99 Books on the Wall

And the Iliad's spirit flew to the land of the Dead, and its armor clanged against its ribs, as it swirled to the ground and lay in the dust for dogs to lick its....

Sorry. Four days of reading Hellenic prose, and your speech patterns get twisted. One down and 99 to go. A cultural observation- if you carry a big, thick book around in public, you get some funny looks. Which is a little inconsistent, because no one gives a second thought to plugging themselves into an umbilicus and talking to themselves in public or in their own car (iPod/cell phone), or to hunching over a tiny screen for hours on end to play a game (PSP/DS). But a book! Freak! Be prepared to field such questions as, "What class are you taking?", "Are you a grad student?", "What's that!?!?"

So, the counter-cultural aspect of this endeavor is in full swing. I have not selected the next book, but I am finishing Lancelot as a bridge. I plan on always reading one big and one pocket sized book for tactical reasons. As a peace officer, I often find myself trapped at crime scenes, waiting for the bureaucracy to grind out a decision. A pocket-sized Shakespeare has saved me in the past. It does get some funny looks. There is a policy against reading materials not directly related to law enforcement while on the job. I just look incredulous, and say "Cops are constantly dealing with Tragedy and Comedy, Love and Revenge. Therefore, Shakespeare is not only relevant, it ought to be required reading." No one wants to argue with a lunatic, so it hasn't been a problem.

The Iliad has left me with no doubt that this is going to be more work than I anticipated. I'm already behind the curve, so no more time for blogging... Book On!