tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44690149589637108902024-03-24T15:35:30.571+07:00A Glimpse to the PastAll my history and historical fiction readingsFanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-68449464111927259942018-10-01T07:49:00.000+07:002018-10-01T07:49:55.963+07:00The Origin by Irving Stone<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3WSGmWSLCHw/W7Ftf2AtGCI/AAAAAAAAVI8/WVXV5BpPdEECsVW8VFNzRh33h86yyv9DQCLcBGAs/s1600/the-origin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3WSGmWSLCHw/W7Ftf2AtGCI/AAAAAAAAVI8/WVXV5BpPdEECsVW8VFNzRh33h86yyv9DQCLcBGAs/s320/the-origin.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Charles.
Darwin. A name so familiar in modern world, yet so little had we known about
the person. I have read his magnum opus last year: </span><i style="color: #222222;">On the Origin of Species</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, yet then I have only focused on
his views on evolution and struggle for existence theory. I have never
imagined, for example, that Darwin had made that famous voyage on board The
Beagle in a so young of age of 22—in fact it was even his first voyage ever!
Or, that he was NOT a Naturalist before the voyage; but was originally intended
to pursue medical career—following the lead of his father and grandfather. He
had failed; and finally made up his mind to take theological study at Christ
College to become a curate, which was approved and encouraged by Robert Darwin,
his father. Then, when Charles Darwin has finally settled his future career,
came a letter from the Naval Office, inviting him to join HMS Beagle as its
Naturalist—something beyond even Darwin's wildest dream. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charles Darwin -<br />by G. Richmond</td></tr>
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While studying at Christ College, Darwin often accompanied
Professors John Henslow and Adam Sedgwick, from whom he learned much about
botany and geology. That, and his passion on nature (he liked to catch
butterflies and even toads), that made him eligible to join the survey
expedition conducted by Royal Navy. The appointment itself was almost like an
act of Providence. Darwin was the third person picked, after two others (more
prominent Naturalists) rejected for some reasons. His father didn't approved Darwin
going for two year voyage, while he was supposed to start looking for a parish
to settle in. Only after Darwin's uncle intervene, that his father softened,
and finally gave Darwin his blessing—without which Darwin would have given up
the voyage altogether, since he respected his father's decision very much. This
was an aspect that I loved from the Darwins: love and respect from father and
son. Later on after Darwin returned from the voyage, and was happy in doing
researches and writing his books, his father totally accepted and never blamed
Darwin for ever giving up his religious career. Darwin was also blessed with an
amiable wife and supports from his friends, which later proved to be valuable
to Darwin's career as Naturalist. Maybe it's because Darwin was himself an
amiable person: humble, docile, and peaceful. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fWdaAAVHno/W7FtsJqgyUI/AAAAAAAAVJA/LtxtOd_y48c7DomIvNOeB_A5axr08HlsgCLcBGAs/s1600/HMS_Beagle_by_Conrad_Martens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1235" height="425" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8fWdaAAVHno/W7FtsJqgyUI/AAAAAAAAVJA/LtxtOd_y48c7DomIvNOeB_A5axr08HlsgCLcBGAs/s640/HMS_Beagle_by_Conrad_Martens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMS Beagle - by Conrad Martens</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
Darwin was neither a healthy nor strong young man when taking
the five years voyage, and after settling with his large family while writing
his numerous books, he was often tortured by his illness. But I think it was
caused mostly by his moral conflict. Remember what happened to Galileo after
publishing his heliocentric theory? He was accused of committing heresy. Now,
Darwin always hated controversy. He would have stayed home and become priest,
had his father rejected his voyage. He was perfectly aware that his theory of
evolution would be strongly opposed by the Church and by the society. In 19th
century the Church doctrine was that every creature was created as it was by
God; and that they were all good. Darwin found out from studying tons of
specimens he had collected during the voyage, that these creatures, which God
has first created, has been evolving through years of struggle of existence,
then formed various new sub-species. That would shock the world, and especially
his wife Emma, whom Darwin loved and adored, and who happened to be a very
religious person. These thoughts tortured Darwin so much in the form of many
curious uncured physical symptoms. But—and this is what I most adored from him—Charles
Darwin never flinched from his belief; and though he has promised Emma to never
pursue the theory, he never stopped developing it in his mind, and secretly
writing it. Darwin, who was a docile and peaceful person, dared to do it
against all odds, because his conscience told him to speak the truth!</div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
As all other new ideas, <i>On
the Origin of the Species</i> did cause huge turbulence on scientific and
Church history when published. These were the most insufferable time for
Darwin, yet he never stopped researching and writing a lot of books, each of
which opened fresh debates among scientists, as well as public readers.
However, after the first blow from <i>On the
Origin</i>, people began to accept his theory, and Charles Darwin became one of
the most prominent scientists in the world.</div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanks to Irving Stone, the life, works, and the scientific
world around Charles Darwin was finally revealed to us. Like Darwin, Stone have
done meticulous researches around his subject. The project took him five years
to finish; the same time for Darwin to collect his specimens and notes aboard
The Beagle. The book caught perfectly and beautifully the emotional struggle of
Darwin and his peers during the rising period of science. <i>The Origin</i> is a monumental work. I was so grateful to have read it.
Not only to know more of the Naturalist, but also to understand more of his
works, especially <i>On the Origin of
Species</i>. What a read!</div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
5 / 5</div>
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-16036437453306936072018-08-20T08:57:00.001+07:002018-08-20T11:31:07.289+07:00An Officer and A Spy by Robert Harris<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfINsngEWWo/W3ocYtFkEJI/AAAAAAAAT0c/5IvPy7aOfBk9uXMtEujaLn76yaTJ7BapwCEwYBhgL/s1600/an-officer-and-a-spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SfINsngEWWo/W3ocYtFkEJI/AAAAAAAAT0c/5IvPy7aOfBk9uXMtEujaLn76yaTJ7BapwCEwYBhgL/s320/an-officer-and-a-spy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I have been
interested in the Dreyfus Affair ever since I read Zola's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">J'Accuse!</i> about two years ago. Then lately Michael Rosen's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-disappearance-of-emile-zola-by.html">The Disappearance of Émile Zola</a></i> let my
interest sparked again. Yet, these two books only cover the affair from Zola's
point of view; or rather, Zola's fight and struggle during Dreyfus Affair; they
do not touch its core. It is in this field has Robert Harris done a terrific
job to spotlight one of the biggest political scandals in 19th century which
has torn and humiliated France as a nation, by weaving every aspect of it into
this riveting historical novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In September
1894 a suspicious note has been found by a French espionage agent who worked at
the German Embassy in Paris (a cleaning woman who was recruited by the French).
The note (or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">borderau</i>) was addressed
to German military attaché: Max von Schwartzkoppen, containing some secret
information on French artillery. It's not the first leakage of military secret,
and the press and public have been putting big pressure to the Ministry of War
to solve it. To save his face, the Minister (General Mercier) put a thorough
investigation inside the General Staff. A young major named Alfred Dreyfus
seems to be a perfect culprit, since he is a Jewish officer with Alsatian
origin (Alsace has been annexed by Germany after France's defeat at
Franco-Prussian war). Dreyfus was soon imprisoned and tortured to confess, yet
he kept insisting of his innocence. To fill in the 'gap' at preliminary enquiry
in court, the Statistical Section staffs then manipulated the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">borderau</i> to frame Dreyfus up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-fuA5FPMrs/W3odxU-jCQI/AAAAAAAAT0s/pbPOGtjuFoEgt4JWFbWZlFHCPPd2ZLQqACLcBGAs/s1600/alfred-dreyfus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0-fuA5FPMrs/W3odxU-jCQI/AAAAAAAAT0s/pbPOGtjuFoEgt4JWFbWZlFHCPPd2ZLQqACLcBGAs/s1600/alfred-dreyfus.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alfred Dreyfus</td></tr>
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Now, Dreyfus
is a 'loner' Jewish; he is wealthy, proud, cold, and arrogant towards others.
He is not a favorite among his friends, and often annoys his chiefs. Bingo!
They have found the perfect victim. He's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'only
a regular Jew'</i> anyway... ; and this was when the anti-semitic sentiment
played its role. The verdict was inevitable: Dreyfus was guilty and must be
exiled to Devil's Island. To this point everyone (excepted Dreyfus' relatives
and the Jewish) believed that Dreyfus was guilty. But then, a young officer,
Georges Picquart, was appointed the new Chief of Statistical Section, and
became the youngest Colonel ever in French Military history. It was Picquart
who first suspected that a Major Esterhazy was actually the real writer of the
infamous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">borderau</i>. Through Picquart's
conscience and heroic action (against military law), the conspiracy was began
to be revealed, and finally made public by Zola's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">J'Accuse!</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Exkj4g4dxgg/W3oczVukhUI/AAAAAAAAT0k/uT1g1YSBGpoIFX_3-FqAxThy2kaD_6tlQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Picquart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="220" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Exkj4g4dxgg/W3oczVukhUI/AAAAAAAAT0k/uT1g1YSBGpoIFX_3-FqAxThy2kaD_6tlQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Picquart.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Georges Picquart</td></tr>
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I was really
furious by this Dreyfus business. Two aspects in particular have really
disgusted me: first, that the real (original) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">borderau</i> actually consisted of ridiculously trivial information.
The fact that Schwartzkoppen (the German attaché) has even torn it to six
pieces and thrown it to his garbage bin, should have made one questioning its
value. It's true that an internal spy has divulged the information, but
punishing the culprit to that extent (Dreyfus was humiliated in front of the
army, and was solitary confined and tortured in Devil's Island) is ridiculous! Was
there nobody ever wondered why the government put so much effort (not
mentioning costs) to guard a prisoner from such minor crime? But again, it's
the anti-semitic sentiment: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he's only a
regular Jew...</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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The second
is how almost all rank of the army—excepted Picquart—kept defending the ugly
lies and injustice piles by the chiefs. It's more than anti-semitism here, it's
the military 'code of honor', which instantly reminded me of the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Few Good Men</i>. They have the wrong
illusion that defending the honor of the army and nation is higher than
humanity—the 'for the greater good' stuff. I am still amazed at how these
military men could have such a blind notion! France was lucky to have Georges
Picquart and Émile Zola who have risked their career and personal life, and
unselfishly followed their conscience to pursue truth and justice.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMrxIknMb1A/W3oeB3UTOII/AAAAAAAAT00/jmva-epL7bUNieO05ppz8OLv_GFX1dtYQCLcBGAs/s1600/Degradation_alfred_dreyfus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="250" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HMrxIknMb1A/W3oeB3UTOII/AAAAAAAAT00/jmva-epL7bUNieO05ppz8OLv_GFX1dtYQCLcBGAs/s320/Degradation_alfred_dreyfus.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Degradation of Alfred Dreyfus</td></tr>
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At the end,
what was the source of all this abominable business? It’s Ambition and
greediness of General Mercier and the racism of the staff. Defending the
nation, eh? In reality they have almost triggered a civil war! And how much
sorrows have they inflicted to the Dreyfusards and their families? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once again,
Robert Harris didn't disappoint his readers. Almost all of the events and
characters in this book are real. Harris only filled in the gaps with his
imagination to weave it into an enjoyable novel, which is narrated by Georges Picquart. If you want to learn more about
Dreyfus Affair, and/or more about Georges Picquart, this book will satisfy you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5/5 is my
final verdict.</div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-35807315659774844462018-07-16T07:43:00.000+07:002018-07-16T07:43:11.102+07:00The Siege by Helen Dunmore<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tllMt4cmU6U/W0vpzi9fjFI/AAAAAAAATuY/uRgNoM26kkgZC7jN2GOm8kpBxJBgJvNrACLcBGAs/s1600/the-siege%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tllMt4cmU6U/W0vpzi9fjFI/AAAAAAAATuY/uRgNoM26kkgZC7jN2GOm8kpBxJBgJvNrACLcBGAs/s400/the-siege%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You could
never really know what the word "starving" means if you have never
been deprived of the food SOURCE. This novel by Helen Dumnore taught you to
always be grateful for every single day of your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Siege
depicted the historical siege of Leningrad by German (Nazy) Army in World War
II; the biggest prolonged siege in the history. The novel particularly focused
on the most extreme part of the siege, i.e. the winter of September 1941 to
February 1942. Food ration was down to only 125 grams bread per person per DAY.
Can you imagine that? 125 grams for 24 hours! And when the temperature was down
to -30 degree (Celsius); many people died from combination of starvation,
malnutrition, and freeze. Food and fuel suddenly valued like gold, while money
became worthless (you couldn't eat money no matter how rich you were!). The
siege was prolonged until January 1944 (900 days in total), but at least a new
access was available after the severe winter had passed, that food supply was
gradually back to normal--food ration was still on, but at least they didn't
have to starve.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The central
characters of this historical novel are the working class family: Anna
Mikhailovna, a young woman who lives with her father and her little brother
Kolya. Then Marina Petrovna, a former actress and a friend of Anna's father,
came to stay with them just before the city was besieged. Another important
character was Andrei, a medical student who helped Mikhail (Anna's father) in
war, and so he and Anna met and soon lived each other. These four adults and a
little boy was a portrayal of how the city heroically held on and refused to
surrender to the Nazi (Hitler's plan was to raze the city to the
ground--another method of genocide?).<o:p></o:p></div>
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And so,
amidst the famine, struggle of life, bombardment, and cannibalism (yes, there
were some cases of starving people ate human flesh!), there grew love and hope,
which I believe were two important keys of survival. From their heroic acts, I
see humanity at its highest and strongest state, which no one could dream to
destroy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Two thumbs
up for Dunmore for writing so vivid and compelling story of war and humanity. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Final
verdict: 5 / 5</div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-77320119811026334462018-06-20T10:26:00.000+07:002018-06-20T10:35:01.088+07:00The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hP_HI7QniBE/WynItvXtaAI/AAAAAAAATfo/MT3XceteOHAW-Cim24E0ETfFY8X2Eof8wCLcBGAs/s1600/the-name-of-the-rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hP_HI7QniBE/WynItvXtaAI/AAAAAAAATfo/MT3XceteOHAW-Cim24E0ETfFY8X2Eof8wCLcBGAs/s400/the-name-of-the-rose.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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To sum up
this unique book in one short sentence is nearly impossible; but if I must, I
would say that this book is about everything and nothing. Confused? So will you
be, if I have interested you, by this review, to read it. By everything, I
meant that this book covers wide and various (read: complex) topics around 14th
century. I'm not actually familiar with this era, and must grope throughout the
book to try to understand the historical background. Italy during the Middle
Age seemed to be full of power struggle between the state and the Church;
disputes between various orders inside Catholic Church; heresy, mystics, and
thirst of theological study.</div>
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Our protagonists are William of Baskerville—a Franciscan friar and an
inquisitor, and Adso of Melk—a Benedictine novice who helps William as his
secretary. They came as guests at a Benedictine monastery, where, in a week, a
theological disputation between the Pope and Friars Minor who was suspected of
heresy, was going to be held. Unfortunately, a monk has been mysteriously found
dead, and the abbot asked William's help to investigate the case, which seemed
to be related to the monastery's library—a magnificent one with ancient
manuscripts, with a labyrinth inside, but was full of dark mysteries. Within
the seven days of unfolding the mystery, five more monks were dead—murdered—and
many layers, signs, and paths began unfolding but leading, apparently, to nowhere.
