/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.10997613]

Started a reading list a few months ago to study ancient literature and history. Let me know if you think I'm missing anything important. There's some Chinese history and philosophy that I'd like to fit in as well.

>A History of the Ancient Near East - Mieroop
>Enuma Elish and Atrahasis - Stephany
>Epic of Gilgamesh - George
>Old Testament and Apocrypha - KJB
>Oxford History of Ancient Egypt - Shaw
>Egyptian Mythology - Pinch
>The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems - Oxford Press
>Mythology - Hamilton
>Greek Myths - Graves
>A Brief History of Ancient Greece - Oxford Press
>Hesiod's Works and Days & Theogony - Lombardo
>The First Philosophers: Presocratics and Sophists - Oxford Press
>The Iliad - Lattimore
>The Odyssey - Lattimore

[Anonymous No.10997621]

>>10997613
Finished up to the Apocrypha so far. I intend to keep moving through the western canon up to the enlightenment, but don't have anything listed past this point.

[Anonymous No.10997680]

Should I read an introductory book of Chinese history before tackling Confucius or Lao Tzu?

[Anonymous No.10997692]

The kalevala by Elias Lönnrot

[Anonymous No.10997695]

>>10997613
>Let me know if you think I'm missing anything important

Well, for one you are missing anything from one of the great centers of ancient and classical civilization (India). Secondly 'religious' texts (Guenon would say metaphysical) are far more important for understanding the national psyche/cultural attitudes centers of eastern civilization than mythology or historical works. Of course this extends to their literature too.

As a minimum for China you should read the Tao Te Ching and the analects of Confucius (this would just be scratching the surface though).

For India the Bhagavad-Gita and some of the more important Upanishads would be goods, maybe the Ramayana, and/or abridged Mahabharata. If you want a synthesis of Advaita Vedanta (i.e. the metaphysical core of Hinduism) read the Richards translation of the Ashtavakra Gita.

[Anonymous No.10997718]

>>10997695
Thanks for the recommendations anon. I'm trying to keep the list mostly chronological, where would you recommend slotting in the Indian works. Any Indus Valley introductory texts you'd recommend?

[Anonymous No.10997721]

>>10997613
>Let me know if you think I'm missing anything important.
A brain

[Anonymous No.10997733]

>>10997721
That's just rude, anon. Just rude.

[Anonymous No.10997769]

>>10997718

Unironically pic related, which is in reality only about 1/3 about Hinduism and the other 2/3 about Traditional/Eastern civilizations and will help you understand all the ancient Eastern cultures better.

Strictly speaking, starting chronologically with India would be the Rig-Veda (brought to India by Indo-Europeans but I digress), but that's a dense, difficult and obtuse text that's not worth it unless you are an India-boo.

Starting with the Upanishads is good because they are early (they regarded as the last sections of the Vedas), they are not too difficult to understand and because they form the philosophical/metaphysical basis for ancient/classical Indian. You only really need to bother reading the Mukhya (Principal) ones.

The Principal Upanishads were composed over a long period, roughly half of them or slightly less probably pre-Buddhist (before 6th/5th century BC). Some of the Greek philosophers who traveled east were influenced by Indian thought though so it's worth it to be familiar with Indian thought before thoroughly exploring Greek thought. Definitely before you start getting into the Neoplatonists, Gnostics and early Christian thought.

[Anonymous No.10997777]

>>10997692
>The kalevala by Elias Lönnrot
Just checked out the Wikipedia. Pretty interesting anon, I'll definitely add it to the list. Won't get to the 19th century for a few years yet, I expect.

[Anonymous No.10997780]

>>10997769
Wow, that's perfect. Just what I was looking for. I'll make sure to tackle that before the Hellenistic Greeks.

[Anonymous No.10997831]

>>10997695
I definately agree about religious texts being the best way to understand an alien ancient culture. I like to preface it with a brief history of the region, which I found really helpful for reading the Old Testament. Learning the history of Canaan made the Israelistes constantly pissing off god and getting punished a lot easier to understand.

[Anonymous No.10997870]

>>10997831
>I like to preface it with a brief history of the religion, which I found really helpful for reading the Old Testament.

I agree. Generally, you want to avoid buying too much into something that analyzes it from an 'anthropological' perspective (a classic example being 19th century scholars reducing the origins of religion to attempting to explain natural phenomena like lightning) because that can lead to you getting further away from how those cultures understood their religions but as long as you don't assimilate those views entirely (common though they are) from books on religious history it can be very helpful to have a working knowledge of the deities/metaphysics/cosmology/terminology etc of a religion before you tackle the primary texts.

[Anonymous No.10997875]

Egyptian Book of the Dead
The Avestas
I Ching (Read this before reading Confucius and Taoism)

[Anonymous No.10997911]

>>10997875
Thanks anon. Does the book of the dead overlap with the pyramid/coffin texts?

