readingontherails

[readingontherails]

The Iliad – Day One – An Anti-Climactic Start 

Day one was a hectic day; Wednesdays always are. After a long class and work, when I finally got on the train home, all I wanted was to relax and settle down for the next hour with a book. The morning train had been too packed to even get my book from my bag, so I hadn’t read anything yet. 

When I finally sat down after running for my train, I got my book out of my bag immediately as I didn’t want a repeat of the morning. However, the peace and quiet I had was short lived as some people joined me at the table I had claimed, placing their belongings on the table and chatting loudly, making it impossible to comfortably read. So, for the first 20 minutes of my journey, I sat and waited patiently... Well, for the first 5 I did, and then I got distracted by the tassel on my bookmark which kept me thoroughly entertained for the other 15 minutes. 

Now, what you are here for; reading. I love reading, it’s my favourite pastime and has been so since childhood. I have read many things, from random articles I’ve found while doom scrolling to a French children’s book (yes, in French). But I have never read a classic before. I’m not even sure what makes a classic, a classic. The Iliad by Homer will be my first experience with a classic, so wish me luck! The Iliad I am reading is the Penguin’s classic version, the original translation by E. V Rieu, and the revised translation by Peter Jones and D. C. H Rieu. 

One thing I didn’t realise about reading a classic is that there would be 13 introductory and explanatory sections before I even got to the main story. These sections are very detailed and seem quite important, so I did decide to read them, which, while I don’t regret it, I am getting quite tired of all the spoilers. I think a classic is the only book where you can spoil the key plot points and it be acceptable. If you decide to read this alongside me, I recommend that you read them if you care for the extra detail and information. 

I already knew some key characters and concepts, such as Odysseus, Achilles, and the Trojan War, which are described and mentioned in what I have read so far. But there are also many things I did not know. For example, an epic, I did not know that it was anything other than an adjective, so I was quite confused when reading the introduction and they kept referring to it as such. I did think it was quite strange they couldn’t find another descriptive word for it until I looked it up.  

The reading I got done was informative and educating rather than regarding the actual narrative, so I won’t bore you with the details. So, that concludes day one, which was not very interesting as it was just the informative sections, but we finished on page xlix, which I believe is page 49. I hope day two will be much more interesting.  

Until next time! 

[readingontherails]

Hello!

Welcome to Reading on the Rails.

As a university student, there are things that you do for your classes that are outside of your comfort zone, this is exactly that. For a class, I have to write a blog. So, here I am. 

‘Reading on the Rails’ is a blog that documents the reading that I do on the train when commuting to class. I have always loved reading; any genre, anywhere, any time. With my schedule, I have around 6 hours a week where I am on the train; I take this time to read and I decided that if I was going to step outside of my comfort zone and do blog, I would do it on reading. Across November and December 2024, I read 9 books solely on the train. In February and the first half of March, I read 5. This sparked me to write my reading journey down, and now I have decided to post this journey online. 

The name ‘Reading on the Rails’ comes from the niche my blog covers, reading on the train. But it is also a play on the phrase ‘off the rails’ as my train of thought and reading list are chaotic and often illogical. Forgive me if I ever sound disorganised and like a mess. Most people that know me would say I am prepared for anything but, reading... reading is my vice, I can’t seem to stay on track when it comes to it.