The Aeneid -- Book II -- "Ilium Was"

Was reading through book two in preparation for my test on Thursday and I came across this passage again:

…gemitu cum talia reddit:

'uenit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus

Dardaniae. fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens

gloria Teucrorum; ferus omnia Iuppiter Argos

transtulit; incensa Danai dominantur in urbe.

…when with a groan he replied:

‘The highest day and inescapable time has come

To the Dardanians. We have been Trojans, Ilium was, and the great

Glory of Troy; fierce Jupiter has transferred all to the

Greeks; burning Greeks hold sway in the city.

(Bk. II.323-327)

There is something about the line:

“We have been Trojans, Ilium was, and the great glory of Troy”

I’m not sure what it is that is so arresting about this line, maybe its the concept of finiteness. That so great a power, a people, can in a moment be wiped away. And yet, they never really died, at least not in thought since they are still remembered and supposedly carried their line into Rome.

The Aeneid -- Book II -- Helen and Aeneas

Have an exam in my upper level Latin class (translating Aeneid) so haven’t had as much time to read/write up blog entries. In this class though I did just go through where Aeneas finds Helen hiding in the sanctuary from both the angry Greeks and angry Trojans who blame her for the war. Its an interesting

passage:

Iamque adeo super unus eram, cum limina Vestae

seruantem et tacitam secreta in sede latentem

Tyndarida aspicio;…

illa sibi infestos euersa ob Pergama Teucros

et Danaum poenam et deserti coniugis iras

praemetuens, Troiae et patriae communis Erinys,

abdideratsese atque aris inuisa sedebat…

occiderit ferro Priamus? Troia arserit igni?

Dardanium totiens sudarit sanguine litus?

non ita.

And now indeed only I survived, when I saw Helen at the threshold of Vestae Serving and silent having hid lurking in the shrine…

She, fearing for herself beforehand the hostile Trojans, on account of destroyed Pergama

and the punishments of the Greeks, and the wrath of her deserted husband,

a common curse of Troy and her homeland,

she hid herself and sat hidden in the shrines…

Must Priam fall by the sword? Must Troy burn by fire?

Must Dardanian shores perspire in blood so many times?

Not thus.

(Aeneid II.567-568,571-574,581-583)

So, I'm thinking... should we pity Helen at this point? Or blame her for the fall of Troy? For the deaths of so many Greeks?

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England -- a Book by It's Cover

The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer

Started reading The Time Travelers Guide to Medieval England because it was the chosen group read for the last quarter in one of my group books (historical non-fiction) on Shelfari. I’m trying to catch up so that I can post on the discussion board for the read before its been too long so I’m trying to get it done in a week. So far I’m on schedule at 50 pages a day but now that the school week has started I may fall of the wagon.

Anyways, onto the actual read….

I really like this. I had seen it at book stores and thought it was one of the regurgitated mass market histories that are for the casual historical fiction reader. This is fine, I have nothing against those and think there is definitely a need/market for them but that doesn’t mean I want to read it.

So I’m about a third of the way through and it is like reading an ethnography. By depicting the past in the present Mortimer has struck a very interesting balance between anthropology and history.

"It does not make the facts themselves less true to put them in the present tense rather than the past.”

The White Queen -- a question of history...

About three quarters through The White Queen now. It has gotten better, not in writing, but I do think its more historically bent then I would have at first expected. I liked how Gregory went into the battle events and does bring in the revolving relationships (the import of so many shifts in England and the affects of international relations, like the French alliances and Scotland).

I've just gotten to the part where Elizabeth sets up the fake little prince Richard to go into the tower with her other son Edward V and sends the real Richard to Flanders. As popular as this mth is, I dont think it fits with the fact that Elizabeth sets up the marriage between her daughter Elizabeth and Henry Tudor. Why would she put together a match like that if she KNEW that a male York heir was alive? Unless she didn't care if her son came to the throne, and would rather have him living in obscurity in Flanders, safe from his uncle Richard. But in that case why would she have Elizabeth marry Henry Tudor? Why would she care if there was a York on the throne?

The White Queen -- so far, so so...

I started reading Phillipa Gregory’s The White Queen today. I never really wanted to but I was told that I should start reading more historical fiction, that it could help me with my writing. Normally I stay away from historical fiction; when I read history I read non-fiction, I don’t like wondering which is fact and which fiction… of course some I have found are either engrossing enough or well written enough/obviously well researched to read and enjoy (like Alison Weir’s forays into fiction and Anya Seton’s Katherine).

