So for the entire month, I will be focusing on literature and history from our distant past. My reading choices include:
The Iliad by Homer: epic poem recounting the Trojan war
The Odyssey by Homer: epic poem about Odysseus's return home from the Trojan war
The Epic of Gilgamesh: story of Gilgamesh's search for immortality
Enuma Elish: the Babylonian creation myth
The Orestia by Aeschylus: Greek drama about the trials of Agamemnon's house
The Descent of Inanna: a 5000+ year old poem about a goddess's descent to the Underworld
Ancient World in Your Pocket: a nonfiction, very short compilation of facts from ancient times
Alcestis by Euripides: a play circa 480 BCE that I know nothing about...
Medea by Euripides: a play circa 430 BCE based on the Jason and Medea myth
Beowulf: story of Beowulf's fight against Grendel
I also have my textbooks from when I taught Ancient and Medieval Literature, and I plan on browsing through those for more works. I do hope to post more than just literary reviews during the month, but yet, in true Trisha fashion, I also refuse to plan too far in advance. My thought is to post about whatever strikes me while I'm reading, focusing on history, philosophy, ideology, etc. as well as on book reviews.
If you have anything you would like to add - a review, an informative post, etc. - let me know. I would love to have you join in! If you need more motivation to journey with me way way back in time, here are few possible motivations:
So I hope you join me in celebrating a time so very far from our own...and yet oddly similar.
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Image from ~darkmatter257 at deviant art
Sounds like a great project! Sometimes it's nice to just take a break from everything else and delve into what you want to read. I'm doing The Odyssey Read-a-long - we'll see how that goes! My copy is pretty huge and intimidating.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love this idea! I just bought a copy of The Odyssey, and will be looking forward toy your thoughts on it, as well as the others you have chosen. These books don't get much play on the blogs, so it will be interesting to hear more about them. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteDude, I have DREAMS of doing things like this once I'm out of school and my life is no longer pre-organized into 'studies.' Kudos to you, this looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! What a plan! It's nice to just hunker down with the books you like/want to read...I get ready for more in depth selections at times myself. At the same time, sometimes I need a break and just want to read something fast and funny. Have fun with this...I'm going to look into that Odyssey ReadAlong...I read it once in high school and then taught part of it in a section of World Lit many moons ago.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your celebration of antiquity!
ReplyDeleteOh thank you.. I just found the myth challenge a few days ago and the others look lurkable!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your thoughts and reviews. :)
Wow, what a great old list! I really enjoyed The Epic of Gilgamesh when I read it earlier this year. Can't wait to see your thoughts on these.
ReplyDeleteHoly old books, batman! That's some serious reading.
ReplyDeleteGreat books! I hope you'll be posting links to your reviews at the Really Old Classics Challenge as well. :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, have you read all these before or are some (all?) of them 1st time reads?
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome idea! I LOVE Gilgamesh and would like to read so many others of those. Good luck, Trisha, and have fun :D
ReplyDeleteHoly cow woman. I cannot even CONCEIVE such a project. I read The Odyssey and The Iliad in college, and I thought I would die. You are my hero.
ReplyDeleteKim - My recommendation with The Odyssey is to read two books at a time and then break. And write in the text while reading if you can; it helps so much. It's a great story though, so I hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteHeather - It's really too bad more people don't read these stories; they are so much more interesting than people seem to think. I hope you like The Odyssey!
Raych - It is much easier to do this once you are out of school; although I have to say that work does have a tendency of getting in the way just as much. :)
Peppermint - Guaranteed I will take a break or two and read some YAL book this month. You have to break up such intellectually-dense reads or you go crazy...er..at least I do.
Care - I certainly will! Thanks!
Shellie - I just found that one when looking for something to add to this post! It looks fun though.
Amy - It's a great read isn't it? Very easy in my opinion and yet still deep.
Jill - LOL! I think my brain needed a challenge this month.
Heather - I absolutely will! Some I haven't read at all, some I've only read excerpts from, and others are re-reads. :)
Ana - I'm really excited! You should join in the fun. A lot of works from this era are short and available online!
Sandy - You are too sweet! You should try one of the plays or a shorter work. The IliOdy is terribly long for a first foray into ancient lit. :)
You are brave to take on this challenge in the last stretch of the semester. :-) I don't think I've read any of these works in their entirety except the Odyssey. And maybe Beowulf, in high school A.P. English. That was so dang long ago, I've forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea, but I don't think I have the strength myself. I adored Antigone, the Odyssey the first three times I read it, etc. Now that I'm out of school, no more motivation to dip into the old world, unfortunately. The bug will bit me again, I'm sure, it'll just take some time! Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteWow ... you are going way back in time! I guess you need to get really far away from the present. Have fun ... those are some serious plans you got there!
ReplyDeleteHave fun with this. With the exception if the Iliad and the Odyssey, I haven't really read any of these, so I am interested in learning more through your journey.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, what a list! I haven't read most of the books on it. I'm not sure I could handle them all in one month, but I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteStephanie - I'm not sure if the word is brave or stupid! But I'm excited to be doing something I love.
ReplyDeleteAndi - It's been about three years since I read the really old stuff, but I've always enjoyed it.
Jenners - Yes! Getting really far away from the present is exactly what I need right now.
Nicole - I have never read any of The Iliad so I'm excited to get to it; I did things a bit backwards reading The Odyssey first. :)
Erin - I've never really done themed reading before but so far so good!
You're going to read The Iliad AND The Odyssey in ONE MONTH?
ReplyDeleteI am not worthyyyy. Good luck!
Wow wow wow! I don't even know what to say about this! Except my mom asked if we could cancel The Odyssey readalong so that we can go back to The Iliad. Oops!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!!!
The Odyssey is to read two books at a time and then break. And write in the text while reading if you can; it helps so much. It's a great story though, so I hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteI need a break and just want to read something fast and funny. Have fun with this...I'm going to look into that Odyssey ReadAlong...I read it once in high school and then taught part of it in a section of World Lit many moons ago.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I'm looking forward to escaping from the present via your posts :)
ReplyDelete