What we’re about
An Excursion Into the Odd and Fantastical
We are a group dedicated to reading the great literature of the Western canon. Over the last few years, we’ve read and discussed a multitude of renowned works ranging from older classics by Homer, Virgil, Milton and Dante to modern works by Melville, Thomas Mann, Proust and Joyce. We’ve not been intimidated by either a work’s ancient pedigree or its challenging intellectuality. We understand that reading these works that have survived over time and trying to understand their meaning is an adventure of the human spirit worth pursuing.
From 2020, under a new group name, we’re on a course of selections with themes offbeat and fantastical. The works include odd tales of strange psychology (such as by Dostoevsky, Gogol, and Faulkner) to the fantastical and weird (such as by Swift, Wells, Kafka and Lovecraft). And yes, selections from the Bible will be included, because what could be more weirdly mysterious than those stories?
In August 2023, we recorded an online session featuring "The Grand Inquisitor" section of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Click for an unedited sample session of our group. Use passcode: TK$2E#k!
Below is the list of classics we’ve been reading and the ones remaining before we shift to poetry in 2024. All of these are written by great authors of enormous intellect and power. We have a very talented group of members who love debating, discussing and investigating the fine points of these stories. We hope you’ll join us and welcome new members also enthralled by the classics.
1. Dostoevsky: Devils (Oxford UP) [1872] (read 2020)
2. Marquez: Love in the Time of Cholera [1985] (read 2020)
3. Faulkner: Absalom Absalom [1936] (read 2020)
4. Zola: Thérèse Raquin [1868] (read 2020)
5. Kafka: The Castle [1926] (read 2020)
6. James: Turn of the Screw [1898] (read 2020)
7. Shakespeare: King Lear [1608] (read 2020)
8. Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathustra [1883] (read 2020)
9. Bible: Genesis/Job/Song of Solomon (read 2021)
10. Aristophanes: Clouds [423 BCE] / Wasps [422 BCE] / Birds [414 BCE] (read 2021)
11. Sophocles: Antigone [ BCE] / Philoctetes [ BCE] (read 2021)
12. Euripides: Medea [431 BCE]/Hippolytus [428 BCE]/Bacchae [405 BCE] (read '21)
13. Apuleius: The Golden Ass [170 CE] (read 2021)
14. Dante: Inferno/Purgatorio/Paradiso [1320] (in progress: 2021 via other Meetups)
15. Spenser: Faery Queene (1st book only) [1590] (2021)
16. Swift: Gulliver’s Travels [1726]; A Tale of a Tub [1704] (read 2021)
17. Voltaire: Zadig [1747]; Candide [1764] (read 2021)
18. de Sade: Justine [1791] (read 2021)
19 Lewis, M.G.: The Monk: A Romance [1796] (read 2021)
20. Hoffmann, E.T.A.: Tales of Hoffmann [1819] (read 2021)
21 Austen: Northanger Abbey [1797/1818] (read 2021)
22. Shelley: Frankenstein [1818] (read 2022)
23. Joyce: Ulysses [1922] (re-read 2022)
24. Gogol: Diary of a Madman [1835] (read 2022)
25. Balzac: Girl with the Golden Eyes [1835] (read 2022)
26. Bronte: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall [1848] (read 2022)
27. Poe: Collected Stories [1830s-40s] (read 2022)
28. Hawthorne: Collected Short Stories [1830-40s] (read 2022)
29. Melville: Bartleby, the Scrivener [1856] / Benito Cereno [1855] (read 2022)
30. Stevenson: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1886] (read 2022)
31. Stroker: Dracula [1896] (read 2022)
32. Verne: 20000 Leagues under the Sea [1871] (read 2022)
33. Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray [1890] (read 2022)
34. Perkins-Gilman: The Yellow Wall-Paper [1892] (read 2023)
35. H.G. Wells: Island of Dr. Moreau [1896] (read 2023)
36. Zamyatin: We [1924] (read 2023)
37. Woolf: Orlando [1928] (read 2023)
38. Lovecraft: Collected Stories [1920-30s] (read 2023)
39. O’Conner: Wise Blood [1952] (read 2023)
40. Golding: Lord of the Flies [1954] (read 2023)
41. Burgess: A Clockwork Orange [1962] (read 2023)
42. Pynchon: Crying of Lot 49 [1964] (read 2023)
43. Le Guin: The Dispossessed [1974] (read 2023)
45. Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov [1880] (read 2023)
46. Murasaki, The Tale of Genji [read 1000] (read 2023)
Upcoming events (2)
See all- Dante Alighiere, Inferno, Session 3 of 7, Cantos 10 - 14 [Heresy - Violence]Link visible for attendees
Session 3 of 7
Our band of Danteans has succeeded in our climb through Purgatorio and Paradiso, so now it's time to once again slog through Limbo and Hell... it's more fun anyway.Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first part of his epic poem Divine Comedy, stands as one of the most influential works in Western literature. Written in the early 14th century, it takes readers on a vivid journey through Hell, where Dante, guided by the Roman poet Virgil, encounters the damned souls of history, myth, and fiction. The poem's structure, divided into 34 cantos, reveals Dante's complex vision of sin, justice, and divine retribution, as each circle of Hell represents different types of sinners and their corresponding punishments.
