Classics and the Western Canon discussion

In order for participants to prepare, I'm putting up the reading schedule a few days before the start of the discussion. I will set up a folder for each week's discussion, and will set up general folders for resources and background topics - these should not contain spoilers, please.

Reading Schedule for The Odyssey

April 18 - 24		Books 1 & 2
April 25 - May 1	Through Book 4
May 2 - 8		Through Book 6
May 9 - 15		Through Book 8
May 16 - 22		Through Book 10
May 23 - 29		Through Book 12
May 30 - June 5	 Through Book 14
June 5 - 12		Through Book 16
June 13 - 19		Through Book 18
June 20 - 26		Through Book 20
June 27 - July 3	Through Book 22
July 4 - 10		Through Book 24

Sounds great, looking forward to reading with you.

Huh, when I joined this group, you were in the middle of Iliad and I just started it.. I decided to miss Troyan Women so I can finish Iliad and start Odyssey with you.. but on the 20th I'm leaving to Florence and I don't want to travel abroad with a book that isn't mine :D Again, I won't handle your pace! Wish me luck with the next book so I can join the disscusion! ;D

Magdalena wrote: "Huh, when I joined this group, you were in the middle of Iliad and I just started it.. I decided to miss Troyan Women so I can finish Iliad and start Odyssey with you.. but on the 20th I'm leaving ..."

We'll be sorry to miss you. Unless you have a laptop computer or some other device (smart phone, etc.) you can read on, in which case you can get a free download of the Odyssey from gutenberg.com and take it with you!

Everyman wrote: "We'll be sorry to miss you. Unless you have a laptop computer or some other device (smart phone, etc.) you can read on..."

Thank you for the idea (and the website I didn't know!), but I guess I won't have enough time to read anyway- there's a LOT to see in Italy! Also, I wouldn't enjoy it so much in electronic version.
But as soon as I come back I'm going to start reading like crazy :)

I haven't taken part in any group reading discussions in this group or on goodreads before. How exactly does it work? Will there be something to guide discussion for each week or is it say whatever you want to say about that week's reading?

Christopher wrote: "I haven't taken part in any group reading discussions in this group or on goodreads before. How exactly does it work? Will there be something to guide discussion for each week or is it say whatev..."

Each week I will open up a topic for the discussion of that week's reading according to the schedule. Thus, this Wednesday (or more usually Tuesday evening since I don't want to wait until Wednesday afternoon to post it) I will post a topic, in the Odyssey folder, for Books 1 and 2. I may pose a comment or question just to start thing rolling, or may not. At that point, everybody can post anything they want to about those two books: a comment, a question, a response to somebody else's comment or question. There is no formal structure to it, but if you look at past discussions you'll see the way the discussions generally tend to develop.

Then a week later, I'll post another topic for discussion Through Book 4. The topic for Books 1 and 2 will remain open. I post subsequent topics and "Through Book x" because it's too limiting to just discuss the contents of two later books; people will want to relate points back to earlier books. But we do prohibit spoilers; thus, if you have a point to make which combines points in Books 3 and 5, you must wait until the Through Book 6 topic to discuss it.

I hope this all makes sense; it's really quite simple, but as I say, a quick perusal of some of our past discussions (the ones on major books are better for this than the Interim Read ones) will give you a good idea of how the group works.

The main rules of the group are simple, but as a reminder I'll just stick them in here.

1. Disagreement is fine. Disparagement is not. Be positive and friendly.

2. Vigorous, healthy discussion is encouraged. Personal attacks or "put-downs" will not be tolerated.

3. NO SPOILERS. None. Period.

4. Have fun.

And an unwritten but very important "rule"; Everybody has something valuable to say, and we want to hear it. So no shyness is permitted! No lurking without posting because you don't think what you have to say is worth sharing. And if you don't understanding something, ask. If you don't understand it, chances are other posters don't, either, so by asking you'll be helping a lot of other readers (and giving satisfaction to somebody who is able to feel good about offering the answer!)

