Classics and the Western Canon discussion
Introductions
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Please introduce yourself~
Lisa wrote: "Hi I'm Lisa from Cape Town South Africa."Delighted to have you. No, you're not too late to join in on War and Peace, though if you haven't read it before you may need to do some quick reading. But you can post on the earlier threads any time you want an as you get to those parts; they remain open even as we move on through the book.
I admit that other than Alan Paton, whose work I admire, I am woefully ignorant of South African literature.
Everyman, I broke my leg on Friday, I'm bed bound and reading & studying.Challenge accepted:-)
If you are interested in SA lit, inbox me, we start a very controversial work in Nov
I've read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina but not War & Peace although I've nominated it recurrently this year. So not gonna miss an opportunity to read it:-P
Lisa wrote: "Everyman, I broke my leg on Friday, I'm bed bound and reading & studying.Challenge accepted:-)
If you are interested in SA lit, inbox me, we start a very controversial work in Nov"
I'm very sorry to hear about your leg -- but if it gives you an unexpected opportunity to read W&P and participate more here than you could have if you were ambulatory, I would have to call that, on our behalf at least, a silver lining to the cloud of your broken leg.
I'm using my time to study for finals but for books too, I don't watch TV much and can't physically leave the house but my imagination has passed it's bags for Russia, England & Soweto at present:-)
Hi everyone, I'm Holly.I'm currently an A-Level student, and am hoping to start an English Literature degree next Septemper (providing I get the grades of course). I've therefore been trying to maximise my reading before then, so I can get used to reading a lot.
I'm hoping to get into the older classics, such as The Odyssey/Iliad, The Canterbury Tales (I've read the Wife of Bath, but none of the others), and Paradise Lost and Regained. They just all seem very daunting!
Fingers crossed I can keep the momentum up, and I'm hoping this group will help with that!
I tried to write this once and got dumped. Let me see... I'm a novelist and book artist. Also for much of my life I had a nice scholarly job developing academic library collections in the humanities and so had ample opportunity to encounter many of the books of interest here -- which for the most part I did not do in school. The job was fun but it disappeared. Libraries can no longer afford people like me and develop their collections in other ways. My particular background is in 20th C literature, with forays into 19th C Anglophone and French, with a smattering of philosophy and an interest in such diverse topics as detective stories, graphic novels, bohemia, the history of the fork. I expect to lurk most of the time, wanting to learn but seldom having already learned. Now and then I will be incautious and indiscreet.
Hi,I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my understanding of and appreciation for the canon.
Holly wrote: "I'm hoping to get into the older classics, such as The Odyssey/Iliad, The Canterbury Tales (I've read the Wife of Bath, but none of the others), and Paradise Lost and Regained. They just all seem very daunting!Welcome to the group, Holly. We have read four of the five you have listed, so you might want to go back and take a look at the conversations we've had. The books can seem more daunting from a distance than they are up close and personal.
Charles wrote: "I tried to write this once and got dumped. Let me see... I'm a novelist and book artist. Also for much of my life I had a nice scholarly job developing academic library collections in the humanitie..."Welcome to the group, Charles. I hope you will bring your eclectic interests to the table! Particularly the history of the fork. That would be very helpful. At the table. Cheers!
John wrote: "Hi,I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my understandin..."
Greetings, Jack. A few of us here have a special interest in classical lit (if you mean by this ancient Greek and Roman stuff) so you're in good company. We've been having a little discussion about Aristotle and Plato on the "Planning for our Jan 2014" thread. Feel free to add your two denarii!
Thomas wrote: "John wrote: "Hi,I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my..."
Thomas wrote: "John wrote: "Hi,
I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my..."
Thomas wrote: "John wrote: "Hi,
I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my..."
Thomas wrote: "John wrote: "Hi,
I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my..."
Thanks. I was following that very discussion this morning. I'm motivated to go back to Aristotle now.
John wrote: "Thanks. I was following that very discussion this morning. I'm motivated to go back to Aristotle now..."Jack -- Welcome! Look forward to your participation and comments.
