Recently read William Irwin Thompson’s “The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light” which traces the evolution of religion and civilization away from the primitive Cult of the Goddess - feels like a similar concept to Graves’ White Goddess - totally rocked my world
Interesting, looking forward to the book. Gimbutas’ work is also in line with Graves’, worth looking into it. I read the Ted Anton book when it came out, which led me to Culianu’s short fiction. Interesting to say the least, like a cross between Eliade (Mircea not Mercia, btw) and Umberto Eco. Not fully realized tho, imo. Sad that he was taken so early. Someone should track down his gf at the time, Hillary Wiesner, I bet she’s got stories…
Yes I too was a little disappointed by the short fiction of his I read. Eros and Magic in the Renaissance is a supreme masterpiece containing within it many wonders. Thank you for the typo correction. I think I am becoming slightly more dyslexic as I age, which is slightly disconcerting, but, having Googled it just now, I find is apparently common.
Very interested to hear that Robert Graves’s father wrote a rebuttal to his war memoir! Not the focus of your peace, but I am a devotee of World War I memoirs, and that sounds like something worth reading.
I don’t agree that the God depicted in the book of Job is evil. He is inexplicable. He permits evil for reasons that he will not or cannot articulate. Every serious religion has to explain the presence of evil and suffering. Nonetheless, the explanation doesn’t make the evil and suffering go away or any easier to bear. Job seems to me to simply be a realistic picture of that ineradicable problem.
If you read To Return to All That, let me know what you think of it. I don't know anyone who has read it. I believe Alfred Perceval Graves was working on his memoir before Robert's had come out, but when APG got wind of Good-bye to All That and read it in proofs, he redirected a large part of its focus to rebutting his son's claims.
A big interest of mine is Victorian England, and the culture and religious and intellectual life of the time. The idea of a man born around the time Queen Victoria acceded to the throne writing a rebuttal of his famous son’s world-weary war memoir …. Well, it sounds exactly in my zone of interest. So, decent chance I will read it. BTW, easily the greatest book of intellectual history I have ever read is Walter Houghton, The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870 (1956). The transition from the late Enlightenment era casualness about religion, to the earnest evangelicalism of the mid-Victorian era, to the a generation of painfully fading faith, is epic. It may tie in to your current interests.
Recently read William Irwin Thompson’s “The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light” which traces the evolution of religion and civilization away from the primitive Cult of the Goddess - feels like a similar concept to Graves’ White Goddess - totally rocked my world
Never heard of it, will have to check that out. Thx for sharing
Interesting, looking forward to the book. Gimbutas’ work is also in line with Graves’, worth looking into it. I read the Ted Anton book when it came out, which led me to Culianu’s short fiction. Interesting to say the least, like a cross between Eliade (Mircea not Mercia, btw) and Umberto Eco. Not fully realized tho, imo. Sad that he was taken so early. Someone should track down his gf at the time, Hillary Wiesner, I bet she’s got stories…
Yes I too was a little disappointed by the short fiction of his I read. Eros and Magic in the Renaissance is a supreme masterpiece containing within it many wonders. Thank you for the typo correction. I think I am becoming slightly more dyslexic as I age, which is slightly disconcerting, but, having Googled it just now, I find is apparently common.
Yea, Eros & Magic is a stone cold classic. And probably the reason (in a ‘magical’ way) he was murdered.
*sigh* Fine, I’ll buy your book.
Very interested to hear that Robert Graves’s father wrote a rebuttal to his war memoir! Not the focus of your peace, but I am a devotee of World War I memoirs, and that sounds like something worth reading.
I don’t agree that the God depicted in the book of Job is evil. He is inexplicable. He permits evil for reasons that he will not or cannot articulate. Every serious religion has to explain the presence of evil and suffering. Nonetheless, the explanation doesn’t make the evil and suffering go away or any easier to bear. Job seems to me to simply be a realistic picture of that ineradicable problem.
If you read To Return to All That, let me know what you think of it. I don't know anyone who has read it. I believe Alfred Perceval Graves was working on his memoir before Robert's had come out, but when APG got wind of Good-bye to All That and read it in proofs, he redirected a large part of its focus to rebutting his son's claims.
A big interest of mine is Victorian England, and the culture and religious and intellectual life of the time. The idea of a man born around the time Queen Victoria acceded to the throne writing a rebuttal of his famous son’s world-weary war memoir …. Well, it sounds exactly in my zone of interest. So, decent chance I will read it. BTW, easily the greatest book of intellectual history I have ever read is Walter Houghton, The Victorian Frame of Mind, 1830-1870 (1956). The transition from the late Enlightenment era casualness about religion, to the earnest evangelicalism of the mid-Victorian era, to the a generation of painfully fading faith, is epic. It may tie in to your current interests.