casvelyn's 75 in 2012: Part I

I was just going to do the 12 in 12 in 2012, because I'm somewhat agoraphobic and this group overwhelms me. But I decided that I want to try the TIOLI Challenge this year, so here I am again. I'll probably mostly lurk around the borders, but I will try to keep up with my reviews and not drop out of sight in November like I did last year.

My goal for 2012 is to read around 100 books, at least 60 of which must be first-time reads. My 12 in 12 Tea Party can be found over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122554. I'm handing out nice cups of tea as long as the hot water holds out.

Books Read in 2012

1. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (5.0)
2. Silence Observed by Michael Innes (4.6)
3. The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (5.0)
4. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien (5.0)
5. Hare Sitting Up by Michael Innes (4.1)
6. The Long Farewell by Michael Innes (4.5)
7. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh (4.9)
8. The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (4.7)
9. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (5.0)
10. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde (5.0)
11. The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.5)
12. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.5)
13. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.7)
14. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (3.5)
15. Yesterday's Dead by Pat Bourke (4.2)
16. Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.7)
17. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.6)
18. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.3)
19. The Valley of Fear by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.1)
20. His Last Bow by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.3)
21. The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (4.2)
22. The Three Body Problem by Catherine Shaw (3.4)
23. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken (3.5)
24. Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein (4.3)
25. Before Sherlock Holmes by LeRoy Lad Panek (2.8)
26. Curtain by Agatha Christie (5.0)
27. Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede (4.7)
28. The Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede (5.0)
29. Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie (3.2)
30. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (3.3)
31. The China Governess by Margery Allingham (3.6)
32. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (3.8)
33. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (4.9)
34. The Weight of the Evidence by Michael Innes (3.8)
35. Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round by Marisa McClellan (5.0)
36. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett (3.9)
37. Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse (3.4)
38. At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (3.6)
39. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (5.0)
40. Euthyphro by Plato (4.2)
41. The Apology of Socrates by Plato (5.0)

Welcome back!

Glad to see you back with us again!

>4 drneutron:, 5: Thanks!

I'm thinking maybe we should all get together and form a lurker's group. We could each have our own thread and watch it carefully waiting for each other to post something ...

;-)

I'm rather lazy about writing reviews, so these are just going to be copied from my 12 in 12 thread. Feel free to ignore all the extraneous remarks about tea.

The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
New York: Ballantine Books, 1994 (originally published 1954); 458 pages

Obtained: Can't remember where I bought it

Category: Wild Blueberry/Rereads
Rating: 5.0 (Excellent)
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization 5.0
.....Writing 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Republic of Tea's Wild Blueberry tea (black tea with blueberry), Harney and Sons' Paris Tea (black tea with vanilla, caramel, and bergamot), Oliver Winery's Camelot Mead (not tea, but it seemed appropriate)

Review
I've read this book at least a dozen times, and first read it a dozen years ago (which makes it an appropriate start for the 12 in 12, I think), and I give it a perfect 5 stars every time, so I'm not sure how good of a review I can write.

I love the Lord of the Rings. And that shall have to suffice.

>7 scvlad: If you're waiting on me, then you're going to be there awhile. :)

I love the lurker's thread idea. I'm rereading Tolkein, too; I've starred your thread.

>10 Cynara: LOTR is one of the few books that I want to reread as soon as I finish them. I think I could read these three books alone for the rest of my life, except I might start missing my Agatha Christie novels.

Ha! Yes, I know how you feel. The first time I read the trilogy as a 12-yr-old, once I put down Return of the King I picked up Fellowship of the Ring immediately. My husband and I are reading them aloud right now, and it's been great fun - but we're almost on the second half of The Two Towers, and I can't say I love this bit. On we go, precioussss!

I will pay attention to the tea stuff! I am always looking out for new teas to try.

My 12 in 12 has a tea theme, so I'm keeping track of what I drink while I read. I tend to drink the same teas all the time, so there won't likely be that much variety.

