[MD] Dynamic Quality as Beauty

[MarshaV]

Hi Platt,  

I've read some of Eco's work, non-fiction and fiction.  I remember in 
an undergraduate English class explaining to an instructor that I'd 
like to write my paper on The Name of the Rose.  I remember her 
suggesting it had many levels of understanding and that I should 
probably pick one: hubris for example.  I had never heard of the 
word before but agreedto take her suggestion.  Wow!  Was I mightily 
embarrassed when I figured out the meaning and the implications of 
her suggestion. Of course, what she suggested was both true and 
false, and today I can laugh at being a fool.  The journey is sometimes 
painful.  

I agree with you, I'd rather experience beauty than read about it. 


Marsha  






On Sep 14, 2010, at 10:44 AM, Platt Holden wrote:

> Hi Marsha,
> 
> My daughter gave me the book for Christmas. It's pretty tough going, at
> least for me. I'd rather experience beauty than read about it. But the book
> with it's many illustrations is beautiful in itself, even without the prose.
> Even the review I referred to is too verbose for my liking, but I loved the
> last line: " 'Man is hungry for beauty. There is a void.' Nine words. Take a
> moment. Say them aloud. What else is there to be said?"
> 
> I think when it comes right down to it, that's why we paint -- to fill the
> void.
> 
> Platt
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, Sep 14, 2010 at 10:17 AM, MarshaV <valkyr at att.net> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Hi Platt,
>> 
>> I've always wanted to read 'The History of Beauty', but haven't yet.
>> Thanks for
>> pointing to the review.  Also, just this morning, I listened again to
>> Chapter's 8 & 9
>> of Lila, so your quotes could be freshly related to the whole chapters.
>> 
>> Marsha
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Sep 14, 2010, at 10:10 AM, plattholden at gmail.com wrote:
>> 
>>> All:
>>> 
>>> While reading a review of "The History of Beauty" by Umberto Eco, I came
>> across
>>> the following:
>>> 
>>> " 'Beauty' seems suited to those experiences that stop us in our tracks."
>>> 
>>> I immediately thought of:
>>> 
>>> "He said, imagine that you walk down a street past, say, a car where
>> someone
>>> has the radio on and it plays a tune you've never heard before but which
>> is so
>>> fantastically good it just stops you in your tracks." (Lila, 9)
>>> 
>>> A few sentences later, the reviewer describe beauty as framing a period
>> in time
>>> when . . .
>>> 
>>> " . . . before the critical faculties kick in -- when we know there is
>>> something beyond the usual twaddle."
>>> 
>>> Which brought to mind Pirsig's:
>>> 
>>> "It connoted any phenomenon that transcended the run of everyday
>> experience."
>>> In other words, 'Dynamic Quality.' " (Lila, 9)
>>> 
>>> The similarity between experiences of DQ and Beauty have been remarked on
>> a
>>> number of times by contributors here. So the similarity shown above is
>> hardly
>>> news. Still, I found the meeting of two disparate minds remarkable.and
>> worthy
>>> of note.
>>> 
>>> The full review can be read at:
>>> 
>>> http://www.powells.com/review/2010_09_10
>>> 
>>> Platt
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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