tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post8140871295097797530..comments2024-03-29T03:19:09.227-04:00Comments on The Philosopher's Stone: HOW I WASTE TIMERobert Paul Wolffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-85140549524197672762013-02-03T14:33:58.807-05:002013-02-03T14:33:58.807-05:00Thank you, Frank. I have heard The Wire mentione...Thank you, Frank. I have heard The Wire mentioned many times but have not watched it. My wife and I do not have HBO and go to bed at about 8:30, so there is a whole world of TV we never see, but maybe it is available on Netflix. {I am almost finished watching all five seasons of ALIAS, which is a domestic comedy dressed up as a sci fi/spy/adventure/travelogue show.]Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-51665539458878047232013-02-03T07:48:37.322-05:002013-02-03T07:48:37.322-05:00Dr. Wolff when time permits I insist you watch The...Dr. Wolff when time permits I insist you watch The Wire. <br /><br />Also I'd like to thank you for all the energy you've put into your blog over the years. I'm currently working on a philosophy/political science double major in Minnesota at an unimportant catholic university (unless you're a fan of d3 sports) and your writings here are always worth a read. So. Thank you. <br /><br />FrankAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15742081949947265610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-18890654888781820202013-01-17T07:00:36.140-05:002013-01-17T07:00:36.140-05:00Jim, it would be great fun to do a whole little bo...Jim, it would be great fun to do a whole little book tracing the similarities between works of great literature and shlock fiction, and challenging the reader to explain why one is a classic and the other is beneath notice. I watched The Young and the Restless for twenty years before giving up on it [the writers had to introduce new characters because the old ones got too old even for face lifts and make up to handle], and I could situate a score of "great works of literature" in its plot twists and turns. The real fun would be in finding a great work of literature that was preceded by its shlock counterpart, not followed.Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-18899447263215489002013-01-17T02:13:06.829-05:002013-01-17T02:13:06.829-05:00Professor Wolff --
I agree with your assessment t...Professor Wolff --<br /><br />I agree with your assessment that many great works of literature are similar to soap operas or crime shows. When I first read Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment", I immediately drew comparisons with the television show "Columbo". The same literary device is used: you the reader witness the crime at the beginning of the story. The so-called fun lies in watching how the detective catches his criminal -- usually via psychological methods. In "Crime and Punishment", the character of Porfiry is akin to the character of Columbo. Note that a similar scenario can be found in Woody Allen's 2005 film, "Match Point", except in that film the criminal gets away with the crime. This formula is also employed in an unbelievably well-written non-fiction book entitled "Morandi's Last Prophecy and the End of Renaissance Politics" by Brendan Dooley.<br /><br />-- JimJimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00826600172627425879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-57016344151128073672013-01-16T06:54:45.056-05:002013-01-16T06:54:45.056-05:00No kidding. Well, I have just facilitated another...No kidding. Well, I have just facilitated another internet myth. Oh well. But Wikipedia tells me that Jennifer Garner is married to Ben Affleck. How cool is that?Robert Paul Wolffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970360952872431856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5687347459208158501.post-75237022348758830212013-01-16T03:06:34.068-05:002013-01-16T03:06:34.068-05:00Actually, Lena Olin and Ken Olin are not married, ...Actually, Lena Olin and Ken Olin are not married, or otherwise related.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02998793914690685677noreply@blogger.com