Ah, OK. I will still enjoy hearing about them though.

Chiming in as a fellow tea drinker - I've got a cuppa Orange Spice sitting next to my computer as I type. :)

Silence Observed by Michael Innes
Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1966 (originally published 1961); 144 pages

Obtained: From my university's library

Category: Russian Caravan/Mysteries
Rating: 4.6/Very good
.....Liked: 4.5
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Harney and Sons' Black Currant tea

Review
An excellent little mystery involving Inspector Appleby and the murder of an antiquarian book dealer and the director of the British Museum. The other books in the Appleby series that I've read thus far were all country house murders, so it was nice to see something a bit different. Even Appleby's wife was involved in this investigation.

I found this particular edition of Silence Observed to be interesting, as it originally sold for 3/6 and is explicitly marked in two places "For copyright reasons this edition is not for sale in the U.S.A." And yet somehow it came to be part of the collection at my Midwestern university's library.

I have only read one of Innes' mysteries. I need to see what is available at the local library. Thanks for the reminder.

The black currant tea sounds wonderful!

The black currant tea is excellent--it's one of my many favorites.

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien
New York: Ballantine Books, 1994 (originally published 1954); 398 pages

Obtained: Can't remember where or when I bought it, but apparently during/after 2001, as I have the movie tie-in version

Category: Wild Blueberry/Rereads
Rating: 5.0 (Excellent)
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Harney and Sons' Black Currant

Review
More LOTR. Totally awesome.

Oh, I agree: LOTR. Totally Awesome!

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien
New York: Ballantine Books, 1994 (originally published 1955); 340 pages

Obtained: Can't remember where or when I bought it, but apparently during/after 2001, as I have the movie tie-in version

Category: Wild Blueberry/Rereads
Rating: 5.0 (Excellent)
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Harney and Sons' Lover's Leap (a black tea grown in Sri Lanka, it has a light and delicate flavor, but becomes extremely tannic if oversteeped)

Review
I finished the Lord of the Rings!

Yea for finishing LotR!

Hare Sitting Up by Michael Innes
Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1964 (originally published 1959); 171 pages

Obtained: From my university's library

Category: Generic Black Tea/Other
Rating: 4.1
.....Liked: 3.5
.....Plot: 4.0
.....Characterization: 4.5
.....Writing: 4.5

Accompanying Tea: Republic of Tea's Wild Blueberry

Review
I can't really summarize any of the plot without revealing too much of it, since this book has a rather uncomplex plot. I like all of Innes' work, but some of his novels are better than others. This is one of the less-good ones, as the plot is a bit disjointed and the progression feels too slow in some parts and too rushed in others. Appleby's wife once again makes an appearance in his investigation; I think I shall have to put in an interlibrary loan request for Appleby's End (book 10), in which they meet and marry, as I rather like her as a character. Too bad neither of my libraries has a copy readily available.

What a good start to your year: Tolkien and Innes!
I'm enjoying your tea notes too.

Just delurking to say that missed your posts on your reading progress for the last 2 weeks. Hope everything is well. I'll go and check over on the 12 in 12 after this!

Tea and Tolkien! I love it. :)

>26 PaulCranswick: I'm still here! School started and I really slowed down with my personal reading. Since this is my last semester of grad school, I'm taking some really labor-intensive classes and they don't leave me with much time for anything else. I also got a fairly nasty head cold last week which left me feeling like doing nothing except watching Law & Order reruns from the mid-1990s. I'm hoping to finish another book or two before the end of the month, though. My reading should pick up again in May, after graduation.

The league tables will wait for you! Good luck with your studies and you'll remain permanently starred! Given your tea knowledge can you recommend a lapsang souchong to read with my next one up The Road Home.

Wait, league tables? Did I miss something?

