The best Renaissance Literary Criticism books: Reddit reviews

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

> Qanon

https://www.amazon.com/Q-Luther-Blissett/dp/0156031965

This "Q" bullshit is without a doubt the most hilarious LARP troll of the era. But future historians will need some levity in an otherwise horrific story.

Sometimes if you read you learn things.

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe

https://www.amazon.com/Q-Luther-Blissett/dp/0156031965

Especially since it's easy to trace the origin and content of the troll.

You can't really even laugh at this stupidity since it's so sad. A sizable percentage of my fellow citizens are complete idiots. Fox News and Walmart seem to be the height of cognition.

Anyone who wants a fairly short, fun-to-read book about how the Church kept literacy and the written heritage of Greece and Rome alive during the Dark Ages should read "How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe". It's a tremendously inspiring and uplifting true story about people persevering as their world collapsed around them - great for these black-pilled times. There's an Audible version, too.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Irish-Saved-Civilization-Irelands/dp/0385418493

The John Ciardi one.

It keeps the original rhyming structure, which must have been really hard to do when translating from Italian to English. It isn't really rigid English like some of the other translations that can make your brain get tired after reading for a while. And most importantly it has notes for each chapter. Dante himself is the main character, and he writes in a bunch of actual people from in and around Italy during his lifetime, so reading the notes really helps understand a lot of the references to people/places/things in the book. I just read the notes before I read each chapter so I knew as I read it what was going on.

First off, look up the podcast Sweetbitter, because if you're interested in a book of her poetry you'd definitely be interested in a fantastic Sappho podcast.

Second, this is the copy I've had my eyes on for months. I love Anne Carson's translations, and I think there's just something significant about reading a translation done by a woman.

"Q", "Qanon" or whatever isn't a "conspiracy". It's a LARP.

Since it was obvious that anyone who would support Donald Trump would fall for any bullshit imaginable, a 1990s Italian novel about the Reformation provided the guideline for this psy-op. And dumb shit Republicans and cartoon frog children from 4chan fell for the ruse hook, line and sinker. The "Q" LARP is both hilarious and sad. Some people are really stupid it seems and will double-down on their stupidity no matter how obvious the con-game.

After all, people have to be fairly ignorant to support Trump in the first place. Q was an easy game it seems.

https://www.amazon.com/Q-Luther-Blissett/dp/0156031965

I’m completely unafraid of hell because it’s an incoherent idea (I think the same about “god” btw). I can’t be afraid of a married bachelor or a round square because I am unable to even imagine a logically coherent representation of those things since they are self-contradictory.

We’ve all been taught to be afraid of hell since early childhood, but just like we’re told not to look directly at the sun, we weren’t encouraged to think clearly about the details of hell, were we? That’s because there aren’t any, and attempts to form a coherent description of hell that is consonant with “god’s” supposed nature, scripture, and logic always fail.

David Bentley Hart, possibly the most prominent English-speaking theologian working today, wrote an entire book about how he thinks the eternal conscious torment version of hell not only doesn’t exist but can’t exist. Further, he argues that if any form of Christianity truly teaches this, it’s a sign that form of Christianity is false.

I’m personally biased to think that all forms of Christianity, indeed all human religions are false in the sense that none of them fully and accurately describe reality…but anyway maybe this theologian is right? If he is right, then you have nothing to fear. Be a good person, do your best, the “god” this guy believes in is not a sadistic, evil maniac like the Catholic “god.”

I really like the A. R. George edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh, although there's a recent edition by Benjamin Foster that I haven't read yet. Foster's anthologies Before the Muses and From Distant Days are some of my favorites and I reference them all the time for Akkadian mythology and poetry.

I envy anyone who was introduced to Mesopotamia in primary or second school. The curriculum at my school focused, ad nauseum, on Greece and Rome, with a little bit of Ancient Egypt thrown in for good measure. I didn't discover Mesopotamia until my brief time at college.

If there's anything about Mesopotamia that you're interested in or curious about, ask away. The community has been more active lately and we've got some good people who browse now!

