Blogs

Bédier and Belloc’s Great Epic

Submitted by Joe Tremblay on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:46pm

The style of this epic story is a crossing of the dragons and chivalry of King Arthur with the romance and tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. But The Romance of Tristan & Iseult predates them both. Many versions of the story exist; the origins are in 12th century Norman writings. French scholar Joseph Bédier published his reconstruction of the original story in 1900. Hilaire Belloc, the French-born English writer, provided us with this definitive English translation of Bédier's work.

Steve Scott: Crying for a Vision

Submitted by Joe Tremblay on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:39pm

The best books I've read didn't end up in my hands by random selection, but they were recommended to me by a friend or teacher. Without the friend who sent me Crying for a Vision and Other Essays I most likely would not have set eyes on the book. The performance artist Steve Scott was unknown to me (I’ve never run across him in the underground music scene); and who would have expected a rock-n-roller to have much to say about religion and the arts? Steve Scott has a message, and he delivers it well.

Beowulf: Translation by Seamus Heaney

Submitted by Joe Tremblay on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:31pm

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney is a side-by-side Old English / English presentation of the great energetic hero poem. But before you jump into splitting sinews and bursting bones, please take time to visit Heaney's introduction!

Schall: Another Sort of Learning

Submitted by Joe Tremblay on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:27pm

A perfect book to begin the reviews (and your reading) is James V. Schall's Another Sort of Learning. It is a perfect selection because it is about everything. It is a books of essays, "contrary essays" it claims in a subtitle too long to type and too fun to read aloud, about reading, studying, teaching, longing, thinking, evil, sanity, values, lectures, devotion, prayer, sports, and a few other things. Easily, Schall could have entitled his book "On Everything" if only Hilaire Belloc had not used that one for a book of essays in 1909.

About 'The Permanent Things in a Bookcase'

Submitted by Joe Tremblay on Tue, 06/08/2010 - 11:19pm

Howdy from the author of these pages! I have no formal liberal education, am not well-read, and make grammatical errors. Take whatever I propose with a grain of salt. I do have a great love for books; typically not the latest best-sellers, but old, musty books.

The Permanent Things in a Bookcase is a place to record thoughts about my readings. Hopefully the reader of these pages will find an occasional useful tidbit, and open some of the books for himself.

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