Things I Read: May 2004

"To compensate a little for the treachery and weakness of my memory, so extreme that it has happened to me more than once to pick up again, as recent and unknown to me, books which I had read carefully a few years before . . . I have adopted the habit for some time now of adding at the end of each book . . . the time I finished reading it and the judgment I have derived of it as a whole, so that this may represent to me at least the sense and general idea I had conceived of the author in reading it." (Montaigne, Book II, Essay 10 (publ. 1580))

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

MiddleMarch (George Eliot, 1871-72 (serialised))

As best I can tell - deservedly on various lists of the best novels in English literature.

Main story involves Dorothea - something of a do-gooder - drops the fiance folks that she would marry (with every expectation of a good match) to marry a middle-aged, not-robust scholar (Casaubon) who she thought was involved in a great work, and she thought it would be great to be his assistant. This didn't work out so well. There were a few other story lines as well, quite a few characters.

Would be worth a re-read.

Friday, May 07, 2004

Tomorrow's Gold (Marc Faber)

Economist reviewing history, recommending commodities Asia. Not very interesting.