thanks
Romantic Fiction, Reality Shaping and The Work
- Thread starter Laura
- Start date
When a book is printed in an offset printing machine, see Offset printing - Wikipedia then they use big sheets of paper which come in different formats depending on where the book was printed Paper size - Wikipedia First the pages are printed on one side and then on the other side. In your example, it seems that about 48 pages are missing. These could have been printed on one large sheet of paper 24 pages on one side and 24 pages on the reverse After printing the larges sheets of paper are folded, then the number of folded sheets of paper are stacked to make one book. These sheets are then glued and bound with a cover before they are cut. What happened in your case was that the sequence of the folded sheets got mixed up.
If one gets a book like yours, one has reason to contact the seller. One can send a picture or more to show the problem, and ask if they can give a replacement. How they will react depends on the seller. It has happened to me twice and both times, they sent a replacement. I did not have to return the damaged books, but some sellers may require this also, for them to get a refund from the publisher.
PERLOU
The Living Force
Merci Thor, ce sont des livres d'occasion que j'achète, ils sont moins chers...
J'ai pu suivre le cours de l'histoire sans trop de difficultés...
Thank you Thor, these are used books that I buy, they are cheaper...
I was able to follow the course of history without too much difficulty...
J'ai pu suivre le cours de l'histoire sans trop de difficultés...
Thank you Thor, these are used books that I buy, they are cheaper...
I was able to follow the course of history without too much difficulty...
If you are looking for good reading, you could always check Lauras writings avalable at Cassiopaea. Some of the material is also available in other languagues.
I completed The Duke's Disaster by Grace Burrowes. She used a few words and the dictionary on Kindle was a gift.
Burrowes worked 25 years as a family attorney handling cases of children in relation to custody, abuse etc. Perhaps it is not surprising that this book has issues within families and how individual members try to overcome them. The burden on the heroine is that she has had the responsibility for her two younger siblings after her parents died. Although from a privileged background, they ran into difficult times and she had to take a job as a companion, but companions do not share the same level of protection as the ones they take care of, and one incident adds to her burden. The hero also landed an early responsibility for his siblings, and as a young duke, he takes on additional responsibility for others including his uncle.
In the book there was one line:
Burrowes worked 25 years as a family attorney handling cases of children in relation to custody, abuse etc. Perhaps it is not surprising that this book has issues within families and how individual members try to overcome them. The burden on the heroine is that she has had the responsibility for her two younger siblings after her parents died. Although from a privileged background, they ran into difficult times and she had to take a job as a companion, but companions do not share the same level of protection as the ones they take care of, and one incident adds to her burden. The hero also landed an early responsibility for his siblings, and as a young duke, he takes on additional responsibility for others including his uncle.
In the book there was one line:
Wondering why the author would write the last line as she did, I found an interview with her, on her webpage, see also this, where she explains the process of writing, as it has developed for her. Somewhere she reflects on romance as a genre in relation to feminism and humanism. I transcribed the following, which I think is true for all the of the books from the list, I have read so far:
The above connects the hero and heroine to civilization and happiness, and maybe also to a faith in the hereafter, as the concept of being "the best people they can be" extends into the realm of ethical virtues and abstract ideas.
I totally understand the concepts of choosing our suffering and our destiny. Both of your insights are succinct and well said. However, my nagging ache about the happy endings is similar to the awareness of the negative outcomes of people with ‘Disneyitis.’ I cannot say what others experience but for the life of me I cannot get my forest critters to come and help with any of my chores. It could be my voice since they tend to run away when I speak.
In my many consultations with lonely single female patients we all agreed that the ‘Prince Charming’ illusion, thanks to Disney, was a major obstacle to their acceptance of the many failures of male romantic inadequacies.
To further clarify my anxiety of the happy-ever-after’s, I sense that I will be confronting my infinite (good/bad/ugly) self in the near future. I am not sure that I will be able to withstand the horror of the self judgement of the immense ugliness of all my demons. Knowing that I have to be aware as well as indifferent to my inner ‘petty tyrants’ I am constantly digging into my hidden self to see this darkness before it is totally exposed. I just don’t sense the love stories with happy endings are the only way to deal with this coming event. I do recognize that the many character and their flaw have expose my demons but how to own them is the issue. My personal experience with this process is much more painful and humiliating and required more blood/sweat/tears without happy endings. Just more of the same-o same-o.
I hope this helps with understand of my anxiety but by no means is this a criticism of the project. I am learning a lot and enjoying the pleasant diversion. I just am wandering is there more that I must do to prepare for the total awakening of all of my selves.
Hey Rolaae, just to clarify, this thread isn't about romantic fiction in general. The books we are reading in this project are listed here:
Romance Novel List
It has been advised in this thread not to branch out to other authors, or even different books by the same authors, as not all historical fiction is the same. Even the same authors have written books of varying quality.
