Typical House in Genoa?

Ah_the Portofino Coast! Genoa, Italy

BOOKS: A Portrait of The Artist as a Young Man

A bildungsromand__and a difficult one at that__James Joyce's, " A Portrait Of the Artist as a Young Man," is not a light read. Joyce's meandering free form narrative and serpentine prose can be difficult to penetrate. This is impressionistic language honed to a fine level of skill__Joyce's forte. The plot follows the "coming of age story" of young Irish Catholic Stephen Dedalus as he makes his way from childhood to adult. Each of the novel's five parts is written in a language that reflects the age of Dedalus as he progresses through life. The first section is written in childlike language, starting with: "Once upon a time and a very good time there was a moocow coming down along the road this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo..."__hmm not an auspicious start. Many readers have put the book down right here. It then progresses in a never ending ascent of impressionistic language finally ending in a stream of consciousness written in abstruse Latin-sprinkled prose. So what makes this book worth reading? What makes it so rewarding and worth the struggle of navigating its symbolism and difficult style? And why afer 95 years is it still read today? Because it resonates. Most people will experience in some form or another what young Dadelus goes through as he transitions from child to adult. Many remember that experience in an impressionistic way and Joyce's work hits the mark using his prose style as the medium of his message. This is difficult literature written by a consummate prose stylist that makes a universal point__here are the universal themes of: coming of age, self discovery, self expression, the meaning of life, and religious beliefs. One consolation for the reader__it's short.

TOUGH CHOICES

Library in Rio de Janeiro, Real Gabinete Portuses de Leitura

Let's see should I spend my time here or the beach at Ipanema?

BOOKS: Of Human Bondage

Bette Davis and Leslie Howard, Of Human Bondage (1934)

British writer William Somerset Maugham would live for many years in search of his calling, his identity and a place he belonged. He explored many professions doctor, spy and writer and traveled to many places including North America, the Far East and the South Seas. His life alone is an interesting study. In 1915 he published, "Of Human Bondage," a thinly veiled autobiographical account of his life and his philosophy. Maugham lived an unconventional life in a time of literary constraint so the reader needs to approach "Of Human Bondage" with an eye to symbolism and allegory. The symbolism is not difficult to unravel as the characters and their struggles closely mirror Maugham's own experiences and inner life. Before reading this grand soap opera of a novel it is best to become acquainted with the details of Maugham's life. In the novel the protaginist Philip Carey's tortured affairs with women mirror Maugham's real life affairs with affairs with men. A topic he could not bring to light in 1915 especially after the trial of Oscar Wilde. "Of Human Bondage" is a big book with hundreds of characters. Even through all the symbolic translation the pain of Maugham's amours was transferred intact. But why read a soap opera of a novel written almost 95 years ago__ when there are thousands of such novels published every year. Because Maugham was a writer to learn from, one who packed his stories with profound insights and ideas. "Of Human Bondage" is literature not pulp. In it one can find hidden ideas about religion, politics, morality, sexuality and art. These themes are not difficult to unearth as Maugham's writing is simple and straight forward. In 1934 the book was adopted into beautifully scored and well acted film starring Bette Davies and Leslie Howard.

BOOKS: The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

Bibliomania

John Gilkey, an obsessed book lover, wanted to have a rich man's library full of expensive first editions and rare volumes__and he wanted it in the worst way__by theft. Obsessed and driven by a mania for beautiful books Gilkey managed to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare books from fairs, book stores, dealers and libraries__but he eventually got nabbed__and by who?__ a self appointed "book detective" named Ken Sanders. In "The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective and a World of Literary Obsession," Allison Hoover Bartlett tells the story of how serial book thief Gilkey was able to carry out his nefarious crimes and how Sanders the "Bibliodick" was able to track him down and bring him to justice. Bartlett manages to weave an entertaining cat and mouse chase into her narrative revealing why Gilkey was willing to stop at nothing to get his prize."The Man Who Loves Books Too Much" is a well written account of an odd sickness and a fascinating glimpse into the strange obsessive world of rare book collecting. It's full of humor, detail and plot twists. In the end it becomes an examination of why some people are so passionate about books and how it can drive them to madness. This is another great addition to the literature of bibliomania and bibliomaniacs that started in 1995 with the publication of a "A Gentle Madness."

