maddiesbookshelves reblogged
im sick of classic lit retellings trying to make the characters better (read: more palatable by modern standards) i want retellings that find new and fascinating ways to make those bitches worse
My friend went to Iceland and she brought this back for me:
The Edda is one of the pillars of Icelandic literature and contains "the most extensive account of Norse myths and legends that has survived from the Middle Ages" (from the back cover).
I've never read anything like this (aside from simplified versions of Chrétien de Troyes as a kid maybe), but I love mythology and I've always wanted to read about Norse myths. Hope I like it!
Mon amie m'a ramené un souvenir d'Islande:
Edda est un des piliers de la littérature islandaise et contient "le récit le plus complet des mythes et légendes nordiques qui nous soit parvenu du Moyen Âge" (d'après la quatrième de couverture).
Je n'ai jamais rien lu de semblable (à part peut-être des versions simplifiées de Chrétien de Troyes quand j'étais petite), mais j'adore la mythologie et j'ai toujours voulu en savoir plus sur les mythes nordiques. J'espère que je vais aimer !
Teachers have tried this and are amazed when their classes don’t go feral like in the book. It’s almost as if the book was supposed to be satire and not a treaty on the nature of humanity.
there’s a timeskip
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
THERE’S A TIMESKIP
after losing control of the signal fire there’s a FUCKING TIMESKIP and when the next chapter starts everyone’s hair is several inches longer and their clothes have rotted to shreds and they’re still just kind of chilling!!!!
IT TAKES THE TERRIBLE IMPERIALISM MIND-POISONED EXCESSIVELY BRITISH BOYS IN THE ACTUAL BOOK SEVERAL MONTHS TO COMMIT A SINGLE ACT OF INTENTIONAL VIOLENCE, EVEN THE ONE (1) CHILD WRITTEN AS AN ACTUAL SOCIOPATH
AND then when they DO turn on each other it is because
THERE’S AN UNSPECIFIED WORLD WAR HAPPENING
AND A PILOT’S CORPSE CRASH LANDS ON THE ISLAND POST-DOGFIGHT AND THE CHILDREN MISTAKE THE PARACHUTE FOR A MONSTER AND SPIRAL INTO PARANOIA
BECAUSE CHILDREN INHERIT THE LEGACY AND TRAUMA OF VIOLENCE FROM THE ADULTS WAGING WAR AROUND THEM
HURR DURR IN THE REAL WORLD IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN LIKE IN LORD OF THE FLIES -
IT DIDN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY IN LORD OF THE FLIES EITHER YOU JUST HAVEN’T READ IT SINCE HIGH SCHOOL IF EVER AND DON’T REMEMBER WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN THE GODDAMN BOOK
mayfriend
yes. yes he did. i’m also gonna direct you to the real life ‘lord of the flies’ which occured in the 1960s, when six tongan schoolboys got stranded on a desert island for over a year before being rescued by an australian fisherman (who, it should be noted, later took on all six as crewmembers because the reason they were out in the first place was because they wanted to see the world, and named his ship the Ata after the island they were stranded on). nobody died. the only injuries that occurred were accidental, and when one of the boys broke his leg falling down a cliff, the others braced it and looked after him so well that it healed perfectly. if they argued, then they would literally go to opposite sides of the island until they’d cooled off. after leaving the island, they remained friends for the rest of their lives. here’s a photo of them as adults, with their rescuer (who is third from the left) and other members of his crew.
i read about this in rutger bregman’s human kind, a book i cannot recommend highly enough, but if you don’t want to go and read a whole book about the inherent goodness of humanity (which again, you really should) then the relevant excerpt can be found here.
mayfriend
10 Classic Book Recommendations
I’ve read a lot of non-English classics over the last couple of years (all translated into English because I am not bilingual) and I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favourites!
This post contains affiliate links and they're marked with an asterisk (*) - you obviously don't need to use them.
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The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon (1002)
- Originally written in Middle Early Japanese (translated by Meredith McKinney)
- A collection of essays, anecdotes, poems, observations and musings from Sei Shōnagon’s time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi in Heian Japan
- This is one of my favourite classics because found myself relating to a woman who lived over 1,000 years ago and it was wonderful. Some things have obviously changed – we’re from different times and places – but this book reminded me of how similar we are to the people that came before us.
- Bookshop.org UK*
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (1873)
- Originally written in French (translated by William Butcher)
- An adventure novel
- There’s something wonderfully superficial about this book. By this, I mean that the book doesn’t look at anything in depth because Fogg is in a race against the clock and has no time to dwell upon things.
- Project Gutenberg (tr. G. M. Towle) | Bookshop.org UK*
The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Bashō (1702)
- Originally written in Early Modern Japanese (translated by Yuasa Nobuyuki)
- A travelogue interwoven with poetry
- The opening lines are stunning and reading this book made me feel free in a time when everyone was restricted.
- Bookshop.org UK*
Notes from a Dead House by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1862)
- Originally written in Russian (translated by Richard Pevear & Larissa Volokhonsky)
- Semi-autobiographical philosophical fiction
- Bleak and depressing and so, so interesting. Dostoevsky gives us a real insight into what life was like in exile in Siberia.
