Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
#EPIC
review
TalesandTexts
The Mahabharata | Bibek Debroy
post image
Pickpick

Vol. 10 - in the final book, Bhishma gives Yudhishthira his final lessons on how to be a just king. Yudhishthira holds the Ashwamedha Yagna & is accepted by all as the Emperor of the World.

A grieving Dhritarashtra retires to the forest with Gandhari, Kunti, Vidura & Sanjaya. Then, Dwarka falls & Krishna is killed. Heartbroken, the Pandavas renounce the world & enroute to the summit of Meru, fall one by one - where they are welcomed into heaven.

review
TalesandTexts
The Mahabharata | Bibek Debroy
post image
Pickpick

Vol. 9 is a purely philosophical treatise where we explore the practice of Moksha (renunciation). Bhishma continues his teachings to Yudhishthira, exploring the avenues of Yoga and Sankhya. We read many ancient stories and learn about long-forgotten philosophical scriptures here.

This volume was very dry & complicated. As the longest in the series at almost 800 pages, it was a challenge to get through. Definitely will need to revisit this book.

review
danx
The Abduction of Sita | R. K. Narayan
post image
Pickpick

Another mini Penguin for a short trip. Thoroughly enjoyed this, my introduction to the Ramayanam - an abridged version of R. K. Narayan‘s 1972 prose - I think this is from just one section. The cover is beautiful too, this image doesn‘t do it justice. I do now have a bunch of tabs open with writing on patriarchy and the Ramayana due to Sita‘s ordeal by fire…

blurb
JenP
post image

In what is a supreme act of avoidance from writing grants (which probably won‘t get funded anyway in this climate), I decided to take a world literature course from Harvard extension. They offer a bunch of free online courses although I may pay the certificate fee just to support them. Gilgamesh is the first text they are discussing and I hadn‘t ever read it so finally getting to it

merelybookish Once upon a time I taught world lit to undergraduates (not at Harvard 😆) and always started with this. And it was often the book they liked best. Enjoy your course! Sounds fun! 2mo
JenP @merelybookish I‘m certainly liking it more than the Odyssey which I read freshman year (many years ago 😂). How fun you taught world literature. I‘m enjoying this class so far. 2mo
Tamra It‘s a fantastic historical study! 2mo
See All 8 Comments
DGRachel I decided at the beginning of the years that I wanted to do a deep dive into Ishtar, and the book I‘m reading references Gilgamesh quite a lot, so I picked up a copy last month. I‘m looking forward to getting to it. 2mo
JenP @DGRachel it‘s a very quick read. Hope you like it. I found it interesting 2mo
JenP @Tamra yes! I‘ve found it interesting to compare the deluge to the version in genesis. The historical background from the class has also been fascinating 2mo
Tamra @JenP there are several parallels with later mythologies! Humans have been asking the same questions and telling the same stories. 2mo
Avanders Love this! ♥️ 2mo
27 likes8 comments
blurb
llwheeler
post image

1. My degrees are in Classics, so I have (or had, super rusty now) Latin and Greek. I'd love to learn Old English so I could read...

2. ... Beowulf in the original. I love the Seamus Haney translation.

@TheSpineView #two4tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 2mo
23 likes1 comment
blurb
dabbe
post image

#Two4Tuesday
@TheSpineView (thanks for the tag! 😍)

1. Latin.
2. I'd love to be able to read THE AENEID in Latin.

Play? @TheLudicReader @BarkingMadRead @mcctrish

TheSpineView YW! Thanks for playing 2mo
TheBookHippie Latin my second choice! Although we learned a good bit in nursing. 2mo
dabbe @TheSpineView 😍🤩😍 2mo
dabbe @TheBookHippie 😍🤩😍 2mo
48 likes4 comments
blurb
Kshakal
Odyssey | Homer
post image
TheSpineView Thanks for playing 2mo
30 likes1 comment
blurb
TheSpineView
The Illiad | Homer
post image

Happy Tuesday! Here are today's questions. I'll tag a few Littens to get us started. Hope your day is beautiful!

My answers:
📘 I would like to learn Greek.
📘 Tagged

Play? @dabbe @AnnCrystal @DebinHawaii @Eggs @Kshakal @TheBookHippie @peaKnit @BethM @AmyG @Susanita @julesG @InkedBookworm13 @PageShifter @Cupcake12 @Blueberry @Texreader @Born.A.Reader @BookmarkTavern

dabbe Will do; thanks for the 🏷️! 😘 2mo
TheSpineView @dabbe 👍🤩🌞 2mo
AnnCrystal Greek 🆒 Thanks for the tag! 🥳👌🏼💝. 2mo
TheSpineView @AnnCrystal 😘🥰😊 2mo
43 likes4 comments
blurb
vivastory
Orlando Furioso | Ludovico Ariosto
post image

Years ago I tackled the wacky tagged Italian epic poem in the 2 vol Penguin set. Total page count is 1,632 pages.
Although it is technically a trilogy, Tolkien envisioned LoTR as a single volume & if it was counted as such then the page count for editions I read clock in at 1,248.
At just a few less pages than LoTR would be King's longest work-The Stand (1,200)
Lately I have been thinking of tackling Shogun (1,300) pages.
#sundayfunday

tpixie Oh! I‘ve read The Stand & LoTR! ( I‘m currently reading Les Mis- so ask me Dec 31!) 😂 2mo
shortsarahrose Also read The Stand and LoTR, but those are beaten by a Library of America collection of Herman Melville‘s post-Moby Dick novels and prose work (1478 pages). 2mo
See All 7 Comments
BookmarkTavern Multiple volumes definitely count! Thanks for posting! 2mo
vivastory @shortsarahrose I love LoA volumes! I checked that one out from the library to read The Confidence-Man. There were some other pieces in there I plan on reading in the future 2mo
vivastory @tpixie That's a great one! 2mo
Branwen I'm guessing The Stand would be mine? Also Wind & Truth which was over 1300 pages if I'm remembering correctly! 2mo
42 likes7 comments
blurb
dabbe
The Iliad | Robert Fagles
post image

One day late.

I would love to eat ambrosia and drink nectar with the Greek gods. That way, I'd stay young, gorgeous, and live forever so I could actually read every book on my TBR! 🤩🤣🤩

Gissy I need to eat that too🙋🏽‍♀️😂 2mo
dabbe @Gissy IKR? 🤣😍🤩 2mo
TheSpineView Great answer. I need to join you on this one! 😂 2mo
See All 6 Comments
BookmarkTavern I wasn‘t sure I agreed, and then you mentioned finishing your TBR, and you got me! 😂 Thanks for sharing! 2mo
dabbe @TheSpineView Wouldn't it be just incredible? 😍🤣🤩 2mo
dabbe @BookmarkTavern 🤣😍🤣 2mo
48 likes6 comments