What Are You Reading 4
- Thread starter Tonyblack
- Start date
Rereading The Complete Sherlock Holmes, in facsimile of the original magazine publication with the pictures.
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RathDarkblade and Tonyblack
Er, yes? I've seen how Pterry gently takes the mick out of the "Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare" crowd. But isn't it possible to do that in many different ways? =) That's what makes writing (and reading) so enjoyable; it may be the same idea (i.e. Shakespeare's importance to humanity), but it's possible to approach the subject differently.
In "Science of Discworld III", Pterry pokes fun at the anti-evolution crowd. But that doesn't mean they've stopped existing.
Just because Pterry did it doesn't mean I can't try. And -- more importantly -- it seems that, as every generation passes, the new generation falls for the same old lies that need to be debunked again and again: not just the anti-Shakespeare crowd, but lies such as racism, Antisemitism, populism etc... which are even more important (and which I'd hoped most people wouldn't have fallen for). =(
In "Science of Discworld III", Pterry pokes fun at the anti-evolution crowd. But that doesn't mean they've stopped existing.
Just because Pterry did it doesn't mean I can't try.
And -- more importantly -- it seems that, as every generation passes, the new generation falls for the same old lies that need to be debunked again and again: not just the anti-Shakespeare crowd, but lies such as racism, Antisemitism, populism etc... which are even more important (and which I'd hoped most people wouldn't have fallen for). =(
BTW, for those of you who like QI and are fascinated by the errata of cartography, may I suggest The Phantom Atlas by Edward Brooke-Hitching? Seriously, this book is a real eye-opener about some of the cartography of yesteryear, with all the myths, the frauds, and the just plain wishful thinking. And you'd be surprised at how recently some were debunked: at least two were only debunked in the 21st Century...
I just finished a reread of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I think I may have to find some literary discussions. I can't believe nobody else ever noticed the subtle snark Austen wrote in, about all those frail, weepy heroines of the novels of the day. Anyone else would have focused on the somewhat lurid events of the novel that happen mostly at the end. It reminds me of the SF novels of C.J.Cherryh, in that Cherryh took standard SF pulp short story cliches and wrote three-volume stories which manage to make a believable hard-SF story that allows the cliche to be acceptable.
So I realised that I've read heaps about England's history and some about Ireland's, but I do no know much about Wales's or Scotland's -- and I'd like to know.
Are there any books about Scotland's history you folks could recommend? For instance, is Scotland: A Concise History by Fitzroy Maclean good?
Are there any books about Scotland's history you folks could recommend? For instance, is Scotland: A Concise History by Fitzroy Maclean good?
Just started reading Scotland: A Concise History by Fitzroy Maclean! My introduction to Scotland's story.
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Who's Wee Dug and Tonyblack
...and finished reading Maclean's book. Very interesting ... but it made me curious. In every book I've read that mentions George IV (the Prince Regent), almost every author says that he was a fat, stupid wastrel. Of course, Hugh Laurie portrays him as one in "Blackadder the Third", too.
But didn't he have some redeeming qualities? After all, he raised money for art galleries (I think?) and allowed the kilt tradition and bagpipe tradition in Scotland. All right, the kilt designs may have been (and probably were) different in his day than they were before the '45; I don't know. But at least he rescinded the stupid bans on kilts and bagpipes. *shrug* How a kilt can be an instrument of war, I don't know.
Of course, in many other ways the Prince Regent was a fat waste of everybody's time and money. Still, I'm not sure that he spent (as "Blackadder" puts it) £59,000 a year on socks. *LOL*
It's also interesting to note the SNP's rise to political power in Scotland, and what they achieved under Salmond and Sturgeon. (The book stops short in 2017, just after the Brexit vote - so I'm not sure what happened after that)?
Of course, Hugh Laurie portrays him as one in "Blackadder the Third", too.But didn't he have some redeeming qualities? After all, he raised money for art galleries (I think?) and allowed the kilt tradition and bagpipe tradition in Scotland. All right, the kilt designs may have been (and probably were) different in his day than they were before the '45; I don't know. But at least he rescinded the stupid bans on kilts and bagpipes. *shrug* How a kilt can be an instrument of war, I don't know.
Of course, in many other ways the Prince Regent was a fat waste of everybody's time and money.
Still, I'm not sure that he spent (as "Blackadder" puts it) £59,000 a year on socks. *LOL*It's also interesting to note the SNP's rise to political power in Scotland, and what they achieved under Salmond and Sturgeon. (The book stops short in 2017, just after the Brexit vote - so I'm not sure what happened after that)?
I'm re-reading Anasi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Really enjoying it, especially after watching American Gods where Anasi/Mr Spider plays a major role.
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SpideyGirl
Almost finished this one it's been good so far ,first in the series.
Spectrum Worlds
It is 2118, and the Postman, a second-generation android who delivers bad things to bad androids, is one delivery away from retirement.
fast-paced and immersive cyberpunk series in which androids, rebellious humans, hover-bikes and drone-shuttles roam neon-lit city streets.
Spectrum Worlds
It is 2118, and the Postman, a second-generation android who delivers bad things to bad androids, is one delivery away from retirement.
fast-paced and immersive cyberpunk series in which androids, rebellious humans, hover-bikes and drone-shuttles roam neon-lit city streets.
