Classical Music!

[ClassicNerd]

Recognize those other titles but did not read it. The thing about Fyodor is you put your sanity on the line charging into one of his creations. You develop "brain fever" in no time. Did plow through The Brothers K but Crime and Punishment is my favorite. For one thing it's much easier on the arm and hand muscles. Such a genius.

You are probably correct that opera and lit. are inborn but perhaps can be acquired. How can we convince GS to give it a try? I recommend Jonas Kaufmann. He can pick anything he likes, does not have to be Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme. For a manageable story we can suggest Chekhov's The Lady with the Toy Dog, or Tolstoy's The Death Of Ivan Ilych. That may get him interested in my daily preoccupation, ha ha.

C&P is excellent! Yes, I did have quite bad hand/arm cramps while reading TBK. You really do put your sanity on the line with Dostovesky, but I love it. I sometimes have to step away from his books for a bit because they really get the the old wheels turnin' and I start to feel a little spacey. In particular, one of Ivan's chapters in TBK left my head whirling!

The thing about GS is that he's quite stubborn. I'd like to see how this battle of wills plays out Tinam! 

Reading all this literature and Dostovesky talk leaves me feelin' uncultured, lol!  So i'll stick to maintaining a diplomatic silence on the subject!

CN is right; you have to be born with the opera bug. I definitely wasn't. Aside from the suggestion Tinam has made in the past of strapping me to a chair and forcing me to endure The Tales of Hoffmann i cannot ever imagine myself ever sitting through anything like that. I subjected myself to 10-15 minutes of that ordeal and that was more than enough to last me a lifetime!    No thanks!

If Tinam had you strapped to a chair, you'd be forced to endure more than 10-15 mins of The Tales of Hoffmann; it could potentially go on for hours, at which point you might find yourself developing literary stockholm syndrome. I think that happened to me with a few books in university. I think that's her only hope of converting you to lit. lover.

You hear that, Tina!? There you go - why don't you give up on me and convert CN into an opera buff, haha!   She sounds willing!

  I'm more than willing to give it a try. Tinam sounds like she has good taste! 

[tinam7]

No contest. Have no idea what possessed me, could be a Dostoyevsky induced seizure, ha ha.

One fine day when I'm long gone, you and GS may hear something glorious and suddenly there will be an awakening, "That's what she meant, the most stirring form of self-expression humans ever invented." I'll be smiling at you from up above.

[GenSec]

If Tinam had you strapped to a chair, you'd be forced to endure more than 10-15 mins of The Tales of Hoffmann; it could potentially go on for hours, at which point you might find yourself developing literary stockholm syndrome. I think that happened to me with a few books in university. I think that's her only hope of converting you to lit. lover.

One wants to strap me down for The Tales of Hoffmann whilst another wants me firmly pinned down for a prime time viewing of Aliens... does a guy ever get a break here!? Haha! I'm too delicate for all this!

Best,
Gen.

[GenSec]

The only works of fiction i've ever read through to their conclusion are:

1) To Kill a Mockingbird (love the film with Gregory Peck too).
2) The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.
3) 2001 A Space Oddessy.
4) Kidnapped.
5) Treasure Island.
6) Sunset Song.
7) Many pieces by Edgar Allan Poe.

There have been much more well-respected works of fiction i have attempted to read and then got bored of, never finished. Most works of fiction end up being discarded that way!

Have either Tina or CN read any of those i wonder?

Regards,
Gen.

[ClassicNerd]

I've read To Kill a mockingbird. I love that one. I've read The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit - they're what got me into fantasy/sci-fi when all I would read was mystery and the classics. I've read a lot by Edgar Allan Poe. I quite like him. I don't think I've ready the others, but if I have it would have been a long time ago! I've read so many books I sometimes forget!

GS, you will watch all of the Alien movies. I promise you. 

[GenSec]

GS, you will watch all of the Alien movies. I promise you. 

Aww, if i have to choose from those 2 i'd rather take the plunge and watch The Tales of Hoffmann, haha! At least it won't traumatise me for life. On the whole i think i'd rather take my chances with Tina!

I won't be watching even 1 of the Alien movies, let alone all of them! Being forced to watch them constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment" in my book!

Don't make promises you cannot hope to keep, CN! Hehe!

Take care,
Gen.

[tinam7]

There are 4 movies in my life and no aliens. May have seen some Flash Gordon a long, long time ago. There is no adventure in me, movies or books, because there was far too much blasted adventure throughout my life.

The real love of my life in books is Anita Brookner who puts some people to sleep but was a pillar for me. An entire book shelf is filled with her novels. She came out with a novel every year until a few years ago. She will be 84 this year. They are going with me into eternity.