I read about this group read a long time ago and never got around to declaring my intention to join.  Well, now is the time. I’ve had Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children on my shelf for a very long time and it would be nice if it finally left its spot.

Works by Salman Rushdie take time to digest and I think that a group read will also help as you can read what others are thinking about as well.  The group read will run from March to June and posts will go up on the following dates:

• Book One – March 31
• Book Two (Part A ending with ‘Alpha and Omega’) – April 30
• Book Two (Part B starting with ‘The Kolynos Kid’) – May 31
• Book Three – June 30

The Literary Stew, Dolce Belleza, and Ripple Effects are doing the group read.

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There can be no relation more strange, more critical, than that between two beings who know each other only with their eyes, who meet daily, yes, even hourly, eye each other with a fixed regard, and yet by some whim or freak of convention feel constrained to act like strangers.  Uneasiness rules between them, unslaked curiosity, a hysterical desire to give rein to their suppressed impulse to recognize and address each other; even, actually, a sort of strained but mutual regard.  For one human being instinctively feels respect and love for another human being so long as he does not know him well enough to judge him; and that he does not, the craving he feels is evidence.  - Thomas Mann, Death in Venice

Attraction is a dangerous obsession.  Death in Venice tells the story of Gustave von Aschenbach, a well-known writer, as he travels to Venice for a little artistic inspiration.  He does find his Muse but in the form of a fourteen year old boy.

What began as merely an appreciation for the youth’s beauty turned into a fervent obsession.  What began as mere observation turned into ardent stalking.  However, the traveller, the observer, the fugitive, the guest, the devotee, the solitary man (and other names attributed to Aschenbach by Mann) never acts on his obsession.  Well, he did want to at once just wanted to chat, but being an old man, could not keep up with the young lad.  He just resolves to stare longingly at the lad from a distance and its all he ever did on his search for artistic inspiration in Venice.

Aschenbach then learns that cholera has infected the city and that the government officials are just being mum about the real intensity of the epidemic.  Despite knowing this, he decides to stay just to be able to see Tadzio and even went as far as changing his look to appear like a young man.  He even continued on his “quest”  even after he wasn’t feeling well.

I found Death in Venice a sad story of a lonely man who has suddenly found some source of happiness that is sadly cut short.

“Passion is a positive obsession. Obsession is a negative passion.” - Paul Carvel, Belgian writer and editor

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Ever since I started reading book blogs, I almost always read the name of Daphne du Maurier.  I have never seen any of her books in the bookstores that I frequent and I was so delighted to find a copy of Don’t Look Now at a second hand bookshop for only P10.  Of course, I never got around to reading it until this challenge came up.

Anyway, on to the story.  Don’t Look Now is about this couple who are on vacation in Venice to help cope after the loss of their daughter that has left the wife, Laura, in a depressed state.  It tells of their encounter with old twins (one of which is a blind psychic) one day at lunch in Torcello who warns Laura that their dead daughter thinks they are in danger and that they need to leave Venice the next day.

John does not believe anything they are saying.  However, the twins are rather persistent in appearing wherever the couple go.  John saw them at the church in Torcello but did not tell his wife and he sees them again at dinner but this time Laura sees them and decides to have a chat.

Its also important to note that the city has been plagued by murders.  John and Laura walked to the restaurant to have dinner and passed through some dimly lit places and actually heard a scream from one of the houses and afterwards John saw a child emerge running away from the scene.

During their dinner, the twins emphasize that the couples dead daughter is more concerned about John than about Laura and even added that John is physic and that he does not know it.  This only serves to infuriate John who decides that they leave the restaurant.  Back at their hotel, they receive word that their son is sick.  Laura sees this as a sign that they must head home.

Laura decides that she would fly home and her husband would follow with all their luggage by train.  Given that she believed in the words of the old twins, I found it rather odd that Laura would think that it was her son that was in danger when the old twins specifically said that their dead daughter is more concerned with her husband.  Well, I couldn’t blame her as well because she did lose a child and didn’t want to lose another.