I don't really know anything about lapsang souchong, as I've never tried it. I'm kind of afraid to spend the money on it, in case I don't like it. However, I do really like Harney and Sons' Russian Country, which is their version of Russian caravan (a blend of lapsang souchong, oolong, and keemun).

Sounds great I'll try to find it.

If you visit my thread you'll see what I mean about league tables (I keep data on whose threads get the most posts and who reads the most books) - I have absolutely no idea what I do it for other than by excusing the compulsions that all listaholics (anoraks) like me are prone to!

The Long Farewell by Michael Innes
New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1958 (first edition); 216 pages

Obtained: From my university's library

Category: Sweet Tea with Lemon/light mystery
Rating: 4.5
.....Liked: 4.5
.....Plot: 4.5
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: This was my treadmill book for the past week, so just water.

Review
Yet another excellent mystery from Michael Innes. The Long Farewell is lighter than some of his other mysteries, and reads somewhat like a farce. A well-known Shakespeare scholar is suspected to have committed suicide when it became known that he was married to two women at the same time. However, his lawyer suspects that he was actually murdered because of his research.

Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh
Nottingham, UK: IVP Books, 2009 (first edition); 222 pages

Obtained: Through my university's inter-library loan service

Category: PG Tips/non-fiction
Rating: 4.9
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 4.5

Accompanying Tea: Tazo Zen (green tea with spearmint and lemongrass)

Review
(Note: Although this book is titled Introverts in the Church, it is actually written for introverts in the American evangelical tradition, although people of other Christian traditions may find it relevant as well.)

I love this book.

That really could be my stand-alone review, but it doesn't really explain why I love this book so much. I am a member of the American evangelical Christian tradition, and I am deeply introverted. When I read the second chapter, which describes common characteristics of introverts and how introverts tend to understand and relate to matters of faith, I really just wanted to go make a zillion photocopies of the chapter and hand them out to everyone I know, with a note at the top saying, "This is me!!! This is what I've been trying to explain for years and never had the words for!!!"

Overall, the main premise of the book is that people who don't feel the need to be involved in every last church activity, don't share very much of their personal lives with the church as a whole, and who don't start witnessing to every person they meet aren't bad Christians. They are probably just introverts. But at the same time, this never turns into a church-bashing book. McHugh also addresses anti-intellectualism and anti-liturgical sentiments within evangelicalism, as intellectual pursuits and liturgy tend to be especially appealing to introverts.

Essentially, after reading this book, I feel a lot less different and out-of-place than I used to.

As an introverted intellectual liturgist (though not American), I like the sound of this book!

January Recap

Books read: 7
Pages read: 1949

Best Book: Six of the seven books earned a 4.5 or higher. I didn't dislike anything I read this month. What kind of question is this, anyway??? :)
Worst Book: When the lowest-rated book still earned a 4.1, I don't think any of them can be considered the worst.

>34 gennyt: I think it would be useful for any church-going introvert, the author just happens to address the extrovert-centrism he sees in American culture and, by extension, American evangelicalism.

The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde

Obtained: Half Price Books

Category: Green Tea/first in an unread series
Rating: 4.7
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 4.5
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Harney and Sons' Black Currant

Review
Detectives Jack Spratt and Mary Mary attempt to solve the murder of Humpty Dumpty.

Like everything I've read by Jasper Fforde, I really, really loved this book. Fforde is one of the two authors whose work I want to own in full (the other is Jane Austen). So many bizarre things happen in the course of the investigation, but somehow they all make sense in the context of the plot. Fforde's sense of humor is very off the wall, so if you like your fiction to reflect real life, this is not the book for you. The ending was a bit weak, and kind of seemed like a cop-out, as if Fforde couldn't think of how to end it, but the ending does make sense in light of the rest of the investigation.

Overall, a really great book. I think I'm going to read The Fourth Bear next.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
New York: Penguin Books, 2003 (originally published 2001); 374 pages

Obtained: Amazon

Category: Wild Blueberry/rereads
Rating: 5.0
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Coffee.

