Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Wilkie Collins by Peter Ackroyd. I bought it on sale for $1.50! I can't wait to read it!

Bernard - I have quite a few Alice books. Nice to know someone else who collects them! Although I've gotten into the habit of giving books away so if i bring books home I have to give away at least that many. I gave away a pink flexi-bound Alice with the Tenniel illustrations recently.

Well done Donna!

Donna wrote: "Wilkie Collins by Peter Ackroyd. I bought it on sale for $1.50! I can't wait to read it!"

I have not read that book, but his books I have read I liked.

Jazzy wrote: "Bernard - I have quite a few Alice books. Nice to know someone else who collects them! Although I've gotten into the habit of giving books away so if i bring books home I have to give away at least..."

I do not collect them as such, I just had one book with Wonderland and Looking Glass. But I had to get the Rackham pictures!

Sorry to hear about your loss of the pink book. (None of mine are pink, they are all blue)

Donna wrote: "Wilkie Collins by Peter Ackroyd. I bought it on sale for $1.50! I can't wait to read it!"

Sounds like a great find Donna! Hope you enjoy it :)

Within the last year I picked up the paperback B&N classic of Alice with illustrations by Tenniel and a long introduction. There was a nicer edition there with color illustrations (also Tenniel), but it didn’t have the introduction. I really enjoy those extras.

I feel cheated if a book does not have an introduction. Some of them make good points about the author's intentions.

Exactly, Bernard. Those introductions can make you think differently or more critically about the work(s). I do caution to not read an introduction until after I’ve read the book, though, because they tend to give spoilers away.

I am a big, big fan of introductions and footnotes as well as afterwards and also am more than willing to pay for them. (As opposed to accessing Project Gutenberg and missing out.) I also wouldn’t dream of deferring reading them until I’ve finished the novel, since their highest value is in setting the stage either in terms of the author’s body of work, or the politics of the day, or in offering essential context for understanding and appreciating a work whilst reading it. Then again, the concept of “spoilers” doesn’t resonate with me. YMMV.

Latest additions?

The Building Of Jalna by Mazo de la Roche
The Prone Gunman by Jean-Patrick Manchette
and
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime by Oscar Wilde

I’ve got the annotated complete Sherlock Holmes in 3 huge volumes and have read the annotated Alice.

Carol I have to agree with you on several counts. Intros seem to help me understand or what to expect.

In general spoilers from others do not bother me (if I think they might I do not read them) most do not give away the biggest part and it does not change the outcome or my perceptions of how I read and ingest what I have read. The little details up to the spoil are what I like and usually have figured out the end before the end anyways.

I try to avoid spoilers as best I can. I read LOTR and The Hobbit for the first time just two years ago & knew very little about either going into them. I hadn’t seen the movies and had avoided any real information about the stories beyond the very basic premises. Even with classics avoiding spoilers makes the experience all the more enjoyable for me.

For me spoilers spoil. I do all I can to avoid them. If I'm faced with one unexpectedly, I don't read the book.

Oh footnotes! I was bitterly disappointed when I replaced an old book with the latest edition, and found that the footnotes had disappeared.

Bernard wrote: "Oh footnotes! I was bitterly disappointed when I replaced an old book with the latest edition, and found that the footnotes had disappeared."


YES!!! I don't understand what happened to footnotes!!!!!

I have gone out of my way to buy annotated and footnoted editions only to discover that the few books with notes have miserable little comments that any high school student would already know. I just finished reading the The Count of Monte Cristo where the editor told us a million times who Napoleon was and why he was on Elba, but never mentioned references to Schiller's Die Räuber, the romantic tradition or the reason that statues seemed to come to life on the island of Monte Cristo. I like my foot notes at the foot (not buried in the back of the book) and to be detailed. People don't have to read them if they aren't interested!

I have only had a few books with footnotes, but I liked having them for the extra history. Additional information is a plus for me.

Re: I like my foot notes at the foot (not buried in the back of the book) and to be detailed ....

Me too. The book I mentioned is by Freud. He loved writing footnotes. Some are three pages long!

Bernard wrote: "Some are three pages long!"

I have never seen a footnote bigger than a half page!

Ha ha! Oh Lesle, your footnote education is sadly lacking.

oh yes, I have a lot of those books with pages of footnotes too.

Latest book -

The Ultimate Wodehouse Collection by P.G. Wodehouse - 5607pp
99p on the kindle!

I think it contains all the stories currently out of copyright.

I am a big Wodehouse fan, Jazzy.

I love him too! He's always good for a proper laugh. I didn't realise this book isn't 'complete' but it's so full of the little books that I won't have to download all the free ones separately.

