Leontes, King of Sicily, is convinced that his queen, Hermione, is pregnant with King Polixenes of Bavaria's child. He is mistaken. His wild jealousy Leontes, King of Sicily, is convinced that his queen, Hermione, is pregnant with King Polixenes of Bavaria's child. He is mistaken. His wild jealousy kills both his son and the defamed queen. He casts off what he thinks is his illegitimate daughter, but she survives. Some years later we find ourselves on the "shores" of Bohemia — modern Bohemia is landlocked. It’s the kingdom of Polyxenes, the queen's imaginary lover. Then the reader gets into the low Rabelaisen humor provided by Autolycus and the Clown. Ah, and then the love story. Soon we wind up back in Sicily with the repentant Leontes, his daughter grown and now betrothed to the crown prince of Bohemia. Then there's the strangely moving resurrection of Hermione. . . .
But this is just plot. And as we know, reading for plot alone is to almost entirely miss a literary work's richest pleasures. Read, too, for the dazzling music of the language. It's poetry....more
Oliver Sacks mentions this work in his book Hallucinations for its depiction of groups experiencing mass delusions. I do not know if Arthur Miller reaOliver Sacks mentions this work in his book Hallucinations for its depiction of groups experiencing mass delusions. I do not know if Arthur Miller read this when working on his play The Crucible, but I wouldn’t be surprised....more
An fascinating window on Imperial Qing China in the words of Emperor K'ang-Hsi (reigned 1661-1722). I've never read anything like it. To think that auAn fascinating window on Imperial Qing China in the words of Emperor K'ang-Hsi (reigned 1661-1722). I've never read anything like it. To think that author Spence created this "memoir" by assembling disparate fragments. The result is a dazzling continuous whole. Outstanding and highly recommended. ...more
Finished the delightfully archaic and beautiful "Hydriotaphia or Urne Buriall." Now reading "Religio Medici." These essays are not for the general reaFinished the delightfully archaic and beautiful "Hydriotaphia or Urne Buriall." Now reading "Religio Medici." These essays are not for the general reader, unless that reader is prepared to undertake a Googlefest. Even then they allude heavily to the classics, Scripture, and not a few authors who are today not in vogue. Unfortunately, the notes provided for this edition by Dr. Endicott are not sufficient to slake our thirst for context. Nevertheless, the essays give us the fascinating worldview of an intelligent man of the late 17th century — a "doctor of physik" — a rational thinker amid the vulgar mob, who, despite his limited scholarly resources and annoying non-standard English can often be deeply insightful, especially with regard to his Anglican faith and the Counter-Reformation which he was then living through....more
Read The Misanthrope and was surprised by how it held me. Generally, I find plays very dead on the page. Not this one. Moliere's keen wit and sharp chRead The Misanthrope and was surprised by how it held me. Generally, I find plays very dead on the page. Not this one. Moliere's keen wit and sharp characterizations comes through beautifully. He has this very light touch. And here's the funny thing--the play's in verse! Rhyming couplets for the most part. Here's part of what translator Wilbur says about it: "In this play, society itself is indicted, and though Alceste's criticisms are indiscriminate, they are not unjustified...." Let me add that Alceste thinks of himself as the only moral visionary about. Everyone else is ruined by the various social fraudulences of the day (1666). There are others who see through this faux civility, too, of course, but Alceste is the one whose pride spurs him on to ever greater truth telling. If the play weren't so funny, and Wilbur's verse so sharp, Alceste would be a very great bore indeed. Tartuffe I liked too. It's about this con man who, playing the role of the pious Christian, wheedles his way into the heart of a prosperous Paris householder. That man, Orgon, is so taken in by the fraud Tartuffe that he allows it to disrupt his very large household. But then he's caught trying to seduce the lady of the house. That moment of exposure provides enormous pleasure. Though the meter tends to slow the reader down a bit, both plays read very fast, about an hour each....more
The Peace of Augsburg of 1555 had ensured the coexistence of the landed German princes, many of whom were Lutheran, under the Catholic Hapsburg King CThe Peace of Augsburg of 1555 had ensured the coexistence of the landed German princes, many of whom were Lutheran, under the Catholic Hapsburg King Charles V. The Thirty Years War was largely the war of the Counter-Reformation. It was started in 1618 by Ferdinand II, whose rise to the monarchy was marked by great dubiety on the part of his German Electors, among others. He wanted lands lost during the Reformation returned to the Church (Edict of Restitution), as well as the reconversion of "strayed" Catholics, often by coercive means. Until the Thirty Years War Germany was by and large a Hapsburg possession. The war ended that forever. Be advised, this is a product of the great-white-male school of historiography. Taken on its own terms it's quite wonderful, but don't look here for insight into the peasantry or the plight of women. There are other texts for that. Author C.V. Wedgwood brings a degree of focus and narrative drive to these extraordinarily complex events that reminds me very much of Barbara Tuchman. That's high praise indeed. Wedgwood also has as fine and nimble a gift for the counterfactual scenario as I've ever come across. First rate!...more
**spoiler alert** This superb parody of medieval romantic tales based on legend, chivalric love, and adventure. Don Quixote’s madness lies in his cred**spoiler alert** This superb parody of medieval romantic tales based on legend, chivalric love, and adventure. Don Quixote’s madness lies in his credulity. For him the chivalric tales are histories not fictions. The comedy lies in the Don’s bravado and rhetoric, matched at every turn by failure, which usually amounts to a good hiding.
Cervantes great gift, among others, is modulation of the narrative. The text is always good-naturedly winking at the reader. It seems at times to be a novel of soliloquies, long monologues, a device from the stage.
I’m comparing J.M. Cohen’s translation (this book) with Edith Grossman’s newer translation. (I’ve read both.) And so far Cohen prevails. Cohen has this slightly more formal diction, which, when it comes to Don Quixote‘s dialogue, is simply funnier than the same line in Grossman....more
Sometimes I have this synesthetic thing kick in when I read. I remember when reading Martin Amis's Inside Story that he rendered Christopher Hitchens'Sometimes I have this synesthetic thing kick in when I read. I remember when reading Martin Amis's Inside Story that he rendered Christopher Hitchens's speech so vividly, that I could hear that famous voice as I read. Here it's Orson Welles's voice reciting Othello's lines. And how many years ago did I see Welles's film interpretation of the play? An eon, surely. It's a strange facility. What I want to know is if other readers have this synesthetic gift? Yes, let's call it a gift....more
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