I feel ya -- mediaeval Latin is hilarious when writers get inventive with vocabulary and grammar, but any more Augustine and I might cry. This is 'Winnie Ille Pu' translated by Alexander Lenard (I bought my copy used in a bookstore, but it's available here on Amazon). Have a go at the Latin versions of Harry Potter and The Hobbit as well!

Hey buddy. Here’s a book about universal salvation that is sure to relieve you of your worries:

https://www.amazon.com/That-All-Shall-Saved-Universal/dp/0300246226

I suffer from OCD also. If you want to talk about it, message me. I would love to talk about it and share my experiences with you. Trust me, I know OCD and the thoughts that it presents extremely well. I know you are in a dark place right now, but you will be okay. You are safe.

“Fear not” is in the Bible 365 times. God wants you to be free of anxiety, not full of dread and despair. You are not going to Hell, nor are your loved ones.

I just brought this up on their subreddit.

First they scoffed because it was buzzfeed.

So, I linked to the actual book on Amazon.

And got banned. =)

If you have not yet done so, check out David Bentley Hart's book That All Shall Be Saved. He is a reputable scholar, and in that book he provides not only an excellent argument in favor of universalism, but answers your specific question about αιον.

Below is just one paragraph from several pages dealing with the Greek words αιων and αιωνιος:

>No matter how we interpret the discrete terms, however, we must never forget that today the entire ensemble of references that we bring to these phrases is wholly detached from the religious world of Christ's time, and particularly from its eschatological expectations. It seems absolutely certain, for instance, that the words αιων and αιωνιος are frequently used in the New Testament as some kind of reference to the 'olam ha-ba, "the Age to come," which is to say the Age of God's Kingdom, or of that cosmic reality now hidden in God that will be made manifest at history's end. It seems fairly certain, at least, that in the New Testament, and especially in the teachings of Jesus, the adjective αιωνιος is the equivalent of something like the phrase le-olam; and yet it is no less certain that this usage cannot be neatly discriminated from the language of the 'olam ha-ba without losing something of the special significance it surely possessed in Christ's time. The issue then is not one of how long, but rather of when, or of what frame of reality -- what realm, that is, within or beyond history.

That last sentence answers your question most succinctly: the words αιων and αιωνιος refer more to a "when" and less to a "how long" time frame.

The entire QAnon conspiracy is a psy-op organized by liberal assets. The entire premise of QAnon is based on an Italian novel called <em>Q</em>, which you can purchase on Amazon. I strongly urge you to get a copy and read it for yourself. The entire thing is a joke to make fun of how gullible people on 4chan are.

Also, its not WW1G1WGA, its WWG1WGA. It stands for "Where We Go One We Go All"

The Epic of Gilgamesh. This has probably been mentioned by now in the thread, but as the oldest surviving piece of human literature, you could argue that this is where it all started. I'm a fan of the Penguin Classics edition, and the epic is also obviously in public domain; here is the Project Gutenberg link.

Is it the most riveting read? Maybe not, compared to mainstream and modern novels. The Epic is still worth reading because even back when people lived in mud brick homes and the ancient equivalent of New York City was anywhere with a population of 40,000+, exploration of the human condition was still something that intrigued people.

It's a story about justice, seeking glory, friendship, mortality, and whether or not immortality is something as literal as "never dying".

Everyone should read it at least once in their lives, if not only to experience where our literary tradition as a species first began.

Check out David Bentley Hart. He's an Eastern Orthodox theologian who defends universalism very well. His book that does so is That All Shall Be Saved.

Search David Bentley Hart into YouTube or podcast outlets for interviews surrounding his fantastic, sophisticated, formidable, and so far undefeated book That All Shall Be Saved

Thank you. Between your description and the other comments, I will look for it. FWIW, here is the link on Amazon: Habibi

Yeah, thankfully the version I have is full of annotations explaining the symbolism and references.

I think this is the one I have (from Amazon). ISBN 978-0-451-20863-7

I honestly think I enjoyed Purgatorio more than Inferno, probably mostly because I love the idea of redemption and purification and the imagery of angels.

Yale University Press: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300246223/all-shall-be-saved

Amazon: $23.40 USD That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation https://www.amazon.com/dp/0300246226/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_O44.CbWM0VRCF

Will be released September 24, 2019

My favorite book is If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho which is a collection of Sappho poems translated by Anne Carson! For anyone who is interested, Anne Carson translates Sappho beautifully Amazon Link Goodreads Link.