With it, the book also speaks about many heavy topics which seemed unrelated,
confusing, and finally ended nowhere. This was what I meant earlier by
'everything but nothing'.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The magnificent (probably the biggest in the whole country) monastery owns a
large collection of manuscripts from scientists and theologians from around the
world (let alone important relics and valuable treasures hidden inside their
vault). It should have been the centre of the civilization; but it mysteriously
guarded from anyone, restricted, even from the monks, by some complicated
designs and a dangerous labyrinth. They were scholar-monks, but forbidden to
access of certain books. **spoiler alert** - In the end, it was burned down by
the villain—library and the whole monastery; nothing survived. Everything, then
nothing. **spoiler ends**</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In this book, too, there were debates around poverty in the Catholic Church—whether
or not Jesus disciples and monks were allowed to have personal possessions,
etc. (without final conclusion and not related to the murder). They were also
debating whether or not monks were allowed to laugh or joke. The later finally
led to Aristotle's missing second book: <i>Poetics</i>,
which spoke about tragedies and comedies. This book seemed to be the main cause
of the murders; however, just as William and Adso seemed to have solved the
mystery and found the murderer, we found out that the suspect did not do the
murders, and some of the cases were not really murders. Again, everything, but
means nothing.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In short, this book contains some chaotic ideas—some are true but the rest are
false, and Eco let us readers to have our own opinion and perspective, and
finally make our own conclusion. I am personally interested in two aspects.
First, that knowledge should be opened to the world. Instead of banning (dangerous)
books, the authority (country, school, parents, etc.) should have given us
freedom to read, but with proper education. That way we are trained to sort the
good from the bad from our readings. Second, the correlation of the heresy
issue with the cause of the murders. Both are so relevant to the modern
terrorism which is mostly rooted from religious people. Piety and heresy are
divided only by a very thin line; sometimes a pious man and a murderer both
love God, but the one humbly seeks and follows God's will, while the other only
focus on his own will (arrogantly thinks it correspond with God’s). After
finishing this book, I remembered Pontius Pilate's 'what is truth’? This book
answered it beautifully; that love needs humility in order to be true,
without that, it can lead to evil, destruction, and death.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Final verdict: 4 to 5</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-88076587320001203002018-05-16T10:23:00.000+07:002018-05-16T10:23:52.131+07:00Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AhYJlD2n3eI/Wvuif5splEI/AAAAAAAATUE/UiZEtvZYADg5zAWMcKzGgdVrEXfXPN3CgCLcBGAs/s1600/cleopatra-a-life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="465" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AhYJlD2n3eI/Wvuif5splEI/AAAAAAAATUE/UiZEtvZYADg5zAWMcKzGgdVrEXfXPN3CgCLcBGAs/s400/cleopatra-a-life.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Cleopatra is
probably one name of which no one would ever claim he never hears. It has never
occurred to me before that a woman has ever made that distinction in the world
where men's domination is strong. After 2000 years—Cleopatra died only one
generation before Christ—her name is still many times repeated by poets,
historians; in literature, in movies, and I think in many other aspects. She is
the Queen of Egypt. But after her, many queens have also reigned. What made her
so enigmatic? When she died, Cleopatra ruled over so many lands and nations—the
widest a queen has ever ruled. That made her so powerful. But I believe, the
fact that we never know much about her, has also raised her values. Cleopatra
is a myth, legend. At this point, Stacy Schiff tries to break the myths, and
bring us the real person in this book.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I have put
high expectation on this book when I bought it. I wanted to know the real
character and qualities of Cleopatra, other than what was depicting by
Elisabeth Taylor in the movie or in Shakespeare's plays. But somehow, I was
quite disappointed. It's not entirely Ms. Schiff's fault, maybe. Apparently,
there were not much facts about Cleopatra's deeds on which one could base upon.
Many historians have written about her, of course. She was the mother of Julius
Caesar's and Marc Antony's children! No foreigners have ever set so important
role in Ancient Rome when it was a dominant ruling nation like Cleopatra. We
are talking about the Western world! However, most of what Plutarch or Livy or
Dellius wrote were either bias or only suggestions. I believe the misogynistic
culture of Rome was the culprit here. Hence, there was almost not accurate
account of Cleopatra's real .... in her world.</div>
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<br /></div>
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From what I
read, I could gather that Cleopatra:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;">was the
last Ptolemaic clan, which was full of incest and mayhem.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YbV8EF72r6A/WvujG7lsV4I/AAAAAAAATUM/HPXuM3X3IeAXHdiEi4xqadM5vyfjTJhhQCLcBGAs/s1600/cleopatra-coin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YbV8EF72r6A/WvujG7lsV4I/AAAAAAAATUM/HPXuM3X3IeAXHdiEi4xqadM5vyfjTJhhQCLcBGAs/s1600/cleopatra-coin.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleopatra in coin (the most accurate <br />picture of her)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">was really
a Greek-Macedonian, not originally an Egyptian.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">loved
pearls, used to wear it abundantly, even also on her hair.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">was not
very pretty woman (far from Elizabeth Taylor!), but she possessed a charisma;
she was attractive in her high intelligence, her ambition, her enthusiastic
speech, and self-possessing manner.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">was great
in politics and governing a nation. She brought Egypt to be a great nation
before it was finally annexed to Rome after her defeat and death.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">took care
of people's, and that's why was loved by them.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">ruled by
herself (a woman at that era!) and played great role in Western world. She was
more than capable in military stuffs, leading a great army, controlling
currency, and was great in diplomacy. She was really Caesar's equal.</li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
While people
portray Julius Caesar as warrior or mighty King, we tend to see Cleopatra as an
exotic woman who used her sexual appeal as weapon. While we take Caesar's
conquest over Western world as great, people believe that Cleopatra became
Queen of Egypt through cunning and seduction. This was how men--Octavian most
of all, and the Roman historians—has misled us. Worst of all, those papyruses
in the magnificent Alexandria—which might have kept facts about Cleopatra's
deeds—had been destroyed. So, now all we have about her is just myths—most of
all the wrong ones.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
This book
would have been interesting. However, Schiff seems to be drifting too much to
Rome's histories and chief actors in it. I understand that it might be because
there were poor materials to build the life of Cleopatra, but still… She also
put suggestions in rather disproportionate amount (compared to facts) to my
taste. Add that with rather bad Indonesian translation, which made my reading quite tedious. I was really glad when it's over! </div>
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<br /></div>
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My rating: 3/5</div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-65595763039058467382018-04-20T10:14:00.000+07:002018-04-20T10:14:25.853+07:00Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37AT0kMrUcg/WtlYYskEYgI/AAAAAAAATN8/BnfmGIOEWwMa3BQK2WeORaGu8g7c_xrzACLcBGAs/s1600/anna-and-the-king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="304" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-37AT0kMrUcg/WtlYYskEYgI/AAAAAAAATN8/BnfmGIOEWwMa3BQK2WeORaGu8g7c_xrzACLcBGAs/s400/anna-and-the-king.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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I am never a
movie person. But among the short list of movies I have ever watched (most of
them are book-turns-to-movies or movies starred by Matt Damon--yes I'm his
fan!), there are even shorter list of movies which I often rewatch. One of them
are Anna and the King, starring Jodi Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. I loved its
cultural background of 19th century Siam. I also loved the silent and
respectable romance of an English woman and the King of Siam, as well as the
perfect chemistry of Jodi and Yun-Fat. I learned later that it was based on the
diary of a real Anna Leonowens--an English Governess hired by King Mongkut of
Siam to teach his children (later on, his harem too). When searching for this
diary, I stumbled upon this historical novel by Margaret Landon. She re-wrote
Leonowens' diary into a more flowing story (cutting a lot of tedious
geographical and antropological entries of the original diary).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
If you have
watch the movie, imagine the much savage, violent, selfish, and distrustful
King, in oppose to Yun-Fat's charismatic and charming version; then increase by
ten folds the wretched condition of the slave of a rich lady, of whom Anna has
helped to buy the freedom. Imagine also how the revengeful King would react
when his favorite concubine, Tuptim, was running away with her lover; that
instead of regretting his impotence in intervening the court verdict and
heartbrokenly but secretly crying for Tuptim's unfair death penalty like
Yun-Fat's version, the real King was ten times more cruel and revengeful in his
terrible rage. And lastly, the real King, while quite often granting Anna's
request, he was also harsh, unfair, and deceitful towards Anna--and certainly
very far away from having any sparks of romance! There... if you combine those
aspects, you'll get the rough idea of the book. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When
starting it, I have prepared myself to not expecting any romanticism of the
movie. Nevertheless I was a bit surprised to learn the terrors Anna and her
household must have endured during her stay at Siam. And my admiration grew for
her. If this was truly Anna Leonowens' account of her real life in Siam, then
she must have probably been one of the most brave women ever lived in 19th
century. How terrible and dangerous her life and work was, and all for a vague
hope that the crown prince Chulalongkorn might bring justice and brighter
future to Siam when he succeeded his father!</div>
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<br /></div>
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The only
time I did not hate King Mongkut, was near the end, in his thank you letter to
Anna, where he said: "<i>...All that [Chulalongkorn] ever learned of good in
his life, you taught him</i>." I think that was one thing teachers would
always like to hear. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally,
while the movie ends with emotional separation (the dance always makes me
cry!), the historical novel ends with a slightly hopeful future, though not as
emotional as when Yun-Fat embracing Jodie in their last dance: "<i>It was
through the principles laid down in her teaching that he had formed the plans
by which he had transformed his kingdom</i>." </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
4/5 - for
this tremendous story of an English woman.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-33397196347694414602018-01-31T13:53:00.000+07:002018-01-31T13:53:34.715+07:00March by Geraldine Brooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HR9EcgfH48I/WnFkD6tZ0II/AAAAAAAAS1I/Da-UypxGbIYjDksccbSFdZgUSSJHrpjdACLcBGAs/s1600/march1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HR9EcgfH48I/WnFkD6tZ0II/AAAAAAAAS1I/Da-UypxGbIYjDksccbSFdZgUSSJHrpjdACLcBGAs/s320/march1.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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While <i>Little Women</i> has become so many people's
favorites, I have failed to recognize its high value when I read it few years
ago. It was difficult for me to relate with the story, that it just flowed to
the end without deeper influence. It felt like an old blanket; comfortable, but
nothing else.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Only after I
read <i>March</i>, did I realize the reason.
<i>March</i> was inspired by <i>Little Women</i>; telling the historical
events of the 19th century American Civil War from the point of view of the
missing father of Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth. However, to me, <i>March</i> felt more realistic than <i>Little
Women</i> because Brooks made March and Marmee true persons with their
weaknesses and struggles; while in <i>Little
Women</i> they were like Mr & Mrs. Santa Claus—too good to be true!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
March was
actually inspired by Amos Bronson Alcott—Louisa May Alcott’s father—who was a
teacher and abolitionist. But instead of teacher, Brooks made March a chaplain.
As we already read in Little Women, March left Concord, Massachusetts to serve
in the Civil War as soldier’s chaplain. In his letters to home, he told
everything but the real horror and brutality in the battlefield, for he didn’t
want to add burden on Marmee and the children. Then he caught a severe illness
and was brought to hospital, where Marmee immediately went to nurse her
husband. Then and there she learned for the first time the damage war had
wrought into her husband. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrMAEnHAK8I/WnFkLdS0fCI/AAAAAAAAS1M/mY8ZsF6El-Mdgjz1mbk-tT4iCUKJ-l0xQCLcBGAs/s1600/march2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="112" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IrMAEnHAK8I/WnFkLdS0fCI/AAAAAAAAS1M/mY8ZsF6El-Mdgjz1mbk-tT4iCUKJ-l0xQCLcBGAs/s200/march2.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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I don’t
think Brooks wrote <i>March</i> (and won
Pulitzer Prize in 2006) only as a fanfiction or to reminisce over one of the
best-loved classics. She focused on the warfare; how it has touched every family
and changed the veterans’ personal lives. To do that, picking March as the
central figure is ideal, since his absence in <i>Little Women</i> gave Brooks rooms to explore the influence of war to
men, and kind of recreating the story—if not one of the characters—of the
best-loved classic. Moreover, Alcott’s history as an abolitionist might have
given Brooks more rooms to write about racism and slavery.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I loved how <i>March</i> discusses about cowardice. I
remember one episode of <i>Downton Abbey</i>
(TV series) where Mrs. Patmore was troubled when her nephew’s name was excluded
from war memorial given to the village because he was shot for cowardice in WW
I. I remember being shuddered while watching that scene, as I thought how easy
it was for us—who have never been in the war, or perhaps been in the war but
not in that specific moment—to label others with “coward”. While survival is
human instinct, is it really disgraceful when one selfishly saves oneself instead
of risking life for saving others? I mean, morally it is not right, it is not
ideal. Still, not everyone is blessed with bravery. And having just several
seconds to make decision at a critical moment, sometimes there are a lot of
things one must consider (one’s family, for instance). It is really not easy to
be brave to accept death. And I think it’s enough that one must account his
actions to God, without having to face society’s sanction for the rest of his
(and his family) life too. So I won’t blame March for doing (or not doing, in
this case) what he supposed to do in the battlefield. And I can relate with his
guilt afterwards; how he must bear the burden alone; how it changed his life
forever. I was glad that Marmee and Grace Clement never blamed him. And it was
kind of Marmee too to try to understand his relationship with Grace.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
War… there
are things that only those who participated in it can relate to. I am glad I
have finally been able to read this magnificent book. Pulitzer Prize or not, it
is the kind of book that opens your mind and change your perspective. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
5 of 5</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-37988403546471686002018-01-11T15:15:00.000+07:002018-01-11T15:15:31.684+07:00Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMwEnC8SaAI/WlccjCDOsvI/AAAAAAAASu4/bgND0ymy7QYVTAj5LCG6E0e_UvUL50BeQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180111_131203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zMwEnC8SaAI/WlccjCDOsvI/AAAAAAAASu4/bgND0ymy7QYVTAj5LCG6E0e_UvUL50BeQCLcBGAs/s400/20180111_131203.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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One thing I
always love from Tracy Chevalier is her theme choices to weave her stories.
Either paintings or culture, Chevalier’s themes are always unique and unusual.
In <i>Falling Angles</i>, she picked
Victorian fetishism of death. Depicting the turn of the century, from Victorian
to Edwardian, <i>Falling Angels</i> is about
two families who were brought accidentally and reluctantly together by
funerals.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The
Waterhouses were more conservative (fanatic Victorian followers) compared to
their neighbours: The Colemans, who were more moderate and progressive. On the
day Queen Victoria died, both families visited their graves in London, which
were located side by side, to mourn. That was how Maude Coleman and Lavinia
(Livy) Waterhouse—both around 9 years old—met and then became best friends. As
their families did not get along well, Maude and Lavinia could only meet and play
together in the graveyard, where they befriended a gravedigger boy called
Simon. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Along with
the changing era, everything around the two families was evolving too. And this
is what Chevalier wanted to portray. Many readers say that <i>Falling Angels</i> was a disappointment after <i>Girl With a Pearl Earring</i> (Chevalier’s best novels until today) because
it lacks poignant story and strong characters. Yes, it may be true, but I think
we derive something else from it in exchange: the peek into the turbulence era;
how society was reshaped after the end of Victorian era; how they evolved and
moved on. We get a glimpse, for example, of mourning etiquette, women
suffragette movement, and how science slowly replaced superstition. And for
that, Chevalier gave each character equal portion in the story by making them
the narrators of themselves. Yes, we literally jump from one person’s to
another’s point of view throughout the book. It’s rather annoying at first, but
soon enough I got used to it; and it really become quite interesting in the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
And so, <i>Falling Angels</i> might not be the best
book by Tracy Chevalier, and if you analyze the writing more thoroughly, you
might find that the personality of the characters seemed to be inconsistent.
