Active Users:481 Time:03/05/2025 08:30:24 AM
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee BlackAdder Send a noteboard - 02/10/2010 04:07:10 AM

Not unless you went to High School in the illustrious state of SC. Some of the worst public education in the country. I'm almost certain this is how I could get good grades with Cliff's help.

mmm, I did not. Possibly you have a point


In my own defense, I moved in from a much better school district in OH and not everyone in SC is a waste because the schools are terrible. The district I was in was the best in the state, for what it's worth to be the best of the worst. The state was litterally ranked last in the country while I was finishing up.

Heh, I actually graduated from HS in Cleveland, although I only lived there 2 years. City schools, so not the best, but I only used Cliff notes when I didn't have time to do the reading assignments, and they didn't really help. I didn't realize SC was that bad

But more seriously though, that show... Wishbone was a lot more useful (and fun!) than Cliff notes

I dig most of those. What is the Periodic Table about, if not Chemistry? I've not heard of that one. Like seeing another Twain fan there.

It's written by a chemist and Holocaust survivor named Primo Levi. Each chapter is titled after a chemical element and the author relates each of them to his experiences in Nazi concentration camps.


This sounds like an interesting way to write about this subject. Does he get through all of the elements or just selects several that match up with his experiences? Also, does he just play off the elements name or get into it's scientific properties as well?

Sorry for so many questions here, this just seems an interesting way to do it. I'm also picturing a chapter called Bromine (or pick other random element) and how I would relate that to surviving a concentration camp.

It's much more metaphorical than just a play on the names. He relates to properties as well as the history of each element used. The total is not that long of a list. As I mentioned it is one element per chapter, and I think there are twenty or thirty chapters.

It's Hermann Hesse... not exactly my cup of tea (not that I drink tea), but I found his other major work, Steppenwolf, readable at least. Siddhartha is his version of the Buddha story and I just couldn't get through it.


I know very little about Buddhism, which seems to be a major influence on quite a few of his works. I imagine that would make it difficult to get into them, even if they were action packed. May be interesting to look at something from a different angle like that, but Steppenwolf sounds much more interesting.

Action-packed and Buddhist narrative don't seem to occur together anyway. I'm no expert on Buddhism, however. It really wasn't that much of a content issue, more a style/pace issue. And the story just gets... stranger as you move further.
This message last edited by BlackAdder on 02/10/2010 at 05:34:04 AM
Reply to message
The Classics - general discussion / survey - 30/09/2010 03:52:53 PM 1482 Views
My own answers. - 30/09/2010 04:38:33 PM 1068 Views
I'm trying to read a bit of Shakespeare at the moment - 30/09/2010 07:20:02 PM 1002 Views
Re: I'm trying to read a bit of Shakespeare at the moment - 30/09/2010 09:14:23 PM 1000 Views
Get a copy with annotations! - 30/09/2010 10:56:12 PM 956 Views
Re: My own answers. - 30/09/2010 09:02:08 PM 1094 Views
Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 09:23:51 PM 1112 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 09:34:06 PM 1349 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 10:07:20 PM 1039 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 10:10:32 PM 1210 Views
They are much, much worse than powder soup. - 30/09/2010 09:50:07 PM 954 Views
Well, since they're made of paper... - 30/09/2010 10:09:41 PM 1033 Views
Re: My own answers. - 30/09/2010 11:35:36 PM 1066 Views
Cliff's notes - 05/10/2010 08:05:56 PM 1114 Views
Re: Cliff's notes - 05/10/2010 09:21:06 PM 1326 Views
Re: Cliff's notes - 06/10/2010 01:40:38 AM 1116 Views
It's cool. - 06/10/2010 04:42:13 PM 1169 Views
A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 05:33:35 PM 1041 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 06:46:02 PM 1062 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 10:57:23 PM 1024 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 11:39:16 PM 889 Views
Camilla, that's just because you're an atheist. - 01/10/2010 09:37:34 PM 957 Views
Yes. - 01/10/2010 09:51:32 PM 942 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 01/10/2010 12:20:51 AM 1122 Views
totally problematic classics - 30/09/2010 08:07:22 PM 1083 Views
Re: totally problematic classics - 30/09/2010 09:26:46 PM 976 Views
I study them, apparently. - 30/09/2010 08:44:40 PM 1137 Views
I wish I could do that. - 30/09/2010 09:49:57 PM 1045 Views
Less fun than you'd think. - 30/09/2010 10:52:10 PM 913 Views
Good survey. - 30/09/2010 10:23:18 PM 1112 Views
Agreed. edited - 30/09/2010 10:37:48 PM 1074 Views
But but but Milton is beautiful - 30/09/2010 10:46:06 PM 1006 Views
Sometimes. - 30/09/2010 10:47:28 PM 1033 Views
Maybe I was unclear. - 30/09/2010 10:55:22 PM 1046 Views
Re: Maybe I was unclear. - 30/09/2010 10:57:41 PM 929 Views
I'm glad you approve on the whole. - 30/09/2010 11:12:00 PM 1051 Views
I generally do. - 30/09/2010 11:19:05 PM 1034 Views
Excellent. Might as well include a Hooft poem anyway, in case anyone's interested... - 30/09/2010 11:40:24 PM 1213 Views
Re: Excellent. Might as well include a Hooft poem anyway, in case anyone's interested... - 30/09/2010 11:43:20 PM 1043 Views
Dickens - 01/10/2010 02:42:42 PM 1015 Views
Re: I generally do. - 30/09/2010 11:54:11 PM 1094 Views
Oh, and link to the Flecker poem: - 30/09/2010 11:42:30 PM 941 Views
Re: Good survey. - 01/10/2010 02:52:27 AM 1183 Views
My classics - 30/09/2010 10:54:56 PM 998 Views
Re: My classics - 01/10/2010 03:01:24 AM 1088 Views
Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 30/09/2010 11:30:41 PM 1139 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 03:18:58 AM 998 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 05:20:10 AM 1075 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 02:05:35 PM 1025 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 02/10/2010 04:07:10 AM 1045 Views
Ha, we weren't that far off after all. - 04/10/2010 08:11:39 PM 971 Views
I will not list 300+ books here, I promise - 01/10/2010 12:36:17 AM 1136 Views
O'Connor is wonderful. But I am not sure many can appreciate her. - 01/10/2010 02:50:54 AM 836 Views
I agree, thus the "confound" part in there - 01/10/2010 02:53:26 AM 929 Views
I figured as much. - 01/10/2010 03:08:26 AM 943 Views
I expected you to have quite a few as well. - 01/10/2010 03:25:06 AM 1025 Views
Re: I will not list 300+ books here, I promise - 02/10/2010 11:23:37 AM 1084 Views
Criminy, I thought I was done with essay questions years ago. - 01/10/2010 01:39:56 AM 1044 Views
Glad to bring back the school days. - 01/10/2010 01:49:48 PM 1092 Views
Re: Glad to bring back the school days. - 02/10/2010 05:32:47 AM 879 Views
not sure but I don't believe in instant classics - 02/10/2010 05:22:07 AM 1049 Views
the bf and I are going to do a "Paradise Lost" book club... - 02/10/2010 08:29:38 AM 1173 Views
Mm, Doré's engravings are gorgeous. - 02/10/2010 11:40:48 AM 1093 Views
Re: Mm, Doré's engravings are gorgeous. - 02/10/2010 09:42:37 PM 1049 Views

Reply to Message