2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Let's read as many classics as we can this year!A book that's stood the test of time is definitely worth my attention.

I agree! I have definitely been trying to read more classics.

Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good.

Narmeen wrote: "Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good."

Glad you liked Orwell. Please allow me to suggest that the next on your early 20th century dystopia list be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

Narmeen wrote: "Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good."

I see you're also reading Bleak House. That's a really excellent choice. I've read almost all of Dickens, and BH is a personal favourite.

Richard wrote: "Narmeen wrote: "Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good."

Glad you liked Orwell. Please allow me to suggest that the next on your early 20th cent..."

Definitely.It's been on my tbr for quite a bit of time.I'll be reading it in the start of February,hopefully.

Richard wrote: "Narmeen wrote: "Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good."

I see you're also reading Bleak House. That's a really excellent choice. I've read almo..."

Yea,Dickens is one of my favorite authors.I'm really enjoying Bleak House and I've noticed how a lot of Dicken's characters in books are similar which is kinda interesting,like how Agnes from David Copperfield was a lot like Esther.

One of my book groups is reading an Agatha Christie book next. Does that count as a classic?? :)

I also finished A Christmas Carol (technically started in December but didn't finish until January).... so, I've got one so far!

I would like to try to read some more Dickens books... or Jane Austen, or any of the Bronte sisters.... the books that I've always felt I *should* read as an avid book work.... but never quite got around to.

Narmeen wrote: "Richard wrote: "Narmeen wrote: "Yea,this year I started with 1984 and Animal Farm.They were literally mind blowing,so good."

I see you're also reading Bleak House. That's a really excellent choice..."

It must be about 25 years since I read David Copperfield, so I had to remind myself about Agnes Wickfield. Having done so, I can appreciate the parallels with Esther.

Cassie wrote: "One of my book groups is reading an Agatha Christie book next. Does that count as a classic?? :)

I also finished A Christmas Carol (technically started in December but didn't finish until January..."

I wouldn't say Agatha Christie's work counts as classical literary fiction. But that's not to say that she's to be looked down on or disdained in any way. I think she was very good at what she did.

I re-read Austen's 6 major novels at the beginning of last year, and will probably do so again in 5-10 years time. As to the Brontes, it's high time I re-read Jane Eyre, although Wuthering Heights can be a little melodramatic for my personal taste. One Bronte novel which I think has been very much underrated is Villette. I read it once, again probably a quarter of a century ago. It sounds like unpromising material for a novel - a young woman with a reserved emotional temperament gets depressed in Brussells - however I remember being absolutely spellbound by it.

I'm actually being quite pretentious this year. I've decided it's going to be my year of reading French. I'm a native English speaker and, although I lived in Paris for a while several years ago, my French is decidedly subfluent. Nonetheless, at the moment I'm reading Soumission by Michel Houellebecq, which is going quite well. When I've finished, I'm going to attempt to read Proust. God knows what that's going to be like - probably an ordeal.

Richard wrote: "Cassie wrote: "One of my book groups is reading an Agatha Christie book next. Does that count as a classic?? :)

I also finished A Christmas Carol (technically started in December but didn't finis..."

Austen is quite delightful to read except that i found Mansfield Park almost unbearable.And even though people like Pride and Prejudice,I prefer Persuasion over the other 5.With regards to Jane Eyre,I loved it the first time I read it,but the second time I liked it decidedly less,I didn't like Mr.Rochester's character,especially how he was trying to get Jane confess her feelings herself and making her pointlessly suffer in the process.At the point in a book where if a character had opened their mouth the rest of the story wouldn't have had reason to occur one begins to feel the plot is a bit flimsy,however the first wife scenario lent intrigue,though it was quite shady as to why he'd marry a woman he didn't even love in the first place.
I will give Villette a try though.

Richard wrote: "I'm actually being quite pretentious this year. I've decided it's going to be my year of reading French. I'm a native English speaker and, although I lived in Paris for a while several years ago, m..."

Well,that's impressive.

The sole reason I want to be fluent in French and German one day is so that I might be able to read Proust and Kafka is their original form.

Cassie wrote: "One of my book groups is reading an Agatha Christie book next. Does that count as a classic?? :)

I also finished A Christmas Carol (technically started in December but didn't finish until January..."

Yes,Agatha Christie is taken to be an exponent of classic detective novels,so I guess that counts.

If you want an easy Dicken's read definitely start with David Copperfield.For a tad more meaningful try with A tale of two cities.And for mystery go with Bleak house or Little Dorrit.One of my least favorites of his is Great Expectations,and Pickwick papers was too indigestible to continue after two chapters.

If I might suggest,read To kill a Mockingbird.It's my absolute favorite book of all time,and completely mesmerizing.

Narmeen wrote: "Cassie wrote: "One of my book groups is reading an Agatha Christie book next. Does that count as a classic?? :)

I also finished A Christmas Carol (technically started in December but didn't finis..."

Pickwick Papers was his first novel, and has the feel of 18th century fiction, rather reminding me of Henry Fielding's novels; Sam Weller has some of the elements of one of Fielding's picaresque characters. His #2 was Oliver Twist, which is my least favourite; it feels to me like he simply hadn't found his voice, and that he really got into his stride with #3, Nicholas Nickleby.

I've been in a classics mood for the past couple of years, both older and what we consider 'modern,' I plan on reading Three Musketeers this year finally, and Pickwick Papers, I keep trying to read Jane Austen's works and failing, I'm not sure why but I've never been too keen on her!

Wishing you all the best. You are off to a great start with eight books.

I hope you are having a good time reading.