Reading Classics, Chronologically Through the Ages discussion

Kenia wrote: "Hey Cleo! I finished The Oresteia back in July when you were reffing the World Softball Championships. Here's the link to the A..."

But isn't that just Agamemnon? What about The Libation Bearers and Eumenides?

Cleo wrote: "...But isn't that just Agamemnon? What ab..."

OOOhhhhh I see why the confusion. TWEM only calls out Agamemnon and not the whole Oresteia trilogy, and since I had intended this group to focus on TWEM books only, I only started a thread for Agamemnon. But if you'd like to discuss the other two, I certainly will not object! ;-) Would you like me to open threads for those?

Only if you've read them, and I'm not discussing by myself. ;-)

IMO, I think it was a mistake to separate the plays. Aeschylus is tracing a very important "metamorphosis" in Greek culture and the three plays are necessary to understand it. With Sophocles' Theban trilogy, on the other hand, I think the plays can be read in isolation if one chooses.

Cleo wrote: "Only if you've read them, and I'm not discussing by myself. ;-)

IMO, I think it was a mistake to separate the plays. Aeschylus is tracing a very important "metamorphosis" in Greek culture and the ..."

I did read them! I couldn't help myself. :-D

I agree with you, especially since the Theban plays aren't even really a trilogy, but The Oresteia was a trilogy in the true sense of the word, produced at the same time and meant to be seen all together.

Interesting point about the "metamorphosis" in Greek culture...do you mean their concept of justice?

I will start threads now and we can discuss! ;-D

I'm from Tacoma, Washington. I checked out TWEM from the library, and just finished reading chapter four. I'm going to dive into Don Quixote tomorrow. (I've already done my two hours for today).

I was wondering if any of you have written out the "table of contents" in your journals? To me it seems like an extra step. Does it help?

Also, I have a hand-written journal, and have started a blog to describe my journey through the classics. It's https://thewelleducatedmindblog.wordp... I'm still setting it up, so there's no posts, yet, but soon I will be writing them.

Thanks for setting up this group! I'm excited to be a member, and getting to know all of you on this journey of self-education!

Welcome Deanna!

I also keep a physical journal but I admit I did not do the "table of contents" step for the same reason you expressed. :-/

I read Part I of Don Quixote. I'd be happy to discuss with you if you'd like! I read it before I decided to "hit reset" and begin chronologically across the genres. I'd be interested to hear what you think of it.

Welcome to the group! :)

Kenia

Hi Deanna and welcome to the group! I've read all of Don Quixote and was actually going to start reading it again in August, but decided I have too much on the go. I could probably jump into a discussion too.

I'm looking forward to your posts on your blog. So thrilling to have another WEM-er to follow!

Welcome Deanna! I'm new here too but it seems like a wonderful place to read and study the great books.

I have been a bit quiet the last few days as I too have been building a Wordpress blog (although I keep it in a private mode). I find it to be an excellent type of notepad (I see it more as software for personal use - a discourse with the book) with the ability integrate lots of arts and other media. I'm not sure if I will ever make it public. Actually, for those of you that blog and do so publicly: what is the reasoning behind it? I presume it is to build community, but it seems like commentaries and discussions on are minor - more in the realm of acknowledgment and touching base with each other. In contrast, the Goodreads groups seems (potentially) more prone to elaborate discussion and interactions with threads growing in debate (again potentially. :)

Sandy wrote: "Haaze, if you are on a mobile app, I think you can only see the discussion threads on the full website maybe? I know they are there but I can't see them on the app I'm using."

It was more a matter of threads being hidden due to them not being current. I found them when I dug deeper. I'm not really a mobile app Goodreads user (yet), but thanks for the pointer Sandy!

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

Deanna wrote: "I'm from Tacoma, Washington ....."

BTW, I'm about 4 hours away from you north of the border. I'm actually going to be down your way the first weekend in October for my daughter's softball tournament. :-)

Cleo--I would suggest going for coffee, but my Grandma is having surgery then, and will be helping her around the house.

Deanna wrote: "Cleo--I would suggest going for coffee, but my Grandma is having surgery then, and will be helping her around the house."

Aw, that's too bad. I might be down there again in spring, so perhaps then!