Among many historical romance books Laura has read she specifically selected the ones in the spreadsheet for us. Links to audio/digital versions are provided, but if you can find those titles in thrift stores - even better
It's good to know, already checked the list and, the one I already listen "The Madness of Ian Mckenzie" - Ashley (audio) and, the one that I am in the middle "Someone to Hold" - Mary Balogh (audio) are in the list.
Although, I found youtube versions. It's had been... interesting?... to adapt oneself to the voices. When I read a novel, I imagine the sound of character's voices. It had been curious that I had dwell more in that aspect rather the narrative. Did not like Ian's voice.
But, for the time being the audio format will do.
How can I be able to keep aside from my mind the reference from the Wave Series (do not remember which one) but, I do remember the part of the guy who fell in love with the girl in pink dress because it was a reference to a nice memory of his early life deep rooted in his subconcious.
I had been remembering that particular part while reading when characters get closed. I made efforts to avoid analyzing/questioning the author or character itself, to just enjoy the novel.
How can I be able to keep aside from my mind the reference from the Wave Series (do not analyzing/questioning the author or character itself, to just enjoy the novel.
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If any novel is poorly written and relies only on violence or sex, or is just mind-numbingly tedious, I will stop reading it.
There are authors such as Balogh and Connelly where, in order to develop a character or plot, and with whom I am familiar, one may have to do some ploughing to inform the reader, before the story once again gets interesting or compelling. I realize it's a necessary annoyance, so I just motor on.
Irrespective of genre, a well-written and enjoyable novel should activate the reader's emotions and hopefully, for this project anyway, raise one's consciousness to a higher plane of awareness.
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If any novel is poorly written and relies only on violence or sex, or is just mind-numbingly tedious, I will stop reading it.
There are authors such as Balogh and Connelly where, in order to develop a character or plot, and with whom I am familiar, one may have to do some ploughing to inform the reader, before the story once again gets interesting or compelling. I realize it's a necessary annoyance, so I just motor on.
Irrespective of genre, a well-written and enjoyable novel should activate the reader's emotions and hopefully, for this project anyway, raise one's consciousness to a higher plane of awareness.
I wouldn't disagree with that. One could say that while the moviegoer is a consumer, the movie industry and what it represents often consumes the moviegoer. What you write, to me implies the idea of resisting the ""Prince Charming" illusion". While I do not know if it is part of therapy, one could also consider balancing the idea of a "Prince Charming" with knowledge rather than perhaps ridicule or discredit it completely.
What I mean is that usually sex education in our schools (Northern Europe) involves knowledge of biology and how not to get pregnant, but misses out on the knowledge of character disturbances that one might like to stay away from. And since our schools teach a lot about inclusion and inclusiveness, such knowledge is not going to come, even if it could help some young people establish more healthy relationships and perhaps later more stable families. Add to this a postmodern view of morality along with the dreams of popular culture like "Prince Charming" but mostly disconnected from a general knowledge of reality and the stage is set for trouble when colliding with an archetypical ideal of true love.
I definitely think there is more to do than rely on reading Regency romance novels, even as I occasionally am totally absorbed and lose sleep over a book, and still suspect I need to read many more. There are other books to read too even if at a slightly reduced pace, there is Sott, there are threads on the forum with great perspectives and commentary, there are shows like:
MindMatters: Dr. George Simon: The Character Disturbance Epidemic and What We Can Do About It or
Objective:Health - The Covid Agenda or
NewsReal #32: Trump's Attempted Coup, or Successful Coup Against Trump? and the search for knowledge does not stop there, because in our daily lives, from moment to moment and in our local social interactions, as we do what is needed to maintain our physical presence in this reality there is just so much to learn.
Hey, thank you kindly for sharing your thoughts.
I'm curious what you mean above by 'this coming event'? Do you mean the handful of cataclysms that the C's have warned us about - a real plague, earthquakes, volcanoes, the horrors of war (either within America or elsewhere), an ice age, with a comet or comets scattered here or there?
I agree with you that love stories with happy endings are not the ONLY way to prepare for all of the above. I don't think anyone is saying that - there are plenty of ways to prepare. But many of them are dead ends.
I have a friend who's getting an emergency survival bag ready - he's worried. He's looking for somewhere to run. But if you run, you'll get chased - if not by your own shadow, then by 'something' with teeth. 'The coming event', as I see it, is something that no one can outrun. We can't even really fathom it. Its sweeping through the entire cosmos. It's like a microbe on a grain of sand when a tsunami is coming - moving from point A to point B on the surface of the BBM won't do squat. External preparations are well and good, but if they come at the expense of internal preparations, we are lost.