However, so far The White Queen is palatable. It’s not great, I’m not even sure yet that it is good. I’m about 100 pages in and the writing isn't anything special, very easy to read, and for some reason the dialogue feels off… a little too anachronistic.

However, there are summarizing parts that do include insights into the real history. Gregory does seem to be fairly good at including these needed elements of truth, and keeping the unknowns, the parts that can only be inferred by the historian/writer, to what is obviously her own imagination.

I read somewhere that this wasn’t her best work though so I may read The Other Boleyn Girl after this, since that is her best known. I would like to know if she wrote any non-fiction. I think it said on her bio that she is a trained historian. She does seem to know the events and players of the time fairly well.

The Tolkien Reader -- Ofermod and Beorhtnoth

Since the Medieval conference I went to a couple weeks ago I have been VERY slowly working through J.R.R. Tolkien's The Tolkien Reader. It is a collection of several of his essays and various works like "On Fairy Stories," "Farmer Giles of Ham," and "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil."

The first part is on The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's son, which is a story about the Battle of Maldon in 991 A.D. between the Danes and Beorthtnoth the Duke of Essex. The original poem oddly is telling the story of a defeat, and seems to be particularly noting the fialures of the leader, the over proud, Beorhtnoth.

Tolkien delves in the use of the word "Ofermod" in his short essay that follows his translation. At the conference I went to one of the speakers mentiond this word and its connection to the idea of being "overminded" or as he put it "overproud." I think overmindedness is supposed to lead to pride...

Tolkien notes that "Ofermod" is actually more like "high-spirit" which I think is a little more in line with "overmindedness" than "overproud"

Tolkien seems to be saying that it was this overly excessive concept of a hero -- being a hero even when it was stupid and actually hurt your men -- that was what brought the downfall of so many medieval heroes, like Beorhtnoth. A true hero was one who DID NOT put his men and country at risk for their personal search for glory. A true hero was the underling, the man with no reason to fight other than love for his lord.

Aeneid/Inferno -- Virgil/Dante

Started working on a project I have in one of my Latin classes. Read and did some comparisons between the Aeneid and Dante’s Inferno.

First, I was wondering, Virgil wrote from the future of the past as if it was the future (when Aeneas goes down to the underworld and his father walks him through the future of Rome and his offspring to encourage him to go on with his journey). Dante wrote about the present/past from the present. But doesn’t that even out the tenses? Since, technically, Virgil was writing about the past/ present from the present…

Second, in Virgil, guard dog Cerberus is thrown a drugged cake to not attack Sibyll and Aeneas, but in the Inferno, Virgil throws him mud. Why the difference?

Third, I was thinking, could Dante’s Comedy be seen as a corrective mythology? I need to think about this more, flesh it out.

The Aeneid -- Book VI and VII

Virgil’s The Aeneid
Translated by Robert Fitzgerald

Finished Book VI and began Book VII (both the English translation) today. Its interesting seeing the difference between the first six books compared to the second half. Everything slows. It is instant, almost shockingly sudden. You are taken through this quick paced tour of islands, Carthage, and the underworld and then you just stop and have a nice feast on the beach. Well, you also get Juno’s and Amata’s ravings …

So, this sudden switch, of Aeneas coming up from the underworld, walking through the Ivory gate, and then taking a quick sail to their fated land. I think the author meant to make this like a rebirthing. Aeneas emerges from the underworld, a new man, a king, ready to meet his fate (he had seemed to be wavering… and then he hears from his father’s lips the future of his people, the Romans).

“There are two gates of Sleep, one said to be
Of horn, whereby the true shades pass with ease,
The other all white Ivory agleam
Without a flaw, and yet false dreams are sent
Through this one by the ghosts to the upper world.”
(VI. 1211-1215)

“A blessing on the land
The fates have held in store for me, a blessing
On our true gods of Troy! Here is our home,
Here is our Fatherland. You know, my father
Anchises once foretold this secret token-
Now I remember- of our destiny.
He told me then: ‘My son, when the time comes
That hunger on a strange coast urges you,
When food has failed, to eat your very tables,
Then you may look for home: be mindful of it,
Weary as you are, and turn your hand
To your first building there with moat and mound.’
Here we have felt that hunger, here at last
Adversity awaited us, a limit
Set to our misfortunes.”
(VII. 158-172)

Coming of Age in Samoa: The End

I finished Coming of Age in Samoa today. Like I guessed at earlier I actually did end up liking it more towards the end. Probably the last 4 chapters were the best, the last two being the most interesting, at least to me. Mead finally starts using more stories from the girls she observed (like in her deviants “Girl in Conflict” chapter) and comparative analysis between the society of the Samoans and America (as can be seen in her last two chapters).

