Othello (William Shakespeare, ~1603)

Read this on Kindle without notes; then read Harold Bloom's helpful musings in Shakespeare - The Invention of the Human.  

Othello - warrior type, perhaps not flexible to handle other challenges.

Iago as driving the action.  More soliloquies, for example.  See Bloom.

Iago is one of Shakespeare's most compelling characters?  I think I'd agree based on limited knowledge.

Undone by his wife - she had a virtue he didn't anticipate.

Desdemona as ideal lover in all of Shakespeare (see Bloom).

Almost no humor in this one.

Much enjoyed.

Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold (Tom Shachtman, 1999)

(240 pages)

Quick read; much of the technical stuff was out of my zone and I hurried through it; the overall ideas (what is cold? how is it "attacked" and then utilized?) were rather amazing.

Is it absence of heat? Something else?  How to study this?  For millennia it's been easy to create heat and "see what happens" - not so with cold. Philosophers and in turn what became known as "scientists" take various paths.

Even inventing accurate thermometers, figuring out measurements. Seeking to liquify pretty much every gas; some present incredible challenges.  Pushing toward absolute zero.  As with so many breakthroughs, there's more than one person chasing the idea, disputes over discoveries, etc.

Our friend Faraday is influential ("Age of Wonder").  Talented guy!

The parts about harvesting ice, learning to pack it and ship it to tropical locations, figuring out how to convince customers that they needed or wanted the product - this part is interesting and easily relatable.  We have photographs from St. Joe in early 20th century of folks harvesting ice from the Des Moines River northeast of town.  Grandparents had a literal icebox (prior to electricity).

Technology changed so much about food production and distribution - made things possible - in the US, this overlapped with opening up the West.  Air conditioning's effect on settlement patterns.

I had vaguely heard about superconductivity (at extreme low temperatures); good discussion about how this enable computer/tech development.  This was written in 1999 so it would be interesting to know about further developments here.  Except I wouldn't understand it very well.  

Three Ordinary Girls: The Remarkable Story of Three Dutch Teenagers Who Became Spies, Saboteurs, Nazi Assassins--and WWII Heroes (Tim Brady, 2021)

 The title pretty well summarizes the book!

A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare, 1596)

I've enjoyed reading Shakespeare, but not as much I expected.  But now I think I figured out a way!

Previously I was purchasing and reading the beautiful, comprehensive Arden Shakespeare editions - full of notes and explanatory material, which I of course checked out as I went along.  Julius Caesar and Richard III quite good but overall meh.  Kind of tedious, choppy.

Recently I broke down and bought a Kindle, and downloaded some Shakespeare items that are "free" to Prime members.  These are simple editions without any notes at all, and presumably are reasonably faithful to whatever Shakespeare originally wrote.  

I read "A Midsummer Night's Dream" this way and much enjoyed - no notes or other explanation - no doubt there's plenty I missed, but it was so much more pleasant to just forge through the story line.

I also have a lovely book by Harold Bloom - "Shakespeare - The Invention of the Human" - he provides commentaries on all the main plays.  So I read his summary but only after reading the play.  This is the approach that I'll take with Shakespeare going forward.  Yay.

Bottom is a great character (he has fun with the elves).  Puck - mischievous, to say the least.  There are two couples who go through some adventures in the woods; Oberon and his wife Titania.

Dominion - The Making of the Western Mind (Tom Holland, 2019)

(525 pages) (Gift from PJr/Nedda)

At outset:  useful survey of Christian thinkers, leaders, interaction with Jews, Muslims, what came to be called pagans, atheists.

Main thesis appears to be that Christianity deeply affects the worldview of 21st century folks in the West.  Not shocking; makes a lot of sense; not sure if widely appreciated anymore.  

As author recounts, Christianity's dominance of the West doesn't have a parallel in history.

I had always associated this development very heavily with Constantine in 312 - and no doubt this was important.  Brought Christianity into the mainstream, gave it an imperial model (centralized control, hierarchy; Council of Nicea).

But I was struck how distant that was from what happened quite a bit later in the West.  Rome a hollowed-out dump centuries after 312. The papacy a haven for, at best, well-meaning provincials.  

Then along comes Gregory the Great (pope from 590-604). Charlemagne's needs (he's crowned in 800). This kind of thing really solidified the build-out in the West.

And the scope was incredible.  Bishops, priests, monks, nuns, eventually across literally every country in Europe.  Create major feast days and also saint's days to cover every day of the calendar year.  Create prayers specific to the hours of each day; separate prayers for each day; the idea of confession, tithing.  Cradle to grave sacraments. The Curia. It grows and grows.

(I was struck by this going through my parent's house recently (part of the estate process) - all the Catholic church residuum lingering into their childhoods and beyond.)