Haaze wrote: "I'm not sure if I will ever make it public. Actually, for those of you that blog and do so publicly: what is the reasoning behind it? I presume it is to build community, but it seems like commentaries and discussions on are minor - more in the realm of acknowledgment and touching base with each other. In contrast, the Goodreads groups seems (potentially) more prone to elaborate discussion and interactions with threads growing in debate..."

I thought about this question for a while, because I find that--unless you have a large enough blog audience--GoodReads is superior with regards to having discussions.

I really like 1) creating websites, 2) taking photos and making art with Instagram, and using those photos as the featured photo for my blog posts, and 3) writing. I don't blog because I expect to grow a large audience, I've realized it's a form of artistic expression for me, personally. I take great care with each blog post--both with the photos, and with my words. I also take great care in the blog's appearance (I use the WordPress platform) and it's fun for me to go into the code to tweak things. To not make it public...it would feel like painting lots of paintings and storing them in the attic rather than submitting them to the art display at the local library (I say local library because it seems like a humble enough analogy for someone who recognizes that they're not "great" artists, just amateurs who enjoy making art, regardless of it being, perhaps, subpar...and I say "perhaps" because I've perused my local libraries art gallery and there are some great artists in there! LOL)

Also: if I write my thoughts and analysis about a book, I'd rather keep it safe on my own blog and merely copy & paste that review into GoodReads. By "safe," I mean to say who know how long GoodReads will last? Websites come and go, even ones that are around for many years. If GoodReads is deleted, at least my book reviews/thoughts/analyses are still preserved (as I own the blog and have full control over it)...although discussion threads themselves will disappear.

Kenia wrote: "Also: if I write my thoughts and analysis about a book, I'd rather keep it safe on my own blog and merely copy & paste that review into GoodReads. By "safe," I mean to say who know how long GoodRea..."

That is a good point, Kenia! I recall that the wonderful group called Bookish was deleted on Goodreads. It was a box of delights and people that worked hard. It was sad to see it all gone. Besides, I feel as if one writes differently on a blog - at least for me it turns more into a blend of journal, essay, impressions, thoughts, art, reflections materializing into something that is quite personal. It is a very different way to hold a discourse with oneself, the book and its world. I'm not sure about the museum metaphor - sometimes I don't feel like putting my thoughts on display. With a public blog I would be aware of others reading it, while in a private mode I just write whatever crosses my mind. It is (for me) more relaxing (nobody is standing behind me reading over my shoulder). :)

Haaze wrote: "Actually, for those of you that blog and do so publicly: what is the reasoning behind it? I presume it is to build community, but it seems like commentaries and discussions on are minor..."

I think that I initially started my blog to get my thoughts down and to become more computer literate. Not very interesting, but that's it. :-Z As my blog got going though, I started to realize how few in-depth reviews there were on the classics and how many people were missing the depth these books had. Not that I have a corner on literary analysis, but by educating myself, I tried to at least start to fill that "hole". Then that led to meeting other bloggers and building a tenuous but much-appreciated community (I say, tenuous because connections online are always tenuous). I do have a number of blog-friends with whom I can have good conversations. It's not often about the book though, but some issue the book brings to light and then touches a cord in someone else and away we go. I searched for a good group on GR's for deep discussion but have not been able to find something that works. There are a few deep groups but often the comments are so copious that it takes hours to read them all. I find a blog mitigates the traffic, and there are a few of us that comment regularly on each other's blogs which makes a nice manageable community.

Haaze wrote: "Besides, I feel as if one writes differently on a blog -..."

:-D My daughter says I sound completely different on my blog!

Haaze wrote: "sometimes I don't feel like putting my thoughts on display...."

I do know what you mean. But sometimes we can touch other people with our thoughts, or our thoughts lead us to connect with someone in an unexpected way. I was privileged to be able to connect with someone in this way and make a difference in their lives which was really quite wonderful. You have such insight and depth to your thoughts when you post comments, that I think it would be a shame not to share those with others. :-)

P.S. Kenia is much more creative than I am on her blog! :-)

Thanks, Cleo! I do keep my eyes on your blog. It is rich place to wander both in terms of content and the art you use to reflect your reading experiences. You must be a major fan of 19th-century painting (I suffer (happily) from that "illness" as well).

