How often do we romanticize our experiences as children? There are a few shows that I remember doggedly following, trying never to miss a second of the story. And looking back at them now I simply do not understand why I was so enamored with them. I still mostly enjoy watching the shows, out of some misguided sense of nostalgia; but, the love I had for the story has long since faded...

Before I read it the first time, a friend told me that it was a similar kind of story to the Princess Bride. Prior to reading a single word, I was hooked. He had compared it to one of my all-time favorite movies, and a very good book, so I instantly picked it up and read it...

I first purchased the Eye of the World back sometime when I was in college, if not before. It sat on my shelf for a couple of years before I decided to read it; that was probably in my early junior or late sophomore year. I was barely able to read it. I struggled to read it, while I gorged myself on Terry Goodkind’s work. Now fast forward to February of 2011: I purchased the audio version of the book...

Not only do his actions destroy his honor, they also show his lack of compassion towards a fellow comrade. Already having likened Odysseus to the Spartans, Sophocles implies that the Spartans have no honor or compassion for their allies or fellow citizens. This is further use of propaganda to bolster the morale of the Athenians and to slander the Spartans. Making them out to be self-centered honor less men, who only care for themselves, they will use and abandon any of their allies...

How many times have we heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? And how many times have we completely disregarded that advice? I am willing to bet that everyone, myself included, has at least once in their lives judged a book by its cover, or at least its cover art. You only get to make a first impression once; I know it is a cliché but that does not dull the truth of its meaning...

After capturing the bow from Philoctetes, Neoptolemus starts to feel ashamed by his actions and wishes to make amends (p.203, Philoctetes). In response to Odysseus’s question of where he was off to, Neoptolemus tells him, “To undo the wrong that I have already done”, (p. 203, Philoctetes). Confused, Odysseus asks Neoptolemus, “What wrong are you talking about” (p. 203, Philoctetes)?..

Odysseus’ lack of bravery appears again in Sophocles’ Philoctetes. He is unwilling to be in line of sight of Philoctetes, who is one of the best archers in all of Greece. In addition to Philoctetes skill with the bow, he wields Heracles’ bow along with the arrows tipped in the Hydra’s blood (p. 364, Powell). So, Odysseus instead sends Neoptolemus to meet Philoctetes and trick both the bow and the man into coming to Troy (p. 165, Philoctetes)...

With each new installment of The Dresden Files I find that I am filled with giddiness due to the rising anticipation of the story. And as I have consumed each new chapter in this series I have found that I have not been disappointed. Through each of the fourteen novels I have watched Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden learn and grow, as well as defeat enemies he should have no right walking away from...

Through this action Odysseus keeps a firm grasp on his honor, despite his earlier cowardice. Ajax has no one with whom he could truly connect — no one of equal stature to help him through his problems. For all the past deeds and the honor he has accrued, ultimately it takes Odysseus, a man he wishes to murder (Ajax), to grant him honor after death...

I remember a few years ago, well maybe closer to five years ago, I was walking through a local Barns & Noble and out of the corner of my eye I saw a hardcover book which cover caught my eye. I immediately picked it up, gave it a once over and was gripped by the reviews. I am fairly sure the book was not The Final Empire, it was The Hero of Ages, if my memory serves me correctly...

Greek Mythology has always interested me, so much so that while I was at college I took a class on the subject. During the class I was required to write a paper that counted as a significant portion of my grade. For a while I had trouble thinking about my topic, but then it came to me. And it intrigued my professor at the time, so over the next several posts I will share the paper I wrote back in April of 2004...

Often I will come across a show that I have never heard of and I immediately fall in love with, only to find out that it has already been cancelled. Typically this happens as I’m three or four episodes into the series...

What is it about books that make them so hard to translate to the screen? The first thing that pops into my mind is the depth of a book. There is so much occurring throughout the pages that to force the book into the constraints of a movie certain things must be forfeited. No one will sit through a six to eight hour movie, it just won’t happen. Rarely, a movie will run very close to a book, in fact I have seen it happen only a couple of times...

Audio books are an incredible way to consume literature… well some types of literature anyway. I do not care how good a narrator might be, he will be unable to adequately describe a technical diagram in sufficient detail. So technical literature aside, listening to an audio book can bring the story alive in different ways than simply reading it ever could. Yet there are those who believe that listening to an audio book is a bad thing, almost childish...

As technology grows every day, it ever so slowly seeps into the world of literature. Just four years ago if e-books were thought of at all they were considered a joke. Used only by a handful of people, they were quickly dismissed by the vast majority. Not caring about the lack of an apparent market or the other dedicated e-ink e-readers already on the market, Amazon released its first generation Kindle...