It was really interesting to read her comparisons of the societies. Basically, Mead makes it clear that the Samoans lack deep feeling and emotions; and are guided by an idea of moderation (never loving too much – to do that is foolish). Americans on the other hand are mainly emotions and are driven to excel, compared to the Samoans who are encouraged to stay in the middle of the pack.

Mead goes further and asks why American Adolescents have so many more neuroses than Samoan adolescents and she pretty much chalks it up to the more homogenized home life, openness of life, and the lack of choices.

Mead also asks what we could do to change our society to solve these neuroses. Her biggest thing is that:

“the child of the future must have an open mind…. The children must be taught how to think, not what to think…. They must be taught tolerance…”

Coming of Age in Samoa: The Deviant Girl

Coming of Age in Samoa

Read “The Girl in Conflict” Chapter today

This was probably the most interesting chapter to me because Mead used so many examples from the various girls she studied. Plus, it was the most comparative yet of the chapters.

In this chapter Mead discusses the deviant girls in the society. Those who have both deviated “up wards” and “down wards.”

The girls who deviated “up wards” (she never uses that word for them but she does use the opposite for the other side so for the sake of argument I use it here) were those who were more ambitious, tended to be different only in that they grew up in the more western home of the Pastor. They usually wanted to move away from home and work as a nurse or become a pastor’s wife.

The other side of the deviants the “down wards” were seen by their own society as being deviants. Most of these girls were needy of affection and sought it anywhere they could, often becoming sexual deviants. They had bad attitudes, were either liars, thieves, or both. And commonly couldn’t live in a household very long before getting chased out or moving on their own from being made uncomfortable.

Queen Isabella

Queen Isabella
by Alison Weir

I’m in the middle of reading this too… for some reason I have to be juggling ten books at once. I’m not sure its good for me but I think I need the variety to keep me interested. I started this one during Christmas break and I’m going at a snails pace but I am getting through it. Anyways, I’m about a third of the way through and really like it. It’s a time period I’ve danced around for some time.

I think the most interesting bits are the interweaving of Scottish history with English since this was when Robert the Bruce was tormenting England. Only, instead of the usual Scottish view of the times it’s the British perspective.

Another bit I’ve found fascinating is how horrible Edward II was as a king and how the parliament had to take charge and at times take away a lot of his responsibility and power. Its an interesting example of British Constitutional history…

Coming of Age in Samoa : Beware the Anger of a Sister

So I was just reading a chapter in Coming of Age and there was a line I really liked. In the chapter on how Samoans approach the concept of personalities Mead mentions how when something bad hapens they look to the attitudes of a person's relatives.

"Anger in the heart of a relative, especially in that of a sister, is most potent in producing evil"

interesting... why a sister? How did that idea start that of all the women that could cause someone to fall ill it would be the sister whose anger could cause this?

addendum..

so I totally forgot to include in my "catch up" list that I read a collection of Truman Capote's short stories over Christmas break. Included in it was Breafast at Tiffanys which is the real reason I picked it up since I love the movie. Although the sotry is different I still like them both, for different reasons. Kind of like how A Clockwork Orange is when you eliminate the last chapter; the story is still good but different, although it takes on a different meaning it doesnt make it bad... Anyways, I really liked it. Holly Go lightly is just a touch crazier and slightly less endearing, or maybe more so because she is that more real. I also liked the other three stories in the collection. I really liked one about a girl from a Caribbean island who marries someone she loves thinking her life is going to be better and life doesnt go quite as she planned... I want to read his thriller now In Cold Blood but I have a long list of books to read so who knows when I'll get to it.

