Classics Book Club, The

[ginny]

I really want to echo JoanK in thanking all of you who participated in this new venture: reading the works of the ancient Greeks and Romans in translation. I won't mention each of you by name but it was such a joy to look in and see your thoughtful and great posts on each topic as we came to it.

I wonder what we'll take with us from it? I found that Ulysses is everywhere, even when he's not attributed. You can stand in some of the finest museums in the world of antiquities and there he is, tied to the mast in yet another rendition from literally thousands of years ago. What a thrill to look and know who that is before you even read the tag, and what he's doing and why he's there,  and how many ways he's represented and has been represented through the ages. He literally is everywhere. I wonder if we've asked ourselves WHY? What IS it about him that perpetuates him through the modern age?

I thought we gave him a great go and really got a lot out of it,  and I particularly appreciate those of you who made it to the end, our own Odyssey,  but you stuck the course and we ended up with more crew than he did hahaha (perhaps with less physical challenge),  but we all got the prize.

I liked the end. I liked Homer's subtle reminder  that no matter what you gain on earth, death is waiting, and in the case of the ancient Greeks, it's not the end, note the shades coming forward, I just loved it. I don't think it's a later added on feature but is necessary as a reminder and summing up of the entire plot.  There's so much in Homer and I think we really did a super job with him and left no stone unturned.

I note some great nominations also for coming books in Joan's link. While I can't help lead during the school year (I think 9 classes of Latin, two in person and a 4 year old during the week are going to be time consuming enough) I can and will participate in whatever you choose as I want to read them all anyway.  So hopefully some of us can step forward and help the cause, so we can say we've read them. I do think it's important to at least know what's been said  and usually makes for better reading than the modern stuff.

So thank you SO much for each of your posts! Each one added so much to the all over experience and what we'll take with us as we close the cover for the last time. I just this morning put my Odyssey texts away in the back bedroom with some sadness. Hopefully we can do this again, and sail together into the past. 

[marcie]

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