BOOKS: Landmark Herodotus

Herodotus' reconstruction of the world

Herodotus__ broadminded, witty, tolerant cosmopolitan__ always curious and ready to write down all that he saw__one of the pillars of the western cannon and now at last after ten years in the making a new English translation by Andrea L. Purvis, "The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories". This is not the usual dull edition of an ancient author, sleep inducing and difficult to penetrate. This is a lively translation easy to read. The volume is full of maps that guide the reader to the many places that Herodotus mentions in his text. This in particular is important since many of the places mentioned are arcane foreign places and names far removed from the modern reader. Herodotus is considered the first historian, the chronicler of early Greek, Persian and Egyptian history. He traveled the ancient world reporting what he saw and discovered. His histories are opinionated, colorful and in the opinion of some scholars today doubtful in their veracity. But his stock has risen in the last 200 years as there has been a shift in Western cultural political values where the "Greek Athenian democratic ideal" has been on the ascendancy since the American and French Revolutions. This has caused a "seeing" of the ancient world through a new prism with Herodotus representing the higher ideal of Greek civilization over the imperialistic interpretation of the ancient historian Thucydides and the imperialistic veneration of ancient Rome. Essentially this edition of Herodotus is a commentary aimed at academics, but also quite readable for the interested general reader.

BOOKS: Leon Battista Alberti

St. Andrea Church in Mantova by Alberti

Leon Battista Alberti is little known today outside of scholarly circles__yet he was one of the most creative and exciting figures of the Italian Renaissance__the very definition of the "Renaissance Man" and one of the prime movers and builders of the Italian Renaissance. Most of what we know today of Alberti was crafted by the 19th century historian Jacob Burckhardt in his famous and well regarded book: "The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy." Burckhardt idealized Alberti and with unforgettable brilliance and pathos depicted Alberti as a combination of mental genius and athlete__the ultimate medieval courtier. In Anthony Grafton's, "Leon Battista Alberti Master Builder of the Italian Renaissance."(2000), Burckhardt portrait of Alberti seems to have been confirmed. Modern research has indeed confirmed that Alberti was the ultimate, "Universal Man." His achievements are astounding__ he achieved mastery in literature, architecture, sculpture, urban planning, engineering, mathematics, cryptography, archaeology, cartography, politics and social theory, to name "literally" a few. He was in a real sense the "master builder of the Renaissance." What accounted for his ability to achieve in all these fields? Was it fable? Grafton in this finely written book attempts to document that most of what was believed about Alberti and his achievements was true. Still in the specialized realm of "Alberti Studies" there is controversy and disagreement about Alberti's reported achievements. Grafton does not avoid drawing conclusions on these controversial points of Alberti's life even including psychological detail. In the end this highly readable and accessible book confirms the validity and the centrality of the Italian Renaissance and Alberti's importance at the center of it. Grafton's book is a must read for students of the Italian Renaissance.

BOOKS: Death in Venice

Why read "Death in Venice"?__a small novella about a middle-aged man's obsession with a teenage boy. Well__the appeal, the meaning and the impact of Thomas Mann's mini-masterpiece reaches beyond its somewhat scandalous storyline. It's true that many readers may come to it with a somewhat voyeuristic fascination with the plight of Gustav von Aschenbach, the story's main character and his obsession with the boy Tadzio. And Mann does paint early 20th century Venice as a cesspool of decadence and disease. It also has been confirmed that Mann really did stay at the famous Hotel de Bain the setting of the story and he really was obsessed with a boy named Wadlyslaw Moes who was also staying at the hotel. Interestingly, Moes in recent years been found and Mann scholar Gilbert Adair has written a biography of Moe's life, "The Real Tadzio". Such is the fascination this story has engendered. So what was really going on at the famous Hotel de Bain? What was Mann trying to say in this quasi-scandalous, semi-biographical story? Mann's stories are usually a labyrinth of interlocking allusions and symbols and "Death in Venice is no exception. There have been many interpretations about the book ranging from a work only about passion to one that is merely an allegorical display of artistic frustration. Mann has been said to have been fighting a war in his mind between German Apollonian discipline and Italian Dionysian hedonism. The theory of an anguished "Freudian Complex" can been defended. Mann did question his sexuality as can be demonstrated by his posthumously published diaries. A recent English translation of "Death in Venice" by Michael Heim's brings English readers closer to what Mann was trying to convey in German. A story, like "Death in Venice" can have more than one interpretation as Mann was an author that often layered his works with different meanings. The psychological and artistic meanings are there for those who want to draw them, that's the fun of reading this story__trying to figure it out. And also maybe it has all been over thought as critics do need things to write about. But the obvious should not be dismissed__"Death in Venice" on the face of it is clearly a story of the deadly obsession, whether it be obsession in love or any other matter. Aschenbach became obsessed beyond all reason and it killed him.

