Posted on by Ste J

Monumental Reading

Many thanks to Crissy for taking this and the pther Philippines photos

by dint of studying, of analysing myself, of reaching out for higher things, and of a thousand corrections, I was transformed little by little, thanks to the influence of a beneficent professor….cultivating poetry and rhetoric had elevated my feelings, and Virgil, Cicero, and other authors showed me a new path which I could take. – Jose Rizal, spoken shortly before his execution on 30th December 1896

*photo taken near the Rizal monument in Rizal park…I was reading Rizal.

36 Replies to “Monumental Reading”

    1. I had no idea this time yesterday that I would be posting this but coming across the quote in a book and had the perfect picture for it. I like that the act of learning became a love for him as new ideas and ways of expressing thoughts and feelings were discovered. It is something close to my heart.

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    1. There are so many influential people we never come across, it is great to be able to doscover them. I need to review his most famous book as well soon, which I should have done months ago. I am happy to bring new people to your attention!

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    1. It does add a lot, I went in search of a few other places as well, to get a real feel for the architecture and culture of the place. I love how it enhances the reading process, brings the reader across the years to another place.

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        1. Well I don’t deny I would be extremely successful with this hot body(!) but I am generous and wish others to make money so will be keeping my clothes on, at least for the time being.

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    1. I brought my book especially that day, through the confusing streets of Manila and past an old Spanish fort. It was a fantastic day.

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    1. I do enjoy method reading, being as close to the text and place as I can, although it is pretty rare to be in the precise place, especially internationally. Hopefully I can do more of that soon!

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  9. What a wonderful photo, Steve. So nice you were able to read his work while sitting in front of Rizal’s monument. But, more pictures and information about what you are up to would be a treat.

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    1. Yes, sorry I have been away so long, all shall be revealed soon with book reviews as well. I am finally coming back to the blog, it’s like a Christmas gift in itself haha.

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  10. That’s a great quote and picture. It shows the true power of books – to reach for something higher, to learn and question. I’ll have to look him up now – thank you!

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    1. I always wonder what Rizal and other writers of the past would have made of the internet and all its information. Discovering a new author always reminds me that there are many wonderful authors whom I will probably never know existed so I am encouraged to go for more obscure authors. Obscure from a western point of view that is.

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      1. That would be interesting to see what writers like that would have done with the internet. They probably would have loved having a virtual library at their fingertips, but then maybe it would have distracted them too much. I’m always looking for books that will make me look at the world in different ways so I’ll have to add Rizal to my to-read pile.

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        1. They would probably be addicted to those games in no time, haha. I love books that completely shock me to the fact that I hadn’t thought of something in a certain way or from a point of view before. It makes everything so much more rewarding.

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    1. As soon as I read the quote, I was reminded of the photo Crissy took of me. I wish it was a more common occurence to have photos in foreign countries with different books but it does make it that much sweeter when it happens.

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