What book are you reading?

[Tratorix]

Standard or uncut edition?

And afterwards, you should try his Dark Tower series if you haven't already. The first book is subpar, but if you can get through that it's really excellent stuff.

Uncut edition. Honestly, I was expecting it to include more filler than it does, i've only come across a chapter or two where he rambles on about nothing, which for a Stephen King book this long is impressive. I've got the first Dark Tower book on my bookshelf, maybe I'll start it once I finish this.

[Craterus]

Going to have to finish that one day.

I'll be honest, it hasn't grabbed me yet but I haven't read much.

Anyone have any idea how long this book should be? The version I've got seems short and I've got a feeling it's probably abridged but can't find the info anywhere on the inside covers...

[Lemur]

I'm not reading it, but I wish I were: Moon People!

[Mouzafphaerre]

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For fun, I'm thinking of picking up Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, I always love a good satire!

Very good choice. Unfortunately I was busy with... lazy with... GAH! I don't remember why I didn't complete it after reading about 3/4rd.
.

[Beirut]

Gah! I just got the Iliad from Amazon and it's the prose translation edition, not the original translation of the poetry.

I was ready for it, man! I was *^&^%# ready for it. I was going to punch my way through every word of Homeric Heroism and I got smudged with the twinky prose edition. All my training down the drain.

The only good part is that I bought the Dover Thrift Edition and it cost me all of $4. I think I'll give it to the library.

Going to be more careful at Amazon next time.

[Wishazu]

I`m currently reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and have found it fascinating. Two days in a row now I`ve settled down to read it in the bath without noticing the water turning cold after an hour or more lol.

[Centurion1]

Gah! I just got the Iliad from Amazon and it's the prose translation edition, not the original translation of the poetry.

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french

Anyway I'm reading Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. Eh, its all right a little lovey-dovey but whatever. i read pretty fast so now that I've found this thread ill have a new book every week or so. lol

[CountArach]

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french

You are reading the Iliad... for latin?

[Lemur]

I was going to say, "Maybe he means the Aeneid," but then he mentions it as another title he's reading. I'm stumped. Maybe he's reading Horace's lost Latin translation or something? If so, this could be huge news for classicists ...

[Hooahguy]

currently reading "for whom the bell tolls" by Hemingway. im only on the third page, but so far its great.

[CountArach]

I was going to say, "Maybe he means the Aeneid," but then he mentions it as another title he's reading. I'm stumped. Maybe he's reading Horace's lost Latin translation or something? If so, this could be huge news for classicists ...

I think I have it. Virgil took a lot of inspiration from Homer for his Aeneid and as such an understanding of the Iliad would most probably help when it comes to looking at thematic links.

[Beirut]

Hey man i HAVE to read it for AP Latin. Plus the Aeneid. Trust me learning a language while reading homer and Vergil is way better than the alternative...... *shudders* french

You're reading the Iliad in Latin?

You're able to read the Iliad in Latin?

I am profoundly jealous.

[Centurion1]

no not a direct translation of Homers Illiad. As im sure all of you know it was written before latin was a written language (and barely spoken, if at all) Afterwards though the Romans discovered the epic during the greek takeover. They of course copied it by Virgils Aeneid and then they also translated the original into latin. Trust me, even if they didnt you could probably find the iliad in any language because it is an international piece of work.

as someone said our teacher is making us do both to determine grammar, syntax, and disparities between the two stories. Oh and the iliad is in my textbook which is all latin and the aeneid, i had to buy.

And yes i can read the iliad in latin, think about it its not that hard, i dont have to listen to it which would be impossible, its always easier to translate the written word than the spoken tongue. Hope this clears up my Latin homework for everyone.

[Beirut]

And yes I can read the Iliad in latin,

I hate you. I hate your clothes, the air you breathe, and the ground you walk upon. I loathe the very sun rays that warm you on a spring day.

Bun'cha intellectual hoity-toyties doing things I'm too stupid to do... mumble-grumble....

