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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 2 2014, 3:20pm
Post #1 of 17
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It's the first of December reading thread!
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Yes, 'sibs one and all, it's December. Did anyone else hear that whooshing noise as the year sped by? 
I've started Alexander McCall Smith's No 1 Ladies Detective Agency book number 13, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection. As always, I'm thoroughly enjoying hanging out with the characters. In this installment, Mma Ramotswe has a huge surprise when Clovis Andersen, author of her "bible" on detection, appears on her doorstep. Meanwhile, Fanwell the apprentice may find himself doing illegal work, if for the best of motives. And Phuti and Grace are building a new house---but neither Grace nor I trust the misogynistic builder.
I was just looking to see if McCall Smith's Edinburgh/Dalhousie series is on audio (yes!) and saw that Detective Agency number 15 has just been published. Whee! I'm not as close to the end of the series as I'd feared!
So what have you been reading?
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Annael
Immortal
Dec 2 2014, 4:41pm
Post #2 of 17
(143 views)
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Art & Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light
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by Leonard Shlain. Picked this up at the local used-book store. Shlain, himself a surgeon (which he points out requires both artistry & awareness of physics) spent 10 years studying both fields to find the correlations between major paradigm shifts in the culture. What he found is that the artists predict - usually without any actual knowledge of science - what the next major paradigm shift is going to be. Fascinating, and fuel for the class I'm going to be facilitating in the winter term on Rick Tarnas's Cosmos and Psyche, which argues that another shift away from the deterministic, reductionistic view of the Enlightenment is already underway.
I also picked up Robin Hobb's Fool's Errand. I haven't read her earlier Farseer trilogy. it's well-written, but I'm not hooked. I notice that my taste in fiction is getting more finicky. Perhaps it's because the current works in philosophy of science are 1. better written and 2. more thought-provoking than most of the fantasy and sci-fi works out there? Gauguin said "there are only two kinds of artists: revolutionaries and plagiarists." I've lost interest in reading any but the revolutionaries, it seems.
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Dec 2 2014, 4:43pm)
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 2 2014, 6:07pm
Post #3 of 17
(126 views)
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So if we're shifting away from the deterministic, reductionistic view of the Enlightenment, where are we going, in your (or Tarnas's) opinion? I'm not disagreeing with you (in fact, I suspect I do agree with you!) I'm just curious.
As for fiction, yes, I've become quite finicky myself, much too sensitive to plot, dialog, writing style---the entire package. There's a series of very pleasant mysteries, for example, written by someone I consider a friend and who's earned the success these books have brought. But I can't read the books because the style sets my teeth on edge. 
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Annael
Immortal
Dec 2 2014, 10:15pm
Post #4 of 17
(119 views)
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it's very hard to tell what's going on in the middle of a shift in attitudes/thinking, sometimes! I agree with the idea that the artists are usually out ahead of the curve, so keep an eye/ear on what happens in art, books, music, what's on TV, etc. What Tarnas argues, along with a lot of other people, is that the long arc of separation from nature/religion/the feminine that reached its apex with the Enlightenment was necessary to free the human mind so that we could think for ourselves. Like adolescents we had to reject our "parents" so we could stand on our own feet. But now that we've done that, we can embrace what is of value in those long-rejected ways of seeing/interacting with the world, in a totally new way. We already see the feminine gaining strength; there are many movements to re-imagine spirituality and our relationship to the earth, and the quantum physicists and now the neuroscientists are starting to talk like mystics.
But I suspect it's early days, and there is - as always - a great deal of resistance to letting go of the current "scientific" paradigm. (I put that in quotes because in our discussion group, the scientists are the first to argue that a real scientist is always open to the new - and it's true that the people I know who are the fiercest advocates of "scientism" are not, in fact, scientists.)
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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a.s.
Valinor
Dec 2 2014, 11:50pm
Post #5 of 17
(113 views)
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so happy to see another Mma Ramotswe fan
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I read these as soon as I ever get a chance, as close to publication as possible. I love this series, although it's a close call as to whether I like this or the Isabel Dalhousie series better. Oh heck, I don't have to decide, I love them both.
I just finished Keith Donohue's latest: The Boy Who Drew Monsters. It was decent, it kept my interest, it was at times scary, and had a good twist at the end. But all his books will probably forever suffer (for me) by comparison with The Stolen Child, which is absolutely great.
I can't remember if I posted that I also finished Lila, the third installment of Marilynne Robinson's Gilead series. Very good. If you liked Gilead and Home, you will like this, too.
a.s.
(PS: anyone else on Goodreads that would like to be "friends" there so we can get book suggestions from each other? Nothing I like better than seeing what other readers are reading....if you don't know my name in real life, send me a private message here and I'll tell you how to find me on Goodreads!)
"an seileachan"
Through any dark time, I always remember Frodo's claim on the side of Mt. Doom that he "can manage it" because he must.
Sometimes, I have to manage it, too, as do we all. We manage because we must.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Dec 3 2014, 12:06am
Post #6 of 17
(125 views)
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I've been listening to Lovecraft on my kindle.
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My son brought over the wonderful 2005 silent movie "Call of Cthulhu" and we watched it, and I realized that the only Lovecraft I had ever read was "Dream Quest", which I love. (Apparently there's speculation that it was partly inspired by 'The Wizard of Oz', which would explain my instant attraction to it when I first found it as a teen.) So I downloaded a bunch of his stuff from the gutenberg project and have been listening to it. I fell asleep listening a couple of times, which made for some interesting dreams...
