Each of the book's four sections returns to the same unfolding drama, but within successively wider frames, like a movie camera dollying back to reveal more context.Īs it does so, we enter into the life of Rome as republican government is giving way to empire. Wilder does not so much tell this story as meditate on it. of Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome. In fact, it deals with one of history's best-known stories: the events surrounding the assassination in 44 B.C. It is by no means a suspense novel that races (or even lopes) toward its climax. I'll add more of his quirks if I think of any.I've reread Thorton Wilder's The Ides of March many times, always with the equivalent of a slight mental frown: Why do I like this book so much? Sticking with these obscure quotes and references, his two favorite days of the year are November 5th and March 15th.Īnyway, it was a fun year with that teacher. GERONIMOOOO!!!! - pretty self explanatory. SURELY - '.and don't call me Shirley.' (but of course, who doesn't respond with that?)

OKLAHOMA - Whenever Oklahoma came across, he would sing the famous line from Oklahoma! the musical. HUDSON - During mentions of the Hudson River in history, he would always sing back 'HUDSON 3-2-700.' RAY - Whenever the word or name 'ray' was mentioned, he would always respond with 'You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, but ya doesn't have to call me Johnson.' Needless to say, we hated the math lesson about rays. Many of these words showed up often in history class, which is his favorite subject (probably because of all the jokes): There were also a couple words that incited a specific reaction from him. He would also occasionally play opera music at the end of the day, not dismissing the class until we made it through an entire song without laughing. He was also probably the all-time leader of correcting, 'Can I go to the bathroom?' His favorite short joke: 'Doctor, doctor, I broke my arm in three places!' 'I advise you to stay out of those places.' During study time, he would sometimes grab a balloon from his desk, blow it up, and proceed to slowly let air out of it, just to produce the squeaky noise. In a fit of desperation, he throws some Halls throat lozenges at it.'and the coffin went away.' Another one of his long jokes consisted of a man being chased by a hearse. In math class, he liked to tell a long, complicated story about a boy encountering a genie, eventually wishing for some odd things, just to end it with the punchline, 'Gee, I'm a tree.' (geometry) My 6th grade teacher had a reputation of being the meanest, strictest teacher on campus, but once I made it through his class, I realized he could be a jokester, too.

The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder