Stuff we're reading / watching / listening to

[Katya]

The recent surge in Les Miserables trailers on facebook led me to start re-reading that book. I forgot how much I hate the French Revolution. It was confusing enough when I learned it all for AP Euro, and that was way too long ago for me to understand it all now. Which makes me skim through half the book.

I started that book about 10 years ago, but I never finished it. (I keep meaning to. I really liked it, it was just slow going because I was reading it unabridged.)

[Digit]

The first big book I ever read was The Brothers Karamazov, and when I was about three quarters through, the library made me return it per their checkout renewal limits. I tried to go back and get it anew the next day but unbelievably somebody nabbed it in that short window of time. I bought the book at the bookstore, but it was another translation that used different nicknames. It took a little while to figure out who was doing what.

[TheAnswerIs42]

The recent surge in Les Miserables trailers on facebook led me to start re-reading that book. I forgot how much I hate the French Revolution. It was confusing enough when I learned it all for AP Euro, and that was way too long ago for me to understand it all now. Which makes me skim through half the book.

Technically it's about the JULY Revolution...

Did it happen in France? Then it was a French Revolution!
That is what drives me crazy about it though. Weren't there quite a few in a row? What whiplash. And what an awful thing to live through. One day you could be killed for supporting the "treason" side, then suddenly the power has switched and everyone who was safe is being killed. Yikes.

And Katya, don't feel bad. This thing is a beast. I read it in high school because I had a filler class entitled "reading". We could bring in anything we wanted to and read for 40 minutes a day, with minimal assignments to make sure we were doing it. Best class ever. And the thing about the unabridged version is that a LOT of it really has nothing to do with the plot. My first time through I would chug through it all assuming it would come into play somehow, but honestly a lot of it is just a way for him to get his political opinions out there. Now I kind of abridge it myself as I go.

[Katya]

The first big book I ever read was The Brothers Karamazov, and when I was about three quarters through, the library made me return it per their checkout renewal limits. I tried to go back and get it anew the next day but unbelievably somebody nabbed it in that short window of time. I bought the book at the bookstore, but it was another translation that used different nicknames. It took a little while to figure out who was doing what.

I have had that problem so many times with Russian novels. I'll go through half the novel thinking "Who is this new character Grisha? And whatever happened to Gregoriy?" Also, I read a version of Anna Karenina where they called her "Anna Karenin" the entire time, because they didn't want to do the masculine/feminine versions of any of the surnames. Which is a translation choice I understand, but when the book is actually named after that character, maybe you shouldn't change her name, you know?

[Whistler]

I've been reading 1Q84 because I saw that Whistler and Optimistic. both read it (was it on Facebook or something? I don't remember), and I was intrigued. I'm about 250 pages into it... SO GOOD. I mean, it is bizarre, but in a very good way.

Agreed! The last half isn't quite as good but still nicely bizzare and stuff. And yeah, probably facebook.

[Yarjka]

The first big book I ever read was The Brothers Karamazov, and when I was about three quarters through, the library made me return it per their checkout renewal limits. I tried to go back and get it anew the next day but unbelievably somebody nabbed it in that short window of time. I bought the book at the bookstore, but it was another translation that used different nicknames. It took a little while to figure out who was doing what.

I have had that problem so many times with Russian novels. I'll go through half the novel thinking "Who is this new character Grisha? And whatever happened to Gregoriy?" Also, I read a version of Anna Karenina where they called her "Anna Karenin" the entire time, because they didn't want to do the masculine/feminine versions of any of the surnames. Which is a translation choice I understand, but when the book is actually named after that character, maybe you shouldn't change her name, you know?

Especially when her husband, referred to as Karenin throughout, is a major character. Drives me nuts too. I especially hate it when they anglicize the Russian names, turning Fyodor into Theodore, Pavel into Paul, Pyotr into Peter, and the like.

[Yarjka]

I've been reading 1Q84 because I saw that Whistler and Optimistic. both read it (was it on Facebook or something? I don't remember), and I was intrigued. I'm about 250 pages into it... SO GOOD. I mean, it is bizarre, but in a very good way.

Agreed! The last half isn't quite as good but still nicely bizzare and stuff. And yeah, probably facebook.

