falstaff

Okay, so, rather than spend an hour or more crafting a broad entry, I'm going to try to do this by accretion throughout the morning and afternoon. I'll add a bit or two as time allows, and hopefully SG won't eat my day and destroy my reading schedule as it has sometimes done in the past.

[1.] Simplest and shortest first: I put together a wishlist to add to my profile. I like looking at other people's, and I figure it's probably a much better indication of my personality and interests (up to the moment even) than any profile or journal entry could be. Plus it was fun to knock around on Amazon for half an hour and look at books. As an amusing and unexpected aside, I discovered that I had started a wishlist there about five years ago that I had completely forgotten about. Apparently, at that time, I was really interested in acquiring a variety of Norton Critical Editions and comic books.

[2.] Part one of why I haven't been updating has to do with the GRE II (really most of the reasons I haven't been updating have to do with the GRE II in some way or other). Specifically, my dumb ass thought it was six days later than it in fact is for reasons unknown. So I effectively just got a week behind in my reading that was going to be hard to pull off as it was. Awesome.

[3.] Part two of why I haven't been updating is Piers Plowman. I had read it before only in excerpted form and Modern English translation. About a year ago, though, I picked up Derek Pearsall's edition of the C-Text in Middle English (it was pure luck I came across it in the used bookstore; I doubt Borders keeps this one on its shelves). So I decided to experience the real thing for my test prep. medieval reading. Mistake. Don't get me wrong; it's actually great, but that's the problem. The raw text is difficult, and the vocabulary glosses are in the back and have to be flipped to, which slows my reading rate down to a crawl. I've gotten through the Prologue and Passus 1-4 (of 22). It's going to be a long haul, and, with time being even shorter than I thought, that's not so good.

[4.] So here I am at nearly midnight just getting back to this. Day's plan: not so successful. Anyway, I'll close out my current literary ramblings and take my ass back to work and then to bed.

[5.] Concurrent with Langland (and a number of things are going to have to be concurrent with him at this rate), I'm putting away Chaucer. I'm finishing up my re-reading of Troilus and Criseyde tonight, and I'll have to do an excerpted re-reading of the Canterbury Tales (probably going to hit the Knight, the Miller, the Wife of Bath, the Nun's Priest, and the Pardoner: it's all I can spare time for, and it makes me sad).

[6.] Poor Gower is pretty much right out at this point. I read a large portion of Confessio Amantis less than six months ago, so it's not exactly a long way out of my mind. Also, frankly, it's not likely he'll appear in a test question anyway. It's ridiculous, given his stature in the period, but Fortune has turned the wheel on his fame (he of all people would understand, I'm sure). I won't be taking time out for Henryson (which really hurts), Lydgate, or Hoccleve for the same reason.

[7.] I've got to get the fuck out of the Middle Ages by the end of this weekend: time it is a-flyin'. I'm going to finish Chaucer, fucking bury myself in Malory, hit lyric poetry very briefly, and then ramp through a play each from the Chester and Wakefield cycles with Everyman like a cherry on top. Goddamn but that's a lot seeing it all typed up. Wish me luck.

[8.] Tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow) I really will try to put something up here that's less like a laundry list and not so frantic. I actually did have some *thoughts* on the literature that I'd love to put down in writing, for myself if no one else. But for that I need time and a little stillness of mind; for now, I possess neither. Good night to all and to all a good night.