Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Summer wrote: "Hi! I have a question regarding picking an edition of the text please.

I have two editions of Far From The Madding Crowd and I realised one is the first edition (1874), and one is the heavily revi..."

I believe that is a personal choice. Honestly, if I own the book I read whatever edition I own. Whichever book is accessible is most important. Now if I am borrowing from the library or purchasing I personally buy the final edition...the last one edited by the author. I just think there must be a reason the author made those changes.

I had not realized this was an issue with Far From the Madding Crowd. I hope you do not mind, but I am going to copy and paste you question into the NO spoilers thread for the book.

Summer wrote: "Hi! I have a question regarding picking an edition of the text please.

I have two editions of Far From The Madding Crowd and I realised one is the first edition (1874), and one is the heavily revi..."
Hi Summer,

My own personal choice would be the one heavily revised by Hardy. It was the book he wrote, and being both a recognised and skilled writer, I think that I could safely trust his judgement. After all, nobody knows a book better than the author. It would be most interesting to read both editions and compare their differences. This could be a good thesis for any student studying English Literature?

I've read Far From The Madding Crowd and I like all of Hardy's books, enjoying them greatly. Some of his other books, including Under The Greenwood Tree, The Return Of The Native and Tess Of The D'Urbervilles are also good reads. I haven't read Hardy for a long time but now feel inspired to read his books once more!

Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering Heights over the summer and just really had a hard time getting through it. It’s the first classic I’ve started on my own (not having to read it for a class in school). I didn’t finish it but I’m hoping to find something else that will be a good kick off for getting into them all!

Kendall wrote: "Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering ..."

Austen's Pride and Prejudice or Forster's Howards End are my go tos. They're both of non-longwinded length and have fantastic film adaptations.

Kendall wrote: "Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering ..."

Jane Eyre would be my go-to.

From Listopia:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier might also be a good one to start with.

Rebecca is a great recommendation.

Kendall wrote: "Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering ..."

Kendall , Wuthering Heights is a very beloved classic. Classic authors take their own time to beautifully develop their characters , to describe surroundings and build up the appropriate ambience. It does require a little patience and time to get into the book, but it is well worth the effort .
Wuthering Heights starts with the present , then goes into a flashback ( if I remember right ) , then comes back to the present . It involves powerful passion and has a touch of the paranormal .
How much of the book have you read ? There are two Catherines ( if I remember right ) - one mother and one the daughter. I hope that's not what is confusing you ?

I agree with the other members about Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. That's another beautiful book with so many twists and turns in the plot , it keeps the reader at the edge of the chair .

Kendall wrote: "Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering ..."

Lady Susan by Jane Austen is less subtle than Pride and Prejudice. It's quite good.
Do read the Sherlock Holmes catalogue up to and including The Hound of the Baskervilles.
Also, Dracula contains great and modern prose and pacing.
Testament of Youth is from the 20th century. It is a wonderful book, with clear ideas.
The Jungle Books (books 1 and 2) is recommendable. Not dated language at all.
The Magic Mountain, too is nice. Just read the version that is shown by default on Goodreads. The older translation is horrid.
Far From the Madding Crowd is a compromise. It is only slightly difficult to read. Attempt this last if you are able. (It is not called Far from the MADDENING Crowd).

Kendall wrote: "Any recommendations for someone who’s just starting to get into classics?
I feel like I owe it to myself to read some romantic classics but I’m struggling with where to start. I started Wuthering ..."

We have a Short Story selection each month. I have found that reading short stories by classic authors is a great way to decide who you would like to read before tackling one of the very long books. Plus the short stories themselves are very nice. This year I have read short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell and several others. There are so many good short stories to choose from.

Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone knows of any other classics-focused bookclub that maybe has a discord server? I'm having a bit of trouble navigating goodreads book groups and I find that i respond better discord servers and discussions, so if you know of any please let me know i'd love to join one! :)

Hi Giovy

Never heard of them, care to tell more?

Giovy wrote: "Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone knows of any other classics-focused bookclub that maybe has a discord server? I'm having a bit of trouble navigating goodreads book groups and I find that ..."

