Babi, We start Book 21 tomorrow, right? I found such a disappointment
awaiting me there
A disappointment!!!! What? I can't wait to read! How time flies, seems like we just started 20!
Hopefully everybody will be able to keep up the pace, I am missing some of our contributors here, where ARE you? Are you all fallen by the wayside? I hope not!!
I really am going to miss reading a book like this. There aren't many books you can read in installments, I do think Dickens had the right idea. Some day I'd like to read one of his in the actual installments as it came out in the press, with the same intervals.
Ike's strong point was his ability to pick men who could handle the things he could not. (Not his exact words, but that was the gist of what he was saying.) That's good leadership, too. Delegate, what an interesting point. Caesar did delegate, and O seems to, too, but ultimately the buck stops somewhere. I love this great statement, Babi!
Joan K: Mahler! Not my favorite either, haven't listened to him in years, recommend one for us and I'll try him again. Heavy, why do I remember heavy?
I love the ivory referring to teeth (speech) and the horn referring to eyes. Practically again, since the Greeks believe in dreams as prophecy, they need an explanation as to why it doesn't always work. Me too, and the ivory and horn come back out in this book in later chapters. I am glad to finally have some kind of explanation of it, it confused me no end in The Aeneid.
It seems that these conspirators did hate him.
Dana, I'm not that sure. I'm reading Goldsworthys Antony and Cleopatra and he's just made the point about the political climate at the time of Antony, where political ambition took an ominous turn with the first Gracchus and continued with murder and intrigue slap up to Antony's time, in fact he makes the point that it was normal for the time.
When you combine that with.... I can't get over Dante putting Cassius AND Brutus in the lowest level of hell along with Judas. There all three of them sit, the only ones, at that lowest level, as I understand it, for eternity.
I can see Cassius there. Shakespeare did such a job (thanks to Plutarch) on him, talk about psychology! He practically turns green with envy: nothing like a green eyed monster. But Brutus was naive and a dupe, ironically living UP to the meaning of his name, going proudly on his own historic name's reputation and hoping for himself to equal his ancestor and "save" the Roman republic from a dictator (while the rules about appointing a dictator were still firmly in place) and add his own name to history. He got taken, but since it was something of a precedent, it wasn't quite how we'd see it today. And of course their actions led to Civil War and an Emperor. Stupid things.
Once Brutus was in it, that gave it "legitimacy," which was Cassius's idea in the first place and other men hoping to share the top ranks, once persuaded, joined as well. I'm not sure hatred was their primary motive, you can see that in several of them, but it was mob rule; even so they hesitated, even Casca once he gave the first blow. And of course had they been thinking, they could not have hoped for anything from the 900 man Senate, who stood aghast, not celebrating, 600 of whom Caesar appointed himself, or the people, who all loved Caesar, so once the deed was done, and especially once the will was read, they were hounded out of town and/or torn to shreds, even innocent people with the same name, in the street by the populace. It's fascinating, it really is. Caesar who responded so quickly in battle, simply brushed aside this political envy and muttering; totally discounted it. Was it arrogance? He seemed to trust in the Republican process, that's why he appointed 600 more Senators. hahaha
We know Caesar was arrogant, I guess he thought in the old way: the enemy is the enemy but Rome is home. I guess he made the mistake of brushing off envy...and probably never dreamed of a coniuratio, a conspiracy, which the Romans hated more than anything else. Not expected or done by a true Roman, anyway.
The people loved him and Brutus should have, pardoned as he was, I guess that's why he's in hell, according to Dante. Pride goeth...
but then I remembered some of his legions mutinied (not remembering why....) You're right and we remember Caesar's response, how fast and how cleverly he acted, after all it's not what happens to you in life but how you react. I thought that last one we read was a masterpiece of psychology, he had them all about crying and pleading to go with him, and he DID use delegation to win the day, very very smart. He was on it in the battlefield. In private life...I dunno. I think he's fascinating.
I think I have finalized my list of the 3 people I'd most like to have dinner with: Caesar, Homer, and BL Ullman. I think Dr. Ullman would enjoy that dinner, I could sit like a silent fly on the wall and take notes. hahaha
If YOU could have dinner with any 3 people from history, who would YOU choose?
________________________________
Meanwhile, back at the castle, we've got this additional small chapter which seems to be doing nothing but which is building suspense and actually apparently? has set the final stage of the plot in motion. We're to have a contest! A focus at last! And apparently? Penelope WILL choose? Of course if nobody manages TO string the thing OR shoot thru 12 holes then ...what? Do they all go home at last? Is it over?
Will in fact the contest BE the climax of the book? I think I may have missed that part.
Plot wise we may finally have the action building TOWARD something? He's home, he's still not in control, he's in disguise so his "homecoming" theme is still not fulfilled and certainly his need to be a hero isn't either?
So in these last 5 chapters, thanks to this contest, we're about to see all!
Shades of Ivanhoe and pretty much all the fairy tales we've read, absolutely love it!
Ollie Ollie Oxen Free! Come on in!
Last thoughts on anything up till now?
