The Reading Challenge Group discussion

In November, we will be reading classics of any genre. For the purpose of this challenge, any book published before 1975 can be considered a challenge. This refers to the original date of publication.
There may be exceptions for graphic novels, since this is a fairly new genre.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
The aim of this challenge is to have fun reading together.

However, any books published after 1990 can't really be considered classics yet.

Thomas Hardy is my favorite classics author but he didn't write very many novels. I think this month I will finally read The Mayor of Casterbridge which is the last one I haven't read. I've been saving them up.

Great choice, Alicia!

Classics have not always been my favorite genre, but I have a number of books that have been on my list forever. One of them is a reread (Dune) and another is a reread from when I was young (Once and Future King). Quite a few of them are long so let's see what I can accomplish. I THINK these are all classics?

Dune ✔
Carmilla ✔
If Beale Street Could Talk ✔
The Outsiders ✔
The End of the Affair ✔
Don Quixote ✔
The Master and Margarita
East of Eden ✔
Flowers for Algernon ✔
One Corpse Too Many
The Once and Future King
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Of Mice and Men
Angela's Ashes
Beowulf
Song of Solomon
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Fathers and Sons

Angela's Ashes was published in 1996 so it is too new, Eileen, but all the rest are fine. You have a great list there.

Okay cool, thanks! What is the general cut-off? I was concerned about The End of the Affair because I thought it was published in 2004, but it turns out that's only the edition that I have. It looks like it may have been published in 1951, so I guess that counts?

Alicia wrote: "Thomas Hardy is my favorite classics author but he didn't write very many novels. I think this month I will finally read The Mayor of Casterbridge which is the last one I haven't read...."

That’s my favourite of his books, Alicia - enjoy!

Eileen, it is the original date of publication that counts. If the book is a translation, the year it was published in its original language is the date that counts.

The general cutoff is 1975, but books between up to 1990 may be considered if they are by authors who started writing before that--or if they are outstanding books.

Rosemarie wrote: "The general cutoff is 1975, but books between up to 1990 may be considered if they are by authors who started writing before that--or if they are outstanding books."

Perfect. I'm not 100% positive, but I think the rest of my books count. Thanks!

Alicia wrote: "Thomas Hardy is my favorite classics author but he didn't write very many novels. I think this month I will finally read The Mayor of Casterbridge which is the last one I haven't read...."

I think my sister read The Mayor of Casterbridge and I read Tess of the Ubervilles. I recall that I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.

Eileen wrote: "Alicia wrote: "Thomas Hardy is my favorite classics author but he didn't write very many novels. I think this month I will finally read The Mayor of Casterbridge which is the last one ..."

My least favorite of his books is actually his first, Far From the Madding Crowd, but it was actually the last one I read. I had to read Tess in highschool and I loved it. My favorite is The Return of the Native but I'm more than willing to change that if I love The Mayor. Jude the Obscure is also very good but very dire and not for everyone.

I know I don't have any time for any more books this year, but maybe I will keep Thomas Hardy in mind for next year. Maybe I'll give Tess a reread since I remember really liking it.

I am a big Thomas Hardy fan too. It's hard to pick a favourite, since it's usually the book I just finished reading. The last two I read were Return of the Native and Jude the Obscure. I have just started rereading some of his poetry.

I am going to start next month with Animal Farm. Mainly because it has been on my shelf forever. And it is short. I'm not sure I will like it, but perfect timing.

Christine wrote: "I am going to start next month with Animal Farm. Mainly because it has been on my shelf forever. And it is short. I'm not sure I will like it, but perfect timing."

Animal Farm is one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it. Maybe I'll do a reread since it's been awhile.

Currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo - which I started a few months ago but I’m still only 20% through so I’ll make it a point to finish it this month 👍

Kayla wrote: "Currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo - which I started a few months ago but I’m still only 20% through so I’ll make it a point to finish it this month 👍"

Oooh, that was one of those classics in high school that I enjoyed!

Right now I am reading New Grub Street by George Gissing in another group. At four chapters a week, I will be finished during this month. This is my favourite genre, so I hope to read at least two or three other classics.

Ooo I loved Robinson Crusoe :D Not usually a fan of sea voyaging type books but I liked that one lol

My November's TBR

War Storm
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Girl With All the Gifts
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Titan's Curse
Jong Verlies

So only 2 classics this month...

I just finished reading The Great Gatsby.

