#Literary Classics

[catihere]

Moby Dick is one of the most brilliant pieces of literature out there and not for the reasons you think. Sure, it’s a great analysis on the state of the human ego in relationship with nature, but it’s also an absolutely hilarious piece from top to bottom. I mean:

•The kickstarter of the story is that, one day, Ishmael, a relatively ordinary man, gets frustrated with his life and the best solution he finds is to give up on everything and go whale hunting on a ship in the middle of nowhere. 100/100, what a fucking mood

•Ishmael is not even his name. If I remember correctly (I haven’t opened this book in three years), he picked his name himself and it means outcast, reject. Really now, why are no transmascs out there naming themselves Ishmael??

•He’s not even the main character but he’s the only one I care about

•This book probably INVENTED the “there was only one bed” trope. It introduced Queequeg by literally making him lie in the same hotel bed as Ishmael. Peak strangers to lovers if you ask me

•That’s not even it. Ishmael, uncomfortable at first, wakes up surprised by how well he slept. And in a later chapter, they are described to lie together as compared to a husband and wife.

•Also, Queequeg is an enormous Polinesian man with Māori tattoos on his face, who BY THE WAY collects human heads. Yeah, that gave Ishmael a very fun first impression of him

•The author breaks the narrative every few chapters to info dump us about whales (sometimes inaccurately, there was no Google in 1850 so I don’t blame him). Oh, yeah, because Herman Melville accidentally embarked on a whale hunting expedition for few years, so Moby Dick is inspired from his experience. But that’s a story for another time.

•My favorite info dump/conspiracy theory that he has is presented right at the start of the book. It’s about how different heroes of mythology and history, including Hercules and Saint George, might have been actually whale hunters. Ishmael is such a dork I can’t-

And these are only the things that I can say off the top of head, with a faint memory of the book from three years ago, when I binge read it in two days, so please feel free to add on. I fucking love Moby Dick go read it right now

[zakunni]

Viktor Frankenstein ?¿

[lycorogue]

I'm talking with a friend about Dracula Daily and how neat it is to revive a literary classic like that. How it was able to get published with its new chronological narrative as opposed to the original overlapping timelines.

But we both thought it would be cool if we somehow had a Dracula that included Jonathan's entries in shorthand with Mina's translation next to it.

Then I remembered the -ology books I read in the early 00s (I think... may have been late 90s).

For those who don't know, these were a series of childrens books that presented the fantastical or mythological as "factual" by designing the books like field guides or lost journals.

Their prominent series was Dragonology which had its own spin-offs. There was also Wizardology and Egyptology (which focused on the Egyptian pantheon being real) and Mythology (which was the same thing, but for Greek gods) and Monsterology, etc. Apparently there's 17 books in total in the series! I fell off at about 7!

Point being, these were awesome, interactive, fun books.

And I kind of want a Dracula stylized like them.

I want pages where it looks like Jonathan's original journal entries - written in the shorthand - are secured to scrapbook pages, with Mina's typed up translation nestled next to them. Similar to how Shakespearean plays have the original text to the left and then a modern translation on the right.

I want pages that look like Mina's and Lucy's letters back and forth to each other - printed with different handwriting fonts - are on corresponding pages. Maybe with the torn open envelopes tucked behind the letters.

I want Mina's transcriptions of John's audio recordings.

I want the telegrams being sent by Quincey or Helsing.

I want the actual newspaper clipping about the Demeter.

I want the receipts from the shipping company moving Dracula to Carfax.

I want the visual storytelling of all of these different bits of media compiled like a giant tome of a scrapbook.

I'd also love maps! Maps showcasing the route Jonathan took to and from Transylvania as well as the doomed route of the Demeter. I want a map of England with the various named locations showcased. I want a map of Whitby. I want a map of the interior of Dracula's castle.

So on and so forth.

