Steve's Bookshelf 2013

[Ooshie]

Had to laugh at the US Government's response to the petition raised for the construction of a Death Star:

 

"The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

• The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
  
• The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
  
• Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?"
  

 

 

https://petitions.wh...e-youre-looking

 

 

Love it!

[Karsa Orlong]

Adding Theft Of Swords: The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan to the wishlist . . .

 

 

ETA: and The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney.

Edited January 14, 2013 by Karsa Orlong

[Karsa Orlong]

Well I lasted fifteen days into 2013 . . . My first book purchase of the year and, typically, it is one that never touched my wishlist

 

Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) - Oxford World's Classics edition

 

[frankie]

Somebody's gone out and had lunch... Did you find a new bookstore in the neighborhood where you could take your business since the old one had closed down?

[Karsa Orlong]

Somebody's gone out and had lunch... Did you find a new bookstore in the neighborhood where you could take your business since the old one had closed down?

 

No, sadly not. I looked on Waterstone's website and none of the nearby branches had it in stock, so I ordered it from Amazon (they only had one copy left). Haven't been out for lunch yet

[frankie]

Ah, dang Well, it makes your efforts to try and not buy too many books too soon this year a bit more questionable, because you weren't the innocent victim of the appeal of a brand new bookstore, but intentionally went online to buy a book/books

[Karsa Orlong]

<<ignores frankie>>

 

 

 

That was easy

[frankie]

Oh goody, now I can really start wreaking havoc because Karsa won't be reading my posts! Awesome

 

Look at my horse, my horse is amazing...

 

 

I wonder, why does Karsa read all those weirdo books with trolls and elves and trolloks. Why does he not read any good books? Life's short, as we know...

 

 

[Karsa Orlong]

The Aeneid (Oxford World's Classics)

 

The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

 

Both going on the wishlist on the basis that, by the time I've read The Odyssey and The Argonautica, I'll probably have had enough, for the time being at least

[Karsa Orlong]

I wonder, why does Karsa read all those weirdo books with trolls and elves

 

I don't

 

 

and trolloks.

 

That's 'Trollocs'. If you're going to take the pee at least spell it right

 

 

Why does he not read any good books? Life's short, as we know...

 

And yours just got shorter

 

[Athena]

Well I lasted fifteen days into 2013 . . . My first book purchase of the year and, typically, it is one that never touched my wishlist

 

Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) - Oxford World's Classics edition

 

The Aeneid (Oxford World's Classics)

 

The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

 

Both going on the wishlist on the basis that, by the time I've read The Odyssey and The Argonautica, I'll probably have had enough, for the time being at least

Added to my wishlist! I've read about these for school (my Greek lessons) but it'd be great to read the original (albeit in English).

[Karsa Orlong]

Added to my wishlist! I've read about these for school (my Greek lessons) but it'd be great to read the original (albeit in English).

 

Great! I need to find a bookshop that has the latter two in stock so I can go and have a proper look at them, and maybe compare them to other translations, before I buy them

[frankie]

That's 'Trollocs'. If you're going to take the pee at least spell it right

 

Fine, Tolkein fanboi!

[Karsa Orlong]

Fine, Tolkein fanboi!

 

*sigh* It's Tolkeen And I'm not a fan at all

[frankie]

*sigh* It's Tolkeen And I'm not a fan at all

 

Go ahead, admit it. You're keen on Tolkein!

 

Edit: And you're completely forgetting to ignore me!

[Karsa Orlong]

 

 

 

 

 

[Karsa Orlong]

Another one for the wishlist: The Last of the Mohicans (Oxford World's Classics)

[Ooshie]

Another one for the wishlist: The Last of the Mohicans (Oxford World's Classics)

 

I bought The Last of the Mohicans last year, but haven't read it yet; I did read it as a child but don't remember much about it.

[Karsa Orlong]

I bought The Last of the Mohicans last year, but haven't read it yet; I did read it as a child but don't remember much about it.

 

It's one I've thought about reading before but never done anything about. Which, come to think of it, still hasn't changed

[Karsa Orlong]

Book #3: The Iliad - Homer, translation by Robert Fagles

 

 

 

From Amazon.com:

 

Robert Fagles, winner of the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation and a 1996 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters presents us with his universally acclaimed modern verse translation of the world's greatest war story.

 

'Rage-Goddess, sing the rage of Peleus' son Achilles, murderous, doomed, that cost the Achaeans countless losses, hurling down to the House of Death so many sturdy souls?' Thus begins the stirring story of the Trojan War and the rage of Achilles that has gripped listeners and readers for 2,700 years. This timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to its wrenching, tragic conclusion. Renowned classicist Bernard Knox observes in his superb Introduction that although the violence of the Iliad is grim and relentless, it co-exists with both images of civilized life and a poignant yearning for peace. Combining the skills of a poet and scholar, Robert Fagles brings the energy of contemporary language to this enduring heroic epic. He maintains the drive and metric music of Homer's poetry, and evokes the impact and nuance of the Iliad's mesmerizing repeated phrases in what Peter Levi calls "an astonishing performance."