I just started Dune and am really enjoying it! The audiobook is definitely one I can recommend!

That's good to know, Eileen.

What did you think of The Great Gatsby, Trisha?

Rosemarie wrote: "That's good to know, Eileen.

What did you think of The Great Gatsby, Trisha?"

You’re probably happier not knowing, Rosemarie! I didn’t like it. The characters seemed selfish, nothing much happened until about halfway through the book & I was bored. I was very tempted to give up, though decided to complete it. Sorry, I know from comments I’ve seen elsewhere that many people love this book but it just wasn’t for me.

Trisha, I may have liked the book, but I loathed most of the characters! Fitzgerald, who was an outsider, did an excellent job describing that slice of society.

Trisha and Rosemarie, I don't remember exactly what I thought of the book, but I hated the majority of the characters, lol.

Trisha wrote: "Rosemarie wrote: "That's good to know, Eileen.

What did you think of The Great Gatsby, Trisha?"

You’re probably happier not knowing, Rosemarie! I didn’t like it. The characters seemed selfish, no..."

I'm another one who doesn't like the Great Gatsby. I read it in highschool and after watching Baz Luhrman's movie I decided to read it again. I still don't like it, though I do like the Luhrman movie very much (great soundtrack!). Not once in reading the book did I ever think Daisy was EVER a good person. She was always shallow and annoying. I think the "Idea" of Gatsby is great, but as a book, meh, not so much.

Not my favorite either....

I've been waiting for November to finally read The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's going faster than I expected, so now I'm trying to decide between reading a classic I haven't read yet or revisiting a favorite. Decisions, decisions...

I like those kind of problems, Brenda.

Brenda wrote: "I've been waiting for November to finally read The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's going faster than I expected, so now I'm trying to decide between reading a classic I haven't read yet or..."

This is one of my favorite classics! I first read it in AP English and I've read it at least a couple times since then. So creepy but so good!

Finished The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Liked it well enough, but I guess short stories aren't my thing. It's like they're not suitable to really appreciate Sherlock's detective and deductive reasoning skills.

I am just starting The Warden by Anthony Trollope. This is the first book by Trollope that I am reading though I have always wanted to read the Barchester Chronicles. I enjoy books from that time period (Victorian - mid-19th century).

The Warden is a lovely book. I have read it twice and will probably read it again.

I started the month with Twelve Angry Men. I'm trying to get up (these feel like reading assignments for some reason!) gumption to read Uncle Tom's Cabin. I have to admit...all I know of Uncle Tom's Cabin I got from The King and I!! Must be time to read it for myself!

So...I got through about 30 pages, and it's become a struggle. I polished off another Jim Butcher novel, and I've got a copy of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None that feels like a good fit.

I read Oronooko: The Royal Slave. There was nothing I liked about it.

Ruth, it is much better to quit near the beginning of a book than waste hours reading it.
I hope you have better luck with your next choice.

I totally agree with Rosemarie! Find something that is more interesting! There are so many classics to choose from!

I'm really enjoying Dune (which I started yesterday) and Don Quixote (which I started today). I have to admit I started Don Quixote with a little bit of trepidation since it is such an old book and it was translated from Spanish. But the Edith Grossman translation seems to be quite good and George Guidall is fabulous as the narrator. I've just started and I'm already finding myself laughing out loud at parts!

Dune is definitely on my list but won’t get to it this month I’m afraid

This month I’m reading Middlemarch by George Elliot.
I’m enjoying it so far, but I find it a bit too long. The content is not grabbing enough for a 1000 pages, but I’ll finish it just because everyone says it’s fantastic.

I am reading Utopia by Thomas More.

I read the short story Amy Foster by Joseph Conrad today & enjoyed it.

I'm hoping to finish Dune tonight. It's soooooo good!

I just read the play The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen.

I finished reading Utopia.

I want to read Dune as well though I probably won’t get to it until next year. Will you be continuing the series, Eileen? I hear #1 is the best one...

Susy wrote: "I want to read Dune as well though I probably won’t get to it until next year. Will you be continuing the series, Eileen? I hear #1 is the best one..."

At this point I don't have any plans on continuing with the series. My husband has read #1 several times and the rest of the series a couple of times and he said he's still confused by the later series, lol.

Finished The Pearl by John Steinbeck and found my copy of East of Eden by the same author. I bought this book years ago when Oprah had it as her bookclub pick. Time to tackle it 10-20 pages at a time for classics month.