Its also odd to know that John couldn’t trust his wife either.  As he is riding a ferry, he “sees” his wife with the twins on another ferry headed back to Venice.  He decides that he must go back as well to meet her.  Who could blame him? His wife was very attached to those old ladies.

However, this return to Venice was just the start of a foreshadowing that could have been avoided but in the end, did come true.

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Shylock and Jessica, by Maurycy Gottlieb (via)

Where do I begin? Let’s start with how The Merchant of Venice is not actually about the merchant of Venice. I saw it the events that transpired because of the aforementioned merchant’s decision.  In truth, it was just one of the events. :p

It all starts with Antonio, the merchant of Venice, deciding to put up his name as a guarantor for a loan so that his dear friend Bassanio could pursue Portia, the woman of his dreams.  Not only that, he agrees to Shylock’s terms of having a pound of his flesh if he cannot repay him.  Ahh, I could just hear Jamie Lannister say, “The things I do for love.” That’s some really deep love right there.

Long story short, Bassanio gets the woman of his dreams and Antonio ends up not being able to pay Shylock because something goes awry with his business.  The rest of the play focused on how they would be able to save Antonio from his fate.  We see this unfold through the wit and cunning of Portia.

On to characters

I found it rather harsh that Shylock would request a pound of flesh for payment but he and Antonio hate each other because one is a Jew and the other a Christian.  So, ok.  I would describe Shylock as rather relentless which is especially displayed in his unwillingness to give up taking a pound from Antonio’s flesh.

One of the events in the story involving Shylock is his daughter Jessica.  She is portrayed as silent and love struck.  She elopes with Lorenzo and they go to Belmont.   When Shylock hears of this, it did not make him happy at all.

Alack, what heinous sin is it in me
To be ashamed to be my father’s child!
But though I am a daughter to his blood,
I am not to his manners.
- Jessica, Act II Scene III

An event that was also covered was the transfer of Launcelot, a servant, from Shylock’s service to that of Bassanio’s.  His reason is that Shylock is rather evil.  Ok.  All that have transpired seemed to want us to know that Shylock is a rude man.

I found the process Portia’s suitors had to go through to gain her hand in marriage interesting.  They had to choose from three caskets made of gold, silver, and lead to see which one contained her picture.  Where her suitors failed, Bassanio succeeded.  And here is where we witness the fastest progression from lovers to husband and wife. I know it was the 16th century but damn that was fast.  I could also say the same for Portia’s maid, Nerisa, and Bassanio’s buddy, Gratiano.  I liked the scene where Portia and Nerissa discuss her numerous suitors and the reasons why she does not like them.

Females dressing as males occurred twice in this play with Jessica dressing as a page so she could escape with Lorenzo and both Portia and Nerissa dressing as men to save Antonio’s life.

The court scene in the play was also very interesting to read.  Portia’s cleverness was really displayed in those scenes.  I loved how she dared Shylock to get his pound of flesh without dripping any blood as it was not stated in writing.

Overall, I enjoyed the play.  Rather sad about Antonio’s bullying Shylock in the final Act but it is what it is.

Quotable Quotes

I know that there are a lot more out there so these are just a few:

But love is blind and lovers cannot see
The pretty follies that themselves commit;
For if they could, Cupid himself would blush
- Jessica, Act II Scene VI

You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid.
- Gratiano, Act III Scene II

All that glisters is not gold

Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what is his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge.
- Shylock, Act III Scene I

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
’Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice.
- Portia, Act IV Scene I

This reading also counts for the Venice in February Reading Challenge since it is set in Venice.

Charles Dickens' 200th birthday Google doodle. (via Google)

Today marks the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens.  To celebrate, I have decided to read Bleak House for the month of February.  I have the Oxford World’s Classics edition and it has a total of 914 pages.  Its massive and I hope I could finish it by the end of the month.  If I read 30 to 50 pages a day I might get it done. So, I’m really hoping.

I also read a few articles that were published for his 200h birthday.  I really liked this post published by Christian Science Monitor of favorite Charles Dickens quotes.  Here are some that I liked:

A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.” (From A Tale of Two Cities)

I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.” (From Great Expectations)

Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him!

An idea, like a ghost … must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.