Anyone know if this is already a thing now that Dracula is in the public domain? Anyone know of an existing shorthand translation of Jonathan's journal entries? Any graphic designers out there feeling where I'm going with this and want to team up to manifest it????

[artemlegere]

The Play Scene in Hamlet Act III, Scene II

Artist: Edwin Austin Abbey (American, 1852–1911)

Date: 1897

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT, United States

Description

This scene from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet depicts the assembled court of Denmark watching a play that Hamlet has devised to "catch the conscience of the king." Suspecting that his father, the former king, was poisoned by his uncle Claudius, Hamlet has orchestrated a performance with a similar assassination plot. Languidly sprawled on the ground beside a wide-eyed Ophelia, Hamlet looks furtively over his shoulder to gauge his uncle’s reaction. Everyone else stares beyond the painting’s setting, toward the "play" before them. The viewer, standing in front of the canvas, thus occupies the same space as the actors on stage. The Philadelphia-born Edwin Austin Abbey, who settled in London in 1878, won fame on both sides of the Atlantic as an illustrator and painter of literary classics.

[thepoetrycrow]

I’d like to put this on greeting cards, but I’m afraid people won’t get it. 😔

[alicetvt]

Page one (redraw)

So because the first page of my dostoyevski Bendystraw comic looked horrible, I decided to take a different approach. I hope this looks better! I'm way more satisfied with it honestly

[shittalkingclassicliterature]

'His landlady came to the door, loosely wrapped in dressing gown and shawl; her husband followed ejaculating.' -War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells

[ohdearwhatacatastrophe]

This one’s for all the writers out there

[bdazzlebooklover]

Love this beautiful copy!

[saranilssonbooks]

The opening of Moby-Dick has always reminded me of the that-escalated-quickly meme.

"Call me Ishmael. I feel like going on an ocean adventure. I also feel like blowing my brains out."

[tmarshconnors]

Botticelli’s Map of Hell

Our modern vision of hell is deeply rooted in the literary and artistic works of the past, with one of the most significant contributions being Sandro Botticelli’s Map of Hell. This masterpiece, created approximately 700 years ago, offers a visual representation of the infernal realms as imagined by Dante Alighieri in his epic poem, "The Divine Comedy." The symbiotic relationship between Dante's literary creation and Botticelli's artistic interpretation has profoundly influenced how we perceive hell even today.

Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet, writer, and philosopher, penned "The Divine Comedy" in the early 14th century. The poem is divided into three parts: Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise). In Inferno, Dante embarks on a harrowing journey through the nine circles of hell, guided by the Roman poet Virgil. Each circle represents a different sin and its corresponding punishment, meticulously detailed by Dante’s vivid imagination and profound theological insights.

Dante’s vision of hell was revolutionary. It combined classical mythology, Christian theology, and medieval philosophy, creating a complex and terrifying afterlife landscape. His work not only reflected the religious beliefs of his time but also influenced future generations' understanding of sin, punishment, and the moral consequences of earthly actions.

About 150 years after Dante’s death, Sandro Botticelli, a renowned Renaissance painter, undertook the ambitious project of illustrating "The Divine Comedy." Among his works, the Map of Hell stands out as a detailed and haunting depiction of Dante’s infernal realms. Botticelli’s illustration, created around 1480, serves as a visual guide to the intricate and layered structure of hell described by Dante.

Botticelli’s Map of Hell is a parchment drawing that meticulously outlines the descending circles of hell, each with its unique torments and sinners. The precision and detail in Botticelli’s work capture the essence of Dante’s narrative, making the abstract horrors of hell more tangible and accessible to the viewers. His ability to convey the emotional and physical anguish of the damned souls adds a visceral quality to Dante’s literary vision.

The collaboration between Dante’s literary genius and Botticelli’s artistic mastery has had a lasting impact on our cultural and religious conception of hell. Even today, many of the common images and ideas associated with hell—such as fire and brimstone, eternal torment, and the hierarchical structure of punishments—can be traced back to Dante’s Inferno and Botticelli’s Map of Hell.

