I experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams (1952-2001) as a cleverish, satirical comedy, science fiction novel that's I experienced The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams (1952-2001) as a cleverish, satirical comedy, science fiction novel that's written in a tone, narrative, and dialogue style that seemed to have been inspired by Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. A fun, easy-going, read, so I can see why readers enjoy it. Nevertheless, it didn't captivate me enough, that is why I'm not sure that I'm up for reading the entire "trilogy" made up of five parts....more
Seneca maintains that the greatest purpose in life is to achieve happiness, but not the empty and short-lived happinessHappiness is one serious matter
Seneca maintains that the greatest purpose in life is to achieve happiness, but not the empty and short-lived happiness of a fool while indulging in excessive pleasures or a carnivore when it comes across its prey, but rather a state of fearlessness, tranquility, self-control, and indifference to all that life brings.
The only way to accomplish this state of happiness is by living a virtuous and moral life, which means living in moderation and in harmony with nature.
Even though nature created us pure and free, Seneca believes that nobody is good by chance, as virtues, the ultimate good, can only be learned. Therefore, by a properly guided reason and clear consciousness we can attain this virtuousness that will lead us to wisdom; the gateway to happiness.
Besides the degree of indifference and detachment suggested by the Stoics along with the individual freedom to take one's own life, which gives this philosophy an esoteric feel to it, these Letters to Lucilius by Seneca are an excellent choice of a self-improvement book which I highly recommend....more
In this last volume of In Search of Lost Time we read about the declining years of the characters that surrounded the story. We learn from the author In this last volume of In Search of Lost Time we read about the declining years of the characters that surrounded the story. We learn from the author how the evocations of his past and the people that surrounded his life have, in his final years, materialized themselves into a single character that embodied those memories.
Since the "past is like a photographic darkroom encumbered with innumerable negatives which remain useless because their intellect has not developed them." Proust urges us to shed the light upon these undeveloped negatives in order to become more aware of our past and our lives.
Reading this 4,215-page novel was a well-worth journey in itself and I am in agreement with much of Proust's philosophy on life and enjoyed learning about his distinct method of triggering, recollecting, and exploring the past through the prism of impressionism. Thankfully, his predictions of the future, such as: "We accept the thought that in ten years we ourselves, in a hundred years our books, will have ceased to exist" were evidently not the case with Proust or his work that we still enjoy to this day....more
Proust realizes that: "The inertia of the mind urges it to slide down the easy slope of imagination, rather than to climb the steep slope of introspecProust realizes that: "The inertia of the mind urges it to slide down the easy slope of imagination, rather than to climb the steep slope of introspection." Hence, he resolves to climb this steep, uncomfortable, slope throughout his novel. However, even with deep introspection, he wasn't able to overcome his retrospective and prospective jealousy in his relationship with Albert(ine). Was it jealousy or justifiable suspicion?
Parts of this novel were superfluous and redundant. In comparison to this 5th volume, the first few volumes exceeded in quality, despite the author and or his narrator/character finally achieving in this series his literary recognition. The various, already well-developed characters gradually adapted or expanded their sexual orientations which all seemed unnecessary, hopeless, and unconvincing.
Despite all of that the plot was realistic, narrative vivid, contemplations revealing, and the representation of relationships honest. Proust also shares his reflections on his loved and lost relationships and the process of grieving and forgetting, but most importantly forgiving. "I was suffering from a love that no longer existed. Thus does an amputee, in certain kinds of weather, feel pain in the limb that he has lost." All in all, I am looking forward to reading the last part of In Search of Lost Time....more
"By dint of imagining oneself to be ill one becomes ill, one grows thin, one is too weak to rise from one's bed, one suffers from nervous enteritis. B"By dint of imagining oneself to be ill one becomes ill, one grows thin, one is too weak to rise from one's bed, one suffers from nervous enteritis. By dint of thinking tenderly of men, one becomes a woman, and an imaginary skirt hampers one's movements. The obsession, as in the other instance it can affect one's health, may in this instance alter one's sex."
Proust narrates Sodom and Gomorrah: In Search of Lost Time, Vol. 4 in less of an impressionistic writing style compared to his previous volumes. This time around, the underlying topic of his characters is their sexuality and his innocence at one point in believing that the taste for one sex excluded the other. We also learn about his intimate but insecure relationship with Albertine and his sobering realization that he might share a similar fate as that of Swann. Lastly, Proust shares the inevitable subject of sleep(lessness): "A little insomnia is not without its value in making us appreciate sleep, in throwing a ray of light upon that darkness". and "We do not include the pleasures we enjoy in sleep in the inventory of pleasures we have experienced in the course of our existence."