Inferno remains relevant today for several reasons. First, its exploration of human nature and morality continues to resonate. Dante's portrayal of the consequences of sin offers a timeless reflection on personal choices and accountability, asking readers to consider the repercussions of their actions in life. Moreover, Dante's work engages with universal themes such as justice, redemption, and the quest for meaning, subjects that transcend time and culture.
Additionally, Dante's Inferno is a mirror for society, offering pointed critiques of the political and religious institutions of his day. His depictions of corrupt clergy, dishonest politicians, and misled leaders invite reflection on the ethics of authority and governance. In an age marked by political unrest and corruption, the poem's insights into power dynamics and societal flaws continue to spark conversation.
Finally, the vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and intricate structure of Inferno offer a wealth of literary merit, making it a treasure trove for scholars and readers alike. Its impact on literature, art, and philosophy is undeniable, ensuring its place as a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the human condition and the complexities of morality. [ChatGPT, 3-23-25]
Pre-Reading for each session:
April 20 2025: Inferno, Cantos 1 - 4 [Prologue - Limbo]
May 4, 2025: Cantos 5 - 9 [Lust - Anger, Circles 2-5]
May 18, 2025: Cantos 10 - 14 [Heresy - Violence, Circles 6-7]
June 1, 2025: Cantos 15 - 19 [Violence - Simoniacs, Circles 7-8]
June 15, 2025: Cantos 20 - 25 [Diviners - Thieves, Circles 8]
June 29, 2025: Cantos 26 - 30 [False Advisors - Counterfeiters]
July 13, 2025: Cantos 31 - 34 [Cocytus - Satan, Circle 9]To review our prior sessions:
Download the Zoom A.I. Summary
Also, summaries of our prior Paradiso sessionsRecommended editions (available from libraries or online$)
Review this upload on Google Drive to help choose an edition.Jean and Robert Hollander, 2002, The Inferno. Anchor Books. ISBN: 9780385496988 [It/En, 694 pp.] Used: $7+
Robert M. Durling, 1997, Inferno. Oxford Univ. Press.
ISBN: 9780195087444. [It/En, 672 pp.] Used: $14+
Michael Palma, 2007, Inferno. Norton Critical Edition
ISBN: 9780393977967. [En in terza rima, 368 pp.] Used $12+Outside sources are welcome if they help us understand the poems, here are four academic websites plus the national Dante society (100 podcasts available on YouTube):
https://digitaldante.columbia.edu
http://dantelab.dartmouth.edu
https://dante.princeton.edu
https://www.dantesociety.org
YaleCourses on Dante
Walking with Dante podcasts
Dante Video with Catherine IllingworthONLINE
Please RSVP, join us via broadcast link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86447148571Our 2025 Schedule (subject to change):
-Paradiso by Dante Alighiere
-Inferno by Dante Alighiere
-The Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
-The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
-Norton Anthology of Poetry. Edited by Marilyn Ferguson, et al. Fifth Ed, 2005, pages: 1424. ISBN: 9780393979213, Used $6+
-Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism [Third Ed. 2018] Ed. by Cain, et al. pp. 2848. ISBN: 9780393602951
Or:
-Second Edition, 2010, pp. 2758. ISBN: 9780393932928. Used: $10+
-First Edition, 2001, pp. 2624. ISBN: 9780393974294. Used: $7+Here are links to the other book groups I host on Meetup:
Reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time in French and English:
www.meetup.com/proust/
Reading the most influential Non-Ficton works of the last 3K yrs:
www.meetup.com/history-of-ideas/ - Dante Alighiere, Inferno, Session 4 of 7, Cantos 15 - 19 [Violence, Circles 7-8]Link visible for attendees
Session 4 of 7
Our band of Danteans has succeeded in our climb through Purgatorio and Paradiso, so now it's time to once again slog through Limbo and Hell... it's more fun anyway.Dante Alighieri's Inferno, the first part of his epic poem Divine Comedy, stands as one of the most influential works in Western literature. Written in the early 14th century, it takes readers on a vivid journey through Hell, where Dante, guided by the Roman poet Virgil, encounters the damned souls of history, myth, and fiction. The poem's structure, divided into 34 cantos, reveals Dante's complex vision of sin, justice, and divine retribution, as each circle of Hell represents different types of sinners and their corresponding punishments.