Richard Coleman for example; he was fond of astrology, and even promoted his
daughter’s interest in it, not to mention his idea of swapping sex partner in
chapter one. You would think him as liberal thinker, and that he would have
given his wife more freedom. But no, when Kitty actively involved in women
suffragette, Richard opposed strongly. But, maybe, it’s Chevalier’s way of
emphasizing the turbulent era. It’s when people were timidly looking out for
the future, while still clinging to their past. But nevertheless, time changes,
and either sooner or later, everyone must going along with it.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Like I said,
this book is not my best read, but it’s interesting, and is just the
appropriate book to read around New Year! 3,5 / 5.</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-55829054234092159912015-02-17T16:13:00.002+07:002015-02-17T16:13:35.581+07:00The Last Dickens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSkI3yic4d4/VOMFyv2ljTI/AAAAAAAARYQ/Qcr5YyjIuMA/s1600/the-last-dickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jSkI3yic4d4/VOMFyv2ljTI/AAAAAAAARYQ/Qcr5YyjIuMA/s1600/the-last-dickens.jpg" height="320" width="203" /></a></div>
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What if
Dickens has actually finished the last installment of <i>The Mystery of Edwin Drood</i> after all? What would be the fate of the
poor young Edwin Drood? If you have lived in England or America in 1870, these
questions must have filled mind of people everywhere—Dickens’ readers,
publishers, and perhaps all the literary world—following the death of the great
author. For James R. Osgood in particular, it is about the life and death of
Fields, Osgood & Co., the publishing company who holds the rights to
publish Dickens’ books in America. Matthew Pearl crafted this historical event
into a wonderful 19<sup>th</sup> century mystery novel.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After
Dickens died, the last installment of <i>Drood</i>
was shipped to Boston. It was the sixth and last installment from the most beloved
author in England as well as in America at that time. Unfortunately, the junior
clerk whose task was to procure the manuscript from the ship at the dock, had
an accident and died. At first the police believed it’s an accident caused by
opium overdose, but it was found later that he was ruthlessly killed. It’s double
lost for Osgood, as he lost his reliable employee and the manuscript at the
same time. And without <i>Drood</i>, Fields,
Osgood & Co. might not survive another year… </div>
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<br /></div>
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But who did
it? Was it their publishing rival, the Harpers, who have been using the <i>Bookaneers</i> (literary pirates) to be able
to publish cheaper editions of top authors’ novels? Was it Dickens’ fanatic fan
who wanted to collect the author’s last writing just for himself? Or was it
related to the opium smuggling, which Pearl has used as his opening, just as
Dickens used it in <i>Drood</i>? Throughout
the book, these themes were intertwined alongside the interesting detailed stories
of Dickens’ reading tours in America in 1870.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Together
with his pretty widowed bookkeeper, Rebecca Sand, Osgood departed to England to
trace <i>Drood</i>’s trail, that perhaps he
could get Dickens’ unpublished piece on <i>Drood</i>
which will be an added value to the original (unfinished) book his publishing
company would like to print; before the Harpers and other pirate companies
publish their cheaper issues, and kill Fields, Osgood & Co.’s business. But
Osgood and Rebecca’s journey was not merely business or literary journey, it turned
out to be very dangerous. Osgood was no longer a dedicated literary
businessman; he must also act as a detective. Not only to save his company (and
in certain point his own life!), Osgood must save the most precious literary legacy
in the world, the genuine work of Charles Dickens—or its remnants….</div>
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<br /></div>
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The question
is, did his enemies’ intentions were as noble as Osgood’s? Who was going to
win? And the most important, perhaps, what would become of <i>Drood</i>? Or in other word, was there any possibility—even very small
one—that Dickens did write the ending before he died? Or at least…did he ever
mention his intention of <i>Drood</i>’s
ending? These points perhaps, besides Dickens’ charisma which surpassed
centuries, that made this book so engaging and exciting to follow, helped, of
course, by Pearl’s thorough research and his ability to revive the history in
its original style.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So far I
have read three of Pearl’s historical novels about classics authors: <i>Poe Shadow</i>, <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-dante-club.html"><i>The</i> <i>Dante Club</i></a> and <i>The Last Dickens</i>. But this is the only
book in which the author became one of the characters. I have never read any
book in which Dickens is ‘alive’, and it makes <i>The Last Dickens </i>my new favorite
historical fiction. Kudos to Matthew Pearl; and now I can hardly wait his
latest literary-hisfic on Robert Louis Stevenson: <i>The Last Bookaneer</i>!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Five stars
for The Last Dickens.</div>
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<br /></div>
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~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
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I read Vintage Books paperback edition<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>This book is counted
for:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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2<sup>nd</sup> book for <a href="http://bukubukufanda.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-2015-tbr-pile-challenge.html">2015 TBR Pile Challenge</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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14<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge-2013-2015.html">Historical Fiction Challenge 2013–2015</a></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-14968659884383540592015-01-15T16:23:00.001+07:002015-01-15T16:23:11.349+07:00Asia and Pacific History Reading Challenge 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-puQa_QbHl5w/VLeGJIjTl1I/AAAAAAAARSo/ZgPzNI14vdU/s1600/asia-pacific-reading-challenge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-puQa_QbHl5w/VLeGJIjTl1I/AAAAAAAARSo/ZgPzNI14vdU/s1600/asia-pacific-reading-challenge.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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I have
participated in several reading challenges, but this one: <a href="http://blogbukuhelvry.blogspot.com/2015/01/asia-pacific-history-reading-challenge.html">Asia and Pacific Reading Challenge 2015</a> is hosted by my
fellow Indonesian blogger, Helvry—he’s a history and philosophy freak just like
me, haha! And because I have at least one book on my reading list that would be
eligible for this challenge, I decided to participate.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The
challenge is to read one book or more on Asia Pacific history, be it non-fiction
or historical fiction, as long as the setting is in Asia Pacific. I will read
this book:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Empress</b> by
Shan Sa</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlw1fEjY22E/VLeGoNoiHRI/AAAAAAAARSw/3NXI3SwFq6U/s1600/empress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jlw1fEjY22E/VLeGoNoiHRI/AAAAAAAARSw/3NXI3SwFq6U/s1600/empress.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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It’s a
historical fiction of Empress Wu, the first and only female emperor of China,
from Tang Dynasty.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I might add
another book (perhaps Max Havelaar) along the way, but it depends on how I
would deal with my reading schedule.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Bravo for
Helvry for this reading challenge! I can’t wait till you host your
philosophical reading challenge… ;)</div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-49259787669233299042015-01-06T11:26:00.000+07:002015-01-06T11:30:51.260+07:00The Paris Wife<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oN_wqH4AjDQ/VKtjsbE288I/AAAAAAAARRY/GB6UhNMzAQU/s1600/the-paris-wife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oN_wqH4AjDQ/VKtjsbE288I/AAAAAAAARRY/GB6UhNMzAQU/s1600/the-paris-wife.jpg" height="320" width="209" /></a></div>
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It’s said
that “Behind every great man there’s a great woman”—in Ernest Hemingway’s case,
Hadley Richardson was that great woman. Hadley was Hemingway’s first wife; he
loved her very much, but somehow his troubled and unstable soul—and perhaps the
corrupted age they lived in—torn out their happy marriage. <i>The Paris Wife</i> is a fictional story of their lives, written from
Hadley’s side, but Paula McLain told it closely following the historical facts,
which made this book very interesting.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Hadley
Richardson was twenty eight on October 1920, a plain young woman with a plain
and boring life who was still mourning over her mother’s death, when she first
met a ‘beautiful boy with brown eyes’ whom introduced himself as Ernest
Hemingway. Hemingway was then a war veteran, and was starting a literary career
by writing for magazines. It’s obvious from the beginning that he had ambition
to be a reputable writer. Shortly they fell in love, got married, and lived in
a small apartment in Paris.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Living in Paris
during the Jazz Age meant paradise for young talented writers or artists, but
it’s not suitable for a conservative young woman like Hadley. But Hadley loved
Ernest so much, that she dedicated herself to bring her husband’s career to the
top. Accompanying Ernest, Hadley tried to mingle with the rising writers at
that time, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, etc. Ernest
got the safety and stability feeling alongside Hadley, that he could pound his
way to what his talent could produce; while Hadley got the man she loved very
much—maybe too much. Everything should have got on very well, but then complicated
things happened. First a baby appeared, then a woman (Hadley’s best friend)
entered their marriage life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Maybe Kate
(Hadley’s friend before she married Ernest) was right from the beginning. Hadley
shouldn’t have married Ernest, for “he liked women very much”. But then, marriage
was what has saved Hadley’s life at that time, and she loved Ernest so much. To
marry a talented and ambitious writer means a sacrifice. For Hadley, it’s okay.
She could endure hours and days of loneliness when Ernest retreated into his
passionate writings. She could endure Ernest’s changing mood and unstable
emotion, including his war trauma. She could also endure the awkwardness being
a conservative among the moral lose people of the Lost Generation. She could endure
all those, as long as she still had Ernest’s love. So when Pauline Pfeiffer
stepped up and seduced Ernest to leave his former wife, everything collapsed. I
was so relieved that finally Hadley found a loving husband who led her to a
happy normal life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
World War I
has created what we now call the <i>Lost
Generation</i>, the disoriented and confused young men who survived the war.
But without it, we might never have talented writers such as Hemingway and
Fitzgerald. For Hemingway’s sharpness and intense writing, for instance, was
produced by what he had endured during the war. The war re-shaped his
character, along with his mother’s dominance during his adolescence. That’s why
he needed Hadley very much, for he found in her the sturdy rock where he could
hold on to every time the tempest of the past hit him to swallow him into its rolling
waves. So, in a way, we must thank Hadley Richardson for her role in Hemingway’s
earlier career, or else, we would never have been amused by <i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (the novel he was
writing when they were still married), <i>A
Farewell to Arms</i>, and his other famous novels.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Two thumbs
up to McLain who has written <i>The Paris
Wife</i> so vividly that for two weeks I was like transported to the 1920s Jazz
Age of Paris. She wrote as intense as Hemingway’s, and the ending made me
feeling wretched for hours after finishing it. I loved the bullfighting scenes
at Pamplona; Hemingway’s reaction reminded me of what I loved from <i>The Old Man and the Sea</i> and, vaguely,
from <i>To Have and Have Not</i>: the
intense and sharp description of a scene.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Five stars
for <i>The Paris Wife</i>! It has changed my
view towards Hemingway, and now I am eager to read more of his books, including
<i>A Moveable Feast</i>, which I have failed
when I read it five years ago. Sometimes reading the author’s bio (or semi bio
like this historical fiction) helps you understanding and accepting him as he
wanted to be.</div>
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<br /></div>
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~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I read Virago paperback edition<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
for:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
13<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge-2013-2015.html">Historical Fiction Challenge 2013 –2015</a></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-58518914100404126192014-12-22T08:29:00.000+07:002014-12-22T08:29:42.249+07:00The Help<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Cy9KiPItEI/VJdzpEqyTHI/AAAAAAAARO0/LVBwSsbZy08/s1600/the-help.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Cy9KiPItEI/VJdzpEqyTHI/AAAAAAAARO0/LVBwSsbZy08/s1600/the-help.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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Jackson,
Mississippi in the 1962 might not be your dream town to live, especially with
the thick atmosphere of racial segregation. Kathryn Stockett tried to tell us
this history through the view point of some African-American maids who work in
white households, and a white girl who loves challenges and journalism. Skeeter
Phelan has a sweet memory of her maid Constantine—an African-American woman—who
nursed her before she went to college, but then she suddenly left. In the midst
of segregation issue in Jackson’s white households (to build a separate toilet
for the maids), Skeeter feels uneasy. At this time a publisher offers her
chance to write a book with a specific and interesting topic. Then she has an
idea to write about the lives of these two different races, from the point of
view of the maids.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
So, for the
next months, Aibeleen Clark, Minny Jackson, and a dozen other maids are in
between excitement and fear, when they meet Skeeter at Aibeleen’s house at
night after work, and pour down their memories—sweet and bitter (more bitter
than sweet)—into the draft, which Skeeter then edits into a book. There are a
lot of struggles for these women to do that. The meetings between black and
white women are very dangerous, let alone their project of revealing sensitive
issues during those times. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Racism is
always an emotional topic to read, and the issue is always relevant. Reading <i>The Help</i>, I was reminded again that
family has the most powerful influence on our way of thinking. Either love or
hatred, towards others who are different, it has been planted into our mind by
our parents, schools, and everyone around us. We are shaped by the society. In
a way Mae Mobley is lucky to have an ignorant mother but an affectionate and
wise maid, Aibeleen. Without Aibeleen’s lectures on love and humanity, most
probably the little girl would grow up just like her mother, her teacher, and
most of her surroundings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I have once
read John Grisham’s novel: <i>The Chamber</i>.
It’s about a man, Sam Cayhall, who is sentenced to death for bombing a lawyer
office and killing two little boys. Later in jail, Sam ponders over his motif
to do the crime. He is a member of Ku Klux Klan, and from his childhood, his
father—also a member—has taught him to hate black people, and that the whites are
more superior to the blacks. In short, he was brought up to hate black people;
it’s only natural for him to do the crime, as nobody taught him any other way.
