Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Volumes One - Five by Bruce Budge Clark
This five volume set of books is a magnificent collection of some of the greatest literature ever written. It was compiled back in the 1960's by Bruce Clark to be studied for the cultural refinement lessons for the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints. Each short story, poem, and essay was carefully chosen to be included in these volumes. I just finished Volume 1. My plan is to read all five volumes. I read one short story, essay, or poem each evening, or several evenings a week, and Volume 1 (about 500 pages) has taken me about five months to read. I am LOVING it. I am being introduced to the great authors and am learning so much. I feel like I am taking a literature class and Mr. Clark is an excellent teacher, helping me understand what I would never understand on my own. After each poem, essay or short story, he gives a synopsis and explanation of what was just read. I admit, sometimes I have NO clue what I just read, until I read his help, then I go back and read again and have an "Ah HA!" I love it. Some I still don't understand, but that's okay. I feel myself growing and learning. It's impossible to adequately review a book like this, but I wanted to record some of my favorite "Ah Ha's!":
William Wordsworth:
"The world is too much with us; late and soon.
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;" . . . we lay waste our powers. Ah Ha!
I loved "The Portable Phonograph", a futuristic short story by Walter Van Tilburg Clark about the four last survivors of humankind and how they come out of their respective caves to listen to a salvaged phonograph, classical music, their last shred of civilization(everything else was destroyed in the "explosion.") It teaches the need we all have for beauty in our lives.
My Dad used to quote,
"Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink."
and I've heard all my life about the white albatross hung around the neck. I now know those were literary references from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Who knew? Probably everyone but me. Powerful stuff. Truly one of the greatest poems of world literature.
Donne's "Death Be Not Proud" and Rabbi Ben Ezra by Browning were favorites: I love the first line of the latter:
"Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,"
I think one of the most poignant is a short story I used in a speech I did in high school,"The Lament" by Anton Chekhov. It's about a man, a "Cabby"(taxi driver) whose son has just passed away and he longs for somebody, anybody to listen to him as he expresses his grief. No one will.
I love "Abou Ben Adhem" for two reasons: It's my neighbor's favorite poem (he wants it read at his funeral) and I understand it! Without any help from Mr. Clark, I "get" that one.
Dickens, Dickinson, Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson, Blake, and many, many others. . . all within the paperback pages of one book, and that's just Volume 1. Stay tuned for about five months for the review of Volume 2. I can't wait to get started!
View all my reviews
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Out of the Best Books- Volume 1
Out of the Best Books: An Anthology of Literature, Volumes One - Five by Bruce Budge Clark
This five volume set of books is a magnificent collection of some of the greatest literature ever written. It was compiled back in the 1960's by Bruce Clark to be studied for the cultural refinement lessons for the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day-Saints. Each short story, poem, and essay was carefully chosen to be included in these volumes. I just finished Volume 1. My plan is to read all five volumes. I read one short story, essay, or poem each evening, or several evenings a week, and Volume 1 (about 500 pages) has taken me about five months to read. I am LOVING it. I am being introduced to the great authors and am learning so much. I feel like I am taking a literature class and Mr. Clark is an excellent teacher, helping me understand what I would never understand on my own. After each poem, essay or short story, he gives a synopsis and explanation of what was just read. I admit, sometimes I have NO clue what I just read, until I read his help, then I go back and read again and have an "Ah HA!" I love it. Some I still don't understand, but that's okay. I feel myself growing and learning. It's impossible to adequately review a book like this, but I wanted to record some of my favorite "Ah Ha's!":
William Wordsworth:
"The world is too much with us; late and soon.
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;" . . . we lay waste our powers. Ah Ha!
I loved "The Portable Phonograph", a futuristic short story by Walter Van Tilburg Clark about the four last survivors of humankind and how they come out of their respective caves to listen to a salvaged phonograph, classical music, their last shred of civilization(everything else was destroyed in the "explosion.") It teaches the need we all have for beauty in our lives.
My Dad used to quote,
"Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink."
and I've heard all my life about the white albatross hung around the neck. I now know those were literary references from "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Who knew? Probably everyone but me. Powerful stuff. Truly one of the greatest poems of world literature.
Donne's "Death Be Not Proud" and Rabbi Ben Ezra by Browning were favorites: I love the first line of the latter:
"Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,"
I think one of the most poignant is a short story I used in a speech I did in high school,"The Lament" by Anton Chekhov. It's about a man, a "Cabby"(taxi driver) whose son has just passed away and he longs for somebody, anybody to listen to him as he expresses his grief. No one will.
I love "Abou Ben Adhem" for two reasons: It's my neighbor's favorite poem (he wants it read at his funeral) and I understand it! Without any help from Mr. Clark, I "get" that one.
Dickens, Dickinson, Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson, Blake, and many, many others. . . all within the paperback pages of one book, and that's just Volume 1. Stay tuned for about five months for the review of Volume 2. I can't wait to get started!
View all my reviews
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1 comment:
I LOVED studying "Out of the Best Books," in Relief Society. I even taught Relief Society for a year out of them in the Stone Age days, when Relief Society was held during the week. It was such a marvelous program then to acquaint and revisit the sisters to the great works.
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