Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Sara wrote: "Must feel good to say you already finished a challenge on day 4! Off to a great start, Wobbley.

Always hard to predict what the future will retain (or even think) of us. Often the most popular boo..."

Sometimes I feel the same, Sara, especially when people look at me like I've fallen from Mars when they see a book in my hands. Still, statistically Croatians do not read a lot, but we have a surprising amount of bookstores, libraries, Facebook groups for second hand books, and one of the largest, if not the largest, annual book fair in the region. I think there's still hope. :)

Samanta wrote: "Still, statistically Croatians do not read a lot, but we have a surprising amount of bookstores, libraries, Facebook groups for second hand books, and one of the largest, if not the largest, annual book fair in the region. I think there's still hope. :)"

Just the fact that libraries exist at all gives me a lot of hope -- I think they are sort of miraculous!

Sara wrote: "Must feel good to say you already finished a challenge on day 4! Off to a great start, Wobbley.

Always hard to predict what the future will retain (or even think) of us. Often the most popular boo..."

Depressing thought there at the end. *cries


Wobbley, congrats on knocking out your first challenge, and reading 3 books in what 3 days? Omg! Lol I have STARTED three books. Lol
Have fun!

April wrote: "Wobbley, congrats on knocking out your first challenge, and reading 3 books in what 3 days? Omg! Lol I have STARTED three books. Lol"

Yeah, I like to start the year with some easy wins, so I'll feel like I'm making progress. So my early books were all quite short. Thanks April, enjoy your reading!

Goodness, youve finished a challenge already! Im glad you liked what youve read so far

Thanks so much, Ila! I'm glad too :)

I've finished my a few more books for my Buffet challenges.

✅ The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A comedic play by A.A. Milne, in which a young woman who is obsessed with stories of chivalry thinks she's met her knight. Then she discovers he's a normal man, and has to come to terms with this. A light comedy, this is my most enjoyable read of the year so far. The leading lady's parents were like a gentler version of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and the leading man was very charismatic.

✅ The Fortnight in September ⭐️⭐️: A family takes their normal annual holiday to the seaside. It's hard for me to decide what to think of this one. Some parts were engaging, sometimes poignant, but other parts were quite dull. Sometimes the family seemed very close, sometimes they hardly seemed to know each other at all. I know this makes it more realistic, but somehow I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I think I must have just read this one at the wrong time, because I know a few people who really love it.

✅ Mother Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A Nazi propagandist who was secretly working undercover for the USA wrestles with whether he is responsible for what he did during the war to maintain his cover. This doesn't feel like a Vonnegut book, and I did miss the chaotic brew that usually characterizes his writing. That said, this was an effective, sad story, with a lot to say about people and about war. While Timequake is still my favourite Vonnegut so far, for me this one is at about the same quality as Slaughterhouse-Five.

"You are the only man I ever heard of who has a bad conscience about what he did in the war. Everybody else, no matter what side he was on, no matter what he did, is sure a good man could not have acted in any other way."

Wobbley wrote: "I've finished my a few more books for my Buffet challenges.

The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A comedic play by A.A. Milne, in which a young woman w..."

I'm definitely putting AA Milne's plays on my list this year. I had no idea he wrote any until they started getting mentioned here. They sound like fun.

Amazing progress, Wobbley! (I am so jealous of those of you getting all these books finished already--I'm in the middle of a stack of long ones.) Glad you enjoyed Mother Night.

Teri-K wrote: "I'm definitely putting AA Milne's plays on my list this year. I had no idea he wrote any until they started getting mentioned here. They sound like fun."

Yes, the ones I've read have been a lot of fun. My favourite so far is "The Dover Road". I hope you'll enjoy them!

Kathleen wrote: "Amazing progress, Wobbley! (I am so jealous of those of you getting all these books finished already--I'm in the middle of a stack of long ones.) Glad you enjoyed Mother Night."

Thanks Kathleen! Yes, I admit that I prefer to start the year with shorter books, so that I feel like I'm getting some momentum on my challenges. It's brave of you to start with long ones!

I love to see you ticking off your reads and (as always) adding to my TBR. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy The Fortnight in September. It might well have everything to do with timing. I remember reading it after several very intense reads and feeling as if I had been given a vacation. I know what you are saying, though, it isn't heavy on plot or even characterization--more about atmosphere. Hope the next read is smashing.

Sara wrote: "I love to see you ticking off your reads and (as always) adding to my TBR. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy The Fortnight in September. It might well have everything to do with timing..."

