I spent this afternoon finishing reading Brave New World. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon! A time for myself, sitting in the sun on the terrace, at the same time catapulted into a strange future world and just like a visitor in another country, reflecting on the advantages or disadvantages of my own reality.
On Friday I found out that there were many quotes from Shakespeare in the book and that intrigued me to continue with my reading. I really identify with John's attitude. He is uplifted by the beautiful expression of human emotions and experience, be they positive or negative. In contrast we have Lenina who despite being exposed to beauty and art, is so conditioned that she cannot understand or appreciate it, preferring to stay in her comfort zone. Lost in Classics is for the Johns in life. My daughter is in the last year of middle school so we are visiting some high schools in order to choose one for her for next year. At the moment she seems oriented towards language high school, but I was impressed by the Head Teacher of the Classics high school who said 'What is the point of studying Latin and Greek? The truth it is not useful, we study for the pure pleasure of learning.' All this has inspired me to write my manifesto today, to explain where I am coming from and why Lost in Classics is so important to me. I want to experience life to the full, be open to opportunities and possibilities. I am nosey but with good intentions. The best moments of my life are when other people open up to me, let me see their truth and allow me to share with them without judgement or prejudice. Everyone has a story to share, every experience has something to learn from. Difficult experiences bring out the best in people. Reading is another way of relating to others through the ages. Society encourages us to stay in certain boxes, but in the end our life is our own and we have only one. My own life is specific to me but there are countless experiences and possibilities that I can access through reading. Imagination is more vivid and more wonderful than any film. Life today is so busy we are encouraged to live up to certain standards, to be the perfect wife, mother and friend, be respectable and achieve a good status, get on the property ladder, have a car, buy, buy, buy. For me being is more important than appearing. I want to make the most of every day, not just survive now to live better in a future that may never come. I appreciate beauty and art for art's sake, but like to see beauty everywhere, even in the most unexpected places. The best way to learn is through something you are passionate about, this makes things easier to remember, more personal and less like work. The best way to sound more natural when learning a language is to identify and copy phrases that mother tongue people use. Classics writers' work has lasted in time because they are people that are most able in using language. They present beautifully expressed ideas on timeless themes. The internet should be used for making virtual and real connections and indulging our passions with people that we could not normally meet. Doing something that you love is never a waste on time. In our busy world, it is important to dedicate some space to ourselves, for reflection and even for pure relaxation. Be lost in classics whenever you have the opportunity: you will not only gain in terms of vocabulary but it will also lift your spirits and allow you to feel part of the history of mankind.
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What is this?When I started lostinclassics I looked for language lessons in the books I was reading, such as for example the use of phrasal verbs or inversion in conditionals and I explained them through examples found in the text. I also did reviews of the books I read and tried to give some advice on how to read classics using the various resources I know of. Then I switched to just reviews and lately I have been doing a bit of creative writing inspired by my reading. Who knows what I will come up with next! Archives
September 2020
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