pickVol. 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.
pickVol. 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.
pickAnother 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…
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
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
#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
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
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
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! 🤩🤣🤩
