Books

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

It's taken since the beginning of lockdown, but finally - due to reading almost every passage two or more times for various reasons- finished Paradise Lost this morning. A really fascinating piece of modern Western mythology. It's particularly interesting by its mention, at least twice, of the lengths to which the mind will go to make everything fit a narrative, have a given meaning, and so on, and yet the work itself consists of bending every which way in order to "justify the ways of God to men."

I'll have to read up on Milton now, because it doesn't feel impossible that he did this on purpose, from an agnostic or gnostic viewpoint, not a million miles away from Blake. Worth reading; our civilization is built on just such  convolutions of logic, empiricism, reason, knowledge, and power.

[blessed1]

It's taken since the beginning of lockdown, but finally - due to reading almost every passage two or more times for various reasons- finished Paradise Lost this morning. A really fascinating piece of modern Western mythology. It's particularly interesting by its mention, at least twice, of the lengths to which the mind will go to make everything fit a narrative, have a given meaning, and so on, and yet the work itself consists of bending every which way in order to "justify the ways of God to men."

I'll have to read up on Milton now, because it doesn't feel impossible that he did this on purpose, from an agnostic or gnostic viewpoint, not a million miles away from Blake. Worth reading; our civilization is built on just such  convolutions of logic, empiricism, reason, knowledge, and power.

Now you should read memnoch the devil by Anne rice if you haven't already.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I'm unlikely to do that, although something that's a bit more of a page turner would be welcome alright! 

[blessed1]

It's literally her version of paradise lost and way better imo

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Ah okay; thought maybe it was a vampire story influenced by it, haha. I'll check out the synopsis. Not saying Paradise Lost was amazing really, but an important piece in our collective unconsciousness.

[Caomhaoin]

Took 'Homage to Cataluña' by Orwell with me on holidays for a reread, his non-fiction is the most comforting, enjoyable literature there is. He did a lot of his 'fighting' in Huesca province where I am, I've been having a goo at a lot of the same places he did.

Chalk it down, ya.

[Giggles]

It's taken since the beginning of lockdown, but finally - due to reading almost every passage two or more times for various reasons- finished Paradise Lost this morning. A really fascinating piece of modern Western mythology. It's particularly interesting by its mention, at least twice, of the lengths to which the mind will go to make everything fit a narrative, have a given meaning, and so on, and yet the work itself consists of bending every which way in order to "justify the ways of God to men."

I'll have to read up on Milton now, because it doesn't feel impossible that he did this on purpose, from an agnostic or gnostic viewpoint, not a million miles away from Blake. Worth reading; our civilization is built on just such  convolutions of logic, empiricism, reason, knowledge, and power.

I tried to listen to this on audiobook format but couldn't get into it at all. Which was a pity because I was expecting to love it, it being a big inspiration for Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials, which I love.

[Scáthach]

I'm big fan of Milton's Paradise Lost. I have a huge hardback edition with Gustav Doré artwork and it's one of my most treasured books. The illustrations were plundered by the Norwegian BM bands in the 90s (Looking at you, Emperor).

I really like his recasting of Lucifer as a Prometheus style antihero. The victim of a divine injustice whose hubris gets the better of him.

Currently rereading Gods and Fighting Men by Augusta Gregory and enjoying it.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Oh nice! I've only an aul Penguin Classics edition here, but a Doré illustrated version would be certainly worth it, if it's still in print.

[StrangersWithGuns]

Both Paradise Lost about 12yrs ago and still haven't tried it.

Bought Oliver Stone's autobiography/memoir on audible, i'm sure his politics divide a few, only a bit in but find it fascinating so far just how he see's and describes things as much as anything that actually happens, he really fancies his mother.

[Carnage]

After leaving it aside and forgetting about it for a couple of months, I went back to and finished Children Of Dune over the weekend. Enjoyed it more than Dune Messiah, despite it getting properly ridiculous, especially toward the end.

Just started Motley Crue: The Dirt there, despite having little to no interest in their music, I've only heard good things about this one and I like a good biography regardless.

[blessed1]

I'm reading snowy shaws autobiography at the moment. Pretty good and seems like a pretty cool down to earth guy.

[Eoin McLove]

Inching through Middlemarch on my breaks in work. What an incredible and complex piece of writing. There are some mind blowing passages.

[Trev]

After leaving it aside and forgetting about it for a couple of months, I went back to and finished Children Of Dune over the weekend. Enjoyed it more than Dune Messiah, despite it getting properly ridiculous, especially toward the end.

I've started Children about four or five times over the last few months, but always stopped after the first couple of chapters. Really need to just block a few hours out and stick with it

[Carnage]

Yeah, I was on about page 75 when I left it aside, but it picks up properly not long after that.