I can't say I think much of some of it, like "The Nameless City": my son and a friend summarized it as "They told me not to go in there, but I went in there, and I saw something so horrible I can't tell you about it, but it was really horrible."
But I am enjoying the New England stories, mostly because I like invented towns in real places. I'm currently listening to "The Dunwich Horror". I'm reminded a bit of Ray Bradbury's stories about Uncle Einar, except that I think Bradbury is a better writer.
Anyway, it's not really great art, but it is fun. I like creepy stuff if it's not too scary, which this isn't. And it does pull me along.
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Dec 3 2014, 12:07am)
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 3:08pm
Post #7 of 17
(105 views)
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I thought that might be what you meant. I'm wondering if as we move into the new paradigm we'll be re-defining "feminine", to where a strong female doesn't have to be a man with female reproductive organs. That is, we still seem to consider "strong" as "traditionally masculine" and are now trying to shoehorn women into that pigeonhole.
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 3:10pm
Post #8 of 17
(101 views)
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I am always bemused by McCall Smith
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Why are his stories so entertaining when they have so little plot? And his Botswana stories in particular are very repetitive. I suppose it's a comfort thing 
Thanks, a.s. Good to hear from you!
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 3:12pm
Post #9 of 17
(108 views)
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Although your son has summarized his stories very well.  Lovecraft is also a very slow read by today's standards, with long passages of description and outright purple prose. But he certainly can create an atmosphere.
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Annael
Immortal
Dec 3 2014, 5:03pm
Post #10 of 17
(101 views)
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spends a lot of time on WT . . . heck . . . the words "feminine" and "masculine" mean anyway. We know what they used to mean, but these days? We've been working with the idea that there are yin and yang ways of being either male or female instead, and that a yang woman is nothing like a yang/alpha male but more like a yin male in that both use persuasion and work with people to transform situations instead of using brute force. Thor & Captain America are yang males, while Loki & Tony Stark (outside the suit) are yin males; Black Widow (in non-kickass mode) and Pepper Pots are yang females, while Raina of "Agents of SHIELD" is more of a yin female.
But even that's limiting. One woman said that we're like the explorers who sailed around the world with maps that were ridiculously inaccurate - but they were all they had to start with. Just as they refined & corrected those maps, she thinks we'll come up with better words in time that don't restrict people as much.
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Annael
Immortal
Dec 3 2014, 5:07pm
Post #11 of 17
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So very little happens and yet I can't put his books down. Perhaps he suggests so much more than he tells, so that one's imagination is thoroughly engaged - ya think? And also, I like his characters so much, I enjoy spending time with them even if we're only hanging out.
It is, after all, exhausting to spend much time in Harry Dresden's company, as much as I like him too, because we never get to sit down & just have tea. There's always a monster crashing in on us that has to be dealt with, or Harry's wounds to care for, or some puzzle that must be solved with time about to run out!
Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.
- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Dec 3 2014, 5:08pm)
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Dec 3 2014, 6:22pm
Post #12 of 17
(96 views)
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Well, I love scenery description.
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That's one of my favorite things about LotR ;-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 7:02pm
Post #13 of 17
(87 views)
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I like the explorer and maps simile. We need some new and better terms for "feminine" and "masculine".
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 7:04pm
Post #14 of 17
(88 views)
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I find McCall Smith's books comforting and refreshing because I know nothing horrendous is going to happen, all problems will be solved, and that the main characters are basically good guys---even Charlie the apprentice at Speedy Motors! I also like the quiet, positive philosophy running along in the background, the appreciation of the quotidian and the awareness of the feelings of others.
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 3 2014, 7:08pm
Post #15 of 17
(93 views)
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I love Tolkien's landscape descriptions. I think he could write rings about Lovecraft, though. But I still enjoy Lovecraft, perhaps because, like Tolkien, he believes so thoroughly in his own scenario.
Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Dec 3 2014, 11:16pm
Post #16 of 17
(82 views)
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Maybe that's what I like about Lovecraft.
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He's not a great writer, but he makes you believe that there really is a Miskatonic University and a Necronomicon (though believing in Cthulhu is a stretch for me.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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a.s.
Valinor
Dec 4 2014, 12:53pm
Post #17 of 17
(86 views)
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characters alive in gentle stories
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I think you're both on to something : these stories (especially #1 Ladies) are shining examples of character over plot, actually these stories are almost entirely dependent on presenting characters to us, and he can make an enticing chapter of Mma Ramotswe drinking red bush tea on the verandah of a little cafe in the one shopping mall in Gabarone.
I think, though, those stories of Botswana are chock full of nostalgia and love of place and the universality of people living good small lives in quiet ways, and are very Tolkienian in that regard. Mma is always very aware that her Botswana is changing all around her, but for her space and with the people she loves, she will be what in her mind is her father's daughter, proud and humble and firmly in place.
McCall Smith can get inside the head of complex characters and make it seem simple. Reading a #1 Ladies is to be happy and sad at the same time. Quite a feat, for a writer to pull this off again and again.
a.s.
"an seileachan"
Through any dark time, I always remember Frodo's claim on the side of Mt. Doom that he "can manage it" because he must.
Sometimes, I have to manage it, too, as do we all. We manage because we must.
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