#currently finishing this book

[butcharium]

I have a 6 hour train journey ahead of me please do send some asks

#currently reading a good book I'll post about when finished! #musings

[brother-emperors]

WHAT DOOM FOR YOU?

back again with my Please Read The Thebaid Agenda! I adapted the ending of Book VII into a comic because oh boy. thoughts thoughts thoughts.

There is a horror in having yourself altered to such a degree where you are unrecognizable in your own self, to know that it is happening, to know that you should be dead and yet you are not. You have already seen the moment of your death!!!! (Stat. Theb. 3.537 – 47) There's a horror in knowing, and in it being treated as an act of love when it's really more like a violation. Amphiaraus is spared Creon's decree, but by falling into the underworld, it makes things worse on a cosmic scale.

Statius' Thebaid Book VII, trans. Jane Wilson Joyce

Statius and Virgil: The Thebaid and the Reinterpretation of the Aeneid, Randall T. Ganiban

Statius' Thebaid and the Poetics of Civil War, Charles McNelis

The Perils of Prophecy: Statius' Amphiaraus and His Literary Antecedents, E. Fantham

society6 | ko-fi | twitter (pillowfort, cohost) | deviantart

#the thebaid #komiks tag #long post #amphiaraus #wheezing i actually started this last year; i only JUST got around to finally finishing/formatting it all #anyway please read the thebaid it's so good #theres something about apollo perpetuating cycles of violence as a catalyst for it u know. #in book one they recount how apollo's rape of a king's daughter is what set in motion the events that led to current rituals #and then with amphiaraus the collapsing of borders between the 3 realms dragging the cosmic in to the war #the war that mars himself looked away from in disgust!!!! #it’s all greek to me

[princessofbookaholics]

currently reading ✨

#books #booklr #book #reading #read #bookworm #reads #bookaholic #bookaddict #the count of monte cristo #alexandre dumas #classic #classics #I'm starting this now so hold me accountable to finish it before the end of the year #I'll be reblogging this post with the page count i am at at the end of every week #because im reading this really slowly #I'm at page 78 right now #currently reading

[xxrat--punkxx]

obsessed w the resurrection beasts istfg its so gender, based off of @briarwickart’s design

#bruhhhhhhhh #im only on chapter 3 so chill w the spilers #im spending way to fucking much time annotating the book lmaoo #lik ive wrtten 3/4 pages on harrow in just snnotations #considering writing a kind of essay on each act when i finish them literally just for fun #i call this 'i got a 9 in my english and im currently not studying english so this is how i cope' #but uh yeah this shit is metal af what #i was like ohhh maybe they have a design when god mentioned them and holy fuck i was not disapointed #i had to draw them ahhh #no idea how big they are or how they move or anything #but ayo new gender dropepd #yes i drew it in the book #i do wanna post my nnotations and my thoughts because i hve so fucking much #none of them are legible tho lamoooo #my art #harrow the ninth #the locked tomb #resurrection beast #tamsyn muir

[singular-nail]

The Way of Blorbo

Words of Blorbo

Oathblorbo

The Rhythm of Blorbo

#stormlight archive #I’ve finished the currently released books #and now i can blorbopost #welcome #cremposting

[randomgirlyoudontknow]

No one will probably read this, but as a long-time fan of ATLA (as in, I literally watched the show as it aired in 2005-2008), I wanted to share my thoughts on the live action. Let it be known that I am far from an ATLA purist––the original certainly had its own flaws and aspects that didn't age well, in retrospect. Despite the generally negative reviews I've seen from the fandom, I was actually very satisfied with this adaptation! But I’ve seen people saying that the characters were butchered, that it’s a soulless and superficial reproduction, and those who liked the live action aren’t capable of thinking/watching critically, which I wanted to push back against (I mean, I’m working on a doctorate in literature…I am quite literally incapable of watching anything uncritically).

The shift in tone to a darker, more mature one was a positive change, imo. It is definitely a much angrier show than the original, even if some of the characters were not as fiery as they should have been (*cough* Katara *cough*). Overall, while there were certainly decisions made that I didn't agree with (mainly related to pacing and narrative), I thought the cast and crew really captured the spirit of the original, and even added depth and nuance to parts I felt were initially lacking.

