This book first published in 1915 in Bengali and is 192 pages long. It has been translated from Bengali into English by the author himself in 1919. Rabindrath Tagore lived from 1861 till 1941 and received the Nobelprize for literature in 1913.
The story is set in the early 20th century in Bengal, India. It is the story of Bimala and her husband Nikhil and a political activist named Sandip. The story is told from the perspectives of these three people. This story foreshadows the seperation of British India in India and Pakistan in 1947. The main themes in the book are love and politics. I enjoyed reading this book and I do recommend it.
This book was written by Tagore and he himself has translated it into English. This English version was first published in 1913 and is 32 pages long in the printed version. The book contains nearly 50 poems. These poems are suitable for young adults and adults. I do recommend this collection of poetry to anyone.
This is a lovely story about a stuffed rabbit that comes alive. Even though it is meant for children, I found it to be a touching story for adults too. Recommended.
This book is about education in the Middle Ages. The period covered in this book is from the 12th century till the early 16th century.
The author gives special attention to university studies and university excercises. There are chapters on:
-teachers and students of the 12th century (like Abelard and John of Salisbury),
-on new methods and new studies (like Aristotle, Roman Law and Medicine),
-University Priviliges (Protection by the Sovereign, Right of Trial, and more),
-Universities founded by Civil or Ecclesiastical Powers,
-University Excercises,
-Requirements for the Degrees in Arts (in Paris, Leipzig and Oxford),
-Academic Letters.
The author, Arthur O. Norton, was Assistent Professor of the History and Art of Teaching in Harvard University at the time he wrote this.
I do recommend this book to anyone who's interested in Mediaeval History or in the History of Education or Universities.
At the moment of writing the author was Professor of Astronomy and Geometry at the University of Cambridge. In this book the lives of 18 astronomers are discribed, some of them are known to everyone, but some are not so generally known. The book starts with an introduction of a few pages on the history of astronomy.
A list of the astronomers featured in this book:
PTOLEMY, COPERNICUS, TYCHO BRAHE, GALILEO, KEPLER, ISAAC NEWTON, FLAMSTEED, HALLEY, BRADLEY, WILLIAM HERSCHEL, LAPLACE, BRINKLEY, JOHN HERSCHEL, THE EARL OF ROSSE, AIRY, HAMILTON, LE VERRIER, ADAMS.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of astronomy or science, and of course to everybody who is interested in any of the astronomers depicted in this book. I did find the manner in which this book was written quite dull and lifeless ('2-stars'), but because of the information it gives (worth '4-stars') I give it a '3-star' review.
This travelmemoir/letters was written by German artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Dürer was one of the greatest Renaissance artists who travelled a lot to see (and buy or exchange) works by other artists, mainly in Italy and the Netherlands. Dürer wrote the letters in this book during some of his travels. This edition is the translation into English by Rudolph Tombo, first published in 1913, and edited by Lewis Einstein. This text is availlable from several sites on the web. The Kindle edition has 54 pages as a e-book and can easily be read in one evening.
This book contains letters written by Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1521. Most of this book is horribly dull, but small parts of it are fascinating and very interesting to read. Big parts of the letters are about how much money Dürer spent on food, cloths, travel etc.; these bits are very dull (unless you are very interested in the economic history of the early 16th century), parts of the letters are about paintings and drawing he made, he just mentions the theme of these and does not explain what he painted and how, so it are just mentions and no explanations of his reasons for painting/drawing the way he did.
In between all those dull bits a few nuggets can be found. These bits make this book worth downloading and reading. The interesting bits are about people he met and places he visited. Most of the people he writes about are famous renaissance artists; his letters show the contacts master-artists had all over Europe. They often knew each other and knew each others works. This is a valuable insight for anyone who wants to know more about Northern Renaissance and Italian Renaissance art. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art-history, the dull parts can be skipped. This book is a must-read for fans of Albrecht Dürers work. The dull bits are worth 2 stars, the interesting bits 5 stars, so I give this book 4 stars. (See samples at the bottom of this review.)
