Eowyn's Friday

Time for me to take part in some Friday memes, me thinks! I have been sort of absent and I apologize, but time flies at University. There is so much to do, so much to read that everything else sort of falls away.  But now I am completely ready for these questions. Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. 


Q: Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?
Oh Lord, there are soo many characters that I love, but when it comes to it, I don't know whether I would actually want to be them. But the more I thought about it the more this one character came to mind: Eowyn from 'The Lord of the Rings'. She is an amazing character and while reading the books and watching the movies I felt a real affinity towards her. Especially when she is asked what she fears and answers as follows:

't]o stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire'

One of my worst fears is to live a life in a cage, to not be able to achieve anything or live life. And I feel she is really empowered and modern, wanting to fight her battles and be a good ruler. And I also have a thing for Faramir, so I would have no problem marrying him.

I decided today that I was not going to read anything related to University and found myself reading 'Who's Afraid of Jane Austen?' It's really funny and the tagline is 'How to really talk about books you haven't read'. Sometimes you haven't finished a book but know you will be expected to have an opinion on it and then it is good to know how to express yourself without giving away you haven't read it. To be honest, most of the books that Hitchings talks about I have already read, but it is fun nonetheless. But I decided to use this book for Book Beginnings (Rose City Reader) and Friday 56 (Freda's Voice).


BB:

'You are at a wedding or a dinner party, and the conversation is flowing - a roiling, competitive brabble. Or perhaps it is edgy, hesitant (though still competitive). But then the subject moved on...to books. The change in direction is an opportunity for you to look either brilliant or ridiculous, and you sense this keenly. Which will it be?'

I have a gift for saying stupid things that are then followed by a silence, so this opening immediately had my attention. I'd like to think I always say intelligent things, but I don't.


F56:

'Additionally, the Odyssey, unlike the Iliad, contains memorable female characters, shifts back and forward in time and setting, is overtly moral, and emphasizes the idea of justice.'

Looks like a pretty good summary of themes in the Odyssey. That is really what these kinds of books are good for. Sometimes, even after having finished a book, you can be so overwhelmed you cannot gather your thoughts. Then it is good to have someone write down some of the key themes so you can talk about it without fangirling or stuttering.

So, that was me for today. Leave a link in your comment and I'll return the visit!