Classics Considered

By LoKiLeCh [ GFDL or CC-BY-3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons Of G. K. Chesterton 's several thousand essays, the one I stumbled across most suddenly on Project Gutenberg was Eugenics and Other Evils: An Argument Against the Scientifically Organized State.   I do not go out of my way to read essays, but the topic had been on my mind recently and, of course, Chesterton's nonfic is even more renowned than his novels.  I thought this would be a good place to start. Eugenics, in short, is "the study of methods of improving the quality of the human race, esp by selective breeding" ( Collins English Dictionary ).  The most well-known example of eugenics on a large scale took place in Nazi Germany; however, a more historically obscure example was the support for and practice of eugenics by doctors in the US and Great Britain, pre-WWI--and, in the case of the US, even up through the 70s. Background is key in Chesterton's book.  I must admit I was hoping for an argument tha...

I hadn't heard of Tomas Tranströmer until last fall when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature ; I placed a library request for two or three of his books, and, for various reasons, did not actually get a copy of either of them until very recently.  Needless to say, I had certain expectations.  This particular book, The Great Enigma , is in a sense " the complete poems of ", because it holds all of his poems that were ever published "in book form"-- Baltics , The Sorrow Gondola , Secrets on the Way , etc.  It also contains a short memoir, Memories in My Eyes , in which Tranströmer describes certain scenes from his childhood, in Sweden. I hope it is fair to give this book 3 out of 5 stars .  I'm not well up on contemporary poetry, but I love any good poetry, regardless of style.   I've read several of the classics--Frost, Poe, Wordsworth, Browning, Shakespeare, etc.  And I've written a fair amount of poetry myself.  This is my rating, for what it'...

If there's one thing that ticks me off about this book, it's this: The Club of Queer Trades is a parody of Sherlock Holmes.  From the protagonist, Basil Grant--who scoffs at facts --to his younger brother Rupert--a wannabe private detective patrolling lamp-lit London-- G. K. Chesterton takes a not-so-subtle jab at the Sherlock Holmes series and the science of deduction.  Basil Grant's tools of the trade?  A touch of insanity, healthy intuition, and uproarious laughter. In fact, I can forgive Chesterton and his maniacal character just for the laughs I got reading this book. Chesterton's word choice is very quirky and witty throughout most of the six short stories and especially the first half.  If you're looking for a light read set in Victorian London, you could give this a try.  The basic plotline is this: Rupert, Basil, and Mr Swinburne (the narrator/Watson) never agree on who is a suspicious-looking character.  And if either Rupert or Basil sees a su...

© Daniel J Maxwell In the last few days, I've been perusing two radically different books: G. K. Chesterton's The Club of Queer Trades (a first-rate audiobook ) and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness (my beloved publicity copy ).  The first is a humorous collection of adventures in Victorian London.  The second is a profound, psychological study set in Africa under British imperialism.  Two books could not be more unlike.  But while I was reviewing some of the more outstanding quotes today, it struck me both books have similar things to say...on the subject of facts . It's a weird coincidence.  I have a habit of reading multiple books at once, but between books of different genre, there is rarely such a complete, simultaneous overlap of message/meaning.  If it doesn't bore you to tears, read the excerpts below and tell me if I'm just seeing things:    "Facts," murmured Basil, like one mentioning some strange, far-off animals, " how facts obscure ...

Beowulf Unknown 3.5 out of 5 stars I feel almost guilty for rating this classic of classics so poorly, but I think it's a book you either love, loathe, or feel lukewarm about. Pros :  The historic setting, historic dialogue, underwater/cave battle, and Christian perspective.  Added 1/2 star for Beowulf 's influence on Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings . Cons :  Beowulf (the character) is much too flawless a fighter. He hardly seems human.  A more interesting character is Wiglaf, the underling whose courage outweighs his inexperience. The Queen of Spades Alexander Pushkin 2 out of 5 stars A very weird, Edgar Allan Poe-esque story about gambling and ghosts.  It's also super fast-paced, which doesn't help.  Interesting concept, however. A Tangled Tale Lewis Carroll 5 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've read in the last year.  This is a collection of math/logic puzzles, with continuing characters and storylines.  The dialogue is wonderfully witty ...

With the quality of our desires, thoughts, and wonder proportioned to our infinite littleness, we measure even time itself by our own stature. The Mirror of the Sea is a fascinating work.  I was struck by several things--one, it is nonfic that reads like a novel; two, it is a very personal book; and three, the writing is pure art. I'll admit, I'm biased.  As of the last year or so, Joseph Conrad (along with Hawthorne) has been the author I've most admired.  His thoughts and observations are profound in a perfectly down-to-earth way, without being too self-conscious or egotistic.  He never expects anything of the reader except their willingness to listen.  It is as if he understands, inherently, how to express his mind in the truest way, and convey it through, not beneath, the prose. The Mirror of the Sea is, of course, about the sea.  Conrad alternates between personal anecdotes and deep, lengthy descriptions, with the frequent psychological aside. ...

Last night I finished my first re-reading of Eugene Onegin (Alexander Pushkin).  The plan is to use a different translation for each re-read--this time I used Henry Spalding's, which you can find at Project Gutenberg .  While I didn't stumble across any words like zen , I found parts of the translation to read awkwardly, as if a thesaurus had been referenced once too often.  On the positive side, it is overall a very readable translation, and it rhymes. 4.5/5 stars for the Spalding translation. As for the re-read itself.  Much has been made of Tatyana's bookish dreams, but I'm convinced now that the poet Lensky is the only idealist, the only dreamer in the whole book.  His last thoughts were what really stood out to me this time.  I understood better where he was coming from, and I actually felt very sorry for him. (Spoiler alert) After the ball--where Onegin childishly vents his anger by flirting with Olga--Lensky's reaction goes from feeling h...