Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Laura Jayne wrote: "War and Peace - which translation? Sorry if this has been asked before somewhere!

I’m just curious which translation of War and Peace people recommend and why?

Hopefully will start reading it in ..."

I am reading the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky from 2007. It is reading easily, so so far so good.

Ever thought of a separate Children’s Classics category?

Out of interest; what are the possible categories?

PinkieBrown wrote: "Out of interest; what are the possible categories?"


Our five monthly reading categories
Old School, Books Published prior to 1900
New School Books Published between 1900-1999
Short Story/Novella, Published before 2000 and no longer than 130 pages
Quarterly Long Read, Published before 2000 and longer than 600 pages
Revisit the Shelf, A monthly reread of any book currently on our shelf, must not have been read by the group in the last year

To date no genre nominated has been refused, of course there maybe a few that will raise eyebrows.

Children's books are currently on our bookshelf and there is no reason to think others can't make it.

As Katy mentioned above Buddy reads can be used to seek reading partners for books that maybe of interest.

These answers are unsatisfying but in a certain light they are quite funny so I got a moment’s hilarity out of them. “Out of interest” really meant I’ve run out of interest. This isn’t a forum for discussion but it seems to suit a few people so please continue to enjoy listing book titles. I accidentally ended up asking a question because I was having trouble finding the exit button. I’ve found it now so, bye bye.

Hey Laura Jayne!

I’m currently reading the Anthony Briggs translation and I’m loving it. Very easy to read and understand. I arrived at this one by comparing several translations and reading reviews.

PinkieBrown wrote: "These answers are unsatisfying but in a certain light they are quite funny so I got a moment’s hilarity out of them. “Out of interest” really meant I’ve run out of interest. This isn’t a forum for discussion but it seems to suit a few people so please continue to enjoy listing book titles. I accidentally ended up asking a question because I was having trouble finding the exit button. I’ve found it now so, bye bye."

Looks like someone's been into the cooking sherry.

Perhaps the old 'What's everyone reading right now?' board could be unstarred? I keep accidentally clicking on it.

Aubrey wrote: "Perhaps the old 'What's everyone reading right now?' board could be unstarred? I keep accidentally clicking on it."

We have tried & tried. And GR help won't answer us, or help out there. Sorry. Some GR glitch that we are frustrated with for sure.

Ahh, got it. Thanks for updating me on the situation, Katy. I'll just have to pay more attention to my clicks.

I'm not happy about it. I even tried to delete the thread, and that didn't work either. What a bother.

Hello Moderators and fellow members, I am in need of a bit of assistance. I am in the process of selecting my next read in the Challenge Buffet, and discovered that The Forsyte Saga is not one book but actually consists of three novels and what is called two interludes. Am I still allowed to change my listed book to The Man of Property?

Can I please also get a clarification on the rules pertaining to book changes?

Thank you, your clarification in this regard will be much appreciated. Thanks also Moderators for the effort all of you put in to ensure the smooth running of the book club.

Wayne, I see that you planned The Forsyte Saga for challenge #3 Second or Worse. Feel free to change any of your pre-selected choices in any challenge except #1 Old and New. There we try to be a little more ridged and allow for two alternates to be selected to compensate for books that maybe DNF. Pre-selecting as you have already done is great in that is allows other members to see titles that they maybe unaware of, it is a helpful resource for everyone.

Simply put, make all the changes you need too, if helps you better enjoy your challenges.

Bob wrote: "Wayne, I see that you planned The Forsyte Saga for challenge #3 Second or Worse. Feel free to change any of your pre-selected choices in any challenge except #1 Old and New. There we try to be a li..."

Thanks for the quick response Bob. I will leave #1 as is. I hope to not make many changes, because the idea is to read as many books on my shelf as I can, but alack and alas, the theory and the practice are often two separate streams. In fact my to read list has been steadily increasing...heheheheheh. Enjoy the reading

Wayne wrote: "...In fact my to read list has been steadily increasing...heheheheheh. Enjoy the reading .."

A common problem here.

I have a quick question. I've been looking up books and authors new to me and making up my challenge lists. I just joined this month, so I don't know if I can do a whole year long challenge and am leaning toward a half a year challenge. I was wanting to try to read a couple of the Jane Austen novels for my challenge. I'm not sure why but I have a strong urge to read them. I've never read her before and have wanted to try her books for a while. My question is, does it matter what order you read her books in?

No, Steven. Each of Austen's books is a stand alone with completely different characters. I hope you enjoy reading her, she is a favorite of mine (and so many others).