There is also one letter about the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther; this letter gives an insight into the religious beliefs of Dürer, which is interesting for better understanding his works.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) BASIC BACKGROUND ABOUT ALBRECHT DÜRER AND THESE LETTERS
2) EXCERPT FROM ROGER FRY'S INTRODUCTION TO THE 1913 EDITION
3) CAST OF [SOME OF THE] CHARACTERS APPEARING IN THE LETTERS
4) DESCRIPTION OF FORMS OF MONEY REFERRED TO IN THE LETTERS
5) PART 1: LETTERS FROM VENICE TO WILIBALD PERKHEIMER
6) PART 2: DIARY OF A JOURNEY IN THE NETHERLANDS
7) INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION
Below I copy 3 samples from this book, all are from his diary of a journey in the Netherlands:
(From the second journey from Cologne to Antwerp, page 33:)
I started off early by boat from Cologne on Wednesday after
St. Martin's, and went as far as . . . Paid 6 white pf. for
a pair of shoes. I gave 4 white pf. to the messenger.
[...]
(From visit to Bruges and Ghent(April 6-11 1521), page 42:)
The next day Marx, the goldsmith, invited me, and gave me a
costly meal and asked many to meet me; afterwards they took
me to see the Emperor's house, which is large and splendid.
There I saw the chapel which Roger painted, and some
pictures by a great old artist.
[...]
(From At Antwerp(April 11-May 17, 1521), about Martin Luther, page 43:)
And if we lose this man [Martin Luther], who has written more clearly than
anyone in a hundred and forty years, and to whom Thou hast
given such an evangelic spirit, we pray Thee, O Heavenly
Father, that Thou give again Thy spirit to another,
[...]
This book was first published in 1899 and has 304 pages/3760 locations on the Kindle-edition. Because of its age this book is in the public domain. This version does not contain pictures, it is possible to find e-book version with pictures on the web, but those need a lot of memory-space (2.8 MB, versions whithout pictures need less than 300 kB).
This book contains 52 essays on 49 paintings, 3 of the paintings have been described by 2 writers, the other paintings are all described by 1 author. The length of the essays varies from 2 pages till 10 pages (in print). Because this is an old book and tastes in paintings and in writings change through the years, some of the 'Great Paintings' in this book are now almost forgotten and some of the 'Famous Writers' in this book are no longer famous. Some of the works of art described in this book are still considered to be among the best and most important works ever, for example: 'The Nightwatch', 'The birth of Venus' and the 'Mona Lisa'.
Most of the authors were not art-historians, so this book is not really a book that will teach you about art-history, but it gives the personal opinions and impressions about works of art by authors who saw them. It is nice to read the opinions of others about paintings that I have seen; whether or not you agree with them. These essays give you the chance to look at art through someone else's eyes. Because of its age, not all information in this book is correct anymore. For example: In the essay written by Franz Theodor Kugler (1808-1858) about the altarpiece 'The Adoration of the Lamb' by Jan & Hubert van Eyck, this book says that parts of this work are in Berlin, this is no longer correct: as part of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) the parts of this painting that were in Germany were given back to Ghent in 1920. In 1934 two panels were stolen, only one of these has been recovered, the panel 'The Rightious Judges' is still missing.
Contents
THE FISHERMAN PRESENTING THE RING TO THE DOGE GRADENIGO Bordone THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE BIRTH OF VENUS Botticelli WALTER PATER.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA Veronese JOHN RUSKIN.
THE LAST JUDGMENT Michael Angelo ALEXANDRE DUMAS.
MAGDALEN IN THE DESERT Correggio AIMÉ GIRON.
BANQUET OF THE ARQUEBUSIERS Van der Helst WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY.
L'EMBARQUEMENT POUR L'ÎLE DE CYTHÈRE Watteau EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT.
THE SISTINE MADONNA Raphael F.A. GRUYER.
THE DREAM OF ST. URSULA Carpaccio JOHN RUSKIN.
THE DESCENT FROM THE CROSS Rubens EUGÈNE FROMENTIN.
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE Titian I. CHARLES LAMB. II. EDWARD T. COOK.
THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN Fra Angelico THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
JUDITH Botticelli MAURICE HEWLETT.
THE AVENUE OF MIDDELHARNAIS Hobbema PAUL LAFONDTHE
DANCE OF THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS Andrea del Sarto ALGERNON CHARLES WINBURNE.
ADORATION OF THE MAGI Fabriano F.A. GRUYER.
PORTRAIT OF GEORG GISZE Holbein ANTONY VALABRÈGUE.
PARADISE Tintoret JOHN RUSKIN.AURORA Guido Reni I. CHARLOTTE A. EATON. II. JOHN CONSTABLE
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN Titian THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE NIGHT WATCH Rembrandt EUGÈNE FROMENTIN.
THE RAPE OF HELEN Gozzoli COSMO MONKHOUSE
MONNA LISA Leonardo da Vinci WALTER PATER.
THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB Van Eyck KUGLER.
THE DEATH OF PROCRIS Piero di Cosimo I. EDWARD T. COOK. II. JOHADDINGTOSYMONDS.
THE MARRIAGE IN CANA Tintoret JOHN RUSKIN.
MADAME DE POMPADOUR De la Tour CHARLES-AUGUSTIN SAINTE-BEUVE.
THE HAY WAIN Constable C.L. BURNS.
THE SURRENDER OF BREDA Velasquez THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Murillo AIMÉ GIRON.
ST. FRANCIS BEFORE THE SOLDAN Giotto JOHN RUSKIN.
LILITH Rossetti ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
ADORATION OF THE MAGI Dürer MORIZ THAUSING.
MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE Hogarth AUSTIN DOBSON.
THE MADONNA OF THE ROCKS Leonardo da Vinci THÉOPHILE GAUTIER
BEATRICE CENCI Guido Reni PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
THE TRANSFIGURATION Raphael MRS. JAMESON
THE BULL Paul Potter EUGÈNE FROMENTIN
CORÉSUS AND CALLIRHOÉ Fragonard EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT
THE MARKET-CART Gainsborough RICHARD AND SAMUEL REDGRAVE
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE Tintoret HIPPOLYTE ADOLPHE TAINE
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE ANONYMOUS
LA CRUCHE CASSÉE Greuze THÉOPHILE GAUTIER
PORTRAIT OF LADY COCKBURN AND HER CHILDREN Reynolds FREDERIC G. STEPHENS
ST. CECILIA Raphael PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
THE LAST SUPPER Leonardo da Vinci JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
THE CHILDREN OF CHARLES I. Van Dyck JULES GUIFFREY
THE FIGHTING TÉMÉRAIRE TUGGED TO HER LAST BERTH TO BEBROKEN UP, 1838 Turner RUSKIN
SPRING Botticelli MARCEL REYMOND
As a sample I copy a few lines from the essay by Mrs. Jameson about 'The tranfiguration' by Raphael below:
[...]
Such is the profound, the heart-moving significance of this wonderful
picture. It is, in truth, a fearful approximation of the most opposite
things; the mournful helplessness, suffering, and degradation of human
nature, the unavailing pity, are placed in immediate contrast with
spiritual light, life, hope--nay, the very fruition of heavenly rapture.
[..]
The philosopher, priest and Dutch renaissance humanist Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam lived from 1466(?) till 1536. This 1549 English edition is almost impossible to read: to be able to read this volume you will need to be able to read Early Modern English. The printed edition of this booklet has 32 pages, the Kindle edition has 374 locations. For someone who can read this kind of English this book might be worth more than the 2 stars I give it.
As a sample I copy a few lines from the beginning (location 36)of this book so you can see for yourself if you'll be able to read it.
[...]
Cannius. what hunt Polipheme for here? Poliphemus.
Aske ye what I hunt for here, and yet ye se me
haue neyther dogges, dart, Jauelyn, nor huntyng
staffe. Cannius. Paraduenture ye hunt after some
praty nymphe of the couert. Poliphemus. By my
trouth and well coniectured, be holde what a
goodly pursenet, or a hay I haue here in my hande.
Cannius. Benedicite, what a straunge syght is
this, me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin,
Poliphemus with a boke in his hande. This is a
dogge in a doblet, a sowe with a sadle, of all
that euer I se it is a non decet.
[...]
This book was written by Professor Henry William Carless Davis (1874-1928) in 1911, so it is now in the public domain.
Although this book was written by a respected academic, I found this book to be too dated and not objective. There is too much personal opinion in it and that started to irritate me. The facts given in this book seem to be ok, so if you don't mind the reflections on morallity and Christianity, this book might be ok for you. At the bottom of this review I will copy a few lines, so you can see for yourself what I mean.
The contents of this book:
INTRODUCTION
I THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
II THE BARBARIAN KINGDOMS
III THE EMPIRE AND THE NEW MONARCHIES (800-1000 A.D.)
IV FEUDALISM
V THE PAPACY BEFORE GREGORY VII
VI THE HILDEBRANDINE CHURCH
VII THE MEDIEVAL STATE
VIII THE EXPANSION OF EUROPE--THE CRUSADES
IX THE FREE TOWNS
NOTE ON BOOKS
Sample from this book, from the first chapter, pages 4 and 5:
[...]
