What Books Are You Reading? (2018)
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The Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf. I have read Beowulf umpteen times in different translations, but the Heaney one particularly takes my fancy.
Mike
Mike
didache, thank you for the reminder. That Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf is supposed to be supreme. I met Seamus Heaney when he read in Raleigh, N.C. He was one of the warmest and most generous-seeming literary persons I've ever met. He wore the Nobel Prize lightly.
"I have read Beowulf umpteen times in different translations, but the Heaney one particularly takes my fancy."
Mike, there are three things I wish I had studied in my lifetime, bookbinding, cheesemaking and learning Anglo Saxon. Had I done the latter you can be assured I would have a facsimile copy of Beowulf on my bookshelves. The same applies to Bede's "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" of which I only have an English interpretation.
Good to see you back by the way :
:
Regards,
Jay.
Mike, there are three things I wish I had studied in my lifetime, bookbinding, cheesemaking and learning Anglo Saxon. Had I done the latter you can be assured I would have a facsimile copy of Beowulf on my bookshelves. The same applies to Bede's "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" of which I only have an English interpretation.
Good to see you back by the way :
:Regards,
Jay.
"I met Seamus Heaney when he read in Raleigh, N.C. He was one of the warmest and most generous-seeming literary persons I've ever met. He wore the Nobel Prize lightly."
I met him and his wife in Dublin once and I got the same impression as you. In fact, that seems to be one of the things people most often remember about him -- that he was a fundamentally decent person who treated everyone with kindness.
I met him and his wife in Dublin once and I got the same impression as you. In fact, that seems to be one of the things people most often remember about him -- that he was a fundamentally decent person who treated everyone with kindness.
Jay, I've read of Harrison's quest to crack the problem of accurately gauging longitude. Different author, though. Fascinating story and such an effort on his part only to be swindled and duped by the crown. No doubt you're aware already, but his chronometers are on display at Greenwich. When I was in Portsmouth a while back I was able to get up to London and Greenwich-- one of the highlights of that port of call!
Eric
Eric
"I met Seamus Heaney when he read in Raleigh, N.C. He was one of the warmest and most generous-seeming literary persons I've ever met. He wore the Nobel Prize lightly."
I am jealous of you both. As I lived in Ireland for a time I probably could have gone to a reading - it just didn't occur to me at the time. I wish I'd had.
mso489 - Heaney's translation especially focusses on the meter/cadence of Anglo-Saxon poetry. So, in a sing-song kind of way, you can read it in a different way than other translations I have come across. In other words, it reads as a translation by a poet, not a scholar.
jay - thankee kindly. My move is more or less complete now. Our new house is feeling more like a home now.
Mike
I am jealous of you both. As I lived in Ireland for a time I probably could have gone to a reading - it just didn't occur to me at the time. I wish I'd had.
mso489 - Heaney's translation especially focusses on the meter/cadence of Anglo-Saxon poetry. So, in a sing-song kind of way, you can read it in a different way than other translations I have come across. In other words, it reads as a translation by a poet, not a scholar.
jay - thankee kindly. My move is more or less complete now. Our new house is feeling more like a home now.
Mike
With the remake of Murder on the Orient Express released on video, I decided to read an old copy of the book. This has lead me to reading several other Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot books for light reading. I am also re-reading Plato's The Republic for something a little more thought provoking.
By the way, in the past week I have watched both the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express and the recent one. The 1974 movie starred Albert Finney and followed the book very closely. The 2017 movie didn't follow the book as close and made a couple of significant character changes. The pacing and action was faster in the 2017 movie. Both were enjoyable in my opinion.
By the way, in the past week I have watched both the 1974 version of Murder on the Orient Express and the recent one. The 1974 movie starred Albert Finney and followed the book very closely. The 2017 movie didn't follow the book as close and made a couple of significant character changes. The pacing and action was faster in the 2017 movie. Both were enjoyable in my opinion.
At tom12, I'm reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel right now myself! Only about 200 pages in though. It's been sitting on my shelf unread for about 10 years.
I also just finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Took about a week to read, very fun easy to read book with a ton of 80s references. Looking forward to the movie.
I also just finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Took about a week to read, very fun easy to read book with a ton of 80s references. Looking forward to the movie.
I have a 19 month old, so I've been hitting "Harry the Dirty Dog", "Goodnight Moon", and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear. What Do You See" pretty hard the last few months.
The last book I read for my own entertainment was about a month before he was born. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.
The last book I read for my own entertainment was about a month before he was born. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.
Just started All Quiet On The Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque.
Seen the film a few times , now to read the book.
Seen the film a few times , now to read the book.
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