Monday, December 1, 2008
No Anne Rice, Incest is Not Sexy! Lasher Final Reflections
I'm really sorry K-dub, but the book i was reading before, Lasher, WAS FLAT OUT BORING! I would have rather read a Self Help book than read Lasher, getting through the first chapter was a chore. I don't understand how writing this book didn't drive the author insane. Speaking of self help, this author throws around incest like its some type of sexy thing to read about. I don't know about everyone, but following the life and times of a 13 year old girl who's number one goal in life is to sleep with her uncle does NOT get me hot. I got through the 3rd chapter and so far all I have is, family secrets, sex scene, back to more family secrets, and then some really gross sex scenes, love, budding romance, horrible evil bad guy, even more family secrets, and then a completely gross-you-out, make-you-throw-up disgustingly dirty sex scene that scars you for life, plus another family secret. I'm sure other people liked this book, but I didn't. So I'm starting on another book called Such A Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster. The author is funny, witty, and the overall plot is believeable and not so Deadly-creatures-of-the-night-that-fall-in-love-with-human-girls-and-make-sweet-love-to-them-in-the-moon-light-ish. Not dissing Twilight though. Twilight is okay with me. However, Lasher isn't . Sorry, but I wouldn't force Bush to read this mess.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Chapter 1 (Hatin on The Short People!)
" They would come together at the circle of stones in Donnelaith""Sorrow and Sadness, the weakness of humans and the sadness of the little people."
Circle of stones has to be a complete reference to the stone henge in Engalnd. Alsosomething t take into account, who are the litte people? Myfrist guess would have been humans but since he already said that its got to be something else. But what else can he be talking about, hobbits? That confused me, but hopefully the mor the speaker reveals his own character the more we will understand about the little people. By he way I resent that term.
Circle of stones has to be a complete reference to the stone henge in Engalnd. Alsosomething t take into account, who are the litte people? Myfrist guess would have been humans but since he already said that its got to be something else. But what else can he be talking about, hobbits? That confused me, but hopefully the mor the speaker reveals his own character the more we will understand about the little people. By he way I resent that term.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
My thoughts on Dante's Inferno
It was really a great book. It wasn't exactly what I expected but it still was good. It gave a lot of insight to the mindset of the Christians back during the 1200's and the Medieval times. It was fun to read and really got me thinking about life and trying to be a better person. Some things I didn't like was Dante's choices for some of his sins. I still don't think certain people should be in the amount of trouble they were in in hell. Sometimes it just seemed to be too harsh. another thing was that Dante really puffed himself up to be some true saint. He really got on my nerves at times with that "I'm was sent by God to go through hell" stuff. however, Dante's writing was really good even though sometimes his history was sort of wrong and most of his views on people were biased. It took a lot of patience to read this book because of the wording and the phrases. However, I got through it and I think it was a really good book to read. I loved how Dante used his opinions in the book and gave us scandalous gossip about people we now study in history. I loved the Characters and I loved the way Dante did some his punishments. Each one was well thought out and planned so that it would match the crime. I think he is good writer and this is a great book.
Circle 9 (SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Round 1
The Treacherous To Kin
" O most miscreant rabble, you who keep the stations of that place whose name is pain, better you had been born as goats or sheep!"
The modern English translation to this quote would be" You poor schmucks, you should have never been born human, you would have been better off a goat or a sheep," which is entirely true, these poor guys are in the 9th circle of hell do you know how painful their punishments must be? However Dante, that is sort of a mean thing to say plus you can't really feel sorry for them sense it was their own doing that got them there in the first place. However I just can't see this sin as being the worse sin in the book, I think It would have been more fitting to have more of a final crime there like killers or something, not betrayers.
Round 2 & 3
Treacherous to Country, Treacherous to Guest and Host
"Father it would give us less pain if you ate us: it was you who put upon us this sorry flesh; now strip it off again."
Another whoa moment, this was the only time i actually felt sorry for someone in the book. One poor soul had to watch his sons starve to death while they stayed locked in a tower for days. One of his sons replied the above when he started crying and chewing his fingers. I think that almost made me tear up. Can you imagine the grief in that. This quote really depressed me. I kept thinking how does a father respond to that quote, how horrible is it to hear your child say something like that. So sad. So sad.
Round 4
SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"If he was as beautiful as he once as now he is hideous, and still turned on his Maker, well may he be the source of very woe!"
I'm just not sure how being ugly makes him the source of all woe. I keep reading it but I just don't get it. What it sounds like he's sort of saying that if he fave up God to be this ugly then he must be he source of human suffering. But that doesn't make sense to me.Anyways just a quick note, I was really excited to get to the part about Satan. I really wanted to hear about his punishment. I cant believe the book is over now....