Since your profile indicates you are relatively new to Goodreads, I'll just remind you that you can always go back and edit any of your own posts. (E.g., if you would like to get rid of the repeats in the message above.) In fact, if you so choose, I'll come back and delete this reminder. (No other acknowledgement needed, or we'll mess up the discussion! :-)) Choosing (some html is ok) in the upper right corner will give you options you can use to format a post if you like.
Hi - My name is Erin and I am a researcher in astrophysics. I'm 26, originally from Colorado but have lived in the UK since 2009. I did my PhD in Scotland and now live in Wales with my Scottish partner.
I have always (and I mean, always!) been a lover of classic literature and am hoping that this group will introduce me to new works that I might not read on my own. While I am very busy, I love reading and escaping.
Lovely to meet you :)
I have always (and I mean, always!) been a lover of classic literature and am hoping that this group will introduce me to new works that I might not read on my own. While I am very busy, I love reading and escaping.
Lovely to meet you :)
Welcome Jack, Erin, Holly and Charles.
Erin wrote: "Hi - My name is Erin and I am a researcher in astrophysics. I'm 26, originally from Colorado but have lived in the UK since 2009. I did my PhD in Scotland and now live in Wales with my Scottish par..."Erin, I'm a mathematician, but I always wanted to be an astronomer and try to keep up with the field. What's your research area?
Roger wrote: "Erin, I'm a mathematician, but I always wanted to be an astronomer and try to keep up with the field. What's your research area?"
Hi Roger! I do research into gravitational wave signals from gamma-ray bursts. I'm part of the LIGO collaboration which you can google if you're interested. It's a relatively new field, but very interesting. The long and short is that gravitational waves are direct evidence of general relativity, and we're trying to see them!
I love mathematics, and do miss it sometimes!
Hi Roger! I do research into gravitational wave signals from gamma-ray bursts. I'm part of the LIGO collaboration which you can google if you're interested. It's a relatively new field, but very interesting. The long and short is that gravitational waves are direct evidence of general relativity, and we're trying to see them!
I love mathematics, and do miss it sometimes!
Holly wrote: "Hi everyone, I'm Holly.I'm currently an A-Level student, and am hoping to start an English Literature degree next Septemper (providing I get the grades of course). I've therefore been trying to m..."
Welcome! Your ambition to read the older classics is wonderful. We've read all of them here, except Paradise Regained, but if you're interested you are welcome to go back to read those threads, and if you get to reading them and want to reopen some of the discussions, you will probably find a few people willing to re-engage with them; that's why they're classics, because one reading is never enough!
Charles wrote: "I tried to write this once and got dumped. Let me see... I'm a novelist and book artist. Also for much of my life I had a nice scholarly job developing academic library collections in the humanitie..."Glad to see you here. Sorry you got dumped -- it happens to all of us, I fear, from time to time. But I'm glad you didn't let that discourage you.
Just because you haven't studied these works so far is no reason to lurk -- in fact, it's all the more reason to engage in the discussions. I've said often, but it bears repeating, that often it's the basic question or comment which a new member posts only hesitantly, wanting not to seem ignorant, which starts a really great discussion. And if you have a question, it's likely that others do, too, but if nobody asks it, nobody else who has the question will get the answer.
So -- not just you, but all new members -- jump on into the conversation. I guarantee that you'll get a friendly reception.
John wrote: "Hi,I'm John, but I go by Jack. I am very interested in classical literature, and have read a lot (mostly selections) on my own. I'm looking forward to the discussions to help in my understandin..."
Great to have you joining us. Here you'll get the chance to go beyond selections and read and discuss the whole works. We take plenty of time to read slowly, digest, and explore the works, so pull up a chair and share your thoughts.
Erin wrote: "Hi - My name is Erin and I am a researcher in astrophysics. I'm 26, originally from Colorado but have lived in the UK since 2009. I did my PhD in Scotland and now live in Wales with my Scottish par..."That's certainly an elite CV! I spent a brief few weeks in Wales many years ago mostly exploring castles, and loved it. As I recall, I learned four or five words of Welsh, but have long ago forgotten them.
I hope, too, that we can find some works you aren't yet familiar with to discuss with you. The poll for our next work, to start in January, will be up soon; there will probably be a few works there that are new to you, along perhaps with some old favorites.
