A Song of Ice and Fire

It's almost shocking how little modern, populist literature I read nowadays. Almost invariably this gives me pleasure; I am not a plebe in a coffee shop who thinks he's sophisticated for reading Chomsky and Vonnegut with the New York Times on the side. I hate the term 'sophisticated' anyway, having connotations of Subway lurking in my subconscious. But every now and then I hear of a book which captures my attention. A Game of Thrones caught my eye so on impulse I bought it from the bookstore.

My qualms are minor; atheists really shouldn't write about religion for their work is unconvincing, and Martin's style of "I'll-kill-off-major-characters-to-make-you-worried-about-the-ones-that-really matter" wearies the soul. I doubt Martin would be careless enough to kill Jon or Arya (my personal favorite) merely to flout the system. If he does, I shan't care for the series anymore, nor do I find his method to work for me; I merely become angry when the Young Wolf and his mother dies, and the enemy - and there is an enemy, despite what popular criticism would say - prevails.

But these are minor qualms. The writing is vigorous, gritty, and often dark, sometimes oppressively so. Occasionally I wish there were not quite so much graphic sex depicted, but few writers have written so evocatively of the North. The battles of the Wall, the freezing isolation, the perennial darkness; the honor, the courage of the Stark family, who could not love such things?

I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.

Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination

I discovered The Stars My Destination through the unceasing and fervent recommendations of Ty Schintzius. He said it was the best science fiction novel he'd ever read. I ordered it for him and read it a few days later. Now I almost fully agree. Only a masterpiece like Dune could equal it, and Bester's work may top it anyway. Not surprisingly, the novel is ill-known; but in an age where the most-watched YouTube channel is some mid-adolescent squeaking in a chipmunk voice, one can expect little from hoi polloi. At any rate, novel is one giant F.U. to Tolstoy's War and Peace, for history is not a blind, unintelligible force; here, one man changes the future of all mankind. In the same vein, the novel is concerned with the understanding of man; what he is and what he may become. What it is that makes someone a man is still unclear, for Gully Foyle doesn't quite seem like a man (more like a wolf, oftentimes); thus, it seems Bester doesn't really answer these questions (yet, that is; more careful readings might reveal something later). But he does suggest that whatever man's true nature is (and perhaps it is more animalistic than we might expect), it is forever and always tied to greatness. 

Gully Foyle is my name

And Terra is my nation

Deep space is my dwelling place

The stars my destination.

Statement of Purpose

I have decided to alter this blog and update it more frequently. Each book I read shall from here on out be noted, and one or two key ideas derived from it acknowledged. The inspiration for this came from other book blogs out there, but there are few such sites with such a focus on classical texts and philosophy, in addition to fine literature. I shall fill this hole.

Book projects for now:

• Continue reading the Metaphysics, especially the central books, the fourth, and the twelfth. Read Aquinas' commentary.
• Finish Blood Meridian.
• Finish The Brothers Karamazov (why I have never finished such a masterpiece eludes me).
• Read volume two of the Icelandic Sagas.

My first focus will be on books I read on my own time, but seminar readings shall also make an appearance.

To kick it off, here is the first entry: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, State and Revolution. My first true foray into Communist thought. Crude, materialist Hegelianism at its worst, but an extremely informative reading on Communist theory. The progression from capitalism to communism is beautifully drawn, making it quite compelling even to one who despises Marxism as I do. Capitalism leads to revolution, then to the dictatorship of the proletariat, to socialism, and finally to pure communism. Lenin writes we cannot know how long each stage will last in this necessary historical dialectic, thus explaining why countries having Communist revolutions never seem to get beyond dictatorship.

Unfortunately, the feeling I had reading the short essay was one of unrelenting, oppressive, gray atmosphere. All was colorless and unlovely. This feeling alone suffices for my dislike of Marx and his ilk; there is no humor, no life in writings like these. Lenin was a good Marxist qua materialism so this does not really surprise me.

State and Revolution serves as an admirable introduction to Communist thought. I am interested in pursuing the topic further, and will read the Manifesto (of course!) and Marx's Revolutions of 1848, in addition to some of his more theoretical works. After all, one must know thine enemy, and Communism is little different from the Eastern despotism that so threatened Athens.

New Books, New Year

I did finally finish the Roman Catechism. It truly was the best introduction to Catholic thought I have yet read. Perhaps at some point I shall read the catechism from 1994, but I think no major doctrinal changes occurred over the past four hundred years. Perhaps I will check anyway.

Regardless, I am now in the last fortnight of my break. In ten days I shall fly back to Santa Fe and resume studies. During this time I wish to finish the Divine Comedy and Gulliver's Travels, the former on my perennial book list - it is the new year, after all - and the latter for seminar on the 19th. I hope to read the Iliad this or next month, which leaves the Republic or the Physics and The Lord of the Rings.

I have finished the Inferno and the first part of Gulliver's Travels. I like Dante much better than Swift (who can be so scientific about fantasy? It is amusing but tedious), but perhaps I have always preferred his theme to satire - man's search for God is the most important thing on this earth, and few have treated it as powerfully as the Ghibelline poet.

Roman Catechism vs. New Catechism

I discovered the Roman Catechism or the Catechism of the Council of Trent a few days ago when I selected my books from the library run. I passed it by in favor of the latter Catechism (published in '94) but decided to check it out the following days.

I love it. The prose is stately and compelling, combining the grace of the medieval Church with the polemic power of Trent. Cardinel Joseph Ratzinger (more popularly known now as Pope Benedict XVI) said it's the most important catechism penned, and he even worked on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Thus, to kick off my theology studies, I shall read the Roman Catechism. I've got to about page 50 of 600, and I should finish in less than six weeks if I read about 10 pages a day, and 50 during the weekends. However, I am also reading the introductory theology text by Alister Mcgrath, which I rather adore, despite his being an evangelical Anglican (though the bias is scarecely noticable).

The Catechism is divided into expositions of four sections of Christian life: the Credo, the Sacraments, the Decalogue, and the Lord's Prayer. The Apostles' Creed, Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Our Father are the fourfold manner of instruction according to the Medievals. Incidentally (or probably purposefully) this pattern is replicated in the '94 Catechism.

Now we know what I will be studying! After dear old Trent I will likely read (quickly) through the '94 Catechism and see what's different. All of them should be finished by the end of the semester and then it's on to something exciting.

Theology Minor

Often I wish I had been able to become a theology minor. If I were at a standard university, I probably would have double majored in philosophy and theology with a minor in music performance. But since I attend St. John's, which has language and history of math/science instead, I pursue both of these studies independantly. To this end, I am beginning a study of theology, and over the next two years, hope to read the greatest theological classics ever penned, from Irenaeus to Barth, though I'll likely focus on the Patristic Period and the Scholastics - my true heart and soul. I will shortly compose a list of authors and titles, but here is my preliminary interest, the major thinkers of the Patristic Period:

• Irenaeus, Against Heresies
• Justin Martyr, Apologies
• Tertullian
• Athanasius, On the Incarnation
• Augustine, City of God, etc.
• Origen, De Principiis

There are lots of other brilliant theologians, but these will give me plenty of thought food. I will begin them next summer at the earliest; my first attempt will be reading the entire Summa Theologica, which I should like to begin next semester.

A Mild Success

I did get to read a good deal this summer, so I am more or less satisfied, but I accomplished less (surprise surprise) than I hoped. I have not yet finished Don Quixote, so I'll put in that work till Thursday seminar. I am going to follow Lewis' reading advice; three old books per new book. Every now and then I like reading modern literature, especially science fiction and fantasy, e.g. Weis, Heinlein, Herbert, etc. I have found that I rebel against myself and indulge in modern literature when I focus too much on ancient work. This summer I read a fair bit of modern literature, especially Wilson Rawls, but I also discovered Christian Theology: An Introduction. Written by an evangelical Anglican, it is nonetheless a fabulous introduction to that dazzling darkness of theology. After finishing Don Quixote (and sneaking in time between seminar readings) I wish to complete that work, and then begin reading all (or most) of freshman year again, beginning with the Iliad. Interspersed with this will be random modern works, starting with Dune.

Let's get to work then. Finish Don Quixote by Wednesday or so and then read my theology book. Alister McGrath is on deck, with Homer in the hole.