Discarded Books: The Comedy of Errors

To pore upon a book, to seek the light of truth. --William Shakespeare

This blog--and the project behind it--was inspired by Shakespeare 2020, a reading plan for covering all of Shakespeare's work in one year. After contemplating that plan, I decided to take a slightly different and much less taxing course. Besides, no way am I reading Titus Andronicus again.

You see, I read a lot. Every day. And my choices of reading aren't always the most enlightening. My friend Carrie classifies books as either chocolate or bran: the chocolate books taste good but are full of empty calories while the bran books are good for you and keep your brain regular. The best books, according to the wise Carrie, are chocolate chip bran muffins.

These days, I read more chocolate bars than bran muffins.

It's time to reverse that trend because I believe, with every fiber of my book-loving heart, that great books are great for good reason. They speak to us through the centuries and contain wisdom, advice, and beautiful words that are fresh and fun and important still. When I taught Introduction to Western Literature, my excitement about the classics got students excited about Dante and Marie de France and Sophocles. (Well, let's keep it real: a few of them were excited; I was excited every. single. day.)

I want to find that excitement again. Perhaps you'd care to join me.

My plan is to pick up those discarded books from the literary canon, find anew what they have to say to us, and get excited again. Each month, I'll pick a canonical work or author to read instead of cozy mysteries or popular fiction. I'll take a few notes, share my observations, and welcome your comments. You may join me...or pick a different classic and share your notes with us. Really, I'm not into heavy-handed rules or regulations. I'm into loving books and sharing the love.

Let's resurrect the canon and restart an old conversation.

And we might as well begin with Will because the Bard had much to say and said it well, even if he used words like eek and hark and squatch (which has nothing to do with an American Yeti). Of Will's fantastic selection of plays and poems, let's start with The Comedy of Errors. I have no memory of ever having read it but think the title alone is as good a description of my life--and our modern world--as any other.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends!

Here's the first page of The Comedy of Errors
in my facsimile of the First Folio.
I'll be reading The Complete Pelican Shakespeare edition,
however, as it's more modern-reader friendly.
No point making this harder than it needs to be!