Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Here we go...

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate – For Whom The Bell Tolls
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic – The Hobbit
B3: Classic of Africa – Heart of Darkness DONE
B4: Children's Classic – Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
B5: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize – Kafka on the Shore

I1: Published/Written Before 1600’s – The Táin
I2: New-to-You Author – Fahrenheit 451
I3: Classic Play – King Lear
I4: Banned Book – A Clockwork Orange
I5: Published in the 1700's – Gulliver's Travels

N1: Classic of the Americas – The Catcher in the Rye
N2: Short Story Collection – Night Shift
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry Collection – Selected Poems, W.B. Yeats
N5: Classic of Europe – The Count of Monte Cristo

G1: Published in the 1600's – Don Quixote
G2: Book from Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century – Lolita
G3: Classic Non-fiction – A Room of One's Own
G4: Classic from School – To Kill a Mockingbird
G5: Published in the 1800's – Dracula

O1: Literary Prize of Your Country/Region – At Swim-Two-Birds
O2: Gothic Classic – Frankenstein DONE
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania – Half a Lifelong Romance
O4: Mystery or Crime Classic – And Then There Were None
O5: Prize-Winning Female Author – Gone with the Wind

Iní wrote: "Here we go...

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic – The Hobbit
B3: Classic of Africa – Heart of Darkness
B4: Children's Classic – [book:Alice'..."

Excellent Ini! You're on your way!

Yay, I'm glad you've started your challenge list, good luck :)

Thanks! I'll need a little more time to think of some of the ones I've left blank...

No hurry, you can plan before or leave them blank until a book fits.

Pink wrote: "No hurry, you can plan before or leave them blank until a book fits."

Yeah, there are definitely a few I want to plan ahead that I just haven't added in yet, but some will just fit in whenever. Most of those that I've added are on my classics shelf already, so I just slotted them in where they fitted!

I'd love to know what you thought of Heart of Darkness once your done with it. I read that one last year and it was a total pain in the butt for me to get through as I am not great with poetic type of language.

Despite this huge obstacle for me though I liked it, especially the ending.

Thanks, Luella, I actually plan on reading that next after I finish Frankenstein. I'm quite interested it due to its seeming love/hate relationship with its readers.

I will be interested to see what you think of At-Swim-Two-Birds. I read it last year and struggled with the style, so it was a challenge on its own for me. Good luck with your bingo challenge.

I actually read it years ago for school and remember loving it, so technically it's a re-read for me. But I want to come at it with mature eyes. Being Irish myself it is a little easier to grasp O'Nolan's style and subtle references, but yes, it is still a challenging read!

Great list so far! (Few on my TBR list too) I'm keen to read Catcher in the Rye soon. Also, we're doing a buddy read of Heart of Darkness in June - feel free to join in :)

Thanks Nargus. I'll probably have it read by then but I'll definitely join in the conversation. I plan on joining the Gone With the Wind buddy read in June, though.

Updated most of them there. Getting excited now!

Oh your list is really looking great! I've read and loved several of them and hated a couple! You're reminded me that I still need to read For Whom the Bell Tolls, as it's almost the last Hemingway that I have left to read.

I'll look out for your thoughts as you check them off your list :)

Yeah, I'm quite pleased with it! I'm just lucky that I have yet to read so many amazing classics, especially when you lay them all out like that in a list.

I also realise that Night Shift might not be considered a classic, but I just really want to read it and it fits in nicely there!

Night shift is fine to use, not all books have to be a classic for this challenge, as long as they fit each category.

Cool, good to know!

Looking really good! How can you not be excited? :)

And glad to hear you'll be happy to join in the discussion! Doesn't matter when you read it

I know, there are so many great books to look forward to!

Welcome to the challenge Ini! I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Andrea! I'm a pretty slow reader, so it'll probably take me awhile to get through it all, but I'm in for the long haul!

Iní wrote: "Thanks Andrea! I'm a pretty slow reader, so it'll probably take me awhile to get through it all, but I'm in for the long haul!"

Take as much time as you need!

This is all in the name of fun, so you have all year and you won't be graded, tested or forced to write a report as happens in school!

Well all be here to encourage and cheer for you as you make progress.

That's very kind of you! Sometimes I feel like I'm falling behind when others fly along with their reading.

Iní wrote: "That's very kind of you! Sometimes I feel like I'm falling behind when others fly along with their reading."

Slow and steady won the race! Enjoy yourself!

And that's Frankenstein done! What a fabulous novel. My review is up now.

Congrats on your first square completed!

Glad to see you liked it!

I'm keen to re-read it. I feel like my opinions on it vary compared to what many other people think.

Thanks Susie! It's good to finally get started.

I'll be interested to hear what you think when you read it again, Nargus!

And that's two down: Heart of Darkness done and dusted, though I'm not sure I got it...

Iní wrote: "And that's two down: Heart of Darkness done and dusted, though I'm not sure I got it..."

Yea, I think that's why its hit or miss for most people. For me I liked it (except for the flowery language that was really rough) but I can kinda relate to the story.

(view spoiler)[ My favorite part is the end. Once he has re-entered society and sees through it all. He has seen the total unkindness that has occurred in the jungle. What happens when people no longer have to live by civilization's rules. And what happens when one group of people think they are better than another, when they value a commodity over human life. (Just like the Spaniards and gold.) They even start turning on each other, like the company did to Kurtz.

I really love when he goes to visit Kurtz fiancee and lies to her just to placate her. Shes just so caught up in herself she cant even imagine any other possibility than Kurtz having her on his mind as he was passing away. As he is lying to her about Kurtz all I could think was "the horror, the horror." (hide spoiler)]

I read this only after watching Apocalypse Now which I also really liked but thought was weird. I recently re-watched Apocalypse Now and can see the parallels.

I can definitely see how it would be hit or miss! I may read it again at a later date to give it another chance, because I didn't enjoy the language.

I do agree with what you've said in the spoiler. That section was definitely my favourite as well.

I haven't actually seen the movie. Would you recommend it?

I really didn't like that book.

At least I'm not the only one!