Hello, what's up? I've been reading a lot lately and finished quite a few as well. Here I'd like to jot down some thoughts, impressions of the readings.
Bertrand Russell A History of Western Philosophy
This is an excellent primer and I recommend it to well, anybody interested in philosophy really. Russell starts with the early civilization, pagans, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, thru the Christian period, to Renaissance, and 1600s through late 1800s.
What makes this book so great is in fact learning about the great ideas as they've developed through the ages, but its also Russell's writing style. His voice isn't your typical textbook philosophy book. He seems to speak to the reader in a much more personal way, making the 840 page book a lot smoother than it otherwise could've been.
I was interested in reading this because I read Sir Toms More's Utopia and Francis Bacon's New Atlantis. These books came up when I typed in "oldest science fiction novel" on google. From there I read Descartes' Objections and Replies, and I'm reading through Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan as well. Not light reading, but at the same time I read it because I find it fun and interesting.
This book helped put a context for a lot of the things I read. I can understand where the writers are coming from what I learned here. Its a great beginning to philosophy. Of course I still have a lot to learn, and in fact I would like to never stop learning, for it is a fun as well as enlightening endeavor.
The Iliad
I just started reading this epic beginning story of Western Literature. I'm in Book 2 in the translation I'm reading. I find the lines to be quite beautiful, describing every detail in excruciating detail. One of the things I love about the Iliad is that there are some lines that end with exclamation points. With these you always get a sense for the voice of the story, of the characters, plot, and subplot. Madeline Miller's two novel prepared me for these epic poetic legends. I plan on finishing it soon.
Black Music by Amiri Baraka
This book is a collection of essays by Amiri Baraka (Formerly Leroy Jones), a black poet, musician, and writer from beat era. I know a guy that said he used to hang out Baraka when he came to LA. The book is quite fascinating, we see a jazz critical perspective from a black artist himself. What I find great is that Baraka seems to understand the so called new thing, or free jazz when it first appeared. He spoke highly of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, late period Coltrane, and Don Cherry. He knows whats up musically, artistically. Baraka's writing style is interesting, descriptive, and sometimes captivating when you realize he knows what he's talking about. Worth a read if you love jazz.
Also on my reading list is Dune, Tales From Earthsea, Seduction and Betrayal, Paradise Lost, and Dante's Inferno. A wide range of stuff, some fun, light, serious, classical, and captivating.
As I think back about all the great stuff I've read since spring to pre-fall, all the things I've learned, about words, reading, and writing, I feel a great sense of wonderment. Reading has really enriched my life, and time seems to be very pleasant when I spend it in this manner. Finding the time to read is difficult for most people, that's why I'm grateful that I can even do all this, lol. Its a good obsession.
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