This is only an example of how difficult racialism is to be eradicated, no
matter how modern our society is. Morality and religion sometimes only keep us
from doing harsh things to others, but deep inside there are still those
prejudices and suspicions.</div>
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<br /></div>
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My sympathy
goes to Celia Foote. Under her vanity and silliness, she is a kind-hearted
woman; the only woman in Jackson, perhaps, who treats her maid equally. Johnny
Foote is so lucky to have her as a wife (and he is damned right for dumping
Hilly!), although she often humiliates herself. I was touched to read how
Johnny and Celia treat Minny as if she is family member. Celia and Minny are
two women with their own problems (one with no child, the other with too many),
and they should respect each other as friends as well as mistress and maid. If
only we can all do that….</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>The Help</i> is a very enjoyable reading,
and I liked how Stockett wrote it in three voices: Skeeter’s, Aibileen’s, and
Minny’s; each with her own strong personality. Four stars for <i>The Help</i> and Kathryn Stockett.</div>
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<br /></div>
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~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
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I read Indonesian translation from Matahati Publishing</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
14<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://roofbeamreader.com/2013/11/27/announcing-the-2014-tbr-pile-challenge/">2014 TBR Pile Challenge</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
13<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge-2013-2015.html">Historical Fiction Challenge 2013 -2015</a></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-85857555439391665582014-11-07T11:53:00.000+07:002014-11-07T11:53:11.363+07:00Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2-KsR5o89N4/VFxPOGUPWvI/AAAAAAAARCc/0JE_sdoxbAw/s1600/bury-my-heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2-KsR5o89N4/VFxPOGUPWvI/AAAAAAAARCc/0JE_sdoxbAw/s1600/bury-my-heart.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
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“<i>No man owned any part of the earth, and a
man could not sell what he did not own</i>.” This statement came from an Indian
chief from Nez Percés when US government wanted him to sell their land so that
the whites could live there. When I read it, at first I thought this chief was
wrong. Of course one must own the land he lives on, otherwise others would
claim it. However as I stopped reading and began reflecting…. I could see the
truth behind the statement. Who is the real owner of the earth? It was created
by God, and so, it was His property. Then he created man to manage it, and to
produce from it things to support his family’s life. So everyone has the right
to live on a certain part of the land, while the land belongs to God, because
it’s Him who supplied it. But then, man becomes greedy. He also wants his
neighbors’ land, and because he actually doesn’t really need it, he sells it to
others to quench his greediness. I think feudalism came from this.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The chief of
Nez Percés was right, and so were all other chiefs of all the Indian tribes,
who have stated the same thing over and over again to US government. This book
is all about how the Whites systematically pressed the Indians to hand over
their territories and to force them to be ‘civilized’. It covers Indian history
of the American West beginning from Christopher Columbus’ arrival at San
Salvador on 1492 to the massacre at Wounded Knee at the end of 1890.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
This book
contains of nineteen chapters, each telling the histories of so many events of
different tribes, but the outlines are always the same. For centuries the
Indian had been settling peacefully on one prairie. Then one day came a group
of white people. The Indians could accept them; and in some tribes, they even
made good friendship with the whites. Then came the gold rush on mid 19<sup>th</sup>
century; huge bands of American citizens flooded the territories; and the
peaceful era ended. The government made treaty with the Indians by shrinking
their lands to make way for the Americans, and appointed Indian agents to
supervise it. The Indians accepted; they just wanted to live peacefully with
their new neighbors. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
But then the
Americans wanted to build railroads across Indian lands, so they forced them to
live inside a Reservation (to avoid conflict), and with many sweet promises
made them signing another treaty. The Americans broke the treaty; the rations
in the reservation were poor. The Indians protested and escaped from the
Reservation, then the Americans sent their military troops to herd them back to
the reservation with many more promises. They refused, and were killed or even
massacred.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The story
repeated again and again for ages. It was painful and disturbing to follow it;
and I was angry all the time with the arrogance and cruel way the Americans
treated their fellow citizens. It is astonishing perhaps, to see how the
Indians could be deceived so easily by the Americans over and over again; didn’t
they learn anything? My argument is, that they were simple and honest race, and
in their straightforward mind they could not imagine that human being could do
such low deed as cheating—least of all a race who had boasted to be more
civilized.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Dee Brown presented
the history as if he has let the Indians ‘talked’ about their cases themselves.
This is the most interesting point of this book, which made it livelier! As if,
silenced by the Americans at that time, they were now given chance to talk
honestly and freely to the world. In the beginning of each chapter, Brown would
include quotes from some Indian chiefs, and within the chapters he often let the
Indian witnesses to narrate the events from their perspective, as well as the
Americans.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee</i> has affirmed
my belief that the cost of modernization and civilization is moral corruption.
What people think of ‘civilized’ is sometimes different with the result. The
Indians treated their enemies honorably as humans like themselves, while the
Americans often assumed and treated the Indians as non-human or even animal! You
would be surprised to read how these people who called themselves ‘Christians’ massacred
the Indians like barbarian, while the Indians—whom they wanted eagerly to be
converted to Christians—never killed anyone without reason, and even,
sometimes, forgave them. How can that be? I think, modernization alienated men from
God; while the Indians who lived in the nature had closer relationship with the
Creator.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
In the end,
the Indians must be exterminated, as the whites were much more powerful than
them. Nobody could alter it, and this book taught us the bitter truth of our own
civilization.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Five stars
for Dee Brown for ever writing this inspiring and thought-provoking history: <i>Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee</i>!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I
read paperback edition from Holt Paperbacks<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book
is counted as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<o:p> </o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZKToLCRisU/VFxPfY959sI/AAAAAAAARCk/3y3onEvjWxU/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oZKToLCRisU/VFxPfY959sI/AAAAAAAARCk/3y3onEvjWxU/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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6<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2013/11/history-reading-challenge-2014-sail-to.html">History Reading Challenge</a></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-8367833454203077522014-09-12T07:20:00.000+07:002014-09-12T07:55:18.015+07:00The Professor and the Madman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anvONmEYxGM/VBAPn-cDIRI/AAAAAAAAQ-0/_X65-enuGKU/s1600/the-professor-and-the-madman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anvONmEYxGM/VBAPn-cDIRI/AAAAAAAAQ-0/_X65-enuGKU/s1600/the-professor-and-the-madman.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>Oxford English Dictionary</i>—if you have
never seen or known this dictionary, you might not have any idea of the heroic
works to compile it centuries ago. Then you have probably never heard about Dr.
James Murray or Dr. W.C. Minor. And it is unlikely for you to know that Oxford
English Dictionary (OED) would have not been finished without the contribution of a madman who has committed a murder. Thanks to Simon Winchester, we could
study the history of one of the most magnificent books ever published, as well
as the dark tragedy of one of its contributors.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Winchester
started this history with a visit of Dr. James Murray to a mysterious
contributor of OED project he was currently leading. Dr. Murray was very
surprised when knowing that the huge mansion he was visiting was actually the Broadmoor
Criminal Lunatic Asylum; where Dr. Minor has been a patient for more than
twenty years. Winchester then brought us in a flashback to Victorian era, 1872,
when a poor man was killed in the infamous slump area of London: Lambeth Marsh.
The murderer turned out to be a professional surgeon, and also former army medical
officer, named William Chester Minor. He was diagnosed with “delusional”—to
soften the word “insanity”, and was submitted to Broadmoor asylum. It was
assumed that the disorder began shortly after Minor had been forced to brand an
officer with hot iron, and after witnessing a lot of violence during the war. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Simultaneously
with the story of Minor’s earlier life until the symptoms of his brain disorder
first appeared, Winchester took us to the literary world; particularly when the idea
of publishing a compilation of English words as a source of reference, first
appeared. It was in 1857, when Richard Chevenix Trench, the Dean of Westminster
Abbey, first suggested that idea in a meeting of the Philological Society. However,
it was not until 1879 that Dr. James Murray was appointed to lead the biggest
project ever held in literary world, which was financed by Oxford University
Press. The mechanism of this giant work was to read as many as English
books, and to sort any English words from it, which have not been analyzed yet. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
If you have
not been familiar with OED, here is an example (taken from OED dot com). “The
word of today" (when I am writing this review) happens to be: <i>procerity</i>, n. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqnALiqIf8o/VBAQaZjMpCI/AAAAAAAAQ_E/4Fu5j_g9iM4/s1600/the-professor-and-the-madman-oed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eqnALiqIf8o/VBAQaZjMpCI/AAAAAAAAQ_E/4Fu5j_g9iM4/s1600/the-professor-and-the-madman-oed.jpg" height="368" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click image to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
So, in OED,
each word in English has its biography. Each word, besides of its meaning,
would be traced back: when it first appeared; in what books it appeared; in
what context it was used; how it evolved from a word of other language, and so
on. From the example above, you can imagine how many works required for just
one entry. Many volunteers were needed to read books, took notes of the words,
the sentences they were appeared, and the details of the books. To get volunteers,
Dr. Murray spread invitations to the entire England; one of them accidentally
arrived at the cell in 2<sup>nd</sup> block of Broadmoor Asylum, where Dr.
Minor was resided. Dr. Minor later proved himself as one of the most influential
contributors of OED; that he and Dr. Murray finally became good friends.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
However,
this book is fascinating for me not because of the history of OED making, but
more than that, because Winchester challenged us to reflect upon the life of Dr.
W.C. Minor; that in the making of so prestigious dictionary, the world seemed
to have forgotten the passion and dedication of a madman behind the locked door
of his ‘prison’. Later on Dr. Minor’s illness was known as schizophrenia. But
at that time, no one seemed to know how to cure the illness other than
confining the patient so that he won’t cause danger to society. It was so
touching to follow Dr. Minor’s condition in his old age; he suffered from
injustice and the lack of love and care, which severed his mental health. Dr.
Minor stayed in the asylum for 38 years; he was freed from it in 1910; and
after enjoying freedom for ten years, he died at 85.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
This was a beautiful
history that is written in beautiful prose. You would think you are reading a
novel, not a history. Winchester went further than just providing us with
history facts; he made us reflect on humanity; he moved us like any novel
writers do. Thank you Mr. Simon Winchester, for bringing this story to us, and
to monumentalize Dr. Minor’s great deeds for the literary world.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Five stars
for <i>The Professor and the Madman</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I read Indonesian translation from Serambi publishing<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7K6aaykjoQ/VBAQHTv7egI/AAAAAAAAQ-8/JkflkHkDk6A/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N7K6aaykjoQ/VBAQHTv7egI/AAAAAAAAQ-8/JkflkHkDk6A/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
5<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2013/11/history-reading-challenge-2014-sail-to.html">History Reading Challenge 2014</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
10<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://roofbeamreader.com/2013/11/27/announcing-the-2014-tbr-pile-challenge/">2014 TBR Pile Challenge</a></div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-63524544118291388852014-07-29T15:21:00.000+07:002014-07-29T15:21:11.173+07:00Foucault’s Pendulum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2D5tMOYscI/U9dX6CtXW7I/AAAAAAAAQ3o/5UkvvvlD-a0/s1600/foucault-pendulum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2D5tMOYscI/U9dX6CtXW7I/AAAAAAAAQ3o/5UkvvvlD-a0/s1600/foucault-pendulum.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Finally, I
have finished this one of the most confusing and intriguing books I’ve ever
come across: <i>Foucault’s Pendulum</i>!
This is my second Umberto Eco (after <i>Baudolino</i>), and I don’t think I would ever
come back to him again, ever. Not that his books are bad; on the contrary, they
are genius. But there’s my problem, they are too genius to me that I must often
open Wikipedia to consult almost everything from the stories. If you ask me,
what this book is about, I might answer, it’s about conspiracy theory, Foucault’s
Pendulum, semiotics, mystics, Kaballah, Knights Templar, telluric current, hermeticism,
Rosicrucians, Paulicians, Synarchists, and many other (seem to be) incoherent
topics. However, surprisingly, at the end of all those nonsense, you would find
a quite deep philosophy that makes you think about the value of life, and your
existence in the universe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The story is
narrated by Casaubon, an Italian freelance researcher, who was hiding in
Parisian technical museum, from a secret society that had something to do with
Foucault’s Pendulum, located in the museum. Casaubon then related the whole
story in flashback. He was a student studying about Knights Templar’s history
in Milan, while he met Belbo, the editor of a publishing house. Together with Belbo’s
colleague, a cabalist called Diotallevi, they became involved in the story of
the Knights Templar. A writer came to the publishing house, he believed that,
although the Templar had been disbanded by French monarchy and the Church six centuries
ago, its followers have planned a secret conspiracy to take over the world as
their revenge. Although nobody knew the exact truth, our trio excitingly worked
on the conspiracy theory, as a fun game at first, maybe to challenge their active
minds. But soon they became obsessed with it, and so seriously they took <i>The Plan</i> (as they called it), that some
people believed The Plan did really exist, and suddenly, our trio’s game was not
fun anymore, but mortally dangerous!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
During their
game, they met many people who believed in supernatural things (occultist), whom
they called the Diabolical. From them, and from their own knowledge and
unlimited sources from libraries, they built their own theory. Oh, and don’t
forget the valuable help from Abulafia (the nickname of Belbo’s computer), and the
index card system built by Casaubon. Reading this, I only imagined, how their
work would have been so much easier were they born on this century, with all
the search engines on the internet….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I did not
know whether all the theories (the connection of those hundreds of sects) in
this book were historically true, or at least there were people who wrote them,
not just Eco’s invention. If it was true, then Eco himself is a great
researcher, and to craft all those conspiracy theories into a thriller is great.
But if he invented some of those, then it is a geniusness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
But this
book is not all about conspiracy theory and semiotics, it is also about human’s
seek of existence. During their working together, Belbo told Casaubon his bitter
past. From his childhood he was never a brave boy. He often missed his chances
because he was always a doubter; a boy who could not make decision. Later he
grew as a loser; he lost better chances not because he failed but because he
thought about lost before even trying. So, with The Plan, Belbo was in quest of
his existence, more than a quest of the secret of Templar. But not only Belbo
who has been changed by The Plan; Casaubon too, finally saw that Wisdom is the
most important thing, not knowledge. Many people pursue knowledge, and when
they reach the highest level, only then that they realize it was vain. And when
the realization comes, it is perhaps already too late; you have been chasing
the unreal things while ignoring the most important ones. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
While I was skeptical
during the whole thriller, I was amazed by the ending. I have learned that Eco
was a Roman Catholic, but when he was in college, he left Catholic Church and
his believe in God [<i>source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco#Biography">wiki</a></i>].
His cynical towards Catholic Church is obvious in this book, but I don’t think he completely stopped believing in God. The way he talked about the Supreme Wisdom
and the vanity of chasing knowledge is one signal that, on the contrary, he
believes in God, but perhaps, dislikes the religion. Whatever the truth is, I
think Umberto Eco is one of the biggest authors in our post-modernism literary
world.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Three and a
half stars for this extraordinary, although quite frustrating to read, piece of
work!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I read translated edition, by Bentang Pustaka</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
7<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://roofbeamreader.com/2013/11/27/announcing-the-2014-tbr-pile-challenge/">2014 TBR Pile Challenge</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
3<sup>rd</sup> book for <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge-2013-2015.html">Historical Fiction Challenge (for 2014)</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
73<sup>rd</sup> book for <a href="http://bukubukufanda.blogspot.com/2012/12/1001-books-you-must-read-before-you-die.html">1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die</a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-91124027828001657542014-04-21T13:09:00.001+07:002014-05-28T10:27:51.206+07:00Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome’s Greatest Politician<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNWveKMcKoY/U1S0sKzpo5I/AAAAAAAAQbo/iohLKS4U9Fc/s1600/cicero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xNWveKMcKoY/U1S0sKzpo5I/AAAAAAAAQbo/iohLKS4U9Fc/s1600/cicero.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
“<i>An eloquent man, my child, an eloquent man,
and a patriot</i>”, was Augustus Caesar’s remark to his grandson, on Marcus
Tullius Cicero. And after I have finished this book, I couldn’t but agree with
him. Cicero is not just a great—or the greatest—orator in the universe, but he
is also a true statesman. Cicero is not as famous as Julius Caesar or Pompey
the Great, but what he did, he has done for the sake of his beloved Republic,
for the country; while Caesar and Pompey did their greatness merely for
satisfying their own ambition. Thanks to Anthony Everitt through this
biography, we can learn much about Cicero; both his contribution to Rome and
his personal life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Everitt has
interestingly started this biography by relating the famous Ides of March—the
brutal murder of Julius Caesar. After Caesar died, Brutus—the conspirator
leader—shouted Cicero’s name and congratulated him for the Republic’s freedom
form tyranny. Caesar’s murder became, later on, a culmination point for Cicero
to return to Rome’s political arena after his first fall. Soon after this
opening chapter, Everitt began by describing how Rome was already in crisis
when Cicero was born; and what had caused it. This is the first simple analysis
I have read about how the biggest empire in the world was on the verge of ruin.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Its fault
governance systems must be the one to blame; these are several examples of its
ineffectiveness:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Republic of
Rome was a state <b><i>without institution</i></b>; they had neither police force, nor public
persecution office. These services were run by the current elected senators,
which enabled them to lead the services to their own advantages. In short, they
had no independent institution that could issue fair judgment for the state.</li>
<li><b><i>The
Senate</i></b>, who should be the advisory committee for the Consuls, was a
lifetime membership (permanent); while the Consuls (the officeholders) were
not. So, the Senate <b><i>was in fact the ruling instrument</i></b> of the Republic.</li>
<li><b><i>The
complex bureaucracy</i></b> was another obstacle, especially in the widespread
use of veto (Consuls and Praetors could veto their colleagues or their junior’s
proposals), and in too many checks and balances of a proposal. In order to
restrain one’s power, Rome has created this complex bureaucracy. However, it also
led to equal and individual political competition, where one could use his
power to overthrow the other. In the end, they used it not for Rome’s but their
own sake.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
So, when
Cicero was born in a countryside near Arpinum on January 3, 106 BC, the Roman
Republic was already in the start of crisis. He was an intelligent child right
from the beginning, and as a youngster preferred to lead intellectual than
physical (military) achievements. Cicero persistently sought literary pursuits
until his end of life, and he soon found that he has been born a distinguished
orator. Cicero was very good in character’s assassination; his humours were
often sharp and witty. Cicero was appointed Consul at 63 BC, and during his
office he thwarted a conspiracy by Catilina, not with military force, but with
the force of words. He was called “Father of His Country” for this, and it was
his biggest achievement. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dYz0WWrUT7k/U1S1P_4mp8I/AAAAAAAAQbw/43KFaZCsofo/s1600/cicero-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dYz0WWrUT7k/U1S1P_4mp8I/AAAAAAAAQbw/43KFaZCsofo/s1600/cicero-1.jpg" height="320" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
What I
admire from Cicero—and made him distinguished from other famous Roman
statesmen—is that he always works sincerely and consistently for the Republic.