Review
Literary Detective Thursday Next has to go into Jane Eyre in order to save Jane from criminal mastermind Acheron Hades.

This is the fourth or fifth time I've read The Eyre Affair, but the first time since I read Jane Eyre. (Personally, I don't think it's necessary to have read Jane Eyre before reading this book, as long as one is familiar with the basic plot of Jane Eyre.) Like always, I absolutely loved the book. The literary references and punned names are absolutely brilliant, as is the alternate history--Crimean War still going on in 1985? People still using dirgibles because no one's invented airplanes? Germany won the Battle of Britain, although still lost WWII, resulting in a British republic? Fforde makes it all seem plausible.

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
New York: Penguin Books, 2004 (originally published 2002); 399 pages

Obtained: Amazon

Category: Wild Blueberry/rereads
Rating: 5.0
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: Tazo Zen (green tea with lemongrass and spearmint)

Review
The continued adventures of Thursday Next, in which Thursday attempts to return her husband to existence after he is erased by the nefarious Goliath Corporation.

Like The Eyre Affair, I've read this book multiple times, and it never gets old.

(I actually finished this in February, but just now got around to posting about it.)

I think I might take the month of March off reading. Well, not completely off reading, as I'm currently working my way through ~600 oral history transcripts and ~4500 newspaper articles for my seminar paper. So really I'm reading all the time and don't have time for my TBR pile.

Anyhow, since I'm not reading much, I won't be on this thread much. However, you can expect to find me back in full force by mid-May at the latest, as I am pretty muchly addicted to reading (and LT). Also, in May I will find myself newly graduated, unemployed, and with tons of time on my hands.

Besides, every June I try to read more books than the previous June (I don't know why I chose June to do this, but I just did.) Anyhow, last June I read 32 books. I have my work cut out for me.

Just discovered your thread after seeing how many books we share. And you've been reading Fforde?!?! Great stuff.

Anyway, I really love your rating breakdown and might steal it! Hope to see you posting more soon.

I love Jasper Fforde's work, almost irrationally. He's the only author I will buy new, in hardback, without getting the book from the library first to make sure I like it. Well, I'd probably do the same with Agatha Christie, were she still writing.

Feel free to take the rating breakdown--I made it up based on bits and pieces stolen from other people. My contribution is that the subscores are weighted rather than a straight average: "Liked" counts 40%, while the other scores count 20% each.

The China Governess by Margery Allingham
New York: Felony & Mayhem Press, 2010 (originally published 1963); 294 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: British Breakfast/British/English authors
Rating: 3.6
.....Liked: 3.0
.....Plot: 4.0
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 4.0

Accompanying Tea: PG Tips

Review
Overall, not a terrible book, but quite forgettable. This is the story of man who suddenly finds out that he was adopted, so he goes out looking for his real family, because he doesn't want to marry his fiancee until he sure he doesn't come from a line of criminals or "defectives" or some such. I never did figure out who/what the China governess is--there's a governess, and there's some China dishes, but nobody from China. I didn't actively dislike the book, but the plot was never quite convincing and the characters were never quite real.

Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999 (originally published 1964); 234 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: British Breakfast/British/English authors
Rating: 3.8
.....Liked: 3.5
.....Plot: 3.5
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 4.5

Accompanying Tea: Tazo Zen (green tea with lemongrass and spearmint)

Review
This is clearly a children's book, as it requires the sort of suspension of disbelief that I remember having as a child but that I can't seem to muster nowadays. (The Duchess' embroidery is used for anything but embroidery way too many times, and the kids are way too competent at defeating the Hanoverians as compared to all the bumbling, foolish adults.) Still, I enjoyed this more than The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and I'm going to at least give the next book in the series a chance before I write it off as something I should have read 15 years ago.

