Small joys

[wiseheart]

Our school library is making a sale as they don't have enough room for new books. So they give away the old ones that hadn't been read for years for symbolic sums.

I got myself a German Ramayana version yesterday. I already had one in Hungarian - not a real translation, either of them, more telling the original legends for the modern reader (European) reader - but I just had to buy this one because of the gorgeous illustrations. They are a thing of beauty. And I got the book for what would be 15 Eurocents.

It smells a bit muffy, perhaps because it had been kept in the cellar or whatnot. But I have scented candles in my book-case, so the strange smell will go away eventually, leaving all the undisturbed beauty for me to admire.

Comments

[lhun-dweller.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, library cast-offs! From my school library in New Zealand, I have a book of collected works of Longfellow one of Walt Whitman's work, each printed while the author was still alive. Neither is in good shape - bindings falling apart, worn edges, etc. - but the first has the pretty gold paint on the page edges and the latter has the tissue page over the author portrait in front, and I do enjoy having them around. Enjoy your new treasure!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

The first - and so far only - thing I've read from Longfellow was the Hiawatha, in my early Native American fan phase. It was a very interesting and playful translation. I might seek out online the original one day.

They turned in into a play over here, some thirty years ago, and showed it at the Round Theatre, on Margaret Island. That used to be a small open-air theatre in a wonderfully green environment, they showed these sort of plays every sommer, when the city theatres were on holidays. They had from Gilgamesh to Hiawatha and old Turkish comedies just about everything.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

You can find the most amazing things at library book sales. Enjoy your prize!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, I do. A day later I also bought "The Lost Kingdoms of Mexico" in German, which is another period and culture I have an avid interest for.

Some years ago, I bought a great book from Reader's Digest, about Ancient Mexico. In the middle, they have a fold-out picture about the reconstructed possible view of Tenochtitlan - it must have been absolutely stunning in its heyday. I intend to use it as inspiration for one of my Original Trek novels.