Coming of Age in Samoa

Coming of Age in Samoa
by Margaret Mead

I’m reading this for one of my anthropology classes. So far I’m only through the first few chapters but I guess I like it. For being one of the most beloved anthropological ethnographies it’s not as engrossing as I thought it would be. To have captured so much attention and to be considered a classic it seems rather… I don’t know if mechanical is the word… maybe dry is a better word. When she actually uses stories and anecdotes it is much more interesting. I remember reading Chagnon’s ethnography on the Yanomamo and it was much more enjoyable. He was constantly using the actions of the subjects to speak for themselves and not generally glossing over.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

I can’t believe I’ve never read these before! I loved them. I guess I thought they would be typical Victorian children literature but they were so wonderfully insane and verbally twisty turny. Like the whole episode between Alice, the Mock Turtle, and the Gryphon in the first book:

“…He taught us drawling, stretching, and fainting in coils.”
“What was that like?” asked Alice.
“Well I can’t show it to you myself,” the Mock Turtle said: “I’m too stiff. And the Gryphon never learnt it.”
“Hadn’t time,” said the Gryphon, “I went to the classical master though. He was an old crab, he was. “
“I never went to him,” the Mock Turtle said with a sigh. “He taught laughing and grief, they used to say.”

Or the beautiful homage to Anglo Saxon Poetry found in Through the Looking Glass:

Jaberwocky
’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

oh yeah... I have a reading journal dont I...

So between summer trips back west and summer classes (and then fall classes) for some reason it’s been easy to forget about keeping this journal up even though I have at least been able to keep up my reading (as always, not as much as I like but at least still reading)…

So here is a quick rundown to get back up to date:

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening
Didn’t really like at all. Even with the understanding of it being a novella it just didn’t develop the characters well enough for me. I know it is supposed to be a feminist classic but I don’t know that I would ever say it was classic. I think the shock of it at the time has garnered it more respect… a classic just because it was the first? Or something like that. I also don’t think it’s a good example of feminist writing either, the main character was weak and after awakening to herself decides to die rather than live a more enlightened life?

Joy Adamson’s Born Free
I love this story. I’ve always love the old 1964 film and decided to read the book. While the movie obviously romanticized the story (when do they not?) I still enjoy both stories.

G.K. Chesterton’s The Man who was Thursday
This was so good I don’t know why I hadn’t read it already. I had been told by a friend several years ago to read this and of course I never got to it till last summer and could not put it down. It’s a marvelous mix of thriller, suspense, philosophy, allegory, political/social commentary, and comedic insanity. A must read for anyone.

John Kelly’s The Great Mortality
A non-fiction history on the 14th century bubonic plague epidemic. I think Kelly intertwined the various theatres of the plague, the long stretch of time, possible causes/theories, etc… quite well. Considering how disjointed such an attempt could have become I think it read very well and I (somewhat morbidly considering the subject matter?) enjoyed the work.

George MacDonald’s At the Back of the North Wind
I liked, although not as much as MacDonald’s “The Princess and the Goblin,” which I love. Still it was good, short, easy read, and was fantastical. Sometimes, I admit, the overly sweet nature of the boy annoyed me, but that may just be my cynicism. I did like that the world acknowledged that his sweetness was NOT normal. I wasn’t as if MacDonald was saying this was the average Victorian child, rather he was saying this WAS a special child that should be noted for his uniqueness. I may need to read it again to really appreciate it, but on first read it was good although different…

Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange
What a huge difference from the last book! I loved this book. It was somewhat sickening at first but so good that you could overlook the more distasteful scenes. And once into the middle section of the book this reflex of disgust becomes a part of the work itself. The brilliant Droog language Burgess uses is also rather easy to follow even though it should be foreign, and it creates, like Tolkien did for middle earth, a world one can step into. It was mentioned in the preface written by Burgess that the original American published Clockwork Orange was missing its last chapter which I think after reading the book was a gross disfavor to the American public and eventually the world since that is the edition that Kubrick used when making the film. I think that last chapter fits the story much better.

Dorothy L Sayers Whose Body, Gaudy Night, and Busman’s Honeymoon
I love Sayer’s mystery works. I first read “Have his Carcass” when I was 12 and can always reread the well written mysteries with witty banter and psychological aspects.

Dorothy L Sayer’s Are Women Human?
Sayer’s two essays on women’s position in society and feminism in the modern world. I like her approach, she is a classical feminist and not rabid about it all… much more focused on equality than trying to get back pay for years of discrimination and ill treatment.

P.G. Wodehouse’s The World of Jeeves
A fabulous collection of Jeeves and Bertie stories that are so witty and clever I can’t even think of a good way of describing them. Wodehouse is a must read.