BOOKS: Oxford Classical Dictionary

Parthenon

Much of the factual information known about the classical world in one place__that pretty much sums up the "Oxford Classical Dictionary." The 2003 revised edition of this classic reference work has been completely reworked to reflect current classical scholarship. This is an odd reference book in that it has inspired the awe of many reviewers and compared to natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls__hmm. Its sheer comprehensiveness and quality of its scholarship is awe inspiring__its 1704 pages of small but legible print weigh in at almost 7 pounds. Not many pictures here. And did I mention its thick__if you like your reference books thick this one is for you. If you read classical literature and you ever felt lost and confused by ancient allusions and references then this work is a must. The articles signed and written by classical scholars, are precise and well written. Most are appended by exhaustive bibliographies that lead the reader to more in depth coverage of the subject. Not to say that the coverage here is shallow it most cases coverage is more than adequate, even for the scholar. The "Oxford Classical Dictionary" is the one book you will find on most classical scholar's desks and the one given out as a prize by the National Latin Examination to its gold medal winners. So if you fancy yourself inheritor of the riches of Periclean Athens or the grandeur of Augustan Rome this is the book for you. Downside: it cost $100.00

POETRY: Collected Works of Wallace Stevens

Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens

He argued with Robert Frost and he broke his hand assaulting Ernest Hemingway at a party. Who? __Wallace Stevens the quintessential American poet. By trade Stevens was an insurance man and most of his poetry was written later in life. Stevens definitely made people uncomfortable. Late in life he converted to Catholicism and told Chuck Colson to keep his conversion quiet that, "converting to Catholicism for a Hartford patrician was like becoming 'honorary shanty Irish.' That was simply not done. It could get him thrown out of the country club." Despite Steven's rough edges, his poetry was superb__ deeply meditative and philosophical. He believed that reality was the product of a person's imagination and with their imagination a person could find different ways at any given moment to perceive the world. This ability to perceive the world form different angles is what is reflected in his poetry and prose. Steven's believed that the best we could hope for was a "well conceived fiction" of reality that would only last for a moment__writing "if we place a jar on a hill in Tennessee, we would impose and order on the landscape." The paradox of Steven's philosophy of "subjective reality" flies in the face of his deathbed conversion to Catholicism which certainly teaches an "objective reality." It's interesting to speculate__ that if given more time to live would Stevens had disavowed his earlier writing that was based on a subjective view of reality. For anyone wanting to explore Steven's poetry, "The Collected Poems of Wallace Stevens," (Vintage Press), is an good representative collection. There are many others published and his poetry is readily available on the Internet. To Steven's poetry was, "the poem of the mind in the act of finding."

