tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post4186425206620366805..comments2024-02-05T01:55:53.566-08:00Comments on Gently Mad: One hundred books since summerSharon Wilfonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-29286839751557639312016-04-05T09:28:58.680-07:002016-04-05T09:28:58.680-07:00Hi Ruth. I did like the Grant's book on Columb...Hi Ruth. I did like the Grant's book on Columbus. I believe it offered information that you don't get anywhere else about the man. It seems today it's politically correct to vilify him.<br /><br />Diary of a Mad Man was the first Gogol I'd read. It's typically depressing Russian literature, everybody's going hungry and when they get a little money they drink it away.<br /><br />Still, it was interesting and I enjoyed reading it for all that.<br /><br />My Arabian Nights has 21 stories in it and it still took me over a year to read it because Burton's translation is soooooo verbose. It takes forever to say anything. It's told in that long, flowery, speech making style. I think it would be better to read an updated version.<br /><br /> Also, a lot of the tales are not kid-friendly at all. They're racist and some are outright anti-woman.<br /><br />Your four book set is probably the complete tales. Don't read it to finish it. That's what I did. Every now and then, pick it up, read a story and put it down again.Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-26778372942085397752016-04-05T08:57:59.637-07:002016-04-05T08:57:59.637-07:00Hi Chris: I did not think that Vampire Stories was...Hi Chris: I did not think that Vampire Stories was as good as Doyle's Holmes stories. For one thing Sherlock always wins out in the end. In the Vampire stories it seems the evil person wins. They aren't traditional Vampire stories; mostly they are about predatory people that seem to have preternatural ability to overpower others.<br /><br />Of course, Stoker's novel is the ultimate Vampire story. Doyle's are short stories so they don't have the development Stoker's novel does. Still they probably hold up the same. Both are written around the same time period and come from a Victorian culture. The men bravely save the women and the women are emblems of purity but also strength. <br /><br />I would say, however, that Doyle has some pretty evil women in a couple of his stories.Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-43735428123118765242016-04-05T08:57:25.876-07:002016-04-05T08:57:25.876-07:00Yay for you!
Did you like #14 and #24?
How lon...Yay for you! <br /><br />Did you like #14 and #24?<br /><br />How long was your copy of Arabian Nights? I have a four book set, but I don't know when I will get to it. It's very intimidating.Ruth @ with freedom and bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15531827758868215023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-19932934729506978272016-04-05T06:47:45.211-07:002016-04-05T06:47:45.211-07:00Very impressive! Congratulations on 100 books!
...Very impressive! Congratulations on 100 books! <br /><br />How was Vampire Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I recently finished all the Sherlock Holmes stories. The Hound of the Baskervilles is probably one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes. I also read Bram Stoker's Dracula this past October. How does Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's vampire stores compare to Bram Stoker's Dracula? <br /><br />I have still not tried Josh's recommendations about reading H.P. Lovecraft. Did you enjoy H.P. Lovecraft?<br /><br />Thank you and congratulations again!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05683772282736536215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-29056612301779331022016-04-04T08:04:31.782-07:002016-04-04T08:04:31.782-07:00Secret Spies is very interesting, although to me n...Secret Spies is very interesting, although to me not as well written as the author's The Tripoli Pirates. He focused so much on the spies you aren't aware that much else happened. His information on Benedict Arnold was good. I didn't know much about him before.<br /><br />I haven't read Rose's book. I'll look it up.Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-65282883985309523682016-04-04T03:46:44.025-07:002016-04-04T03:46:44.025-07:00Wow. That is an impressive list. I am kind of jeal...Wow. That is an impressive list. I am kind of jealous of you :)<br /><br />Plus you even counted Lord of the Rings as one book.<br /><br />Washington's Secret Six looks really good. I had read Washington's Spies s by Alexander Rose on a similar subject. It was excellent. <br /><br />Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-79116361305464761192016-04-03T20:10:17.843-07:002016-04-03T20:10:17.843-07:00Hi Cleopatra, I was just going back to comment on ...Hi Cleopatra, I was just going back to comment on your Villete post again.<br /><br />I don't know what that says about me that I have the time to read so many books. My son has gone off to college and other than the time I spend with my husband, my day job as musician and church-related activities, I guess I do pretty much read. It wasn't always like this in my life. I guess it's the season I'm currently living in.<br /><br />To answer your questions in order:<br /><br />1. Don't Waste Your Life was my first John Piper. It was valuable for the insight and information it offered. Like you, I don't read a lot of that genre, but it's worth your while. You'll get through it fast.<br /><br />2. The Complete Sayers are not her Wimsey novels but her short stories of Wimsey and Montague Egg who is a wine salesman who finds himself solving murders. The first half the stories are of Wimsey and the second half of Egg.<br /><br />3. I liked St. Francis of Assisi because it was by Chesterton and written in his incomparable style. I think one learns more about the author than the Saint in this case.<br /><br />4. I read one volume (the Barnes and Noble faux leather edition) of Arabian Nights, not the complete which is several volumes. Really it was still too long. It's better to read a smaller volume with the highlights. Many of the stories were tedious, in my opinion. It was sheer determination that motivated me to finish and, frankly, it still took me a year.<br /><br />Thanks for the compliment. I can say the same for your book reviews. Take care!Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948826710613032587.post-14321361635231731852016-04-03T19:31:34.087-07:002016-04-03T19:31:34.087-07:00I AM SO IMPRESSED! JUST WOW! I can't even im...I AM SO IMPRESSED! JUST WOW! I can't even imagine reading that many books in that amount of time. In fact, the thought of having the <i>time</i> to read that many books in that amount of time almost makes me cry. ;-) Congratulations!<br /><br />I do have a few questions for you:<br /><br />1. Was Don't Waste Your Life a worthwhile read? I own it and I've wondered if I should keep it. Usually I avoid modern Christian books but I did buy this one although now I can't remember why. :-Z<br /><br />2. I love Dorothy Sayers! Was her complete stories only her Peter Wimsey novels, or was it something else?<br /><br />3. Did you like St. Francis of Assisi by Chesterton? I was thinking of trying to read it this year.<br /><br />4. Did you read the complete Arabian Nights? I've heard that it's looooong. What are your thoughts? <br /><br />Brava again to you! I always love to see what you're reading because you have such wonderfully eclectic tastes. I can't wait to see your next list! :-)Cleohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13152128642971612433noreply@blogger.com