[Anonymous No.10998316]

>>10997613
why does this nibba only have half of the decline and fall?

[Anonymous No.10998346]

Read Homer before Hesiod and Presocratics, not after

[Anonymous No.10998412]

>>10997692
Is that what Sibelius' "kullervo" is based on?
also, just posting some Sibelius
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrrtL5rl5io

[Anonymous No.10998427]

>>10997613
The aesthetics of that book shelf caused a minor stirring in my drawers.

[Anonymous No.10998445]

>>10997613
That Donne edition looks nice.

[Anonymous No.10999512]

>>10998316
I've ordered the second half of the set from three different Abebooks sellers. Two arrived heavily damaged and the other never showed up at all. Fourth time's the charm.

>>10998427
Thanks anon, I've slowly been replacing my old paperbacks with folio, franklins and Easton press editions. The rest of the paperbacks get shunted to the basement.

[Anonymous No.10999522]

>>10997870
I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the recommendations anon, I appreciate it.

[Anonymous No.11000250]

I noticed decline and fall of Roman empire. Which edition is that? Was it good?

[Anonymous No.11000363]

>>10997613
learn classical chinese
get the following
>yijing
>four books five classics
>daodejing
>zhuangzi
>zuo zhuan
>shiji
>also some legalist shit like shang jun
expect this to take at least a year if you actually give a fuck, only way to learn though

>>10997695
>Secondly 'religious' texts (Guenon would say metaphysical) are far more important for understanding the national psyche/cultural attitudes centers of eastern civilization than mythology or historical works.
at least with chinese literature, id say the majority of their philosophy derives/is justified through history, it's difficult to understand confucianism without taking into account the conflict and bloodshed within the warring states, alot of zhuangzi is basically him alluding to some previous sage-emperor or king as some shit as an example, although this is more a thing with later texts then earlier shit like the DDJ, Lunyu, etc.

[Anonymous No.11002009]

>>11000363
I don't see myself learning classical Chinese as part of this, but I'm still really interested in learning their history and philosophy. Do English translations that are any good exist? And are they easy to track down? For instance, I know that an English translation of the War Diary of Admiral Yi exists, but the only copies I can find on Abebooks are ~ $ 1,200.00.

[Anonymous No.11002034]

Just get the Norton Anthology of World Literature before 1600

[Anonymous No.11002059]

>>10997769
Do NOT trust outdated secondary sources like this one

[Anonymous No.11002333]

>>11002034
Looked into it. Seems good as a resource, but too many of the works are abridged for my tastes.

[Anonymous No.11002539]

>>10997769
this just arrived in the mail. cannot wait to crack it open.

[Anonymous No.11002557]

>>11000250
He got the first 4 of 8 books (half the set) from Folio Society. Its the complete edition and illustrated. Full review of it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRSoG2xj88

I just ordered it myself. The everycucks library edition isn't illustrated and only a bugman would buy it.

[Anonymous No.11002580]

>>11000363
How do I learn classical Chinese? I heard that even natives have trouble with it?
I'm interested though, if you know a way. Have you accomplished it?

[Anonymous No.11002623]

>>11002557
Got the second half on the shelf now anon. Old pic before

[Anonymous No.11002647]

>>10997613
Herodotus, Thucydides, Cicero, Plutarch, the corpus of Roman poetry especially Vergil and Ovid (don't skip over The Georgics, Heroides, and Ars Amatoria). Also I'm 100% behind the anon recommending the Hindus.

[Anonymous No.11002648]

>>10997613
Epic of Ninurta
Celtic from the West, Barry Cuncliffe
Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran
Nag Hammadi
These Chinamen >>11000363
Tibetan Book of the Dead
Forbidden Archaeology
The Golden Bough
Snorri Snurlson's Sagas
>Xenophon
Herodotus Histories, Thucydides Peloponnesian War
Gibbon, Rise and Fall of Roman Empire

[Anonymous No.11002662]

>>11002623
Folio seems a tad yuppie meme to me, but I must say I am jelly of that Clausewitz and Chaucer. They look really nice.

[Anonymous No.11002671]

>>11002647
Also don't get folio like some priss. You would only harm yourself by not getting the landmark editions of Herodotus and Thucydides. Scholarship always beats out pretentious flash.

[Anonymous No.11002714]

>>11002623
How much did it end up costing you for all 8 books? I paid $200 australian which works out $25 each book so basically the cost of a paperback. Murican dollars would probably be $140.

[Anonymous No.11002724]

>>11002662
>>11002671
>tad yuppie
>some priss

Someone mad they bought paperback abridgements that are already falling apart of the first read? LOL

[Anonymous No.11002728]

>>11002724
after the first read*

[Anonymous No.11002738]

strangely, both the folio society and everyman's editions of the decline and fall are around the same price in U.S.

[Anonymous No.11002765]

>>10999512
God fucking damn (same guy from last night). Those are gorgeous.