Well, I went to the Half Price Books Clearance Sale yesterday and got nine books at an average of $1.66 per book. Not a bad deal at all, I think. I got:

Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie
The Weight of the Evidence by Michael Innes
The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Complete Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton

Great haul!

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; Alison Anderson, translator
New York: Europa Editions, 2009 (originally published 2006); 325 pages

Obtained: Half Price Books clearance sale

Category: Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe/1001 Books/Guardian 1000
Rating: 4.9
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 4.5
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: PG Tips

Review
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is the story of Renee Michel and Paloma Josse, two residents of an exclusive apartment building in Paris. Paloma is the 12-year-old daughter of a government official, while Renee is the building's concierge. Both are incredibly intelligent and philosophical and both do not fit into their respective social circles. The story is told through Renee and Paloma's diary entries.

I very much liked this book, particularly the characters. I was a lot like Paloma when I was 12, except I never wanted to kill myself or burn down my house (probably a good thing). Because Hedgehog is very character-driven, the characters seem to be quite divisive--some reviewers love them, others hate them. I think I identify with them because I've always been the nerdy one who doesn't have the "correct" interests and hobbies as compared to my peers.

However, I did get frustrated with Renee's views on not appearing to rise above her station in life, even after she revealed her reasons for thinking as she did. Maybe because I've never been one to hide my true interests, but it annoyed me how she felt she had to pretend to be uneducated and dull just because she didn't have a fancy education or a cushy job. I kept wanting to tell her that she was so much smarter than stupid society games.

The Weight of the Evidence by Michael Innes
New York: HarperPerennial, 1990 (originally published 1943); 293 pages

Obtained: Owned; Half Price Books clearance sale

Category: Monk's Blend/off the shelf (Can it count as off the shelf if I just bought it last month?)
Rating: 3.8
.....Liked: 3.5
.....Plot: 3.5
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 4.5

Accompanying Tea: Harney and Son's Black Currant (with milk)

Review
When a professor at a small university is found killed by a meteorite, it is up to Inspector Appleby to discover who dropped the meteorite off a nearby tower and why. Unfortunately, the deceased wasn't much liked by any of his colleagues, and nearly every suspect has something to hide.

As I've said before, Innes novels tend to be hit-or-miss, and this one was a bit of a miss. The first half is good, but then it seems that Innes got a bit lost in his own plot and then just decided to abruptly end the book. All the loose ends are tied up, but the ending is unsatisfactory. Also, I had trouble keeping track of the characters, partly because they all seemed to be a variation on the stereotypical eccentric professor and partly because half their surnames started with P.

Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round by Marisa McClellan
Philadelphia: Running Press, 2011 (originally published 2011); 237 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: PG Tips/non-fiction
Rating: 5.0
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Accuracy: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: none

Review
I love this book so much, I'm going to have to buy myself a copy at some point. I don't can, although I want to eventually, but I do make a lot of jams and pickles, so the recipes in this book were perfect for me.

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Colin Smythe, 1999 (originally published 1983); 205 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: Green tea/first in a series
Rating: 3.9
.....Liked: 4.0
.....Plot: 3.5
.....Characterization: 4.5
.....Writing: 4.0

Accompanying Tea: Tazo Zen (green tea with spearmint and lemongrass)

Review
I'm not really sure what to think of this book, or what to say about it. The whole thing was nonsense, but it was intelligent, entertaining nonsense. I think I liked it, and I plan on reading further in the Discworld series.

Thank You, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press, 2003 (originally published 1934); 263 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: FTGFOP/1001/1000 Books
Rating: 3.4
.....Liked: 3.0
.....Plot: 3.5
.....Characterization: 4.0
.....Writing: 4.0

Accompanying Tea: none

Review
Jeeves actually quits working for Wooster, because Bertie plans on moving to a country cottage so he can play his banjolele without disturbing the neighbors. Unfortunately, the banjolele disturbs Jeeves. (And there is such an instrument as the banjolele--I learn something new every day!) So Jeeves takes up employment with Lord Chuffnell and works to get "Chuffy" engaged to the daughter of a wealthy American. Hilarity ensues.