Modern depictions of hell in literature, art, and popular culture often draw inspiration from these medieval works. Whether in horror films, graphic novels, or theological discussions, the influence of Dante and Botticelli is unmistakable. Their portrayal of hell as a place of moral reckoning and divine justice continues to resonate with contemporary audiences, reflecting enduring questions about sin, punishment, and redemption.

Sandro Botticelli’s Map of Hell, based on Dante Alighieri’s "The Divine Comedy," remains a cornerstone of our understanding of the infernal realms. The interplay between Dante’s poetic vision and Botticelli’s artistic interpretation has shaped our collective imagination, defining hell for over seven centuries. As we continue to explore and reinterpret these works, their profound impact on our perception of the afterlife endures, reminding us of the power of art and literature to shape our deepest beliefs and fears.

[carusolikey]

You know, one of my favorite books (or novellas, really), especially this time of year, is Charles Dickens’, A Christmas Carol.

Of course, there are so many great versions of it, but reading it is an experience worth having. That opening line? Chills.

“The UHC CEO was dead, to begin with.”

“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the Ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?”

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Cuz We Are Living in a Canadian World, and I am a Canadian Girl

This was not my first copy of the classic Canadian book about girlhood. It also wasn't my second, which got lost in a move, and it wasn't my third, which...crap, I have no idea what happened to it, but it is the copy that is currently on my bookshelf. I was given my first copy at age nine or so, sitting in my maternal grandfather's living room in Ontario. That side of the family was and still is absolutely obsessed with the Anne books. They talk about Gilbert Blythe the way 2000s girls talk about Edward Cullen and Jacob Black. I'm pretty sure I have heard my cousins use the phrase "I found my Gilbert" in relation to their significant others. Then of course we moved to Alaska and I was on my own to find the rest of the Anne books. But for today, let's talk Anne of Green Gables.

Everyone's favorite PEI orphan is an extremely well-known character at this point, between the books themselves and a myriad of film and television adaptations aimed at kids and adults. Anne studies and Girlhood Studies are pretty popular in Canadian higher ed institutions (I have a friend who was focusing on Anne for her graduate studies), and the idea of this redheaded girl who can see the magic in the world has been sticky since LM Montgomery published in 1908.

Aside from Anne seeing the magic in the world--which, wow do we need that vibe back in this, the year of our lord 2023--one of my favorite things about the first book in the series is that it has massive found family vibes and does not shy away from the importance and joy of female friendships. Like, for all the Anne and Gilbert vibes in popular culture, Anne and Gilbert don't become Anne and Gilbert until the end of book 3 of the series, arguably realistically book 4, and their relationship matures and expands in book 5. But in Anne of Green Gables, Gilbert is just an annoying boy who transforms into an academic rival after Anne sets a hard boundary by way of a slate to the head.

What's critical about this first book is that the key relationships Anne forms are with Diana, Marilla, and Matthew. She gets to be a girl and have fun and adventures with her new family, her best friend, and a pack of Avonlea girls. There is something so pure and comfortable and heartwarming about the community that Anne builds around herself. This is extra poignant when one grows up with this book and grows to understand the full context from which Anne comes. Marilla understands immediately that Anne's light was miraculous for continuing to shine despite the neglectful, possibly abusive situations she came from--even if Marilla then immediately clamps down on that feeling for another few chapters.

Anne gets to be a girl with friends and free time and a family that loves her. There is something quietly magical about that, and I think that has quite a lot to do with the book's ongoing popularity, even if the popular culture imagining of Anne has drifted some over the years. For all that Anne herself sees a world full of dryads, white ways of delight, and romance, the quiet joys of Avonlea life and an Avonlea childhood is the foundation for Anne's imagination to fly.

[alicetvt]

Page two!

Of the Batim x Cuphead x Dostoyevski Crossover is ready. I hope that anyone who reads the comic enjoys it :)