Frederick’s Comments (group member since Nov 15, 2012)

Frederick’s comments from the Classics Without All the Class group.

I'm not sure you can avoid sexism wherever you delve among the authors of the Edwardian era. Verne seemed to be unwilling to admit to the existence of women, and where he was forced to introduce a female element to the plot it was in the most peripheral way possible! A sign of the times, I guess.

I like Wells better for his non science fiction work. Try 'Kipps' or 'The History of Mr. Polly' maybe.

Oh, and am I missing something, or is dear old Conan Doyle absent from this discussion? Surely Sherlock should get a mention somewhere?

Rachel wrote: "I started Jules Verne 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. DO NOT start with that. I can't get through 2 pages without falling asleep. Apparently his other books are better though." Not much better! Some prose ages badly, and Verne's is a prime example, I believe. His plots seem pretty cranky, too, by modern standards. I wouldn't expend too much time on him. Wells is a little better.

Fuzzysquirt wrote: "Hi all,
My name is Kate and my goal is to become a well rounded reader. Like many, I am intimidated by classic literature due to its "verbose" prose and length. I would really appreciate some sugge..." Try anything by Emile Zola: Therese Racquin and Germinal are his definitive tomes, but Nana is a fascinating story - Paris in his day must have been a completely decadent city. Seriously, his books are very readable. They get to the plot and move it along without too many pages describing drainpipes or the wart on some minor character's nose.

'Lost Empires' by JB Priestley. Some of the best of his writing, and both a plot and a backcloth worthy of the master. The idea of the induction of an 'innocent' into the world of showbiz (in the days when that could still happen) was inspired. Love and temptation, honesty and artifice, trickery and murder all suspended over the seething cauldron of the First World War. Some great characters, all imbued with Priestley gift for blurring innocence and guilt.

It's great looking down from the tottering tower of several extra generations piled on top of each other! Please, please pass the magic of my childhood on to a new legion of animal lovers by unearthing the Animal Stories of Rudyard Kipling: The White Seal, The Cat Who walked by Himself, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, and so on. Then the Just-So stories and of course the Jungle Books.

They are great tales; sufficient in length to make bedtime stories and I don't believe they date. Find and try, oh best beloved!