Thank you Sara! Yeah, I don't know what went wrong for me with The Fortnight in September. I usually enjoy books that are all about atmosphere, but somehow the atmosphere here didn't grab me. Shrug. I've decided to blame timing and let myself off the hook for this one.

Looks like you're cruising! Impressive.

Thomas wrote: "Looks like you're cruising! Impressive."

Thanks very much Thomas!

You're making a lot of progress, Wobbley! I'm interested in The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts, you make it sound enticing! I like A.A. Milne and need to read something by him other than "Winnie-the-Pooh"! ;)

I'm sorry A Fortnight in September didn't strike you. It was a 5 star read for me, and R.C. Sherriff is one of my favorite authors! But, to each his own. We can't all like the same things. And that's what makes reading and sharing our thoughts so interesting -- a book one person loves, the other is just "meh" (or might hate it, but we try to be kind enough not to say it!). Glad you tried it though.
Just keep reading!

Terris wrote: "You're making a lot of progress, Wobbley! I'm interested in The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts, you make it sound enticing! I like A.A. Milne and need to read something by him other than "Winnie-the-Pooh"! ;)"

Thanks Terris! Yes, I felt badly about Fortnight in September, but like you said, taste is very personal.

I really enjoy A. A. Milne's writing, including his stuff for adults. My favourite of his plays so far is The Dover Road, but The Romantic Age was a fun one for sure! And plays are quick reads, so it's an easy win. :)

Hey! Sorry for the slow response here. I have been following your thread, but didnt have time before to read through your reviews (and descriptions), which are cool by the way, but too much work for me to do in my own right now. Lol

Funny the response about Fortnight in September. Never read it, never even heard of it, but your description honestly has me intrigued! Lol

Mother Night. Fair review. I didnt like it AS much as MY fave Player Piano, and it was simililar to SH5, so i can see how you related them. I still liked it better than SH5 tho. If you recall SH5 was not for me. Lol

So that was a week ago. How is the reading coming along now?

Edit:
im not sure how quickly you or others read these threads, hence the multiple posts, but im embarrassed now, so gonna sneak this in here. Hope you see it!
I forgot to say never read Timequake yet either, but maybe this year.
And I forgot you had reviews on page one. The Blind story also looks intriguing. HG Wells, right? I actually never read any Wells either, so adding that one to the list. 👍

Oh, I see. You updated on the main posts, but didnt review everything in a later post. Thats fine. Ill look over your updates. Congrats on your first win too!

April wrote: "Oh, I see. You updated on the main posts, but didnt review everything in a later post. Thats fine. Ill look over your updates. Congrats on your first win too!"

Thanks April! I'm glad to hear your thoughts on these books. Timequake is a strange book (although most Vonneguts are...), but I really loved it. I can't guarantee it's for everyone though. ;) It's kind of a mish-mash of memoir in the form of anecdotes with a sci-fi story sprinkled in. Yes, I remember that you weren't as big a fan of Slaughterhouse-five.

Yes, I do update my main posts, and I review all my reads in later posts, but only once each, so it you're looking for a particular one, you might have to hunt. The only thing I might not individually review is short stories, if I read a bunch in one book; I might just review the book overall.

I've had a lot of luck with H. G. Wells. His books tend to be quite short too. I hope you'll enjoy whichever one you try. In addition to the one I read here, I particularly recommend The Time Machine and The First Men in the Moon.

My reading is going well. I'll probably do another update in the next day or so. Thanks for asking! I hope you're enjoying your reading too. :)

I've finished a few more, all from my Decade Challenge:

✅ Nine Tomorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A book of sci-fi short stories by Isaac Asimov. This was a bit of a mixed bag, like most short story collections. The individual stories were mostly in the 2½ to 4 star range for me (individually starred in my Short Stories challenge). They all had interesting ideas, as his stories generally do, though I don't always find his execution as engaging as it could be.

✅ Before the Flood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Noah's family tries to muddle through the practicalities of making and provisioning the ark, their only guidance a prophecy that is very light on details. This was A.A. Milne's last play, and his skewering wit is absolutely on fire (even the stage directions are hilarious)! And like all Milne, it's best read aloud. This is my new favourite Milne play. I'm not too surprised; it's adapted from one of his short stories, and the short story is dynamite! My first 5-star read of the year. :)

"We think that if Meribal’s father and mother are going to be drowned, it is rather unflattering to save the lives of two scorpions." -- Noah's son (Meribal's husband), regarding saving 2 of each animal but no other humans

✅ M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work ⭐️⭐️⭐️: A book showcasing highlights of Escher's art, with an introduction and explanations of each piece provided by the artist. Much of the art was of course very interesting (and deserves more than 3 stars), but as a book it was a bit of a failure because the text added almost nothing, and was often simply a visual description of the image. To paraphrase...

