Quiver0f10 Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 After much thought and many questions here :), I have chosen Spielvogel's Human Odyssey and plan to read assorted GBs and some historical fiction. Would it make sense to buy some of the Norton Anthology books or would it be wiser to buy/use library for the books we plan to read? One reason I can think of choosing books over the Anthologies is having a smaller book in hand might be easier for them to read rather then hauling this huge book around. Any other reason for choosing one over the other? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 If you can get access to the books through the library I say use the library. I have the American and English shorter versions of the Norton Anthologies for gradschool and they are a bit of a pain. Each book is over 3000 pages long and they are hard to read because of the way the flop. They do have good intros to each time period but you can get exactly what is in the book from http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/naal7/ and http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/welcome.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Thank you, those links were very helpful. I do think we'd like books better and will plan to go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 A lot of the classics can be acquired for anywhere from $0.99 to around $4.00. It would certainly save on bookshelf space. And, it can hold GOBS of books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Just in case others are thinking along these lines I'll add my feedback. As Teacher Zee pointed out, they are not easy to read. The paper is super thin-see thruish. Additionally, the anthologies often include adult themed selections. I was especially disappointed with Norton's Introduction to Literature. I wanted to use it for a co-op and it was just not appropriate. I think the Nortons that cover literature from earlier time eras are safer, but you really have to be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thanks everyone! I am going to show my ignorance, but what is a kindle? :blushing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyinNNV Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thanks everyone! I am going to show my ignorance, but what is a kindle? :blushing: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons-Wireless-Reading-Device/dp/B000FI73MA Thanks, looks neat. I guess I'd have to use one to see if I liked it or not. I really don't like reading from the comptuer but I do like how this is hand held. I bet my teens wold love it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thanks, looks neat. I guess I'd have to use one to see if I liked it or not. I really don't like reading from the comptuer but I do like how this is hand held. I bet my teens wold love it though. my house is really getting overrun with books! I would get one just to save space, and, hopefully, over time, money. Not sure what the number of books would have to be to break even between the kindle versions and the paper versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoggirl Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Has some good info. about accessing books for free! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Wisc Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 I've collected them whenever I have seen them used and at a drop-dead prices for two decades now. Many of those books listed on reading lists are something my kids aren't going to read all the way through, but we can pull out Nortons and look at them. Sometimes the Norton's choice of a translation is the BEST and their footnotes makes it easy to understand. But most of the time, I prefer to buy the books we are going to read--smaller in size and the translation of our choice. Lots of times books that I would have skipped will show up in one of my anthologies, and I get a chance to browse and enjoy...but I don't think I'd buy them with the intent of always using them for school. I was going to skip Beowulf this year--I'd seen the Heany translation and couldn't see handing it over to my boy. Then I found it in Nortons by another translator, read straight through it (including the footnotes), and loved it. It is on my son's reading list for this spring. So...I'd say I use it more as a chance for me to dip and read and educate myself---and then choose what I want for my kids later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thanks, Cynthia and Jean. I appreciate the input and will check out the thread on the general board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 (edited) We've used Norton anthologies and whole books. I have Norton's World Lit 6-vol set. Each vol is small enough to comfortably handle so size is not an issue. Having both has been a good mix for us. For the shorter excerpts which we've really liked in Norton... we often went out and purchased the paperback version; otherwise, we didn't. My reason for enjoying Norton anthologies---- I love having a taste of everything all under one roof!;) Also, I have the 2-vol teacher manuals for this set, which contain excellent study questions and essay topics for each work in the anthologies. Edited February 16, 2009 by Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Oh I do love my anthologies for the "dipping my toe" aspect but I don't think I would use it for actually reading. Even if I just wanted my children to read parts of something I would probably get the actual book if I could. The anthologies are just a little to cumbersome to read out of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Agreeing with Holly on the problem of super-thin paper and cumbersome size of the one volume anthology. That said, I was happy to pick up a Norton tome for a dollar at a library book sale. We do use it on occasion for poetry or a short story, but prefer using the "regular" book which we often borrow from the library. Do you have library sales near you, Jean? It is amazing what you can find! Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted February 16, 2009 Author Share Posted February 16, 2009 Agreeing with Holly on the problem of super-thin paper and cumbersome size of the one volume anthology. That said, I was happy to pick up a Norton tome for a dollar at a library book sale. We do use it on occasion for poetry or a short story, but prefer using the "regular" book which we often borrow from the library. Do you have library sales near you, Jean? It is amazing what you can find! Jane We do have an ongoing library sale. I need to get over there and check it out. I always forget about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plimsoll Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I like the Norton anthologies a lot. I try to buy them in hardcover (often used) -- this helps with the flopping around/flimsiness problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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