Inferno remains relevant today for several reasons. First, its exploration of human nature and morality continues to resonate. Dante's portrayal of the consequences of sin offers a timeless reflection on personal choices and accountability, asking readers to consider the repercussions of their actions in life. Moreover, Dante's work engages with universal themes such as justice, redemption, and the quest for meaning, subjects that transcend time and culture.
Additionally, Dante's Inferno is a mirror for society, offering pointed critiques of the political and religious institutions of his day. His depictions of corrupt clergy, dishonest politicians, and misled leaders invite reflection on the ethics of authority and governance. In an age marked by political unrest and corruption, the poem's insights into power dynamics and societal flaws continue to spark conversation.
Finally, the vivid imagery, rich symbolism, and intricate structure of Inferno offer a wealth of literary merit, making it a treasure trove for scholars and readers alike. Its impact on literature, art, and philosophy is undeniable, ensuring its place as a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the human condition and the complexities of morality. [ChatGPT, 3-23-25]
Pre-Reading for each session:
April 20 2025: Inferno, Cantos 1 - 4 [Prologue - Limbo]
May 4, 2025: Cantos 5 - 9 [Lust - Anger, Circles 2-5]
May 18, 2025: Cantos 10 - 14 [Heresy - Violence, Circles 6-7]
June 1, 2025: Cantos 15 - 19 [Violence - Simoniacs, Circles 7-8]
June 15, 2025: Cantos 20 - 25 [Diviners - Thieves, Circles 8]
June 29, 2025: Cantos 26 - 30 [False Advisors - Counterfeiters]
July 13, 2025: Cantos 31 - 34 [Cocytus - Satan, Circle 9]To review our prior sessions:
Download the Zoom A.I. Summary
Also, summaries of our prior Paradiso sessionsRecommended editions (available from libraries or online$)
Review this upload on Google Drive to help choose an edition.Jean and Robert Hollander, 2002, The Inferno. Anchor Books. ISBN: 9780385496988 [It/En, 694 pp.] Used: $7+
Robert M. Durling, 1997, Inferno. Oxford Univ. Press.
ISBN: 9780195087444. [It/En, 672 pp.] Used: $14+
Michael Palma, 2007, Inferno. Norton Critical Edition
ISBN: 9780393977967. [En in terza rima, 368 pp.] Used $12+Outside sources are welcome if they help us understand the poems, here are four academic websites plus the national Dante society (100 podcasts available on YouTube):
https://digitaldante.columbia.edu
http://dantelab.dartmouth.edu
https://dante.princeton.edu
https://www.dantesociety.org
YaleCourses on Dante
Walking with Dante podcasts
Dante Video with Catherine IllingworthONLINE
Please RSVP, join us via broadcast link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86447148571Our 2025 Schedule (subject to change):
-Paradiso by Dante Alighiere
-Inferno by Dante Alighiere
-The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
-The Four Quartets by T.S. Eliot
-Norton Anthology of Poetry. Edited by Marilyn Ferguson, et al. Fifth Ed, 2005, pages: 1424. ISBN: 9780393979213, Used $6+
-Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism [Third Ed. 2018] Ed. by Cain, et al. pp. 2848. ISBN: 9780393602951
Or:
-Second Edition, 2010, pp. 2758. ISBN: 9780393932928. Used: $10+
-First Edition, 2001, pp. 2624. ISBN: 9780393974294. Used: $7+Here are links to the other book groups I host on Meetup:
Reading Proust's In Search of Lost Time in French and English:
www.meetup.com/proust/
Reading the most influential Non-Ficton works of the last 3K yrs:
www.meetup.com/history-of-ideas/
![Dante Alighiere, Inferno, Session 3 of 7, Cantos 10 - 14 [Heresy - Violence] cover photo](https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/6/2/6/event_526697958.webp "Dante Alighiere, Inferno, Session 3 of 7, Cantos 10 - 14 [Heresy - Violence]")
