M&D: Reading and rereading - no spoilers

[andrew at cee.hw.ac.uk]

Oliver Xymoron writes:
> A couple Points:-- First, there are very few (if any) people on the list
> who have had time to familiarize themselves with the book, so a Group Read
> at this early date would be the blind leading the blind- very different
> from the GRGR.

I am not sure I intended that anyone should be leading anyone else
anywhere. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to view it as the blind
working together to build up a composite of the Elephant. Mostly what
I expected was to be asking questions about or pointing out
difficulties with form and content. Knowing what questions need
resolving (even that there are such questions) sounds to me like step
one. And rather than tackle such problems on my own I thought it
better to use the varied knowledge, experience and perspective of
other list members. I am sure that for every esoteric subject in the
book there is someone on the list who either knows the subject already
or knows of relevant sources.

> Second, at the pace you propose, the book will take about
> two years to get through.

Oops, and to think I have (half) a degree in sums! Well, make it about
30 pages per fortnight and we should get through it in a year. Nothing
stopping us from reading ahead at the same time, of course (hmm, might
even help improve our night vision in the more murky passages). But I
would be happy to spend a year going through M&D in detail if I had
the list along to help. And even if we only got part way through I
would enjoy the ride.

> Third, supposing any survive such a long interval, I fear we might
> leave the Scholars very little to write about.

Well, now wouldn't that be a shame!. Only I doubt somewhat that our
treatment will be so exhaustive. More likely we will raise lots of
unanswered (by us) questions for `the Scholars' to resolve.


Andrew Dinn
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And though Earthliness forget you,
To the stilled Earth say:  I flow.
To the rushing water speak:  I am.