Group Read - Ornament of the World - Science Religion History

Ornament of the World

I'm about a third of the way through, and greatly enjoying the way this fits with other reading I have done this year.

Obviously, from the very beginning Greek thought, Arabic culture is a big help. Although, luckily I'm finding this book a lot easier to read than that one was.

I've just picked up references that match with a good ER I read about The Normans.

Thanks for starting this thread! I'm still behind (I haven't yet read Greek Thought, Arabic Culture), but I'm optimistically hoping to catch up eventually.

I love the way books can mesh together on a given subject.

Got the thread starred, but I've got a couple more to finish before I start this one.

My husband came home and we needed to go shopping and then out to dinner. (His idea, I aleady planned to make a squash strudel. But I can always make that tomorrow.)

It looks to me like there may be connection to Four Queens and I have The arts of intimacy waiting to be read when this is done, so I have a lot of books connected to this one.

For those who haven't started yet - this reads very smoothly, at least for me it doesn't expect that I know a lot that I don't. So far I'm also not having trouble keeping various people apart.

Thread's now on the group wiki.

I started the book a little prematurely - before I was quite finished with another book that really needs to be finished first. So it's been set aside for a few days, but I'd agree that it reads very easily. Like MarthaJeanne said, " it doesn't expect that I know a lot that I don't". Can't wait to finish that other book that I'm not enjoying so that I can get back to this one.

I have this book on my shelves so I think I may join all of you in reading it. However, I warn you I read books slowly and it may take me some time to get through this. I realize that I am slow off the mark here and will tag along on the thread until I get caught up.

>7 benitastrnad: Well, this is a quarter-long read, so there is plenty of time. It doesn't sound like anyone is racing through the book.

I've finished it now. I really, really liked a story she tells in the Epilogue.

>6 sjmccreary: I took a couple of days off because The God Delusion had to go back to the library. Luckily I didn't have time to finish that one.

>9 MarthaJeanne: I didn't finish my other book, either. But I'm having trouble caring much about that! I've been dipping into Ornament each day - reading just a few pages or a chapter at a time. There is so much history that I never knew! I'm probably a third through.

I've now started The Arts of Intimacy and already made a reciprical member recommendation. I'm really glad I read 'Ornament' first! This book certainly expects that I know the history I learnt there, but there are lots of fascinating details added: Abd al-Rahman III's mother was Basque, and many other Ummayyads also had Christian mothers fron Northern Spain.

The other thing this book has is pictures. I should say 'illustrations' as there are also many examples of poetry, printed in both the original and translation. Good, the Arabic doesn't help me at all, and the Hebrew not much more, but I can get some idea of the sound of the poetry from the various romantic languages.

My copy of this book had a forward by Harold Bloom. I found it to be interesting because it was confusing. Does anybody else have this edition? If so what did you think of it? I would like to know because I couldn't decide if he was putting the book forward or putting it down.