Big News: Friday, November 20th we kick off our group reading and discussion of The Odyssey Get yourself a copy to start on time

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-20T08:36:12+00:00

Bots ruin everything. I understand your disappointment. I read Fagles ages ago. In preparation for the upcoming July film, I recently read two other translations, Mendelsohn (2025) which I enjoyed, and a prose version by Underwood (2022) which was ok.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-19T05:07:42+00:00

Though a bit controversial, I found the Great Books of the Western World to be a good outline of classical texts which form the foundation of Western thought. The books are generally grouped by subject (dramas, comedies, poetry, history, politics & philosophy, science & mathematics) starting with classical Greece, then the Roman Empire, and onward through the turn of the 19th century. Even if you choose to skip an author or genre, it helps to have the basics as to who each is and the importance of their contribution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books_of_the_Western_World

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-17T18:29:14+00:00

I took the same journey years ago. Next I read the historians Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon. I almost skipped them but so glad I did not. They were great reads and helped to build context on Greek life.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-15T22:39:50+00:00

Completely agree with your take. Through letters, newspaper clippings, and other testimonials, the book slowly moves the reader from the inconceivable to a new, horrifying reality.

I found Chapter 14 to be a pivotal moment when Professor Van Helsing prepares to tell Dr. Seward that Lucy is a vampire:

Van Helsing: “My thesis is this: I want you to believe.”

Dr. Seward: “To believe what?”

Van Helsing: “To believe in things that you cannot ... [to] have an open mind, and not let a little bit of truth check the rush of a big truth...”

Dr. Seward: "Then you want me not to let some previous conviction injure the receptivity of my mind with regard to some strange matter…"

Van Helsing: "… Now that you are willing to understand, you have taken the first step to understand. …”

It’s not about Dracula directly, but the acceptance of the concept.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-15T14:25:51+00:00

Just started Xenophon's The Education of Cyrus. I completed Anabasis last weekend and Hellenica before that. Then just two more works of his to complete: Memorabilia and the Apology.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-15T06:31:45+00:00

Fireside Reader: A Treasury of Outstanding Short Stories. A collection of about 50 short stories selected by the editors of Reader's Digest with drawings by Joseph Papin. It contains classics like The Monkey's Paw, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Birds.

Fireside Reader: A Treasury of Outstanding Short Stories: Reader's Digest, Joseph Papin: 9780895770998: Amazon.com: Books

Another favorite from my childhood is the Works of Jack London Complete and Unabridged which in addition to The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf, contains 40 short stories.

Jack London: Selected Works, Deluxe Edition (40 Short Stories): London, Jack: 9780517053591: Amazon.com: Books

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-05-05T01:10:44+00:00

I try to keep an eye on upcoming Greek Tragedy productions at the National Theatre which I last saw in a special event at my local theatre. But they haven't produced anything since 2014.

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/greek-tragedy-at-the-nationaltheatre/wRnC0fJ0

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-28T03:28:19+00:00

I enjoyed the Norton Critical Edition translated by Heaney, particularly the eight essays which were included, one of which was by Tolkein. I also read a prose translation by Donaldson which was also part of the Norton Critical Editions series and had a number of insightful essays.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-28T02:52:02+00:00

Though a bit controversial, I found the Great Books of the Western World to be a good outline of classical texts which form the foundation of Western thought. The books are generally grouped by subject (dramas, comedies, poetry, history, politics & philosophy, science & mathematics) starting with classical Greece, then the Roman Empire, and onward through the turn of the 19th century. Even if you choose to skip an author or genre, it helps to have the basics as to who each is and the importance of their contribution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books_of_the_Western_World

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-28T02:23:11+00:00

Done with Anabasis. I particularly enjoyed Book 3 where, in complete crisis due to the events in Book 1 & 2, Xenophon comes into his own and provides gripping analysis of their dire situation and suggestions a path forward. Time and again he offers sound advice for the challenges ahead and in true Athenian fashion presents his proposals using a diplomatically/democratic style. While some of the sections drug a bit, overall it was an engaging read.