It is interesting to read your thoughts about blogging and the reasons behind it. I guess we all enter the realm of the great books with a wish to understand and appreciate them in whatever form it takes. I agree with that such writing can inspire others and enhance reading experiences. I suspect I am a bit selfish in my approach, but perhaps I will go public one day. I suspect that these blogs must be goldmines for students assigned some of these works at school! LOL That is probably true for Goodreads as well.

Hello! I'm Kendra and I joined this group a little while ago but haven't gotten around to really participating yet, so now I'm changing that. I graduated with my bachelors about a year ago and a thought I had as I finished was, "Now I can learn about whatever I want!" I started doing some research on self-education and stumbled on TWEM. I'm not sticking to this list solely - I'm also on a mission to read the entire Durant series "The Story of Civilization" which totals over 12,000 pages, as well as a few other topics that pique my interest - but it's a primary focus. I just started Don Quixote and am about a quarter of the way through. I also bought many of the books at a giant used book sale so I'm prepared! I can't wait to get started with all of you!

Welcome Kendra! I'm very excited that you've joined us!

Welcome Kendra! Glad you're here!

Welcome, Kendra! I'm beginning a Don Quixote buddy read on Nov 15th. It will be my second time reading it and I'm looking forward to forming some new impressions. Are you enjoying it?

Cleo wrote: "Welcome, Kendra! I'm beginning a Don Quixote buddy read on Nov 15th. It will be my second time reading it and I'm looking forward to forming some new impressions. Are you enjoying it?"

I am, but I'm reading it on my kindle so I didn't realize just how long it was! I'm hoping I'll finish it by the end of the year. But I find it really funny and interesting. I've enjoyed it more as I've gone along - there's actually quite a bit of depth and complexity in it.

I think I'll start reading Don Quixote, too. I just read through the chapter descriptions. (I did check out the Edith Grossman translation from the library).

I'm part way through Chapter 2 so I've just started. It's a fun romp!

Hi everyone,
I am a single mom of 2 grown up children. I homeschooled my children using the Classical method and the WTM book a lot but only got to junior high with them because of health reasons and the breakdown of my marriage.
My 23 year old son is living with me and we are together going to be reading at a higher level. I am getting an education and having a chance to teach my son some of the things we missed. Thank you for setting up this group.

Welcome, Tracey!

Welcome to the group, Tracey! I homeschool my daughter too!

Cleo wrote: "Welcome to the group, Tracey! I homeschool my daughter too!"

I know that even though I couldn't finish the plan I had for my children, the years that we did homeschool gave my children a great advantage. Those pioneers that had gone before helped me a lot and my son says that when he marries and has children he would like his children home schooled.

Tracey wrote: "Cleo wrote: "my son says that when he marries and has children he would like his children home schooled. ..."

That's great to hear! :-)

Welcome, welcome Tracey! :-)

Haaze wrote: "Actually, for those of you that blog and do so publicly: what is the reasoning behind it?..."

I was thinking more about this discussion we were having last September about blogging: why do it? should one make it public? etc.

Although I just published a post on my blog welcoming the new year, I've been thinking a lot about this these last few days....and I'm more inclined to read the books and discuss them here on GoodReads than to continue blogging (to me personally, discussion is what's most important in practicing the classical self-education, not blogging as I'm not seeking an online following).

Blogging is actually a lot of work: uploading the photos, writing, editing & proofreading. I mentioned earlier in this thread that to me it's an art form--and it is because I love taking the photos and I love to write....except that Instagram is fulfilling my artistic needs for the photography aspect and, with respect to writing, I have fiction projects I'd prefer to spend my time on, rather than managing a blog.

In other words, I've assessed that the value I receive from blogging does not warrant the time spent to maintain it. I will be spending my time on actually reading the books, engaging here on GoodReads, and Instagramming, and have decided to discontinue blogging. (I will continue to maintain my website simply for the sake of my book lists, and crossing out books as I go along to help me keep track.)

Sandy wrote: "...for me personally, procrastination has probably been the wisest course of inaction. :D
..."

LoL Yes, indeed, sometimes inaction can be the wisest course. ;-)

I'm a bit of a perfectionist so that doesn't help one bit, but for me each blog post would take anywhere from 2.5-3 hours from start to finish. I would write it, edit it, then take the photos, upload the photos, format it appropriately, file it under the correct category, assess which tags to apply for linking, make any further minor tweaks, last minute proofreading, then finally hit the "publish" button.

