The Book Shelf

[Horsa]

I'm reading a book on wild flowers. On nice days like we've been having recently it's an excuse to get out in the fresh air & take a walk especially if you've got a herbarium like me.

 

[Horsa]

Has anyone else got books that make them feel physically sick?

I've got quite a few. The "child called it" series of books, Wolf Hall, The red Queen & The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, The plumed serpent, Sisters in Arms, the valley of horses & the iliad & the odyssey all made me feel physically sick. I only finished Sisters in Arms. I was struggling but forced myself to finish it because the events really happened as it was about the Q.A.I.M.N.S.

 

[Horsa]

I've just been recommended the book "Lost in math". Does anyone know if it's any good or should I buy it & see for myself? It sounds fascinating to me anyway.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Is there a book that you haven't been able to put down?

.

"The Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance". The funny thing is that when I read that book, I did not even know that it was supposed to be a great book. In other words, I started that book with no idea or preconception about it. Even the sequel "Lila" was more or less like that, but not as absorbing as the first one.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I've just been recommended the book "Lost in math". Does anyone know if it's any good or should I buy it & see for myself? It sounds fascinating to me anyway.

I have not read the book. But, I have heard about it. From what I hear, it will be worth reading.

 

[Horsa]

I have not read the book. But, I have heard about it. From what I hear, it will be worth reading.

Thank you very much. I'll try to get hold of a copy then if the price is right. If the price isn't right I'll wait until the price goes down & then buy it.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Thank you very much. I'll try to get hold of a copy then if the price is right. If the price isn't right I'll wait until the price goes down & then buy it.

I am sure there is a public library near you that has it. Besides, I have heard that these days it is possible to read many new books for free online, although I have not tried personally.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I've just been recommended the book "Lost in math". Does anyone know if it's any good or should I buy it & see for myself? It sounds fascinating to me anyway.

From the title of the book, one may think it is about someone who has completely lost himself/herself in math. But, that is not what it is about. Theoretical physics gets quite abstract and almost the same as math. The author argues that often people try to decide the reality based on the beauty of the math involved in it and that may be erroneous.

I hope to think that the author is wrong though.

In mathematics, value judgement is often made by beauty. In fact, there is even a saying by Hardy that "Beauty is the first test; There is no permanent place in the world for ugly Mathematics". So, mathematicians often go by beauty.

The author argues that may be the reality is lost in Math in the sense that may be the reality is ugly.

 

[Horsa]

I am sure there is a public library near you that has it. Besides, I have heard that these days it is possible to read many new books for free online, although I have not tried personally.

O.K. Thank you very much.

 

[Horsa]

From the title of the book, one may think it is about someone who has completely lost himself/herself in math. But, that is not what it is about. Theoretical physics gets quite abstract and almost the same as math. The author argues that often people try to decide the reality based on the beauty of the math involved in it and that may be erroneous.

I hope to think that the author is wrong though.

In mathematics, value judgement is often made by beauty. In fact, there is even a saying by Hardy that "Beauty is the first test; There is no permanent place in the world for ugly Mathematics". So, mathematicians often go by beauty.

The author argues that may be the reality is lost in Math in the sense that may be the reality is ugly.

I agree that it would be a common misconception of people who were going by the title to think it was about someone who got lost in maths. I also got told that it was about physics rather than maths as the title would have people believe. That was another reason why I was thinking about getting a copy. I've had a problem with a few book recommendations I received though & I got a lot working in a book-shop & library. That's why I asked whether anyone knew if it was good or not so I could double-check before getting my hands on a copy.

 

[Horsa]

I'm reading sense & sensibility at the moment.

 

[Horsa]

I've just finished reading "Meditation is not what you think" by Jon Kabat-Zinn. As someone who learnt meditation in 1st & middle school I had to buy this book because it left me with the questions "What does he think we think meditation is?" & "If meditation is not what we think, what is it?" as well as some other questions & I wanted to know the answers. What I didn't realise at the time but should have done is that the title of the book could also be seen to mean "Meditation is not what you think or do but a way of being.". He told us the answers but not in a straight-forward way. He tells you all the answers in a way where you have to weigh everything up, consider all the answers & work the answers out for yourself. (Well, the true purpose of reading is to weigh things up & consider them so he's ensuring that you do this, I guess.) He had a much broader definition of meditation than me. He was saying that meditation wasn't just 1 of the things we thought it was but none of them or all of them together or at least to a certain extent. His point was that to know what meditation is we have to practise it non-judgementally without labelling or conceptualising it using techniques we learnt, tapes, C.D.'s, downloads & books about it as a structure to aid us & that dichotomous thinking will render it impossible to understand. He also meant that it's something we need to experience in order to understand what it is rather than be told about it, hear about it or read about it.

