For various reasons over the years I am picking up classics of literature and seeing what they’re about. Since my education was mostly in the sciences I wanted to see what the Other Side was studying. I have to thank a dear departed friend of mine for getting me on the path of literature and pointing out it could actually be enjoyable and not a drudge.
The thing you have to decide is whether you’re going to be Hard Core or casual. I’m sort of in the middle.
For instance, I was rummaging through my home library and found an edition of the Canterbury Tales that I had put my name in with the date “1970″. This should give you an idea of how awfully old I am. BTAIM*, I picked it up and started in on it anyway. The editor, Theodore Morrison, has “translated” the Middle English to rhymed couplets and stanzas as closely as possible to the original. I was definitely enjoying reading it, when I got the thought “I wonder what the original ME looked like?” So I hied me to my local library and found a study edition.
I was amazed that after a little effort I could actually read the ME text, of course referring all the time to the glossary in the column, as many of Chaucer’s words have become obsolete–although more have mutated or changed meaning.
*BTAIM “Be That As It May”