We do not mean that the ethics of private life had deteriorated from the
standard of the past. This is incredible when we remember that
Christianity was now the all but universal religion of the Empire; for
Christianity, at its worst and weakest, laid more stress upon ethical
duties, in the narrower sense, than any of the older religions. The
provincial was a more moral being than the Goth or the Vandal. It is a
mere superstition that every victorious race is chaste and frugal, just
and law-abiding; or that ill success in the struggle for existence is a
symptom of the contrary vices.
[...]
When the natural leaders of society avow that they despair of the future, fatalism
spreads like a contagious blight among the rank and file, until even
discontent is numbed into silence. Nor does the evil end here. The
idealists pay for their contempt of the real, not merely with their
fortunes and their lives, but, worse still, with their intellectual
patrimony. Just as a government deteriorates when it is no longer tested
by continual reference to principles of justice, so a Utopia, however
magnificent, fades from the mind of the believer when he ceases to
revise it by comparison with facts, when it is no longer a reply to the
problems suggested by workaday experience.
[...]
Recent comments: User reviews
The story is set in the early 20th century in Bengal, India. It is the story of Bimala and her husband Nikhil and a political activist named Sandip. The story is told from the perspectives of these three people. This story foreshadows the seperation of British India in India and Pakistan in 1947. The main themes in the book are love and politics. I enjoyed reading this book and I do recommend it.
The author gives special attention to university studies and university excercises. There are chapters on:
-teachers and students of the 12th century (like Abelard and John of Salisbury),
-on new methods and new studies (like Aristotle, Roman Law and Medicine),
-University Priviliges (Protection by the Sovereign, Right of Trial, and more),
-Universities founded by Civil or Ecclesiastical Powers,
-University Excercises,
-Requirements for the Degrees in Arts (in Paris, Leipzig and Oxford),
-Academic Letters.
The author, Arthur O. Norton, was Assistent Professor of the History and Art of Teaching in Harvard University at the time he wrote this.
I do recommend this book to anyone who's interested in Mediaeval History or in the History of Education or Universities.
A list of the astronomers featured in this book:
PTOLEMY, COPERNICUS, TYCHO BRAHE, GALILEO, KEPLER, ISAAC NEWTON, FLAMSTEED, HALLEY, BRADLEY, WILLIAM HERSCHEL, LAPLACE, BRINKLEY, JOHN HERSCHEL, THE EARL OF ROSSE, AIRY, HAMILTON, LE VERRIER, ADAMS.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of astronomy or science, and of course to everybody who is interested in any of the astronomers depicted in this book. I did find the manner in which this book was written quite dull and lifeless ('2-stars'), but because of the information it gives (worth '4-stars') I give it a '3-star' review.
This book contains letters written by Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1521. Most of this book is horribly dull, but small parts of it are fascinating and very interesting to read. Big parts of the letters are about how much money Dürer spent on food, cloths, travel etc.; these bits are very dull (unless you are very interested in the economic history of the early 16th century), parts of the letters are about paintings and drawing he made, he just mentions the theme of these and does not explain what he painted and how, so it are just mentions and no explanations of his reasons for painting/drawing the way he did.
In between all those dull bits a few nuggets can be found. These bits make this book worth downloading and reading. The interesting bits are about people he met and places he visited. Most of the people he writes about are famous renaissance artists; his letters show the contacts master-artists had all over Europe. They often knew each other and knew each others works. This is a valuable insight for anyone who wants to know more about Northern Renaissance and Italian Renaissance art. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art-history, the dull parts can be skipped. This book is a must-read for fans of Albrecht Dürers work. The dull bits are worth 2 stars, the interesting bits 5 stars, so I give this book 4 stars. (See samples at the bottom of this review.)
There is also one letter about the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther; this letter gives an insight into the religious beliefs of Dürer, which is interesting for better understanding his works.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1) BASIC BACKGROUND ABOUT ALBRECHT DÜRER AND THESE LETTERS
2) EXCERPT FROM ROGER FRY'S INTRODUCTION TO THE 1913 EDITION
3) CAST OF [SOME OF THE] CHARACTERS APPEARING IN THE LETTERS
4) DESCRIPTION OF FORMS OF MONEY REFERRED TO IN THE LETTERS
5) PART 1: LETTERS FROM VENICE TO WILIBALD PERKHEIMER
6) PART 2: DIARY OF A JOURNEY IN THE NETHERLANDS
7) INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION
Below I copy 3 samples from this book, all are from his diary of a journey in the Netherlands:
(From the second journey from Cologne to Antwerp, page 33:)
I started off early by boat from Cologne on Wednesday after
St. Martin's, and went as far as . . . Paid 6 white pf. for
a pair of shoes. I gave 4 white pf. to the messenger.
[...]
(From visit to Bruges and Ghent(April 6-11 1521), page 42:)
The next day Marx, the goldsmith, invited me, and gave me a
costly meal and asked many to meet me; afterwards they took
me to see the Emperor's house, which is large and splendid.
There I saw the chapel which Roger painted, and some
pictures by a great old artist.
[...]
(From At Antwerp(April 11-May 17, 1521), about Martin Luther, page 43:)
And if we lose this man [Martin Luther], who has written more clearly than
anyone in a hundred and forty years, and to whom Thou hast
given such an evangelic spirit, we pray Thee, O Heavenly
Father, that Thou give again Thy spirit to another,
[...]
This book contains 52 essays on 49 paintings, 3 of the paintings have been described by 2 writers, the other paintings are all described by 1 author. The length of the essays varies from 2 pages till 10 pages (in print). Because this is an old book and tastes in paintings and in writings change through the years, some of the 'Great Paintings' in this book are now almost forgotten and some of the 'Famous Writers' in this book are no longer famous. Some of the works of art described in this book are still considered to be among the best and most important works ever, for example: 'The Nightwatch', 'The birth of Venus' and the 'Mona Lisa'.
Most of the authors were not art-historians, so this book is not really a book that will teach you about art-history, but it gives the personal opinions and impressions about works of art by authors who saw them. It is nice to read the opinions of others about paintings that I have seen; whether or not you agree with them. These essays give you the chance to look at art through someone else's eyes. Because of its age, not all information in this book is correct anymore. For example: In the essay written by Franz Theodor Kugler (1808-1858) about the altarpiece 'The Adoration of the Lamb' by Jan & Hubert van Eyck, this book says that parts of this work are in Berlin, this is no longer correct: as part of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) the parts of this painting that were in Germany were given back to Ghent in 1920. In 1934 two panels were stolen, only one of these has been recovered, the panel 'The Rightious Judges' is still missing.
Contents
THE FISHERMAN PRESENTING THE RING TO THE DOGE GRADENIGO Bordone THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE BIRTH OF VENUS Botticelli WALTER PATER.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA Veronese JOHN RUSKIN.
THE LAST JUDGMENT Michael Angelo ALEXANDRE DUMAS.
MAGDALEN IN THE DESERT Correggio AIMÉ GIRON.
BANQUET OF THE ARQUEBUSIERS Van der Helst WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY.
L'EMBARQUEMENT POUR L'ÎLE DE CYTHÈRE Watteau EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT.
THE SISTINE MADONNA Raphael F.A. GRUYER.
THE DREAM OF ST. URSULA Carpaccio JOHN RUSKIN.
THE DESCENT FROM THE CROSS Rubens EUGÈNE FROMENTIN.
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE Titian I. CHARLES LAMB. II. EDWARD T. COOK.
THE CORONATION OF THE VIRGIN Fra Angelico THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
JUDITH Botticelli MAURICE HEWLETT.
THE AVENUE OF MIDDELHARNAIS Hobbema PAUL LAFONDTHE
DANCE OF THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS Andrea del Sarto ALGERNON CHARLES WINBURNE.
ADORATION OF THE MAGI Fabriano F.A. GRUYER.
PORTRAIT OF GEORG GISZE Holbein ANTONY VALABRÈGUE.
PARADISE Tintoret JOHN RUSKIN.AURORA Guido Reni I. CHARLOTTE A. EATON. II. JOHN CONSTABLE
THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN Titian THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE NIGHT WATCH Rembrandt EUGÈNE FROMENTIN.
THE RAPE OF HELEN Gozzoli COSMO MONKHOUSE
MONNA LISA Leonardo da Vinci WALTER PATER.
THE ADORATION OF THE LAMB Van Eyck KUGLER.
THE DEATH OF PROCRIS Piero di Cosimo I. EDWARD T. COOK. II. JOHADDINGTOSYMONDS.
THE MARRIAGE IN CANA Tintoret JOHN RUSKIN.
MADAME DE POMPADOUR De la Tour CHARLES-AUGUSTIN SAINTE-BEUVE.
THE HAY WAIN Constable C.L. BURNS.
THE SURRENDER OF BREDA Velasquez THÉOPHILE GAUTIER.
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Murillo AIMÉ GIRON.
ST. FRANCIS BEFORE THE SOLDAN Giotto JOHN RUSKIN.