Sorry but no. I am in a Discord group, but it is not a bookclub. As I understand it Discord groups are private and you need to be invited. I just don't know how to do a search of Discord. Good luck.

Hint: the phone app for Goodreads is not very friendly. I find I am much happier when I use a laptop and the desktop version of Goodreads.

As Lynn suggested, avoid the GR app. You’re better off accessing the site with a computer, tablet, or phone. If using a tablet or phone, make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on “desktop version.” You’ll fund the site much more navigable.

Giovy wrote: "Hello everyone! I was wondering if anyone knows of any other classics-focused bookclub that maybe has a discord server? I'm having a bit of trouble navigating goodreads book groups and I find that ..."

I don't use any myself, but there are a number of groups that have tagged themselves with 'discord', including those that mention using a server, that you can find here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show_...

No guarantee you'll find anything that's both decent and active, but it's a start.

There's also a larger list that shows up when searching group title/description: https://www.goodreads.com/group/searc...

Matt wrote: "General question for the group members:

I’m contemplating reading the entire works of Shakespeare in 2023 as part of the BINGO challenge.

I’ve been doing some online research about that and it ..."

I'd highly suggest Marjorie Garber's lessons, that can be easily found on YouTube.

Matt wrote: "General question for the group members:

I’m contemplating reading the entire works of Shakespeare in 2023 as part of the BINGO challenge.

I’ve been doing some online research about that and it ..."

If you can access YouTube you can search by the name of the play, and you'll get some people talking about the plays, also scenes or entire plays to watch. It's all free.

Also on YouTube I really like the RSC Shakespeare resources. They sometimes have actors and directors talking about a scene and trying out different ways to act it. It's fascinating! And look at Tristan and the Classics and Benjamin McEvoy, two channels I'm enjoying right now. They both talk a fair amount about Shakespeare.

Haven't stumbled on Garber - I'll check her out, too.

And look to your local library for DVDs, audiobooks and more. I love listening to his plays though Libby. Often my library has a couple of different versions so I can pick the one that sounds most interesting.

There have been a lot of changes to the Goodreads interface and options over the past year or so. How can I add another edition of a book to my shelf? I used to be able to do this, and books which I’ve included multiple editions of are still there, but I have been unable to add any new.

I am pretty sure I posted an appeal to vote for Don DeLillo's novel White Noise in the New School poll a few days ago in the ”Chit Chat & All That”

I just re-posted it. Did the first one get deleted? Why?

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I am pretty sure I posted an appeal to vote for Don DeLillo's novel White Noise in the New School poll a few days ago in the ”Chit Chat & All That”

I just re-posted i..."

I did delete it, and apologize for not sending you a message to explain why. Every person who nominates or votes in the polls wants their choice to win. The proper place to make an appeal is in the nominations thread, where everyone will get equal opportunity. It will not serve well if everyone begins to have a separate thread to taut their choice. It seemed particularly unfair when the vote is so close between two books.

J_BlueFlower wrote: "I am pretty sure I posted an appeal to vote for Don DeLillo's novel White Noise in the New School poll a few days ago in the ”Chit Chat & All That” ..."

Can you imagine if everyone did that for the books they nominated? They would mean we could have 28-35 new threads each month just for advertisement. As Sara said, please use the nomination or poll threads for that. Thank you.

Is anyone seeing a bunch of reviews from me laterly?
I'm assuming the answer is yes. I edited a bunch of reviews to change a link but unclicked the post button, so as to not annoy people with all a ton of updates.

None of these updates showed on my profile so i thought it worked and yet now i'm seeing a bunch of extra likes for these old reviews. So at least some people must be seeing the updates despite me unclicking that option.

So again is everyone getting like 8 or more review updates from me in a row? if so i apologize for the accidental spam.

And if so does anyone know how the hell i avoid this in future?

Wreade1872 wrote: "And if so does anyone know how the hell i avoid this in future? ..."

On the review page bottom right most: Uncheck "Add to my update feed".

That is it.

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Wreade1872 wrote: "And if so does anyone know how the hell i avoid this in future? ..."

On the review page bottom right most: Uncheck "Add to my update feed".

That is it."

Yeah that's what i did and none of them appear on my profile so it seems to work on my end BUT then i notice people putting Likes on the updated reviews so it clearing didn't work.

