I haven't forgotten about it yet!
If you're wondering what it is, click on it (the previous it).
I've started my quest to conquer Mount Oneshelf. Though truth be told, it has got off to a slow start. As you might remember, I'm trying to read and write about all the books on one of our shelves. But I don't have to re-read stuff, or read non-fiction. And to start the shelf off, we have some stuff I've read, and some non-fiction. So this will be short and fragmented, like a shattered pixie.
But let's crack on!
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Mustard Magazine #1-3
I mean, these aren't even books!
Mustard is a cool indie comedy magazine, with lots of interviews and an amusing smorgasbord of features. I'm not sure if it's still being published, but they are producing content for Alan Moore's Dodgem Logic magazine, which is also great.
Check out Mustard's website, and you might find something of interest.
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Roald Dahl - James and the Giant Peach
That's right - we have children's books! We're not above that. Or below it. We're right at it.
I didn't re-read James and the Giant Peach. Although I'm sure it would be fun, I think I may have covered this book in a previous entry. So to find out all about JATGP, have a look there. I don't want to repeat myself.
(I do want to repeat myself - I like going over old ground, like that time I wrote the beginning of this sentence. 'I do want to repeat myself'. I was funny then.)
That old post has some creepy illustrations from the book. Unlike that photo of me holding the book, which isn't creepy.
No, sir.
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Edmund Spenser - A View of the State of Ireland
This is Lucy's. I didn't go out to get a late 16th Century political treatise. Well, not this one.Although it is non-fiction, I thought I'd give it a bit of a read, as I know nothing about Irish history. I tend to rely on offensive stereotypes (see this post's title for an example).
So I read the introduction and some of the main text. Spenser (as well as being a poet - Mr Faerie Queene, as he's known by his friends) was an English nobleman who lived in Ireland, and boy does he have some strong opinions on it!
The book takes the form of a dialogue between two dudes, Eudoxus and Irenaeus, discussing what to be done with Ireland. The latter character is basically Spenser, and he spends the whole time talking about how barbaric the Irish are, and justifying violent intervention.
It's basically a piece of anti-Irish propaganda, so I don't think it gave me much of an objective view of the situation.
Spenser basically comes across as a bit of a dick. As if advocating brutal invasion wasn't bad enough, he generally sounds really pedantic.
Irenaeus explains things in his worldly way, goes off on tangents, and then blames Eudoxus for getting him off track. But Irenaeus is Spenser! He's writing the thing! He's getting himself off track, then inventing a character to blame for his lack of focus.
It's impressive.
Fictiteus: Why Paul! You haven't really told anyone about the book itself. It has been both unenlightening and boring. Perhaps you should plan these posts out, so it's not so rambling?
For God's sake, Fictiteus! Look, you've made me lose my train of thought! *Sigh*
You've really made this into a rubbish post...
I stopped reading about halfway through, as I felt like I was being taught by a bigot. I don't really want to learn Irish history from Edmund Spenser. I might as well learn about the early 20th Century by reading Mein Kampf.
Actually, my stopping was part anti-propaganda, and part-boredom. It's not totally uninteresting, but I'm a very busy man.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure everything went pretty smoothly in Ireland after Spenser's day. He was probably worried about nothing.
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So, a tricky start. But next up is something a bit easier on the ears, eyes and brain. So join me next time. Or last time. Or this time.
Or all three.
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