Not at all. Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Emma are perhaps her most widely read. I love Austen and have read them all..keep in mind they are ironic. I thought Lady Susan was hilarious. My personal favorite is Mansfield Park.

Thank you both. I'm definitely going to go through them. I have a copy of Pride and Prejudice already so I might start with that. That's good about the irony. I use irony and sarcasm a lot in my humor. I like to tell a lot of jokes. I don't usually like romances, but really think I'll like these. Last year my gf had me watch the movie The Jane Austen Book Club with her and I really liked it. I usually go for sci-fi/fantasy, documentary and action/adventure. We watched the movie again last night and it made me really want to read her books. I'm probably going to start them today. I was asking about order because the fantasy and sci-fi authors I read really like to reference prior books a lot.

No relations between the books at all. I hope you like them. I also love Sci Fi. Right now I am finishing up H Beam Pipers The Complete Paratime

Steven wrote: "Thank you both. I'm definitely going to go through them. I have a copy of Pride and Prejudice already so I might start with that. That's good about the irony. I use irony and sarcasm a lot in my hu..."

Thanks. Cool. I haven't read that one before. I just started Journey to the Center of the Earth and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again. I haven't read them in years.

Jules Verne is good. I havent read many of his books yet.

Steven wrote: "Steven wrote: "Thank you both. I'm definitely going to go through them. I have a copy of Pride and Prejudice already so I might start with that. That's good about the irony. I use irony and sarcasm..."

He is. They're fun. I've never read The Mysterious Island and am going to do that in one of my challenges. I'm probably going to go to barnes and noble either today or tomorrow. I think some classics may come home with me.

Lynn, I have a question about challenges if you don't mind. I'm writing up buffet challenges, but am also doing the bingo. Do they have to be separate books or can you use some of the same ones for each?

Steven — I’ve liked all of Austen’s work except EMMA (which took four attempts to get through). Northanger Abbey is one of my favorites and is a satire on the Gothic romance popular in her time. This group reread it last year, followed by a reading of The Mysteries of Udolpho, one of the books mentioned in NA.

Steven wrote: "Lynn, I have a question about challenges if you don't mind. I'm writing up buffet challenges, but am also doing the bingo. Do they have to be separate books or can you use some of the same ones for..."

I know you asked Lynn, but I can answer this for you. You can use any books you read in multiple challenges...you just cannot use the same book twice in the same challenge. So, if you are doing Bingo and Genre, and you read a humorous classic, you can use that same book for both N4 in Bingo and #12 in Genre. Hope this helps, Steven. Enjoy.

Sara wrote: "Steven wrote: "Lynn, I have a question about challenges if you don't mind. I'm writing up buffet challenges, but am also doing the bingo. Do they have to be separate books or can you use some of th..."

Thanks so much. I don't have a preference on who answers. Thanks for answering. Cool. Thanks for letting me know that. I was asking because I was going to go through the Jane Austen books and I was wondering if I could do the same book for other challenges and the same author for other challenges. I actually just started Emma. I like it so far.

Thanks Sara, you helped me out.

I love Emma, so nice to know you are enjoying it. You will be an old hand at the challenges before you know it, Steven.

Lynn - no problem. It's what I am here for. :)

Steven and Sara, I also love Emma, one of my very favorite Austin novels. Here’s something fun to do: immediately after reading Emma, watch the movie Clueless. It is the same story, only modernized.

I have seen it, Terry, and yes quite fun. I even enjoyed Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma, but nothing beats the book.

I would like to know what my Classics group thinks of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I ordered a copy of it —apparently unabridged! It is more than 1000 pages of very small type. I may go blind trying to read it! What I want to know is this — is it worth it?

Maybe I should nominate it for a long read? What do you think?

Terry wrote: "I would like to know what my Classics group thinks of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I ordered a copy of it —apparently unabridged! It is more than 1000 pages of very small type. I may go blind tryin..."

Terry, I loved it. It is #7 on my favorites list. I will admit to being intimidated by its size, but I found it to be a smooth fast paced easy read. I can’t say if the pace was really incredibly fast, or I just couldn’t put it down. If there wasn’t so many other books I want to read I would reread this starting tomorrow. Good luck and if I had to bet money as to you liking or disliking, my money is on you will like it, a lot.

Terry wrote: "I would like to know what my Classics group thinks of The Count of Monte Cristo.

I ordered a copy of it —apparently unabridged! It is more than 1000 pages of very small type. I may go blind tryin..."