I posted my tattoo that includes Taylor Swift lyrics on here a few weeks back. My other tattoo, which you can't see in that photo, is a fragment of a Sappho poem! You can imagine how excited I am to see this post - two of of my favorite things colliding!!! lol

Thank you for the thoughtful comparison!

I read this book years ago. I was like 16 and I found it boring and pretentious because I found everything boring and pretentious at 16, but there’s a chapter on sex scenes that I found inspiring. The TLDR is that they don’t actually have to include sex to be sensual and intimate. If you can find a pdf, it might be worth checking out.

The poet/Classicist Anne Carson did a translation with facing Greek text:

https://www.amazon.com/If-Not-Winter-Fragments-Sappho/dp/0375724516

If I recall correctly, it's not a scholarly text (i.e., there's no app crit, and it's cleaned up a bit). I don't know if that matters to you.

This doesn't have the "Brothers Poem" from P.Obbink (but that may be a forgery anyhow).

His book that all shall be saved is very popular in Universalist circles and helped put into words what I was already starting to believe. But as the other commenter mentioned he’s a bit of a snob, when it comes to things he cares strongly about.. which is a lot of stuff.

The trick is, to Australia is you hang out with your black and Hispanic Marine buddies. You'll get a lot of action; White and asian Marines, not so much. not exotic enough for them, i guess. but black and Hispanics, the Aussie girls go crazy.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

I read https://www.amazon.com/World-Lit-Only-Fire-Renaissance/dp/0316545562 something similar here, in which Magellan's men where ever they went in their round the world voyage , local women practically raped the dudes. instinct, hormones , genetic, or something.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

I dunno, what the reason is, but black and Hispanic Marines are highly desired in Australia. Oh, and kangaroos are delicious!

Can't change your view because you're right. Universal Salvation is an ancient Christian concept. Most prevalent in the Eastern Orthodox church. St. Isaac the Syrian is a good place to start. David Bentley Hart - &quot;That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation&quot; might be worth your time

Two reading recommendations, both by an Orthodox philosopher:

• The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami?
• That All Shall Be Saved: Heaven, Hell, and Universal Salvation

The Gospel is that God saves us from eternal death. Temporal death is not the end, and justice will be served for all.

I am currently reading aversion translated by John Ciardi, and it’s easier to understand than I expected. There are some phrases that are more flowery or oblique, but I just read them carefully.

The start of every Canto has a summary of what you’re about to read, the text of the Canto, then footnotes that explain references in the text or idioms of the region & time. I haven’t even needed to read the summaries because the translation is easy enough to understand. I’m barely into the Inferno, but if you’re looking for accessible, I can recommend this one.

I got over my fear of eternal inescapable hell by realizing that it is incompatible with traditional Christian beliefs. Even if Christianity is true, eternal hell cannot be. I'll direct you to this thread for an overview of several of the reasons why. For an excellent book on the topic, I suggest David Bentley Hart's book, "That All Shall Be Saved."

I don't think that's bad at all. That most likely just means you put your priorities or brain power to other things. In fact, you probably have a the best outlook on visual entertainment: as something to enjoy in your free time.

I don't want to write anything incendiary or shallow here, but making any piece of media a core part of your personality is a pretty miserable way to live. The thing you worship, if allowed to continue and grow, will eventually turn into something you don't love, and then it will feel like a personal attack against you. I've seen people end friendship due to bad takes on video game franchises, and these are people that have jobs and pay taxes. Like it's ok if you have a hot take on the deep lore of Harry Potter it's still a fantasy book for children no matter what JK Rowling or people on Twitter want it to be.

But I get what you're saying; you want to be able to enjoy things on a deeper, more analytical level. I work in education, and there's a book I use in my classes: How to Read Literature Like a Professor. The language is very approachable and the concepts discussed inside apply to any narrative structure, be it TV, movies, or video games. For instance, it discusses the importance of communion, not just in the religious context, but when characters just eat together. It often shows some kind of trust or care between them, and if they get into a fight while eating, it's often a sign of the relationship fracturing. Give it a shot!