As to the importance of Christianity's effect on Western world view - of course - but I thought some of Holland's argument rested on the contradictions that pop up in Christianity (or any religion, for that matter). St. Paul talking about only needing to follow the law as written on the heart; but then detailed regulations.  St. Paul talking about treating women equally, and then backing off.  Jesus saying the poor will always be with us, and also that the rich should give away their goods, and the parable of the savvy investor - which strand dominates?  The existence of the contradictions allows Holland to claim everything, including contradictory thrusts, flows from Christianity.  Hmm.

Unabashed praise for good things from Christianity, which were real - respect for individual, importance of monogamous marriage, concern for the poor - yes of course so many hypocrites and grand failures, but these were revolutionary concepts that took root for the first time.  Refreshing that someone is willing to say so.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Fourth Movement (Volumes 10-12) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

Fourth Movement includes the following:

--Books Do Furnish a Room (241 pages)

--Temporary Kings (280 pages)

--Hearing Secret Harmonies (272 pages)

Brief discussion is here.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Third Movement (Volumes 7-9) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

Third Movement includes the following:

--The Valley of Bones (243 pages)

--The Soldier's Art (228 pages)

--The Military Philosophers (244 pages)

Brief discussion is here.

A Dance to the Music of Time (Second Movement (Volumes 4-6)) (Anthony Powell, 1951-55)

"First Movement" is discussed here. 

This "Second Movement" encompasses the next three volumes:

-- At Lady Molly's (239 pages)

-- Casanova's Chinese Restaurant (229 pages)

-- The Kindly Ones (254 pages)

I'm not going to try to cover all this in detail; this summary (cursorily) covers Movements Two, Three, and Four.

Initially the scene shifts back to childhood - Albert, WWI, Nick Jenkins's father (Nick J is the narrator).

After schooling is complete - narrator often hangs with artists - Barnby, Moreland, Maclintick, etc.

He marries Isobel - discussion of Tolland family members.

WWII is impending. 

Then a lengthy treatment of WWII, various jobs held by Nick, his take on various service branches.  I think this was well done, interesting, a different take on Brits in WWII.

Continues to be in touch with friends who are writers.

Characters regularly recur; Widmerpool perhaps most regularly.

Easy to read; enjoyable; lots of funny moments; worth my time (of course, I have plenty of that).

Numerous references to believers ("fellow travelers" a common phrase in those days) in Marxism, Communism - one forgets that there were lots of serious believers in those days, all the way up to my time in college (and probably beyond, if only in that environment).  And not just in England. Availability of better information - and a longer track record - has seemingly cut into this other than for true believers. Interesting:  the final volume is dedicated to Robert Conquest.

This work just didn't seem to connect as deeply as Proust; not sure that the comparison is all that useful anyway (it just comes naturally with a work of this length following a first-person narrator across time and relationships, emphasis on the arts).  Proust's observations, characters, story line had much more of a tug.

Yet:  a book blogger I really respect - Anecdotal Evidence - has multiple commenters who say that Powell's work is a good re-read!  I'm thinking about this.

The Allies Strike Back 1941-1943 (James Holland, 2017)

(613 pages.)

Second of a trilogy; first is mentioned here; third not yet available and I'm looking forward to it.

Again focusing often on supplies - this distinguishes his work from others I've read.

Emphasizes importance of the Battle of the Atlantic - something I've not really focused on much.  

Also in Mediterranean - ships and aircraft - so often the focus is on the ground battles - but support from other services were key.

German industry advanced and features wonderful workmanship.  But industries are fragmented - many automakers as compared to just a few in the U.S. This meant many types of vehicles with differing parts and maintenance requirements - a nightmare - compounded by complex (beautiful!) designs that could work well enough even if simplified for cheaper/faster manufacture.

Germany in general less mechanized than it advertised (and has been widely believed, certainly by me).  To offset vehicle shortage - stripped conquered territories of vehicles (especially France) - meaning another long list of individual models with their own parts and maintenance challenges.

Britain better-positioned for domestic food supply, manufacturing capacity - certainly in comparison to Germany - Battle of Atlantic was key to keeping things moving.

In midsection of book - I much liked how the author moved from topic to topic explaining how key elements were developing across the same compressed timeline in 1942 - gave me a better sense of this.  The scale of activity is almost incomprehensible - you can see how it took an entire-country effort.  Items in play (and this excludes extensive "War in the Pacific" activities) - working with French resistance; setting up special units for sabotage such as the Norway heavy water plant; accelerating atomic bomb efforts; home front production in US - near-miraculous advances in ship-building, largest factory (Willow Run) for B-24s; Monty takes over in north Africa and defeats Rommel; Operation Torch - three separate armadas heading to north Africa, including first US ground troops; building up bomber capabilities and hitting German cities; German forces in massive combat with Russians and bogging down as approaching Stalingrad, etc.  Incredible.

The Golden Bowl (Henry James, 1904)

525 pages.