Wreade1872 wrote: people putting Likes on the updated..."

Those Goodreads likes are sometimes very strange. I get likes from people I don't know. I suspect it may be a bot/click-bat thing.

Do you know these people?

J_BlueFlower wrote: “Wreade1872 wrote: people putting Likes on the updated...”

Those Goodreads likes are sometimes very strange. I get likes from people I don’t know.”

I often click Like on reviews from people I don’t know—generally, when I’m reading through the reviews of a specific book. When I see ones that I agree with, etc., I’ll click Like.

That might be what’s happening with you, Wreade1872—your edit may have moved your reviews to the top on the book’s page, and people are seeing it there?

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Wreade1872 wrote: people putting Likes on the updated..."

Those Goodreads likes are sometimes very strange. I get likes from people I don't know. I suspect it may be a bot/click-bat thing.

Do yo..."
I am confused about your reaction. Your reviews post with those books. Do you not want strangers to see your reviews? Is it possible that some of those strangers might make for future friends?
What is the problem?

BTW, my complements for taking the time to update, polish or edit your reviews. IMHO that is a sign that you take the business of posting reviews as a serious task. I try , in a random way to tweak them, but I owe a lot of people apologies for my typos, and grammar.

The people seem to be all followers so its not a random thing.

Phrodrick the reason i 'm annoyed is that i don't like spamming friends and followers especially with edits to reviews that don't actually changed them.
That's why i unclicked the 'add to feed' box but it doesn't seem to have worked properly and i can't even see on my end whether its worked or not.

I might have to stop unclicking the box so all edits will be added to my feed but then i will at least be able to see and delete them after the fact on my profile.
Or i'll have to change the feed settings everytime i want to edit something.

It is not reviews, I talk about. It was just a suggestion. Maybe Wreade1872 was experience some of the same odd behaviour. Sometimes I do something very minor. As for instance tag Legen på "Fram" with “polar”. Then within minutes I get likes from people I have never heard about. It is not like I claimed I was going to read War and Peace.

I pretty sure there is some botting action going on.

The best evidence I have is in the Librarian group (and possibly others too). Look here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Look at “views “: 1, 4, 1, 616, 1, 2, 1, ….

Why would a post made 17 minutes ago have 616 views while all the others have 1-4?

Aha! i think there where bots involved somewhere in what i was seeing after all.
I've checked with friends and they have confirmed their feeds are not clogged with updates from me so i guess things are working ok, that's a relief.

AS far as bots go, I am not sure what motivates there creation except that some folks want to prove they can write them. There have been some issues in other location of folks using bots, socs and the like to harass people for their politics or whatever, but that does not seem to be what is under discussion here.

As for likes,too many too fast, as bots go that is about as painless an application of codes skills as any . My bottom line, maybe driven by my relative parcity of likes,(on book reviews) is that I will research some of them and where I see some commonality, I try to friend that person.

I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the audiobook series this Selected Shorts. A Celebration of the Short Story: Timeless Classics is part of? I have never heard of this series even though they have been out since 2006. What is great about it is the stories were read as a live performance in New York, and the readings are more engaging and lively than a typical narrator.. I've only listened to three stories so far, and I am really enjoying them. There are 10 books in the series and I can guarantee I will listen to more. I have them available on Libby and Hoopla from my library.

Laurie wrote: "I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the audiobook series this Selected Shorts. A Celebration of the Short Story: Timeless Classics is part of? I have never heard of this s..."

Looks interesting, but I haven't heard anything about this series.

Very fun, Laurie. I've heard these from time to time over the years on NPR, and you can listen there: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/38144348....

But how fun to see a classics collection. I will look for that in my library too. Thanks!

Laurie wrote: "I was wondering if anyone here is familiar with the audiobook series this Selected Shorts. A Celebration of the Short Story: Timeless Classics is part of? I have never heard of this s..."

Thanks for pointing this out for us Laurie.

Kathleen wrote: "Very fun, Laurie. I've heard these from time to time over the years on NPR, and you can listen there: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/38144348....

But how fun to see a classics coll..."

