Would you like to spend 15 minutes a day reading the Harvard Classics? If so, here is a link to them. This link explains the project. You could subscribe ($45 for a year) or just read the individual pages within the books; or they are available on Kindle for $7.65. At any rate, it should be interesting! Shu and I are going to do it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Gee Willikers, Batman, this is one tough course of reading! You deserve a degree from Harvard if you can stomach all of these gems.

But I have read several of these suggestions. Quite some years ago now, I read the Arabian Nights - to wit, entire 1001 Nights of Richard Burton's translations, as well as the "Supplemental Nights". This was something like 20 volumes(?) of serious reading. Just recently I loaded them onto my e-reader and have begun to tackle them again. Fun, but I think my reader weighs two ounces more since I've downloaded this stuff!

Anyway, I enjoyed the stories of Scheherazade very much. Although they do include the familiar stuff - Ali Baba, Sinbad, etc - these stories are not for children. As I heard it described somewhere, the tales do not leave you, in the Western fashion, discreetly at the bedroom door, but rather, take you on through the door and into the bedroom. That is the sentiment, if not the exact wording! The point is, these stories are earthy, pithy and very revealing tales of the Middle Eastern world, and the [practical] customs of Islam.

Anyway, I must here express some admiration for the "younger me" and my staying the course on reading this stuff. Interesting it is, but not light fare.

I look forward to reading Homer: The Odyssey since I didn't know the Simpsons had written a travelogue.

Remember, it's only 15 minutes of reading a day. They pick the pages for you.

I don't really see much point in reading only the a few pages - 15 minutes' worth - of these works. I suppose it might help to give a flavour of the text, but reading The Iliad, say, and not finding out if the Greeks or Trojans won would be annoying.

I think it gives you a flavor of many different kinds of classic works, and then you can go back and read the whole book. I can see where some people wouldn't like doing it that way, though.

quote:

They pick the pages for you.

... rather like picking the "good bits" from the famous operas. I'm all for that. Some years ago I sat through Handel's Messiah - a truly horrible experience - all for the fabulous Halleluah Chorus! I am certain that reading a goodly number of these suggested works would drive me up the wall!

I think if they only pick out the 'best bits' that's likely by definition to give a false impression of the quality of the work. Other parts may well be worse - maybe much worse.

... no kidding! I still remember Messiah!

Maybe you should try Judas Maccabeus instead? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLeElDK-8Sk

Or Bach's B-minor Mass , or the [shorter] Magnificat in D.

Then again, of course, some people just don't like Bach. Why should Handel be exempt?

Shu's loving it. I think it gives you a taste, but I see you points.