LILITH Rossetti ALGERNON CHARLES SWINBURNE.
ADORATION OF THE MAGI Dürer MORIZ THAUSING.
MARRIAGE A-LA-MODE Hogarth AUSTIN DOBSON.
THE MADONNA OF THE ROCKS Leonardo da Vinci THÉOPHILE GAUTIER
BEATRICE CENCI Guido Reni PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
THE TRANSFIGURATION Raphael MRS. JAMESON
THE BULL Paul Potter EUGÈNE FROMENTIN
CORÉSUS AND CALLIRHOÉ Fragonard EDMOND AND JULES DE GONCOURT
THE MARKET-CART Gainsborough RICHARD AND SAMUEL REDGRAVE
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE Tintoret HIPPOLYTE ADOLPHE TAINE
BACCHUS AND ARIADNE ANONYMOUS
LA CRUCHE CASSÉE Greuze THÉOPHILE GAUTIER
PORTRAIT OF LADY COCKBURN AND HER CHILDREN Reynolds FREDERIC G. STEPHENS
ST. CECILIA Raphael PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY
THE LAST SUPPER Leonardo da Vinci JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
THE CHILDREN OF CHARLES I. Van Dyck JULES GUIFFREY
THE FIGHTING TÉMÉRAIRE TUGGED TO HER LAST BERTH TO BEBROKEN UP, 1838 Turner RUSKIN
SPRING Botticelli MARCEL REYMOND
As a sample I copy a few lines from the essay by Mrs. Jameson about 'The tranfiguration' by Raphael below:
[...]
Such is the profound, the heart-moving significance of this wonderful
picture. It is, in truth, a fearful approximation of the most opposite
things; the mournful helplessness, suffering, and degradation of human
nature, the unavailing pity, are placed in immediate contrast with
spiritual light, life, hope--nay, the very fruition of heavenly rapture.
[..]
As a sample I copy a few lines from the beginning (location 36)of this book so you can see for yourself if you'll be able to read it.
[...]
Cannius. what hunt Polipheme for here? Poliphemus.
Aske ye what I hunt for here, and yet ye se me
haue neyther dogges, dart, Jauelyn, nor huntyng
staffe. Cannius. Paraduenture ye hunt after some
praty nymphe of the couert. Poliphemus. By my
trouth and well coniectured, be holde what a
goodly pursenet, or a hay I haue here in my hande.
Cannius. Benedicite, what a straunge syght is
this, me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin,
Poliphemus with a boke in his hande. This is a
dogge in a doblet, a sowe with a sadle, of all
that euer I se it is a non decet.
[...]
Although this book was written by a respected academic, I found this book to be too dated and not objective. There is too much personal opinion in it and that started to irritate me. The facts given in this book seem to be ok, so if you don't mind the reflections on morallity and Christianity, this book might be ok for you. At the bottom of this review I will copy a few lines, so you can see for yourself what I mean.
The contents of this book:
INTRODUCTION
I THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
II THE BARBARIAN KINGDOMS
III THE EMPIRE AND THE NEW MONARCHIES (800-1000 A.D.)
IV FEUDALISM
V THE PAPACY BEFORE GREGORY VII
VI THE HILDEBRANDINE CHURCH
VII THE MEDIEVAL STATE
VIII THE EXPANSION OF EUROPE--THE CRUSADES
IX THE FREE TOWNS
NOTE ON BOOKS
Sample from this book, from the first chapter, pages 4 and 5:
[...]
We do not mean that the ethics of private life had deteriorated from the
standard of the past. This is incredible when we remember that
Christianity was now the all but universal religion of the Empire; for
Christianity, at its worst and weakest, laid more stress upon ethical
duties, in the narrower sense, than any of the older religions. The
provincial was a more moral being than the Goth or the Vandal. It is a
mere superstition that every victorious race is chaste and frugal, just
and law-abiding; or that ill success in the struggle for existence is a
symptom of the contrary vices.
[...]
When the natural leaders of society avow that they despair of the future, fatalism
spreads like a contagious blight among the rank and file, until even
discontent is numbed into silence. Nor does the evil end here. The
idealists pay for their contempt of the real, not merely with their
fortunes and their lives, but, worse still, with their intellectual
patrimony. Just as a government deteriorates when it is no longer tested
by continual reference to principles of justice, so a Utopia, however
magnificent, fades from the mind of the believer when he ceases to
revise it by comparison with facts, when it is no longer a reply to the
problems suggested by workaday experience.
[...]