He is neither greedy nor ambitious; and his only weakness is his exaggerated
boastfulness. But, I am ready to defend him by arguing that, born without
traces of great ancestors, Cicero did not have any marks of family’s glory
which was very important at that time. So, it makes sense that he pointed out
his achievement over and over again, because it was a family pride. Moreover,
Cicero reached the highest office (Consul) and became one of the most
respectable Roman statesmen without money or aristocracy background. His
success came merely from his own merit; his literary background and his oratory
skill were on one side, while his integrity and his consistent loyalty to the Republic
were on the other. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Because of
his persistency in advocating Rome, he made quite a lot of opponents. The first
sign of the Republic’s collapse was the rise of Julius Caesar—perhaps the most
ambitious man in Rome. He has formed the first triumvirate:
Caesar-Pompey-Crassus. Cicero has also been invited to join this power sharing,
but he—loyal as he was to the Republic—reluctantly rejected. Later on he was
banished from Rome, thanks to Clodius, and to the triumvirate who had let it
pass. Cicero was desperate; during the exile he had a setback, and even suffered
from mental breakdown. It is ironic that a man from outside Rome should have
loved the city more than anyone else. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Cicero was
finally recalled to Rome; and the city welcomed him almost like a Triumph. It
was only a sign that Cicero was distinguished as an individual. He did not
belong to any office, but as a personal, Cicero still had great influence. So when
the established Rome was in the threat of being ruled by a dictator (either
Pompey or Caesar), the Senate needed Cicero for his independence of mind. In
the end, we all know what the outcome was. Nevertheless, Cicero has put his
efforts to prevent it; later on he even betrayed his own principle in order to
compromise with the enemy, although with a huge burden in his heart. But the
Republic was finally collapsed. If only there were more conservative men in the
Senate, Cicero must have had a bigger chance to succeed. But unfortunately, most
of them have been slaughtered in the era of Sulla and Marius’ reign. Or if
there were still some of them (like Brutus and Cassius), they were working
without no method, no plan, and no thought.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
It’s so pity
that Cicero must fight alone for the existence of the Republic, because his
enemies only thought about their own interests. Although Cicero did not succeed
in maintaining the Republic, for me Cicero is still Roman’s hero; one of its
best leaders. Cicero was good in administration, and so, was able to govern
well. He was a great philosopher too, and the early Catholic Church even regarded
him as a virtuous pagan. His thoughts about Republic were later used by American Founding Fathers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Thanks to
Anthony Everitt who has brought Cicero to us. This biography is quite an easy
reading, and you would feel like reading a Roman historical tale instead of a
biography. Moreover, I like how Everitt put a thorough analysis of Roman’s fault
lines, in order to get a better understanding of the collapse of one of
greatest empires in the universe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
A very thorough
and entertaining work of history, four stars for Cicero!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>I read Random House
paperback edition<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9ZELXRVy3A/U1S1hPpXcyI/AAAAAAAAQb4/IMI2cTzTkP4/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z9ZELXRVy3A/U1S1hPpXcyI/AAAAAAAAQb4/IMI2cTzTkP4/s1600/history-reading-challenge-2014.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
2<sup>nd</sup> book for <a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2013/11/history-reading-challenge-2014-sail-to.html">History Reading Challenge 2014</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-13122296545291895682014-04-02T13:36:00.001+07:002014-04-02T13:36:07.437+07:00Liebster Award, and 11 Facts About Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8152V1JE9_k/UzuuRyaAVXI/AAAAAAAAQO0/ztLTKUdds_Y/s1600/liebster-award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8152V1JE9_k/UzuuRyaAVXI/AAAAAAAAQO0/ztLTKUdds_Y/s1600/liebster-award.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Thank you,
<a href="http://greatbookstudy.blogspot.com/">Ruth of A Great Book Study</a> and <a href="http://irrelevant-scribble.blogspot.com/">Ekaterina of In My Book</a>, for nominating me for
this Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is a way of spreading the word
about blogs in the vast community of book bloggers. It’s somewhat like a
chain letter or a slam book, but a lot more fun. Although Ruth and Ekaterina
nominated me for <a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/">my classiclit blog</a>, I prefer to answer it here (in case
you haven’t known yet, this is where I blog about history & historical
fiction).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>The
Rules:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Thank the
blogger that nominated you and link back to their blog.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Display the
award somewhere on your blog.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*List 11
facts about yourself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Answer 11
questions chosen by the blogger who nominated you.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Come up
with 11 new questions to ask your nominees.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Nominate
5-11 blogs that you think deserve the award and who have less than 1,000
followers. You may nominate blogs that have already received the award, but you
cannot re-nominate the blog that nominated you. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
*Go to their
blog and inform them that they've been nominated. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Eleven
facts about me:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>I am an only
child, and I am always grateful of being one.</li>
<li>My father is
an avid reader, and that’s why I become one myself, because I have never been
living in a house without books. In short, I grew up with books around!</li>
<li>I liked
drawing pictures on a drawing book when I was a kid; mostly pictures of girls,
all with detailed clothes, hair styles, etc. (though that hobby faded along my
coming of age). But I was always lousy in coloring, either using crayon or
water colors!</li>
<li>I was a
dancer too until I was in college. I loved modernized-traditional dances, and
have performed several times on local TV.</li>
<li>I don’t like
to be among a lot of people most of the time, I prefer being solitary. I love
to hang around a bookstore alone, and often go to the theatre alone. *<i>hey, who needs a company when you have a
good book with you?</i>*</li>
<li>I work as a
business assistant in a private trading company. There are only my boss and me,
and an office boy. Most of the time I am alone in my office, and I am very
comfortable with it. *<i>please boss, don’t
ever think of hiring someone else, I’ll do everything myself, promise!</i> :)*</li>
<li>I like to do
various jobs, as it won’t get me bored, and I can learn many different (and
often unexpected) things. The other day I learned how plywoods were made from
logs, when I must provide a short article about it for one of our customers.</li>
<li>I wear
glasses since I was eight years old (and became the only kid in 3<sup>rd</sup>
grade who wore glasses).</li>
<li>I am allergic
to chicken and eggs. And as I have often a problem with sore throat, I must
keep off too sweet, too cold, spicy, and fried foods. It’s annoying, but it
helps me a lot to stay healthier.</li>
<li>I am a
Catholic, and serve as a Lector at my local Church. Not surprising, really, eh…for
an avid reader?</li>
<li>France is my
favorite country, Roman history my favorite subject, red is my color, and I
think French is the most beautiful language (I studied it years ago).</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Ruth’s</b> </span><b><span style="color: #990000;">eleven questions for me:</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I was
working on Ruth’s questions while finding that Ekaterina nominated me too, and
as answering 22 questions would be too much for me, I decided to answer only
Ruth’s. I hope you’d forgive me, Ekaterina! :) So, here they are:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>1. Share a favorite quote from a
book or author.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I have a lot
of favorite quotes, but the most memorable is perhaps this: "<i>A room without books is like a body without
a soul</i>" ~Marcus Tullius Cicero. And Cicero is one of my favorite
history figures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>2. Is there a book you have
disliked immensely? Which one, and why?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I don’t
remember any. Usually I am quite good in judging a book I’d like to read. And
if I don’t feel comfortable from the first chapter, I will give it up for good.
My biggest failure is perhaps <i>Dracula</i>;
I could not continue it as it was too dark for me, and it really affected my
soul. Perhaps having kissed by a <i>dementor</i>
would feel like that! LOL…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>3. Why did you start blogging?
Has your purpose changed? How did you come up with the name for your
blog?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
To ‘capture’
my memory about certain book I have read, just as people take photos or videos
of their special moments in life. I don’t really good in creating name (and
don’t have the patience to do it), so it’s usually a summary of my blog’s
content. This blog bears the name ‘A Glimpse to the Past’ because reading
history and historical fiction is like taking glimpses of random events in the
past.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>4. Have you ever counted how
many books you own? If not, estimate.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Never! I
keep discarding and adding books in my collection every now and then, so I can
never be sure about the number. It is perhaps more than 30 but less than 100.
:)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>5. Which author have you read
the most?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Definitely
Agatha Christie! She was my favorite since I was in junior high school, and I
don’t even know how many books I have read. I also often forget that I have
read a certain title until I read the first chapter!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>6. Which book have you reread
the most?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I have never
reread a book more than 3 times, but perhaps Agatha Christie’s <i>Curtain</i>, <i>And Then Were None</i>, and <i>The
Murder of Roger Ackroyd</i> are among the most.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>7. Do you have a memorable
childhood book? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>Tintin</i>! I have read most of the series,
they are always entertaining, and I learned many things from them, especially
about countries and cultures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>8. Have you ever imagined an
actor/actress to play a character in a book you were reading? (For
example, I always thought Sharon Stone would make a great Dominique Francon in
the <i>Fountainhead</i> by Ayn Rand.)<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The only
time I imagined a real actor to play a character in book was when I was reading
<i>The Great Gatsby</i>, with Leonardo
DiCaprio plays as Jay Gatsby. But that’s after I knew he would play it, though
before the movie was released. Not very imaginative, eh?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>9. Is there a book you would
like to see in film version, permitting they kept it true to the book. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I am not a
book-to-movie fan, but I’d really like to see Robert Harris’ <i>Cicero series</i> in movie version; I think
I would love to feel the Roman atmosphere, and hear Cicero’s great oratories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>10. Name a character from
classic lit that you would love to be neighbors with.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Maybe Isabel
Archer of <i>The Portrait of a Lady</i>. I
admire her; she has an independent air, and I think it would be interesting to
have a chat with her sometimes, if only she lived in this century! ;)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b>11. What books are you avoiding, and
why?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Controversial
books that attack my Christian faith, such as <i>Da Vinci Code</i>. I haven’t read anything from Dan Brown. I have tried
<i>Digital Fortress</i> (which is neutral)
once, but got sleepy by it, so I give up on his books entirely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Questions for my nominees:</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Who is your
most favorite book character? Why?</li>
<li>Do you have
a full collection of books from one certain author? If yes, which author? If
no, are you planning to do that?</li>
<li>When you are
starting a new book, can you tell from the beginning how much you would like it,
or you can only judge after finishing it?</li>
<li>What book do
you want to reread the most right now?</li>
<li>What was the
last book you rated 5/5 stars?</li>
<li>The longest
book you’ve ever read is…. How many pages is it?</li>
<li>What country
do you like most for book setting?</li>
<li>When buying
book that has more than one edition, how do you decide which edition to pick?</li>
<li>How do you
slip time to read books during your daily activities?</li>
<li>Do you read
while traveling (when you are not driving, of course)?</li>
<li>Do social
media hinder you from reading?</li>
</ol>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;">I nominated these great bloggers for the
Liebster Award:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://surgabukuku.wordpress.com/">Melisa</a> @
Surgabukuku</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://karensbooksandchocolate.blogspot.com/">Karen</a> @
Books and Chocolate</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://avidreader25.blogspot.com/">Melissa</a> @
Avid Reader’s Musings</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/">Astrid</a> @
Books to Share</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bacaanbzee.wordpress.com/">Bzee</a> @
Bacaan Bzee</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://half-filledattic.blogspot.com/">Listra</a> @
Half-Filled Attic</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-42280422076030036122014-02-27T09:00:00.000+07:002014-02-27T09:00:03.988+07:00Untung Surapati<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXdm10EDVIg/Uvh68SerZNI/AAAAAAAAPzE/S1lr_ahrWUU/s1600/untung-suropati.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uXdm10EDVIg/Uvh68SerZNI/AAAAAAAAPzE/S1lr_ahrWUU/s1600/untung-suropati.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>nuli bakal lair<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>sawijining manungsa
kang linuwih, kapilih<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>kang miwiti uripe
nyarira batur najis<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>nanging ing
titiwancine piyambake<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>bakal madeg raja
tinresnan<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>kang bakal kalebu ati marang kawulane<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>nganti salawase<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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[dan kelak
akan lahir | satu manusia yang dipilih | yang mengawali kehidupannya sebagai
budak hina | namun, kemudian menjadi raja | yang dikenang sepanjang waktu]</div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Itulah rangkuman
singkat perjalanan seorang Untung Surapati, pahlawan Nasional Indonesia, yang
namanya sudah sangat familiar bagiku, namun yang masih aku ingat hingga sebelum
membaca buku ini, hanyalah bahwa beliau orang Bali. :)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Suatu hari
di tahun 1664, karena sebuah pemberontakan, seorang Raja Bali bernama I Gusti
Ngurah Jelantik terpaksa melarikan diri demi menyelamatkan diri dan
keluarganya. Sayangnya, di malam berkabut itu, putranya yang masih berusia 4
tahun hilang tanpa jejak. Sang putra inilah yang diyakini kelak sebagai Untung
Surapati. Namun perjalanan panjang penuh perjuangan harus dilalui si bocah
sebelum akhirnya menjadi seorang Raja. Perjalanan itulah yang dikisahkan
kembali oleh Yudhi Herwibowo dalam fiksi sejarah ini, termasuk perjuangannya
yang gagah berani melawan penjajah yang notabene jauh lebih kuat darinya.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Singkatnya,
si bocah malang ditemukan orang dan dijual sebagai budak. Di usia sangat muda
si bocah yang—karena tubuhnya sangat kurus—lantas dipanggil si Kurus, harus
mengalami siksaan berat layaknya para budak yang diperlakukan tak manusiawi.