You've come to the right place to bring you mind back from the far reaches of space to the
Erin wrote: "Roger wrote: "Erin, I'm a mathematician, but I always wanted to be an astronomer and try to keep up with the field. What's your research area?"Hi Roger! I do research into gravitational wave sign..."
It seems you hope to detect gravity waves from a collision between two neutron stars--is that right? The method reminds me of the Michaelson-Morley experiment that attempted to find changes in the speed of light in different directions due to Earth's movement. You're just looking for a much subtler effect, and one that presumably is really there. How often do you expect a detectable neutron star collision to occur?
Roger wrote: "..How often do you expect a detectable neutron star collision to occur?.."And how do you conduct a control experiment?
Roger wrote: "It seems you hope to detect gravity waves from a collision between two neutron stars--is that right? "
Or a neutron star/black hole collision, which is also a possibility. Both are thought to be progenitors of GRBs
Roger wrote: "How often do you expect a detectable neutron star collision to occur? "
This is something we are constantly considering, and there is a lot of uncertainty. Worst case scenario though (given known distances of GRBs and the increasing horizon distance of our detectors) is that we get one or two over a few years operating at peak sensitivity.
Nemo wrote: "And how do you conduct a control experiment?"
In the case of astrophysics, where control experiments are impossible, replication of signals in multiple detectors is what is needed. Therefore, there will be 2 operational detectors in 2015 (currently being upgraded) and 4 by 2022. If a signal is clearly seen, fits our expected model, and is seen in multiple detectors with the appropriate time delay, then that will be considered an unambiguous detection. The detection will be made stronger with a corresponding EM signal, such as a gamma-ray burst.
All of these questions are related to "Rates and Significance" which is an important focus for our research when it comes to a new field.
I hope that answered some questions!!
Or a neutron star/black hole collision, which is also a possibility. Both are thought to be progenitors of GRBs
Roger wrote: "How often do you expect a detectable neutron star collision to occur? "
This is something we are constantly considering, and there is a lot of uncertainty. Worst case scenario though (given known distances of GRBs and the increasing horizon distance of our detectors) is that we get one or two over a few years operating at peak sensitivity.
Nemo wrote: "And how do you conduct a control experiment?"
In the case of astrophysics, where control experiments are impossible, replication of signals in multiple detectors is what is needed. Therefore, there will be 2 operational detectors in 2015 (currently being upgraded) and 4 by 2022. If a signal is clearly seen, fits our expected model, and is seen in multiple detectors with the appropriate time delay, then that will be considered an unambiguous detection. The detection will be made stronger with a corresponding EM signal, such as a gamma-ray burst.
All of these questions are related to "Rates and Significance" which is an important focus for our research when it comes to a new field.
I hope that answered some questions!!
Erin wrote: "Roger wrote: "It seems you hope to detect gravity waves from a collision between two neutron stars--is that right? "Or a neutron star/black hole collision, which is also a possibility. Both are t..."
Thanks! I suppose with four detectors, you'll also be able to determine the direction to the source with some precision, right?
Is there anything else these detectors can do? Or are they there just for one or two events over a few years?
Hello. I'm a regular old person. I read a pile of great books in high school and college, but not slowly enough to really enjoy them, so have spent the last couple of decades spending more time with my favorites and adding more to my favorites list.I've never been in a book club. I usually read too slowly for that (3 pages per night before falling asleep). But, as Victor Hugo is purported to have said, "Pas à pas, on va loin." (Step by step, one goes far.) I thought I'd give this group a try anyway.
I finished Don Quixote this summer and wished I had someone to discuss it with.
Zippy wrote: "Hello. I'm a regular old person..."Welcome to this group, Zippy! :)
I joined this group for the same reason you did: to have someone to discuss a good book with. Hope you actively participate and enjoy the discussions here.
Hi everyone! I am an 18 year old college student living in New York City majoring in theatre. My great love however is literature.
I read a wide variety of books, but I will always favor the classics. I particularly love Greek literature and philosophy, as I have great interest in Ancient Greece and the culture (I am currently teaching myself Ancient Greek).
My favorite novel is Wuthering Heights, my favorite poet Percy Shelley, and my favorite philosopher is Jean-Paul Sartre. My goal is to read as much great literature as is humanly possible, as I feel that you can never learn or read to much.