- This isn’t the translation I read but, apparently, this one is much better and I intend to pick it up myself very soon.
- Bookshop.org UK*
The Odyssey by Homer (c. 8th century BCE)
- Originally written in Homeric Greek/Ancient Greek (translated by Emily Wilson)
- Epic poem
- It follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca and Greek hero, and his journey home after the Trojan War.
- I have read many a translation of the Odyssey over the years and I love (almost) all iterations of it but Emily Wilson’s translation is beautiful.
- Bookshop.org UK*
Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1320)
- Originally written in Italian (translated by C. H. Sisson)
- Poetry and religious philosophy
- Dante travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise with Virgil and Beatrice as his guides. Inferno will always be my favourite section of the poem but I really love Paradisio too.
- Bookshop.org UK*
Poetic Edda (c.985)
- Originally written in Old Norse (translated by Carolyne Larrington)
- A collection of anonymous Old Norse narrative poems that tell mythological and historical stories.
- This is the only translation I’ve read because I wanted something relatively accessible for my first foray into the Poetic Edda but I’ve also heard good things about the Hollander translation.
- Bookshop.org UK*
Metamorphoses by Ovid (8 AD)
- Originally written in Latin (translated by Rolfe Humphries)
- A narrative poem that chronicles the history of the world from its creation to the deification of Julius Caesar. It includes various myths, such as Diana and Actaeon, Arachne, and Orpheus and Eurydice.
- Although I’ve recommended the Humphries translation, you could pick up any verse translation and still enjoy it. I personally love Arthur Golding’s translation* from 1567 because it was the first direct translation from Latin to English and it’s a reflection of the poetry of its time.
- Bookshop.org UK*
The Outsider by Albert Camus (1942)
- Originally written in French (translated by Sandra Smith)
- Also published as The Stranger in English
- A philosophical novel
- Camus wrote the best absurdist novels and this one is fantastic. I can’t really describe it but it had a great impact on 18-year-old me and it was my introduction to absurdism and existentialism (but don't tell Camus I described his novel as existentialist).
- Bookshop.org UK*
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921)
- Originally written in Russian (translated by Bela Shayevich)
- Dystopian novel – inspired Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984
- The book depicts a world of harmony and conformity within a united totalitarian state. Everyone is a number and the city’s buildings are constructed almost entirely of glass. It’s such an unnerving book.
- Bookshop.org UK*
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If you pick up any of these books based on this post, please let me know what you think!
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (August 2021)
Born into an oppressive colonialist society, Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent sensuality and beauty. After their marriage, disturbing rumours begin to circulate, poisoning her husband against her. Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is driven towards madness.
Would I recommend it to anyone? Probably, especially if you've always wondered if there was more to the crazy woman in the attic from Jane Eyre. You don't even have to read Jane Eyre first (I still haven't read it, just know the story but I do plan on reading it soon).
Level of (dis)satisfaction based on the summary and my expectations? When I was in high school, I had an English lit class where we talked about re-writings and our teacher made us watch the movie Jane Eyre to give us some context before talking about Wide Sargasso Sea. I have to admit I had been curious about that book since then, and I finally read it. So I was just really curious to see what kind of story Jean Rhys would give to the "mad woman in the attic" and I was not disappointed.
My thoughts on it? It was an interesting read to say the least. It was kind of confusing at times because part 1 was told by Antoinette (aka Bertha Mason) and part 2 suddenly switches to her husband's POV. And sometimes it switches again without warning so I had to be careful. Both of them are a bit unreliable as narrators so that was fun.
The way Rhys introduced feminist (and anti-colonialist) ideas was very subtle which I appreciated since the story is set in the 1800's and is supposed to give a better backstory to Bertha Mason, not be about a suffragette or something. Now I'm really curious to read Jane Eyre and see how she's actually depicted in the book.
French version under the cut
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (October 2020)
Since it's so well known, I've decided to give you my own summary... *clears throat*
Matthew MacFadyen settles in the quiet town where Elizabeth Swan and her father, President Snow live. Drama ensues. They probably lived happily ever after and had lots of children because that's what you did at the time. Oh, also, everyone wants to slap Tom Hollander.
Would I recommend it to anyone? Just because it's a classic, I'd say yes. It's still very different from contemporary books so I can't say who would like it or not, but well. Trying would be enough.
Level of (dis)satisfaction based on the summary and my expectations? Since I'd never managed to stay focused on the movie with Keira Knightley eventhough I've been forced to watch it 3 times, I was expecting it to be the same for the book. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised to see I was quite invested in the story.
My thoughts on it? I liked it, I think I'll read it again someday because I tried reading it in English and it's not the same as modern English, so that was a bit unsettling at first, but I eventually got used to it.
I think that if I had read this book for school I wouldn't have appreciated it because nothing really happens in it. It's a lot of drama that happens through rumors, or when people visit each other or when there's a ball. My friend had to read Emma for her uni classes and it was torture for her, and yet it's the same kind of book written by the same author. So, it's a bit empty, there's not a lot of action, just... a lot of drama. But strangely enough, I liked it. Who would've thunk.
French version under the cut