The Treacherous To Kin
" O most miscreant rabble, you who keep the stations of that place whose name is pain, better you had been born as goats or sheep!"
The modern English translation to this quote would be" You poor schmucks, you should have never been born human, you would have been better off a goat or a sheep," which is entirely true, these poor guys are in the 9th circle of hell do you know how painful their punishments must be? However Dante, that is sort of a mean thing to say plus you can't really feel sorry for them sense it was their own doing that got them there in the first place. However I just can't see this sin as being the worse sin in the book, I think It would have been more fitting to have more of a final crime there like killers or something, not betrayers.
Round 2 & 3
Treacherous to Country, Treacherous to Guest and Host
"Father it would give us less pain if you ate us: it was you who put upon us this sorry flesh; now strip it off again."
Another whoa moment, this was the only time i actually felt sorry for someone in the book. One poor soul had to watch his sons starve to death while they stayed locked in a tower for days. One of his sons replied the above when he started crying and chewing his fingers. I think that almost made me tear up. Can you imagine the grief in that. This quote really depressed me. I kept thinking how does a father respond to that quote, how horrible is it to hear your child say something like that. So sad. So sad.
Round 4
SATAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"If he was as beautiful as he once as now he is hideous, and still turned on his Maker, well may he be the source of very woe!"
I'm just not sure how being ugly makes him the source of all woe. I keep reading it but I just don't get it. What it sounds like he's sort of saying that if he fave up God to be this ugly then he must be he source of human suffering. But that doesn't make sense to me.Anyways just a quick note, I was really excited to get to the part about Satan. I really wanted to hear about his punishment. I cant believe the book is over now....
The Central Pit of Malebolge
"Babbling Fool, stick to your horn and vent yourself with it when rage or passion stir your stupid soul."
Whoa, I'm not sure I could completely understand what Virgil meant by what he said but I do know it was an insult and pretty straight forward one too. Virgil is a real hot head. Dante reminds of that lost little rich girl in the city who's afraid of all the bums and the crackheads, while Virgil is her street smart trash talking friend who's trying to help her back home while she's cussing out people and stealing food and stuff. It was really weird to see Virgil act this way toward anyone since normally he would be trying to be respectful, but I guess not this time.
Whoa, I'm not sure I could completely understand what Virgil meant by what he said but I do know it was an insult and pretty straight forward one too. Virgil is a real hot head. Dante reminds of that lost little rich girl in the city who's afraid of all the bums and the crackheads, while Virgil is her street smart trash talking friend who's trying to help her back home while she's cussing out people and stealing food and stuff. It was really weird to see Virgil act this way toward anyone since normally he would be trying to be respectful, but I guess not this time.
Circle 8
Circle 8
Bolgia 1 & 2
The Panderers and the Seducers, The Flatterers
""It is Jason, who by courage and good advice made off with the Colchian Ram."
OK, this guy Jason's story is really interesting. He's got reason to be in hell. He happens to meet Hypsipyle after he finds this Ram thingy, he sleeps with her, gets her pregnant and then he leaves her as they say "pregnant and forsaken" so he can go on more adventures. Now he is burning in hell with all the rest of the seducers. I learned that from the notes in the end of the chapter.
Bolgia 3 & 4
The Simoniacs & The Fortune Tellers and Diviners
"And see tiresias, who by his arts succeeded in changing himself from man to woman, transforming all his limbs and all his parts; later he had two twined serpents once again with his conjurer's wandbefore he could resume his manly lineaments."
I did this just for you K-Dub. I was so shocked to see or even hear about Tiresias in Hell. At the same time it was pretty cool to see a character from another story in this one. Though it is sad to see him in hell it is fitting becausre he is a fortune teller but, it wasn't really like he chose to be one. he just happened to get really unlucky more than once. Poor poor Tiresias will he ever rest?
Bolgia 5
The Grafters
"There 'Yes' is 'No' and 'NO' is 'Yes' for a fee."
This quote makes me think of the captolist nations. Like a America for instance. It sounds just like us. "Its funny how Money changes situations" Lauren Hill once quoted. Americans will change their views on LIFE for a quick buck. Money is what you need to survive out here. America is a Grafter. We aren't the Land of the Free or the Home of the Brave, we are the Land of the Rich and the Home of the Wealthy. Thats the American way and whats so funny is that sometimes we don't even notice it in ourselves.
Bolgia 6
The Hypocrites
"The burnished robes are of thick lead," said one "and are hung on us like counterweights, so heavy that we, their fulcrums, creak and groan."
