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I first read Riddley 30 years ago Paul and I'm still getting to grips with it. Take your time and enjoy.I am just about to dip my toe into Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, kindly gifted to me by Iain (@Digimonkey), after reading the glossary so I can get a grip on the language used throughout this book I can see it is going to take all of my concentration and some quiet space but I am determined to get though it and it is good to stretch your mind from time to time. I am sure it will be a good read. P.
ThanksI first read Riddley 30 years ago Paul and I'm still getting to grips with it. Take your time and enjoy.
I am just about to dip my toe into Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban, kindly gifted to me by Iain (@Digimonkey), after reading the glossary so I can get a grip on the language used throughout this book I can see it is going to take all of my concentration and some quiet space but I am determined to get though it and it is good to stretch your mind from time to time. I am sure it will be a good read. P.
Take your time and enjoy.
Starting SPQR by Mary Beard tonight and for my fill of fiction I'm undecided between Butchers Crossing by John Williams and Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman
I haven't read anything by Mary Beard that wasn't excellent. She is a brilliant communicator with subjects that would as dry as dust in the wrong hands. I like her onscreen persona too - every bit the eccentric boffin. The love of her discipline shines through. If you like this sort of book - I'd recommend anything by Tom Holland - immaculately researched historical narratives on a grand scale. If you haven't read it, Vassily Grossman's 'A Writer at War - a Soviet journalist with the Red Army - 1941 - 1945,' is astonishing and compelling. He also wrote a book solely about his experiences in Stalingrad but - regrettably - I don't think it has ever been translated into English. Yours - I.
when it arrived my first thought was ‘do I really want to read 500 pages about surfing?'. I have absolutely no interest in surfing. I don't think I have ever given it more than a passing thought.
Anyone who has an interest in surfing will love this book. Anyone who couldn't give two hoots about surfing will love this book.
Thank you Iain. Thankfully, I still have 50 or so pages to go. An absolute joy to read.My experience exactly with the book Barry. An excellent review - I'm very glad you enjoyed it. Yours - I.
Fantastic review Iain. As informative as an episode of Radio 4's 'In Our Time'.Re-reading 'From the Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise,' - one of histories great love stories - and like many great love stories it doesn't end well for either of them - particularly him. Abelard was one of the most outstanding minds of the 12c. - a brilliant philosopher, theologian and logician - he was of the Scholastic school - as opposed to the Monastic. He made a good fist of reconciling Aristotle with Christianity - no mean feat, it requires considerable intellectual gymnastics - it's fairly easy to match Platonic thought with the then religious orthodoxy - as the Monastics did - Plato's idea of Universals and faith in a single god sit easily next to each other. It was though a 'blind' faith - the Scholastic philosopher sought to use reason and dialectic in theological dispute. A pretty controversial idea at the time. What Abelard started - to my mind - Thomas Aquinas perfected a century later - his teleological proof of god - well he never actually mentions god, only an unmoved mover, generally understood to be god - is still breathtaking to read. So - Heloise - she was remarkably well educated for a woman of her time - was Abelard's pupil and they began an affair - she eventually became pregnant and had a son - who bizarrely she named Astrolabe. Much scandal ensued - she was sent thence to a nunnery and Abelard received a fairly gruesome punishment courtesy of Heloise's uncle and guardian Fulbert. I shan't spoil the surprise. In tandem Abelard had picked a fight with the leader of the Cistercian order - Bernard of Clairvaux - highly influential at the time and one of the most loathsome people in medieval history - actually in all history - in my opinion - who arranged with the pope to have him excommunicated. Nobody really knows how the letters between the star crossed lovers came to be preserved - there are 3 from him to her and 4 from her to him. They are wonderful to read - even in translation from Latin. Two highly intelligent people who understand fully they shouldn't be doing what they are doing but can't help themselves. You do get the impression that Abelard was at the back of the modesty queue - he is a bit up himself and probably richly deserved a slap. He probably didn't deserve what they did to his.... I recommend the book to you - yours - I.
@Barry Giddens
Fantastic review Iain. As informative as an episode of Radio 4's 'In Our Time'.
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