<p>Is the Iliad the first reading for LitHum? And is the assignment to read the whole Iliad (or just the first six books)? Is there a reading list somewhere on the Internet or does that vary from professor to professor? Thanks for any info.</p>
<p>Yup, first 6. Not that anyone does the reading.</p>
<p>Here's the official reading list:</p>
<p>The profs have some flexibility to vary it up, but that'll give you the flavor of it.</p>
<p>I did the vast majority of my Lit Hum reading, actually. A lot of it is very enjoyable and worth it. The Iliad, as great as it is, can get a tad repetitive though ("x killed y with an q..." over and over). Much of it is worth merely skimming.</p>
<p>i just finished my first year and i did about 95% of the reading. Like the previous poster said, a lot of it was interesting</p>
<p>ThatsFunny, how did you do in Lit Hum? How did your section do?</p>
<p>I read all but two of the 14 lit hum books and they made for very interresting reading and once you do the reading you are bound to do well in the class. </p>
<p>Dont worry if the first 6 books go way over your head before you get to columbia. Most teachers reassign it once you get there or will go over it in detail. The lecture during orientation is quite useless if you have no idea whats going on in the first six books (like me) but some of it will come back to you once you understand the story more.</p>
<p>I recall the lecture being mostly about the supposed history of Troy and the Trojan War and the subsequent archaeology conducted there. I took lots of notes that I was embarrassed to find I would never really need for the class. Still, it was quite an enthralling introduction for someone who really enjoys both subjects.</p>
<p>Quite simply, Homer in LitHum is the greatest stuff in the WORLD. Followed closely by Beowulf and Chaucer in CC.</p>
<p>I never got to read Beowulf or Chaucer in CC (though fortunately I have for other classes). My CC instructor was a Francophile. His optional books first semester were all Rabelais...almost as marvelous, I must say.</p>
<p>I, like many of the posters on here, did the vast majority of my Lit Hum reading (missed reading some of Don Quixote, which I didn't mind in the end).</p>
<p>The opening lecture that the entire school takes during orientation is about the history of the Trojan War and has a few important excerpts from the first six books of the Iliad. Recommendation, read them before you get to the first orientation lecture and try to get ahead in the Iliad before actual classes start (be at book 10 for first class). That really helps because you aren't going to adjust very quickly with taking 5 classes, so get some reading done ahead of time.</p>
<p>Loved my Lit Hum instructor. Absolutely fabulous.</p>