Reading Diary Week 4: The Voyages of Sindbad

Week 4 Reading Assignment:  The Voyages of Sindbad

1. First Voyage [The Island]-  Right off the bat I like how Sindbad regales his adventures.  The beginning has a good start for an adventure as such, giving a little background but not too much.  Having read the Odyssey and having seen your comment of its similarity, I have to say so far Sindbad reads better due to it being in first person.
2. First Voyage (cont.) -Having read Arabic writings before in previous classes, you can feel the same overlying style of writing that I have previously read before in this tale.  
3. Second Voyage [Valley of Diamonds] -  You would think captains of ships would have some sort of passenger log or have someone make sure everyone on board.  If it was me, I would probably never get off of the ship due to their lack of concern for passengers.  Hopefully this theme of Sindbad getting lost doesn't keep recurring throughout the story.
4. Second Voyage (cont.)- It's funny reading this now and hearing the description of the rhino, which must have not been very know to the audience.
5. Third Voyage [The Giant]  What is the difference between a castle and a palace?  Sindbad seems somewhat disappointed upon realizing it was a castle.  Also, having no idea what the contents of this story was, I am someone disappointed to see that Sindbad is so reliant on chance.  Also the description of how the giant ate the captain was somewhat funny because it was written so nonchalantly.  I can see how the similarity to the Odyssey is beginning to shape out though.
6. Third Voyage (cont.) Now the similarities to the Odyssey really take place, everyone is eaten except the protagonist.
7. Third Voyage (end) Ok I am beginning to become annoyed with all of the luck Sindbad has, he avoids getting eaten by snakes and giants, he has been shipwrecked, he has been castaway, and he has been attacked by hairy dwarfs.  I can understand the idea of a hero having good fortune but this is ridiculous.
8. Fourth Voyage [The Wife] Oh goodness, I did not expect Sindbad to be shipwrecked....oh goodness, everyone was eaten except Sindbad...oh goodness, Sindbad becomes rich by some odd chance.  In all seriousness at least there is some novelty in that he teaches the country to make saddles and bridles, even though the sailors from that country were obviously in contact with Arabic culture and could have easily described these two things that make riding a horse much easier.
9. Fourth Voyage (cont.) After having Anatomy with human dissection and also been on a farm where you sometimes find decomposing animals, I could only imagine how terrible this sealed up cave smelled.
10. Fourth Voyage (end)*  I have accepted my fate of reading this story and I will begrudgingly continue reading this tale.  It should be renamed The Very Close Calls and Insane Luck of Sindbad, however, due to this being the main theme.  I came into this story expecting Sindbad to be some amazing captain who traveled the world having adventures and fighting monsters.
11. Fifth Voyage [The Old Man]  I actually found this one pretty funny seeing Sindbad's predicament.  You would think Sindbad could beat the old man up or something.  This adds to my already low opinion of Sindbad as he is so easily beat by an old man.
12. Fifth Voyage (cont.) Was the old man magical or was he just an old man?  Also I wish things were as easy now as just throwing rocks at monkeys to take their coconuts in order to make a considerable sum.
13. Sixth Voyage [The Raft]-  I feel like my comments now are not very good but these stories repeat the same pattern:  Sindbad decides to go on a journey, he gets lost or shipwrecked, the crew with him dies, he finds treasure, he finds his way home, and then rinse and repeat.
14. Sixth Voyage (cont.) It looks like the majority of places that Sindbad travels to is under the Islamic Caliphate.
15. Sixth Voyage (end) At least these sections paint a picture of what times might have been like during the times of the caliphate in Arabic areas.
16. Seventh and Last Voyage [The Elephants]  I am actually surprised Sindbad make it to Serendib without some weird experience.  If I was Sindbad in this situation I would try to buy back my freedom since he has a vast fortune back in Baghdad.
17. Seventh and Last Voyage (cont.)  Well this was an interesting story altogether but I am glad I finished it.