So that's why I'm joining this challenge: to get back to the basics. The challenge runs from September 1 to December 31, and the only requirement is to read 1 book written before 1600 CE (or AD if you prefer). They do, however, have a "Classicist" category which calls for four books, and I can't help myself from coveting the title. I'm also rather excited by the extra credit teaser; there's just something so tempting about extra credit.
Possibilities
The Odyssey - Trish? Where are you? :)
The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon
The Tale of the Genji by Murasaki Shikibu
Orestes by Euripedes
Metamorphoses by Ovid
Arabian Nights
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacio
Inferno by Dante Alighieri
Notebooks by Leonardo daVinci
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser
Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus
Agamemnon by Aeschylus
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Libation Bearers by Aeschylus
The Eumenides by Aeschylus
Some Re-Tellings Possibilities
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - based on The Odyssey
If you are interested, you should head on over and sign-up.
I am not big on really old classics...then again, I DO want to reread the Inferno at some point in here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about this. I'm going to jump in and finally read Dante. Don't know that I'll make it to Classicist level...but we'll see.
ReplyDeleteAck! I am pathetic when it comes to classics, but I think I'd better focus on the newer older classics than these, that frankly scare the ninnies off me. I remember last year when a group read Genji and I was happy to live vicariously through their struggles!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're joining in! I read (listened to) both The Odyssey and The Iliad last year and really enjoyed them both.
ReplyDeleteI can really only comment on two of these, since I haven't read the others and haven't even heard of a couple of them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed The Canterbury Tales. That one would get my vote. Although, now that I look at the actual book I read, I see it had a "facing page translation" in "a graceful modern translation," and the introduction says, "This book offers a massive selection from The Canterbury Tales," which I assume means some of the original was left out? So--if you have to read the entire thing, and in Middle English, I am not sure how I would then vote . . .
Arabian Nights I found surprisingly dull. It's one of those I need to get back to and finish some day. Knowing several of the stories as told for kids, I thought it would be an exciting book all the way through, but I seem to remember too much boring connective tissue between the exciting parts. Maybe it's not so bad and has gotten worse in my memory.
Oh, and I guess I've read parts of The Odyssey (in high school--surely we didn't read the whole thing? can't remember . . . imagine that) and what I remember of it was pretty good. Like when they poked the sheep-herding cyclops in the eye with a stick--that was in this book, wasn't it?
You have some amazing challenges on the go....must resist temptation to join them all!
ReplyDeleteOh so tempting.... but so much to read I am going to pass but chear you on from Minnesota!
ReplyDeleteI managed to miss most of the really old classics in college -- I ended up not taking early Brit Lit, and early American Lit hardly counts as really, really old. Your list does look like some of the big ones though. And I really love Margaret Atwood, so I'd be excited about The Penelopiad.
ReplyDeleteI sooo need to sign up for this !!!
ReplyDeleteAmanda - Join up and we'll read The Divine Comedy together; or just Inferno if you prefer!
ReplyDeleteBev - Yay for Dante! I've already read Inferno once and I loved it!
Sandy - Awww, give 'em a chance. Inferno has to be better than say The Bros Karamazov right?
Heather - I've read Iliad and Odyssey, but it's been years, and I would love to revisit them.
Kathy - I've read bits and pieces of Canterbury Tales and Arabian Nights, but never the whole kit and kaboodle cover to cover in order.
Katie - I have a serious challenge addiction. Instead of keeping it under control, I've decided to just jump in and roll with it. :)
Sheila - I'm with you on the too much to read front, but for some reason I can't make my brain see logic...
Kim - You should join in the challenge!
Maphead - I agree! Now go sign up. :)
I participated earlier this year and read Epic of Gilgamesh. Certainly interesting, and I would never have read it otherwise. I keep meaning to read Dante so maybe I'll join again.
ReplyDeleteJenny Girl - You definitely should. Perhaps we should do a readalong for Inferno; it looks like quite a few people want to read it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are joining us. Can't wait to see what you read.
ReplyDeleteOh, man, Arabian Nights has been on my TBR for a really long time now. I have so much to do between now and the end of December (eek!) so I don't know if I'll be joining in on this. Like Sheila, I'll be cheering you on, though! (But not from Minnesota. From Virginia.)
ReplyDeleteRyan - I'm excited. It will be nice to get back to ancient lit.
ReplyDeleteEmily - I don't think I own the complete Arabian Nights, but I'm hoping the library has it as I'm on a book buying ban.