In general, I really appreciated the added emphasis on the cost and suffering of war and imperialism, as well as the depiction of the physical effects of bending. Now, I realize this is largely a matter of personal preference––for example, I'm very interested in depictions of war in fiction (I mean, my dissertation partially covers the impact of WWI on avant-garde art & literature, so...). But I've seen several claims that the live action glorifies war and violence in a way that is meant to traumatize the viewer, and I simply don't think that's true? While the original handled war, genocide, trauma, etc. in a phenomenal way for a kid's show in the early 2000s, it was also still sanitized when it comes to death and injury, to an extent that I feel like we, the viewers, almost lose sight of the fact that bending KILLS. Sure, we were exposed to its after effects, like the death of Katara and Sokka's mother or Zuko's scar, but there's something to be said actually seeing and acknowledging the very palpable danger that something like firebending presents.

I've even seen someone say that the show's depiction of "gratuitous violence" constitutes a "profound misunderstanding" of the source text, which I think is frankly a bad faith take. The death and violence, though more realistic, is still not a major focus of the show, nor is it glorified in any way. A glorification of violence would look like indiscriminate killing and maiming for the sake of edginess (looking at you GOT). We would see graphic depictions of death and injuries, which simply does not happen in this show (they even joke about the fact that we never see anyone die in Ember Island Players). War and fighting are still treated with the same depth and gravity as the original, only this time, the severity of its consequences isn't obscured from the viewer.

I also thought the show's handling of trauma (especially Katara's) was excellent. The choice to have Katara's mom's death revealed in flashbacks (specifically when around firebending) was something that really stood out to me. And the new characterization of Bumi, which I realize was quite unpopular, was another change I quite appreciated. His bitterness and cynicism seemed more in-line with someone who had endured 100 years of war and the suffering of his people at the hands of a brutal imperial force. Lastly, I was pleased to see the narrative attempt to address the role Iroh played in the Siege of Ba Sing Se (something that was absolutely missing from the original). The Earth Kingdom soldier confronting him and calling him a butcher was a powerful moment, for me. I truly hope the show continues to dive into this aspect of his character in future seasons.

Speaking of characters, I loved that we got extra background and insight into several of the characters. Zhao, for example, was unexpectedly quite funny, and his actor really did a phenomenal job of fleshing him out and making him feel like a real person (as slimy and smarmy as he was) rather than a stock, cartoon villain. And I have to give kudos to the actors who played Sokka and Zuko––they both did an incredible job of embodying their respective characters, in a way that felt highly reminiscent of the original. In particular, I thought the handling of Zuko's backstory was truly outstanding––perhaps even better than the original.

All in all, I felt the live action did a really nice job of balancing the darker sides with the light. While I've seen fans complaining that the show doesn't have the same goofiness and lightheartedness, I actually thought the humor worked really well––it was one of the few times I felt the overly ironic, Joss Whedonesque one-liners actually fit. Sure, the humor was a lot drier and more toned down than the original, but I nonetheless thought it carried the show's spirit well (loved that they let Sokka say “ass” not once, but twice). There were moments when I genuinely laughed out loud! I also appreciated how, despite the more mature tone, hope, friendship, and harmony still remained the most important aspect at the end of each episode.

There's a lot of room for improvement, but I was overall very satisfied with the live action, and I'm very glad that the series has been renewed. I'm very excited to see what the cast and crew does with the rest of the show!

#tl;dr i really enjoyed the live action #long post #there's honestly so much more i could say but my brain is currently fried #this is probably a little all over the place but i just finished up a book review and i am incapable of forming coherent thoughts #atla #avatar the last airbender #natla #natla positivity

[x22817]

We are finally getting a much needed day off after a week of doctor appointments and testing every damn day 🙃

I'm hoping I can finish The Gathering Storm today!

#eek #only two books left! #I'm going to die when I finish this series #beans beans the magickal fruit #dogblr #dogs of tumblr #spoonie #chronic illness #currently reading #booklr #wheel of time #wot #bibliophile #fiction #reading #books and dogs #books #tea #biology #mug #robert jordan #brandon sanderson

[outlying-hyppocrate]

baz pitch is. he's everything ever. why is nobody talking about this

#random thoughts #carry on #baz pitch #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #!! him !! #fucking. fucking. i fucking love this. this. this fucking bastard #i am. currently now reading. any way the wind blows. i haven't finished it but. out of the simon snow trilogy #is it strange to say wayward son was my favorite ? so far. so far. i haven't finished the. final book #BAZ PITCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!! i can't say anything else. essay terminé. yes. that is all #(i'm SO fucking gay .)

