Author Topic: Mary Renault Book Discussion  (Read 79825 times)

injest

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #240 on: February 27, 2007, 08:30:45 am »
I'd love to get back to TLOTW, Zander. It's still sitting here on my desk, exactly where I left it some weeks ago. I've not had the impetus to progress further. I would be happy to recommence our Athenian adventure. Are you and Jess interested?

humph! He abandons us to run buck wild on the mountainside....and now he is ready to come back???

OK!!

 :laugh: :laugh:

we were on Chapter 3...everyone ready to move to Chapter 4?

Offline Zander

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #241 on: February 27, 2007, 08:35:59 am »
humph! He abandons us to run buck wild on the mountainside....and now he is ready to come back???

OK!!

 :laugh: :laugh:

we were on Chapter 3...everyone ready to move to Chapter 4?
Errrrr... couldn't we discuss buck wild on a mountainside - sounds lottsa fun  ;D

injest

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #242 on: February 27, 2007, 08:45:27 am »
Errrrr... couldn't we discuss buck wild on a mountainside - sounds lottsa fun  ;D

LOL!! that was 'paraphrasing' a later comment from our book...but describes what he has been doing here on Bettermost!!  :P

Have you been looking at his past posts?? Cause he has some 'splaining to do!!  >:(

can't just drop comments and run off thinking we country folk know what he is talking about! "dressed head to toe in leather with a colourcoded bandanna in the back pocket" HUH?? Bandannas only come in TWO colors..red and blue....and you pick out which one based on what color you are wearing! and black goes with everything! Silly Kerry!

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #243 on: February 27, 2007, 10:02:20 am »
I'll be blue  ;D

Offline Kerry

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #244 on: February 27, 2007, 06:58:58 pm »
LOL!! that was 'paraphrasing' a later comment from our book...but describes what he has been doing here on Bettermost!!  :P

Have you been looking at his past posts?? Cause he has some 'splaining to do!!  >:(

can't just drop comments and run off thinking we country folk know what he is talking about! "dressed head to toe in leather with a colourcoded bandanna in the back pocket" HUH?? Bandannas only come in TWO colors..red and blue....and you pick out which one based on what color you are wearing! and black goes with everything! Silly Kerry!

OK! OK! I confess! Lock me up and throw away the key! I'm guilty!   :'(  ;)  :laugh:

Yes, that was me running buck wild on the mountainside!  :o

God, how I wish that was true. Fact is, in reality, I've become a pathetic excuse for a human being - an addict! Sob! David has turned me into an addict! Yes, David! He introduced me to those blog quiz thingies over at the Polling Place, where he is now Moderator. Seems that they are the only things I do here at BetterMost these days! I'm hooked!

Given a choice between running buck wild on a mountainside and completing yet another of those addictive quizzes, I'd prefer to take the former option any day! Especially if I get to run wild with Ennis! Yee-Haw!   :P  :-*  :laugh:

Bandannas come in a huge range of colours, Jess, not just red and blue. The 70s were sooooooo long ago, but I seem to recall that my bandanna was neither blue nor red. And no, I will not be drawn on any more details than that!!! (giggle/blush)  :-X

Would be happy to get stuck into TLOTW again. I'm at work just now and don't have my copy with me, but will comment on Chapter 4 as soon as I have an opportunity.

It's great to return to my cultured roots, where I belong, after all that ill-spent time romping on the hillside. Tell me, why am I getting Julie Andrews flashbacks here?!   ::)  :laugh:

P.S., Good to see you spelling "colour" the right way, Jess!  :D

« Last Edit: February 27, 2007, 07:42:11 pm by Kerry »
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Offline Kerry

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #245 on: March 02, 2007, 01:28:08 am »
Chapter 4

Casting a spell that would put the powers of the most beguiling enchantress to shame, Mary Renault conjures this dazzling picture of the ancient port of Piraeus, at its most magnificent. Athens, at the height of its glory.

Recreated trireme, The Olympia,
docked in Piraeus

Xenophon and I, to escape all this gloom in the City, spent our spare time in Piraeus. Here there was always something new; a rich metic from Phrygia or Egypt might be building himself a house in the style of his former city, or putting up a shrine to one of the gods whom one hardly knew in his foreign dress, with even a dog’s head perhaps or a fish’s tail; or there would be a new shipment in the Emporion of carpets from Babylon, Persian lapis, Scythian turquoises, or tin and amber from the wild Hyperborean places that only Phoenicians know.

The Egyptian God, Anubis

Our silver owls were the only coinage, then, that was good all over the world. You saw in the wide streets Nubians with plugs of ivory pulling their ears down to their shoulders; long-haired Medes, in trousers and sequin bonnets; Egyptians with painted eyes, wearing only skirts of stiff linen and collars of gems and beads. The air was heavy with the smell of foreign bodies, of spices and hemp and pitch; strange tongues chattered like beast speaking to bird; one guessed at the meaning, and watched the talking hands.

A magical place, indeed.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2007, 01:36:33 am by Kerry »
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injest

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #246 on: March 02, 2007, 01:44:53 am »
Chapter 4

Casting a spell that would put the powers of the most beguiling enchantress to shame, Mary Renault conjures this dazzling picture of the ancient port of Piraeus, at its most magnificent. Athens, at the height of its glory.

