Cornerstone Curriculum has been in the forefront of worldview education within the homeschool arena with their World Views of the Western World curriculum and Starting Points. Those programs guide students through the reading of classic literature that serves as a springboard for study of worldviews. However, some classic literature is difficult to read because of archaic vocabulary or our unfamiliarity with the context in which it was written.
Ben Quine has created World View Library editions of many classic works used in World Views of the Western World (as well as in other classically-oriented courses) to make them more accessible to modern readers. These editions rely on previous translations (e.g., Samuel Butler’s translation of The Iliad by Homer). They add margin notes that vary from book to book. Summary headings (sort of like subtitles for various sections) and vocabulary definitions/explanations are the most prominent feature. Some books include some explanatory notes drawn from literary experts that help the reader understand the context or a reference. These are more common in books like The Iliad and The Odyssey than in more modern works. Some books, like The Pilgrim’s Progress, include numerous Scripture references that help the reader understand biblical allusions or principles.
Marginal notes are not extensive like Cliff Notes. They assist students as they read the books, but they do not explain themes, plots, characters, etc. Worldview or literature courses from Cornerstone and other publishers help direct students in their study and analysis of the books.
Thus far, twelve books are available with more in the works. Titles are The Aeneid, America: A City Upon a Hill (collection of poems, documents, sermons, and songs from early American authors), The City of God, The Divine Comedy, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, The Iliad, The Odyssey, the Manifesto of the Communist Party and The Law (combined volume of two contrasting books by Karl Marx and Frederic Bastiat), Pilgrims Progress, The Republic, and The Second Treatise of Government. These titles are immediately recognizable to classical educators as well as worldview educators as being among the most prominent and popular of the Great Books that home educators are likely to be using.
These World View Library editions should be very helpful for any student assigned to read these works, and they should also be helpful to parents and others who want to read the Great Books for themselves.