I'm excited to participate in group discussions since I have not yet met anyone interested in talking about classic literature with me, and I would love to hear others thoughts and opinions about these great works.
Zippy wrote: "Hello. I'm a regular old person. I read a pile of great books in high school and college, but not slowly enough to really enjoy them, so have spent the last couple of decades spending more time wit..."Welcome. Sounds like you'll fit our pace here just fine -- we do read slowly enough to think about and discuss it in some depth.
Learning Ancient Greek, eh? That's impressive. I took two years of Greek (required) in college, but that was half a century ago and I've lost almost all of it. Thomas (who went to the same college, but quite a time later) has still retained his, so he might be of some help if you have questions.
We've read a bunch of the major Greek works already, but still have plenty ahead of us, so there may come a time when you can get the chance to try reading for us here in the original. (You probably know all about the Loeb editions, but if not, you might look them up -- they have most of the classic texts with Greek and English on facing pages. Useful for when you know enough Greek to get into trouble but not enough to get out of it.)
Kathy wrote: "Hi everyone! I am an 18 year old college student living in New York City majoring in theatre. My great love however is literature.
I read a wide variety of books, but I will always favor the clas..."
Glad you found us. Theater and New York City, eh? It doesn't get any better than that. What areas of theater are you most interested in? Classic, modern, off-off Broadway, or what?
Let me introduce myself also! I'm Niels, a 34 year old financial worker in the art/cultural field and live in the Netherlands. Unlike most here (it seems?) literature definitely wasn't part of my life growing up, coming from a typical working class family and environment. Luckily, in my 20's I did catch the "reading flu" after all, and now I read quite a lot. My interest varies from classic writers like Fyodor Dostoevsky, Albert Camus, Franz Kafka, Vladimir Nabokov, Leo Tolstoy and Nikolai Gogol to (more) contemporary writers like Alessandro Baricco, Orhan Pamuk, W.F. Hermans and Pascal Mercier.
Everyman wrote: "Glad you found us. Theater and New York City, eh? It doesn't get any better than that. What areas of theater are you most interested in? Classic, modern, off-off Broadway, or what?..."Well in the program I'm in we study both classic and modern. I love doing both, although they are very different. I always love doing anything from Greek plays since those are the plays and stories that I have always loved. It's always a bit easier for me to do those then my friends because generally speaking I've already read the play, and I have a fair knowledge of Ancient Greece's mythology and culture from my reading. So Greek plays are always some of my favorite to preform scenes from in class. Honestly theatre is such a hard business to get into that I'm willing to do anything and everything though- you can't afford to be picky!
I will say I do prefer off broadway and off-off broadway plays, as I feel they are usually more "real" then what is on Broadway (which is mainly big fancy musicals to attract tourists, and ultimately lose any message that they may have once had).
Niels wrote: "Let me introduce myself also! I'm Niels, a 34 year old financial worker in the art/cultural field and live in the Netherlands. Unlike most here (it seems?) literature definitely wasn't part of my l..."Welcome. Love that phrase, "reading flu!" While some people might think financial work and classic reading are a strange combination, I don't at all -- I have a Master's degree in Industrial Finance, but have been reading classics for all my adult life, so I think you're on just the right track!
By the way, your English is excellent. Are you a native Netherlander (if that's the right term??)?
Kathy wrote: "I always love doing anything from Greek plays since those are the plays and stories that I have always loved. "Agreed! My one foray into theater beyond technical work (I was a stagehand and lighting director for our college theater group) was to direct Antigone. It was a blast. I loved it, but sadly have never gotten a chance to do any other of the Greek plays.
Do you have favorite roles?
Sorry, Zippy and Kathy, for mixing up who was studying Ancient Greek. It was Kathy, not Zippy, who mentioned that.I'm going to blame my error on the kerfuffle about our Internet problems and the stress of having to work quickly between still intermittent outages.
When in doubt, blaming technology is still the best answer for us old fogies. [g]
Everyman wrote: Welcome. Love that phrase, "reading flu!" While some people might think financial work and classic reading are a strange combination, I don't at all -- I have a Master's degree in Industrial Finance, but have been reading classics for all my adult life, so I think you're on just the right track!By the way, your English is excellent. Are you a native Netherlander (if that's the right term??)?"
