The Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch
Jul. 23rd, 2004 07:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
create_destinyWell, I wanted to relax and unwind from the tension of a long work week so I decided to watch a dvd my dad sent me for my birthday a couple of months ago-- Baruka.
Not a good choice for a person perpetually staving off an existential crisis. Gee thanks dad.
After the flick I had to get away from my thoughts so I went to a used bookstore and found a few things:
-The Collective Family: A Handbook for Russian Parents
I'm not Russian, or a parent but I am fascinated with Russian history, particularly Soviet histroy. This book was published in 1937, 20 yrs. after the Bolshevik Revolution, and approaching a time when young school children were encouraged to nark on their parents for "counter-revolutionary" activity such as praying, owning icons, or basically saying anything that questioned the wisdom of the Soviet leaders. Read 1984 by George Orwell for a picture of life taken straight out of Soviet Russia.
--One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I already have a copy of this but I picked up another one to give to some unsuspecting bibliophile in the future. I haven't even read the copy I have. I read a short story by this author in a lit class a couple of semesters ago and was compellingly attracted to his magical realism. Which is odd because I usually don't go for anything "magical."
--The Sea-Wolf by Jack London
Jack London is one of my dad's favorite writers, mostly for The Call of the Wild but I picked this one up because a monk friend of mine told me this is one of his favorite books. I tend to love "men at sea" stories for some reason.
--The American Transcendentalists: Their Prose and Poetry.
I guess I'm somewhat intrigued by Transcendentalism even though I absolutely detest the "godfather" of Transcendentalism, Emerson, that pompous son-of-a $%#@*!
--The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change the World Around Them. I love to hear stories about amazing teachers who are literally able to be a catalyst for change in the lives of students.
Not a good choice for a person perpetually staving off an existential crisis. Gee thanks dad.
After the flick I had to get away from my thoughts so I went to a used bookstore and found a few things:
-The Collective Family: A Handbook for Russian Parents
I'm not Russian, or a parent but I am fascinated with Russian history, particularly Soviet histroy. This book was published in 1937, 20 yrs. after the Bolshevik Revolution, and approaching a time when young school children were encouraged to nark on their parents for "counter-revolutionary" activity such as praying, owning icons, or basically saying anything that questioned the wisdom of the Soviet leaders. Read 1984 by George Orwell for a picture of life taken straight out of Soviet Russia.
--One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
I already have a copy of this but I picked up another one to give to some unsuspecting bibliophile in the future. I haven't even read the copy I have. I read a short story by this author in a lit class a couple of semesters ago and was compellingly attracted to his magical realism. Which is odd because I usually don't go for anything "magical."
--The Sea-Wolf by Jack London
Jack London is one of my dad's favorite writers, mostly for The Call of the Wild but I picked this one up because a monk friend of mine told me this is one of his favorite books. I tend to love "men at sea" stories for some reason.
--The American Transcendentalists: Their Prose and Poetry.
I guess I'm somewhat intrigued by Transcendentalism even though I absolutely detest the "godfather" of Transcendentalism, Emerson, that pompous son-of-a $%#@*!
--The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change the World Around Them. I love to hear stories about amazing teachers who are literally able to be a catalyst for change in the lives of students.
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 08:48 pm (UTC)It looks like you found some interesting books. I've been wanting to read One Hundred Years of Solitude for a while now, but haven't managed to do so yet. I'm not the biggest fan of magical realism, but I've heard so many good things about this book that I figure I should at least give it a try. I also read a story of his in a comparative literature class I took; I think it was called "An Old Man with Enormous Wings," or something like that.
Happy reading!
no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 07:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 09:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-23 09:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 07:20 am (UTC)I saw a book at the bookstore called The Oranges of Hieronymous Bosch by Henry Miller. It's about him growing up in Big Sur. I didn't get it though because I don't care for Henry Miller's work. But Bosch is another story.
Off the subject...
Date: 2004-07-23 11:05 pm (UTC)His name is Prince Roger Nelson and he's 45.
:)
OH! And Stevie Nicks cried at his concert too, so THERE!! :P
Re: Off the subject...
Date: 2004-07-24 07:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 04:00 am (UTC)I have the same copy I read in college several years ago. Interesting book and for a while was one of my favorites, but Italo Calvino is better.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 08:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-25 05:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 05:01 am (UTC)Now I recall why you may have reacted so badly to the film; the images of the oil wells burning during Daddy Bush's Iraq war in 92, sorry! But you got to love the Japanese snow monkey sitting in the hot spring.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 07:06 am (UTC)Do you remember the part where an asian-looking person with white make-up on his or her face and a milkly film over his or her eyes starts screaming? That kind-of freaked me out.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 11:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-24 11:21 am (UTC)