BOOKS: On a Grander Scale

Wren's London

He rebuilt much of London after the Great Fire of 1666_Sir Christopher Wren, architect, astronomer, mathematician, physicist, geometer, builder of the magnificent cathedral St Paul's and general polymath was an astounding individual. His long life (90 years) is covered in minute detail in, Lisa Jardine's,"On a Grander Scale: The Outstanding Life and Tumultous Times of Sir Christopher Wren." Jardine brings to life Wren's brilliant intellect against the backdrop of the turbulent times of Restoration England. Wren was one of the great intellectual colossi of all time and an aquaintencce to equally brilliant Sir Issac Newton. But Wren had a particular brand of brilliance, an orderly way of thinking that was infused by his religious beliefs. Wren set out to explore the magnificent universe that he believed God had created. To him his architecture and his science were an expression and discovery of God's laws. This book also looks at the turbulence of the times, two English civil wars and there effect on Wren's monetary status. Regardless of Wren's circumstances his achievements were literally "monumental." Jardine's book is well worth the read and Wren's life is worth emulation not only for its grandiose achievements, but also for a life well lived. In St. Paul's Cathedral under its giant dome and over his tomb is a memorial to Wren, it reads: "Reader, if you seek his monument look around you." Indeed.

BOOKS: History of the Modern World

R. R. Palmer (1909-2002)

Context is important. If you want to put things into context you must read, R.R. Palmer's, "History of the Modern World." This is the book__ the one to read__it is the most highly praised modern history text ever written. It has been used in thousands of universities and translated into six languages. Palmer's book, first published in 1950 and now in its ninth edition, is a grand sweeping narrative covering the middle ages up until the end of the 20th century. The storyline takes the reader from the demise of the Roman empire through the rise of Christianity up to the down fall of the Berlin Wall. However, it is not just the comprehensiveness that makes Palmer's book worth reading, other books have covered the same material__Palmer's is more erudite than most historical specialists and he is better able to explain the context in which the modern world emerged. In this way he is very much like the great 20th century historian, Christopher Dawson, who also had broad historical knowledge and was able to contextualize European history. Palmer introduces his book this way: "It may seem strange for the history of the modern world to begin with the middle ages...but what is most now meant by "modern" made its first appearance in Europe and to understand modern Europe it is necessary to reach fairly far back in time." And that he does and the reader can follow the genesis and causes of many of the political and economic problems that still plague the modern world. There is also an elegance and continuity to his prose not found in many standard history textbooks that are often written by committees. Very few books can be recommended to be the first and last to read on a topic__this is one.

GRAPHIC NOVELS: Ghost in the Shell

Major Motoko Kusanagi

Are graphic novels worth reading? This one is__"Ghost in the Shell" by Masamune Shirow, widely popular among manga fans, and with beautifully rendered art and an intriguing storyline__ it is a story set in the mid 21st century where the line between humans and machines has become blurred. It is a world where the human brain can be programed like a computer. Humans have become mechanically enhanced and robots have been upgraded with human tissue. What is human, what is robot? At what point does the human soul end and the cybernetic machine begin. It does sound like just another sci-fi futuristic plot, but in the past five years numerous nonfiction books have appeared predicting a closer melding of human and machine within the next thirty years. (notably the books of Ray Kurzweil). The interesting twist to this story is that hackers can reprogram the human mind through a man-machine interface, implanting commands that result in criminal behavior and insanity. There is even a criminal manipulator called the "Puppeteer," who makes his zombie victims commit all sorts of heinous acts. In "Ghost in the Shell" the mind exists not so much as organic tissue, but as electrons pulsing through electronic components, therefore it is more difficult to destroy a person because their conciseness can be stored away on a hard drive. This manga and the original anime adaptation show the potential of animation for complex and relevant stories, a potential already discovered by the Japanese. Home Page

BOOKS: Aeneid

Trojan Horse

"Wars and a man I sing__an exile driven on by Fate, he was the first to flee the coast of Troy, destined to reach Lavinian shores and Italian soil__yet many blows he took on land and sea from the gods above__thanks to cruel Juno's restless rage and many loses he bore in battle too..." so starts Virgil's Aeneid, a cornerstone in the Western literary tradition. Robert Fagles, 2006 translation brings to the English reader an new vibrancy by using the rhythms of the original Latin and combining them with the cadence of modern English. The story is a classic, one that has been read by generations for over 2000 years__ the story of Aeneas's adventurous return voyage from Troy after a 10 year war raged over the most beautiful women in the world, Helen. It's a chronicle of a perilous journey plagued by the wrath of the vengeful god Juno full of nasty twists and turns. A trip that involved an epic affair with Dido the love sick queen of Carthage and then Aeneas's descent into the underworld and finally his founding of the Roman Empire. For those wanting a basis of a classical education, the Aeneid along with Homer's Odyssey and Iliad are the place to start. Fagles translation along with a fine audio rendition by Simon Callow bring this epic to life like never before. This is one of the masterpieces of all literature. Read it.