[Anonymous No.11002768]

>>11002738
Yeah, thats why I got folio society's. The difference was about $40 but everycuck was only 6 volume, no illustrations so the choice was easy.

I don't think I'd ever buy from eveyman's library because theyre no different from the generic reprint books in the public domain. Why not spend the extra coin and get something beautiful instead? A nice looking book collection is a work of art in itself. I was looking at mine again for over an hour last night lost in thought. Not even a good painting could do that for me.

[Anonymous No.11002859]

>>11000363
Your list is missing:
呂氏春秋
诗经
列子
文子 ( Socratic dialogue but with Laozi)
荀子

>>10997613
For India
Book of Vedas
Ramayama

For Mahayana Buddhism
Dhammapada
The Lotus Sutra
Diamond Sutra

For the Chan/zen Buddhism
The Heart sutra

[Anonymous No.11003159]

>>11002724
Like I said, folio is for people who don't care about the texts, only how they look on a shelf. If you're willing to part with commentaries, competent translations, and hundreds of dollars to jack off over how your books look on a shelf instead of in your hands man go for it. No one will take you seriously, but then again you probably don't care about being taken seriously at that point since the people you're trying to impress don't read.

[Anonymous No.11003212]

>>11003159
LOL. Folio Society makes the most readable editions on the best quality paper with perfect font size and nicely sized borders. The quality also en sures the books last longer than any of us will. Also the full sized illustrations throughout the books add to the knowledge you're reading.

You're clearly defending your pride because I caught you out for buying paperback abridgements like a pleb. If you want your house to look like a dump that just reflects who you are. I love my nice things and so does everyone who visits. Its beauty. Stay jealous :^)

[Anonymous No.11003245]

>>11003159
The smelly, paperback rat nest vs Le imperial, embellished chateau de autiste'.

[Anonymous No.11003251]

>>11003159
>>11003212
>>11003245
CHASTISED

[Anonymous No.11003327]

>>11002724
>>11003212
Guy who called you a yuppie here. Good to know that I was right.
> Its beauty. Stay jealous :^)
I'm not jealous. My collection is significant in its own right, and I'm being very understated in how I word that. Some of the hardbacks that I've bought have been incredibly expensive, and I've bought many. Your issue is that you're approaching this like some hapless nouveau riche who thinks he can buy his way into artistic sensibility. It doesn't look like you have any discernment to speak of when it comes to literature. But if you want to tell yourself that I'm stewing and in the deep throes of envy you are most welcome to.
>I love my nice things and so does everyone who visits.
Literal fashion reader who doesn't have the first clue as to what he's doing.

[Anonymous No.11003352]

>>11003327
>like some hapless nouveau riche who thinks he can buy his way into artistic sensibility

If my sense of beauty doesn't conform to whatever the Jew York hipsters call "art" then I must be a poser :^)

I have my own sense of beauty and I'm finding that people are responding extremely well to it because its so refreshing to see traditional British/Western European culture amongst the modern art abomination that is modern day Australia.

[Anonymous No.11003405]

>>11003352
The fact that you were so quick to make such an innocuous topic racial and political is pretty unseemly.

I'm not American, nor am I Jewish. You have middling, average taste and your collection is a cursory sampling of some popular titles that undeniably reflects this. The Jews aren't responsible for your average taste. You are.

[Anonymous No.11003415]

>>11003405
You havent even seen my collection.

>>10996343

[Anonymous No.11003420]

>>11003159
Having a hardcopy gives me an excuse to sit on my TV sofa instead of on my computer chair every time I am not at work

[Anonymous No.11003424]

>>11003415
Wait, were you the guy with the Folio too? Who was that?

I remember you from an earlier thread. The Ausbro who spends his NEETbux on artbooks and that. I really like the Shakespeare and Dee boxes, but that collection isn't anything amazing either if I'm being honest. From what I can manage to read, at least.

[Anonymous No.11003528]

>>11002714
The single volumes averaged around 30-35 CDN at secondhand stores around here. The boxed sets were more like 40-50, except for the Greek Myths. That book seems to be everywhere.

[Anonymous No.11003894]

>>11002059
t. Doesn't know who Guenon is

[Anonymous No.11003920]

>>11003894
I know who Guenon is, you trad-shill mook

[Anonymous No.11005246]

>>11002059
fucking brainlet

[Anonymous No.11005295]

>>11003920

>implying that Hindu culture is not Traditional and that someone without an understanding of those principals will not be likely to get lost trying to understand it through modern scholarship because of it's anthropoligical and anti-metaphysical bias for the most part
>implying recentness is any mark of quality in scholarship outside of a few technical fields

[Anonymous No.11005315]

>>11003352
are you that Australian NEET who blows his monthly government check on expensive books?

[Anonymous No.11005760]

>>11002768
I like folio society too but your hate for everyman's is retarded. they are beautiful, high quality books that cost literally 1/5 the price of FS or EP