almost last books from 2009
"BOOK 42" - BRUNO BOSTEELS: RADICAL ANTIPHILOSOPHY
essay
language: English
pages: 32
Something my bf recommend me to read, so that I would understand his philosophical thinking better. I remember it said something negative about women, and there was also something about Paul, but no, I cannot tell anyone know what is radical antiphilosophy. I don't think that's because I wouldn't have found this interesting, but because I haven't really read philosophical texts and thus found it difficult to put this new information into any context. Maybe I ought to read it again in some years.... ^^;;;
BOOK 43 - ALAN HOLLINGHURST: THE SWIMMING-POOL LIBRARY
a novel
language: English
pages: 288
I started reading this novel many months ago, and thought the language was very difficult. Well, I guess it was. For a non-native speaker like at least. I could've picked many new words from almost any page, but luckily this didn't ruin the reading experience. I'm happy to have read this book: it was a very nice read, always when reading it, I felt like I was reading proper, respectable modern literature, and that is not something I can say about all of the books I spend my time reading. An interesting depiction of the London homosexual society, and the relationships between the characters well established and developed. I would recommend to anyone who's not afraid of a bit of demanding language and some gay sex. Definitely worth reading!
"BOOK 44" - OTTO BRUNNER: CHAPTERS FROM "LAND AND LORDSHIP"
scientific, history
language: English
pages: 71
Land und Herrschaft von Otto Brunner is a historical classic at least here in Vienna. So, not surprising my history studying boyfriend made me read some chapters from the English edition. That's cool, now I have a bit better grasp of the Middle Ages, of which I cannot say to have known anything real before reading this.
BOOK 45 - JOSEPH CONRAD: THE HEART OF DARKNESS
a novel/short-story
language: English
pages: 111
Did I like it? Yes, absolutely. Style and language were easy to read, but still high level, many metaphors and symbols gave good colour to the story. We will be studying HoD on our English literature class, I'm looking forward to that. So, a well, well written piece of art. But; there were some things that bothered me (but which I wouldn't have expected to be any different, taking into account the time when the book was written) - the depiction of women and the black natives of Africa. As a woman I was naturally more touched by the unfairness towards women: it bothered me, because the red line, or the theme, or the teachings of this book CLAIM to be about whole of humanity, to tell the readers something universal. But there were no female characters whatsoever until the end, and then the woman had only one purpose to love and to adore his fiance. I'll not swallow it, that the problems white colonialist men face would be the problems of women/blacks/etc as well. Sure, greed and the dark side of humans is something we all agree, but I feel that if a work really wants to be universal in what it says, it will have to use more universal reprsenters than white colonialist men. But, yes, I know, this book like any other, is a child of its time.
BOOK 46 - E.T.A. HOFFMANN: DER SANDMANN
a short-story
language: German
pages: 42 (+ das Nachwort)
So, I guess this is the beginning of my project of reading German literature in German (initated by my German-speaking boyfriend - I wish I could give him back in the same way, but his Finnish consists of about 50 words, so not yet). I liked this short-story (Reklam-print<3) a lot. The best thing about it was, that even at the end the you didn't really know was it true or just inside Nathanael's head, the identity of the antagonists etc. left it open for many possible interpretations, and that is just great in half-fantasy books such as this. I was naturally learning a lot of new German words when reading this, and I liked the language and style generally very much; so of it was very Romantic as the protagonist was wavering between Clara, his fiancee, and new crush of his (who turned out to be a delicately built machine...). So yup yup, recommendable, and will not mind reading more Hoffmann in the future.
BOOK 47 - ALEKSIS KIVI: SEITSEMÄN VELJESTÄ
a novel
language: Finnish
pages: 367
This is _the Finnish novel_, and as embarassing it is, I hadn't read it before this. I got this copy from my grandmother when I was 12, and tried reading it, but it was booring; dude, there's seven imbecillic men sitting on a big stone, what's the point? Well, I knew I'd read The Seven Brothers at some point - how otherwise could I claim to be any sort of a literary person... Now it was the time and, god, it was funny! The silly things and their stupidities made me laugh many time, aloud, and there were also many small literary treasures hidden in the text, and even some wisdom from the brothers' mouths. And; no women characters (OK, reference to their religious mother and the nice, plum wife-like girl nextdoor), but it didn't bother me. Obviously the novel was a tribute/jape for/about the Finnish _men_! Funny recognising the archetypes, they're still alive...
Would recommend The Seven Brothers for anybody, who is interested in Finland and its people and literature, but: do reserve along some of black, sarcastic humour, and keep in mind that the book was ment humoristic.
BOOK 48 - PETER SINGER: ANIMAL LIBERATION
scientific, philosophy, animal rights
language: English
pages: 248
Singer's book from 1973 has acquired the status of being the Bible of the animal rights activists, and rightly so. My own activism runs on the same line as his, and followingly I could find nothing to criticise in the book and theories he proposed. I can't really make up my mind on the illegal direct activism, but most often I think that it might be more harmful than promoting to the movement. I would like to make Animal Liberation a compulsory reading for everyone. In 99 cases of 100, when I'm asked about veganism or animal activism, people react to everything I say so stupidly... You give them a list of facts and scientific study, they don't even hear you, then they laugh and say that "but meat's swell". There's a lot of good literature on animals out there, but only the marginalised activists read it, and that's a pity. I like a good argument, but the usual responses in this topic can in no way be called "good"... My boyfriend (a Nietzschean) once told me that no everyone has the right to an opinion. This probably sounds bad to you, I guess many of you are Americans, but I'm really starting to agree with him. Why should I give any attention or value to an opinion that is not argued for in any rational way?
Krhmmhh.. back to the book. Well, it's not a nice read. And it's not even quick, because there are a lot of names and dates and numbers etc. But this something that concerns each one of us - our most frequent contact with an animal is when we eat it; that's daily, happens many times a day even, but do we think beyond that beef? Like I said, everyone should read Animal Liberation. And then come and argue with me.
BOOK 49 - JOSTEIN GAARDER: SOFIAN MAAILMA
novel, philosophy
language: Finnish
pages: 585
I had the book for a long time, but it took me a long time to start it; and a couple of days to finish it. I absolutely loved Sophie's World. The parts on philosophy were interesting and very educative, and they connected well with the plot of the novel, which succeeded in keeping me in suspense until the end, and even surprising me some times. A perfect start for anyone who enjoys a good book and want to fall in love with philosophy. I know I did.
BOOK 50 - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: KING LEAR
a play
language: English
pages: 86
Yup, reading on with Shakespeare's master pieces. I read King Lear together with my boyfriend; we started it in Vicenza, Italy, on our summer holiday, and well, it took some time. I guess only because we both read a lot of other things as well, because the play was really good and enjoyable (well, surprise surprise, a Shakespeare). I liked the Fool. Again, a play I would definitely like to see on the stage, something is after all wrong with Vienna if they don't yearly have a Shakespeare play, we'll see, last year they had Macbeth I think. But evil people told me I shouldn't go and see it (expensive, and I wouldn't understand a lot). But - I went to see a piece with a kid that I'm taking care of, and understood everything (sure, children's play, but if I could understand 100%, and knowing the text of a Shakespeare piece, I'm sure I can get away with 70% in "the adult theatre" and that's good enough). Yes yes, read King Lear, and anything by Shakespeare, it might make you a better person.
(These plus 2 (or 3) other books I read it 2009. I'll add an account for them later, now I have no time.)
Read this year:
52/50 = 104 %
year 2009