Nasib baik membawanya ke Mijnheer Moor, seorang pedagang VOC di Batavia, yang
membesarkan si Kurus untuk menemani putrinya yang bernama Suzanne. Karena
kehadirannya banyak mendatangkan keberuntungan bagi sang mijnheer, si Kurus pun
berganti nama panggilan menjadi si Untung.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Untung
tumbuh dewasa dengan berguru ilmu bela diri dari seorang pendekar, sementara
hatinya tertambat pada Suzanne, yang tak menolak cintanya. Mijnheer Moor tentu
saja murka karena si mantan budak pribumi berani merayu putrinya, maka Untung
pun melarikan diri bersama sekelompok begal (perampok) yang disekap bersamanya
di penjara rumah Mijnheer Moor. Bersama-sama mereka melarikan diri dan
bersembunyi di hutan. Di sini, tersulut nasib buruk, merekahlah kebencian di
hati mereka terhadap VOC dan penjajahannya terhadap bumi nusantara. Maka kelompok
yang jumlahnya sedikit itu berikrar untuk menjadi gerilyawan melawan VOC dengan
si Untung menjadi pemimpin mereka. Lambat laun kelompok yang awalnya adalah
kawanan begal namun akhirnya menjadi pendekar tangguh ini ternyata menjadi duri
dalam daging bagi VOC.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Untung
sempat (terpaksa) bergabung dengan VOC, dan di situlah ia mendapat pangkat
Letnan. Namun jiwa pribuminya akhirnya membuatnya kembali melarikan diri dan
menjadi buronan nomor satu VOC. Ia akhirnya menjadi seorang Tumenggung di
Kartasura, dan mendapatkan nama keduanya: Surapati. Dari seorang budak hingga
akhirnya menjadi Raja, Untung Surapati tetap memegang teguh prinsipnya untuk
memerangi VOC hingga titik darah penghabisan, yang ia tumpahkan di benteng
Bangil, Pasuruan, kala ia dikepung oleh gabungan pasukan VOC, Kartasura, Madura
dan Surabaya. Uniknya, bahkan setelah kematiannya, Untung Surapati tetap tak
mau menyerah. Ia berwasiat untuk merahasiakan kematiannya pada VOC, sehingga
pengikutnya menggotong-gotong tandu yang seolah-olah ditumpangi Untung Surapati
yang sedang terluka kesana kemari, padahal jasadnya sudah lama dikuburkan di
tanah yang diratakan.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Salah satu
keuntungan belajar sejarah dari novel fiksi-sejarah adalah karena kita diajak
mengenal secara pribadi si pahlawan, alih-alih menghafalkan
nama-waktu-tempat-peristiwa saja. Seperti pada <i>Untung Surapati</i>, kita merasa bahwa Untung adalah manusia biasa yang
pernah merasakan jatuh cinta, sering merasakan gundah dan tak berdaya saat
melihat musuh yang jauh lebih digdaya, bahkan pada banyak pertempuran awalnya,
ia banyak dibantu oleh gurunya. Sedang pada buku pelajaran sejarah, Untung
Surapati hanya akan menjadi seorang pahlawan, yang di benak kita seolah manusia
super yang hidupnya hanya untuk menjadi pejuang semata.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Bravo untuk
Yudhi yang mau mengisi ranah fiksi sejarah Indonesia yang masih sepi ini. Hanya
saja, muatan fakta sejarah yang disisipkan terasa terlalu berat. Kupikir,
cukuplah kita belajar sejarah secara detail hanya lewat kisah si tokoh saja,
sehingga kita tidak merasa digurui, atau seolah dipaksa (lagi) membaca buku
pelajaran sejarah. Itulah kelemahan novel ini, sementara yang sangat aku sukai
adalah kesan dan nubuat yang mendahului banyak bab di buku ini. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Kesan
membantu kita merasakan suasana yang mendahului suatu peristiwa, seolah-olah
kita melihatnya dari mata orang lain, alih-alih disetir oleh narasi pengarang. Kalau
dalam film, fenomena ini seperti saat kamera menyorot sehelai daun yang tertiup
angin dan terbang melayang sampai jauh, hingga akhirnya jatuh ke tubuh sang tokoh
utama, alih-alih langsung mengarahkannya pada sang tokoh begitu saja. Sedangkan
nubuat adalah unsur yang paling aku suka, karena mengingatkanku pada kisah-kisah
Romawi kuno, yang adalah favoritku :), atau kisah-kisah kepahlawanan Yunani.
Nubuat atau ramalan itu membuat sebuah kisah menjadi terkesan epik, apalagi
karena hal itu memang menjadi keyakinan pada jaman itu.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Momen
favoritku adalah di Jembatan China, saat pohon yang tak pernah berdaun itu tiba-tiba
menjatuhkan sehelai daunnya di pundak Untung Surapati ….<i>kehidupan selalu saja bermula</i>! Penggambaran yang sempurna untuk
memperlihatkan kebangkitan seorang Untung. Ya, pahlawan bukanlah manusia yang
hatinya terbuat dari besi, ia pernah merasa sakit hati, namun bedanya, ia tak
lama meratapi nasib, dan dengan semangat baru bangkit dari keterpurukan, sambil
terus berusaha mengobati luka hatinya, karena ada hal lebih besar yang harus ia
lakukan demi negaranya.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Empat
bintang untuk Untung Suropati, dan Yudhi Herwibowo….</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I read Metamind paperback edition</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>This book is counted
as:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
February theme of Baca Bareng #BBI: Historical Fiction
Indonesia</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJA8uoP7sVU/Uvh5dm3siQI/AAAAAAAAPy4/ZQoTP9ZE82Q/s1600/postingbarengBBI2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fJA8uoP7sVU/Uvh5dm3siQI/AAAAAAAAPy4/ZQoTP9ZE82Q/s1600/postingbarengBBI2014.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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1<sup>st</sup> book (2014) for <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge-2013-2015.html">Historical Fiction Challenge 2013 – 2015</a></div>
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<br /></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-57670523777244781512014-02-19T13:54:00.000+07:002014-03-25T08:50:41.131+07:00The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyJ4IzscaWM/UwRTyQOsk9I/AAAAAAAAP3M/68CM6qkkuPQ/s1600/the-invisible-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iyJ4IzscaWM/UwRTyQOsk9I/AAAAAAAAP3M/68CM6qkkuPQ/s1600/the-invisible-woman.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Charles
Dickens. Who haven’t, at least, heard of his name? He is probably the second
British writer, after Shakespeare, whose works are most well known in the world.
But, like Shakespeare, we are more familiar with his stories and his famous
characters than with himself as a person. It is common knowledge that we can
get to know an author from his writings. But particularly in Dickens—although
it happens in many other authors too—only half of his writings did reflect his
true personalities. Only after reading <i>The
Invisible Woman</i>, did I realize how hard it is to become a famous person. It
becomes even harder when the famous person is a Charles Dickens, who, in his
era, was perhaps only slightly less worshipped than the Queen (or even God?). <i>The Invisible Woman</i> is actually the story
of Ellen Ternan, but it also reveals so many layers of the extravagant Charles
Dickens!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
The Ternans
is a family of theater workers. Ellen—or Nelly, as the family used to call
her—was the youngest of three sisters, and she was born and brought up in the
influence of theater industry. Nelly was born in 3 March 1839, a time when women
were divided into two distinguished categories: a woman and a lady. No matter
how virtuously a woman has been brought up, if she worked in theater, she would
automatically be labeled a bad woman; and in the same level as prostitute. In
this condition had Nelly—now an eighteen years actress—found herself, when the
most prominent writer at that time plunged himself in the theater world, got
acquainted with her family, then was attracted to her: Charles Dickens.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Now Dickens
has been consistently criticizing social hypocrisy in his contemporary society,
and has been modeled as virtuous family man. So, when he found himself loathed
his worn-off wife Catherine—who has born his ten children—and attracted by the
fresh and innocent young actress Nelly, Dickens was torn between two passions;
his passion for a woman who can understand him, and the passion of fame and public
honor. Dickens knew he could never marry an actress, and so, was forced to take
Nelly only as a mistress. These two ends would be pulling Dickens to each
other’s side for years, leaving him restless and in interminable fear of
creating scandal for the rest of his life.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
First Dickens
ruthlessly banished Catherine from Gad’s Hill by cooperating with Georgina
Hogarth—Catherine’s sister who was more loyal to her brother-in-law—to accuse
Catherine of neglecting their children and being a bad wife. Succeeded in doing
that, and as a widower, Dickens started to lead a double live; one publicly,
one secretly. At the same time Nelly Ternan’s theatrical career was suddenly
terminated, and she disappeared from public life. Dickens installed her at a
house, and so, Dickens often went to and fro two homes, as well as travelling a
lot for his public readings. This happened in his entire life, until he died in
9 June 1870.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After
Dickens’ death, Nelly was freed from threats of scandal and humiliation, which
she must endure when she became Dickens’ mistress. She was believed to get
pregnant from Dickens twice, but both ended in miscarriage. The seclusion, the
fear of scandal, and the uncertain future (as it was impossible for Dickens to
marry her) mush have shaped Nelly Ternan to a new stronger woman after Dickens
death, when she was only 31 years old. As she has probably learned a lot from
Dickens on how to manipulate things, she reappeared in the society by shedding
ten years from her age (to prevent any questions about her missing years with
Dickens), married a school master, had a happy family, and consistently hid her
past from her children until her death in 25 April 1914.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>About <b>Dickens</b></i>
– After reading this biography, now I can see why Dickens’ novel characters are
mostly comical, unbelievable, and—that’s why—memorable. It is because Dickens
himself was a boyish man, both in appearance (his dandy style, even in his
later years, his sudden outburst, his energy), as well as in his personalities.
I pictured Dickens as a man with great fantasies (that’s where those great
stories came from, anyway!), and he believed he must and could make it come
true. All that he wanted to happen must happen! His marriage to Catherine
prevented him from being with Nelly, so he ruthlessly arranged everything he
could to banish her. He did not want to ruin his honor in public, but he also
did not want to lose Nelly, so he created false names, false identity, arranged
false schedules, produced codes and wrote letters here and there; in short,
making every possible way to possess all he wanted. So, while he criticized the
hypocrisy in his society, he doubly led a hypocrite life by leading a life he
publicly disapproved.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
I kept
asking myself, why Dickens was determined to take Nelly Ternan as mistress
while risking his honor; for sexual satisfaction only? I don’t think so. Apart
from Nelly’s charming beauty, I believe he needed a partner who understood him,
with whom he could discuss his working life and writings. Plus, Nelly was
closely related to a world that was so fascinated Dickens: theater. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<i>About <b>Nelly</b></i>
– It is so ironic, that a woman, who once had a great influence towards a great
man, must be kept hidden for centuries, scrapped from histories. Even until
now, no one knows the exact life of Ellen Ternan. Historians and biographers
could only do detective works and deductions, but could never (at least ‘till
this day) reveal the whole mystery. Nobody was sure of Nelly’s feeling and aim
when she decided to accept Dickens in her life. I think both Nelly and her
mother were fascinated and flattered at first, that a man of such importance paid
attention to her. They must have thought it’d be a better future for her, for
she could never expect a better husband, not with her theatre background. But
Nelly was used to adventurous life in theater, and so living secretly and
anonymously might have distressed her. Poor Nelly, I only hope that whatever
happened in her last years, she have had once happy moments with Dickens.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Claire
Tomalin has done a good job in this biography. She must have been through tons
of researches and even ‘detective’ works to reveal the life of Ellen Ternan.
Her writing is engaging, and although this is the first time I have read
biography, I could quite enjoy it. Four stars for <i>The Invisible Woman</i>! Now I only wish the movie would get to
Indonesia very soon!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
~~~~~~~~~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
I read Penguin paperback</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<i>I read this for:<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2014/01/birthday-celebration-reading-dickens.html">Reading Dickens Event</a></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PEWBe5eHg/UwRUQrvnC_I/AAAAAAAAP3U/H4S-zr-TD8s/s1600/birthday-celebration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PEWBe5eHg/UwRUQrvnC_I/AAAAAAAAP3U/H4S-zr-TD8s/s1600/birthday-celebration.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-15256159861811029702013-08-14T07:15:00.000+07:002013-08-14T07:15:00.229+07:00Wishful Wednesday (21)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
Setelah
beberapa lama blog ini kutelantarkan sementara ber-asyik-asyik dengan dua blog
lainya, kali ini ada sebuah buku incaran terbaru yang sukses bikin mupeng. Sudah pada tahu
kan, kalau aku suka semua yang berbau ‘ancient Rome’? Nah, salah satu tokoh
paling menarik dari era itu adalah pasangan Antony dan Cleopatra. Aku ikutkan
buku ini di WW minggu ini, moga-moga dewi Fortuna dan dewa Rafflecopter mau
berbaik hati padaku untuk mengirimkan buku ini! *ngemis Felix Felicis ke om
Slughorn* :P</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Antony &
Cleopatra</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
By Colleen
McCullough</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ3osCr4KVI/UgnVbSdKZTI/AAAAAAAAOZA/u9Lb5xy4xFM/s1600/antony-cleopatra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZ3osCr4KVI/UgnVbSdKZTI/AAAAAAAAOZA/u9Lb5xy4xFM/s320/antony-cleopatra.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18002767-antony-cleopatra">Sinopsis</a></div>
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Bisa beli <a href="http://www.bukukita.com/Buku-Akan-Datang/Bulan-Juni-2013/114591-Antony-dan-Cleopatra.html">di sini</a></div>
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Pengen
wishlist-mu dikabulkan? Jangan ikutan ngemis Felix Felicis ya, ntar aku gak
kebagian :P, ada cara yang lebih gampang kok, ikut saja <a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/wishful-wednesday-70-and-giveaway-announcement/">Wishful Wednesday</a> minggu ini, karena Astrid lagi bermurah hati mau mewujudkan keinginanmu jika
kamu beruntung! Ikutnya? Ini caranya…</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMKETDqY6OU/UgnaxOVq27I/AAAAAAAAOZQ/4JYVg82k-D4/s1600/wishful-wednesday-button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dMKETDqY6OU/UgnaxOVq27I/AAAAAAAAOZQ/4JYVg82k-D4/s1600/wishful-wednesday-button.jpg" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Silakan
follow blog <a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/">Books To Share</a> – atau tambahkan di blogroll/link blogmu =)</li>
<li>Buat posting
mengenai buku-buku (boleh lebih dari 1) yang jadi inceran kalian minggu ini,
mulai dari yang bakal segera dibeli, sampai yang paling mustahil dan hanya
sebatas mimpi. Oya, sertakan juga alasan kenapa buku itu masuk dalam wishlist
kalian ya!</li>
<li>Tinggalkan
link postingan Wishful Wednesday kalian di Mr. Linky (klik saja tombol Mr.
