Book Club

[ALRATIBA]

Occasionally I come across a book that grabs me in the first few pages. This one got me before I finished the first page!

Back in November, I bought the Kindle version book of "The Eighth Arrow:  Odysseus in the Underworld."    I bought it because it includes Greek mythology, Dante's Inferno (2 of my top 10 interests) and the author J. Augustine Wetta* is a Benedictine Monk (always a plus).  Book is long enough to keep me entertained for a bit ... 330 pages.

I finally got around to starting it last night.  Totally into the book by the second paragraph.  Third paragraph:

I am Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, Son of Laertes, Raider of Troy, Blinder of the Cyclops, Teller of Tales, Man of Many Faces.  Sing, heavenly Muse, the last adventure of flame-tossed Odysseus.

(In his Divine Comedy - Inferno, Dante put Odysseus in the 8th circle of Hell "among liars, frauds, and sowers of discord."  And I think many of us are familiar with Homer's "Odyssey." ) 

Last month, I bought Fr. Wetta's "Humility Rules:  Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem."  

[dex]

@ALRATIBA @Sorry but after reading that third paragraph I would have put that book in the donation pile.You do like some heavy reading material.Enjoy your book.

[Sooner]

@ALRATIBA   Good for you!  I know little about mythology and that has always been a regret of mine.  But I guess not enough of one that I've done something about it.

I love to read and learn and research things, but most are about practical things and self knowledge, faith etc., cooking, financial things, computers etc.

[MarnieRez3]

@ALRATIBA
Well, it is clear you were an English major, lovely reader! The closest I come to such intelligent reading is literary fiction, but I'm a tad ashamed to reveal how much time I spend reading psychological thrillers with unreliable female narrators, a la Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window, etc. Color me embarrased!
The last book on Greek mythology I read was the famous one we all read in HS, by a woman author whose name escapes me now. Edith maybe??

[ALRATIBA]

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@Sooner wrote:

@ALRATIBA   Good for you!  I know little about mythology and that has always been a regret of mine.  But I guess not enough of one that I've done something about it.

I love to read and learn and research things, but most are about practical things and self knowledge, faith etc., cooking, financial things, computers etc.

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@Sooner 

I agree about faith - that's more than practical!  That's Vital!

But .... the other stuff is too much like real life.   

[ALRATIBA]

@MarnieRez3 

Edith Hamilton!   I read her in the 1970s - required readng for a Humanities class.

The Roman Way for a class entitled "Arts and Ideas - Italan Culture."  It was a seminar type class.  We were paired and each pair assigned a particular topic of Italian culture ... and were required to "teach" a class after our research.

We did Literature ... great class.  At the end of the semester there was a big party at Prof's house - featuring Italian pot luck.  

(Not to brag but we did get an A in that class.)

[MarnieRez3]

@ALRATIBA 

Oh yes, Edith HAMILTON! Thank you for jogging my brain! lol

[jlkz]

@ALRATIBA 

If you haven’t read anything by Dr. Scott Hahn, I would recommend his tape and study book ( college level course) entitled The End.  It gives the historical information about the Book Of Revelation which was a head scratcher for me when I read it through the first time.

The linkages and precursors Old / New Testament are fascinating.

BTW, I remember reading the Edith Hamilton book as a college freshman....required reading  for translating some Latin classics.  

Also, a modern French playwright used the gods in some of his plays ( did my Honors thesis on him with the topic “ The Role of Woman as mediatrix between the Worlds of Gods and Men “ in the mid-60’s !!! )

Thanks for the memory !

[AuntG]

I guess I read junk. My current book starts with 'The beach was empty tonight.' 

[ALRATIBA]

I do have one of Hahn’s books, the Angels and Saints book from 2014. I don’t particularly care for his writing style. I’ve seen him on EWTN numerous times - but prefer other contemporary Catholic writers. Dr Steven Smith is my current favorite.

But the best stuff is the Church Fathers.