I read somewhere that they were on NPR which made me think someone here may have heard these. As it turns out, there are more than 10 collections in the series. When I went to the Symphony Space author page and then clicked on the "more books by Symphomy Space" link, there are quite a few more collections.

Selected Shorts is one of the first podcasts I ever subscribed to, years ago. I’ve stopped listening to it since, though as I look at the past & future schedule, I’m wondering why. It’s a great series—short stories and excerpts, with a bit of discussion and read by some of the best readers around.

https://www.symphonyspace.org/selecte...

Hey people. I'm going to America for the first time in my life. I'm from Estonia. I'll definitely visit a bookstore. Do you know any American classical books that you think are underestimated? I have many well-known classics but want more to explore.

If you are from San Francisco and can recommend a bookstore, that would be great. Besides classics, I am interested in comics (maybe, classical books in graphic editions or like 'History in Comics'), history and politics.

The City Lights Bookstore is a historic San Francisco venue for literature and poetry.

From their website: "Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, City Lights is one of the few truly great independent bookstores in the United States, a place where booklovers from across the country and around the world come to browse, read, and just soak in the ambiance of alternative culture’s only “Literary Landmark.”"

City Lights is my favorite bookstore. Plus, it's in the North Beach area of San Francisco, with lots of funky restaurants and coffee shops. Have a wonderful trip, Darya!

Thank you, Kathleen and Ben :) are there any classics you would recommend buying as a paperback/hardcover?

I do most of my reading on eBooks, but this list of candidates for The Great American Novel is a good place to start for classic American fiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

Ben wrote: "I do most of my reading on eBooks, but this list of candidates for The Great American Novel is a good place to start for classic American fiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7......"

thank you!

Darya - how about a War or Western title
war-wise The Complete Maus fits the bill on the comic front
or The Killer Angels or The Things They Carried
or western-wise True Grit, Warlock and Valdez Is Coming spring to mind
I'm not American btw, but British, so how about a book written by a Brit who lived in California for a while A Single Man

Darya Silman wrote: "Hey people. I'm going to America for the first time in my life. I'm from Estonia. I'll definitely visit a bookstore. Do you know any American classical books that you think are underestimated?..."

Hi Darya, I have a few I'd like to recommend. When I think of San Francisco (I lived there for a bit in the early 1990s) I think of the counter-culture of the 1960s-70s. With that in mind, some underestimated American classics you might want to check out would include:

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (I've only read excerpts of this one but definitely will read the full novel someday)
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
And I would absolutely second Darren's recommendation of True Grit by Charles Portis

Also, here's a few really good books set in San Francisco
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
Martin Eden by Jack London
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Enjoy your trip! City Lights is a must-visit for book lovers, but there are plenty of fun literary stops in the area, including Berkeley in the East Bay. Have a safe and fun trip, and happy reading!

Darya if you are interested in poetry I would mention two American poets.

First, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote in the 1800s. He was a New Englander who wrote about religious topics. He was very much anti-slavery and for the Union of the States during the American Civil War. His poetry is taught in schools.

Next, Robert Frost was of the early 1900's. He wrote about nature and individualism.

Both of these poets are widely published and it is easy to pick up an inexpensive collection of their poetry. You can also find them online for free. There are so many poets that capture the "American Spirit" so to speak. These two both speak to a certain period of time in the country's history.

Hey people!

I have a question about this months group read, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Does anyone know if this specific edition is censored or uncensored?

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Sheryl wrote: "Hey people!

I have a question about this months group read, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Does anyone know if this specific edition is censored or uncensored?

The Picture of Dorian Gray"

I really can't tell from the link. There are versions that say uncensored on the front cover. I found this list. Hope it helps.


https://www.goodreads.com/work/editio...

Lynn wrote: "Sheryl wrote: "Hey people!

I have a question about this months group read, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Does anyone know if this specific edition is censored or uncensored?

The Picture of Dorian G..."

Thank you so much!

Hi guys! I am considering buying the book, "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
My issue is related to the Translation. Which translation maintains balance between the original text and feel/emotions of the storyline?

I had read Pevear and Volokhonsky Translation for Crime and Punishment and it was a bit bland in my opinion. So, I am skeptical about going for their translation again.