Comments for Sheffner's Reading Blog

Comment on May Meeting by twitter

twitter — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:06:52 +0000

As we learned in the sessions water signifies some bad omen in this novel, for example when Roy was shot by a girl, Harriet, ” the bullet cut a silver line across the water.”(p.31)

I wonder if water has feminine implications and Roy is destined to “get sidetracked” (p57) by women?

Roy’s slump took a breather by a presence of a woman, Iris, who rose and smiled in the stands for Roy.(p126) But then?

The author never give any easy answer to readers.

Comment on Japanese translation of Ayn Rand’s “Fountainhead” for sale by quarry

quarry — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 09:32:09 +0000

I remember that some members gathered in Rifuan, and talked about “The Fountainhead”. We discussed what is learning, what is originality, and the difference between artisan spirit and creative spirit,and so on. It was inspiring discussion.

Comment on February meeting by romuh

romuh — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:19:47 +0000

Marc,
Your comment in stardust blog reminds me of this, “Holy Grail” of Monty Python.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V7zbWNznbs
Some of them say that their series of Holy Grail are classics and others say stupid. Honestly speaking, hardly I can understand their humor. I guess I do not have enough knowledge to understand their humor or stories besides the language problem. Especially lack of the religion-related knowledge.
Thanks a lot for your reports of the session “The Natural”. I have always been interested in them and amazed with that there are such extensive stories embedded in the novel. I wonder whether Japan has this kind of story, the great saga of “King Arthur”.
I saw many movies whose plots are based on King Arthur or Holy Grail. “The Fisher King” set in present New York was a quite interesting one.
After reading your reports about many implications in the novel,I associated the names of Fisher King and Lancelot with the symbol of Christianity and the holy spear.
Thanks a lot.

Comment on The Natural – pre-game by Marc Sheffner

Marc Sheffner — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 03:12:24 +0000

Nice name! Is Pyracantha a type of fish? (Coelocanth) Or maybe a flower (hyacinth)? Ah, within 5 seconds (the time it takes to type “Pyracantha” into Google search) I have the answer. Amazing!

Comment on The Natural – pre-game by Pyracantha

Pyracantha — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:21:30 +0000

Comparative study or finding similarities is interesting between the story of The Natural and of The Fisher King. Look forward to the next session.

Comment on The Natural: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols (from SparkNotes) by Sheffner's Reading Blog » Blog Archive » The Natural – pre-game

Sheffner's Reading Blog » Blog Archive » The Natural – pre-game — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:47:36 +0000

[...] The Natural: Themes, Motifs, and Symbols (from SparkNotes) [...]

Comment on Weston’s disease by Spooked consumers snapping up cheap Geiger counters | The Japan Times Online

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 03:26:04 +0000

[...] elites and thus must know what they are doing),and finally, a largely unsuspected and unconscious scientism, may, or may not, be slowly percolating… Consumers are snapping up the devices, which range [...]

Comment on May session: May 25th by cheerful hue

cheerful hue — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:28:47 +0000

We talked if we believe this: “It is another of the miraculous things about mankind that there is no pain nor passion that does not radiate to the ends of the earth. Let a man in a garret but burn with enough intensity and he will set fire to the world.” (p177)

Suppose, when you smile, the smile is contagious and spreads from people to people to the ends of the earth. So would be goodness, or revolutionary ideas to make the world be better off. And besides, when someone’s pain or suffering become shared by the world, it’s time to work together to find the solution to ease the pain. Unbelievable? Impossible? This passion is one of the things that I like about him.

Saint-Exupery used imagination in poetic language while C.S.Lewis used myth as a tool to tell the truth.

Comment on May session: May 25th by firefly

firefly — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 02:24:28 +0000

Though May 25th session may be a receding memory….

“What can men do to make known to themselves this sense of deliverance?” (p174) Saint-Exupery finally found inner peace when his life was nearing to death lying buried in sand. Sheffner-sensei’s question was “How can we find the inner peace, not in the special condition (like facing death), not by chance but consciously?”

I think the answer is pp215-224. “It is only when we become conscious of our part in life, however, modest, that we shall be happy. Only then will we be able to live in peace and die in peace, for only this lends meaning to life and to death.” (p222)

Comment on Session 23: March 10th, 2010 – The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, chps 3-6 by Sheffner's Reading Blog » Blog Archive » Through the Sapphire Sky: Alike in composition, unlike in meaning

Thu, 19 May 2011 23:59:10 +0000

[...] long time ago now (it seems), in our Reading group we discussed dragons as possibly universal archetypes and their different meanings in Western and Eastern cultures/literatures. Well English Lady Blogger [...]