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Britannicus by Jean Racine
I finished reading Britannicus by Jean Racine, translated by John Cairncross. It’s a play of five acts and was first performed in 1669. The plot centers on the Roman emperor Nero, his mother Agrippina, his stepbrother Britannicus, and Britannicus’s lover, June. The action takes place over a single day and tracks the characters’ attempts to…
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Willie Whitetail
When I was a little kid, I came across this book at my elementary school. I don’t recall now if it was a library book sale or exactly what, but it was discarded from the school’s library. I ended up getting two other books as well, one about a bobwhite quail and one about a…
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Nymphalis
My daughter and I found this beautiful butterfly at my mom’s. We moved it onto this tree, where it stayed for many hours.
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The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I finished reading The Chessmen of Mars (1922) by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth novel in his Barsoom series. This story focuses on Tara, the daughter of John Carter, Warlord of Mars. I enjoyed this novel more than the one or two that precede it. I found myself getting pleasantly wrapped up in the characters…
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The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
I finished reading The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy (1887). This is one of his Wessex novels, stories that take place in a fictionalized county of England during the Victorian era. I just love Hardy’s writing and often find myself smiling in the midst of reading certain passages. His books tend to focus heavily on character,…
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Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius
A book jot from June 2021: I just finished reading the Argonautica (3rd century BC) by Apollonius Rhodius, translated by Peter Green. It is an epic poem that relates the story of the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece. This edition includes a glossary that, at 67 pages, is full of helpful information.…
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Downward to the Earth by Robert Silverberg
I had forgotten to post my book jot for a book a read in May…here it is: I finished reading Downward to the Earth (1970) by Robert Silverberg. It’s a novel set on a distant planet and feels like Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Burmese Days and Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, and…
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OTR
After a hiatus of probably a couple of years, I have been listening to old time radio shows again. I was trying to figure out something to listen to when I need to spend time in bed. That’s pretty much a daily thing because of the physical condition I’m dealing with. Sometimes I listen to…