Linky di bagian bawah post). Kalau mau, silakan tambahkan button Wishful
Wednesday di posting kalian.</li>
<li>Mari saling
berkunjung ke sesama blogger yang sudah ikut share wishlistnya di hari Rabu =)</li>
</ul>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-33917853283602345952013-06-26T11:09:00.000+07:002013-06-26T11:09:24.858+07:00The Dante Club<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JDrg_Kd5Ls8/UcppGsGLlFI/AAAAAAAAOJY/3UU1j8JXJOY/s1600/the-dante-club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JDrg_Kd5Ls8/UcppGsGLlFI/AAAAAAAAOJY/3UU1j8JXJOY/s320/the-dante-club.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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If only
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow did not find his passion towards Dante Alighieri’s
beautiful poem: <i>The Divine Comedy</i> in
around 1864, Matthew Pearl would have not written his fantastic
historical-thriller which has captured my mind for more than a week. The Dante Club
is a group of poets gathered in Longfellow’s home every Wednesday to perfecting
the translation of Dante’s <i>The Divine
Comedy</i>. Among these people, there are Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. and James
Russell Lowell. It is believed that they are the first American who ever brought
Dante’s poem to be translated in English. More than a hundred years later, an American
novelist, Matthew Pearl, brought this exclusive literary club in his first
published historical mystery novel: <i>The
Dante Club</i>.</div>
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In the end
of American Civil War era, a Chief Justice was found dead in a very mysterious
way; his body has been eaten alive by thousands of maggots placed in his body,
while a kind of flag was found near the body. This mysterious murder was
followed soon by another horrifying murder scene of Reverend Talbot, who was
buried head-down in a narrow pit while his feet, which were protruding from the
ground, were burned out. When Oliver Wendell Holmes, who—besides a poet—is also a
physician, observes Talbot’s corpse, he finds a perfect parallel between the
murder scene and the punishment in Dante’s <i>Inferno</i>—the
first part of <i>The Divine Comedy</i> which
tells Dante’s journey to witness sinners being punished in Hell. </div>
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At the same
time as these murders agitates Boston, the Dante Club is in the middle of
translating Dante’s Inferno, which is annoying Harvard Corporation who believes
bringing Dante into America would be ruining their reputation. So now the respectable
literary men in Dante Club must leave the comfort of their book shelves to
chase the murderer, and stop him from killing more people, only depends on
their knowledge and passion of the poem.</div>
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Reading this
book instantly after finishing Dante’s Inferno is proved to be my perfect
decision. I could instantly recognize the similarity of the murder scenes and
Dante’s <i>contrapasso</i> (punishment that
fits the crime—in Inferno); and it was so exciting to match it with my Inferno’s
summaries, and to find what kind of sin it punished, and to guess what the
victim had done to receive such punishment. But not only that, what delighted
me more is to read how those poets are so passionate about Dante’s poem. They
can read and delve deep into the poem every Wednesday night, discuss what Dante means by
every stanza; and they do it intently and wholeheartedly, just because they
find the poem so beautiful and interesting. I don’t think I would ever be such passionately
in appreciating any literary work, and I would really like to have leisure time
to do that with friends who share my interest.</div>
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For a start,
Matthew Pearl had done a great job with The Dante Club. It is engaging,
thrilling, yet educating and entertaining; while the fast-pace plot and the
exotic nineteenth century setting only add the pleasure of reading this book. I
am also glad that Pearl picks literary theme for his first three historical
novels (besides Dante Club, there are Poe Shadow and Last Dickens), and I truly
hope he would continue to work on more respectable classics authors and/or
works.</div>
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Four and a
half stars for <i>The Dante Club</i>, and a
bunch of thanks for <a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/">Astrid</a> who lend me this book! ^__^</div>
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~~~~~~~~</div>
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*I read Ballantine Books (Random House) paperback edition
for:*</div>
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4<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://my-mystery-readings.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-reading-challenge-on-mystery-master.html">2013 TBRR Pile Mystery Reading Challenge</a></div>
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14<sup>th</sup> book for <a href="http://renslittlecorner.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-in-name-reading-challenge-2013.html">What’s in A Name Challenge 2013</a></div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-77594758590590446052013-05-06T10:42:00.003+07:002013-05-07T09:32:43.572+07:00My Rapid Fire Questions<br />
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Ini adalah
semacam meme yang sedang marak beredar di kalangan BBI-ers [Blogger Buku
Indonesia]. Kita ditantang untuk memilih satu dari dua pilihan untuk 15
pertanyaan yang, tentu saja, tidak jauh-jauh dari kehidupan seorang kutubuku
:). Secara kebetulan, <a href="http://bacaanbzee.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/rapid-fire-question/">Bzee</a> dan <a href="http://imawesomenerd.blogspot.com/2013/05/rapid-fire-question.html">Ratri</a> sama-sama men-tag aku, jadi aku akan
kerjakan PR-nya bersamaan ya…</div>
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Pertanyaan
wajib:</div>
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<b>1.</b> <b><i>Nambah atau ngurangin timbunan?</i></b> –Nambah
dong, bukan karena aku serakah, tapi menambah timbunan berarti aku akan terus
menimba ilmu kehidupan; sampai kapan? Pokoknya selama aku hidup! ;)</div>
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<b>2.</b> <b><i>Pinjam atau beli buku?</i></b> –Untuk
buku-buku yang aku tahu pasti aku akan suka, aku ingin beli, terutama untuk
penulis yang karya-karyanya ingin kukoleksi. Untuk buku yang cuma pengen baca
sambil lalu atau yang belum yakin aku bakal suka, lebih baik pinjam saja.</div>
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<b>3.</b> <b><i>Baca buku atau nonton film?</i></b> –Baca buku!
Nonton film hanya untuk mengobati kejenuhan saat membaca buku, atau kalau aku
suka bintangnya, hehehe...</div>
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<b>4.</b> <b><i>Beli buku online atau offline?</i></b> –Online,
karena bagiku yang terpenting adalah isi bukunya, yang toh bias dilihat dari sinopsis
dan review-review orang lain.</div>
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<b>5.</b> <b><i>Buku bajakan atau ori?</i></b> –Ori dong
pastinya!</div>
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<b>6.</b> <b><i>Gratisan atau diskonan?</i></b> –Kalau ada
gratisan (apalagi kalau boleh pilih sendiri judulnya) pasti pilih ini, tapi
kalaupun tak ada, diskon pun kadang menarik hati juga…</div>
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<b>7.</b> <b><i>Beli pre-order atau menanti dengan sabar?</i></b>
–Aku hanya 2x saja beli pre-order, waktu Harry Potter 6 & 7 akan terbit,
selebihnya aku sabar menanti kok. Lagipula, sekarang aku lebih banyak membaca
novel-novel klasik, yang jelas tak ada pre-ordernya. Eh tapi pernah juga
penasaran dengan edisi Penguin English Library yang covernya cantik, dan
akhirnya pre-order (Hahaha…jawaban orang labil!!)</div>
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<b>8.</b> <b><i>Buku asing (terjemahan) atau lokal?</i></b> –Sebenarnya
aku sekarang lebih banyak membaca buku asing dalam versi aslinya, tapi masih juga
baca terjemahan sesekali (terutama yang sudah ada di timbunan), jadi jawabanku:
terjemahan.</div>
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<b>9.</b> <b><i>Pembatas buku penting atau biasa aja?</i></b>
–Penting sekali. Aku malah punya koleksi pembatas buku dari buku-buku yang
sudah aku baca, juga yang terbaru, dari Book Depository.</div>
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<b>10. <i>Bookmark
atau bungkus chiki?</i></b> –Bookmark dong, seperti jawabanku di atas, aku
sudah punya banyak koleksi, jadi tinggal comot salah satu saja tiap kali mulai
membaca buku.</div>
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Sekarang
pertanyaan tambahan dari Bzee:</div>
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<b>11. <i>Buku
yang dipinjam kembali dalam keadaan rusak atau tidak kembali?</i></b> –Selalu
berharap buku dikembalikan utuh, tapi kalau yang terburuk harus terjadi, lebih baik
dikembalikan dalam keadaan rusak. Tidak kembali itu berarti si peminjam tidak menghargai
barang (dan perasaan) orang lain—kecuali ada alasan kuat, misal tasnya kecopetan
:( </div>
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<b>12. <i>ebook
gratis termasuk ereader-nya atau buku fisik diskon?</i></b> –Eh, ada yang mau
kasih ebook gratis TERMASUK e-reader-nya? Mauuuu!! #eh #salahfokus. Tapi tetap
saja jawabannya itu kok, hehehe…</div>
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<b>13. <i>Goodreads
atau bookdepository?</i></b> –Hmm, ini bukannya dua kategori yang berbeda ya?
Goodreads bagiku hanya untuk melihat penilaian orang tentang suatu buku, dan
untuk me-manage buku dan jadwal membaca. Sedang Bookdepository hanya untuk
belanja buku saja. Kebetulan, aku pakai 2-2nya.</div>
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<b>14. <i>Buckbeak
atau Smaug?</i></b> –Aku gak kenal Smaug, jadi Buckbeak aja :)</div>
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<b>15. <i>Ben
atau Leo? (tanpa nama belakang, bisa siapa saja, hahaha)</i></b> –Jelas Leo laah…Leonardo
di Caprio!! *maaf fangirling bentar ya, gak nahan nih! :P*</div>
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<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vHgwa7ym3I/UYcltHB-QdI/AAAAAAAANps/YHspUyqD06k/s1600/gatsby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vHgwa7ym3I/UYcltHB-QdI/AAAAAAAANps/YHspUyqD06k/s400/gatsby.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lagi nungguin bang Leo main di Great Gatsby nih... <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
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Lanjut
dengan pertanyaan dari Ratri:</div>
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<b>16. <i>Sejak
kapan suka baca buku?</i></b> –Sejak bisa membaca, kapan ya itu, sekitar kelas
I SD mungkin? Waktu itu bacaanku sih majalah Bobo.</div>
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<b>17. <i>Sejauh
ini apa yang paling disuka dari bergabung dengan BBI?</i></b> –Bisa bertemu
dengan orang-orang yang punya kecintaan sama denganku, baca buku dan ngeblog
tentang buku.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>18. <i>Kalau
beli buku, mana dulu yang dilihat (cover, pengarang, sinopsis)?</i></b> –Pengarang
yang aku sudah ‘kenal’ atau yang ingin kukenal bisa menjadi magnet pertama,
tapi tetap saja keputusan terakhir beli buku adalah di sinopsis. Sebenarnya sih
selain sinopsis, yang terpenting adalah review dari orang yang sudah membaca
buku itu (lebih diutamakan yang seleranya mirip denganku).</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>19. <i>Lebih
suka numpuk buku di rumah atau disumbangkan ke perpustakaan terdekat?</i></b> –Aku
sekarang sudah jauh lebih selektif, hanya membeli buku-buku yang aku ingin
koleksi, tapi kalaupun ada yang sudah tidak kukehendaki lagi, biasanya sih
kujual, swap atau berikan ke orang lain. Gak pernah menyumbang ke perpustakaan,
karena di daerahku gak ada perpustakaan—ada sih perpustakaan Gereja, tapi
buku-bukuku gak cocok aja, hahaha...</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>20. <i>Harry
Potter atau Katniss Everdeen?</i></b> –Gak suka dan gak tertarik baca Hunger
Games (pernah baca awalnya doang, lalu gak lanjut), jadi pastinya…Harry Potter!</div>
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<br />
**Update** Dan ini yang terbaru, pertanyaan dari <a href="http://reviewsbythegeek.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/rapid-fire-questions/">Yuniar</a>:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<b>21. <i>5
kriteria memilih buku untuk dibeli/dibaca, urut dari yg paling penting?</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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(1) Penulis</div>
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(2) Tema
sentral</div>
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(3) Cerita</div>
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(4) Fisik
buku (terutama saat beli buku second-hand)</div>
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(5) Jenis
font (kalau terlalu kecil malas baca!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>22. <i>Komik
atau novel?</i></b> –Novel; komik tidak bisa ‘menggali’ kisah atau karakter sedalam
novel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>23. <i>Buku
terjemahan atau buku asli (bahasa asing)?</i></b> –Buku versi asli, terjemahan
seringkali tidak pas dengan maksud aslinya, lagipula dengan membaca versi asli,
aku bisa merasakan gaya menulis langsung penulisnya. Membaca terjemahan seperti
kita mendengarkan opini orang tapi yang disampaikan oleh orang lain, emosinya
jadi beda kan?.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>24. <i>Scribbling
notes di halaman2 buku atau buku bersih seperti baru?</i></b> –Tergantung kebutuhan,
kalau banyak kata-kata yang asing buatku, aku tuliskan di halaman buku, tapi
kalau butuh menulis pemikiranku yang panjang, aku tulis di notes terpisah. Tapi
kalau buku itu kertasnya lux, saying juga ditulis-in… :)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>25. <i>Baca
fanfiction-turned-novel?</i></b> –Never-ever!</div>
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Fiuhhh…akhirnya
sudah terjawab semua. Dan sekarang waktunya pembalasan dendam, hohoho…. Meme
ini akan kulempar ke: <a href="http://half-filledattic.blogspot.com/">Listra</a>, <a href="http://bukuygkubaca.blogspot.com/">Tanzil</a>, <a href="http://my-classic-books.blogspot.com/">Maria</a>, <a href="http://annisaanggiana.wordpress.com/">Annisa</a> dan <a href="http://blogbukuhelvry.blogspot.com/">Helvry</a>. Moga-moga belum
pada nge-post meme ini…. Kalian ‘wajib’ mengerjakan yah (soalnya aku juga sudah
jadi ‘korban’ pemaksaan, jadi sekarang mau balas dendam *ketawa jahat*). Kalian
harus menjawab pertanyaan wajib di atas (no. 1-10) DITAMBAH dengan 5 pertanyaan
khusus dariku (jadi total ada 15 pertanyaan).</div>
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Ini
pertanyaan dariku:</div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">1. Literary
fiction atau popular fiction?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">2. Kalau
kalian hanya boleh mengkoleksi buku-buku dari 1 pengarang saja, pengarang siapa
yang kalian pilih?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">3. Saat
membaca, suka membuat catatan atau tidak?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">4. Baca 1
buku saja atau baca bersamaan beberapa buku?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">5.