Only made it through 357 pages.  Not planning to finish.

Four central characters (Adam Verver, his daughter Maggie, Prince Amerigo, Charlotte Stant).

Two additional characters (Mrs. Assingham and her husband) who orbit the four central characters and provide perspective on them.

Minimal roles for anyone else, at least as far as I made it.

Minimal plot line - just exploring the central relationships and how the participants perceived, felt about those.

Of course - deep development of the four characters and the relationships among them.  But they just weren't interesting enough to keep me engaged.  Part of the problem:  they are fabulously wealthy - function in a world without any financial considerations - to that extent, untethered from "normal" life.  Not recalling examples from other novels at the moment, but I've run into this before - people with limited day to day responsibilities focusing all of their energies on themselves.

Indian Embers (Lady (Rosamond Napier) Lawrence, 1949)

(397 pages)

Author is a novelist, also accomplished at sketching.  I'm marveling at her consistent detailed descriptions of landscapes and people, but it makes sense - must be part of how a person can be a good writer/artist.  Loves riding horses; she and husband see a lot in this way. Napier name - long history in England and India.  Also her husband's family (Lawrence).

Book was published in 1949, but events took place between 1914 and 1919.

I found it fascinating throughout.

Though thinking about how useful this type of book can be - written from perspective of colonial authorities - still, I think it is pretty useful. The descriptions of the various areas they lived in or visited are fascinating.  Some glimpses of how the local people lived. An idea of how Indians working for colonial authorities lived - perhaps plenty of poor treatment, but these probably were valued jobs?

I don't think too many Indians were traveling around the country and writing up their experiences - tourism among locals probably hadn't been invented for the most part at this time - so the book is useful in that way.

Immense expense of the way the colonial authorities travel - even in Belgaum, a lesser position, I think they were taking 24 bullock carts when traveling, setting up nice tents, etc.  Nice government buildings.  Presumably the locals are paying for this via some form of taxation.  But was it worse than the palace-building and similar expenses incurred by Mughals or other dynasties (but paid by taxpayers)? Hard to figure out.

They are stationed at Belgaum (now known as Belagavi) as newlyweds - first half of book - NW Karnataka.  Including lots of jungle. A son is born.

The camping episode - a long journey at p. 86ff, there was also the boat trip preceding along that portion of India's west coast - author is really perceptive and appreciative - it's a pleasure to read.  Also interesting to think about what this kind of "camping" or travel would be like - a full staff taking care of everything, a tent outfitted completely.

Second half of book starts in the Sind (Karachi, large city in modern-day Pakistan) - a big promotion for hubby, this is a major position.  Completely different setting - desert, dependent on Indus waters.

Sukkur water project is husband's single biggest goal.  Trying to tame the Indus.

10 weeks of summer 1917 spent in Baluchistan - mountains - they love it.  Another entirely different geography, author describes in wonderful detail.  Kind of like the Brits stationed in Delhi and the like always escaping to the mountains in summer.

Back to Karachi; government duties.  Trips along the Indus via a boat dedicated to hubby's job.  Author falls ill; part of recovery is returning to the Baluchistan mountains the next year (it helps).

A "strange outbreak of illness in Karachi" - "they called it influenza" - yes, the Spanish Flu of 1918 arrives and it's horrific in India.  Delays return to Karachi from Baluchistan but finally it happens.

Celebrations for Armistice Day (11/11/18) but this is a period of major unrest in India - independence expectations raised and dashed.  Delays return home for British troops stationed in the area; they are unhappy.

Armritsar is far away to the northeast but the massacre there (via General Dyer) ties to Sind governance (somehow); disturbances in Karachi; author and husband sleep with revolvers by their beds.  Gandhi a major figure already in 1919.  Husband initially criticized for the way he handled the unrest but later exonerated and returns (with author) to a major position in Bombay in 1921.  

The Prime Minister (Anthony Trollope, 1876)

(691 pages)

I don't know too much about Trollope; seems he was a prolific writer and immensely successful in his time.  Some of his novels were written as a series; this is the fifth novel in the "Palliser" series.  I've not read any of the prior, and that was fine.

I thought this was really well-written; I enjoyed and will look for more of his novels.

"Palliser" is the name of a Duke who is prevailed upon to lead a 19th century coalition government when neither the Tories nor the Whigs can form a government; thus he is the titular "Prime Minister". Coalition governments have challenges; this one seems to function smoothly enough; the Prime Minister's wife has the idea to assist by throwing lavish parties at which she entertains anyone that might seem useful.  The Prime Minister's temperament doesn't work well with this approach, and in fact isn't great for his role as Prime Minister.  But he's honest, hardworking, respected.

