Finished The Warden

I have finished The Warden, and I do feel like I read something of merit that was also entertaining and interesting. I espcially enjoyed the character of Harding, the warden of the title. He worries and obsesses and over thinks things, and I feel a kinship with him. I feel that I also tend to worry and nitpick, even after I have made a decision.

The other aspect of this novel that I felt resonates today is Trollope's scathing indictment of the press and its power. I find it interesting that almost 200 years after this novel was written, the press is still criticized and demonized for its pursuit of readership by using sensationalism and scandal-mongering. The newspaper of Trollope's novel, The Jupiter, relentlessly pursues what it views as corruption in the church. Trollope is very careful to subtly acknowledge that this corruption is very likely occurring. But he also makes sure that we know that Harding is the one character who is tortured by the the thought that his office is the beneficiary of church corruption. Ironically, The Jupiter succeeds in only getting rid of the one truly benevolent church officer in the novel, the warden Harding.

I had intended to continue with the Barchester novels, but I picked up my copy of Fagles' translation of the Iliad and got embroiled. I have read excerpts only of the Iliad, I thought I would try to read the whole thing. I had read mostly from Fitzgerald's translations in college. Fagles' translation came out 10-15 years ago, and was a sensation when it came out. I have read reviews of his translation that just sing its praises to high heaven, so I hope it lives up to its reviews. Fagles recently published his translation of The Aeneid and Nick gave me a copy for my birthday, which was nice as I had been reading Fitzgerald's translation of it. My copy of Fagles' Iliad is a used paperback - untouched - from www.shopgoodwill.com. I also bought his translation of The Odyssey at the same time.

When I read ancient literature, I feel strangely connected to all literature, new and old. The ancient stories are stories we still tell each other in our novels and poems. We think we have advanced and that these ancient people were primitive and crude, but we are these people. The graphic violence of today's films and books is right there in the Aeneid, beheadings, blood and gore, it's all there. And the crude humor of Apuleius in The Golden Ass is still laughed at today, although it may be Jim Carrey we're laughing at on the movie screen. I guess my point is that when I read ancient literature, I am constantly surprised by how familiar it feels.

Still reading Cryptonomicon. Only about 400 pages to go!