Escher: "The birds at the top of the image merge into the fish at the bottom."
Me: "Yes, I can see that. You really didn't need to say it."

I suppose it's possible that when this book originally came out, his art was so innovative that people didn't know how to understand it. But, call me an optimist, I'd like to think that even as far back as the 1950s people were able to recognize birds and fish.

Wobbley wrote: ". Much of the art was of course very interesting (and deserves more than 3 stars), but as a book it was a bit of a failure because the text added almost nothing, and was often simply a visual description of the image. To paraphrase...

Escher: "The birds at the top of the image merge into the fish at the bottom."
Me: "Yes, I can see that. You really didn't need to say it."

I suppose it's possible that when this book originally came out, his art was so innovative that people didn't know how to understand it. But, call me an optimist, I'd like to think that even as far back as the 1950s people were able to recognize birds and fish..."

LOL Thanks for making me laugh first thing in the morning! That does seem odd, and perhaps annoying. Oh, really? Birds and fish - who would have guessed?

I liked Pooh, but never thought of reading any other Milne. Congrats on the first 5 star. You're making such wonderful progress, Wobbley!

Wobbley wrote: "I suppose it's possible that when this book originally came out, his art was so innovative that people didn't know how to understand it. But, call me an optimist, I'd like to think that even as far back as the 1950s people were able to recognize birds and fish"

LOL. I will only read this book if you do voice-over commentary.

I never thought about Milne writing anything but Pooh until you started talking about him!

Teri-K wrote: "LOL Thanks for making me laugh first thing in the morning! That does seem odd, and perhaps annoying. Oh, really? Birds and fish - who would have guessed?"

Haha, glad you enjoyed my review. :)

Kathleen wrote: "I liked Pooh, but never thought of reading any other Milne. Congrats on the first 5 star. You're making such wonderful progress, Wobbley!"

Thanks Kathleen! Of course, some of the reason for my great progress is that I've mostly been reading shorter things so far this year, such as plays! I'll slow down once I get to meatier fare.

Milne has written a lot of great stuff for adults, and was particularly known for his plays until be became famous for Pooh. They can be a bit hard to find these days, although some of his earlier plays are on Gutenberg. He's one of my most reliable authors!

Sara wrote: "LOL. I will only read this book if you do voice-over commentary.
I never thought about Milne writing anything but Pooh until you started talking about him!"

Thanks Sara -- the "voice-over commentary" comment made me laugh.

Milne is a great writer, and so enjoyable. I'm happy to spread the news! :)

Oh also, on the topic of Isaac Asimov (which we were discussing in my Bingo), in the end I did prefer I, Robot over Nine Tomorrows, and I think I, Robot would be a better place for you to start with him. Hope that helps.

Thanks, Wobbley. I will definitely start with I, Robot.

You ate making incredible progress! Mother Night sounds interesting. I will add it to my TBR.

Thanks Terry! Honestly, it's hard to go wrong with Vonnegut.

Haha the Escher commentary made me laugh too! Lol

Also, great progress! I have been kinda embarrassed all day from my comment cuz like there is no race and its not like i typically finish anything in a week. ...but despite that, you still had something to poat today! Lol Amazing! Also glad to hear you are finding stories you really enjoy too!

April wrote: "Haha the Escher commentary made me laugh too! Lol
Also, great progress! I have been kinda embarrassed all day from my comment cuz like there is no race and its not like i typically finish anything in a week."

Thanks April! I enjoyed writing the Escher review, so I'm glad so many people find it amusing. :)

No worries! I'm reading kind of shorter ones at the moment, which is why I had more finished already. I've been pretty lucky with my reading so far this year. My reading normally goes in streaks. I'm on an upswing right now, but I'll probably lag a bit later.

I have another update (aren't weekends grand?):

✅ Someone at a Distance ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: There is a happy family, something bad happens, and we see the fallout. This is a very strong book (though I confess to thinking it would be a bit stronger if it had ended 10 pages earlier, without trying to (view spoiler)[create a happy-ish ending (hide spoiler)].) The writing is very good. The only part I didn't enjoy was the second quarter, but that is a known weakness with me as a reader: I find waiting for something bad to happen to be quite painful. The beginning with establishing the happy family was pretty great. The second half (after the crisis) was engrossing and very insightful about people, with realistic depictions of the various reactions to the crisis. Another success by Dorothy Whipple.