BOOKS:Byron in Love

Byron

Byron was a paradox__ beautiful, but deformed, spend thrift, but miser, lover of women but also of men, brilliant, but also childish, creative, but self destructive__in other word interesting. Today Byron is known more for his profligate lifestyle than his poetry. Edna O'Brien takes advantage of this voyeuristic fascination with Byron's life in her book, "Byron in Love A Short Daring Life." Byron's passion for both men and women developed early in his life and O'Brien chronicles a string of romantic encounters, punctuated by bouts of gonorrhea and poetic mania. She plays psychiatrist here concluding that Byron compensated for his deformed club foot with a string of homosexual relationships and heterosexual trysts__hmm, perhaps, the details are in book, the reader can be the judge. In the end Byron's life comes to one big profligate train wreck, dying of a fever while on a military adventure he had no business being on and leaving a string of broken relationships. The premise here is that all this randy behavior was the fuel for his poetic genius and inspiration for poems such as: "Manfred," "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" and "Don Juan." There are better biographies (see Byron), but this book is well written, interesting and fast paced__ in the end though it risks being a literary version of an "E-True Hollywood Story."

MOVIES: The Wind and the Lion

Sean Connery and Candice Bergen


In 1904 Mulai Ahmed el Raisuli, known as "El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff." kidnapped American Ion Perdicaris to embarrass his relative the Sultan of Morocco. The incident propelled El Raisuli into a famous international battle of wits battle with U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. El Raisuli had much to be bitter about as his cousin the Pasha of Tangier had him arrested and chained to a wall for four years. Raisuli regarded the the powers in charge in Morocco as corrupt and beholden to European powers__his revenge kidnap an American citizen and embarrass the Sultan of Morocco. However the Raisuli was a hard man for Roosevelt to understand__ Raisuli was known for his chivalry and the befriending of the hostages he ransomed, protecting them from any harm, yet he had another side__ once burning out the eyes out of a Moroccan emissary and returning his head to the Pasha in a basket of melons. In 1975, filmmaker John Milius created a highly fictionalized account of the "Perdicaris Incident" called, "The Wind and the Lion," staring Sean Connery as, El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff. It turned into one of Connery's best performances. Milius film took much liberty with the story changing Ion Perdicaris into a woman Eden Perdicaris played by Candice Bergen. However, Milius succeeded in essentially capturing the spirit and personality of Raisuli and the tension that played back and forth between the Raisuli and Roosevelt. The element of the film that most helped capture this spirit and adventure was the film's music score written by Jerry Goldsmith, famous now for composing the music for the Star Trek movies and numerous other films. The score for the Wind and the Lion was one of Goldsmith's best and also one of the most beautiful film scores ever written. (see video below to listen) Today the Raisuli would be seen by many in the U.S. as a terrorist, but in 1904 he was considered by many as a romantic hero. The Wind and the Lion has also gained considerable recognition in the Islamic world for its accurate depiction of the spirit and nature of Berber life.

