Finished Reading “Heretics”

-
Image
  "G. K. Chesterton, the "Prince of Paradox," is at his witty best in this collection of twenty essays and articles from the turn of the twentieth century. Focusing on  "heretics" - those who pride themselves on their superiority to Christian views - Chesterton appraises prominent figures who fall into that category from the literary and art worlds... those who hold incomplete and inadequate views about "life, the universe, and everything." He is, in short, criticizing all that host of non-Christian views of reality, as he demonstrated in his follow-up book Orthodoxy. The book is both an easy read and a difficult read. But he manages to demonstrate, among other things, that our new 21st century heresies are really not new because he himself deals with most of them." (Goodreads)

Happy Bloomsday

-

We interrupt our irregularly scheduled flight of fancy that we might observe this day, June 16, known to most bookworms (the Irish ones, in particular) as “Bloomsday.” Herein we celebrate (with as much reserve as panache) the literary marvel that is “Ulysses” as written by James Joyce. The novel in its entirety takes place on this one day in 1904, telling the story of a man who is trying to avoid going home to his wife. In ironic real life, it was the same day Joyce met his wife-to-be. Love it and hate it. It’s not an easy read, but it’s definitely rewarding. It does not soften reality.

I’ve provided below a sample from his work that I find most poetic, as the rhythm and alliteration are astounding. Read slowly, out loud. Pay attention to the sounds of the letters, the words. Genius!

My copy was published in 1961 and contains in the forward, “The Monumental Decision Of The United States District Court Rendered December 6, 1933, By Honorable John M. Wolsey Lifting The Ban On ‘Ulysses.’” Fascinating.

Popular posts from this blog

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more