Dan’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2009)

Dan’s comments from the fiction files redux group.

doesn't anyone set up polls and vote on things like this anymore?

you need to take a picture of that shirt and post it!

I really liked Elliot's Happy Baby when I read it years ago. Now I couldn't tell you anything about it. I think the lending library is a really great thing. especially if people follow through. I wonder how his publisher's like this?

all this planning makes me sad.

Reading back through the Telemachus section of Ulysses Annotated I see that I missed (rather foolishly) that the Latin phrase which nearly starts the book (introibo ad altare Dei) is an in invocation of God which is how many Greek and Roman works started (The Odyssey: Speak Memory; Speak Immortal One, The Iliad: Sing Goddess and Virgil's Aeneid: Muse tell me why...etc.)

I also missed an earlier reference to Nietzsche (and it would have been impossible for me to catch) but on page 5 Mulligan says to Stephen: I'm hyperborean as much as you.

Hyperborean in Greek legend is a mythical people who live above or without sorrow or old age. Nietzsche uses this word to refer to describe the ubermensch.

Alright I am back with another round of Ulysses blabber.

At page 10 more Latin is encountered(and this phrase is repeated on page 23):

Liliata rutilantium te confessorum turma circumdet: iubilantium te virginum chorus excipiat.

This one is a bit above my latin skill level so here is the translation from difficultbooks.com:

"May the crowd of joyful confessors encompass thee; may the choir of blessed virgins go before thee."

It is said by a roman catholic priest over a dying person.

Page 12 has a obvious latin sentence:

In nomine Patris et Filii et spiritus sancti In the name of the father son and holy spirit.

The Greek word omphalos is mentioned a number of times which means navel or in my preference bellybutton.

Page 20 is another easy latin phrase: et unam sanctum catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam and one holy catholic and apostolic church (its from the Nicean creed).

Page 22 gives us a little bit of french: zut! Nom de Dieu I didn't realize it as french since the Nom de Dieu looks close enough to latin to figure out it means "i the name of god!" I guess the Zut! means something along the lines of "Wow!"

Page 22-23 has some Nietzsche references: uebermensch(superman, literally:overman) though I haven't seen it spelled this way before.

Then goes on to say: He who stealeth from the poor lendeth to the lord. Thus Spake Zarathustra

The first part is apparently Mulligan's version of Proverbs 19:17 and the second part is the title of Nietzsche's book which centers around the ubermensch idea.

I am not really sure if anyone cares about any of this but it has proven a good way for me to slow down, attempt to translate, and pay attention to the foreign languages. I usually blow through them not giving them much thought.

I didn't, I always miss Shakespeare references/allusions. Mainly because the last time I read any was in high school and I am not entirely certain that I read it then when I was supposed to.

Hamlet is also alluded to in the beginning of Infinite Jest but I missed that as well.

Feel free to point out these allusions for me Martyn.

There is another sizable chunk of Latin on page ten that I am going to post. I am at work right now so i will try to do that later today, if I remember.

I mentioned earlier in this thread (and thus earlier this year) that I would be reading Ulysses in its entirety this year. Well the time has come and I have started. Along with Ulysses I am reading corresponding bits out of Joseph Campbell's book Mythic Worlds, Modern Words. I also have Burgess' Re-Joyce sitting around but I have really dug into that at all.

I am only about 10 pages into the first chapter and have previously read through the first chapter. I aim to get further this time. I am probably going to relay allusions and plot points that Campbell talks about here which may help those who come along and decide to read this.

I am going to try to keep track of the foreign languages thrown in. I will post the original and the translations (some of which I hope will be my own).

The foreign languages begin just a few lines into the book.

Latin:
introibo ad altare Dei: I will go to the altar of god (Joseph Campbell translates as I will go unto the altar of God, fancier than me!)

The above is the first words of a latin mass. Buck Mulligan mocks mass through this chapter. I think this aspect is mostly lost in today's world but is very interesting and funny when you realize it is happening.

Next up Ancient Greek:

epi oinopa ponton: in the wine-dark sea (literally) but probably wine-dark sea is good enough

Thalatta! Thalatta!: Basically just yelling: the sea! the sea! It is another ancient greek word for see and it is using two Taus instead of two sigmas (thalassa! thalassa!) it's an attic greek thing.

I know there is french coming up and I don't know any french so that will not be my translation. The greek and latin stuff is exciting for me to see if i still remember any of it.

Adrian wrote: "Martha wrote: "Hey Pete, and welcome to our little group of migrants. We've mentioned The Dead in several conversations in the past (especially with regard to that final paragraph - one of the fine..."

You simply must find this Adrian!

Those scenes were actually quite good though the faux-ebonics scenes were tedious. I was reading over at the infinitesummer.org site about how these seemingly disconnected scenes come together throughout the book to make sense. After seeing this I thought I have really missed something.

I know that I am going to be rereading this book again soon. It will be hard to resist with the infinite summer group going on, my unanswered questions and general forgetfulness.

Part of my problem could be that my new office in the library is at the end of an aisle of books. At the other end of the aisle sits Infinite Jest and the rest of DFW's books.

Do you know roughly what page the TV addiction scene is?

Martha, this qualifies as an "other announcement" I saw David Liss in Sept (i think) at a local bookstore in Scottsdale Arizona. He didn't give a traditional reading for his excellent book The Whiskey Rebels but rather discussed the history of the time, the challenges of writing historical fiction in a well documented time period etc. It was really entertaining. David is also a great guy to meet and talk to. Have fun, if I wasn't over 2k miles away I would attend.

That phone call was absolutely hilarious. How are ya coming along with the book?

I think I finished IJ sometime in April and I often find myself thinking about it. In fact I have probably thought more about this book after finishing it than any other book I have read (Sometimes a Great Notion is second).

I would like to hear some opinions about the inclusion of some of the less obviously connected scenes in the book. The few pages with the extreme accents and the scene that Shel mentioned with Erdedy waiting for the pot. I know there are a few other scenes like this in the book too that I cannot remember. Why did DFW have them there? How does it enhance the experience?

Hey Pete welcome to the group. I am sure you will find (or start) many discussions on some of your favorite writers here.

Michael I need you to talk to me about Gibbon or perhaps start a thread about him!

I like Paul Dano for Will and maybe that Emmy gal for Lulu. while all the people you pictured a good looking Rossum looks like she could pull it off nicely.

Happy birthday Ben!

and thanks for all the birthday wishes for me. I have been outta e-touch lately. and happy birthday Shel, I didn't mean to miss you. I was in the car driving somewhere on the east coast on the 20th, it wasn't much of a celebration.

Martyn wrote: "I went to my local library today and ordered it...some fucker had it out on loan...the bloody cheek! ."

You need to post more often if you've got material like this Martyn! Tis why we love you.

Matt wrote: "the first movie tie in?"

Why aren't these dipped in chocolate? How am I supposed to read them if they are not coated!

Matt wrote: " no ma'am or sir that is not a chocolate bar it is a 3 book set of fiction and essays by fresh new authors "

This might be my favorite post ever!

Here is a TED talk Egger's gives about his 826 tutoring centers. it is pretty amazing.

http://www.ted.com/talks/dave_eggers_...

Thanks for posting this patrick, it was a good read. I tend to be on the side of liking dave eggers' work. some of it can be hit or miss but whether you like him or are annoyed by him the guy does a ton of good for other people and that is pretty remarkable.

also i really liked his short story collection. patrick is now a library news cover model? impressive.