2014 - Top Five Classics
Considering I spent so many years reading nothing but classics, I'm going to divide this into two categories.
Classics as in ancient texts
1. The Odyssey by Homer
This beautiful epic is basically about the plight of one man who is a very mean idiot, as he tries to get back to his wife. His wife, Penelope, is more interesting.
2. Medea by Euripides
The first tragedy I ever read, Medea is a play about a woman who gets revenge on the man who used her. She also flies off on a carriage pulled by dragons.
3. Roman History, Volume 3 by Appian
This is a nonfiction series, written in Greek about the history of Rome. It does need to be taken with a pinch (or a handful) of salt, but Volume 3 covers the formation and the fall of both the first and second triumvirates. This is probably my favourite era of Roman history, and Appian covers it so well.
4. Trojan Women by Euripides
Another tragedy, this tells the story of the aftermath of the fall of Troy from the perspective of the women. It is harrowing, and dark, and incredible.
5. The poetry of Sappho
Often known for giving us the terms lesbian and sapphic, Sappho is truly one of the best poets of all time. Her work only survives in fragments, but I thoroughly recommend them.
Classics as in Victorian and pre-Victorian
1. The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Gothic fiction does not get better than this. I read this when I was 16, and it is still one of my favourite books. Following the story of Emily as she tries to navigate her life as an orphan, while being in a Gothic novel and creating all of the things that would later be cliches, was what made me fall in love with the genre.
2. The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
I cannot talk about Gothic fiction without mentioning this. Oscar Wilde is an exceptional writer, but this novel is beyond perfection.
3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
When a teenage girl invents a new genre of literature, you know it is going to be amazing. Frankenstein is the best villain in any story, and I love this book so much.
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Could this be one of the best known pieces of classic literature of all time?
5. The Vampyre by John Polidori
This for me beats Dracula by Bram Stoker for the beauty of the writing. While Dracula has a wonderful style, with the novel being told in letters and diary entries, The Vampyre grabs you and doesn't let you go.
2015 - Authors you would like to meet
There are far too many, and some authors I have met, but I do have a shortlist. However most of them are from far too long ago for me to actually meet them.
1. Homer
I want to find out who Homer was, or who they were, and what other epics they created. The Homeric Cycle cannot just be Iliad and Odyssey because there are so many gaps in the story. I need to know more.
2. Jane Austen
I would love to have had the chance to convince her to take up more space, to write more, and to show that people in the future are still adoring her characters.
3. Oscar Wilde
Imagine going on a night out with Oscar Wilde, the people you'd meet and gossip about, the witty one liners you would hear directly...
4. Niccolò Machiavelli
Probably one of the very, very few philosophers I can understand, Machiavelli had some interesting ideas. He was also closely linked to many historical figures and I'd absolutely want the gossip on the Borgia family.
5. Christopher Marlowe
A spy, killed at a young age in mysterious circumstances, Marlowe has such a mystery around him, while also being an amazing playwright.
Tell me about your choices!
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