Some of Proust's comparisons of a man's homosexuality to womanliness such as: "the unconscious but visible woman in him seeks the masculine organ." and drawing parallels between bisexuality and hermaphroditism in this day and age feels a bit dated. However, Proust's literal gift throughout his volumes is flawlessly and compellingly illustrating the behavior, appearance, and personality of the aristocratic female characters with whom he is infatuated during his adolescence and young adulthood....more
Proust's reflections on his young adulthood intertwined with his imagination continue to inspire and carry his seven-volume novel. This time around heProust's reflections on his young adulthood intertwined with his imagination continue to inspire and carry his seven-volume novel. This time around he provides us with an up close and personal glance into a 19th-century life of an aristocratic family The Guermantes, the way the Dreyfus case had degraded the social status of the Jews in France, and Proust's inescapable topic of his awkward romantic endeavors.
I particularly liked how Proust interweaves throughout the story his marginal or spontaneous realizations about himself or things in general, such as his or our "limits" of being infatuated with one woman at a time, his obsession with the idea of being in love rather than the woman of his interest, and things like "the knowledge that to kiss Albertine's cheeks was a possible thing was a pleasure perhaps greater even than that of kissing them."
The Guermantes Way: In Search of Lost Time, Vol. 3 had some significant resemblance to Vol. 1 wherein both volumes the two prominent male characters of high society fall for a prostitute almost unaware of her profession or reputation (perhaps it stands true that "we live in ignorance of those we love.").
Nonetheless, Young Proust's illustrations and portrayals of the personalities and conducts of the older leading female characters with those he is infatuated with are unsurpassable. However, I've enjoyed the first two volumes more than this third, although, I am looking forward to reading the rest....more
Proust structures a simple and lifelike plot in his veiled autobiography of his adolescent impressions and perceptions of love. Even though the plot'sProust structures a simple and lifelike plot in his veiled autobiography of his adolescent impressions and perceptions of love. Even though the plot's events, to an extent, are foreseeable and their intensity softened, Proust's narrative, on the other hand, is depicted in a wide array of colors, most often hazy, with various shapes and silhouettes, oftentimes distorted. He recollects his youthful encounters and subsequent reflections through a medium of fluctuating emotions and perplexed feelings. At times it feels like the story is all over the place but resembles one's unhampered thought process of raw impressions of experiences.
Within a Budding Grove: In Search of Lost Time, Vol. 2 embraces the style of impressionistic depictions substantially more than in the previous volume. Proust shows us how the state of our internal feelings encountered by the objects of our attention, from different angles, often distorted by light, changes our impression of the reality of that same object or event through time. I will end with a wonderful example of Proust's portrayal of an experience after meeting a girl he liked: "But so far as the pleasure was concerned, I was naturally not conscious of it until some time later, when, back at the hotel, and in my room alone, I had become myself again. Pleasure in this respect is like photography. What we take, in the presence of the beloved object, is merely a negative, which we develop later, when we are back at home, and have once again found at our disposal that inner darkroom the entrance to which is barred to us so long as we are with other people."...more
"When one is in love one has no love left for anyone"
This was a captivating read composed of long sentences expressing, in a melancholic tone, the dis"When one is in love one has no love left for anyone"
This was a captivating read composed of long sentences expressing, in a melancholic tone, the discomforts and foolishness of love, yet, the depictions of the awkwardness of love were counterpoised by the stories settings in the consoling and vividly illustrated landscapes of Normandy and Paris.
Proust's Swann's Way: In Search of Lost Time, Vol. 1 appears as an impressionistic illustration of his autobiography triggered by his (involuntary) memory and guided by the engraved and everlasting impressions of his bittersweet experiences of the past which are all entwined with a sense of nostalgia for the very same sentiments.
Both the narrator and main character are immersed in their thoughts and feelings, continually reflecting and reasoning exterior events and their personal experiences (which occasionally bring about clearance). However, this disquieting process is followed by anxieties and discomforts that are caused by the narrator/main character's evocations and reflections in which they spend much of their time - in their lonesome thoughts, rather than in the external realities which resulted in their indistinguishable view between tangible and imagined realities.
A slow-paced plot that gradually attracts the reader but never overindulges. Some wonderful internal and external dialogues that resemble a symphony, composed of several parts, moving back and forth in time. I quite liked these parts. All in all, I look forward to reading the second volume....more
Odysseus' decade-long voyage home through the unchartered seas was an uncertain, mystical, and prophetic journey comprised of divine revelations, natuOdysseus' decade-long voyage home through the unchartered seas was an uncertain, mystical, and prophetic journey comprised of divine revelations, natural temptations, and struggles that were overcome by Odysseus' unwavering perseverance, cleverness, and spiritual guidance; a pilgrimage of introspection and humans determination along with the power of imagination.
Homer's illustrations of Odysseus' adventurous voyage and Penelope's skillful handle of her suitors while maintaining an unswerving loyalty to her husband were a pleasure to read, where Odysseus' ultimate handling of his wife's suitors towards the end of the epic poem was excessively barbaric for my taste. Nevertheless, Odysseus' and Penelope's journey of progression and determination has left a strong impression on me....more
The Iliad is an epic poem created before writing was invented and likely written no later than the 7th BCE. The poem's events cover a period of 7-8 weThe Iliad is an epic poem created before writing was invented and likely written no later than the 7th BCE. The poem's events cover a period of 7-8 weeks of a decade-long Trojan War in which the story's character traits, namely honor, courage, skillfulness, and strength were valued above all other human qualities.
Despite the long-held beliefs that the Trojan War was purely a mythological event, the 19th-century discovery of Troy has made The Iliad to some extent an actual historical event. Nevertheless, a historical event that our poet intertwines with dramatic fictional stories fueled by a vivid imagination.
There is also a belief that "Homer" is not the name of the poet who is presumed to have written the The Iliad and that "Homer" simply means "compiler", hence, we might not know the writer's personal name but only their profession. Also, the notion of Homer being blind is difficult to believe for many due to his ability to describe external events so clearly.
Homer's characters are exceptionally religious and devoted to their gods and the gods are involved in everyday people's lives and utilize their divine powers for both good and evil. What I found interesting in the story is the belief that not only is life governed by destiny, but that one's destiny stands above the gods. Hence, destiny is what the gods submit to and are there to see that destiny is fulfilled and that nothing disturbs it.
I first began reading the English translation of The Iliad by George Chapman but soon realized it wasn't the right fit for me, so I continues with a translation in my native language and enjoyed it significantly more. I was also anticipating the event surrounding the Trojan Horse but there was no mention of it in The Iliad. Last but not least, the all-powerful and brave Achilles openly weeping over the death of his dear friend Patroclus is another confirmation that it's alright and acceptable for grown men to publicly cry....more
An intricate prose poem comprised of language and logic arithmetic
Consciousness is the pure I, the absolute essence, that when confronted with anotherAn intricate prose poem comprised of language and logic arithmetic
Consciousness is the pure I, the absolute essence, that when confronted with another, becomes a self-consciousness, a conscious ego, aware of its actual existence, that through reason or its equivalent, the Notion, becomes certain that all is a reality.
The unity of these shared notions or ideas amongst the people or a community take form of the being or Spirit. The Spirit, through its various shapes and forms, has and will, throughout time, continuously evolve and progress endeavoring to achieve a utopian state.
Hence, the totality of consciousness, self-consciousness, and reason constitutes a Spirit; a synthesis of subjectivity and objectivity. The intensity of the Spirit is directly proportional to self-consciousness; the more self-aware we are the Spirit becomes more complete.
Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (1807) runs us through all the development stages of consciousness that he believes eventually lead to the absolute knowing....more
Faust written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is a tragic play largely written in rhyme verse and part in prose to more accurately depict thFaust written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is a tragic play largely written in rhyme verse and part in prose to more accurately depict the literary period of the scene.
Goethe's play, in two parts, is immersed with Christian-rooted metaphors and symbolism, pagan beliefs and mysticism of the author's region, Greek mythology, and political and economic events that defined the period in which the play was written.
A captivating poetic play that wonderfully illustrates human's internal struggle between morally acceptable behavior and our nihilistic alter ego all intertwined with the irony and outcome of those rewarded and punished. All in all, part two was very good, but part one was perfection....more
This coming-of-age story is narrated in the third person, often with a satirical and cynical undertone, about an ordinary and naive protagonist and thThis coming-of-age story is narrated in the third person, often with a satirical and cynical undertone, about an ordinary and naive protagonist and the events and experiences that broadened and shaped his perspective.
At the surface, this is a story that's set in a Swiss sanatorium where patients from all around the world (mostly from Europe) treat their pulmonary diseases while constantly battling a smoldering fever that many don't take seriously. However, the the underlying theme being the simmering state and illness of European societies prior to WWI.
The Magic Mountain (1924) also shares great dialogues between the philosophies (Germanocentric) that shaped the Age of Enlightenment, communism, and religious beliefs. The book was a bit long but worth it. The introduction of a new character towards the end was a little exhausting but I was able to get through it. Nevertheless, I would recommend the book.
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