I also read this article on the result of a poll asking for favorite characters created by Charles Dickens.  Can you guys guess?

Another article that I read was from The Guardian where Claire Tomalin muses on how Dickens might have thought of this day and age.

There’s also this article from NPR on the characters created by Charles Dickens and some of the phrases he coined that have stuck until this day.

And lastly, this article by Ben Zimmer on Dickens’ contribution to the English language.

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Miranda, by John William Waterhouse [Public domain or Public domain] (via)

I remember The Tempest vaguely back when I was in high school.  We did not discuss it for class but me and friends were playing with a tape recorder and this was the play that we were trying to record. That and the name of the main protagonist, Prospero, is the inspiration behind the name of the books, arts, and culture blog of The Economist which I read from time to time.

Anyway, the play is about how Prospero wants to gain back what is rightfully his as the Duke of Milan.  His title was usurped by his brother, Antonio who also conspired with Alonso, the Duke of Naples, to do the deed.  Prospero and his daughter Miranda, then still an infant, escaped with the help of Gonzalo, a councilor.  Both Prospero and Miranda ended up in the remote island which becomes the setting for this play.

Prospero, with the aid of his spirit servant Ariel, conjure up the tempest that brings the ship bearing Antonio, Alonso, Sebastian, Gonzalo, Ferdinand, Adrian, Francisco, Trinculo, and Stephano to be shipwrecked and the nobles to be stranded in their island.  Now, I would just like to say that Adrian and Francisco don’t actually do much. Trinculo and Stephano provide the comedic bits in this play.

There are a lot of things going on in The Tempest.  The major one is Prospero’s desire to gain back what is his.  Others include Ferdinand and Miranda’s love at first sight story, Antonio and Sebastian plotting against Alonso and Gonzalo, Ariel’s desire to be free, and Caliban’s vow for vengeance as he feels the island is his by right and was usurped by Prospero.  That and there’s also magic.

Prospero is rather mean (to me anyways).  He does not treat Caliban fairly (although that may stem from Caliban’s attempted rape of his daughter) and he chides Ariel every time for reminding him of his promise of liberty.  Plus he calls his daughter “wench.”  Well it does mean woman but I always assumed in the olden days it was a term for prostitute.

Miranda on the other hand is a rather surprising character.  She comes of as sweet but her proposal of marriage to Ferdinand shocked me.  That and her love at first sight story with Ferdinand.  Ferdinand is the first man she has ever laid her eyes on aside from her father and Caliban.  She falls for him and he for her.  It was cute but really? Plus the “virgin knot” had me giggling.  It just reminded me of Robin Hood: Men in Tights where Maid Marian has a chastity belt.

Caliban, o poor Caliban.  Everything just does not go right for this one.  He conspires with two of the most inept people to murder a very powerful magician.  Well at least he knew to get rid of the books because they were Prospero’s source of strength.

Sebastian and Antonio are vile creatures.  Imagine being shipwrecked and in the middle of nowhere with no way to get home and they still had the audacity to conspire to murder their own king.  Crazy.  But their scenes were funny though.

Alonso, the king of Naples, at least shows some remorse after the things he conspired to do in the past.  And poor Gonzalo, always being rebuked for wanting to be positive in light of their situation.

Ariel is a very obedient spirit and carries out all the tasks that Prospero asked.  I mean, wouldn’t you if it meant your freedom?

This is the second Shakespearean play I read which involved magic and sleeping.  The first being A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  In both, characters are put to sleep by magic and then woken for another scene.

All in all, I enjoyed this play and it does end happy despite being rather grim in the start.

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I was browsing over at the Charles Dickens @ 200 series over at The Guardian and found that their Reading Group is  reading Bleak House for the month of February.  Since I’ve tossed and tumbled over whether to read Bleak House or Our Mutual Friend, I’ve decided that I would go with the former.

I did mention in one post that I liked the plot of Bleak House so I really hope that I would enjoy this one and actually get to finish it.

I don’t know if I would be able to join in on the discussions on the comments section of the Reading Group but it would be nice to read about what other people are thinking as they go through the book as well.