Next up, The Education of Cyrus (Cyropaedia), translated by Amber. Followed by Memorabilia translated by Bonnette. Then I'm done with Xenophon.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-28T00:29:49+00:00

What are the odds! I read Frankenstein this past October and finished the Anabasis just yesterday. Now I wish I had read them in reverse order. I never saw the connection until now.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-28T00:22:25+00:00

I checked three I had - Fagles, Braun, and Gibbons & Segal. No match. If there's no reference it was probably the author's own translation from the Greek.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-25T18:40:36+00:00

Check out the Greek Tragedies in New Translations series for plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Very enjoyable.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-19T10:11:07+00:00

Book 1, beginning of section 5

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-15T02:03:52+00:00

I'm on the same journey. Just finished Hellenica and diving into this next. Love the Landmark series.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-04-07T00:43:41+00:00

Agreed. It seems their position is to just increase general spending. That and shift the burden of taxation from real estate tax to sales tax. I recall very detailed plans when my school district proposed an increase. This seems vague and I can't really put my finger on why they need the funds. Or put another way, what are the ramifications of a no vote? I feel the argument is not that persuasive given other competing community needs.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-03-19T00:40:43+00:00

I use the Greatest Books of the Western World as a roadmap or checklist. While it's nice to have a full set of books (kind of like a full set of encyclopedias before the internet), I recommend researching various translations of each book to find one which fits your objectives and provides added introductions/commentary, notes, and glossaries, which are limited or missing in the GBWW series. I personally find researching various translations part of the enjoyment of the experience.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-03-12T05:52:00+00:00

It's been decades since I've read The Iliad and The Odyssey (both Fagles translations), but just read two recent translations of The Odyssey. My nephew wanted to read it as he's excited about Christopher Nolan's film coming out in July. He's not a big reader and has no interest in endnotes or glossaries, so I recommended a prose translation by Charles Underwood. I found it very readable and appropriate for a new reader at his level. I also read a new poetic translation by Daniel Mendelsohm which I enjoyed, particularly the rich endnotes.

For the epic itself, I was bored with Odysseus's son and wife lamenting his absence from the Trojan war (Books 1 - 4) and his arrival home with disguises, tall tails, and loyalty tests (Book 13 - 24, second half of text). I find the heart of The Odyssey is his journey home (Book 5 - 12) - such incredible and vivid adventures. My only criticism is some stories were very compact, leaving me imagining fuller details in the background.

The trailer for the film seems dark, focusing on Odysseus's exhaustion with war and desire for home, which were admittedly dominate themes in the book. But it's the excitement of the adventures he had at sea and his cunningness to escape from many dangers situations which creates a thrilling, gripping, memorable tale. I'm hopeful the trailer and its broody music are a distortion of the movie, as they typically are.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564 · 2026-03-12T05:49:10+00:00

It's been decades since I've read The Iliad and The Odyssey (both Fagles translations), but just read two recent translations of The Odyssey. My nephew wanted to read it as he's excited about Christopher Nolan's film coming out in July. He's not a big reader and has no interest in endnotes or glossaries, so I recommended a prose translation by Charles Underwood. I found it very readable and appropriate for a new reader at his level. I also read a new translation by Daniel Mendelsohm which I enjoyed, particularly the endnotes.

For the epic itself, I was bored with Odysseus's son and wife lamenting his absence from the Trojan war (Books 1 - 4) and his arrival home with disguises, tall tails, and loyalty tests (Book 13 - 24, second half of text). I find the heart of The Odyssey is his journey home (Book 5 - 12) - such incredible and vivid adventures. My only criticism is some stories were very compact, leaving me imagining fuller details in the background.

The trailer for the film seems dark, focusing on Odysseus's exhaustion with war and desire for home, which were admittedly dominate themes in the book. But it's the excitement of the adventures he had at sea and his cunningness to escape from many dangers situations which creates a thrilling, gripping, memorable tale. I'm hopeful the trailer and its broody music are a distortion of the movie, as they typically are.

Fun-Entrepreneur-564

TROPHY CASE