Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

This is where I'll post what I actually read.

24/24

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History - John Steinbeck
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic: Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven
B3: Classic of Africa: The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
B4: Children's Classic: The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
B5: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

I1: Published/Written Before 1600s: A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
I2: New-to-You Author: The African Queen - C.S. Forester
I3: Classic Play: Macbeth - William Shakespeare
I4: Banned Book: Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller
I5: Published in the 1700s: Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

N1: Classic of the Americas: Winesburg, Ohio - Sherwood Anderson
N2: Short Story Collection: Bluebeard's Egg - Margaret Atwood
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry Collection: Questions of Travel - Elizabeth Bishop
N5: Classic of Europe: Sentimental Education - Gustave Flaubert

G1: Published in the 1600s: Othello - William Shakespeare
G2: Book from Le Monde’s 100: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway
G3: Classic Non-fiction: The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
G4: Classic from School: Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
G5: Published in the 1800s: A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle

O1: Literary Prize of Your Country/Region: American Pastoral - Philip Roth
O2: Gothic Classic: Jamaica Inn - Daphne du Maurier
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania: Picnic at Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay
O4: Mystery or Crime Classic: Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
O5: Prize-Winning Female Author: The Bone People - Keri Hulme

This is what I have planned. I'm curious to see how much it changes.

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate: Cup of Gold - John Steinbeck
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic: Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven
B3: Classic of Africa: The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
B4: Children's Classic: The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
B5: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami

I1: Written Before 1600s: The Odyssey - Homer
I2: New-to-You Author: The African Queen - C.S. Forester
I3: Classic Play: A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams
I4: Banned Book: Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
I5: Published in the 1700s: Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe

N1: Classic of the Americas: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket - Edgar Allan Poe
N2: Short Story Collection: Bluebeard's Egg - Margaret Atwood
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry Collection: Morning in the Burned House - Margaret Atwood
N5: Classic of Europe: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Victor Hugo

G1: Published in the 1600s: Othello - William Shakespeare
G2: Book from Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century: For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway
G3: Classic Non-fiction: The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
G4: Classic from School: Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
G5: Published in the 1800s: A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle

O1: Literary Prize of Your Country/Region: American Pastoral - Philip Roth
O2: Gothic Classic: Jamaica Inn - Daphne du Maurier
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania: Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
O4: Mystery or Crime Classic: Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie
O5: Prize-Winning Female Author: The Bone People - Keri Hulme

Welcome to the challenge, Nathan -- you've got a great plan so far.

Kathy wrote: "Welcome to the challenge, Nathan -- you've got a great plan so far."

Thanks, Kathy! I'm excited about this challenge.

I've finished my first two reads for this challenge.

My Sci-Fi Classic pick was Lucifer's Hammer. The science part of the story and the descriptions were excellent. Many of the characters were good, but there are a TON of them. The plot was interesting overall. I thought it dragged a little at about 66%, but really picked up after that. Race and gender are handled very poorly in this story. It felt backward-looking, even by 1970s standards.

My Children's Classic pick was The Little Prince. It was amazing. I'm so glad I read it. I'm sure I'll read it again and again. Here's a link to my super short review.

Well done on your first two books. the rest of your list looks great, I have The Odyssey on my Old and New challenge list for this year too.

Nathan wrote: "I've finished my first two reads for this challenge.

My Sci-Fi Classic pick was Lucifer's Hammer. The science part of the story and the descriptions were excellent. Many of the chara..."

None of Niven's books handle gender well, even compared to their contemporaries.

Pink wrote: "Well done on your first two books. the rest of your list looks great, I have The Odyssey on my Old and New challenge list for this year too."

Thanks, Pink. I'm also planning to read Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad after I'm done with The Odyssey.

Phil wrote: "None of Niven's books handle gender well, even compared to their contemporaries."

Good to know. I can't say I'm very surprised.

Nathan wrote: "Thanks, Pink. I'm also planning to read Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad after I'm done with The Odyssey...."

Me too, but not immediately after. I've just started Ulysses, so I'm definitely reading a range of Odyssey related texts this year.

Nathan wrote: "I've finished my first two reads for this challenge.

My Children's Classic pick was The Little Prince. It was amazing. I'm so glad I read it. I'm sure I'll read it again and again. Here's a link to my super short review.
..."

I like a fool read The Little Prince in December, excellent little story, but of no use to me for this year's challenges.

Bob wrote: "I like a fool read The Little Prince in December, excellent little story, but of no use to me for this year's challenges."

It's such a good book I'd be tempted to just read it again. :)

My third bingo book was my Banned Book, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. It was not my favorite book, but I'm glad I read it. The author was very gifted with language and created some beautiful, vivid images. There's also a lot of sex and none of it is sexy.

Nathan wrote: "My third bingo book was my Banned Book, Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. It was not my favorite book, but I'm glad I read it. The author was very gifted with language and c..."

