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review
ravenlee
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Mehso-so

This wasn‘t what I thought it would be, but I can‘t grade down for my misunderstanding. Beard‘s “confronting” isn‘t at all confrontational: this is really just a collection of her book reviews. I did learn a fair bit from those, but her very problematic dips into rape culture and nostalgia for the “good old days” when it was accepted that teachers mixed tutoring with groping drop this a full level. Think I‘m done with Beard.

Alfoster Huh? I taught high school for 40 years and don‘t ever remember that being “acceptable.” When were those “good ole” days???😱😝 2y
ravenlee @Alfoster she‘s talking specifically about uni-level, or perhaps just below, when professors would set up sessions with their students and the women would have to endure pats on the bottom at best to get the individual tutoring. She reminisces about pre-1980 in one of the last sections of the book (had it not been one of the last I wouldn‘t have finished it). Apparently she has some fondness for these old days🤨 2y
Alfoster Yikes! That‘s still nuts! Glad that never happened to me in college (which was pre-1980)😳 2y
ravenlee @Alfoster I was in college 20 years ago, and while there were plenty of professors engaging in inappropriate acts with their students, they were at least a little less open about it. They weren‘t just groping any female who happened to show up in their classes. But yeah, this whole bit really has me 😡 2y
Alfoster Thankfully we avoided it!👍😝 2y
25 likes5 comments
quote
ravenlee
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Okay, first came the dubious representation of cultural plunder as rape and all its problems. Now Beard is waxing poetic about the bygone days of teachers regularly molesting their students as part of “tutoring.” I‘m at a loss. Seriously? “The erotic dimension of pedagogy - which had flourished, after all, since Plato…” 🤢🤬

quote
ravenlee
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This whole section about cultural plunder as ‘rape‘ is really rubbing me the wrong way, and the explanation of date rape. The low rate of conviction has much more to do with power, putting victims on trial, and the unwillingness of authority figures (police and legal figures) to pursue the process in the first place. This is from a review circa 2008, which feels too recent for such a misunderstanding. Is it just me?

ShyBookOwl It is NOT just you. That also rubs me the wrong way. 2y
Ruthiella A poor analogy, I agree. 2y
5feet.of.fury Yeah that was unnecessary.. and icky. 2y
30 likes4 comments
review
Schwifty
The Early Germans | Malcolm Todd
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Pickpick

This is an academic treatment of the history and archaeology of the various Germanic tribes inhabiting central, northern and eastern Europe on the fringes of the Roman Empire, including their migrations, interactions with Roman provincials and cultural exchanges between the two. Think of names like Franks, Goths, Alemmani, Thuringians, Suebi and Vandals. Ultimately, these peoples would subsume the Roman Empire. Pretty dry read, but to be expected.

blurb
Cinfhen
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So I completed my personal challenge of confronting 12 classics over the past 12 months and surprisingly I really enjoyed 5 of them. Stoner even made my #20Best2020 list 🤓Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone @Reviewsbylola

Reviewsbylola Well done! You‘ve got some great books on your list! 3y
Cinfhen But....I‘m out in 2021, Steph xx @Reviewsbylola 🤣 3y
TrishB 👏🏻👏🏻 well done 3y
See All 11 Comments
Hooked_on_books “Surprisingly I really enjoyed 5 of them” 🤣 Oh man, I can‘t stop laughing! I‘m sure you didn‘t intend that to be funny, but it really ticked my funny bone. I wonder if this challenge was kind of like getting a cavity filled. 😂 3y
Reviewsbylola Hahahaha, I doubt I‘ll run it anyway. I still plan on reading classics but I‘m shit at running challenges. 3y
merelybookish Nice! Now you know you can read classics you just choose NOT to. 😅 I also have Stoner in my Top 20. 3y
Megabooks @Hooked_on_books Lolololol!! Does sound like a bookish cavity filling! 3y
KarenUK Now I‘m trying to guess which were the 5 you really liked! So it‘s Stoner.... and..... 🤷‍♀️ 3y
Cinfhen Hahaha @Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I initially did approach reading classics like going to the dentist...something not really pleasant but necessary. However I really liked & enjoyed Stoner, Rebecca, Alice, Mysterious Affair and Revolutionary Road. The only one I didn‘t care for was Shakespeare but that was more style/language ( story was great) @merelybookish @KarenUK @Reviewsbylola I can probably be persuaded to go for a 6month cleaning 😉 3y
HOTPock3tt I loved Rebecca!! I read it this year too, and it‘s my fave book of the year @Cinfhen (edited) 3y
Cinfhen Agreed @HOTPock3tt Rebecca was excellent/ I listened on audio and the narration was perfect 3y
83 likes11 comments
review
LostInSpace
The Colosseum | Keith Hopkins
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Pickpick

This was such an interesting read, dealing with the origins of the colosseum, it‘s uses, the famous gladiator events, even touching on the morals and ethics surrounding such a horrific and brutal sport.

Enjoyable if you are after a little slice of history with a little bit of humour and nostalgia thrown in!

#nonfiction #ancientrome #historygeek #gladiators #romans #colosseum #history #dork #wellread

VeganCleopatra There was humor thrown in? 4y
LostInSpace @VeganCleopatra all of Mary Beards writing has some sort of humour in it, I guess it‘s kinda dark humour but I like her writing style, she brings history to life 🙂 4y
VeganCleopatra Huh. I don't recall thinking she was humorous before and I've read a few. I actually like dark humor too. Now I wonder if I missed. 🤔 Have you read SPQR? That was my most recent Beard book and I found it pretty terrible and badly in need of an editor. I may have been too irritated to notice subtle humor. 😏 4y
20 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
PuddleJumper
Antinous: Boy Made God | R. R. R. Smith
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Haul from the Ashmolean

#classicalhistory #ashmolean #history

blurb
PuddleJumper
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I studied classical history at University and always get books like this as gifts. I never read them. I thought I would challenge myself to read a few as they have been ignored for many years

#giftbooks #classicalhistory