of years now.I'm a scriptwriter for a daily TV drama series, so I spend most my time in a different universe. But so far, it works for me:)
Mod
But culture is absolutely essential as well.
Your job sounds amazing. How do you find the inspiration? What's the series?
It is a great job, I'm very thankful for having it even if sometimes it is a bit overwhelming. Inspiration is difficult to pinpoint, I still don't really have a clue. Stories come. It feels like you have to poke at them - sometimes a little bit, sometimes more - and then they will show themselves.
Of course experience helps. In the beginning if the story wouldn't come, I tended to panic. These days I just know that they will eventually come in time, so now the stress comes from other parts of the job, not related to the actual writing.
The series I'm working on is a daily series, definitely not high-culture:) But of course even if there are strict limits on production value, we try to tell nice stories about love and trust and importance of human connections.
The Reading Bibliophile wrote: "I would definitely join you but just give me a week before starting it."
Are you ready?:)
Mod
We should! I don't have the book with me right now, but I think there are 24 chapters in it. Maybe we should read 8 chapters every week? And then discuss what we read early next week? but since there seems to be only two of us, we can be quite flexible:)
Mod
I think it's safe to assume this experience didn't work:) I managed only 4 chapters in the beginning and life just became too hectic to focus on The Iliad. But I'm sure eventually we will finish it!Meanwhile, I'm not sure about the March book. Have we decided?
Mod
Well, Peter, I haven't had the time to concentrate on The Iliad either. About the book for the month of March, I have totally forgotten to ask for suggestions, put a poll up and let the members vote... Time to think about April. I'm afraid March's a miss (mea culpa)
I don't think skipping March is an issue, all of us are way behind anyway:)
I have finally found some time to read and finished the Iliad. I guess there is not much point in talking about it here as it is one of the most discussed book in history, and my opinion of it is not that interesting. I still want to mention a couple of things.
First, how much I loved it. I remember liking it a lot the first time I read it about 20 years ago, but this time I was just fully immersed most of the time, and captivated, despite having a clear idea where our heroes would end up.
There are lots of gory deaths in Iliad, but the most tough to take was the death of Patroclus. He is not a very central character in the book, at least not in a straight-forward way: his death speeds up the action, sure, but that is his only real role - we don't get to spend a lot of time with him. But the way he dies is very chilling and somehow evocative of that whole mythical world where our fates are written the moment we are born. During battle no one can reach him - he is very good, you see. But then the gods decide that was it - and literally break his spear, then his shield, then take his armor off. Patroclus realizes in a moment what is happening to him, and accepts his fate - then the Troyans also see what happened and kill him off immediately. It must have been a tough moment for him - and it is tough for the reader as well.
I also enjoy the book's structure: it is so brave in that in concentrates on only a couple of days of the action, and we never find out how Troy would apparently be defeated, who exactly of our heroes would die, and how - some of it is implied, but most isn't. I can't imagine being successful with a book or movie like that these days - people would just freak out of not finding all the answers in the end. I plan to watch the Troy movie and see how they deal with this - I might be wrong but I suspect they give out more answers then the Iliad.
I follow it up with the Odyssey, so Miss Brodie has to wait a bit more - but at least I can hope that someone will read it and we can have a discussion:)
I'm still hanging in here, Peter, although I gave up on the Iliad pretty early on. I'll try again sometime. Miss Brodie is a treat though, I'm loving it! I also recently listened to Hawksmoor (on my commute) to see what all the fuss was about. Not one of my faves - no decent female characters - but I can see why it would appeal to our main man - very much about London, with a kind of dark, almost Satanic murder mystery story and much about mortality and the like. I'm now listening to Bruce Springsteen read his autobiography and it's great!
well if you want decent female characters probably the Iliad is not the one to go for either:) Anyway, as I travel to London soon for a short holiday, maybe Hawksmoor is a good choice to bring along. Do you follow the book club of David's son Duncan? I believe they started with Hawksmoor, but I didn't really want to do two Bowie themed book clubs so decided to stick with this one.
Hi Peter, wow a holiday in London, I'm jealous! I don't follow Duncan's book club either - will stick with this one - but I follow another one on Facebook and have listened to their podcasts. They're fun! What are we reading in May? I've lost track :(
Well we just postponed the London holiday, maybe we will go in June. Who knows:) what is the other group on facebook? I might check them out.May's reading is - or should be - The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham. I hope to find the time to read it by the end of the month!
Mod
I'm just back from London. Went there for the long weekend. Great architecture, most of the museum's are free but I find it's has changed a lot.
It's The Kraken Waves for May. I'll open a topic for the books to nominate for June.
Yes! please do it. I mean opening the nomination topic. Also please open discussion topics for the Wyndham books if you are not too busy. Who knows, maybe sci-fi will interest more people:) And I plan to read them both soon and thus finally catch up with the list:)
Please post here the link to your review.