So I read How to Read a Book by Adler. It was great. It helped me immensely with reading and understanding.
He eventually has a recommended reading list. It's long and has lots of classical works. I've tried starting with the Greeks like he suggests.
I get absolutely nothing out of the Iliad and Odyssey. What am I doing wrong?
Is a self directed liberal education worth it? I'm not enjoying the journey this far.
>helped me immensely
>can't get anything out of the Epics.
It didn't help you then. What are you trying to understand? The meaning of the universe? Quit being lazy and retarded and read some more about them.
>>7850525
Yeah, what are you trying to get out of them? They're both relatively straightforward.
>>7850525
>>7850532
He recommended I start there and progress forward. I get why I should work through western literature chronologically.
I guess I'm asking those who have read or are reading western works chronologically if they consider the effort/project worth it? What sort of benefits are there from doing it?
>>7850546
Bro major in computer science. Benefits are liveable salary and marginally positive contrb to society
'Benefit' to reading homer is you have read homer
>>7850546
What would you consider a "benefit" of reading a book, anon?
You got nothing out of it?
What do you mean?
Do you mean your read no themes?
You got no enjoyment?
You didn't understand it?
>>7850546
>What sort of benefits are there from doing it?
You'll understand the cheeky intellectual jokes authors put in their works about past books in order to impress other authors
>>7850555
>>7850557
They just don't do anything for me. I don't understand why I should be reading these. Will it help me understand future reads that much more?
I read pulp fiction like wh40k and can find enjoyment in the reading process.
I read technical books and appreciate my increased understanding after I read. The reading part isn't the enjoyable part. The end result is.
I find neither pleasure from reading them nor feel like my understanding of the world had increased.
Tell me why I should read the Epics?
Not trying to be edgy, I just want help understanding why people read through books like these.
>>7850670
I also find enjoyment in trying to understand the author in technical works. It's like a puzzle at times. I like being able to see the world differently.
>>7850670
then go read things you're actually interested in or enjoy reading. don't understand why you're spending so much time dwelling on this.
try reading them as a philosopher or a poet
>>7850737
>>7850670
This.
I greatly enjoyed The Iliad, and loved the aesthetic pleasure of reading it. The Death of Patroclus is still one of my favourite scenes of art.
I think reading the OP book has made you try to read things too mechanically, without enjoyment or experience.
Maybe you need to work on your appreciation of art OP. Read some literature that interests you as a person, don't read something just because you're told to.
>>7850670
For one, they are referenced very much in later literature, so you'll be much more informed for having read them, but at the end of the day there's no real "reason" or "benefit" to reading them. As other anons have said, read what interests you before forcing yourself to read something you hate. However, I think you could enjoy the epics more if you just sort of let go of trying to get something out of them or find ultimate truth or something. Just enjoy the writing and the story and what it tells us about ancient Greece.Then go read Paradise Lost and experience the greatest epic ever written.
>>7850436
>Reading conservative critics
>Asking to have dogmatic cotton wool pulled over your eyes
>>7851518
Th-thanks anon.
>>7850553
>computer science
Computer engineering or go home
Good book. I felt like he was trying to subtly push the reader into Aquinas, though. Namedropped the guy one too many times.
how did you read it?
