Read from the New Lifetime Reading Plan books on Sundays

I’ve just spent a large part of today alternately reading and napping my way through Herodotus’ The History. I have two books left to go (chapters, we’d call them) – a little more than 100 pages. As an interesting aside, I just read the part of the clash between Xerxes and the Greeks which inspired the film “300”, so that was neat.

The History was such a dry dense book to me that I ran out of recheck time at the library and ended up buying a copy with a holiday gift card. I’m allowing myself time off from this goal until the book arrives. Then, I’ll start with book 4 again.

I’m getting bogged down in The History, but I’ll slog my way through it eventually.

I liked these plays a lot. I read 10 in all, and I think Ion was my favorite. They were sort of geeky-Greek cool, if that makes any sense.

Next up, Herodotus, The History. I’m told to swim through it and just take it all in and let it pass over me rather than trying to synch it all to my memory. Okay, I will try that.

I’m on to the Three Theban Plays by Sophocles and have chosen to begin with Antigone, following the order that the plays were written rather than the order of events within the three plays. It worked for me with Star Wars, so I figure, what the hay. I’m just through the introductions and will start the play next Sunday.

I did some NiLoRP reading today because I went with someone to a medical appointment that left me waiting in the waiting room for more than an hour (but it beat the MRI going on in the next room, hands down). I have fallen in love with this story, especially the transformation of the furies into the Eumenides or kindly ones, since the idea of the gray ladies has grabbed me since reading about them in a Neil Gaiman graphic novel.

Next up, Sophocles. I’ve already read Antigone, but I think I’ll probably read it again for this challenge, and for the pleasure of it.

...I’m on to something good.

I spent the past two Sundays reading the rather lengthy introduction to The Oresteia by Aeschylus, and with my lids closing down on me late last night, I started the first pages of the first play, “Agamemnon” – I’m pleased to see how readable it is. This is ramping up to be a really rich, interesting story of revenge, justice, and exoneration.

I finished The Analects on Sunday and will be moving on to The Oresteia next Sunday. I hope I can get into the plays – I think I’ll be able to quite well.

I’m not really into The Analects of Confucius. A few of his statements have grabbed me, but overall, it sounds like a series of blunt pronouncements about how others should live, and I’m just not into it right now. Maybe next Sunday I’ll be more enthralled with his wisdom. Hope so.

I have a copy of the New Lifetime Reading Plan by Clifton Fadiman and John S. Major, and I’ve been reading my way through these books, very slowly, on Sundays. So far, I’ve read Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Odyssey. Next up, The Analects of Confucius.

I like the periodicity of this new habit of mine; it’s become comfortable.