FILM SCORE: Wind and the Lion

MOVIES: The Wind and the Lion

BOOKS:Alexander to Actium

Battle of Actium

Peter Green loves history. You can tell by his massive book, "Alexander to Actium The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age." However, as good and as elegantly written this book is and as enjoyable it is to read, it is marred by factual errors and a disregard in certain areas for recent scholarship. Objectivity in historical writing is another question, see the book: ("The Noble Dream The Objectivity Question and the American Historical Profession".) for an excellent discussion. In Green's work, impressive by its weight, 4.5 pounds and the time it must have taken to write it, 970 pages, Green attempts and succeeds at giving a comprehensive picture of the period in the Mediterranean from the death of Alexander the Great to the Battle of Actium (31 B.C.) where Octavian defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Generally this period has been seen as a time of degeneration from the high classical and moral ideals of the Greeks(Hellenistic Age) to the final utilitarian war lust of Rome. However there are other interruptions__ mainly seeing the period as a shift in political power from Mesopotamia to the Mediterranean, using Greek culture as a unifying force. Green takes the degeneration approach. Taking into account the art, architecture, philosophy and government of the period Green weaves the narritive into an interesting and elegant read. But on the other hand there are some mistakes, an example being, that Greek conquerors were like "business men" who paid little attention to the customs and practices of indigenous peoples, however recent research shows that much of the governmental administration in Ptolemaic Egypt was based on Egyptian influences. Influence was obviously flowing both ways in many areas not just Egypt__Green plays this down. Scholarly nitpicking aside the general reader may just want to enjoy the grand scope and sweep of Green's elegantly written book. It certainly is worth reading.

The Alchemist

Alchemist

"Following your dream and going wherever it takes you"__that sums up the plot and lessons taught by the "Alchemist," an international best seller by Brazilian author Paulo Coehlo. The formula is a pat one used by storytellers for centuries, however, Coehlo's twist takes this ancient fable and weaves into a unique situation laced with metaphor an allegory. It's the story of a shepherd boy that wants to see the world. His travels take him from his native country of Spain to Morocco and then on to Egypt where he must find a treasure predicted by a dream and foretold by a fortune teller. During his journey(metaphor for the "journey of life") he meets a several striking characters and learns many of life lessons. Some of the lessons: becoming self empowered, overcoming depression, the power of perseverance and following your dreams. Originally written in Portuguese, the English translation carries much of the same sparse beauty as the original. Much of the appeal of this book is in its simplicity and a story well told. Even if the reader doesn't subscribe to the spiritual lessons, the story is interesting unto itself. Jeremy Irons does an excellent audio version of the book.

BOOKS: X-Men and Philosophy

Storm

"Astonishing insight and uncanny argument in the mutant x-verse,"__well that's the promise from the several writers of, "X-Men and Philosophy," a book that explores the philosophical problems faced by the mutants in Marvel Comic"s popular comic book franchise "The X-Men." As unlikely as it may seem, the book makes a serious study of how philosophy can be applied to understanding tough problems that face modern society, such as: genetic engineering, personal normalcy, personal identity, torture, experimentation and privacy to name a few. Most of the chapters discuss philosophical concepts that apply to "real people" as well as the mutants. The theory here is that the writers of this comic book are addressing in "comic book-guise" deep philosophical problems that faces society today__essentially the mutants have an underlying message. Most of the philosophical problems see there resolution through the eyes of philosophers such as: Socrates, Kant, Aristotle, Camus, Levinas and others__remarkably the writers succeed. The book strikes the right balance between scholarly philosophical discussion and pop culture. It is an examination of current pop culture brought down to a personal level.

BOOKS: The Land and Literature of England

Westminster Abby

"The rock-bound, rain-drenched islands which are now divided into the four ancient nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales lie off the northwest coast of Europe, with the English channel to the south of them...." so starts Robert Adams' classic study of English literature and history, "The Land and Literature of England," a unique approach from a master storyteller that weaves a rich texture of cross-references from both history and literature. Adams' premise: English literature should be studied against the backdrop of English history. According to Adams when you mention English literature you mean English history, so tied up is English literature to the history of the British Isles that they are inseparable. Using this approach the reader comes away with a much better understanding of the broad context from which English literature emerged through the centuries. Comparing "Land and the Literature" to other broad surveys of literature makes most seem as dry as sawdust. Covered are periods from the early Anglo Saxon invasions up until 1950. Adams presents the study of English Literature through a much wider perspective than most__a worthwhile read.

