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Good Night
Sep. 17th, 2018 12:35 am
Sep. 17th, 2018
More Pics From Home
Sep. 17th, 2018 02:20 amRescued another piece of furniture from being thrown out.
Slowly adding to the bookcase.
Found new spot for my laptop speakers. Sound is okay BUT i think i could do with bigger speakers!
Slowly adding to the bookcase.
Found new spot for my laptop speakers. Sound is okay BUT i think i could do with bigger speakers!
Peter Ackroyd "The Plato Papers" (Chatto and Windus)
A clever short novel set in the year 3700, in a future London where a future Plato orates to the people of the city about the distant, obscured past (including on the novelist Charles Dickens' reviled story On the Origin of Species, the humorist Sigmund Freud, and the Esteemed American Poet known as E. A. Poe. The book ends up being both a playful meditation on a misinterpretation of historical evidence and on the nature of philosophical inquiry generally.
A clever short novel set in the year 3700, in a future London where a future Plato orates to the people of the city about the distant, obscured past (including on the novelist Charles Dickens' reviled story On the Origin of Species, the humorist Sigmund Freud, and the Esteemed American Poet known as E. A. Poe. The book ends up being both a playful meditation on a misinterpretation of historical evidence and on the nature of philosophical inquiry generally.
Graham Robb "The Discovery Of France" (F.W Howes)
The Discovery of France is about the French cultural geography and how this plays in the history of France. To sum up, at the time of the French Revolution, the French were generally not French. Instead, France was a vast concoction of miscellaneous languages and cultures disconnected by the natural barriers and a diverse landscape; and the population's general goal was to continue to barely get by.
This could have been a fun book and it could have provided a really nice introduction into France and its geography and culture. It does bring some times and places to life, and it will certainly leave you with an appreciation for the geographic variation in France. The linguistic map is wonderful (although the text on linguistics put me to sleep - several times). The significance of the Pays is fascinating.
But, it’s not fun, more of a discursive lecture. And, it’s not a good introduction. The author seems to assume his readers are already pretty familiar with France and its basic geographic layout. The writing often gets bogged down in the details – and I would get lost. For example, the book constantly mentions different regions and locations; but, without a good reference as to where they are located and maps designed for the text, it all just washed over me, forgotten.
Overall I found the book disappointing and a struggle to read. I didn't get much concrete from the book, just a bunch of muddy ideas. A reader familiar with France will probably find this a much nicer book.
The Discovery of France is about the French cultural geography and how this plays in the history of France. To sum up, at the time of the French Revolution, the French were generally not French. Instead, France was a vast concoction of miscellaneous languages and cultures disconnected by the natural barriers and a diverse landscape; and the population's general goal was to continue to barely get by.
This could have been a fun book and it could have provided a really nice introduction into France and its geography and culture. It does bring some times and places to life, and it will certainly leave you with an appreciation for the geographic variation in France. The linguistic map is wonderful (although the text on linguistics put me to sleep - several times). The significance of the Pays is fascinating.
But, it’s not fun, more of a discursive lecture. And, it’s not a good introduction. The author seems to assume his readers are already pretty familiar with France and its basic geographic layout. The writing often gets bogged down in the details – and I would get lost. For example, the book constantly mentions different regions and locations; but, without a good reference as to where they are located and maps designed for the text, it all just washed over me, forgotten.
Overall I found the book disappointing and a struggle to read. I didn't get much concrete from the book, just a bunch of muddy ideas. A reader familiar with France will probably find this a much nicer book.
Canterbury Visit
Sep. 17th, 2018 09:41 pmI did a couple of visits in Canterbury today.One was around the central shopping area known as Whitefriars and the other a charity shop.
It was an unusaually warm day as well with temperatures reaching a sticky 28 degress C. A glrouos sunny day and yes,i did take pics.
Tomorrow i will be heading down to Hythe and New Romney and then up to Herne Bay and Westgate for a cinema visit.
It was an unusaually warm day as well with temperatures reaching a sticky 28 degress C. A glrouos sunny day and yes,i did take pics.
Tomorrow i will be heading down to Hythe and New Romney and then up to Herne Bay and Westgate for a cinema visit.
Just Wondering
Sep. 17th, 2018 09:42 pmWhen was the last time you frolicked(your interpretation of the word)?
What are your favorite type of cookies to make? How about eating?
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to get messy?
What are your favorite type of cookies to make? How about eating?
When was the last time you gave yourself permission to get messy?
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