Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Hi All, I completed reading Lady Susan by Jane Austen. Here is the review for it:

https://youtu.be/B-3If4uYgTg

Not a ‘classic’ in the literary sense but I have recently started Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
Pretty good so far

Sanchita wrote: "Hi All, I completed reading Lady Susan by Jane Austen. Here is the review for it:

https://youtu.be/B-3If4uYgTg"

I watched your video. Very nice. I agree about the sweet-talkers and yes the book is about flattery and the consequences of flattery.

I'm reading Bloomsbury Girls, which is full of references to lesser-known Victorian women writers as well as those alive in England during the 1950s. Plus, it's set in a book store that's competing with Foyles, from 84 Charing Cross Road, so that's fun.

I'm also reading Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend, nonfiction, which goes with the Bloomsbury book, too.

Listening to Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood - the BBC version with Richard Burton. It's new for me, and I'm enjoying it. Lovely use of language.

Just started Gaskell's Lois the Witch for the group read. Parallels have been drawn with The Scarlet Letter and The Witch of Blackbird Pond. She's already managed to make me worried, and I've barely started.

Finished Robinson Crusoe with a group. So much more to it than my abridged & sanitized version I read as a kind!

Chris wrote: "Finished Robinson Crusoe with a group. So much more to it than my abridged & sanitized version I read as a kind!"

Its been a while since i read it but I remember the (view spoiler)[giant wolf battle (hide spoiler)] near the end being pretty darn unexpected :P . I always wonder if that inspired some of the shire history in lord of the rings.
There is a sequel to crusoe but not many people seem to read it. Its on my potential list if i need a sequel for an achievement thing i do.

I saw someone on Booktube (I forget who exactly) talking about Robinson Crusoe recently and I thought that's another one long overdue for a reread. I should try to fit it in sometime, although it may not be until the holidays.

Long long ago I read Robinson Crusoe and the sequel, so long ago I need to reread. It would not be until next year.

I am just starting The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis

I just started The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Flight of the Maidens by Jane Gardam. Oh yes I am enjoying it. It is women post WWII have received scholarships to universities in England. This when not so many women went to university. Looking forward to seeing what happens.

I'm reading The Iliad, Emily Wilson's translation this time.

The Oaken Heart: The Story of an English Village at War by Margery Allingham. Not a mystery, this is a memoir of her life in rural England during WW2.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, imagining if Queen Elizabeth became a bookworm.

And I just picked up The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry, a collection of his essays. His poem, The Peace of Wild Things, has become a real touchstone for me in these last few difficult years. I've read some of his novels and essays, but not a collection like this - I'm really looking forward to diving into them.

Currently reading Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov! I’ve been wanting to read more of Fyodor’s books and this is one of the stories I’ve been wanting to read !!

I'm trying to finish up Emma by Jane Austen. It's the 4th Austen novel I've read, and by far my least favorite. Partly because I don't like the character Emma, and partly I don't like how it is written. There are places were it's unclear exactly who's talking and it's driving my ADHD self up the wall. Am I the only person who has this problem with the novel?

CJ wrote: "Am I the only person who has this problem with the novel?"

Definitely not! I love Austen, and have read her many times over the decades. In some ways, Emma is my least favorite. I find Emma herself reminds me of those snobby girls in Junior High, and I can't warm to her. Then, in case somebody has no idea of the plot - (view spoiler)[The Frank Churchill - Jane parts don't work very well for me. She never manages to make me believe in them or care about them. Then at the end I'm unhappy because Mr. Knightley deserves someone so much better. Why has he been hanging around for her? What's wrong with him? (hide spoiler)]

I don't remember having a problem with who is talking, but I haven't read it in ages, and that can happen, and be frustrating.

There are some great characters and wonderful scenes. I'll never forget strawberry picking, for example. But overall, it's not a winner for me.

Yeah, I like Mr Knightley and often wish he was in scenes he's not. And there are moments I've enjoyed.

An example of what I mean: in one chapter in Book II, there's a scene with Mr. Churchill and Mr. Elton (if I recalling it correctly) and they're both mentioned in a paragraph preceding a couple paragraphs in quotes of someone talking, But it doesn't say if it's Churchill or Elton talking and it's not clear from context. My ADHD self kept rereading it over and over looking for something I missed but it's just not clearly noted who's speaking.

But I'm glad to not be alone in not loving this particular Austen novel!

Austen was afraid that no one would love Emma the way she did. Yet Emma is human and fallible. Emma is capable of learning, and that is reason Mr Knightley and Mrs Weston hope. Will she fulfill their hopes?

Finished up reading Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore recently:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Right now I am currently reading our group read of Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell and Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger.

Franky wrote: "Finished up reading Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore recently:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Rig..."

This was a childhood favorite of mine. I am hoping the group will pick it up so I can reread it.

Sam wrote: "Franky wrote: "Finished up reading Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore recently:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

I agree Sam. It's a forgotten classic for sure!

I'm reading -
The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry
The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart
Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Reread.
The Iliad translated by Emily Wilson - still. :)

I just started reading Lush Life
it seems to be unputdownable
I have read 160 pages today :oD

I finished Emma and will be reading Northanger Abbey next month. After that, it will be Persuasion.

I am currently reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin as part of my Booker Prize project, reading past winners and nominees. It's...interesting.

Also rereading The Gunslinger by Stephen King and reading Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman for other groups' books of the month. The former I read back in the 1990s so it's interesting to see how it holds up. The latter, despite being wildly popular among GR and Amazon readers, is painfully dull. derivative and juvenile and I'd DNF it if I wasn't doing it for a group read.