✅ Auntie Mame ⭐️½: A young orphan grows up influenced by a very conservative trustee and his free-spirited aunt. This is not the original novel by Patrick Dennis, but the play adaptation by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the crack team behind Inherit the Wind. I remember loving Inherit the Wind in high school, so I was disappointed by this one. Apart from the last 10 pages or so, which were amusing, it was mainly just kind of dull. But I've been meaning to read either the novel or play for a long time, so I'm glad it's off my list.

✅ Somewhere above the Clouds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: In this short story by Tan Twan Eng, a kamikaze pilot in WWII reconnects with the man he loves in the days leading up to his kamikaze mission. Oh my goodness, this was magnificent. I feel like I need more than 5 stars. The writing was so beautiful. The relationship was pitch perfect. The writing pulled me in and then the characters and story had me on the edge of tears most of the way through. A sad, perfect gem. (You can read it for free online in the Asia Literary Review.)

The morning was overcast, windless and scented with dew. I followed his gaze to a pair of herons lifting up from the edge of the jungle, as weightless as mist. We watched as they rose higher and higher, before fading into a screen of soft rain between the valleys, heading for a haven that would never be revealed to me.

I found the ending of Someone at a Distance very ironic, and I think Whipple was trying to say something important about women by ending it that way. (view spoiler)[At first I was just going NO then I thought about it and realized it wasn't "happy ever after" it was what she had been doing all along and breaking the habit was going to be harder than we imagined. (hide spoiler)]

Sorry Auntie Mame was a disappointment, but sometimes removing them from the TBR is enough.

I will look for the short story. I love his writing style and both the novels I have read by him are exceptional!

Sara wrote: "I found the ending of Someone at a Distance very ironic, and I think Whipple was trying to say something important about women by ending it that way. (view spoiler)
I will look for the short story. I love his writing style and both the novels I have read by him are exceptional! "

I wonder if you're right about the ending of Someone at a Distance. (view spoiler)[I don't know. She seemed to want to take him back the whole time, so this feels like a happy ending from her perspective. But from the author's perspective it could be ironic. Hard to know. (hide spoiler)]

I think you've read The Garden of Evening Mists, so it's worth mentioning that the main character of Somewhere above the Clouds was the basis for an important character in that novel, although his name was changed for the novel. I'll be curious to hear what you think of the story, if you read it. I thought it was pretty amazing what he was able to accomplish in less than 25 pages.

Wobbley: (view spoiler)[She does want to take him back (God forbid), but she has not yet had time to feel what independence is and establish herself in her new life. All she has ever known is being the wife and taking care of him. Even if he came back to her, the life they knew, their home and their trust is gone. She will not find the role she played to be there anymore. I think what Whipple is really saying is that the ideal life was a sham and there isn't any way to go back to it. Misery now, for her, if she takes him back and a hard life ahead, but maybe one she will enjoy, if she doesn't. (hide spoiler)]

I can't find the online Asia Literary Review...do you have a link? I'd really like to read the short story!

Sara wrote: "Wobbley: [spoilers removed]
I can't find the online Asia Literary Review...do you have a link? I'd really like to read the short story!"

Sara, regarding Someone at a Distance: (view spoiler)[Yes, that's what I thought she was saying, until the last 10 pages or so. I'm not sure I can still persuade myself that she's trying to say that if we include her final encounter with him. But I'll give it some more thought. (hide spoiler)]

Yes, I have the link to the Tan Twan Eng short story. I tried to include it in my last post, but Goodreads wouldn't let me post with the link there. I'll try another way. It's on page 15 here:

www *dot* calameo *dot* com *slash* read *slash* 0076014472b8c64b9bf8c

(where you replace every instance of *dot* with a period, and every instance of *slash* with a forward slash /) Does that link work for you?

I got the link--thanks for spelling it out, Wobbley. I'll definitely read that one, since I too love his style.

Great weekend reading, Wobbley. Your challenge progress is amazing, and it's still January!

Thank you so much for the link info! That Worked! I am going to try to fit it in today...temps too low to go outside at all!

Kathleen wrote: "I got the link--thanks for spelling it out, Wobbley. I'll definitely read that one, since I too love his style.
Great weekend reading, Wobbley. Your challenge progress is amazing, and it's still January!"

Thanks Kathleen! Yes, I don't think I've ever had such a prolific January of reading. Although, as I mentioned earlier, so far I'm mainly reading quicker books. In my last update, there was one short story and one play, and only one normal-length book.

