What I'm reading

Summer's the time when we all pledge to catch up on that stack of books that we've been meaning to read--things we picked up when we had a bit of extra cash. Well, this month I'm indulging in an interesting juxtaposition:

First of all, I'm plugging a major gap in my education by finally reading all the way though The Iliad. I know, I should have read this years ago, but let's face it--Homer is a daunting task. I am really enjoying Fagles's translation.

My second undertaking is to read though the collected fictions of Borges. I'll admit, this is a total indulgence for me. I certainly think his fiction is important from a literary standpoint, but honestly the main reason to read him is pleasure.

The most interesting juxtaposition between these two is in scale; Homer deals in masses of men, violence, anguish and bloodshed on a daunting scale. Borges, on the other hand, is elegant and almost algebraic in his approach. At any rate, these two will keep me occupied for a while; between the two, there must be at least 1500 pages.

UPDATE: Hector dies. Hope I didn't ruin it for anybody!