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পাঠক

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পাঠক is Currently Reading

পাঠক is currently reading

The Arabian Nights: By Richard Burton - Illustrated

by Richard Francis Burton

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পাঠক said: " 8 October, 2023
So i think i finished the first tale yesterday (7 Oct), but started the book a few days (about a week or maybe 10 days or thereabouts) ago.
The preliminary surprised me.. I knew that it was a story within a story, but there was a prelu 8 October, 2023
So i think i finished the first tale yesterday (7 Oct), but started the book a few days (about a week or maybe 10 days or thereabouts) ago.
The preliminary surprised me.. I knew that it was a story within a story, but there was a prelude to Scheherazade..which turns the whole thing to a novel - and so many stories within the story... her father tells her one, and then when she begins one (which was arranged with her sister by design), characters in her stories tell different stories, 3 in the first tale...
The sex was surprising.. so much of it...
The language is not too pleasant..not pleasantly archaic..just archaic and that was surprising.
I guess i shouldn't be surprised that it has racism and sexism..but the thing is the racism is the more disappointing
And this is because, women plays SUCH A PROMINENT ROLE, it cannot be overstated.. and are SO SEXUALLY EMPOWERED..and desperate to go to bed with black slaves (and the racist suggestions here are heartbreaking) and are so powerful in their chocies, Scheherazade desperate to marry Shahryar - risk her life - to save others - and is so competent.. and really has her father do what she wants....and others play important role as well being magjcians .. that it's not as disappointing..but interesting in lots of ways
Especially, the sexism buiit into the basic structure of society, the whole fucking patriarchy..that it's only expected and natural that Shahryar will fuck endless women, but his wife (and all other consorts too probably) will only have to lie with him, and more than that, be as contented as you can be...and this, being thrown into such clear terms, makes it interesting and valuable as well perhaps
Whereas the racism has no excuse. Slavery included perhaps.

9 Oct, 2023
started the second tale, of the Fisherman. It was really good, some archetypes with jinnies in bottles and smokes, maybe originates here, and it was surprising that the jinni didn't help but wanted to kill, but his reasons were sound too! and then the fisherman starts telling a tale, after outwitting him, which was also good.. and i stopped, didn't start the tale within a tale. ...more "

Oct 09, 2023 08:27PM · see review

পাঠক is currently reading

On the Shortness of Life

by Seneca

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(page 0 of 106)
"On the Shortness of Life

7 or 8 August, 2018. Gopalganj.
Not what I was looking for. Not much use to anyone I reckon. But confirms or compliments certain (one) basic idea (truth) about life. Not much in the way of directions. Way of directions, haha.
1 & a 1/2 Stars

Consolation to Helvia

Started, and already like it so much better. Already, useful devices." — Aug 10, 2018 09:00AM

Aug 10, 2018 08:54AM

পাঠক is currently reading

Tales of Mystery and Imagination

by Edgar Allan Poe

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পাঠক said: " The Gold Bug: Okay. Clever, but by now commonplace. Can't ignore the race relations and racialization though.

The Balloon Hoax: Finally got it out of the way, after a few false starts. It's good! Amusing. Better than the last one. I'm sure about it, e The Gold Bug: Okay. Clever, but by now commonplace. Can't ignore the race relations and racialization though.

The Balloon Hoax: Finally got it out of the way, after a few false starts. It's good! Amusing. Better than the last one. I'm sure about it, even though it's been a long time. The language is pretty good, even with some eccentricities, in one of a better word. But I don't know why the use of the word Hoax though. There was no hoax in the tale. You'd think it would all turn out to be a fat lie, but it doesn't. What was that in the beginning, the announcement section? Was there some indication that it was a hoax? If I thought so, and I'm not sure, it might just be the influence of the word in the title. Anyway, it could have other meanings or could have had it then. 12/12/2020.

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(Read the three below close to each other, but quite a while ago now-3 Weeks? Possibly, maybe a little less or more! Gotta start keeping up again -28-01-2021)

The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar: Very good! Was quite arresting and interesting!

