classics digests, reflections and reviews
The motives of my voyage were a certain intellectual restlessness, a passion for novelty, a curiosity about the limits of the ocean and the peoples who might dwell beyond it. The Island of the Blest As we drew near it, a marvellous air was wafted to us, exquisitely fragrant. Its sweetness seemed compounded of rose, narcissus, hyacinth, lilies and violets, myrtle and bay and flowering vine. There were meadows and […]
Read moreThe world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. ― Augustine of Hippo The above quote by St. Augustine is perhaps one of the, if not the, most popular, quotes of his, more than all his sayings on Christian theology and philosophy. This is a testimony to the fact that the love or dream of travel is universal. Some of the most famous epic […]
Read moreHerodotus was hailed as “The Father of History” by Cicero; To me, he might as well be the Father of Humanism. The Histories is a magnificent epic which excels in scope, structure, richness of content, intricacy and theatrical grandeur. The main theme is the Persian Wars, i.e., the conflicts between the Persian Empire and Greek nations, culminating in the invasion of Greece by Xerxes I; the underlying theme is the […]
Read moreA sequel to “From the Earth to the Moon”, a wonderful and exciting imaginary tale of space travel. The three salient features of Verne’s science fictions, namely, scientific vision, industrial knowledge and humorous imagination, personified in the book by three space travellers, make it a worthy read, though I could do with a little less of the hypothesized selenographic details.
Read moreAfter reading Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty days“, I wished to follow in Phileas Fogg’s footsteps as closely as possible and tour around the world myself. After reading this book, however, I can’t say I’m ready to embark on the journey to the center of the earth, even if it were possible and the route were laid out before me by the heroes in the book, Professor Lidenbrock, Axel […]
Read moreA fun and easy read about a wealthy man’s wager to tour around the world in eighty days through Asia, America and Europe. Verne brilliantly captured the excitement, the drama, the determination and resourcefulness required to complete a tour around the world, although he painted a negative picture of Asian and native American cultures. “Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?” You bet […]
Read moreAn Eye-opening, Jaw-dropping Book I remember watching a movie production (1954) of the book as a child. I loved it so much that I wished the movie would not end. Listening to the audiobook years later brings back all the wonders and much more. Imagine you can explore the width and depth of all the oceans at will, all the marine species, all the natural wonders that have never been […]
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