The edition I will be reading from is the Oxford World Classics Edition, whose cover I really, really like.

The host of the Reading Group, Sam Jordinson, has also posted an appreciation for  Bleak House.

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The Comedy of Errors. _Wikimedia Commons_.

In this play, we have two sets of twins, both sets each confusingly named Antipholus and Dromio.  Egeon of Syracuse and Emilia, the parents of the two Antipholus twins, were travelling for business at that time when Emilia gave birth.  It also happened that at the inn they were staying in, a poor woman also gave birth to twins.  Egeon bought the twins to be brought up as slaves for each of his sons.

On their return journey, they were unfortunate victims of a shipwreck.  Egeon was able to take one Antipholus and one Dromio while his wife also did the same.  They were both saved by different ships, one bound for Corinth and the other for Epidaurus.  When Antipholus of Syracuse grew up, he took his slave Dromios with him to find his brother and mother.  Egeon followed suit and unbeknownst to both father and son, they were both in Ephesus which also happens to be the location of the other set of twins.  And here begins the many set of errors described in the play.

My thoughts on the play?

It was okay.  I did not hate it but I did not love it that much either.  But it was definitely funny.  It was really funny to read the scenes where friends and family mistake one for the other.  This play also had a very happy ending, which was nice.

Another thing about this play is that it is a very physical comedy.  It involved slapping around both of the Dromios.  Both Antipholus twins had that in common, hurting their slaves.  One exception was that Antipholus of Ephesus was married to Adriana.  The wife also inflicts pain on the slave.

Adriana also has a sister, Luciana.  They are very different as Adriana is rather shrewish while Luciana thinks that wives should be servants to their husbands.  Here are a few of Luciana’s statements:

A man is master of liberty
Time is their master; and when they see time
They’ll go or come

and

Why, headstrong liberty is lash’d with woe.
There’s nothing situate under heaven’s eye
But hath his bound, in earth, in sea, in sky:
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males’ subjects and at their controls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all these,
Lords of the wide world and wild watery seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more preeminence than fish and fowls,
Are masters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.

Its also funny that Antipholus of Syracuse would somehow just go have dinner with his alleged wife when he in fact knows that he has no wife.  I also found the discussion between Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse of the features of the cook of Antipholus of Ephesus in geographical locations to be funny.

While reading the play, I couldn’t help but think about why the people around them couldn’t tell them apart? Well, they had the same physical traits but what about their clothes? But whatever, it wouldn’t be a comedy otherwise.

Some of my favorite passages

Antipholus of Syracuse:
I to the world am like a drop of water
That in the ocean seeks another drop,
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself

Dromio of Ephesus:
She is so hot because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold because you come not home;
You come not home because you have no stomach;
You have no stomach having broke your fast;

Antipholus of Syracuse
Thank me, sir, for what?

Dromio of Syracuse
Marry, sir, for this something that you gave me for nothing.

Antipholus of Syracuse
I’ll make you amends next, to give you nothing for something.

Dromio of Ephesus
Say what you will, sir, but I know what I know;
That you beat me at the mart, I have your hand to show:
If the skin were parchment, and the blows you gave were ink,
Your own handwriting would tell you what I think.

Click here to read Moby Dick Readalong Post #1.

Click here to read Moby Dick Readalong Post #2.

Click here to read Moby Dick Readalong Post #3.

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Well, what can I say? Its over with a very big smile on my face. I honestly just felt relieved to have finished it.  I can now see why a lot have said not so nice things about Moby Dick.  Well, for one, we only get to see the aforementioned whale in the books last three chapters.

Anyway, from Chapters 94 down to the Epilogue, Melville discusses an amalgam of things.  He discusses the squeezing of spermacetti down to the final process of processing whale oil.  He even discusses whale skeletons and their measurements.    Melville is one very odd man.

We also get to meet the Pequod’s carpenter who not only serves as a carpenter but an all around man.  He even does dentist’s work! This carpenter is the one who makes a new leg for Ahab.  Not once but twice: one made of whale bone and the other made of the remnants of Ahab’s boat that was destroyed in pursuit of Moby Dick.