I would highly recommend this book as it was very well-written, thought-provoking, deep, interesting & informative. I like his way of explaining things which uses poetry, puns, science, history & beliefs to illustrate his meaning.

 

[tented]

@mrzz - I noticed no Brazilian novelist or poet has ever won the Nobel Prize in Literature. That seems suspicious, as if they’re overlooking your country on purpose. Or do you agree that there haven’t been any who deserve this?

 

[mrzz]

@mrzz - I noticed no Brazilian novelist or poet has ever won the Nobel Prize in Literature. That seems suspicious, as if they’re overlooking your country on purpose. Or do you agree that there haven’t been any who deserve this?

Since the Nobel is basically a twentieth century thing, it misses Machado de Assis, which for a lot of people (including myself, jumping and screaming) is one of the greatest authors of all time. He died in 1904, just three years after the 1901 when the literature Nobel started. He was probably almost unknown to non Brazilians by then (but I am guessing). He later became much more known and translated in a variety of languages.

One author that could easily have won is Guimarães Rosa. He is simply fantastic, even if extremely hard to translate. He pushes language the same way James Joyce does -- maybe not the same way but surely as far as he. But he has a "Borges" touch to his writings. A heavy, universal author.

Other one that could be cited is Graciliano Ramos. I cannot relate him to any well known European author, maybe, huh, Thomas Hardy (random connection that went thorough my head). A very sober and profound writer, anyway. Surely Nobel prize material to my eyes.

There are a few more, for sure, but I cannot help but to cite the ones I like. Others would surely cite Mario de Andrade, an icon of modernism movement here -- but honestly I am not a fan.

In poetry we have one name that for me is the most peculiar poet that I ever read, which is Augusto dos Anjos. He is surely translated. I would give him one Nobel Prize every day. But... oh, he predates the prize maybe. Won't even check, as I want to mention him anyway.

Last thing, I guess one thing that influences is the language itself. It is not spoken by that many countries, neither is that exotic for European ears (it is an European language, after all). Honestly, I love my language, the Brazilian Portuguese is so absurdly rich with all his African and indigenous influences, so I kind of don't really care about that. It is a sort of "you guys simply don't know what you are missing" thing. Funny thing, in that video you sent Edith Grossman mentions the fact that English does not have an Academy that controls the language, and she says that this is a good thing. I agree with her, but even if we have one academy here, it was never, ever even close of being able to "control" the dynamic of the language. In the end, it acted more like something that documents the evolution than actually something that controls it. It could have been different in Portugal, though.

 

[Horsa]

Since the Nobel is basically a twentieth century thing, it misses Machado de Assis, which for a lot of people (including myself, jumping and screaming) is one of the greatest authors of all time. He died in 1904, just three years after the 1901 when the literature Nobel started. He was probably almost unknown to non Brazilians by then (but I am guessing). He later became much more known and translated in a variety of languages.

One author that could easily have won is Guimarães Rosa. He is simply fantastic, even if extremely hard to translate. He pushes language the same way James Joyce does -- maybe not the same way but surely as far as he. But he has a "Borges" touch to his writings. A heavy, universal author.

Other one that could be cited is Graciliano Ramos. I cannot relate him to any well known European author, maybe, huh, Thomas Hardy (random connection that went thorough my head). A very sober and profound writer, anyway. Surely Nobel prize material to my eyes.

There are a few more, for sure, but I cannot help but to cite the ones I like. Others would surely cite Mario de Andrade, an icon of modernism movement here -- but honestly I am not a fan.

In poetry we have one name that for me is the most peculiar poet that I ever read, which is Augusto dos Anjos. He is surely translated. I would give him one Nobel Prize every day. But... oh, he predates the prize maybe. Won't even check, as I want to mention him anyway.

Last thing, I guess one thing that influences is the language itself. It is not spoken by that many countries, neither is that exotic for European ears (it is an European language, after all). Honestly, I love my language, the Brazilian Portuguese is so absurdly rich with all his African and indigenous influences, so I kind of don't really care about that. It is a sort of "you guys simply don't know what you are missing" thing. Funny thing, in that video you sent Edith Grossman mentions the fact that English does not have an Academy that controls the language, and she says that this is a good thing. I agree with her, but even if we have one academy here, it was never, ever even close of being able to "control" the dynamic of the language. In the end, it acted more like something that documents the evolution than actually something that controls it. It could have been different in Portugal, though.