[regco-art]

Rangi and Kyoshi are simply adorable 🥺💚

#just finished reading the rise of kyoshi and currently reading the shadow of kyoshi #man these avatarverse books are way more badass than I expected LOL #avatar kyoshi #kyoshi x rangi #the rise of kyoshi #the shadow of kyoshi #avatar #atla #avatar the last airbender #atla kyoshi

[cpt-indigo]

mr john…. just finished the unexpected heiress & it’s for sure one of my faves!! the plot and mystery + mc’s relationship w her sister had me hooked and all the side characters were interesting :)

#playchoices #myart #the unexpected heiress #john somerset #indian john is the only option i’m sorry. his backstory makes so much sense that way 😭 #also a smart mc after all the newer books i’ve been diamond mining is a blessing 😭 #currently making my way through some old books i never finished so i can make my personal choices book tier list.. #also messing w some diff brushes! #enough rambling: i will be thinking of mr. john for the next week…

[lazyrezi]

I also hate having emotions about reality; I'd much rather have them about the murderbot diaries

I love that even tho it tries to it cannot hide its feelings - a small detail I appreciate because while it makes it clear murderbot is uncomfortable with showing emotions it still very much insists on pointing out multiple times in the narrative that it has to restrain/calm itself or straight up fails

This is just hilarious it really doesn't give a shit very relatable

Murderbot has an amazing sense of humour people should take notes

The first one being unintentionally funny meanwhile the second one it was actually trying to make a joke!!! which is even better it makes my heart melt

#currently reading #the murderbot diaries #i have already finished it but im just going over my favourite parts #i could have highlighted the whole book tbh

[imlovelace]

i'm the only one left who hasn't read the secret history but i'm getting there

#i bought it #but i haven't finished the book i'm currently reading #sooo #yeah 🥲 #the secret history #books #book #book series #booknerd #bookworm #bookblr #booklr #reading #library #bookstores #books and reading #books and literature #books and libraries #reading books

[a-ramblinrose]

“A poet once wrote that the woods of Gallacia are as deep and dark as God’s sorrow, and while I am usually skeptical of poets, I feel this one may have been onto something. Certainly the stretch of my homeland that I found myself riding through was as deep and dark as something out of a fairy tale.”― T. Kingfisher, What Feasts at Night

#What Feasts At Night #Sworn Soldier #T. Kingfisher #books #book photography #current reading #Not out of void but out of chaos #technically I finished last night but I do want the book to exist in my current reading tag #I literally read it in an hour late at night in bed which wasn’t really the time for aesthetic posts and quotes!

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

Just got to Caemlyn in my EOTW reread and I’m thinking about how Rand suggests to Basel Gill that he could go to Elaida about the Darkfriends, and I’m *cackling* at the idea of Moiraine getting to Caemlyn only to find Rand with Elaida of all people.

Elaida, who is able to sense Rand is important but doesn’t know exactly what his deal is at this point, suddenly being *very* invested in lording it over Moiraine that Moiraine’s little pet came to *her.* Moiraine gritting her teeth to try and be nice to Elaida despite wanting to slap her because she needs her to get to Rand. Rand just totally clueless to the fact he chose the absolute worst Aes Sedai for Moiraine to have to deal with. Like the one sister with whom she has decades-long animosity.

#dril reads wot #(again) #wheel of time #rand al'thor #moiraine damodred #elaida do avriny a'roihan #I may actually have to write a little fic about this just for fun #if I ever finish the ten chapters I’m currently writing #I’m really on my new spring bullshit all I can think about is moiraine #wot book spoilers

[maddiesbookshelves]

If you're wondering how my reread of The Hunger Games is going

#the hunger games #catching fire #the mockingjay #suzanne collins #book memes #maddie talks #currently reading #i'm almost done with book 3 #fighting the urge to buy the new french edition #then i'll start over my reading of ballad of songbirds and snakes #since i never finished it

[melindagordon]

fic rec

hey i haven't been on tumblr in ages so this probably won't get any attention buuuuuut

after over a decade my new hyperfocus is now the hunger games (yes i'm late, i'm an aquarius) and i haven't been able to finish the last book bc of fanfic

which brings me to ask for recs!!

i'm on page 80 on ao3 but if anyone has any everlark fic rec especifically for:

katniss being actually preggers in the quarter quell

post-mockingjay/pre-epilogue

i'd be forever thankful!! :)

#the hunger games #everlark #katniss everdeen #peeta mellark #everlark fanfic #i havent watched the new movie yet bc i'm waiting till i finish the last book #which will be forever apparently #but anyways watched it in december '23 for the first time #am currently obsessed #also got the adhd diagnosis so that explains a lot #do i even still have active mutuals/followers??