Author Topic: reading anything good?  (Read 455 times)

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Offline Super Colin Blow

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reading anything good?
« on: June 24, 2021, 12:15:42 am »
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3312298-the-arabian-nights

The Arabian Nights translated by Husain Haddawy. Based on the oldest extant manuscript from the 14th century. It reflects more homogenous Arabic culture than the translations by Burton or Powys Mathers (which is a translation of a translation anyway). And short enough to actually read and not get bored of (most of the others are multiple volumes).

It's kind of like kids fairy tales for adults. Pretty amusing but not laugh-out-loud funny.

Feel free to friend me on Goodreads. I do enjoy having enlightened conversation about literature.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/122376917-sir-humphrey
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2021, 05:53:18 am »
After I started writing on my own and pursuing it seriously I couldn't read fiction anymore.

This, though, is interesting to me.  I became interested in a medieval collection of "true" folk tales from England about 25 years ago and eventually got my hands on an academic English translation (it was written in Latin) through a connection at U of T.

Those old tales are crazy.  Urban legends from 500, 600, 800 years ago... like a sailor drops a knife off the side of his ship and simultaneously it comes through an open skylight back at his home and sticks in the table !

Also a tale, undoubtedly true, of a trans woman who was discovered among prostitutes... actually being a leading magistrate in a town.  WTF.

All of my reading and writing for the last 10 years or so has been on this laptop, pretty much.   

I do have a pile of books on my night table with a permanent dust-gathering assignment.  Maybe I need to bring myself back to print.

Offline Black Dog

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2021, 09:54:33 am »
I just finished The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Imagine Cold War spy politics a la Graham Greene or Le Carre through the eyes of the other side.

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2021, 11:18:55 am »
I'll have to look for that.

I had never read Our Man in Havana but did after Le Carre said how much it influenced his Tailor of Panama in his memoir. Uncanny how close Greene came to some of the events of the revolution and missile crisis. Now I'm looking for a copy of the movie. LeCarre's Pigeon Tunnel was sure interesting. He sure crossed paths with a lot of interesting people with somewhat different perspectives historical events.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Super Colin Blow

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2021, 11:49:24 pm »
Folk tales can be neat.

You know the story behind the Arabian Nights/1001 Nights?
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #5 on: July 08, 2021, 08:57:18 am »
Reading. The Fall of the West by Adrian Goldsworthy
A shorter and more readable version of The decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Interesting if you are into that kind of thing.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #6 on: July 08, 2021, 05:23:07 pm »
Folk tales can be neat.

You know the story behind the Arabian Nights/1001 Nights?

Interesting you mention that.
A little while ago I was watching a documentary series on Persia and it talked about the origin of 1001 Nights

PS

Richard Burton was one of the more interesting dudes of the 19th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton
« Last Edit: July 08, 2021, 05:47:57 pm by wilber »
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

guest7

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2021, 05:57:28 pm »
Interesting you mention that.
A little while ago I was watching a documentary series on Persia and it talked about the origin of 1001 Nights

PS

Richard Burton was one of the more interesting dudes of the 19th century.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Francis_Burton

I liked him in the Riverworld saga...

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2021, 06:00:42 pm »
I liked him in The Taming of the Shrew.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

guest7

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2021, 06:46:17 pm »
I liked him in The Taming of the Shrew.

Yeah, but the Riverworld saga actually starred the explorer.

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2021, 09:01:36 pm »
Yeah, but the Riverworld saga actually starred the explorer.

I'd never heard of Riverworld. Something else to read. Thanks.
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

Offline Queefer Sutherland

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2021, 09:19:54 pm »
I have taken to purchasing books and never reading them, just like the rest of my entire adult life.
"Nipples is one of the great minds of our time!" - Bubbermiley

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2021, 09:23:00 pm »
I have taken to purchasing books and never reading them, just like the rest of my entire adult life.

Are you building a fancy library to impress visitors?
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC

guest7

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2021, 09:31:04 pm »
I too purchase more books than I can read.  I've always got one going, but I just can't drive past a used book store.

I'm gonna be well stocked for retirement.

Offline wilber

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Re: reading anything good?
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2021, 09:37:47 pm »
If anyone is ever in Pt Townsend Washington there is an awesome used book store on the main street.

http://www.williamjamesbookseller.com/index.html
« Last Edit: July 08, 2021, 09:51:04 pm by wilber »
"Never trust a man without a single redeeming vice" WSC