BOOKS: Byron

Byron

Described as, "mad, bad and dangerous to know, " George Gordon Byron aka "Lord Byron" was the first modern-style celebrity; a poet, an aristocrat, an aesthete and a dandy with a spectacular short life that dazzled an era. In "Byron Child of Passion, Fool of Pain", Benita Eisler provides a comprehensive and well documented account of Byron's life. Eisler, using newly discovered material captures the passion, ego, and despair that consumed Byron. He was renowned for his genius and admired for his beauty rising to instant fame with the publication, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." Byron the creator of the "Byronic Hero" which he personified was lover of both men and women, traveler and adventurer and poet whose brilliance was exceeded by few. Eisler examines the context of his poetry and celebrity shattering the romantic myths without denigrating the Byron's accomplishments.

BOOKS:Italian Hours

Italian Landscape

Mann, Stendhal, Byron, Forster, Belloc__they all lived for a time and derived much of their inspiration from Italy. However, it was Henry James who drew the most loving and appreciative portrait of Italy and its culture in his 1909 book, "Italian Hours." Typical of James prose__"The charm of certain vacant grassy spaces, in Italy, overfrowned by masses of brickwork that are honeycombed by the suns of centuries, is something that I hereby renounce once for all the attempt to express; but you may be sure that whatever I mention such a spot enchantment lurks in it." "Italian Hours" is a collection of travel essays that were published between 1872 and 1909 in which James explores Italy's art, religion, politics and people. James often writes enthusiastically about the aesthetic appeal of Venice, the vitality of Rome and the sensuality of Naples. But he also complains about the Italian, "scene." He notes in particular that the foreigners descend on Italy in the winter months and begin to depart at the end of May__"The place has passed so completely for the winter months into the hands of the barbarians that estimable character the passionate pilgrim finds it constantly harder to keep his passion clear." Italy in the winter months of the 19th and early 20th centuries was part of the "Grand Tour," a yearly pilgrimage for many Europeans who flocked to Italy to imbibe its culture and its civilization__an attempt to become civilized. James bemoans this vulgarization of of the Italian landscape and how it detracts from the real essence of the country. He still however came away seduced by the Italians and Italy__ a writer smitten by a seductress that had seduced thousands before him. "Italian Hours" is still available in print today.

BOOKS:Italian Dynasties

Villa Sforza

The Visconti...The Medici...The Sforza...The Este and The Colonna__the nobility__the great Italian families that enabled the Renaissance, these are the dynasties that historian Edward Burman examines in his 1989 book: "Italian Dynasties The Great Families of Italy From the Renaissance to the Present Day." From the 14th to 16th centuries these great dynasties dominated the cultural life of Italy providing the impetus and the patronage for the great art that fills Western museums today. But this dynastic period in Italy was also a time of vivid contrasts where beauty and violence often co-mingled. Men like Galeazzo Visconti, patron of the poet Petrarch was also the creator of the cruel forty-day program of torture devised for his political opponents. Another__ Caterina Sforza, known as the Amazon of Forli who fought battles like an Amazon and gave birth to her child after spending 24 hours in the saddle. However, the lines of these families still exist today in people like Count Giovanni Sforza, present head of "House of Sforza," the patrons of Leonardo Da Vinci. There houses and villas still exist and Burman also provides a guide to the places and artifacts associated with individual dynasties. The book is out of print, but still available used on Amazon.

ITALIAN VILLA

BOOKS: Nobility of Spirit:

Oxford

What happens when the pursuit of high intellectual ideals is pushed aside for the pursuit of nonsense? Well__ seems to be happening today__ at least according to Rob Rieman who in his book: "Nobility of Spirit: A Forgotten Ideal," argues for an "elite ideal" of intellectualism or the "nobility of a high intellectual spirit." Rieman believes that this "nobility of spirit" is the quintessence of a civilized world. Without this nobility culture disappears. Yet today this concept of the "nobility of spirit" is not even considered_too elitist perhaps? Not politically correct? This nobility is acquired through education not through privilege. Rieman argues that Western society needs an over reaching eternal purpose that looks beyond mere politics when it comes to solving its problems such as an economic meltdown or the threat of terrorism. He uses a long line of philosophical thought starting with Socrates and winding its way through the ideas of Spinoza, Goethe and Mann to support his proposition. This book is an all out defense of the virtues of Western culture and intellectualism, a call to arms in defense of a culture today that seems to be disintegrating into meaningless nonsense.

