Once Upon a Time VIII

It’s that time of year again for Carl V of Stainless Steel Droppings’s Once Upon a Time Challenge, year VIII. I’m always giddy about reading fantasy or anything fantasy-like, though I don’t give myself nearly much opportunity to do so, but from my shelves I’ve pooled together a few titles that sort-of fit and I can’t be more excited.

Foucalt’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco. I love love love the complexities of Eco. Have been putting off reading this book for years because I wanted the perfect time to savour it. From Publishers Weekly: ”. . . the novel is a mixture of metaphysical meditation, detective story, computer handbook, introduction to physics and philosophy, historical survey, mathematical puzzle, compendium of religious and cultural mythology, guide to the Torah . . . , reference manual to the occult, the hermetic mysteries, the Rosicrucians, the Jesuits, the Freemasons—-ad infinitum.” Whew and wow.

Mythology by Edith Hamilton. Picked at this in bits and snatches and pieces in my high school and university days but never actually got to reading through the whole thing. Wondering how it compares to Bulfinch’s Mythology.

Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges. Time to be dipping into this treasure chest again. A few stories, here and there, for this challenge will be reward enough.

A Song of Ice and Fire: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. Fourth season of the TV series is about to show and I still haven’t begun the second volume. Must catch up.

These will be the daydreamiest days of the year.