Introductory di awal buku: baca sebelum atau sesudah baca cerita? Atau tidak
pernah baca?</span></div>
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Itu saja
dariku, selamat mengerjakan…. Oh ya, selain menjawab 15 pertanyaan itu, kalian
harus meneruskan meme ini dengan men-tag 5 orang lagi, dan memberikan 5
pertanyaan dari kalian sendiri. Buat Bzee dan Ratri, terima kasih sudah bikinin
alasan buat nge-update blog ini ya? Hahahah…. </div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-33222078693102566922013-04-09T09:53:00.001+07:002013-04-09T09:53:57.575+07:00The Flames of Rome<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M3Ii5ftt34g/UWOBt0-i7PI/AAAAAAAANWk/knmb1mFTmxA/s1600/the-flames-of-rome1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M3Ii5ftt34g/UWOBt0-i7PI/AAAAAAAANWk/knmb1mFTmxA/s320/the-flames-of-rome1.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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Historical
fiction yang ditulis oleh seorang sejarawan memang memberikan sensasi yang
berbeda dibanding dengan karya penulis biasa. Karya-karya Paul L. Maier
contohnya; aku telah mengagumi karya beliau lewat Pontius Pilatus yang nyaris sempurna
dalam keakuratannya (karena menggunakan dua sumber, yakni kitab suci dan
sejarah). Dan dari sanalah aku langsung tertarik membaca historical fiction
bertema Romawi dan Kristiani ini: The Flames of Rome.</div>
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The Flames
of Rome mengambil kisah sejarah mulai pemerintahan Claudius Caesar, seorang
kaisar Romawi yang terkenal gagap (‘Clau-Clau-Claudius’, demikian ia sering dipanggil
dalam olokan), dan selalu saja salah memilih istri yang di kemudian hari
berambisi merebut tahtanya. Istrinya yang terakhir adalah Agrippina, yang
berambisi menaikkan putranya Nero menjadi kaisar. Singkat kata Agrippina
berhasil, dan Nero pun naik menjadi Kaisar pada tahun 54 di usia yang baru tujuhbelas.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XtORU7UQTCc/UWOCHIQzSjI/AAAAAAAANWw/HHX127dQgf4/s1600/the-flames-of-rome2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XtORU7UQTCc/UWOCHIQzSjI/AAAAAAAANWw/HHX127dQgf4/s320/the-flames-of-rome2.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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Meski darah
ibunya yang serakah dan tak bermoral mengaliri nadinya, Nero tak serta merta
sesadis sang ibu, berkat didikan Seneca—seorang filsuf penganut aliran stoic
yang menjadi tutor sang Kaisar—bersama Burrus—Kepala Prefek Roma. Di saat-saat
awal pemerintahannya, Roma berharap banyak bahwa akhirnya mereka akan menikmati
masa-masa sejahtera. Sayangnya, jerih payah Seneca untuk menjadikan Nero kaisar
yang beradab dan berwawasan dimentahkan oleh pengaruh negatif kawan-kawan
seumuran sang kaisar yang mengajaknya berbuat kriminal sehingga meresahkan
rakyat. Ditambah dengan karakter Nero sendiri yang picik dan sangat ketakutan
tahtanya akan direbut, maka akhirnya hasutan sahabat-sahabatnya makin membuat
tingkah Nero brutal dan tak bermoral. Sekali lagi….Roma dibayang-bayangi
keruntuhan moral yang membuat bangsa yang pernah dikatakan sebagai pusat dunia
itu kini ditertawakan orang, Roma yang membangga-banggakan peradabannya, kini
dipenuhi kebiadaban dan kemaksiatan.</div>
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Namun, pada
saat-saat seperti itu, masih ada bangsawan Roma murni yang masih mempertahankan
integritas dan hati nuraninya, seperti Aulus Plautius dan Titus Flavius
Sabinus. Meski kisah ini ditulis dari sudut pandang orang ketiga, namun jelas
bahwa Maier ingin meletakkan Sabinus sebagai pusat cerita. Pulang dari
penaklukan Inggris bersama Claudius Caesar, Sabinus adalah anak buah Aulus
Plautius. Pada hari penyambutan para pahlawan ini, mata Sabinus tertumbuk pada
seorang gadis manis yang ternyata adalah Plautia, putri Plautius.</div>
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Kisah cinta
Sabinus dan Plautia ini cukup memberi warna segar pada kisah sejarah yang
menjijikkan dan penuh kekejaman ini. Rupanya, meski seorang sejarawan yang
biasa menorehkan karya-karya serius, Maier cukup renyah membahas karakter Sabinus
yang hangat, humoris, cakap menjalankan tugas sebagai negarawan, berani
menentang kejahatan, teguh berpegang pada nilai-nilai kebenaran dan mau
menggunakan hati nuraninya. Aku kagum pada Sabinus yang—ketika dipaksa oleh
Ratu Agrippina berselingkuh—berani dengan tegas menolak ajakan sang Ratu, meski
ia tahu konsekuensi berat menantinya saat sang Ratu akan membalas dendam atas
penolakannya. Dan saat bencana itu datang, Sabinus dengan terus terang mengakui
apa yang telah terjadi, yang menjadi sumber kemarahan sang Ratu. Benar-benar
sosok yang berharga bagi Roma. Dan Sabinus pun akhirnya mendapatkan kepercayaan
dari Nero, sebagai Prefek Kota, jabatan tertinggi di kota Roma sendiri. </div>
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Namun, meski
Sabinus bersama Seneca selalu berusaha meredam sisi liar sang Kaisar, pengaruh
buruk dari sahabat dan istrinya begitu kental pada Nero sehingga ia makin lama
makin tak terkendali, terutama setelah ia membunuh semua orang yang berpotensi
merebut kekuasaannya. Pada masa-masa itulah ‘sekte’ baru yang disebut
Kristiani—atau pengikut nabi yang mati di salib di Yudea yang disebut
Kristus—perlahan-lahan merembes memasuki kerajaan Romawi, bahkan di kota Roma
sendiri, dan di istana Kaisar serta keluarga para Senator Roma. Maier mengajak
kita mengenal Paulus, Petrus, Lukas dan Markus, juga warisan yang mereka
tinggalkan bagi kita hingga saat ini.</div>
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Menarik juga
membaca bagaimana—menurut analisa Maier yang masuk akal—Paulus menyebarkan
Kekristenan terutama di Roma. Di sini dikisahkan juga pengadilan Paulus di
depan Nero, di mana sang Kaisar terpukau oleh sikap dan tatapan mata
Paulus—atau bisa jadi itu adalah karya Roh Kudus!—akhirnya membebaskan sang
Rasul. Namun karena jemaat Kristiani pertama memang harus menanggung derita
yang sangat hebat demi penyebarannya yang kelak mendunia, maka seperti yang
telah tertoreh pada lembar sejarah, umat Kristen menjadi kambing hitam
kepengecutan Nero.</div>
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Saat itu
Roma dilanda kekeringan hebat, dan ketika salah satu rumah di kawasan kumuh nan
sesak terbakar, dengan cepat angin Rococo menghembuskan bara api ke segala
penjuru, dan akhirnya terjadilah kebakaran hebat yang bahkan membakar kawasan
istana Nero. Ketika rakyat yang kelaparan mengharapkan kemurahan hati Kaisar,
Nero malah merencanakan pendirian istananya yang super megah. Ini membuat
rakyat marah, dan untuk meredam amarah mereka, orang-orang terdekat Nero
menghembuskan ide untuk mencari ‘kambing hitam’. Ditambah dengan kecurigaan
Roma dan kebencian kaum Yahudi selama itu, terjadilah pembantaian mengerikan terhadap jemaat Kristiani itu.</div>
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Maier dengan
berani menyajikan kekejian itu tanpa ditutup-tutupi, karena betapapun buruknya,
itu adalah kenyataan yang benar-benar terjadi. Dan kekejian itu nyatanya memang
harus terjadi, karena sejak saat itulah justru kekristenan tumbuh makin pesat
ke seluruh dunia, dan Roma-pun menjadi pusatnya. Sayangnya Maier tidak
memberikan semacam catatan tentang keterkaitan antara Titus Fabinus Clemens
(putra Sabinus) dengan Paus Clement. Ada yang mengatakan Paus Clement I adalah
budak-yang-sudah-dibebaskan dari Clemens, namun tak ada catatan yang pasti.
Kemungkinan, Clemens—putra Sabinus—akhirnya menjadi Kristen, hal yang tak
mengherankan, sebab neneknya (ibu Plautia) sudah menjadi pengikut Kristus
berkat ajaran Paulus. Dari buku
ini aku pun menyadari bahwa Sabinus sebenarnya sangat “Kristen” meski ia tak
memeluk agama itu, mengingat prinsip hidupnya yang tak segan berkorban bagi
rakyat. </div>
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Empat bintang untuk kisah ini, karena meski aku sangat menikmatinya,
namun begitu banyaknya typo menyebabkan kenikmatan membaca sungguh ternoda…</div>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-79261033910745985272013-02-27T09:00:00.000+07:002013-02-27T09:00:01.520+07:00Wishful Wednesday (19)<br />
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Tak terasa
<a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/">Wishful Wednesday</a> sudah memasuki usia 1 tahun! Aku masih ingat, waktu itu seingatku
aku bersama Astrid ingin membuat blog hop khusus untuk blogger di Indonesia,
karena selama itu kami hanya menemukan blog hop yang dibuat blog-blog luar
negeri. Akhirnya pada minggu yang sama, kami pun meluncurkan blog hop kami
masing-masing; aku dengan Character Thursday, dan Astrid dengan Wishful
Wednesday, yang hari ini berulang tahun yang pertama! Yayyy…happy birthday
Wishful Wednesday! Dan meskipun aku “hanya” sempat ikut pada 18 kesempatan,
sudah ada beberapa buku yang dapat kucoret dari wishlist, entah itu dari hadiah,
beli sendiri, atau...ehm…pinjem.. :P.</div>
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Dan di momen
istimewa ini, mari memutar memori ke 52 minggu lalu, dan merunutnya hingga
kini, kedelapan belas Wishful Wednesday-ku. Ini dia….</div>
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#1 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/02/wishful-wednesday-1.html"><strike>Gadis Kretek</strike></a>
(beli)</div>
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#2 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/03/wishful-wednesday-2.html">The Last Dickens</a> </div>
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#3 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/03/wishful-wednesday-3.html">Namaku Mata Hari </a></div>
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#4 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/03/wishful-wednesday-4.html"><strike>Burung-Burung Manyar</strike></a> (pinjam Astrid - dan belum dibaca sampai sekarang! X_X)</div>
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#5 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/03/wishful-wednesday-5.html">Mr.Shakespeare’s Bastard</a> </div>
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#6 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/04/wishful-wednesday-6.html">The Paris Wife</a> </div>
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#7 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/04/wishful-wednesday-7.html">Remarkable Creatures</a> </div>
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#8 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/05/wishful-wednesday-8.html">The Alexandria Link</a> </div>
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#9 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/05/wishful-wednesday-9.html">Catatan Ichiyo</a> </div>
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#10 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/05/setelahmengobrak-abrik-shelf-wishlist.html">The Book of Madness and Cure </a></div>
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#11 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/06/wishful-wednesday-11.html">The Song of Achilles</a> </div>
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#12 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/07/wishful-wednesday-12.html">The Second Empress</a> </div>
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#13 –
<a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/07/wishful-wednesday-13.html">Barnaby Rudge</a> </div>
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#14 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/07/wishful-wednesday-14.html"><strike>A Tale of Two Cities</strike></a> (hadiah dari Astrid di salah 1 giveaway-nya)</div>
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#15 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/08/wishful-wednesday-15.html">The Agony and the Ecstasy</a> </div>
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#16 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/08/wishful-wednesday-16.html">The Orchardist</a> </div>
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#17 – <a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/09/wishful-wednesday-18.html"><strike>The Flames of Rome</strike></a> (beli)</div>
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#18 – <a href="http://bukubukufanda.blogspot.com/2012/11/wishful-wednesday-19.html">The Woman in White</a> </div>
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Dari list itu,
wishful yang belum sempat terealisasi, dan yang paling ingin kudapatkan (hemm….sebenarnya
sih pengen semua, tapi kita gak boleh serakah dong! :P), adalah….</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Agony-Ecstasy-Irving-Stone/9780451171351"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Agony and the Ecstasy </span></b></a></div>
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<b>By Irving
Stone</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0AXhpHtdncE/USwuBHBM9nI/AAAAAAAAM7w/IA-UeCL-GrQ/s1600/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0AXhpHtdncE/USwuBHBM9nI/AAAAAAAAM7w/IA-UeCL-GrQ/s320/the-agony-and-the-ecstasy.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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<o:p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/321552.The_Agony_and_the_Ecstasy">sinopsis</a></o:p></div>
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Mengapa buku
yang satu ini, yang kalau dilihat covernya tak terlalu menarik? Karena aku
sudah terlanjur jatuh cinta pada tulisan Irving Stone lewat bukunya yang lain:
<a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2012/08/lust-for-life.html">Lust For Life</a>. Kalau Stone telah mampu mengobrak-abrik emosiku lewat kisah
Vincent Van Gogh-nya, aku penasaran, bagaimana ia akan mengembangkan
imajinasiku bersama sang maestro Michelangelo? Hmmm…. Sekarang marilah berdoa
agar aku akhirnya dapat membawa pulang lukisan Michelangelo…eh…maksudku buku
tentang Michelangelo ini!</div>
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Ingin
jugakah kamu mewujudkan buku incaranmu? Ikut aja Wishful Wednesday!</div>
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Caranya:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Silakan
follow blog <a href="http://perpuskecil.wordpress.com/">Books To Share</a> – atau tambahkan di blogroll/link blogmu =)</li>
<li>Buat posting
mengenai buku-buku (boleh lebih dari 1) yang jadi inceran kalian minggu ini,
mulai dari yang bakal segera dibeli, sampai yang paling mustahil dan hanya
sebatas mimpi. Oya, sertakan juga alasan kenapa buku itu masuk dalam wishlist
kalian ya!</li>
<li>Tinggalkan
link postingan Wishful Wednesday kalian di Mr. Linky (klik saja tombol Mr.
Linky di bagian bawah post). Kalau mau, silakan tambahkan button Wishful
Wednesday di posting kalian.</li>
<li>Mari saling
berkunjung ke sesama blogger yang sudah ikut share wishlistnya di hari Rabu =)</li>
</ul>
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4469014958963710890.post-84040942690792357602013-01-04T15:06:00.002+07:002013-04-29T08:12:49.839+07:00Historical Fiction Challenge 2013-2015<br />
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Setelah
tahun lalu (2012) aku mengikuti challenge yang di-host oleh <a href="http://my-classic-books.blogspot.com/2013/01/historical-fiction-challenge.html">Maria</a> ini—menggebu-gebu
di awal tapi mendadak bak balon, mengempis, di akhir :D—tahun ini aku mencoba
ikut lagi challenge yang sama, dengan sedikit perubahan. Challenge ini
dirancang untuk berlangsung selama 3 tahun; dan meski aku masih belum bisa
membayangkan arah bacaanku di tahun-tahun mendatang, paling tidak masih ada
beberapa historical fiction yang rencananya aku selesaikan tahun ini (limpahan
dari tahun lalu yang gagal sih…). Maka aku memberanikan diri ikut di challenge
ini lagi. Entah dengan tahun depan, mari kita khawatirkan tahun depan saja… :P</div>
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Aku
mengambil level:</div>
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<b>Collector :
5 – 10 book/year</b></div>
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Meski aku
masih tak mengerti mengapa levelnya dibuat per tahun kalau challenge ini
dirancang untuk 3 tahun? :D</div>
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Buku-buku
yang akan kubaca untuk challenge ini:</div>
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<i>2013</i></div>
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<b>Richard III</b> – William Shakespeare</div>
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<b><a href="http://hisficfanda.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-flames-of-rome.html">The Flames of Rome</a></b> – Paul L.
Maier</div>
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<b><a href="http://klasikfanda.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-three-musketeers-re-read.html">The Three Musketeers</a></b> - Alexandre Dumas</div>
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<b>A Tree Grows in Brooklyn</b> – Betty Smith</div>
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<b>The Dante Club</b> – Matthew Pearl </div>
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<i>2014</i></div>
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<b>Empress</b> – San Sha</div>
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<b>The Help</b> – Kathryn Stockett<br />
<b>True History of the Kelly Gang</b> - Peter Carey<br />
<b>World Without End</b> - Ken Follett<br />
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Fanda Classiclithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07642429343958941266noreply@blogger.com0