For instance, what I've learned on this forum is that moving from A influences to B influences within yourself, will actually make a difference. The Work, the Quest for the Holy Grail, Alchemy - by all of its various names throughout the ages - this is like an operator's manual for our machines. It's the Work and the Work alone that generates the DNA changes necessary to attune to a frequency, or to 'hear the Voice' of the cosmos in our own conscience, and access the information field, ground an STO FRV, climb on our surfboards and ride the Wave with everything we've got. This is the work of forming the magnetic centre that forms a bridge between our higher and lower selves, our essence and our personality, our Soul and our machine.
But there is also a very specific Way to this Work, outlined in SHOTW (beginning page 611). It has to do with the Work on the lower emotional centre.
From page SHOTW 613, quoting Mouravieff:
On page 615, the C's are quoted as saying:
In light of these comments, in my understanding this reading exercise is another method, other than sleep, of cleansing our emotional centre and sexual centre, in a way that allows them to 'develop to their limits' en route to fusion with the magnetic centre. This alone is inspiration enough for me to continue with the reading exercise. They also make me laugh - and, I admit - sometimes squirm.
So, if there's fire or worry or doubt for you - and I hear ya, it's been like that for me in the past months - you can choose to see it as a gift! To make good use of it. It presents the opportunity to live without anticipation, to look with clear eyes at the worry and see that we have a choice to identify with it or not, to use the fire within to burn away what doesn't belong to our essence, and also, in the face of such incredible doubt, to demonstrate our Faith - which is like the surfboard for the Soul.
You are correct in how to balance the "Prince Charming" idea with the reality of our existence but my experience has shown me that it can also be a open door for unrealistic expectations. This is the central point of my self awareness while reading these stories. Will I be able to avoid unrealistic expectations? I am just putting this out there since I cannot say with any certainty one way or another.
'this coming event'= My personal confrontation with my infinite-self when the realm border crossing arrives. The way I understand this is we will be come instantly aware of our total existence including our hidden demons. This confrontation with our ugly dark-self can be too terrifying if not prepared for it. I cannot say I am ready, I only hope I have done enough work to come through this event sane and stable.
Gabriela
Jedi
I just finished Jennifer Ashley’s “La locura de Lord Ian Mackenzie” and I don’t know how but every time I was feeling anxious, reading it made me feel peace inside and kind of redirected my emotions towards a more positive place. Also it enhanced my love capacity (this is weird) but I’m a little robot when it comes to romance. The story keeps you in a mystery about Ian and sometimes I didn’t understand Beth’s determination to love him even when he was distant or weird. I was like “c’mon Beth there’s plenty of fish in the sea” but she got involved with him real quick and kept going. She loved him even though he said to her he didn’t love. I guess she saw through the layers and saw the real Ian that she loved and she went for it no matter what they say.
I really enjoyed the reading and I will continue with Mary Balogh’s “Un romance Irresistible”.
I really enjoyed the reading and I will continue with Mary Balogh’s “Un romance Irresistible”.
trytofly
Jedi Master
I found the Rokesbys series (the Bridgertons prequel) really excellent. In particular "Because of Miss Bridgerton". It is very pleasant to read, and there is also a lot of humor.
The Bridgertons series is also a very pleasant series to read.
But my preference is for the book "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". I found the end of the book much less rushed and abrupt than usual in this kind of reading. Sometimes I get frustrated by the end of these novels despite a happy ending. Not here ! My wait was finally rewarded with a marvellous finale. (It is surely very subjective and it only engages me.) The downside is that the next two books in the series seemed rather bland after this one.
I will continue with Julia Quinn and the SMYTHE-SMITH QUARTET series which is also mentioned in the Bridgerton series.
Note that the Pall-mall games are hilarious with the Bridgertons.
The Bridgertons series is also a very pleasant series to read.
But my preference is for the book "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton". I found the end of the book much less rushed and abrupt than usual in this kind of reading. Sometimes I get frustrated by the end of these novels despite a happy ending. Not here ! My wait was finally rewarded with a marvellous finale. (It is surely very subjective and it only engages me.) The downside is that the next two books in the series seemed rather bland after this one.
I will continue with Julia Quinn and the SMYTHE-SMITH QUARTET series which is also mentioned in the Bridgerton series.
Note that the Pall-mall games are hilarious with the Bridgertons.
Hello Gabriela, I think there is a list somewhere in this thread of different books and authors.
Sorry but if it is not your case, ignore my comment, but if you also read in Spanish and you can't have the service kindle, if you look for the authors online "libros pdf de.... "or search for the title of the novel there are several blogs or websites that you can download the book in (Spanish) pdf (may contain some spelling errors, but in general they are quite good), I attach for the moment these 2 titles that I have from the same author Jennifer Ashley, I found much more, but I think it would be complicated to attach all.