Thanks for the warm welcome!
Yes, I'm a native Dutch speaker (I think that is the most commonly used term). As my main job is working for an art institution that is regularly operating on an international level, I have to talk and work in English quite a bit. Also we have (had) quite a few colleagues from all over the world (Japan, Slovenia, Mexico, Russia, Italy, Sweden, etc. (which is very interesting!)), so most of the time we talk in English at our office. My level isn't nearly where I want it to be, slowly but surely I'm getting there though(and reading some literature in English also, is helping with that off course).
When traveling with people from several countries and you don't understand someone, ask the Dutch traveler to interpret. She most likely can.
In one of his lectures on linguistics John McWhorter mentions that when he is traveling to a new country he tries to learn a little of the language spoken there and that in most places this is appreciated -- the Japanese especially love it when foreigners try to speak a little Japanese. He said the exception is the Netherlands, where if you try to speak Dutch they will respond in English.
Everyman wrote: "Agreed! My one foray into theater beyond technical work (I was a stag..."I'd love to play Antigone one day. I recently did a scene from Antigone and I loved working on it- she's a great character. I played Cassandra in Trojan Woman which was probably one of my favorite roles I have ever gotten the opportunity to play.
I have a long list of characters I would like to play, and it's really hard to narrow that list down. Any role in any of Tennessee Williams' plays would suffice, haha.
The funny thing is I did take ancient Greek, but only one semester. I learned the first sentence of the gospel according to Mark. Whoopee. But it's hard to practice a dead language. Kudos to you who do!
Zippy wrote: "The funny thing is I did take ancient Greek, but only one semester. I learned the first sentence of the gospel according to Mark. Whoopee. But it's hard to practice a dead language. Kudos to you wh..."I can still recite the first sentence of Meno in Greek. That and the alphabet are about all I have left.
Hi I am not a new member but I have been quiet for some time. It's been quite a stressful year and I have been doing quite a few moocs. But, hopefully things have calmed down now. So, I will be back here more. So hello
Thanks, MOOCS are Massive open online courses - I have just completed Modpo https://www.coursera.org/course/moder.... A really interesting experience with a great bunch of people.
Victoria (vikz writes) wrote: "Hi I am not a new member but I have been quiet for some time. It's been quite a stressful year and I have been doing quite a few moocs. But, hopefully things have calmed down now. So, I will be bac..."Welcome back. Which Moocs have you been doing? I've been following the Kierkegaard one on Coursera, and am just starting the New England Poets one .
Everyman,I took modpo. (American modern and contemporary poetry) @coursera. it's one of the best and most engrossing moocs that I have taken.
Victoria (vikz writes) wrote: "Everyman,I took modpo. (American modern and contemporary poetry) @coursera. it's one of the best and most engrossing moocs that I have taken."I'm glad you enjoyed it! The format didn't work for me very well, though I enjoyed some of the poetry.
Philip wrote: "Hello to everyone. It is a pleasure to join your group. I joined today."Welcome, and glad to have you with us. We do understand about limited time, but we'll be happy to see you whenever you can stop by, and hope you will be able to fit the Frankenstein reading and discussion into your schedule.
Classics and the Western Canon
Books mentioned in this topic
Metamorphoses (other topics)Gilgamesh: A New Translation of the Ancient Epic (other topics)
The Portrait of a Lady (other topics)
Ficciones (other topics)
Dracula (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Søren Kierkegaard (other topics)Dorothy L. Sayers (other topics)
John Ciardi (other topics)
Alexis de Tocqueville (other topics)
Dani Shapiro (other topics)
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I'm a doctor, specializing in psychiatry. I love books, and have been looking for a classics group like this to help me explore great literary works. Thanks to Everyman for the invite. My gran taught me to read and to love stories, there is nothing that compares to reading:-) I love the Brontes, Elliot and Pratchett. I have recently met Hemingway. I find it difficult to chose a favorite book, 'I could sooner pick a favorite star in the heavens'. I'm also a moderator in a group exploring literature from my own country.
I hope I'm not too late to join in on War and Peace.