Classics and other Off-Beat reads - Mish and Sri

[Srividya]

Lol.. Now onto The Rose from December right? Let's start on the 6th?

[Misha]

Srividya wrote: "Lol.. Now onto The Rose from December right? Let's start on the 6th?"

lets start the following monday, on 8th. i'm busy that weekend

[Srividya]

Okay. 8th is perfect :)

[Misha]

knock knock knock ;)

[Srividya]

Hello there :)

I started the book yesterday and promptly fell asleep! ;) Lol.. Will try to read some today. Am going slow and steady with this one as I am trying to juggle too many books right now. So if you want to fit in a couple of books in between, do so and we can do this nice and slow :)

[Misha]

Srividya wrote: "Hello there :)

I started the book yesterday and promptly fell asleep! ;) Lol.. Will try to read some today. Am going slow and steady with this one as I am trying to juggle too many books right now..."

i'm so glad u read my mind :P

[Srividya]

Lol! :P:P

[Srividya]

Morning Mish :)

Just wanted to tell you to GO REALLY SLOW!!! I have to finish 3 books for a challenge, so will read this one only a few pages daily and that too at night.. so please bear with me for a few more days. Once those reads are over, I will get back to this with a bang!

[Misha]

Srividya wrote: "Morning Mish :)

Just wanted to tell you to GO REALLY SLOW!!! I have to finish 3 books for a challenge, so will read this one only a few pages daily and that too at night.. so please bear with me f..."

good morning... kept this aside, started a new one ;)

and slow it is... u don't have to remind me, ONLY i KNOW it :P :P

[Srividya]

Lol.. I am told that it gets interesting and fast paced after 50% :) :) So we have hope, if we plod till then :P :P

[Misha]

i finished first day, and i'm finding it interesting now at my second attempt :) :)

[Hajarath Prasad]

You knew it and you talked us into it :O :O :P :P Btw, where's the ebook? :|

[Misha]

Hajarath Prasad wrote: "You knew it and you talked us into it :O :O :P :P Btw, where's the ebook? :|"

i gmailed it yesterday, to Ini & u. check!!

[Srividya]

It will get better as you read it again, I guess.. maybe because you already know some of it, which makes it easier to savour and understand :)

[Srividya]

Good morning Mish :)

Will be starting Rose in earnest today. However, am also reading three other books along with it, so progress might be slow. Am reading Boy's Life, Angels Fall and The Summer Tree.

As for All the light we cannot see - I felt that the start and the build up throughout the book was simply great. However, I had issues with the end. It was too mild or too apt. Not sure actually. I did like the end but there was something about it that made me feel let down. Maybe I am just too sleepy right now to process. Anyway, the end and the fact that some historical stuff was wrong made me give it a 4. Otherwise it was a 5 star material for sure!

[Misha]

hey, I'll be starting from day 2 next week. as I said, already completed day 1. do finish day 1 & post your thoughts. lots of debates involved once Ubertino of Casale makes an entry ... understand & explain, okay??? :-P :-P

[Srividya]

Okay ma'am. Will read and post what I think or can understand! You are making it sound like an exam now! :P :P

[Srividya]

Hey I found this link, which gives the meaning for some or most of the Latin phrases found in the book. Maybe it will help us understand the book better :)

http://www.rapiddiffusion.com/transla...

[Misha]

I checked out all of the Latin phrases, as & when I read :-) :-)

[Misha]

and it's the same link I went through ;-)

[Srividya]

Good :) I just started so I thought I should share :P :)

[Misha]

Monasterium sine libris est sicut civitas sine opibus, castrum sine numeris, coquina sine suppellectili, mensa sine cibis, hortus sine herbis, pratum sine floribus, arbor sine foliis ... This is my favorite of them all, although i changed it according to my convenience :-P :-P

Sine libris cella est sicut civitas sine opibus, castrum sine numeris, coquina sine suppellectili, mensa sine cibis, hortus sine herbis, pratum sine floribus, arbor sine foliis

:-) :-)

[Srividya]

Okay that is Latin way above my head for present.. unless it has a translation, that goes into the skip or skim zone :P :P

[Misha]

You just started, this is between Abbo & William :-) :-)

[Indrani]

Okay. I am in too. Will start within a couple of days. Most probably will sleep better once I start. :) :)

[Misha]

Yay!!!! Welcome Indrani :-) :-) and lol :-D :-D it ain't that bad either, at least for those who have tasted it once already ;-) ;-)

[Srividya]

Welcome Indrani :)

Actually I am finding it quite amusing, at least the first day! and it reads pretty easily too.. I was scared as well after Mish's comments and statements, which I take as the Holy Grail when it comes to such books..but this one while it began in an obscure manner has proceeded pretty good till now. Of course, I haven't reached the part that Mish finds really boring..so I won't know about it till then. :)

PS - Don't worry. We shall wake you up, if you do go to sleep :P :P

[Indrani]

Lol :) :)

[Misha]

Srividya wrote: "Welcome Indrani :)

Actually I am finding it quite amusing, at least the first day! and it reads pretty easily too.. I was scared as well after Mish's comments and statements, which I take as the H..."

I was an imbecile then :-( :-(

[Srividya]

I just started Sext, which I believe is the chapter between William and Ubertino. Finished the one between Abo and William and found it awesome. I am loving it till now but will take it slow because I really want to savour this one! I am enjoying the read Mish..really enjoying it.

