This year’s list.

I must read those Dennetts; Darwin’s Dangerous Idea is probably the best book I’ve ever read on the subject. I’ve never found a translation of Dante that I found satisfactory; the first one I read years ago was the old Henry Francis Cary version in Everyman, then later the Dorothy Sayers translation. Both left me fervently wishing that I could read Italian. For Homer, Virgil and Ovid it was the dry-as-dust Loeb translations (can’t recall who by) for accuracy, and for the magnificent poetry, George Chapman’s Iliad and Pope’s Iliad ("Very pretty, Mr Pope, but is it Homer?"), Dryden’s Aeneid and Arthur Golding’s Metamorphoses (the version that Shakespeare used). Those last four translations have been lifelong friends!

I’d be interested to know which translations you read and if you could recommend them. I’d quite like to read one of the modern versions, especially of they reflect the latest scholarship. (And if you tell me you read them in Greek, Latin and Italian I shall be furious. I’m envious enough already with your skills in Old English.) :)

The Inferno translation I read was Mark Musa’s (Penguin Classics). It wasn’t the greatest; rather dry.

The Iliad was Richmond Lattimore’s (Univ of Chicago). That one was excellent. (I can’t speak to how well it tracks the Greek, but as a stand-alone work it is great.)

The Aeneid was Allen Mandelbaum’s (Bantam Classics). That was quite good too. I particularly liked his treatment of Book II (the Fall of Troy).

Ovid was David Raeburn’s (Penguin Classics). Quite serviceable, but not remarkable.

The Iliad was Richmond Lattimore’s (Univ of Chicago). That one was excellent. (I can’t speak to how well it tracks the Greek, but as a stand-alone work it is great.)

I prefer Fitzgerald’s, but Fitz vs. Latt is like Yankees vs Mets or Tolstoy vs Dostoevsky; to each their own.

And Dave, I’m concerned that all this light reading is going to turn your brain to mush.  Try something serious for a change!

I get a victorious thrill from reeding about the stuff you interlectials are reeding. Could you please post short summeries (SIMPLE!! 5-10 lines) of these works so I can study them? I tried something called Lambs Tails from Shakespaer but it had to many long words.

EDIT: THANK YOU IN ADVANce!

(Second edit to corect spelling)

(Third edit dito)

And Dave, I’m concerned that all this light reading is going to turn your brain to mush.  Try something serious for a change!

There are some light books in there, i.e., Lloyd Alexander, Dan Savage, the dog book. Most of these are works I’m reading for school, either as part of my research or the class that I teach. (This year it’s “Literary Tradition,” a great books course, hence The Iliad, Dante, Ovid, etc.)

I find that after a day of reading for work, the last thing I want to do is read for pleasure. (Not that many of the work books aren’t pleasurable, but you get what I mean.) My “light” entertainment is mostly Netflix (Dr. Who, Breaking Bad, Dexter, etc.)

Most of these are works I’m reading for school

Yeah, I know, I was just funnin’ ya.

I find that after a day of reading for work, the last thing I want to do is read for pleasure.

That statement made my heart go out to you, Dave.  To think of reading as an imposed task....calls to mind that chap (wasn’t it an Evelyn Waugh story?) in the jungle somewhere, endlessly reading Dickens out loud.  I wish you a speedy elevation to Doctoral status!

It’s not that the reading is onerous. I quite enjoy it. But by the end of the day I don’t want to read more.