B E B E R E

Books.

I have more than enough reading for classes to keep myself busy. However interesting the material might be, though, every night I need to take a break from it.

Lately, have been making my way though Edith Hamilton's Mythology, something I'd not looked at since I was a kid. It's a particular delight to read her introduction to each story, where she discusses her choices of whose source material to use for each and why. Her language (and interpretation of the original authors' language) enhances the compelling nature of the myths.

Am currently about 1/2 way through the book; just finished the story of Theseus. Honestly believe that the best thing he could have done for Ariadne was to leave her on Naxos. She definitely "married up." Also believe that Medea throughout time has been given a bum rap, that Jason did wrong by her and that she did not have many (if any) other options available to her at the time.

Next up is the story of Hercules. Then the story of the fall of Troy. (This is a major cut off point in actual Greek history - apparently, after the fall of Troy, there is a great 'dark' period about which we know absolutely nothing.) The last perhaps 40 or so pages is devoted to Norse Mythology, something I know very little about. Am looking forward to that.

Am still slogging my way through the introduction to the edition of the Federalist Papers that I picked up sometime last fall. It's very good background material, just a bit difficult to digest late at night. Should try reading it with my morning coffee.

While out searching for a Birthday gift for Pavel, I happened upon a Book of War. Have read a couple translations and all sorts of commentary on Sun Tzu's work. Might be interesting to read it back to back with von Clausewitz's treatise on Total War. (Why not?)

One of Pavel's gifts this year this book on a favorite bird. He read some of it to me while I was knitting last night. It's lovely. Might try to seek out any other books in this series that might exist.