I read it at 19, which is probably the correct age for it. If I read it today, I'd probably like it about as much as I liked Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Which is to say, not much at all.

Phil wrote: "I read it at 19, which is probably the correct age for it. If I read it today, I'd probably like it about as much as I liked Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Which is to say, not much at all. "

I think that if I'd read it at 19 I would have been looking for smut and I would have been disappointed.

I finished my fourth book for this challenge, Bluebeard's Egg by Margaret Atwood. Atwood is one of my favorite writers and this collection did not disappoint. The stories were witty, touching and sometimes angry. There wasn't a dud in the bunch.

Nice to know --- haven't read that, but do enjoy Atwood.

She is one of my favorites too, Nathan. That's one I haven't read yet and I must! Thanks for the reminder. Having read most but not all of the stories, I can also recommend her Wilderness Tips and Stone Mattress: Nine Tales collections.

Great admirer of Atwood and have read all of her novels except her most recent. I have several of her short story collections on my TBR list and need to get to that soon.

Making good progress, Nathan.

I'm working on reading all of Atwood's fiction. Part of me wants to race through them and part of me wants to read only one or two a year to savor them.

Great things ahead for you. She is one of those authors that you wish you had just discovered her so that you could have the thrill of reading her for the first time all over again. Does that make a bit of sense?

Yes, it does. :)

I have six novels and at least three story collections to go.

And then there's the time-capsule novel, Scribbler Moon. I'm bummed I'll never get to read that.

Oh my, I didn't know about a time-capsule novel. How sad for all of us who will be gone when it is unearthed!

I agree, but can't think of an author I'd rather represent our time to future readers!

Hear, hear, Kathleen.

Here's a link to an article about Atwood and the Future Library:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015...

David Mitchell is next. Another good choice. He's an excellent writer.

I finished my Non-Fiction Classic, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I was familiar with the the story, but I'd never read it before. It was excellent. I'm looking forward to discussing it with the group.

What an interesting idea the library is, but think of all the souls who will die in 100 years and not have the benefit of these books. ((sigh))

I read Anne Frank years ago and hope I can re-read it with the group this month.

I read The Diary of a Young Girl about 2 1/2 years ago and I agree it is excellent. I just finished reading Schindler's List on the 27th. The 27th was the 71st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, which is where most Schindler's Jews would have ended up. I anticipate interesting discussion in next months New School reading on Diary.

I've finished two more for this challenge.

Classic Mystery: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. The seventeenth Hercule Poirot mystery. I think it is the fourth Poirot novel I've read. It delivered what I've come to expect - fun characters, witty dialog, an amazing setting and tons of twists and turns. I've realized that I really like books set on boats. I like the way the confined space impacts the narrative in a well-written shipboard tale.

Prize Winner of my Country: American Pastoral by Philip Roth which won the Pulitzer Prize. It's an excellent read. The characters are outstanding. The plot drew me right in and I finished it in less than 24 hours. It's all about being a parent, responsibility, family and a version of The American Dream. I feel like I can't go wrong with Pulitzer winners.

Can you compare American pastoral to any of Roth's other books?

I can't. It's the first of his I've read.

Nathan wrote: "I've finished two more for this challenge.

Classic Mystery: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie. The seventeenth Hercule Poirot mystery. I think it is the fourth Poi..."

I hadn't thought about it, but I also like the "feel" that a shipboard story brings. No place to run if it is a mystery. I am trying to read some Christie's as I go along this year and DotN is one I have on my list. American Pastoral is also on the TBR, nice to know you enjoyed it.

American Pastoral is on my Bingo list, so great seeing your review...gets me excited to read it!

I finished my challenge!

Overall, the books I read for this challenge were excellent. I love the flexibility and diversity of the categories.

Top Three Reads:
Macbeth - William Shakespeare
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Questions of Travel - Elizabeth Bishop

Least Favorite: Cup of Gold: A Life of Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer, with Occasional Reference to History - John Steinbeck

Congrats on finishing!

I have one more, and then I'll be finished too.

Great job with this challenge, Nathan! Ooh. I think I have to try Questions of Travel. Thanks!

Nathan wrote: "I finished my challenge!

Overall, the books I read for this challenge were excellent. I love the flexibility and diversity of the categories...."

Congrats -- well done!

Congratulations on completing the challenge!

I have a few to go, but agree that this has been a great challenge.
I am surprised myself with some of the books I have read this year...would not have believed it before I took on this challenge!

Thanks, everyone! Good luck on your challenges!

Congratulations!!

Congratulations Nathan!!! Great job!!! ;-)

Congratulations, Nathan. Interesting to see what you liked best and least.

Well done Nathan :O)

Congratulations, Nathan!

Kudos, Nathan!

Nathan wrote: "I finished my challenge!

Overall, the books I read for this challenge were excellent. I love the flexibility and diversity of the categories.

Top Three Reads:
Macbeth - [author:Willia..."

Well done! Thanks for posting your favourites, I've added Questions of Travel to my tbr now :)