Comments on: C. S. Lewis on reading old books http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:10:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: john b. http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-44239 john b. Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:32:10 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-44239 In Confessions, Augustine mentioned the fact that in his time, natives of Rome sought pleasure in theatre (often vulgar and obscene) and respected actors and atheletes far more than the centurions who protected them. Just another great value of old books: the way they show how the props and actors may change over centuries, but the script so often repeats itself. In Confessions, Augustine mentioned the fact that in his time, natives of Rome sought pleasure in theatre (often vulgar and obscene) and respected actors and atheletes far more than the centurions who protected them. Just another great value of old books: the way they show how the props and actors may change over centuries, but the script so often repeats itself.

]]> By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-28893 John Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:18:58 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-28893 Michael, I'm sure you're right. Books 50 to 100 years old provide some perspective, but not nearly as much as books 500 to 1000 years old. Lewis would be offended or at least amused that we now think of him as an "old" author so soon after his books were written. Michael, I’m sure you’re right. Books 50 to 100 years old provide some perspective, but not nearly as much as books 500 to 1000 years old. Lewis would be offended or at least amused that we now think of him as an “old” author so soon after his books were written.

]]> By: Michael http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-28892 Michael Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:13:34 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-28892 I believe Lewis is referring to more ancient books than some of you suggest. The Betty Crocker cookbook may seem ancient to some of us (i.e. 60 years old) but I think Lewis was talking about books hundreds and thousands of years old. They have stood the test of time. Books from the past 50 to 100 years still share much of our contemporary outlook. "People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes." - C.S. Lewis I believe Lewis is referring to more ancient books than some of you suggest. The Betty Crocker cookbook may seem ancient to some of us (i.e. 60 years old) but I think Lewis was talking about books hundreds and thousands of years old. They have stood the test of time. Books from the past 50 to 100 years still share much of our contemporary outlook. “People were no cleverer then than they are now; they made as many mistakes as we. But not the same mistakes.” – C.S. Lewis

]]> By: Angelina http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-26538 Angelina Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:20:41 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-26538 As C.S. Lewis was partial to the Greek classics, I would think he may refer to that as the old books. Last week, I got Project Gutenberg's RSS announcement that the ebook "Alcestis" by Euripides is available for download. Lewis's recommendation came to mind and I hurriedly downloaded it; only to find it was coded in modern Greek! Happily, there's one site one (http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/alcestis.html) where one can read it in modern English. As C.S. Lewis was partial to the Greek classics, I would think he may refer to that as the old books. Last week, I got Project Gutenberg’s RSS announcement that the ebook “Alcestis” by Euripides is available for download. Lewis’s recommendation came to mind and I hurriedly downloaded it; only to find it was coded in modern Greek! Happily, there’s one site one (http://classics.mit.edu/Euripides/alcestis.html) where one can read it in modern English.

]]> By: Jared Updike http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-19947 Jared Updike Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:51:27 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-19947 The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed. Various excellent drawing books by Andrew Loomis (Out of print and available here: http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/ ) The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed. Various excellent drawing books by Andrew Loomis (Out of print and available here: http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/ )

]]> By: Bob Carpenter http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-19487 Bob Carpenter Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:17:14 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-19487 I just recently recommended M.G. Bulmers 1965 (revised in 1967) text <i>Principles of Statistics</i>. I loved it compared to the by-the-pound texts of today, though i'm not sure it really counts as old. Here's the full blog post: http://lingpipe-blog.com/2009/05/22/bulmer-1966-principles-of-statistics/ I just recently recommended M.G. Bulmers 1965 (revised in 1967) text Principles of Statistics. I loved it compared to the by-the-pound texts of today, though i’m not sure it really counts as old.

Here’s the full blog post:

http://lingpipe-blog.com/2009/05/22/bulmer-1966-principles-of-statistics/

]]> By: Manoel Neto http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-12291 Manoel Neto Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:55:18 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-12291 I Would suggest Don Casmurro, by Machado de Assis. However, it is a brazilian Book. I think there is a translated edition in english. Anyway, it is the best braziliam book ever writen. Another suggestion: 1984, by Geore Orwell and Odyssea, by Homero. With Homero we can lear how identities were shaped in the past, especially the role of homeland... I Would suggest Don Casmurro, by Machado de Assis. However, it is a brazilian Book. I think there is a translated edition in english. Anyway, it is the best braziliam book ever writen.
Another suggestion: 1984, by Geore Orwell and Odyssea, by Homero.
With Homero we can lear how identities were shaped in the past, especially the role of homeland…

]]> By: Gene http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-12216 Gene Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:54:36 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-12216 Idylls Of The King Alfred Lord Tennyson Copyright 1912 The MacMillan Company Idylls Of The King
Alfred Lord Tennyson
Copyright 1912 The MacMillan Company

]]> By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-12215 John Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:38:19 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-12215 Old books don't have to be weighty tomes of philosophy or religion to be worthwhile. For example, here's an interesting blog post about the <a href="http://punkrockor.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/betty-crocker/" rel="nofollow">1950 Betty Crocker cookbook</a>. You can learn a lot by paying attention to what was implicit in old books, even old cookbooks. Old books don’t have to be weighty tomes of philosophy or religion to be worthwhile. For example, here’s an interesting blog post about the 1950 Betty Crocker cookbook. You can learn a lot by paying attention to what was implicit in old books, even old cookbooks.

]]> By: John R. http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/01/19/c-s-lewis-on-reading-old-books/comment-page-1/#comment-12211 John R. Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:51:44 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=1290#comment-12211 By all means, read St. Athanasius' "On the Incarnation." I also recommend the mystagogical lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem very highly. I'm currently reading a sermon by St. Basil the Great, the first of his series on the Hexaemeron, and also recommend it highly. He touches on theories that sound just like... Richard Dawkins. I think that is one great value to old books. "Nil dictum est quod non dictum prius," may be a stretch, but it is a very healthy antidote to modern pretensions to see that most of the "new" ideas being floated have antecedents reaching back centuries or even millenia. Here's another example. "Religion, esp. Christianity, is just the apotheosis of an idealized human hero." Modern, right? No. It's found in the Book of Wisdom -- yet another book I recommend in the highest terms, along with Sirach -- in the Deuterocanon of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. (I am tempted to make the case that when the Deuterocanon was thrown out by the Reformers, the errors rebutted in them were destined to return, but that is for a different post.) So much to read, so little time. By all means, read St. Athanasius’ “On the Incarnation.” I also recommend the mystagogical lectures of St. Cyril of Jerusalem very highly. I’m currently reading a sermon by St. Basil the Great, the first of his series on the Hexaemeron, and also recommend it highly. He touches on theories that sound just like… Richard Dawkins. I think that is one great value to old books. “Nil dictum est quod non dictum prius,” may be a stretch, but it is a very healthy antidote to modern pretensions to see that most of the “new” ideas being floated have antecedents reaching back centuries or even millenia. Here’s another example. “Religion, esp. Christianity, is just the apotheosis of an idealized human hero.” Modern, right? No. It’s found in the Book of Wisdom — yet another book I recommend in the highest terms, along with Sirach — in the Deuterocanon of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. (I am tempted to make the case that when the Deuterocanon was thrown out by the Reformers, the errors rebutted in them were destined to return, but that is for a different post.) So much to read, so little time.

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