[Centurion1]

Ahh, hate is not a good thing young one.

Centurion-san have three easy steps to read in latin
1. Love what your reading
2. Take the language in High School with an amazing teacher
3. pack a pocket dictionary

With these three steps you too can read the iliad in latin

P.S. *sniffles* i aint hoity-toity

[Beirut]

Ahh, hate is not a good thing young one.

You are of course correct. But I am probably old enough to have fathered you.

Did I father you?

Centurion-san have three easy steps to read in latin
1. Love what your reading
2. Take the language in High School with an amazing teacher
3. pack a pocket dictionary

With these three steps you too can read the iliad in latin

1. Cool.
2. Fairly impossible at this stage.
3. Pockets? I have pockets.

P.S. *sniffles* i aint hoity-toity

You are every possible thing I can think of if you are able to read the classics in Latin. There is no exageration or hyperbole strong enough to adequately define the potency of my jealousy.

[Centurion1]

Let me describe the scenario. I am a relatively popular kid, play sports, blah, blah, blah. but i am also a smart kid and slightly nerdy. When i enroll my dream was to take Latin. one because i'm a history nerd. And most importantly the teacher is a hoss. He will teach me latin and let me drink when we go to Rome my senior year. Dude it is anything but hoity toity, i learn and it can be a study hall if i want it to be so.

[Alexandros_III]

"The Virtues of War" by Pressfield as well as glancing through The Iliad.

[Martok]

"The Virtues of War" by Pressfield

A very good book, although not my personal favorite by Pressfield. His superb Tides of War and Gates of Fire are tops on my list, with Last of the Amazons receiving honorable mention. The man knows his ancient Greek history.


As for myself, I'm nearing the (current, temporary) end of the Honor Harrington books. Am over halfway through At All Costs, with only Storm From the Shadows left to go after that.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Europe in Islam by Jack Goody
.

[Centurion1]

Amen to steven pressfields work. I especially loved gates of fire and virtues of war. He portrays sparta and alexander perfectly

[Alexandros_III]

The Afghan Campaign was also very well done.

[Centurion1]

It was at that! Ususally that campaign is glossed over to preserve the illusion of Alexander never losing large numbers of men. It was nice to see the whole picture again (especially in novel format!)

[Furunculus]

Treasons Harbour by Patrick O'brien.

[Craterus]

I've read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and The Catcher in the Rye over the past 2 days.

Next up is We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I'm less keen on the format of this one though.

[Centurion1]

Treasons Harbour by Patrick O'brien.

My father got me hooked on those books. O'brien is an excellent period writer about the british navy.

[Kralizec]

I bought a prose translation of the Illiad and the Oddesey a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't gotten very far yet. I suppose you have to skim through all the passages describing every detail about every single grunt being killed and where they came from and their ancestors three generations back etc., but I'm accustomed to reading thoroughly - and then it becomes pretty boring.

[Centurion1]

Well from my experience reading them it is best to read the first few parts aloud. it may sound stupid but it is the way it was meant to be read. After awhile you begin to really feel the flow and ebb of the piece and you wont have to look like a maniac describing the kills of the god-like men on the fields of red.

Oh and after reading one epic poem i would recommend reading the others, because you will start to feel the pieces as all were written for the same reason (to entertain people in the winter months) I mean of course the greats like Beowulf, Aeneid, Gilgamesh, Hiawatha by longfellow, etc.

[Beirut]

Well from my experience reading them it is best to read the first few parts aloud. it may sound stupid but it is the way it was meant to be read.

I heard that people didn't read silently until the Middle Ages.

And I think you're quite right.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Currently I'm reading Hell in a Very Small Place by Bernard Fall about Dien Bien Phu. A little dry but very thorough. I haven't gotten to the "why" part of it - the French essentially did everything wrong strategically and tactically regarding the set-up of their base there, and I find that baffling. But then again, Monday morning quarterbacking is easier than the actual endevour...