There is a second major story line - widower "Mr. Wharton" - aging lawyer with quite a bit of money saved up and two children, Emily and a son who is having trouble finding his way.  Emily falls hard for a guy named Fernando Lopez - who seems to have good qualifications - but old man Wharton is not a fan because Lopez never reveals his family background or financial situation; seems to be of Portuguese (if not Jewish, God forbid) extraction rather than a true English gentlemen. Once married, it turns out that Lopez badly needs Wharton money; he works hard to get it.

The Prime Minister and his wife deal with all sorts of political characters and situations.  Lopez works himself into their orbit and thinks he's getting backing for a seat in Parliament (which he thinks will help his financial situation).  Thus some overlap between the two story lines.

There is a character named Arthur Fletcher - both his family and the Wharton family always thought Emily would marry Arthur. 

A Dance to the Music of Time (Volumes 1-3) (Anthony Powell, 1951 - 1955)

(728 pages)

Powell wrote a 12-volume series between 1951 and 1975; this book includes the first three volumes (A Question of Upbringing, A Buyer's Market, The Acceptance World). 

Author is looking at English political, cultural, military life in mid-20th century.

Narrator is Nicholas Jenkins.  He has school chums or acquaintances in the early going - Kenneth Widmerpool, Charles Stringham, Peter Templer, Quiggin, Mark Members, etc.  There is an Oxford don named Sillery (manipulative).  He meets family members of the schoolmates. 

Mr. Deacon - eccentric; hangs with Gypsy Jones.  St. John Clarke (Quiggin and Members compete for him).

The characters graduate from school and begin their professional careers, relationships.

I've seen some comparisons to Proust's novel, but so far it hasn't struck me in that manner (unfortunately).  Still, I think I'll continue reading.  Hopefully things pick up.

Wild Problems - A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us (Russ Roberts, 2022)

(207 pages)

The author is or was an active blogger, and I found his thoughts consistently useful.  Now he's doing "Econtalk" - pretty much the only podcast I ever listen to. And he writes a few books. 

In this one he's talking about a framework for approaching life's biggest decisions - who to marry, whether to have children, where to live, how to live well - things that can't be solved by measurement or calculation - in part because living with the decision changes the decider in significant ways while living out the decision.  

The author would be first to admit there is no answer here. He talks about some artists, scientists and how they approached big issues. Don't chase "maximum happiness" - be open, use energy trying to figure out who you want to be. Accept uncertainty. Nothing drastically new here, but he has a very useful way of talking about it.

Some focus areas - 

-- develop the pause before reacting - because we all have that innate or visceral response on various topics - don't give in to it.

--in conversation - just wait! learn how the other person is feeling, what's top of mind for them.  maybe I get to what I thought I might want to talk about, maybe not - either is OK

--a very useful idea - contrasting being the central character v. being part of a larger ensemble.  This is often a problem - we all would love to be the star of our show.  He recommends thinking of perhaps a group of dancers where success is found by working together, subordinating individual priorities.

--contract v. covenant.  the covenant strengthens love into loyalty. don't inspect whether you're getting whatever full contractual benefit you imagined

--repeating - a lot boils down to just honing the art of "catching yourself" as you are.  so very difficult. Proust; Cather, Mann, Conrad - these are writers that I think (or at least hope) help me in this regard. 

And my heroes Calvin & Hobbes appear in the finale!!!  "It's a magical world, Hobbes, o' buddy . . . Let's go exploring!"

Endurance (Alfred Lansing, 1959)

(353 pages)

I thought I was pretty familiar with the Shackleton expedition.  But not really. For one thing, I wasn't even aware of this book - available for over 60 years - and I didn't know that so many diaries and logbooks were available.  The author relies on those sources - detailed, intimate; he's skillful at working with this.

The chairman of the board of a publicly-held company that I represented was a direct descendant of Shackleton, and it was interesting talking to him back in the day; he had traveled to Antarctica.  Neither here nor there.

I was pretty far into this book when hanging out with my dad during his last days. We talked about this in quite a bit of detail - he had great recall about aspects I hadn't known about, such as crossing the island. Like most of us, I think he was most impressed by the navigation skills - just incredible that the island was found - even more incredible when considering the description in this book of some of the details of the navigation challenges (not that I understood them very well).

General courage and good spirits through so much; perhaps author being a bit kind, but numerous time he states when folks faltered - impressive.

Building the ship; its fight against pack ice; a good follow-on to "Six Frigates."

The magnitude of the drift and life on an ice floe  in that part of the world; the complete isolation - wow.

The photos - I had no idea these survived - incredibly interesting.

The challenge for the author of writing day after day of highly similar things - yet it did not feel repetitive. Somehow.  Episodes - 

--living on icebound Endurance

--Mark Time Camp - near the boat

--Patience Camp

--a few days on a floe

--Boat trip to Elephant Island

--boat trip to South Georgia Island

--Crossing the center of the Island

--Traveling through ice back to Elephant Island