October 22, 2009

Really Old Classics for All

In little under two weeks Halloween will mark the end of October. With the coming of the new month I embark on new challenges, the biggest being NaNoWriMo. But it will also begin 2 new reading challenges that I am excited about. Today I'll share about one. Tomorrow you get the other.

I heart classics so I had to join this one as soon as I learned about it. Listen to this:

"It’s a fairly simple challenge. To finish, you need to read one work written before 1600 A.D. That’s it. Read one thing and you’ve finished! To make it fun, though, we have an “extra credit” option (read a retelling) and a “Classicist” certification (read four works)."

Four months to read a single classic! Well, I won't be stopping there. Ima wanna be a Classicist when I grow up. You have to check out Rebecca Reads as Rebecca has not just shared some of her favorite classics with us but she typed up a titanic List O' Possibility for herself that we can easily steal from without anyone noticing. You should also go to the challenge site to make things official.

I went straight to my classics bookshelf (a whole large bookshelf just for classics. I told you I hearted them) and pulled four books off the first shelf I saw. Since these four books are titles I have wanted to read for some time these are my official list books. They are:
The Love of Books: The Philobiblon of Richard de Bury
Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer
Antigone by Sophocles
The Song of Roland

I haven't yet figured out what my modern retelling will be. I have a little research to do.

So, will you join me? Pretty please with hot cocoa and a crackling fire?

6 comments:

Lezlie said...

This looks like a fun challenge! Too bad it wasn't going when I read The Faerie Queene earlier this year. :-) I can't wait to see you thoughts on your choices!

Lezlie

Amy said...

I may have to try this one. It's been far too long since I read really old literature. :-)

Rebecca Reid said...

Yeay! I'm glad you're a wannabe classicist.

I'm hope no real life classicist with a phd comes after me, mad that I'm going to be dubbing people with the title after four works. For me, I think it may be hard to do!!

great list of possibilities! Enjoy your reads!

Petunia said...

Lezlie-my eldest just finished reading The Faerie Queene. That thing is HUGE. I didn't choose it on purpose. It would take me the entire 4 months to read it.

Amy-I hope you will. I love seeing people getting into the classics.

Rebecca-Thanks for offering this challenge. Sometimes I need an excuse to get to the books I want to read. Why is that I wonder?

Lezlie said...

Petunia ~ I took 5 months to read it, keeping it down to about one Canto per day. Too much at one time was, well, too much! :-) It really is good though, if you pace yourself and don't try to take it too seriously. Maybe someday, right? :-)

Lezlie

Marie Cloutier said...

LOL, those are some pretty old classics! :) I almost picked up a translation of the Roman de la Rose a while back- that would have been great for this challenge!