I bought this in Japanese, I think it's going to take a while!
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Computer programmer living in Exeter, UK.
Loves open source, retro video games, food, and anxiously watching the unfolding UK political catastrophy.
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Daniel Keast started reading Doraemon Volume 1 by Fujiko F. Fujio
Doraemon Volume 1 ● masterpiece work of cartoonist Fujiko · F · Fujio teacher to …
Daniel Keast started reading I who have never known men by Jacqueline Harpman
This month's book club pick
Daniel Keast finished reading River Kings by Cat Jarman
A history book that follows a bead that was found in a Viking grave in Repton across to asia where it was likely made. The book details bioarcheology involving comparing the makeup of teeth and bones to show whether people in gravesites are migrants where they likely came from. I'd never heard of that before, and found it all very interesting.
I really enjoyed the first section, but as it went I guess by necessity it became less grounded and more full of could haves and might haves.
Daniel Keast wants to read Beowulf by Gerald J. Davis
Beowulf by Gerald J. Davis
The origins, history and authorship of BEOWULF are shrouded in uncertainty. This heroic epic probably began, as most do, with …
Daniel Keast wants to read The Penelopiad (Canons) by Margaret Atwood
The Penelopiad (Canons) by Margaret Atwood
For Penelope, wife of Odysseus, maintaining a kingdom while her husband was off fighting the Trojan war was not a …
Daniel Keast quoted The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. …
Man, the flower of all flesh, the noblest of all creatures visible, man who had once made god in his image, and had mirrored his strength on the constellations, beautiful naked man was dying, strangled in the garments that he had woven. Century after century had he toiled, and here was his reward.
Daniel Keast quoted The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. …
Men seldom moved their bodies; all unrest was concentrated in the soul.
Daniel Keast started reading River Kings by Cat Jarman
Daniel Keast finished reading The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster
"The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. …
A short story from 1909.
It feels like a cliche to say a dystopian story predicted the modern world, but wow.
Daniel Keast stopped reading Food for Life by Tim Spector
This was from the library, but I returned it after the first section. It seems pretty good, but it's too soon after I read ultra processed people for me I think. It has the same messages really, avoid UPF, eat whole foods, mostly plants. Ignore health claims on packaging, the gut microbiome seems important, but most stuff about single nutrients/vitamins/antioxidants etc is bunk. Maybe I'll come back to it another day.
Daniel Keast started reading Food for Life by Tim Spector
Daniel Keast finished reading The Odyssey by Homer
The Odyssey (/ˈɒdəsi/; Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems …
This was the Rieu translation, which apparently initiated the Penguin Classics series. It is in prose rather than attempting to translate into poetry. It was very clear and easy to read.
It was surprisingly gruesome and violent in parts, detailing gore and dismemberment. I'm all for it, though the section about stringing up the maids that were "disloyal" is a very uncomfortable read for what are supposed to be the actions of a hero.
Like the Iliad it can be quite repetitive, but that's from the nature of it being epic poetry that was recited from memory. I guess likely not told in one go either, so it almost acts like the "previously on..." sections on TV serials.
I like that it is told non-linearly, and from multiple perspectives. I had the impression that the story of Odyssius was essentially an episodic "and then this happened" tale.
I was going …
This was the Rieu translation, which apparently initiated the Penguin Classics series. It is in prose rather than attempting to translate into poetry. It was very clear and easy to read.
It was surprisingly gruesome and violent in parts, detailing gore and dismemberment. I'm all for it, though the section about stringing up the maids that were "disloyal" is a very uncomfortable read for what are supposed to be the actions of a hero.
Like the Iliad it can be quite repetitive, but that's from the nature of it being epic poetry that was recited from memory. I guess likely not told in one go either, so it almost acts like the "previously on..." sections on TV serials.
I like that it is told non-linearly, and from multiple perspectives. I had the impression that the story of Odyssius was essentially an episodic "and then this happened" tale.
I was going to put that it was nice to read an adventure story that doesn't follow the whole "hero of a thousand faces" Joseph Campbell monomyth. The wikipedia page for that lists it as an example though.
Daniel Keast finished reading Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker
Jarvis Cocker having a clear out of his loft space talking through some of the things he finds. I didn't know much about him really, but fancied something quite light to read and it was on offer. I'm glad I picked it, I found his perspective on life and music interesting as a fellow awkward nerd that seems to be in a slower gear than the rest of the world a lot of the time.
Daniel Keast quoted Good Pop, Bad Pop by Jarvis Cocker
"Freedom of choice’ may be the mantra of the market but, if all you’ve got to choose from is rubbish, what kind of choice is that?