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Sunday, August 14, 2011

The First Book

I've proposed to read "Great Books". There are a lot of ways a person could define that. I think Adler and Van Doren describe a "great book" well when they say that it is a book that is "always over our head" no matter how many times we return to it. It is written at so many levels that, as we grow, we constantly find new things in the text. So, where does one begin such a journey? Which book should be first?

For myself, there was only one logical place to begin this reading project...Homer. What could be a more perfect beginning than "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"? They are, after all, the oldest stories in Western Civilization (let's exempt the Bible from consideration). I will not use a strictly chronological method to selecting the order of texts, but it seemed a good way to begin. I'll be using the new Robert Fagles translation [Buy it at Amazon.com here].

One more comment: school starts this week, so I may be a bit of a slacker in posting. Apologies!

Monday, August 8, 2011

"How to Read a Book" (Adler and Van Doren)

Much of what you will find in this blog is inspired by Mortimer Adler, great American educational philosopher. This project itself came about because I was reading his brilliant text “How to Read a Book” (co-authored with Charles van Doren). [Buy it at Amazon.com] My copy is the “revised and updated” 1972 edition. If you haven’t read it, I would highly recommend it. Here are some highlights from the first section of the book which details the first three levels of reading.
One of the first distinctions he makes is between reading for entertainment, information, and understanding. I like this because each of these three has a place in our lives.
“Being informed is a pre-requisite to being enlightened.” (p. 11)
The Four Levels of Reading:
  1. Elementary Reading
  2. Inspectional Reading
  3. Analytical Reading
  4. Synoptical Reading
“Every book should be read no more slowly than it deserves, and no more quickly than you can read it with satisfaction and comprehension.” (p. 43)
“To use a good book as a sedative is a conspicuous waste.” (p. 46)
Basic questions a reader asks:
  1. What is the book about as a whole?
  2. What is being said in detail, and how?
  3. Is the book true, in whole or part?
  4. What of it?
Good writing should have unity, clarity, and coherence. (p. 91)
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom in learning, from books as well as from nature.” (p. 123)
“No one is really teachable who does not freely exercise his power of independent judgment....The most teachable reader, therefore, is the most critical.” (p. 140)
I think my favorite thing about Adler and Van Doren’s approach is their very realistic recognition that not all books have the same value, and thus not all books deserve to be read in the same way, with the same degree of attention, or with the same goal in mind.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Hemingway

I recently finished re-reading Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises", and was struck by just what a skilled author he was. Although Hemingway doesn't appear in the typical "100 Great Books" lists, I thought I'd take a moment to recognize my favorite American author. He also wrote my all-time favorite collection of short stories, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro".

For those who have not indulged in any of his novels or short stories, permit me a few comments on his writing style. I have always found Hemingway's writing style to be beautiful in its austerity. For me, his great hallmark is his ability to build mystery around some element of a character or a story by talking around it, rather than about it. Often in a Hemingway novel, what is not said is far more important than what is. Sometimes I almost feel as though reading Hemingway is like looking at a relief image, or a photograph negative, where the hills and valleys (or dark and light areas) are swapped in the production of the image.

Another beautiful facet of Hemingway's writing is his attention to detail. In "The Sun Also Rises", when he describes the routes taken by characters through Paris, I can almost feel myself walking down those same streets. When he describes the bull-fights, I can see all the salient details in my mind's eye.

Of course, I think the reason I perennially return to Hemingway is the truth value of his writings. His portrayal of the archetypes of humanity are so recognizable that I always find it easy to compare myself, or those I know, to his characters. His stories also face the ugly truth of human life: that it often mixes the pleasant and unpleasant together in equal (sometimes unequal) measure. In particular, I think that much of Hemingway's portrayals of what goes on between men and women (especially in the sub-text) is often revealing and reflective of some honest realizations about the basic differences between men and women.

Well, that's enough about Hemingway. If you haven't read anything by him, I would highly recommend it. And while none of his works will probably make my "100 Great Books" list, I thought it worth mentioning him here.

Until next time...keeping reading!

Friday, August 5, 2011

The Beginning

Welcome to my blog! I am a big fan of Mortimer Adler, and have always thought that it would be fun to follow a "Great Books" curriculum. I've decided to undertake the task on my own, and share my thoughts and favorite insights on this blog. I'll be using the reading list from St. John's College as a foundation (http://www.stjohnscollege.edu/academic/readlist.shtml).

For a little background about myself, I am a Latin teacher, so I have some background with most of the books that I will be reading and posting about (although certainly not all!). Some of these books I've read before, but I'll be reading them again for this adventure.

The root goal is simply my own learning and edification. I've decided to share my journey for two reasons: 1) to keep me accountable. Perhaps if someone else is out there reading this, I might be more inclined to stay on top of my "assignments"; and 2) as a guide and aid to anyone else who is a seeker.

Feel free to comment or question. I'll do my best to answer any questions, and I'm sure I'll appreciate the comments!