Can I be cheeky & ask you to share some of those poems by that poet you mentioned, please?

Please feel free to share some of the etymology of your language. I'd be very interested in reading it & I think other people would too.

 

[mrzz]

Can I be cheeky & ask you to share some of those poems by that poet you mentioned, please?

Please feel free to share some of the etymology of your language. I'd be very interested in reading it & I think other people would too.

As requested, his most popular poem. I can't believe that I managed to produce a decent translation even with the rhymes! My rhymes are poor of course but they respect the original structure. I found some translations but hated them all and decided to produce my own. I am quite proud of the result.

Intimate Verses

See ?! No one watched the formidable
Burial of your last chimera.
Only Ingratitude - that pantera -
was your inseparable fellow!

Get used to the mud that awaits you!
The Man who, in this land so miserable,
Lives among beasts, feels inevitable
Need to be wild too

Have a match, light your cigarette!
The kiss, my friend, is the verge of the spit.
The hand that caresses hurls rocks and bricks

If someone still grieves your scars
Stone those vile hands that caress
Spit sputum on those kissing lips!


____________________________________________
Now the original


Versos Íntimos

Vês?! Ninguém assistiu ao formidável
Enterro de tua última quimera.
Somente a Ingratidão – esta pantera -
Foi tua companheira inseparável!

Acostuma-te a lama que te espera!
O Homem que, nesta terra miserável,
Mora entre feras, sente inevitável
Necessidade de também ser fera

Toma um fósforo, acende teu cigarro!
O beijo, amigo, é a véspera do escarro.
A mão que afaga é a mesma que apedreja.

Se a alguém causa ainda pena a tua chaga
Apedreja essa mão vil que te afaga.
Escarra nessa boca que te beija!

 

[Horsa]

As requested, his most popular poem. I can't believe that I managed to produce a decent translation even with the rhymes! My rhymes are poor of course but they respect the original structure. I found some translations but hated them all and decided to produce my own. I am quite proud of the result.

Intimate Verses

See ?! No one watched the formidable
Burial of your last chimera.
Only Ingratitude - that pantera -
was your inseparable fellow!

Get used to the mud that awaits you!
The Man who, in this land so miserable,
Lives among beasts, feels inevitable
Need to be wild too

Have a match, light your cigarette!
The kiss, my friend, is the verge of the spit.
The hand that caresses hurls rocks and bricks

If someone still grieves your scars
Stone those vile hands that caress
Spit sputum on those kissing lips!


____________________________________________
Now the original


Versos Íntimos

Vês?! Ninguém assistiu ao formidável
Enterro de tua última quimera.
Somente a Ingratidão – esta pantera -
Foi tua companheira inseparável!

Acostuma-te a lama que te espera!
O Homem que, nesta terra miserável,
Mora entre feras, sente inevitável
Necessidade de também ser fera

Toma um fósforo, acende teu cigarro!
O beijo, amigo, é a véspera do escarro.
A mão que afaga é a mesma que apedreja.

Se a alguém causa ainda pena a tua chaga
Apedreja essa mão vil que te afaga.
Escarra nessa boca que te beija!

Thank you very much for sharing. I agree. That's a very good poem. I really appreciate you interpreting it for me. Like those quatrains of Nostradamus's I shared a few months ago, the elegance of the rhyme got lost in translation. I actually read the original you shared 1st to get to the elegance of the rhyme then read your translation to understand it fully.

 

[tented]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez discussing One Hundred Years of Solitude.

@Horsa @mrzz @Moxie

 

[Horsa]

What the Dickens! I'm going all Dickensian & going through the works of Charles Dickens. Dickens wrote a lot of books in all different genres so there is something in his works to please everyone so I've got a couple of questions.

1. What is your favourite Dickens novel?
2. What was the last Dickens novel you read?

My answer to question 1 is Great Expectations.
My answer to question 2 is his Xmas books which I read every Xmas.

 

[Horsa]

Gabriel Garcia Marquez discussing One Hundred Years of Solitude.

@Horsa @mrzz @Moxie

Thank you very much for sharing. I haven't had chance to listen to this but I will do & let you know what I thought.