I'm thinking about buying:
The Canterbury Tales
The Faerie Queene
The Decameron
One Thousand and One Nights
Which editions and (where applicable) translations do you guys have or prefer?
What are some other great, lesser known (i.e. not Homer, Virgil, Milton, or Dante) books, epic poems, and story collections?
Get Canterbury tales in the original English
>>7766971
This, it's not even difficult once you get used to it and learn a few of the most frequently recurring archaisms.
Also, 1001 Nights is long as fug. Like, really, really long. Just want to make sure you're aware of what you're getting into.
If you're going to read the Decameron, you might as well read it before the Canterbury Tales, since it was Chaucer's most direct source anyway.
Faerie Queene is one of the most delightful things ever written in this language and I wish you all the very best with it.
>>7766966
Consider reading Orlando Furioso.
The riverside chaucer should be easy to get if you're willing to buy it second hand.
1001 nights: I have the first volume of penguins complete translation. It's a nice read but will take a long time if you need to read the complete thing.
Decameron: it really doesnt matter.
As for lesser known texts you could try le morte darthur, the song of roland and the mabinogion.
>>7766966
Read Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and then Torquato Tasso's The Liberation of Jerusalem before diving into The Faerie Queene, since Spenser takes a lot from those two works (along with the Aeneid). I recommend Hamilton's edition, or Hackett's if you don't like big, thick volumes (you can even get these on thepiratebay).
If you really want to become epic-poem masterrace, read Boiardo's Orlando Inamoratto before Ariosto in order to get the full picture. Aside from that, perhaps El Cantar del Mio Cid would be another example of an epic poem, although some consider it a cantar de gesta.
>>7767026
>Noted, I think I'm going to get the Penguin version with original spelling, and translations in the footnotes.
Get the Riverside.
>>7766966
I've read all of these except 1001 nights, here's some edition ideas
Canterbury tales: The Riverside Chaucer or Norton Critical Edition
Faerie Queen: Longman Annotated English Poets, Hamilton ed. Wonderful notes
Decameron: I liked the Everyman's Library one but can't speak to translation.
>>7767026
If you're getting the Riverside Chaucer, I recommend getting it off Oxford University Press online shop since they still have the discount promotion from two days ago. Use the code LEAPDAY2 and you'll get a 60% discount (if you're in the UK; if you're in murrica I think it's only 10%)
>>7767019
Nice, I'll check out Le morte d'Arthur; already have the other two.
>>7767039
Alright, seems like this is the consensus. Will do.
>>7767041
Some of the online version of the Decameron I've found are just unreadable, so thanks for the rec.
>>7767047
Unfortunately I'm the latter; I think I'll cop a used one off abebooks.
>>7767004
>Ludivine Sagnier will never be your Angelica.
>>7766966
Ovid's Metamorphoses (OWC)
Beowulf (not sure on edition)
The Epic of Gilgamesh (Andrew George translation/Penguin)
Edda (Everyman edition)
The Visions of Piers Plowman (Everyman)
>>7768667
This + Gawain and the Grene Knight. The English is a bit more difficult in the latter than in, say, Canterbury Tales, so annotated / translation facing the original editions are helpful.
Confessio Amantis is another one, contemporary to and was eclipsed by Chaucer. Haven't read it yet so I can't say why.
>>7766966
Evangeline by Longfellow
>>7766966
Gargantua & Pantagruel
Anatomy of Melancholy
Le Morte d'Arthur
>>7768667
Spoken like a true pleb. If you want to read ol' Piers, either get the Norton Critical edition (which has a wonderful modern and original text on either side of the page) or the Pearsall edition (1981). Mind you, the latter is more dry and academic.
The Norton edition of the Decameron is very good as well.
>>7768918
>he needs secondary material
>his family isn't composed of literary intellectuals
Bonjeur Reddit
>>7768928
>needing family
>not becoming a hermit in the Malvern Hills
>>7768937
>not living with your sister in a Norwegian forest lodge
>>7768928
>bonjeur
Obvious troll is obvious. 3/10, I replied.
The Golden Ass, sometimes also called Metamorphoses, by Apuleius deserves to be more widely known. The main character gets turned into a donkey while exploring his curiosity about witchcraft. Findlay iirc is a good translation (may have misremembered the name). I also love Petronius' Satyricon, but it can be frustrating since its only extant in a fragmented form.
The Cattle-raid of Cooley (The Tain) is an interesting read. That's the story that Irish folk hero Culchullain comes from.
I have heard good things about the Tale of Genji but never read it.
>>7769058
If you liked Petronius, watch Fellini's interpretation.
>>7769071
I have! Thought it was wonderful how the story was pieced together so poetically (though it certainly takes a lot of liberties with the source) and a feast for the eyes, but most of my friends from Latin class hated it.
>>7769071
pleb trash
>>7769087
Fuck off batty
OP, I don't own it yet, but did some research a few months back about the arabian nights and the consensus throughout various forums seemed to be that Burton's texts is top dog, and has been for so long that his annotations are basically a part of the experience now. You can find a set lightly used for about $50. Heritage press with pictures pic related.
Apparently the Penguin set, although complete, is a slightly clunky translation, but you can check for yourself; there are a few articles on the subject you can find by googling.
>>7768801
Where can I find a complete edition of Anatomy of Melancholy? I hear the NYRB is abridged.
Also any recommendations on Decameron translations?
>>7769150
Burton's is Victorian white trash. Nothing more than a historical artefact, but go a head and have fun wasting your money on that shit translation. The Penguin one is the best, as usual.
>>7769180
W e w
>>7769150
NYBR's Anatomy of Melancholy is the best edition. It is unabridged too.
>>7769180
Cool contrarian meme
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
>>7766966
For One Thousand and One Nights the only correct answer is:
"The Arabian Nights" translated by Haddawy, published by Norton.
It's a great translation, it stays true to the the oldest complete script known, and doesn't add/remove anything like the many other translations did. It also includes wonderful history, annotations, and notes.
Haddawy also released another volume: Arabian Nights II, also published by Norton, that includes all the additional stories that were added and picked up by the various translators over the long and strange history of this work.
Both of these volumes will give you the truest One Thousand and One Nights.
All that said, the Burton translation is interesting in it's own right. It is not complete, some stories are removed, others were added, and some of the erotic scenes were played up quite a bit from the original. His notes and annotations are quite interesting. For that, I'd go with the Modern Library version, but there are a few options.
As for Penguin. This is a translation of a much later script, that has the additional added stories that weren't in the older copy. That said, it has some lines shortened and cut, so it is not complete, like it says. I would not recommend this version.
Hope this helps.
>>7766966
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Beowulf
The poetic edda.
>>7766966
You would probably like Heptameron
>>7769269
I really thought this was not good.
At first it was ok but it's just one Greek God reference after another without any charm or "oh wow that's an interesting similarity".