 

 

Thoughts:

 

I decided I wanted to try and read a few different books to my norm this year, and The Iliad was top of the list. I'm still actually quite shocked that I have read it. I expected to try reading it for a day or two, get a little way into it and then decide I'd had enough. Happily, that never happened. I'm still not sure how to review it, though, as it's not something that I can easily compare to my normal fare.

 

Or is it? As I was reading it I couldn't help but see from where many fantasy authors must draw some inspiration. There is an elongated passage in Book Two (unsurprisingly called 'The Gathering of the Armies') in which name after name of soldiers is reeled off. On top of that, as each is named, there is a potted family history and occasionally tales of previous feats. George R.R. Martin does this regularly (I'm not saying he's the only one, or that he's ripping off Homer, just that the similarities jumped out at me). One of the lengthy main battle sequences brought to mind a sequence in Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes, following one soldier until he dies, then jumping to the next etc. And then there are the meddling gods - Steven Erikson would know something about this, not to mention the vast armies clashing on the Scamandrian Plain. I wonder just how far its influence extends.

 

I searched a long time, through six or seven different translations, before settling on this one by Robert Fagles. There is something about it that is very readable. The blurb above calls it a verse translation but I think what made it so easy for me to read is that it seems, to me, to be more of a halfway house between verse and prose. You certainly couldn't chant this version, which I think is what would have happened originally. Sure, there were times when I had to re-read passages because I'd lost the thread but this, I think, was more down to a lapse in my concentration than any problem with the text. Sometimes there are so many names flying about - many of which made me grind to a halt as I tried to figure out the pronunciation (thank the gods for the 'Pronouncing Glossary' at the back of the book!) - that it's easy to go off track, but it's a small issue that's far outweighed by all the good points. It has a drive about it, a pace that kept me reading and - more importantly - made me want to read more. It's also incredibly violent - easily the most violent, gory piece of work I've ever read. I wasn't expecting that but I suppose I should have - there's a war going on, after all.

 

What I didn't know is that the poem is not the tale of the war, of the wooden horse or the fall of Troy. It is about Hector and Achilles, and Achilles fury with Agamemnon and its tragic results. The poem starts in the tenth year of the war. A priest of Apollo, Chryses, comes to the Achaeans to pay ransom for his daughter, who has been taken as a prize by Agamemnon. Turned away by the King, Chryses prays to Apollo, and the god sends a plague amongst the Achaean armies. Achilles, the fearsome leader of the Myrmidons, confronts Agamemnon when he learns what has brought the plague upon them and, after a violent argument, the King agrees to return the girl to Chryses - but only if she is replaced by Briseis, Achilles' own prize. At this point, Achilles has a bit of a hissy fit, and it will last a long time (there's about 540 pages to go after that . . . ). He's not a particularly likeable character, but he is a beast. It did annoy me, somewhat, that every time he speaks I had Brad Pitt's voice in my head

 

On top of this come the gods. There is a reasonable amount of humour in the poem, and much of it stems from the gods and the way they manipulate each other. Hera and Athena are dead set against the Trojans, whilst Zeus has something of an investment in Hector. They interfere in proceedings. A lot. I don't think anyone knows how much truth there is in the human side of the Trojan War - if it even happened - but I'm pretty sure, if it did, there were no gods involved. There's a fantasy element right there. Also, you have to wonder how much the source material has been altered and embellished over the centuries.

 

None of that mattered to me, though. I can't believe what a fantastic read it was. I don't think I can score it by my normal scale. The story and the characters are iconic - it really is an amazing piece of work. Fagles' translation - as the only one I've read - did pretty much everything I could ask of it. It won't be for everyone, for sure, but if you're feeling brave, I really can't recommend it more.

 

For the quality of the translation alone, it gets a 10.

 

If anyone's interested you can listen to the beginning of the audiobook version here

[frankie]

I'm really happy you enjoyed this, and I love it that you're still so surprised yourself that it was so great Always a good feeling! What a great review, I think there might be a few courageous fellow members who will, after reading your wonderful words on Iliad, acquire a copy and try reading it themselves

[Karsa Orlong]

Aw, thanks Sari

[Karsa Orlong]

Cancelled my order for Jason and the Golden Fleece - Amazon had it 'dispatching soon' since Tuesday, which indicates to me that the '1 copy left in stock' was a lie

[vodkafan]

ooo the Iliad does sound pretty groovy. I wonder if I can get that free on mister kindle.

[Karsa Orlong]

This particular version is £6.55 on Kindle . . .

 

ETA: I would highly recommend the paperback, though, if - like me - you're likely to be flicking back and forth to the glossaries

Edited January 18, 2013 by Karsa Orlong