But Rule 4 is the key. This group is informative, interesting, stimulating, but most of all fun!

Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I'm guessing we don't all need to use the same translation?

I hope so, I'm reading it in Czech! :D

Damn my American arrogance!

Michael wrote: "Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I'm guessing we don't all need to use the same translation?"

I'm going with the Pope and the W.H.D. Rouse version. I read two different translations with the Iliad and really liked how it worked out.

Hi, Juliette. Nice tricycle, although I was always partial to Big Wheels. Pope's an interesting idea; I guess I could try Chapman again, too. He's beautiful but I got bogged down about halfway through last time. My favorite of the three translations I've read is Lombardo (his Iliad is even better); I really recommend him if you're interested.

Edit: And Hi, Magdalena. Sorry I didn't say so earlier. Damn my American laziness!

Hello, Michael.
I was actually the first one who didn't say hi- damn my European impoliteness!
Anyway, nice to meet a non-Czech who read Kafka (they told us they exist in school but I've never met any!).

Magdalena wrote: "Hello, Michael.
I was actually the first one who didn't say hi- damn my European impoliteness!
Anyway, nice to meet a non-Czech who read Kafka (they told us they exist in school but I've never me..."

I'm reading Pope and Butler. (Wouldn't that make a nice murder mystery?)

Laurele wrote:I'm reading Pope and Butler. (Wouldn't that make a nice murder mystery?) Yes, it would. they could be crime solving translators ;)

Yes, but Butler wouldn't be needed; Pope could just punch all the murderers in the knees.

Michael wrote: "Yes, but Butler wouldn't be needed; Pope could just punch all the murderers in the knees."

But, you've got to have the dumb side-kick. What Homes be without Watson?

Running through the streets of London in the throes of a cocaine-induced frenzy? I've never read Sherlock Holmes, I'm only slightly embarrassed to say, so please disregard anything stupid I say about him. For that matter, following the rule of disregarding stupidity, just ignore me entirely; fair warning.

Michael wrote: "Running through the streets of London in the throes of a cocaine-induced frenzy? I've never read Sherlock Holmes, I'm only slightly embarrassed to say, so please disregard anything stupid I say abo..."

You got the gist of SH

Michael wrote: "Sorry if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but I'm guessing we don't all need to use the same translation?"

Absolutely not. In fact, sometimes it helps understand a confusing passage better if we have people offering several translations.

Laurele wrote: "I'm reading Pope and Butler."

And to fill things out, I'm reading Fitzgerald as my primary translation, backed up by Maldelbaum (maybe -- I've read the first several books with him but am underwhelmed) and of course Lattimore, who is still my go-to guy.

With Juliet reading Pope and Rouse and Michael Lombardo (and maybe Chapman?), we already have a nice mix. Not to mention Thomas perhaps reading the original Greek!

Everyman wrote: "Not to mention Thomas perhaps reading the original Greek! ..."

Yes! I hope so, that was so extrememly helpful to me with The Illiad.

Juliette wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Not to mention Thomas perhaps reading the original Greek! ..."

Yes! I hope so, that was so extrememly helpful to me with The Illiad."

Happy to hear it was helpful! I'll be looking at parts of it in Greek because I can't help myself, but I would need a lot more spare time to read the whole thing in the original. (My reading level is not very high, and, alas, my boss won't let me take a sabbatical to read Homer.)

I've been looking at Fitzgerald, but I think I prefer Lattimore. I also like Derek Jacobi's reading of Mandelbaum's translation.

Lattimore comes very much the closest to the original Greek. Fagles takes many liberties but is colorful and more "poetic" than Lattimore. Lombardo is very good as well.

I highly recommend the audiobook reading of Sir Ian McKellen (Fagles' translation) -- it is beautifully rendered, and listening to the poem, rather than reading it, is what Homer's original audience would have done.

Lombardo has some videos of his readings from the Iliad on youtube, but I have to admit I wasn't blown away by them.

I'm going to close this thread. Please post information about tapes, videos, etc. in the resources topic. Thanks!