Recreated trireme, The Olympia,
docked in Piraeus

Xenophon and I, to escape all this gloom in the City, spent our spare time in Piraeus. Here there was always something new; a rich metic from Phrygia or Egypt might be building himself a house in the style of his former city, or putting up a shrine to one of the gods whom one hardly knew in his foreign dress, with even a dog’s head perhaps or a fish’s tail; or there would be a new shipment in the Emporion of carpets from Babylon, Persian lapis, Scythian turquoises, or tin and amber from the wild Hyperborean places that only Phoenicians know.

The Egyptian God, Anubis

Our silver owls were the only coinage, then, that was good all over the world. You saw in the wide streets Nubians with plugs of ivory pulling their ears down to their shoulders; long-haired Medes, in trousers and sequin bonnets; Egyptians with painted eyes, wearing only skirts of stiff linen and collars of gems and beads. The air was heavy with the smell of foreign bodies, of spices and hemp and pitch; strange tongues chattered like beast speaking to bird; one guessed at the meaning, and watched the talking hands.

A magical place, indeed.


this is interesting to me, Kerry. Alexias doesn't see these gods as opposing gods...enemies of his own but rather the same gods wearing other forms.

would make for a much more tolerant society if we could all do that.

Offline Kerry

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #247 on: March 02, 2007, 09:19:31 am »
this is interesting to me, Kerry. Alexias doesn't see these gods as opposing gods...enemies of his own but rather the same gods wearing other forms.

would make for a much more tolerant society if we could all do that.

Many ancient civilisations were tolerant and respectful of the customs and culture of others. For example, there were temples dedicated to the Egyptian Goddess, Isis, in Rome. Very enlightened.

Isis
« Last Edit: March 02, 2007, 10:59:24 pm by Kerry »
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Offline Kerry

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #248 on: March 05, 2007, 12:39:43 am »

Man & Youth at Symposium

“Unrequited love’s a drag,” as Mama Cass once said.  And nearly all of us have experience the excruciating pain, at some time in our lives, of being deeply in love with someone who didn’t even know of our existence. Speaking for myself, I vividly remember the crush I had on my high school physical education teacher. Adolescent love is more like a blight than a delight. It can lay you low. Make you sick. Drive you to distraction. One becomes morbidly preoccupied with the object of your desire. At the age of 16, Mr D was my singular raison d’etre! And then, one day, he came up to me in the school yard, and spoke to me. He asked me some inane question about my father, I recall. And though I loved him with a passion that was fast threatening to annihilate me, I found that the only way I could respond to this beautiful, god-like man; this vision splendid; was by stuttering out a mumbled response, giggling, and turning such a bright shade of fire engine red, I thought my head would surely burst into flames at any moment. Ah, adolescence! More to be endured, than enjoyed!

Unlike my Mr D, it looks like the object of Alexias’ ardour, Lysis, is beginning to pay attention and take notice. Even though Lysis was engaged in conversation with his peers about the whereabouts of Sokrates, it would appear that his attention was surreptitiously drawn elsewhere. Lysis had made a point of noticing that Alexias had twisted his ankle. Not unusual in itself. However, Lysis leaves his companions and takes a cooling cloth to Alexias, to bind his foot. Move over Florence Nightingale, Lysis is here to save the day!

Alexias tells us that he blushes so violently because he is ashamed that Lysis will find out that he hasn’t really been injured, or that he is malingering, or that he’s withdrawn from the race because he fears defeat. But I wonder if the real reason he has this reaction is because he has been surprised by the sudden, unexpected presence of the man he has been secretly fantasizing about and lusting over. 

It reminds me of the Kahlil Gibran quote about the peasant who performs an act of bravery and is brought before the king to be honoured for his heroism. Even though he is thrilled to have his bravery acknowledged by the king, he is more mindful that he is trembling violently at being in the presence of his sovereign.

Here we have a man whom Alexias has been admiring from afar for some time. And now, suddenly, here he is, literally casting his shadow over Alexias’ person, soothing balm in hand, eager to administer comforting relief.

Psst, Alexias, he doesn’t find you boorish in the least. He’s got your name on his dance card, baby! He thinks you’re cute! Looks like the love you’re experiencing ain’t so unrequited after all!
« Last Edit: March 05, 2007, 07:48:41 am by Kerry »
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injest

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Re: Mary Renault Book Discussion
« Reply #249 on: March 05, 2007, 08:47:53 am »
well Alexias IS faking...he wanted to eavesdrop on Socrates friends' conversation!! and think if YOU were nude on the ground and the object of your admiration offered to touch you!! Knowing teenaged boys I imagine there was a reason all those men liked to come watch them exercise!!  ::)

Here is Alexias's reaction:

I thanked him stammerinly, being taken by surprise, and overwhelmed that such a person should talk to me. Seeing I had a long way to look up, he came down on one knee; I saw he had a wet cloth in his hand, which he must have gotten from the bath. He paused for a moment and then said "Shall I do it?"

At this I remembered that nothing was wrong with me. I was so ashamed at the thought of his finding it out, and thinking I had sat down out of weakness or the fear of being outrun, that I felt my face and my whole body grow burning hot, and sat unable to answer anything. I thought he would be digusted by my boorishness; but holding out the cloth he said gently "If you would rather, then, do it yourself"


I like Lysis reaction to Alexias's shyness...SUCH a gentleman....*sigh*

but can you see HIS shyness? better hid than Alexias...