I bought that for my wife for her birthday and she basically disappeared from life for awhile until she finished it. That book is engrossing.

[Portia]

The recent surge in Les Miserables trailers on facebook led me to start re-reading that book. I forgot how much I hate the French Revolution. It was confusing enough when I learned it all for AP Euro, and that was way too long ago for me to understand it all now. Which makes me skim through half the book.

Technically it's about the JULY Revolution...

Did it happen in France? Then it was a French Revolution!
That is what drives me crazy about it though. Weren't there quite a few in a row? What whiplash. And what an awful thing to live through. One day you could be killed for supporting the "treason" side, then suddenly the power has switched and everyone who was safe is being killed. Yikes.

And Katya, don't feel bad. This thing is a beast. I read it in high school because I had a filler class entitled "reading". We could bring in anything we wanted to and read for 40 minutes a day, with minimal assignments to make sure we were doing it. Best class ever. And the thing about the unabridged version is that a LOT of it really has nothing to do with the plot. My first time through I would chug through it all assuming it would come into play somehow, but honestly a lot of it is just a way for him to get his political opinions out there. Now I kind of abridge it myself as I go.

The main French Revolution took place in 1789, contemporaneous with the U.S. Constitutional convention. This is the setting of A Tale of Two Cities. The revolution of 1830 was fought for very different reasons: more focus on workers' rights. This was, of course, the year the LDS Church was founded, and in fact, Victor Hugo knew Louis Auguste Bertrand, the French Mission President (and radical journalist). The 1848 uprising saw echoes throughout the world: same era as the Seneca Falls Convention, Mexican-American war, and pioneer arrival in Utah ("we're in Mexico! Psych."). In my opinion the most disturbing of these revolutions was the 1870 Commune. Monet would cut off his paintings in awkward ways because it would be rubble outside the frame. In eastern Paris, I saw the wall where the Communards were rounded up and shot.

I think Dumas has tighter plotting than Hugo. He also set his works in the past. (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or Notre-Dame de Paris as it's known there, is of course set in medieval times. The church experienced as huge renaissance in popularity with the publication of that book.)

I'd really recommend The Greater Journey by David McCullough if you're interested in France circa 1830.

[Portia]

"Pride and the Priesthood"

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2 ... priesthood

[Unit of Energy]

I'm currently watching The Painted Veil. It's one of my favorite quiet movies.

[UffishThought]

Oohhh, Whistler is going to be so happy! She loves that movie!

[UffishThought]

Also, you were right, internet people. Community IS kind of wonderful.

[Katya]

Also, you were right, internet people. Community IS kind of wonderful.

Did you doubt the internet?!

[Whistler]

yes I do looooove The Painted Veil. Edward Norton is way handsome and there are typewriters and Satie in the soundtrack.

[UffishThought]

Also, you were right, internet people. Community IS kind of wonderful.

Did you doubt the internet?!

No, of course not! It just wasn't on Netflix instawatch. So I waited until my friend loaned it to me. And then when I couldn't open the files, I started streaming it elsewhere, which I really could have done all along, but I was reluctant to start a new time-eating show.

[Genuine Article]

Also, you were right, internet people. Community IS kind of wonderful.

Did you doubt the internet?!

No, of course not! It just wasn't on Netflix instawatch. So I waited until my friend loaned it to me. And then when I couldn't open the files, I started streaming it elsewhere, which I really could have done all along, but I was reluctant to start a new time-eating show.

I just started watching Community too, after krebscout and Sauron sat me down and showed it to me. It is without a doubt one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[Katya]

It's a great show. Do you have a favorite episode?

[Genuine Article]

I loved "Modern Warfare" with the campus-wide paintball game, but then there's "Pillows and Blankets" which has to be the best parody I've ever seen.

[Katya]

I loved "Modern Warfare" with the campus-wide paintball game, but then there's "Pillows and Blankets" which has to be the best parody I've ever seen.

Oh man. I had to pause that episode several times because I was laughing so hard. (I *might* have watched the entire Civil War miniseries multiple times, in my youth.)

[Portia]

I really like Allison Brie in both Mad Men and The Five-Year Engagement.