Melville also goes on about the ships that they have encountered: Samuel Enderby, The Bachelor, The Rachel, and the “most miserably misnamed” Delight.  The Rachel is searching for her lost crew and will hold importance later on in the story.

Melville also does not stop with his play like chapters.  He must really love plays to integrate them into his own work.

We also learn earlier that Queequeg falls ill and thinking that he is about to die, has the carpenter make a coffin for him.  This coffin will play an important part in the end of the book.

The final three chapters detail the three days they spent chasing Moby Dick.  I found it odd that they referred to Moby Dick both as a he and a she.  ”There she spouts!” and then they describe Moby Dick as a he again.  I dunno what it was for though.  It seemed as if they were referring to the whale as he all along before those three chapters.  Or maybe there was something I missed?

The final three chapters also show Ahab’s persistence in killing this whale that despite two failed attempts and some misgivings by his crew, he still sets out to hunt this whale.  He does lose his leg again and the carpenter creates one hastily for him out of the wreckage of his boat.

Given that there were already signs that this story was going to be gloomy from the earliest chapters, Ahab’s quest does not end well.  Moby Dick sinks the Pequod on the third day of the chase and Ahab is dragged under the sea by Moby Dick.  What became his quest for vengeance turned out to be Moby Dick’s vengeance against him and his crew.  Ahab’s story is sad and it shows that not every desire for vengeance ends well.

The epilogue tells of Ishmael’s survival.  He was thrown off on the third day of the chase and was first saved by Queequeg’s coffin which served as his life buoy.  Ishmael is then saved by The Rachel, “that in her retracting search after her missing children, only found another orphan.“

Click here to read the first discussion post.
Click here to read the second discussion post.

Click here to read the third discussion post.

Click here to read the fourth discussion post.

Click here to read the fifth discussion post

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This post concerns my final thoughts on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare.

With regards to Oberon, I found it nice that he pitied Helena for chasing and being ignored by Demetrius but to intervene? Not a good idea.  I also found it quite amusing that after getting what he wanted (the Indian boy) he was ready to make amends with his wife Titania and lift up the spell put on her.

Oberon’s wife, Titania, is a perfect example of what one is willing to give up in the name of love.  Well, she was under a spell but still in love nonetheless.  That and she was practically badgered while trying to find a gift for Bottom.

Hermia was a surprise for me.  I thought she was going to be sweet all through out  but she can really stand up for what she wants as well.

I can’t say much about Lysander really aside from that night in the forest where he somewhat insinuated that he sleep with Hermia.

Demetrius on the other hand, I feel, is the embodiment of a modern day womanizer. :p It always felt wrong that he just left Helena to pursue Hermia.  Well, by rights, he could pursue anyone he wants but a close friend of the person you were once interested in just seemed wrong to me.

Helena is the most sorry character in this play.  I feel sorry for her despite getting Demetrius in the end because I don’t think he was ever relieved from the spell that was put on him.  Well, if the fairies say that another flower needs to undo the deed then I’d reckon that he was still under the influence of the first flower.  However, I also think that it was quite unnecessary for Helena to chase after a guy who has clearly stated that he does not want her.  It bordered on stalkerish but she did get her man.

Who can blame Puck for his mistake? He was just told to put the flower on the eyelids of an Athenian man and it was just unfortunate that the Athenian man happened to be the wrong one. His mistake started all the craziness that followed.  That and turning Bottom’s head into that of an ass.

The laborers are one funny bunch.  Well, Bottom did most of the talking for them anyway.  It was unfortunate about the play “Pyramus and Thisbe” that they had to put up for the king and queen and the four lovers though.

I can’t say anything much about Theseus, Egeus, and Hippolyta.  Egeus is a harsh father and Theseus and Hippolyta are just there.  I actually feel sorry for Hippolyta as she does not seem to do much.  When she is in a scene she is quiet and the only time she had a lot to say was towards the end of the play.  At least Theseus gets to perform some of his duties.

Overall, it was a fun play.  The sentiments of love in the play are still echoed today. In Lysander’s words: “The course of true love never did run smooth.“