Always one classic behind

Just got off the phone with my pal Steve. He and his wife spent last week in Jamaica. He said he worked in a lot of heavy-duty lounging. Lounged day and night. Lounged hour upon hour on the beach with all the other lazy tourists, he said.

"Of course, I was the only one reading the Iliad," he added.

"That's because they'd all moved on to the Odyssey," I said.

"Right," he said, "They all read the Iliad last summer."

"Next year when you're reading the Odyssey, they'll have moved on to the Aeniad."

"Yep," he said, "I'm always one classic behind."

Your turn, folks: I read the Iliad in back in March. I should move on to the Odyssey, but I'm tackling Flaubert's Sentimental Education instead. Which classic will you be reading this summer? Put another way, which classic have you been meaning to get around to reading or re-reading? Nevermind the classics, what will you be taking to the beach or reading by the pool or snuggling up with in your tent or snatching up and gobbling down in little bits whenever you can wrangle a few quiet minutes for yourself?

Monday, July 03, 2006 in Sketchpad 2 | Permalink