<–The State of the Reader: 3/10/21         The State of the Reader: 4/7/21–>

A biweekly post updated every other Wednesday detailing my current reading projects and what new titles I’ve added to my to-read list.  Title links go to Goodreads, and if you have an account there feel free to friend me!  I’d love to see what you’re reading and/or planning to read.

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Purchased: 0

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Books Finished: 0

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Currently Reading

Title: The Oedipus Trilogy
Series: The Theban Plays
Author: Sophocles
Date Added: July 25, 2020
Date Started: March 18, 2021

Media: Paperback
Progress: 7%

As mentioned last week, I’ve read Oedipus Rex, but not the other two books in the Cycle, and I’m obviously reading/rereading this for research purposes even though I’ve already used it in an essay.  Oops.

I find this story fascinating, because the it’s so much more than just its story.  In fact the narrative itself, while important, is less so than what the audience expects from it.  I remember learning about in English class and how any Greek going to see it performed would already have knowledge of how it ended, but the entire point of it was the catharsis experienced in watching the main character suffer, which means the Greeks were into Schadenfreude long before the Germans lol.   There is something about watching a well known story unfold even if you know the ending, because every time you see it, there’s always the slim possibility that maybe this time the terrible fate won’t fall.  Maybe this is why we’re all obsessed with reboots and Remakes.

The ill-fated Oedipus was their scapegoat, and he functions as that in the play, because all of the ills of Thebes are (unknowingly) due to him, and once he is ousted, the plague ends.  The idea of of the sacrificial king is really old.  It’s the theme of Mary Renault’s The King Must Die, and shares similar symbolism with the “dying/resurrected god” (isn’t Easter coming up hehe?).  I feel like I could make an argument about scapegoating someone as a villain when they were put into a position through no choice of their own while the ones who made the atrocities possible end up as Karma Houdinis, but I’ll save that for my essays.

Anyway I’ve read eight pages but have a shit ton of notes.  The true tragedy of Oedipus is not that it happened, but that the poor mother fucker was screwed from the start.

Title: A Sky Beyond the Storm
Series: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Date Added: November 1, 2020
Date Started: March 17, 2021

Media: Hardback
Progress: 5%

I kind of feel like I should’ve reread the other books or a recap prior to starting this, but as I read I’m remembering.  I haven’t quite gotten into it, but I know I will.

Title: Iron Heart
Series Title: Crier’s War
Author: Nina Varela
Date Added: March 3, 2021
Date Started: March 8, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 63%

This one is way more focused on the relationship between Ayla and Crier, which makes sense since it’s the focal point of the duology.  I’m…a little bit curious why they didn’t do something after a catastrophic event, but maybe they’re getting around to it?

Title: Night Fire
Series Title: Night Fire Trilogy
Author: Catherine Coulter
Date Added: February 22, 2021
Date Started: February 23, 2021

Media: eBook/Kindle
Progress: 90%

One thing I can say for this, at least it was kind of realistic (in a romantic trope-y way) about the gradual warming up of the female MC to the male one.

Title: Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII
Author: M. J. Gallagher
Date Added: October 26, 2020
Date Started: December 8, 2020

Media: Paperback
Progress: 82%

Since I never finished Crisis Core I really picked up a bit from his chapter on Genesis and how he connects to both the Garden of Eden and the apples of Idun from Norse Mythology.  This is going to be…interesting for me to review.  I love how he has a structure for each chapter where he usually starts with the Norse idea then talks about the character/concept connected to it, and then explains their symbolic significance and why it could be a potential reference.  He also uses footnotes, though sometimes they seem to be for things that are a bit obvious, but better have too much information than not enough.  This will be a great reference for my own research.  I do think there are some concepts he could go a bit deeper on like I was kind of disappointed he didn’t talk about the triple goddess motif in the chapter about Jenova/Hel.  One one hand this is focused on Norse Mythology, but on the other he did mention the story of Genesis (er…the Biblical one) in the last chapter I read, but that’s more commonly known I suppose?

There’s this article by Dorian the Historian called “Game of Thrones & Norse Mythology” (which is going to be incredible to cross reference) where he connects characters in ASOIAF to the Norse mythos.  I’ve started doing that a bit with FFVII.  Nothing is ever one to one, but what’s kind of crazy is characters I’d equate with a Norse deity in Song share symbolism with the same equating character in VII.  I’ve said it before but both stories pull from the same pool of paradigms, and it almost seems like both were laid upon the template of Norse Mythology.

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I started watching this show Carnival Row, and I’m kinda meh on it.  It’s…okay, but I’m just not feeling the pull, you know.  It doesn’t help that I just finished up two incredible shows: Fleabag and The Sinner.  I’m pretty sure Fleabag is done for good, but I’m just waiting for the next season of The Sinner.  So I’ve just been catching up on Archer lol.  

Oh!  I almost forgot.  I was invited to an Aeriseph Discord where PEOPLE FUCKING KNOW ME AS THE AUTHOR OF FANFICS.  wut.  It’s so weird, but I’ve also bookmarked so many fanfics myself that I can’t wait to read.  I might dive into one tonight.

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<–The State of the Reader: 3/10/21         The State of the Reader: 4/7/21–>