tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post8039484557039656283..comments2024-02-19T03:40:56.127-08:00Comments on .: 2014: Year of the ClassicsAngela Knottshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-72967829017330228902014-04-14T21:49:41.608-07:002014-04-14T21:49:41.608-07:00by now you've read through Canticle, which I e...by now you've read through Canticle, which I enjoyed. I definitely recomend Catch-22 on your list if nothing other than knowing just where that phrase came from. Frankenstein is also another recomended above that I endorse. I agree w. Redhead that some classics are just paced horribly. I've tried LesMis several times to no avail. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo is super depressing, if you're into that. The Sheep Look Up is another pulpy sci-fi like Cantacle that I borrowed from my father-in-law's basement 'library' :) that was a good read. And Dune is always good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-85035628207694405282014-01-23T08:26:28.752-08:002014-01-23T08:26:28.752-08:00"The Little Prince" is my favorite book ..."The Little Prince" is my favorite book in the whole entire world! I read it every time I feel sad. I recently picked up "The Tale of the Rose: The Love Story Behind the Little Prince," which was written by Saint-Exupery's wife. I'd heard good things, but still slowly easing into it.Michaelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03727962785272117519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-3476134406966701982014-01-21T13:33:03.059-08:002014-01-21T13:33:03.059-08:00Oooooo you've got a few of these that I read l...Oooooo you've got a few of these that I read last year when I did a classic a month, some were absolutely fabulous (To Kill a Mockingbird, A prayer for Owen Meany) and some I hated (Madame Bovary. HATED.) I have Journey to the Center of the Earth, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Catch-22, and Anna Karenina on my list for this year's attempt. I think the hardest thing for me with this challenge last year was that some of the classics are just horrid. Good luck and enjoy!!!! (Thanks for posting your intended reads, will have to add them to my "to read" list on Goodreads as well!)Jen Feenyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857381064146340597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-52428125219570763182014-01-16T19:22:01.821-08:002014-01-16T19:22:01.821-08:00I actually don't know if I recommend The Bell ...I actually don't know if I recommend The Bell Jar, having not read it in over a decade... I just figure it's one of those seminal books that every fan of women's lit needs to read. I still have my copy, collecting dust on my bookshelf. Let me know if you decide to read it and maybe we can have a book club. :)Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691910446074747797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-41944301930355524642014-01-16T18:41:36.919-08:002014-01-16T18:41:36.919-08:00Heh -- I totally wrote off The Bell Jar in college...Heh -- I totally wrote off The Bell Jar in college, but since then a bunch of grown-up non-emo adults have told me it's worth reading, so I may have to rethink that one. Maybe Monte Cristo as well! Loved Beloved (just recently finished it) & Invisible Man.Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-39215177865415852322014-01-16T17:11:41.705-08:002014-01-16T17:11:41.705-08:00From the above list and the comments, it seems lik...From the above list and the comments, it seems like you and I have an interesting ven diagram going on as far as books. I had to read P & P twice for school, and always hated the 1st half and loved the 2nd. I've also had to read Heart of Darkness twice and hated it both times. (Sorry) Same with the Great Gatsby. From your list, I've read Catch-22 (loved it), To Kill A Mockingbird (thumbs up), 100 Years of Solitude (a let down, perhaps due to unfair expectations), and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (liked it). I haven't read A Room With A View, but I did read Passage to India and became an E. M. Forster fan after that. FWIW, I've never been a fan of John Irving. <br /><br />Other suggestions: Beloved, Invisible Man, The Jungle, and The Bell Jar (warning: very depressing). Oh, and the first assigned book that I ever read and liked was Count of Monte Cristo.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691910446074747797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-16319495922749547062014-01-16T09:39:16.740-08:002014-01-16T09:39:16.740-08:00Ugh, yeah, that's what I've mostly heard a...Ugh, yeah, that's what I've mostly heard about Age of Innocence. I will put House of Mirth on my list, though!Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-31299657317987219812014-01-16T00:21:02.496-08:002014-01-16T00:21:02.496-08:00Great list! I look forward to reading your commen...Great list! I look forward to reading your comments & reviews.<br /><br />On the negative side, I'll weigh in with the fact that this month's book club book was The Age of Innocence (Wharton) and it was not very well enjoyed by most of us. House of Mirth, on the other hand, is a fabulous book....Biting Tonguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15770918200146334167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-92105804225985805662014-01-15T20:25:02.278-08:002014-01-15T20:25:02.278-08:00For you, I will keep it in mind. :)For you, I will keep it in mind. :)Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-13355884085117623782014-01-15T20:24:45.569-08:002014-01-15T20:24:45.569-08:00Sooooo much eye roll at Darcy. What a tool. Franke...Sooooo much eye roll at Darcy. What a tool. Frankenstein, Gatsby, & 1984 are among my all-time favorites!Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-42668698932125444842014-01-15T20:23:44.621-08:002014-01-15T20:23:44.621-08:00Lol @ Pride and Prejudice And Zombies. Enough peop...Lol @ Pride and Prejudice And Zombies. Enough people have recommended it at this point that I should probably just read it.Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-44694390623272937892014-01-15T20:23:08.268-08:002014-01-15T20:23:08.268-08:00I've read them, but it was waaaay back in high...I've read them, but it was waaaay back in high school -- part of me kind of feels like there must be a period of time after which it doesn't really count as having read them anymore! I remember being meh on Grapes of Wrath, but really enjoying Scarlet Letter (though I could only tell you the broad points now). Have to say I don't remember must about Lord of the Flies, but hey, I was 14. :)Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-80469296718758296602014-01-15T20:21:54.778-08:002014-01-15T20:21:54.778-08:00Yay, I am so glad RWAV gets your endorsement! I wi...Yay, I am so glad RWAV gets your endorsement! I will definitely check out Calvino & Maraini. I had totally forgotten all about Tess of the d'Ubervilles, which is also on my list -- if I don't make it through on Bovary or Anna, maybe that'll be my alternate.Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-36113584747478706952014-01-15T20:20:23.480-08:002014-01-15T20:20:23.480-08:00Heart of Darkness is one of my favorites ever ever...Heart of Darkness is one of my favorites ever ever ever! Alas, I think I read Catcher in the Rye a bit too late for to really speak to me. (Kind of surprised they didn't make us read it in high school, actually.) The Prince is also on my list!Angela Knottshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01596658700954456205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-2156318940282509942014-01-15T19:11:37.515-08:002014-01-15T19:11:37.515-08:00Aw, give Crime and Punishment a chance. It's r...Aw, give Crime and Punishment a chance. It's really good.Graciehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05641028266038110278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-38713548757720753222014-01-15T18:36:22.768-08:002014-01-15T18:36:22.768-08:00THANK YOU!!!! I'm glad to know there is someo...THANK YOU!!!! I'm glad to know there is someone else out there who is not gaga over Darcy! Colonel Brandon is my Austen man. <br />I've read quite a few of these books, but I'm ashamed to admit that I obtained an English degree without ever reading Mockingbird. I picked it up about a year ago, and it's truly a wonderful piece of literature. Frankenstein is one of my favorites, as is The Great Gatsby. If you haven't read 1984, give that one a go.Jennifer K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06606118336143343644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-10981739577876674552014-01-15T18:17:53.451-08:002014-01-15T18:17:53.451-08:00Pro-tip: If you are put off by Pride and Prejudice...Pro-tip: If you are put off by Pride and Prejudice, you really ought to try Pride and Prejudice And Zombies, first. Much funnier. It totally counts as a classic. <br /><br />You've inspired me to keep a spreadsheet (though I am not Amy Webb) of all the books I've read this year - including the junk and the classics. And pretty soon it'll be time for my annual rereading of Annie Dillard's 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek'. Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08281336239355942919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-61748566715929253262014-01-15T14:29:56.113-08:002014-01-15T14:29:56.113-08:00Great list - I've read Uncle Toms Cabin, To Ki...Great list - I've read Uncle Toms Cabin, To Kill and Mockingbird and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest before. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great book. I've heard The Alchemist is a great book, I still have to read it. Have you already read Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, Lord of the Flies before?Nellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11613262056157769496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-85848677881384636632014-01-15T14:03:01.578-08:002014-01-15T14:03:01.578-08:00It's such a cliche but you have to read Room w...It's such a cliche but you have to read Room with a View if you're going to Florence in particular. The writing is really exquisite - the kind of writing that makes you put a book down, find a notebook and pen, and write a phrase down! It also made me take Italian at uni! Other good Italian authors you might like would be Italo Calvino (If on a winter's night a traveller), or Dacia Maraini. <br /><br />I loved Mme Bovary as a French-studying yoof but now I think I'd find Emma annoying. However it's a great commentary on materialism. And Anna Karenina made me REALLY frustrated. If you add one more classic, I'd suggest Tess of the d'Urbervilles which is heartbreaking, beautiful and set where I'm from. (Thomas Hardy). GREAT list though. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8576247921509925121.post-63828843423869427382014-01-15T10:41:17.979-08:002014-01-15T10:41:17.979-08:00So much here! I will admit to being a HUGE P&P...So much here! I will admit to being a HUGE P&P/S&S fan, but it did take me over a year to finish Emma, so I can definitely understand where you are coming from. I've been trying to get through Middlemarch since June, and I'm sorry to say there are plenty of parlor scenes. There is an imminent adultery scandal, so I'm hoping for things to get more interesting! In general, I notice I tend to gravitate toward well-to-do British family scandals. <br /><br />I have a personal annoyance with any book written as a cautionary tale for women to stay on the straight and narrow, so I didn't love Madam Bovary (haven't attempted Anna K., because, so many pages). One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is actually one of my favorites as is To Kill a Mockingbird. And if you haven't already, I would consider Heart of Darkness, Catcher in the Rye, and The Prince (which is much different than the very charming Little Prince). <br /><br />Good luck! You have a lot on your list that are still on mine as well! Amy Lavenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11580397883122022978noreply@blogger.com