The Hypocrites punishment is very symbolic to their crime. They wear these robes of lead that are shaped like the robes of monks, the are forced to walk around in that heavy suit, up, down, and all around. Sounds painful doesn't it? The Monk shape represents how the hypocrites try to appear saintly, however the heavy lead they're made of represents how much guilt is truly weighing them down. I really enjoy how Dante very carefully plots some of his punishments. Some were random, others were ironic. Despite his arrogance he truly is a legendary writer.
Bolgia 7
Thieves
""The man who lies aslep will never waken fame, and his desire and all his life drift past him like a dream, and the traces of his memory fade from time like smoke in air, or ripples on a stream."
I love this quote. I'm thinking of putting it on my myspace. Pretty much if its too wordy for you, he's saying that the man who sleeps will be forgotten. What I want to know is in which context, is he talking about specifically in Hell or does he mean just in general? I think its something god to remeber when your geting ready to fall asleep in class. I also love howsharp and strict Virgil is with Dante. Once again the Parent/Child thing.
Bolgia 8
The Evil Counselors (George Bush and John McCain)
"I mourned among those rocks, and I mourn again when my memory returns to what I saw."
When Dante says things like this I always try to picture in my mind the things that he is talking about and horrible they are. He really is good a putting suspense in a story. He always has his audience at the edge of their seat waiting to hear about the next punishment. Each time he says something like that i always try to picture it as if it were me there looking through Dante's eyes, seeing what he saw. Its almost like creatingyour own movie. I think it really good Idea that really isn't used in many books today. The suspense just adds on to the horrible punishments Dante has witng for his audience. It's true humans are mostly more interested in the negative than the positive.
Bolgia 9
Sowers of Discord
"The devil who butchers us and sends us marching waits to renew our wounds with his long sword."
The Sowers of Discord aka The Drama Starters are pretty much some of the people we know in everyday life who like to start problems for no good reasons. This is my absolute favorite of all the punishments. It is very symbolic. They forced to walk around a tack with their limbs cut of and their entrails hanging out and their heads cut off. Then once they reach the end of the track and are healed, the demon rips them a new one (if you know what I mean) and then they start the track again with entrails hanging out and all of that sort of stuff. Since all they ever did was walk around bring about suffering now they walk around suffering in hell. Pretty deep Dante, Pretty Deep.....
Bolgia 10 (Finally!)
The Falsifiers
"And through the screams, putrid flesh spread upits sickening stench."
This is really good example of Dante's good use of adjectives. The words he uses gives the audience some of the most identifiable images and senses to try to imagine. He makes it easier for the audience see what he saw and feel what he felt. I can ieasily imagine the screams, the smell of sikness and rotting flesh, and old blood, and I can picture the sight of peole streched on the grown with boils and fevers and scabs. It was really imagery.
- Circle 8 is super long so I'm going to run some of the different sections together.
Bolgia 1 & 2
The Panderers and the Seducers, The Flatterers
""It is Jason, who by courage and good advice made off with the Colchian Ram."
OK, this guy Jason's story is really interesting. He's got reason to be in hell. He happens to meet Hypsipyle after he finds this Ram thingy, he sleeps with her, gets her pregnant and then he leaves her as they say "pregnant and forsaken" so he can go on more adventures. Now he is burning in hell with all the rest of the seducers. I learned that from the notes in the end of the chapter.
Bolgia 3 & 4
The Simoniacs & The Fortune Tellers and Diviners
"And see tiresias, who by his arts succeeded in changing himself from man to woman, transforming all his limbs and all his parts; later he had two twined serpents once again with his conjurer's wandbefore he could resume his manly lineaments."
I did this just for you K-Dub. I was so shocked to see or even hear about Tiresias in Hell. At the same time it was pretty cool to see a character from another story in this one. Though it is sad to see him in hell it is fitting becausre he is a fortune teller but, it wasn't really like he chose to be one. he just happened to get really unlucky more than once. Poor poor Tiresias will he ever rest?
Bolgia 5
The Grafters
"There 'Yes' is 'No' and 'NO' is 'Yes' for a fee."
This quote makes me think of the captolist nations. Like a America for instance. It sounds just like us. "Its funny how Money changes situations" Lauren Hill once quoted. Americans will change their views on LIFE for a quick buck. Money is what you need to survive out here. America is a Grafter. We aren't the Land of the Free or the Home of the Brave, we are the Land of the Rich and the Home of the Wealthy. Thats the American way and whats so funny is that sometimes we don't even notice it in ourselves.
Bolgia 6
The Hypocrites
"The burnished robes are of thick lead," said one "and are hung on us like counterweights, so heavy that we, their fulcrums, creak and groan."
The Hypocrites punishment is very symbolic to their crime. They wear these robes of lead that are shaped like the robes of monks, the are forced to walk around in that heavy suit, up, down, and all around. Sounds painful doesn't it? The Monk shape represents how the hypocrites try to appear saintly, however the heavy lead they're made of represents how much guilt is truly weighing them down. I really enjoy how Dante very carefully plots some of his punishments. Some were random, others were ironic. Despite his arrogance he truly is a legendary writer.
Bolgia 7
Thieves
""The man who lies aslep will never waken fame, and his desire and all his life drift past him like a dream, and the traces of his memory fade from time like smoke in air, or ripples on a stream."
I love this quote. I'm thinking of putting it on my myspace. Pretty much if its too wordy for you, he's saying that the man who sleeps will be forgotten. What I want to know is in which context, is he talking about specifically in Hell or does he mean just in general? I think its something god to remeber when your geting ready to fall asleep in class. I also love howsharp and strict Virgil is with Dante. Once again the Parent/Child thing.
Bolgia 8
The Evil Counselors (George Bush and John McCain)
"I mourned among those rocks, and I mourn again when my memory returns to what I saw."
When Dante says things like this I always try to picture in my mind the things that he is talking about and horrible they are. He really is good a putting suspense in a story. He always has his audience at the edge of their seat waiting to hear about the next punishment. Each time he says something like that i always try to picture it as if it were me there looking through Dante's eyes, seeing what he saw. Its almost like creatingyour own movie. I think it really good Idea that really isn't used in many books today. The suspense just adds on to the horrible punishments Dante has witng for his audience. It's true humans are mostly more interested in the negative than the positive.
Bolgia 9
Sowers of Discord
"The devil who butchers us and sends us marching waits to renew our wounds with his long sword."
The Sowers of Discord aka The Drama Starters are pretty much some of the people we know in everyday life who like to start problems for no good reasons. This is my absolute favorite of all the punishments. It is very symbolic. They forced to walk around a tack with their limbs cut of and their entrails hanging out and their heads cut off. Then once they reach the end of the track and are healed, the demon rips them a new one (if you know what I mean) and then they start the track again with entrails hanging out and all of that sort of stuff. Since all they ever did was walk around bring about suffering now they walk around suffering in hell. Pretty deep Dante, Pretty Deep.....
Bolgia 10 (Finally!)
The Falsifiers
"And through the screams, putrid flesh spread upits sickening stench."
This is really good example of Dante's good use of adjectives. The words he uses gives the audience some of the most identifiable images and senses to try to imagine. He makes it easier for the audience see what he saw and feel what he felt. I can ieasily imagine the screams, the smell of sikness and rotting flesh, and old blood, and I can picture the sight of peole streched on the grown with boils and fevers and scabs. It was really imagery.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Circle 7 (The Violent People)
Circle 7
Round 1
The Violent Against Neighbors (Murderers and Warlords and George Bush)
"These were the kings of bloodshed and despoilment. Here they pay for their ferocity."
The is another moment where in my opinion, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Why does Dante seem to find Violence just a little bit worse then heresy? In my Inferno, murders would very close to the bottom of hell. These guys aren't even near the final circle! How are thieves and liars worse than murders and warlords? What was the norm back in his day? Were people killed that often, because to killers should be punished and considered much worse then they are in the Inferno. These guys only have to sit in boiling blood up to where their guilt allows them wile liars are being ripped apart by demons with hooks and then boiled in a lake of glue! That is soo not fair!
Round 2
The Violent Against Themselves
"I was born in the city that tore down Mars and raised the Baptist."
I really did not understand this quote. I knew Mars was a metaphor but for what? So I look at the notes and here's what they think, the city of which he speaks is Florence. Mars was the first patron of the city when the city converted to Christianity. They tore down his statue and biult a church on top of his temple. It was cool to find that out. Personally, I think Dante's Inferno is great if your a history lover. It gives a lot of first person insight into some famous and legendary characters from the past.
Round 3
The Violent Against God, Nature, and Art
"Love of that land that was our common source moved me to tears; I gathered up the leaves and gave them back."
Ok, Dante. Pretty much he's saying that he wouldn't have felt sorry for the sinner ifit hadn't been form the same place. Dante is must really love his city because he mentions it so many times in his book. Florence, Florence, Florence. Matter of fact, most of the people that he talks to or about are from Florence. He is very much a patriot to his land. He probably saved himself from being shunned by his own peers by constantly mentioning Florence. Its just like if I had wrote a book about George Bush going to hell but every few sentences I would stop to say " I love America!" Its funny. At least to me.