CJ wrote: "I finished Emma and will be reading Northanger Abbey next month. After that, it will be Persuasion.

I am currently reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin as part of my Booker Pr..."

I am reading Northanger Abbey for the first time and finding it a lot of fun.

Finally got through Who Walk in Fear by Neil Bell (1953) [2/5] review, definitely got under my skin.

Wreade1872 wrote: "Chris wrote: "Finished Robinson Crusoe with a group. So much more to it than my abridged & sanitized version I read as a kind!"

Its been a while since i read it but I remember the [spoilers remove..."
That scene you referred to was pretty over the top and thought just too much and unnecessary for the completion of the adventure of Crusoe and Friday.

CJ and Cynda: I am glad I read Robinson Crusoe, but I doubt it would make a reread list for me!!

CJ wrote: I finished Emma and will be reading Northanger Abbey next month. After that, it will be Persuasion.

Persuasion is the favorite of Austen's works that I have read.

I finished The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
I have become such a Hardy fan in the past 2 years and was able to read this one with the Hardy group. Great read.

I am currently reading Tsiolkovsky's The Call of the Cosmos,
here is a snippet from 1895:

"We have reached several conclusions that living organisms could adapt themselves to the many conditions of life to be found on millions and millions of planets and beyond them; the forms and functions of these beings are naturally much more varied than is the case with terrestrial plants and animals; the same applies to their degree of perfection, but this, in general, is far higher than the highest found on the Earth; in comparison human genius is nothing. All this is the result of a great variety of conditions and aeons of time, of which there could be no shortage whatsoever.

In the course of time unity is achieved on every planet, all imperfections are eliminated, it attains a perfect social order and the greatest power; its supreme council elects one who administers the whole planet. This one is the most perfect being on it. His qualities gradually spread to all the inhabitants but still they cannot all become quite alike.

But the planet’s population multiplies and the surplus can only find room in the space around their sun. This population is many million times more numerous than that left on the planet. It, too, is administered by an elected body and its president. The latter is still more perfect than the president of the council on an individual planet.

Then neighbouring groups of suns, galaxies, ethereal islands, and so on also unite. The representatives of these social units ascend higher and higher in the scale of perfection. Thus, besides the rank-and-file population of the universe, which is at a fairly high level of perfection, we find representatives of planets, solar systems, constellations, galaxies, ethereal islands, and so on. It is difficult to imagine the degree of perfection they have attained. They may be likened to deities of different ranks."

Finished The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby. It is a historical fiction on the life of the 11th century Lady Murasaki, author of Tales of Genji. I may peek into the group's read of that famous classic of Japanese literature.

Right now just started up reading Titan by John Varley and The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie. If I get really bold and daring, I'll try to start Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens. Or I might have to put it off to October.

I recently read Breakfast at Tiffinys and I am currently reading The Beautiful and Damned.

Franky wrote: "Right now just started up reading Titan by John Varley and The Mystery of the Blue Train [bookcover:The Mystery of the Blue Train|163..."

I really enjoyed The Mystery of the Blue Train. Loved the main female character. Haven't read the others.

Great reading so far, I'm enjoying everything a lot!

I'm having fun with The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West. It's been about 50 years since I read this and it's pretty much as I remember.

Started a reread of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard, a nonfiction Pulitzer winner I revisit every so often. It's always well worth it.

The Oaken Heart: The Story of an English Village at War by Margery Allingham is a memoir of her life in a tiny village on the east coast of Britain before at early on in WWII. It's fascinating in its details.
ETA - I looked again, and the edition I'm reading was published in 1941, so it's more a recounting than a memoir. It was written at the behest of an American friend of Allingham who wanted to know what life was like for them in England at that time. This explains the wonderful detail of the story. I put it down to do something else, then can't help picking it up again asap.

I just started A Short History of Literary Criticism
by Vernon Hall. Each chapter gives a brief overview of someone who contributed to the literary criticism of their day. I'm using it in conjunction with some other resources to take a dive into the history of lit crit. It's livelier than I expected.

Klowey wrote: "Franky wrote: "Right now just started up reading Titan by John Varley and The Mystery of the Blue Train [bookcover:The Mystery of the..."

So far so good with The Mystery of the Blue Train. I agree about Katherine. Seems like she will be important to the solving of the mystery. I've read a lot of the Poirot books and I think this one will end up rank pretty high. We'll see.

Finished a dragonlance book for a sequel achievement i'm working on.. completely surprised me Time of the Twins by Weis & Hickman [5/5] review

Currently reading The Eye of a God and Other tales of East and West by W.A.Fraser (1899),
At Swim Two Birds by Flann O'Brien (1939), which is a lot.. its not difficult but it fills the mind. I'm getting a little better but for a while there i could only read a few pages at a time.
And i needed a reread so dug up this book i definitely read as a kid, had no idea it was by Durrell, beautiful illustrations too, The Fantastic Flying Journey by Gerald Durrell & Graham Percy (1987).
Don't remember anything about it except one image of the balloon house, should be fun.

Wreade1872 wrote: "Finished a dragonlance book for a sequel achievement i'm working on.. completely surprised me Time of the Twins by Weis & Hickman [5/5] review

Curre..."

I'm rereading The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien. I really liked it however the first time I read it I was sick with COVID, long-haul, and had pretty crazy brain fog. I did remember the high-points, but it's so much fun rereading - this time with my partner who's enjoying it too.

I have At Swim-Two-Birds on my for-sure reading list for next year.

I find the author's humor surreal, very Irish, and like a mix of Lewis Carroll, the Marx Brothers, and Abbott and Costello (especially "Who's On First?").

I'd love to know what you think when you're done with ASTB.