BOOKS:The Complete Poems of Cavafy

Alexandria Today

Cavafy's poems are a combination, a celebration of antiquity and the present. The settings: Greece, Rome and his beloved Alexandria. Constantine Cavafy (1873-1933) a Greek language poet was an Egyptian government clerk, but today he is considered one of the finest of European poets. His verse written in spare elemental language is beautiful and poignant and often fused with the exotic flavor of Alexandria and homoeroticism. However his poems go beyond this and are universal in nature in the sense that they evoke a life keenly felt and appreciated__ moments of both joy and sadness, pleasure and pain. Many of his poems call back the ancient past and then thrust it into the present, both in a personal and historical sense. Or his verse may recall the past in a sensuous language and then push it forward by comparison into the stark musings of an old man reliving his past in the present. Cavafy was the master of presenting a scene, a place or an intense feeling in a direct in unadorned prose, few are better. The standard English translation since the 1950' has been that of Rae Dalven. A more recent and fresher translation by Daniel Mendelsohn is a better read for modern English readers. Mendelshon catches the pace of the Greek artistically and accurately. If you enjoy poetry that fuses the ancient past with the present Cavafy will be a welcome discovery. (see Alexandria Quartet), "C.P. Cavafy Collected Poems."

BOOKS:Charterhouse of Parma

Henry James said the "Charterhouse of Parma" "was one of the the dozen finest novels we possess," Andre Gide called it one of the greatest of all French novels and Balzac said that in the "Charterhouse" he found, "perfection in everything." Written by Stendhal in 1839, the book was an immediate success. Stendhal, locked in an apartment, wrote the book within a few weeks. And it reads like a book written in a few weeks, the prose moves ahead briskly from description to plot to psychological analysis and back again. The story whirls around a series interesting characters: a young Italian aristocrat Fabrice del Dongo, his beautiful aunt Gina, Duchess of Sanserverina, her lover Count Mosca and a jailer's daughter Clelia. The story takes place after the Battle of Waterloo in the fictional Italian dukedom of Parma. Parma is actually a real place, but the dukedom and the characters are a fudge. The characters, however are based on real figures: Alessandro Farnese, later Pope Paul III and his beautiful aunt Vandossa mistress of the Rodrigo Borgia, the infamous Pope Alexander VI. Add to these real characters some real life intrigue a murder and some jail time and Stendhal had his plot. But putting the plot aside, intriguing as it is, the main strength of the book is its keen assessment of human character an assessment which is deep and profound. Richard Howard's 1999 translation does better than any English translation in rendering the swift narrative and meaning of the original French. With Howard's translation the book is experienced by the English reader like no other translation before it. "The Charterhouse" is a big historical soap opera, but a magnificent one.

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A Moment of Levity

There must be a deeper meaning here. But what?

BOOKS: The Physics of Star Trek

Gene Roddenberry said: "What does modern science allow us to imagine as our possible future as a civilization." Well applying today's technology__ taking the Enterprise for a short spin across the solar system at impulse power, half the speed of light, would blow Captain's Kirk's head off of his shoulders. Kirk would fall victim to the prosaic laws of Newtonian physics, the simple laws of inertia and motion__unless however__ the Enterprise was fitted with "inertial dampers." But are inertial dampers possible? Lawerence Krauss in his book, "The Physics of Star Trek" tackles such issues. Are inertial dampers or any other of the technology used in the Star Trek universe scientifically feasible given what we know today, but his kind of begs the question, and is a major a flaw of the book__knowing what we know of today__well maybe we don't know what we are going to know tomorrow, perhaps this might change what we know to be possible. But what did the writers of Star Trek get right, what is possible: the holodeck, transporters, photon torpedoes, deflector shields, tractor beams, and phasers and perhaps a cloaking device. Regardless this is a lighthearted and fascinating read about what we know of physics today. Perhaps in his next book Krauss will address why 90 percent of the life encountered in the Star Trek universe is humanoid while 90 percent of life encountered here on earth isn't even humanoid. And what is warp factor 9 anyway?