Except that I don't find Wodehouse as amusing as he's alleged to be. Mostly I find Wooster to be ridiculously immature and Jeeves to be crazy for putting up with Wooster when Jeeves is clearly so intelligent and good a problem-solving. It does seem that his talents are somewhat wasted as a valet. Also, this book contains some unfortunate racism that wouldn't have been seen as offensive in the 1930s, although it certainly is now. So all in all an average read.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie
Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966 (originally published 1965); 272 pages

Obtained: Half Price Books clearance sale

Category: British Breakfast/British authors
Rating: 3.6
.....Liked: 3.5
.....Plot: 4.0
.....Characterization: 3.0
.....Writing: 4.0

Accompanying Tea: none

Review
Not one of my favorite Christies. Just sort of dull and not as good as her earlier work.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Crown Publishers, 2012 (first edition); 333 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: First Flush/published 2010 or later
Rating: 5.0
.....Liked: 5.0
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 5.0

Accompanying Tea: none

Review
I absolutely loved this book. I am just about as introverted as humanly possible, and also extremely shy and rather sensitive*. The book is geared more for people who want to learn about introversion or those who feel that there is something wrong with them if they are introverted. For someone who is more comfortable with their own personality traits, this book might be less useful. I suspect that the section on raising introverted children would be particularly useful for extroverted parents who don't understand why their kids don't want to play with everyone or prefer to sit quietly and read rather than play team sports. (Personally, I'm glad that I have introverted parents who encouraged me to be myself.)

*Sensitivity is a trait discussed in the book; a highly sensitive person reacts easily to or is bothered more by external stimuli than the average person. Approximately 70% of highly sensitive people are introverts. For me, sensitivity explains why I can't bear to be in the room if a radio is on and likely explains why the caffeine levels in coffee make me feel confused, not alert.

Euthyphro by Plato
Penguin Books, 2010 (included in The Last Days of Socrates); 25 pages

Obtained: Public library

Category: PG Tips/non-fiction
Rating: 4.2
.....Liked: 3.5
.....Plot: 5.0
.....Characterization: 5.0
.....Writing: 4.0

Accompanying Tea: none

Review
Not my favorite Plato (I think that honor goes to The Apology of Socrates, which blows me away every time I read it). I don't know if it's Christopher Howe's translation or what, but parts of this read like the script from a Marx Brothers' movie. For example:

"... then for a start, if the pious were loved because it is pious, the god-loved would also be loved because it is god-loved; and then, if the god-loved were god-loved because it was loved by the gods, the pious would also be pious because it was loved; but as it is you see that the two things are the opposite way round to each other, which shows that they're completely different from one another..."

Yeah. Try saying that three times fast.

I'm sad to say that it's not the translation - the original Greek is just as bad, which is why I've never been a fan of Plato.

I like what parts I can understand, but with the above quote, I had to draw a diagram to figure out what he was saying.

Question about the original, though: I've read Plato from various translators, and some use very formal English, while others use rather informal English. Is the original written in a more formal or casual Greek? I'm thinking the ancient Greeks didn't have an equivalent to contractions, but did have slang and colloquialisms, but I'm working off one semester of Biblical Greek, during which I spent most of my time trying to wrap my head around declensions and their impact on syntax.

Plato isn't slangy; the only place I can think of where you might find that would be comedy, which means Aristophanes. On the other hand, Plato isn't overly formal or archaic, either. He's writing dialogues between Socrates and others, so it makes sense that they would be proper yet laid-back and slightly informal in tone.
Biblical Greek is a good place to start, because it's quite easy. Plato is used quite a bit as a post-grammar course reader, because his grammar and syntax are pretty straight forward normally. It's just the content that's ridiculous.