"Classic." A book which people praise and don't read.

The title is a witty and, in my opinion, quite true aphorism by Mark Twain (it can be found as a "Pudd'nhead Wilson's New Calendar" quote at the top of Chapter 25 of Following the Equator).

Well, I have been inspired by the recent "Buy 2 Get 1 Free!" Barnes & Noble classics series to make sure that Twain's quote does not apply to me. This, I suppose, is one of many reasons (or excuses, if you prefer) for the recent slowdown in my blog postings, as I have been spending much of my free time in my recliner absorbed in the complex and intriguing plots of one classic novel after another.

I always wonder what classic novels others have read, or are reading, and what it might say (or not say...) about them. Here is my own current, perhaps somewhat quirky, reading list:

A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens

The Brothers Karamazov, Dostoyevsky

The House of the Dead, Dostoyevsky

The Idiot, Dostoyevsky

Poor Folk, Dostoyevsky

The Possessed, Dostoyevsky

The Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas

Dead Souls, Gogol

The Metamorphosis, Kafka

The Prince, Machiavelli

Frankenstein, Shelley

Dracula, Stoker

Candide, Voltaire

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde


As you can see I have some affinity for the works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, perhaps mainly for what I consider to be his deep, or at least highly interesting, insights into atheism and religion. The others books just happened to strike my fancy for one reason or another. There are so many things I'd like to read in my life...and so seemingly little time.

I have to admit that after my usual reading material, technical works on textual criticism and the Bible, I have been amazed at how fast I have been able to zoom through an 800 page fictional novel! And strangely enough, it has been quite a pleasant diversion!

A New Introduction to Textual Criticism

While searching through books on textual criticism at amazon.com, I noticed that Paul D. Wegner has a new, 208-page introduction to textual criticism coming out October 30th, 2005, A Student's Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible: Its History, Methods and Results.



If his previous book, The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible, is any indication, it should be a good and interesting text. "The Journey" is an introductory overview of the textual transmission of the Bible throughout history. Many useful charts and images are provided, which are great for those like myself who learn better through visuals (eg. a chart of textual families and their sources and legible images of important manuscripts).


Unfortunately, there are few details on the new "Student's Guide to Textual Criticism" at the moment, so it is difficult to tell whether it might be an updated, paperback version of "The Journey". I will post more information on the book as it becomes available.

Secret Mark and The Mystery of Mar Saba

Cadre Comments has an interesting post by "Layman", a friend of mine, on the similarities between a 1940's fictional mystery novel, known as The Mystery of Mar Saba, and the actual discovery, at Mar Saba, of a manuscript known as the Secret Gospel of Mark.

For those who might actually be interested in reading The Mystery of Mar Saba, it can likely be found in many places across the internet, but Alibris has a listing of reasonably priced copies.

My Condolence to London and the UK

It appears from most major news stations that terrorists have struck London today with a wave of four synchronized bombings on public transportation.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Happy Fourth of July!

I salute those who serve and have served in the United States Armed Forces. Thank you for protecting our country and our freedom.