MS. Found in a Bottle: Now this one and the next one, I am quite ashamed about it, I haven't read with a great deal of attention. The nature of the narration, the language is a factor, of course, but it has never happened I think with me, never have I allowed it in all that I've read before, and the other factor was my mood, of inattention and now the weather (or the climate? No, I don't think so) of this indulgence (even if it's the weather, there has been changes in the climate that on the whole I don't disapprove, but which plays a part behind this indulgence which I don't like). Anyways, don't even remember a lot about it, but I remember it was boring, but got more interesting later on. I need to read this again.

REREAD- READ AGAIN - This past Satarday or Sunday - My guess is the Saturday 20-02-2021. Today is Tuesday. It was an itch of course, and I couldnt get to the next one without it (the Black Cat, which I have looked forward to. Then again couldn't get around to it this time either. Do I need to read the Maelstrom as well before I get to read the black cat? That wasn't the plan, the plan was i'd read maelstrom before the one after the black cat, but I guess we'll find out.) And of course, no mistakes this time around. Read it properly and carefully. Didn't like it all that much. Now did I already forget the end by now, in the last couple of days again? Is it my bad memory or is it that it's so forgettable? I remember the ship, the question is did he get stuck on it forever? I think it was something like that. In any case, not a very interesting story. The interesting part was finding the words Simoom, Jaggeree and GHEE!!! in it!

A Descent into the Maelström: This one I read the next day (or within a couple of days) after the last one, and was in a similar mood, and the narration was similar to, both unfortunate. But this one was less boring from the start (more interesting) and got more and more interesting, to finally end up as quite a good story! Liked that part of the mortal crisis with the brother during the final moments, so sad but real and true and a little scary but completely understandable and reasonable. Do I read this again as well?

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The Black Cat: Read it yesterday, on 28 February 2021, Finally. I say finally because I've been looking forward to this a very long time. Why though? Is it only because of Nasrin Islam or were there others? Can't seem to remember any. Is it generally hyped it pop media, or am I associating all black cat superstions with it. It might play a role with the superstitions now, but I can't seem to recall too many instances - or any, except for Nasrin, where this was the point of ref. It may have been all in my head. Anyway - did it leave up to the hype, genuine or as seems now artificial? Well, it's a good one, a good and tight ride but nothing extraordinary, especially in terms of the mystery- the suspense was well done, but not extraordinary like the other parts. Except. Yes, the gore took me aback and it's usually more than I care for. But, that was not the terrifying part. That horrible truth is truly terrifying. And supremely sad. ...more "

Mar 01, 2021 05:04AM · see review

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পাঠক’s Quotes

“Modern man has transformed himself into a commodity; he experiences his life energy as an investment with which he should make the highest profit, considering his position and the situation on the personality market. He is alienated from himself, from his fellow men and from nature. His main aim is profitable exchange of his skills, knowledge, and of himself, his "personality package" with others who are equally intent on a fair and profitable exchange. Life has no goal except the one to move, no principle except the one of fair exchange, no satisfaction except the one to consume.p97.”
― Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

tags: love

285 likes

“He drew a circle that shut me out-
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle and took him In!”
― Edwin Markham

tags: friend, heretic, love, poem, rebel, wit

528 likes

“Modern man is actually close to the picture Huxley describes in his Brave New World: well fed, well clad, satisfied sexually, yet without self, without any except the most superficial contact with his fellow men, guided by the slogans which Huxley formulated so succinctly, such as: “When the individual feels, the community reels”; or “Never put off till tomorrow the fun you can have today,” or, as the crowning statement: “Everybody is happy nowadays.” Man’s happiness today consists in “having fun.” Having fun lies in the satisfaction of consuming and “taking in” commodities, sights, food, drinks, cigarettes, people, lectures, books, movies—all are consumed, swallowed. The world is one great object for our appetite, a big apple, a big bottle, a big breast; we are the sucklers, the eternally expectant ones, the hopeful ones—and the eternally disappointed ones. Our character is geared to exchange and to receive, to barter and to consume; everything, spiritual as well as material objects, becomes an object of exchange and of consumption.”
― Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving

tags: 1956, aldous-huxley, consumerism, consumption

1 likes