That's 2.5-3 hours I can spend actually reading and discussing instead. I can simply focus on meeting my reading goals, which is what I truly want after all. :-)

That's too bad, Kenia, as I've really enjoyed your blog. That said, we all have different expectations and needs and if you feel you are getting more interaction on Goodreads and other places, it make sense to spend your time there.

For me, I not only enjoy blogging, but I find I get deeper discussions and have made closer friendships on my blog than on Goodreads. There are at least 3 other bloggers who I've connected with in a personal way and we would keep in touch even without blogs (and, in fact, do) so blogging has been more meaningful for me. Mind you, my blog is 3-4 years old so I've spent time cultivating these friendships, but I've spent more time on Goodreads and while I value the in-depth conversations I've had, there isn't the closeness that my blog seems to create.

You are right, blogging does take time, but I also feel that much of that time is thinking about what I've read, or discussing what I've read, or fine-tuning my writing, so it's time well spent.

In any case, I'll look forward to how you feel in a couple of months and learning about where you manage to use up your saved blogging time. All the best! :-)

Thanks Cleo. I'm glad you enjoyed my blog...I'm pretty sure you were the only person who did! I met you here on GoodReads initially though. I literally get close to zero traffic on my blog so besides yourself I was writing to ghosts. Literally no other readers. It's a lot of work if no one is reading and willing to converse about the ideas I write about! LoL But here on GoodReads I have actually been able to connect with people.

Hi Kirk! Welcome to the group! That's so inspiring to hear that you've become such an avid reader. Please join the discussion of Don Quixote if you feel inclined. I've sort of stalled around chapter 32 at the moment and am not finding tons to say, but perhaps someone else might inject some liveliness into the conversation! :-)

Hi Kirk,

Welcome to the group and, most importantly, welcome to the world of reading!

As Cleo mentioned already, there is currently a discussion on Don Quixote.

I look forward to hearing more from you as you move through your literary journey!

Kenia

Welcome Kirk!

Kirk wrote: "I'm trying to come up with a reading system for myself. Because my kindle goes by % read and not pages, i may have a goal that looks like this (for example):
Jan 1st, read up to 10% of the book.
Ja..."

That sounds like a solid plan to me!

Hi! I'm Kelly. I picked up the Well-Educated Mind years ago and have gotten through most of the fiction genre.

What a great idea for a group! I would love to jump in and get other's thoughts on some of the other genres that I find more intimidating.

Welcome, Kelly!

Hi, Kelly!
We are reading Herodotus' Histories right now. It is a big book and we are taking January, February, and March to read it. Kenia says she may take longer though, because she needs to take a break and read something else for a while.
You are welcome to join us. Cleo and I recommend The Landmark Herodotus, which has very helpful maps. But if you're not quite ready to jump in with full force right now, I'd recommend going back to some of the books already read and discussed. If you post to the discussion board for a book, I'm sure people will respond even if they finished the book last year.
Herodotus is a doozie to start with, and we are already half way into it. That's why I suggest you might want to start with something else.
-Julie (Sorento62)

Hi Kelly! Welcome! :-D

Julie's right: if you comment of any of the older discussions people will still engage. Personally (unless I disliked the book), I never tire of discussing books I've read.

Hi Kelly and welcome to the group! I'm looking forward to reading and discussing books with you!

Sorento62 wrote: "Hi, Kelly!
We are reading Herodotus' Histories right now. It is a big book and we are taking January, February, and March to read it. Kenia says she may take longer though, because she needs to tak..."

Thank you Julie and Kenia. I have picked up and put down Herodotus a few times. I am certain you are right and I won't be catching up! I may jump in on the next one.

Hello (again)! I'm Sharon, and I was a part of this group last year, but then my reading took me in a direction away from the classics. I would like to give this another try, as I'm really feeling the need again to focus on reading for personal education. I see where you are reading Herodotus' Histories, and I have a copy of The Landmark edition, so if it isn't too late, I would like to join in, if you will have me :)

Hi, Sharon-
Jump on in! I am smack in the middle of Herodotus right now myself.
-Julie (Sorento62)

Sorento62 wrote: "Hi, Sharon-
Jump on in! I am smack in the middle of Herodotus right now myself.
-Julie (Sorento62)"

Thanks Julie!!