November’s Classics Club meme seemed fitting for me since this month will prove extremely challenging!!

What classic piece of literature most intimidates you, and why? (Or, are you intimidated by the classics, and why? And has your view changed at all since you joined our club?)

There are several titles on my list that intimidate me!!  I’ve never read Tolstoy, Dreiser, or Dostoyevsky (I still have to look up ‘Dostoyevsky’ cause I can never remember how to spell the guy’s name!).  There are times when I look at my list and argue with myself as to whether or not I should just dump a few daunting volumes and trade them in for less unnerving books!  However, so far, I’m determined to stick to my guns as it were.

So what’s the answer to the question?  Which title on my list is most intimidating?

Probably Gibbons’ The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  

Why did I even include this book on my list?  Don’t laugh, but when I found out that Thomas Edison had read, not only The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, but also History of the World, History of England, and The Age of Reason by the time he was 10 years old, I figured, well good grief Elyssa, you’re no genius but for crying out loud, you’re a college student!! Give it a go why don’t’cha?  I figured I could do with a little more history outside of required college credits right?  Broaden my horizons.  Stretch my brain.  Expand my knowledge.  It might take me a while to get through it, but I won’t know ’til I try!  We only grow as far as we allow ourselves to so reading beyond our normal ‘reading level’ does a world of good in keeping us literate.  This is how I figure it.

When I’m going to tackle this great work, I have absolutely no idea.  I might graduate first!!  But suffice it to say that Gibbons’ Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire is on my list and it’s there to stay!!

Ya’ll have a blessed day!