[HN Gopher] Why Casanova Continues to Seduce Us
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Why Casanova Continues to Seduce Us
Author : pepys
Score : 32 points
Date : 2022-06-21 16:31 UTC (6 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.newyorker.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.newyorker.com)
| donatj wrote:
| > borrowed from Cicero: "He knows nothing who does not profit
| from what he knows."
|
| The translations of Cicero I've seen as "The wise man knows
| nothing if he cannot benefit from his wisdom."
| Archelaos wrote:
| Casanovas version is a wordplay: 'Nequidquam sapit qui sibi non
| sapit': 'Who does not know himself is himself not
| knowing/wise.'
| novosel wrote:
| Fantastic! Are you reading Casanova in Latin?
| acabal wrote:
| I'm surprised to see kind of writing in a New Yorker article:
|
| > Casanova wouldn't discover the existence of his putative
| daughter Leonilda for some eighteen years, at which point he
| fucked her mother while she shared their bed.
|
| I only occasionally read the New Yorker so I'm not up to date -
| is this the new style? I don't mind so much but I definitely did
| a double take when I read it.
| elliekelly wrote:
| You might enjoy this 2012 article from The New Yorker titled
| "Dropping the F-Bomb": https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-
| turner/dropping-the-f-b...
| BitwiseFool wrote:
| At first I thought it was a young writer hoping to push some
| boundaries, but the author's bio says that she has been
| contributing to The New Yorker since 1987. I suppose either the
| writer intentionally wrote this to enhance how risque the story
| is meant to be, or, perhaps she wants to normalize this use of
| the F-word?
|
| I know the word choice is _correct_ , even proper - as far as
| the English language is concerned - yet it feels socially
| improper given the reputation of the publication.
| novosel wrote:
| I've read that as a sarcastic comment on the attitude of
| Casanova that could have placed him in a situation like that.
| willcipriano wrote:
| I read it as a example of late stage journalism and it's
| continuing decline.
| novosel wrote:
| Suspiciously akin to the Casanova's state of mind. (The
| journalism, I mean)
| gunfighthacksaw wrote:
| I wonder if the Italian Giacomo Casanova would be as seductive if
| he was an Englishman with the corresponding name Jacob Newhouse
| elldoubleyew wrote:
| Yeah doesn't have the same ring to it for some reason.
| zamfi wrote:
| True. But also doesn't have any of the cultural legacy that
| presumably impacts how you hear the name...
| coastflow wrote:
| The imagery of each of the words is significantly different.
| "Newhouse" inspires the image of what it says on the tin, a
| new house.
|
| Casanova inspires the image of a castle (Casa), and maybe
| something new ("nova") or even a supernova. It's also likely
| that most English language people know at least one "Jacob,"
| so the name has baggage with past associations versus
| "Giacomo."
| Archelaos wrote:
| For the English "Samuel Pepys" seems to have worked. How does
| that translate into Venitian ("Italian" is an anachronism)?
| causi wrote:
| _Why Casanova Continues to Seduce Us_
|
| Does he? Most people don't even know Casanova was a real person,
| let alone have any exposure to his work and ideals.
| fsckboy wrote:
| they're referring to their readership there; most people don't
| read the New Yorker
|
| (yes, i put that third spelling of der in just because I could)
| galfarragem wrote:
| Actually I've read (part) of his memoirs[0]. Worths a read.
| Similar to "Dangerous Liaisons" from Laclos - without the
| literary value.
|
| https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20504101-the-memoirs-of-...
|
| https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/326768.Dangerous_Liaison...
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