# Greek reader reviews **URL:** \ **Category:** Learning Greek\ **Created:** [July 8, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/greek-reader-reviews/13583 "2015-07-08T22:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![daivid](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@daivid](https://www.textkit.com/u/daivid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/greek-reader-reviews/13583/101 "2018-10-04T17:48:50Z")
> [@Barry Hofstetter](#): > > “Simplified” can only be a means to the end of reading the real thing, so perhaps read through the simplified text and then compare it with the real thing (which I did even with the aforementioned student). Simplified texts provide stepping stones for those not able to read so they can gradually build up to reading the extant texts. If you don’t see the need for them then lucky you for being sufficiently able at languages to not have needed those stepping stones. But you don’t say they are not needed you say " can only be a means to the end of reading the real thing". Are you saying that reading simple Greek rots your brain? It is as logical as the claim that used to be made when I was a child that children should never be allowed to read comics because they would never then go on to reading books. People learn by reading what they are able to read and reading stuff that is too difficult is simply a waste of time. I know this had been debated here endlessly but this idea that simple Greek is harmful is held by some so deeply that those who hold it don’t realize that such and extreme position needs some real arguments to justify it. So I am curious as to why you believe something that is so completely the reverse of my experience of learning languages. ---
**Author:** ![Xyloplax](https://www.textkit.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/x/b2d939/32.png) [@Xyloplax](https://www.textkit.com/u/Xyloplax)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2019, 4:36am UTC](https://www.textkit.com/t/greek-reader-reviews/13583/102 "2019-02-23T04:36:06Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@Xyloplax](#): > > > > So I am just now entering the Intermediate phase of learning Ancient Greek (and starting on Latin via Wheelock as well). I have determined the following for myself. > > Just by way of encouragement, the vast majority of people who have learned Greek and Latin have been at exactly the same point you are now, whether they have learned on their own or in a traditional classroom type of setting. You can’t get around this bear, or go over it, the only way is through, and perseverance is the key. If I could make one suggestion: I actually used _A Greek Reader for Schools_ when once I had one intermediate student who I knew would never look at ancient Greek again once she was done, and I wanted her to have a good experience with the language just in case she ever thought about pursuing it further. I much prefer what ancient authors actually wrote to simplified versions, although a case can be made for reading through simplified texts and then doing the actual author (embedded texts). “Simplified” can only be a means to the end of reading the real thing, so perhaps read through the simplified text and then compare it with the real thing (which I did even with the aforementioned student). As a followup to this, I did finish _A Greek Reader for Schools_, which ultimately helped me “feel” the language, so was definitely key and needed. I then decided to plunge into the Hayes and Nimis version of _The Ass_ by Pseudo-Lucian. The prose was usually very or pretty simple but I frequently was heavily using the commentary for the rest (or to doublecheck the simple parts at times). There were a few sentences the commentary didn’t comment on the bits that were giving me trouble, so I’d peek at a translation and see that I was either right, on the right track, or laughably wrong. The sex scene was the hardest since it was all double-entendre metaphorical jokes about wrestling and military terms as sexual terms. I got the general idea, and did appreciate the jokes, but it was hard to hack through. Also, reading constantly about horrible animal abuse wasn’t highly motivating, so I could do a page or 2 at most before needing to walk away and look at vids of happy donkeys or whatever to cleanse my mind. Now I’m reading Vol 1 of the Greek Prose Course for Post-Beginners: Lysias I, and it is very significantly harder, but the commentary is incredibly useful. I’ve utterly missed on a few sentences, but the key word is few. What I’ve noticed is that I can more easily over time get the gist of what the sentence is saying. The most basic part to overcome is what the hell are the subjects, objects and main verb. Usually quite obvious, but when it’s not, ooof, that can kill you. Especially with all the oblique references using demonstratives (I gotta pay attention to gender and number!), substantive participles, changes of subject marked by δε and such, correlative pronouns, and just plain idiom. Verbs get harder not because they are unfamiliar so much as the ones that you DO know, who are using a meaning that’s the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, etc meaning of the word, and while the LSJ can help, that’s limited for this stage and that problem. The split of a sentence into parts becomes key at points and a simple missed postpositive copulative particle can undo you, especially if a sentence has the genitive in the phrase before AND after the copula for example. What I definitely don’t do well is coming up with an elegant translation. I can usually read a sentence, but really I mean that I know what it’s saying internally in my mind, but translating to others can be pretty bad. I’m not actually interested in translating for others, but coming up with more elegant English is certainly a goal to reach for. Anyway, onwards! I have the rest of the Bristol volumes for the Post-Beginner course, so I hope to be able to get through those by Summer. After that, no idea. Maybe more Hayes and Nimis/Steadman works, maybe the old Murray edition of Anabasis (I have an original copy on my shelf!), but that intimidates me since the last 3 chapters have zero commentary. [Previous page](https://www.textkit.com/t/greek-reader-reviews/13583.md?page=5)