I hope you enjoy the Tan Twan Eng short story!

Sara wrote: "Thank you so much for the link info! That Worked! I am going to try to fit it in today...temps too low to go outside at all!"

Yay! I hope you'll really enjoy it, and that I haven't talked it up too much! Different people react differently to art, but for me, I can say with confidence that if this ends up being my best read of the year, I will be satisfied that it deserves the accolade.

Wobbley wrote: "Yay! I hope you'll really enjoy it, and that I haven't talked it up too much! Different people react differently to art, but for me, I can say with confidence that if this ends up being my best read of the year, I will be satisfied that it deserves the accolade.."

That's high praise! I'm going to read it, too, and even if I don't love it I will have happily tried a new author. I think short stories are very hard hard to write well, so one that's even pretty good makes me glad I read it; plus it is a great way to try new authors or genres or styles.

Teri-K wrote: "That's high praise! I'm going to read it, too, and even if I don't love it I will have happily tried a new author. I think short stories are very hard hard to write well, so one that's even pretty good makes me glad I read it; plus it is a great way to try new authors or genres or styles."

Hooray! I'm so happy lots of people will be trying this one. You're right -- I'm always so impressed when someone can make me feel an emotional attachment in just a few pages. It seems like it would be really difficult to achieve that.

Wow, beautifully written story. Very emotional. Thanks so much.

Sara wrote: "Wow, beautifully written story. Very emotional. Thanks so much."

I'm so glad you liked it!!

I've read a few more for my Buffet. I've also completed my second challenge: The Members Choice challenge!

✅ The Queen of Air and Darkness (title story) ⭐️⭐️⭐️: A detective on the hunt for a missing child comes in contact with the elusive magical Indigenous People on an alien world, who are waging a slow secret war against the encroaching humans using their telepathic skills and the humans' fear of magic. All the stuff involving the magical Indigenous People was quite a strange reading experience. But I think that's what he was going for: something truly alien. The detective story was interesting enough.

✅ The Season of the Stranger ⭐️⭐️⭐️: Follows three connected people in a Chinese city that is about to fall to an invading army. The story is told in turn from the perspective of these three characters, and each of their sections has a different writing style, suitable to their personality and circumstances. This is really ambitious and difficult to achieve, but in some ways was also a weakness, creating an inconsistent reading experience. The book does a good job of capturing the increasing fear/suspense/chaos that precedes an invasion. There were some parts that really made me feel how awful history was and people can be, but realistic historical/war fiction often has that effect on me.

✅ An Ideal Husband ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A family has a crisis when the husband is blackmailed. Though basically a drama, this play had a lot of comedic zingers. Oscar Wilde is so good at this kind of wit. Though this didn't have quite the edge of The Importance of Being Earnest, I did very much enjoy it.

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.

Wobbley wrote: "I've read a few more for my Buffet. I've also completed my second challenge: The Members Choice challenge!

An Ideal Husband ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A family has a crisis when the husband is blackmailed. Though basically a drama, this play had a lot of comedic zingers. Oscar Wilde is so good at this kind of wit. Though this didn't have quite the edge of The Importance of Being Earnest, I did very much enjoy it.

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.."

Congratulations on finishing Member's Choice - that's a lot of books read already!

I haven't read An Ideal Husband yet - I'm glad to know it still has his wit. I should read it next time I need the letter I for a challenge.

A Woman of No Importance is up next for me. I get the feeling I've read it before but I'm not sure, frankly. I like Wilde a lot. Love the quote at the bottom; thanks for making me smile at the beginning of another gray January day!

No one is quite like Wilde. He could turn a phrase like flipping a flapjack. Glad all three were a decent reading experience, Wobbley, and congrats on a finish already.

Teri-K wrote: "Congratulations on finishing Member's Choice - that's a lot of books read already!
I haven't read An Ideal Husband yet - I'm glad to know it still has his wit. I should read it next time I need the letter I for a challenge.."

Thanks Teri-K. Yes, you should give An Ideal Husband a try. It's made you smile already and you've only read 3 sentences from it -- that's definitely a good sign!

Though A Woman of No Importance is not my favourite Wilde, it is full of his usual pithy observations. Certainly worth reading.

Sara wrote: "No one is quite like Wilde. He could turn a phrase like flipping a flapjack. Glad all three were a decent reading experience, Wobbley, and congrats on a finish already."

You are 100% right. Wilde was uniquely skilled, and is often a joy to read. Thanks Sara.