Round 3
Violence Against Nature
"Ser Brunettto are you here?"
Poor Brunetto, from what the notes said, Brunetto was a writer who Dante really looked up to. What they aren't able to understand, which I can't understand either is why he is in hell. The thing is there was never any written evidence of him ever being guilty of sodomy. No rumors no nothing, so exactly what is Dante getting at by putting Brunetto here? Its really weird. if Dante was still alive this is probably something I would ask him about. By he way this might really piss off some people today. In the SEVENTH circle of hell guess who's there, Sodomites (anyone who has any type of sex besides vaginal sex which is basically more than half of the planet).
Round 3
Violence Against Nature and Art
" Do as they ask" he said "For these are forms to whom respect is due."
This was a real eye opener, This is the first time since the outer rings of hell that Dante has ever been told to respect any of the Dead souls living there. Why do certain souls still have enough clout to deserve respect in hell. That does send out a good message, respect others wheter they deserve it or not because normally we wouldn't expect people to be treated with respect in hell of all places.
Violence Against Art
"From each neck there hung an enormous purse, each marked with its own beast and its own colors like a coat of arms."
I at first didn't really catch on to the fact that the purses were coats of arms that represented feuding families. I wonder now if Romeo and Juliets family would have been included among those sinners. However I wouldn't consider that so ba that it was in the final circles of violence. I would think that violence against God would come last if anything. This is once again another example of Dante's different approac to certain sins.
Round 1
The Violent Against Neighbors (Murderers and Warlords and George Bush)
"These were the kings of bloodshed and despoilment. Here they pay for their ferocity."
The is another moment where in my opinion, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Why does Dante seem to find Violence just a little bit worse then heresy? In my Inferno, murders would very close to the bottom of hell. These guys aren't even near the final circle! How are thieves and liars worse than murders and warlords? What was the norm back in his day? Were people killed that often, because to killers should be punished and considered much worse then they are in the Inferno. These guys only have to sit in boiling blood up to where their guilt allows them wile liars are being ripped apart by demons with hooks and then boiled in a lake of glue! That is soo not fair!
Round 2
The Violent Against Themselves
"I was born in the city that tore down Mars and raised the Baptist."
I really did not understand this quote. I knew Mars was a metaphor but for what? So I look at the notes and here's what they think, the city of which he speaks is Florence. Mars was the first patron of the city when the city converted to Christianity. They tore down his statue and biult a church on top of his temple. It was cool to find that out. Personally, I think Dante's Inferno is great if your a history lover. It gives a lot of first person insight into some famous and legendary characters from the past.
Round 3
The Violent Against God, Nature, and Art
"Love of that land that was our common source moved me to tears; I gathered up the leaves and gave them back."
Ok, Dante. Pretty much he's saying that he wouldn't have felt sorry for the sinner ifit hadn't been form the same place. Dante is must really love his city because he mentions it so many times in his book. Florence, Florence, Florence. Matter of fact, most of the people that he talks to or about are from Florence. He is very much a patriot to his land. He probably saved himself from being shunned by his own peers by constantly mentioning Florence. Its just like if I had wrote a book about George Bush going to hell but every few sentences I would stop to say " I love America!" Its funny. At least to me.
Round 3
Violence Against Nature
"Ser Brunettto are you here?"
Poor Brunetto, from what the notes said, Brunetto was a writer who Dante really looked up to. What they aren't able to understand, which I can't understand either is why he is in hell. The thing is there was never any written evidence of him ever being guilty of sodomy. No rumors no nothing, so exactly what is Dante getting at by putting Brunetto here? Its really weird. if Dante was still alive this is probably something I would ask him about. By he way this might really piss off some people today. In the SEVENTH circle of hell guess who's there, Sodomites (anyone who has any type of sex besides vaginal sex which is basically more than half of the planet).
Round 3
Violence Against Nature and Art
" Do as they ask" he said "For these are forms to whom respect is due."
This was a real eye opener, This is the first time since the outer rings of hell that Dante has ever been told to respect any of the Dead souls living there. Why do certain souls still have enough clout to deserve respect in hell. That does send out a good message, respect others wheter they deserve it or not because normally we wouldn't expect people to be treated with respect in hell of all places.
Violence Against Art
"From each neck there hung an enormous purse, each marked with its own beast and its own colors like a coat of arms."
I at first didn't really catch on to the fact that the purses were coats of arms that represented feuding families. I wonder now if Romeo and Juliets family would have been included among those sinners. However I wouldn't consider that so ba that it was in the final circles of violence. I would think that violence against God would come last if anything. This is once again another example of Dante's different approac to certain sins.
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