(view spoiler)[I loved that Latin phrase, which you mentioned earlier. Now I get why everyone compares William to Sherlock. He does sound like him doesn't he. The description of the abbey was just beautiful, somehow I read it twice before going ahead! Lol

I also loved the conversation between Abo and William as well as the earlier one between William and his apprentice. The more I am reading, the more I feel like it has a strong influence of Francis Bacon's philosophy - which basically says that science and religion are not separate but a part of a whole as envisaged by god.. well I don't know about the latter part of whether it was truly envisaged by the good lord himself but I think the former part maybe true!

I loved this statement from Abo, although it was so smug in its delivery and so deprecating of others in a way - "If a shepherd errs, he must be isolated from other shepherds, but woe unto us if the sheep begin to distrust shepherds." - Doesn't this remind you of our present day situation in India, where there are so many godmen that people have forgotten what god is all about. Religion has become a business today instead of being something spiritual and personal! We have started disbelieving the whole thing because the shepherds have erred and we don't trust them anymore! Hmm food for thought right? (hide spoiler)]

[Misha]

Srividya wrote: "I just started Sext, which I believe is the chapter between William and Ubertino. Finished the one between Abo and William and found it awesome. I am loving it till now but will take it slow becaus..."

(view spoiler)[ William and Adso are giving me the vibes of Sherlock and Watson. The Baskerville connection is interesting, ain't it??

And yeah, all the thoughts between Abo & William & William & Ubertino were interesting... very profound :) :)

To sum it up, because of the wealth and power the Roman Catholic Church amassed over time, there was fierce rivalry between the Pope and the ruler of Italy. Each tried to overcome the other in a multitude of ways which often resulted even in violence.

Believing the excessive material comforts then enjoyed by the clergymen were against the spirit of Christianity, a number of monks started to follow St. Francis of Assissi’s poverty movement which denounced all such splendour. Since it aligned with his plan, the ruler wanted to promote the Fransiscans. Their number multiplied and the Church tried to suppress them in anyway it can.

And also where exactly does Ubertino come here?? Is he against the Church, i mean the Spirituals against the Church?? That's my understanding :/ (hide spoiler)]

[Indrani]

I am about 25 pages done. On "Sext". So far liking it a lot. Also not finding it too difficult to read - given that I am not looking up the latin passages :). Maybe I should switch back to laptop from kindle to help in looking up.

How are you guys progressing?

[Misha]

Indrani wrote: "I am about 25 pages done. On "Sext". So far liking it a lot. Also not finding it too difficult to read - given that I am not looking up the latin passages :). Maybe I should switch back to laptop f..."

Good morning Indrani :):)

glad you are liking the book. I found the the conversations between William & Abo & William & Adso are quite enthralling. Sri is quite enamoured by the book too.

I think Sri is in day 1 & I haven't made much progress too. Now that i finished The Narrow Road to the Deep North & also you have started it, I shall pick it up again

Sri is a little busy I think ...

[Srividya]

Good morning Mish and Indrani :)

Yup Mish..you are right. Am a little busy these days, so less reading getting done and therefore still there on the same page. Hope to read some more today as it seems relatively free.

I am also loving it Indrani. Hope to make some dent into it now and get back for discussions.

[Purvika]

[Misha]

I'm so sorry Purvi, saw your message only now. Didn't receive any notif :-\ :-\

I know I'm late with my wishes, but I hope you had a fabulous Christmas. Wishing you loads of love and happiness this season and a Happy New Year in advance :-) :-)

[Misha]

Acknowledge My Little, Cute, Pure, Lovely
But Heartfelt Wishes For You This New Year
Wishing You A very Happy New Year Sri. May all your wishes come true & be happy always :-) :-)

[Srividya]

Happy New Year to you too Mish! :):)

Love you loads!!! May this new year bring you happiness, success and prosperity!

PS - you slept early last night or were partying too late? I didn't get a reply until much later! :P :P

[Misha]

hahaha :-D :-D slept too late, or rather very early in the morning by 4 ... solo party in my room :-P :-P

[Ahtims]

Happy new year to Classics buddies. I may butt in once your dallying with the Rose is over. :P

[Srividya]

Thanks Smitha! I believe the two of us are reading The Martian right now, with Rose taking the backseat as usual! :P :P

[Srividya]

Mish - have you read the Amelia Peabody series? Am just reading the first book Crocodile on the Sandbank and quite enjoying it. It is quite humourous in parts while also being a nice story. Just thought I should share this with you.

Also, I recently read the first book in the Flavia de Luce series, which again I found really interesting.

The best part of both these series is that the main character is a female and quite spunky and fun at that. I am sure that you will enjoy it. Try it some day! :)

[Ahtims]

Have read first 3 books of Flavia. Quite precocious -that one. :P

[Srividya]

I simply LOVE her Smitha! You are right, she is precocious isn't she? :P

[Ahtims]

Yes, me too. Have to read books 4 and 5, though
.
I pity her sisters :P

[Srividya]

Oh I think her sisters more than deserve it! Lol! :P

However, yeah you are right, she seems to find ways to get at them, doesn't she. I will read book two soon. Not sure when though!

have you read the Amelia Peabody series?

[Ahtims]

No, but heard a lot about it. Shall read someday.

[Misha]

I received a paperback of Sweetness at the bottom of Pie as my birthday gift 2 years back ... but not yet read :-P :-P

[Ahtims]

Do read. It's fun. :-)

[Srividya]

Do read it Smitha. I am currently reading the first book and quite enjoying it. It has that dry British sense of humour with a lot of Egypt in it, at least this time around.. I think you will enjoy it. Here again, Amelia is a force to be reckoned! At least till now she's awesome :)

Mish!!!! Read it ASAP!! :P :P