I managed to get through an unabridged version at a rather young age and came out really liking it, so that's something. It's also one of the works I'm most looking forward to rereading, with the fact that I now have a far deeper appreciation for the source material (the only other Dumas work I can think of that probably pays more homage to his amazing father and cultural roots is Georges, and that one's not nearly as epic) being only one of the contributing factors for my great anticipation.

Terry wrote: "I would like to know what my Classics group thinks of The Count of Monte Cristo. ..."

One of my all time favorites and one of the very few that I have reread.

Also a favorite of mine, Terry. I've read it more than once and will have another go at it someday. You will love it, I think.

Okay, I am convinced! Thank you to all who responded to my question. I have a few books ahead of this, but I think I will take the plunge soon. There was, after all, a reason that I decided to order it! So many books, so little time!

It’s kind of amazing how many holes there are in my reading catalog. I have always felt that I have been reasonably well read. But then there is another one like this.

Okay, time for revealing. Yikes! I have never read Don Quixote or Moby Dick. (Head dive of embarrassment!). I will get to those, too, one of these days.

Terry wrote: "Okay, I am convinced! Thank you to all who responded to my question. I have a few books ahead of this, but I think I will take the plunge soon. There was, after all, a reason that I decided to orde..."

Terry, I recently made a list challenge of the 100 works most labeled 'classic' on this site that I have not only not read but have absolutely no interest in for the moment. The average user who voted on it has read 22 of those works. We all have holes in our reading; some of those holes are just more highfalutin than others.

Aubrey wrote: "Terry wrote: "Okay, I am convinced! Thank you to all who responded to my question. I have a few books ahead of this, but I think I will take the plunge soon. There was, after all, a reason that I d..."

Aubrey did you post that to Listopia? If so would you provide the link?

Terry wrote: "Okay, I am convinced! Thank you to all who responded to my question. I have a few books ahead of this, but I think I will take the plunge soon. There was, after all, a reason that I decided to orde..."

I have never read Don Quixote or Moby Dick either. I read The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time last year, and I am just reading War and Peace for the first time now. It's the reason I joined this group.

Lynn wrote: "Aubrey did you post that to Listopia? If so would you provide the link?"

Haha, so you can all witness my shame? Just kidding, and nah, off site at List Challenges. You can see it here: https://www.listchallenges.com/100-cl...

Aubrey wrote: "Lynn wrote: "Aubrey did you post that to Listopia? If so would you provide the link?"

Haha, so you can all witness my shame? Just kidding, and nah, off site at List Challenges. You can see it here..."

Thanks for the link...no shame at all. I was wondering what I would score - 33% and many of those like The Island of Dr Moreau were assigned reading at school. There were multiple Anne books and I have only read the first two. Interesting to see which books are listed most often as classics on Goodreads.

If I counted correctly, The Jungle Book is on there 3 times. It’s one of my challenge books this year so my percent read on that particular list will go way up!

Just because I was wondering about which books are called "classic" I clicked on Emma by Jane Austen. Once at the Emma page I clicked "classics" in the tags on the right. There is a list of the 100 books tagged "classic" most frequently this week on Goodreads. I guess they update it weekly. Of those I had read 48,, or 48%. That's the thing about lists, they seem to be the luck of draw sometimes.

Annette wrote: "If I counted correctly, The Jungle Book is on there 3 times. It’s one of my challenge books this year so my percent read on that particular list will go way up!"

Well, one of them is just 'The Jungle Book', one of them is the collected edition of that and its sequel, and one of them is Upton Sinclair's nonfictional reportage on the horrible working conditions of the US meat industry of the early 20th century. Close, but not quite.

Ah, Aubrey, I didn’t look carefully! I guess I won’t be getting credit for 3 books in one read.

That was interesting, Aubrey--thanks for sharing. I've only read 21%, but what was interesting was while there were a few favorites included, I found myself repeating "yeah, I couldn't get through that one." :-) Some of the holes in my reading are staying there, for sure.

Like Lynn, I had only read the first two Anne books. Several of these books are on my "never mind" list of books I'm just not interested in reading. I scored 54%. I always find lists of this type fascinating and irresistible.

Interesting list, as it contains lots of Anne books and others I wouldn´t necessarily consider as Classics, but other Classics aren´t in there. And of course it´s male and white dominated. I got 23, so one above the average of 22%.

I had 39 percent. Like others here, I read the first few “Anne” books (I forget how far I got in the series, at least the first 3-4) and there are also a couple “not in this lifetime” books. Most of the remaining books are in Mount TBR.