I have
The World of Jeeves and
The Plums of P. G. Wodehouse

Jazzy wrote: "Latest book -

The Ultimate Wodehouse Collection by P.G. Wodehouse - 5607pp
99p on the kindle!

I think it contains all the stories currently out of copyright."

5607pp for 99p ??? That is .... err .... cheap!

5,607 pages at 99p is .000176565p per page. Super cheap.

Ha ha! Indeed it is. Thanks Jim for doing the maths.

whoop whoop sha boop!

Well done Jim!

Lesle wrote: "Bernard wrote: "Some are three pages long!"

I have never seen a footnote bigger than a half page!"

Bernard wrote: "Re: I like my foot notes at the foot (not buried in the back of the book) and to be detailed ....

Me too. The book I mentioned is by Freud. He loved writing footnotes. Some are three pages long!"

Yes, Many German writers have long, thorough (ausführlich) and informative footnotes. When I was writing my first book, I had issues with my publisher's desire to reduce the footnotes. (Not attributions, but interesting facts that didn't belong in the body of the text, like whether Antonioni added a sign or it was already there when he was filming Blowup.)

But I would like to know if the sign had been added. Or not.

Bernard wrote: "Ha ha! Oh Lesle, your footnote education is sadly lacking."

I must confess I learn something new everyday here with you Bernard!

Me too! And not just about classic literature.

Just received:
The Crab-Flower Club by Xueqin Cao c.1760; and,
The Sin of Abbé Mouret by Émile Zola 1875

Recently purchased Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak and My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier.

Interesting Gilbert, as I just got
The Dream [Le Rêve] (1888) - Émile Zola, translated by Michael Glencross

Such a gorgeous picture on the cover, I fell in love.

Jazzy, that is my favourite book by Zola-very poetic and dreamy.

I just acquired a free ebook of Tristana, our next month's read, in Spanish. It's under 200 pages so I should be able to finish it in one month.
Our library system only has the English copy in the Reference Library.

Rosemarie wrote: "Jazzy, that is my favourite book by Zola-very poetic and dreamy.

I just acquired a free ebook of Tristana, our next month's read, in Spanish. It's under 200 pages so I should be able to finish it ..."

I think I have Tristiana somewhere here. I'll try to dig it up! I seem to remember buying it last year.

Five stories by Elizabeth Bowen. A free sample!

There are 10 more Rougon-Macquart Zola novels I will get, in time, before I get to "The Dream". Hopefully, next year.
I usually get a full series of an author I have enjoyed.
I find the following website very helpful in this respect:
www.bookseriesinorder.com

The only Rougon-Macquart novel that really disappointed me was the last one in the series, Le Docteur Pascal.
Le Debacle is outstanding.

i am trying with "Au bonheure des Dames" it is said to be the less pessimistic and the best intro (i do not thing i will read them all)

Geraard wrote: "i am trying with "Au bonheure des Dames" it is said to be the less pessimistic and the best intro (i do not thing i will read them all)"

The Ladies’ Paradise is definitely less 'grim' than Germinal. It was also more enjoyable to me, but that could have also been the result of a better translator. While you will probably it in French, I read the Brian Nelson English translation published in the Oxford World's Classic series. It was a delight, and not just for ladies.
I plan to read L'Assommoir sometime next month.

I just got 'What Night Brings' by Carla Trujillo, a Chicana author. I rrrrrrreeeeeallllyyyy want to get my hands on it, I'm waiting for the delivery.
It's about a young girl of 11 struggling with sexuality and identity, both ethnic and sexual. Looks like a really tender and innocent-like story. Can't wait!

I have made my most indulgent purchase ever
The Peasants: Autumn by Nobel Prize-winning Polish author Władysław Stanisław Reymont actually purchased all 4 seasons.
I am thrilled to have received beautiful editions.

Kudos sent to Michael Popek who is part of a family-run used and rare bookstore in Oneonta NY called "Forgotten Bookmarks" he did not have any of the editions but helped me locate a good copy of all of them!

Congratulations Lesle !!
He is such a good author and what a joy to find such rare books!

I’m very excited and happy for you!

Gilbert wrote: "There are 10 more Rougon-Macquart Zola novels I will get, in time, before I get to "The Dream". Hopefully, next year.
I usually get a full series of an author I have enjoyed.
I find the following..."

Yes I want to start with the first one with Zolas recommended reading. I read a good NetGalley graphic novel called The Zolas

Thank you Jazzy

L'Assommoir may not be a cheerful book, but it is one of my favourite Rougon-Macquart books, mainly due to two very special characters.

That is a wonderful find, Lesle.

Lesle, I’m pleased you found the special books that you wanted.