Classics for Beginners discussion

Trust me on this one...since it's difficult to actually See someone's mind, call it sexy, nobody will know other wise.

You're fast!

Sounds like a plan.

Hugh says I have a sexy mind, y'all. ;)

Well Jules Verne is one of the founding science fiction writers. And his ideas like Wells' proved very pre-cognisant.

I'm trying to decide between reading The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, Dune or The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Dalynn wrote: "You're fast!

Sounds like a plan.

Hugh says I have a sexy mind, y'all. ;)"

and we're 88% simila...hmm...okay, I need to rethink my flirt lines. I've just established that I'm only 12% masculine, and 88% lady.

Back to the drawing board!

I think I might go "Poe" next...Edgar Allan PoeThe Dupin Tales: The Murders in the Rue Morgue. At least as the next classic.

Haven't heard of the spy book, J, but the other two are on my tbr also.

Poe... is not. LOL ;)

I once analysed some of my writing using a gender analyser and it came up as 50, 50... It then classed me as female. Made me laugh.

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold is a classic spy novel just as Dune is classic sci-fi and Sherlock classic detective. I picked The Spy and now onto Hounds so I can read another related book and take it back to the library.

Hugh - Poe is brilliant have you read his Tell Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum. Or The Masque of Red Death!

Johnathan, I'v eread "The Masque of the Red Death" and enjoyed it. There is a fictional crime series I like "The Patrick Bowers Files" (Pawn is the first one.) In that book the main character's daughter, an important character in her own right, who is freaky smart, made a point of poo-poohing Sherlock Holmes because, in her fictional opinion, the idea of Holmes had been stolen from Poe.

I just wanted to read and see for myself.

I've read the Murders in the Rue Morgue and yes in many ways I see how Dupin is an earlier version of Holmes but they're different characters. Even when people talk about how: oh you pinched that idea or that character there aren't really any truly original ideas anymore. Basically they were all stolen by Shakespeare from the Greeks.

I've read The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. I liked it and have been wanting to read more from John le Carré (probably Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy with the film now out).

Got through Monkey and really liked it. Now hope to tackle Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. On Gardens of the Moon now.

Tinker, Tailor is my next spy book to read. I'm running a thread on another group for that book across March/April.

The Cookbook Collector – Allegra Goodman
Audio book performed by Ariadne Meyers
1*

I admit I was seduced by the cover of this book, just as one of the characters is seduced by the possibility of scoring a rare book find. I should have just said, “No.”

Goodman (a talented writer of short stories) is combining three, or four, plot lines to form this novel, and as a result, none of them is satisfactorily explored. The most interesting story line to me was that of the cookbook collector. But I was kept waiting for ages before this story appears, and then it’s dropped in favor of a different plotline. Comparisons with Jane Austen completely baffle me; Goodman’s dialogue is tortured, while Austen’s sparkles with wit.

Ariadne Meyers did an acceptable job of narrating though the male characters either growled or sounded like a stoned-out hippie.

Snakewoman of Little Egypt – Robert Hellenga
3.5*

Sunny Cochrane has been in prison for 5 years for shooting (not killing) her husband. She claims it was self-defense. Professor Jackson Jones promised Sunny’s late uncle that he would care for her when she’s released. What happens next is the focus of this story.

This is a great premise for a novel, and I was completely hooked into it from the beginning, but I felt Hellenga kept a bit too much distance between the reader and his characters. I wanted to know more about the WHY of what they did, and I didn’t get any answer to that. Still there were twists in the plot line that I really didn’t expect. I would definitely read another book by Hellenga.

I've just started reading Second Glance by Jodi Picoult this evening.

Going to give The Shining a shot, even though I normally don't go for Stephen King.

Breaking Through – Francisco Jimenez
4.5****

This autobiographical novel is the sequel to The Circuit ; it begins where the first book ended left off and focuses on Frankie’s junior high and high school years. It is a story about perseverance and determination, about the cruel realities of poverty, and about the opportunity afforded by a good education.

Jimenez doesn’t call his books memoirs, though they rely heavily on his own experiences. He obviously had to create dialogue that, while true to the essence of the story cannot possibly be accurate; and so he calls his works fiction. The novels are accessible for the middle-school student, but have sufficient depth to be enjoyed by adults.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag – Alan Bradley
Book on CD performed by Jayne Entwistle
3.5***

I just love 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, who relies on her keen powers of observation (and a more than a little knowledge of chemistry) to solve yet another murder (or two). Among the happenings and characters she encounters in this outing: a child who died by accidental hanging some years back; the “witch” who lives in the woods; the boy’s mother, deranged by grief; a master puppeteer; a former German POW; and an electrocution!

More than enough to keep any detective busy, but Flavia is certainly up to the task.

Entwistle does a wonderful job performing the book. She is perfect for Flavia, and does a great job voicing the many other characters. Her pacing is brisk, as befits a mystery/thriller.

Just started

I have just started reading The Brothers Karamazov, which I have been saving to read for quite a while, I'm pacing out Dostoyevsky works to spread my enjoyment of them for longer.

Bloodroot – Amy Greene
2**

Greene explores several generations of a family living in rural Appalachia. I wanted to like this book. It has been on my TBR list for a while and I typically like books that explore family dynamics and the individual's need to explore the world beyond their childhood framework. But this book just didn't do it for me.

I thought the storyline was too choppy and confusing. The multiple narrators and shifting time frames were at first intriguing but eventually resulted in my losing focus. I kept waiting for the “story” to really take off, and it never did – at least not for me. I was never riveted by the novel and found it too easy to put it aside to do other things.

Right now I'm reading Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry. I got it free as one of those read & review things. I'm 5 or 6 chapters into it so far and it's pretty boring. the novel is not very well written and its meant to be a YA romance novel but the main characters who are 19 & 22 talk like their in their 60's! And if that wasn't bad enough, the love story is far too unrealistic, so I'm finding it very hard to connect with the characters. I think this is one novel where I'm definitely going to struggle through it.

Just not reading many classics lately ...

Remarkable Creatures – Tracy Chevalier
Book on CD narrated by Charlotte Perry and Susan Lyons
4****

This is a work of historical fiction focusing on two remarkable women who advanced the understanding of natural history with their discoveries. Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot had little in common, being separated by age, education level and social class, but they found friendship in their common interest in fossils. The setting is early 1800’s in the seaside village of Lyme Regis, England. The unmarried Philpot sisters have moved to this community from London. Elizabeth fills her time by combing the beach for fossils, and this is how she comes across the Mary Anning, a young girl from a poor working-class family, who has a keen eye for “curies” and helps support her family by selling the fossils she finds.

Both women have limited prospects. Mary’s life is limited by her social class and lack of education. Elizabeth, while educated, has no money or particular social standing, and cannot rely on her looks to attract a suitable husband. I particularly liked how Chevalier explored the role of women in this era.

I also like the way Chevalier develops the unlikely friendship between these two women. I have to admit that I was sometimes irritated with Elizabeth’s superior attitude, but I applauded her for championing Mary’s cause. As for Mary … I just loved her. She showed such intelligence and drive.

The two performers of the audio book do an excellent job of voicing these two very different women – Remarkable Creatures, indeed!

That sounds like a fun book to read. I'm adding it to my TBR list. :)

Slowly but surely reading . Hope to finish it in April as I know I will not finish it this month. Sometimes I have to re-read paragraphs or start all over on chapters because I've some how missed main points. GGRRR.

I've just read Tadeusz Borowski's short stories, This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen. The most interesting thing is that the author doesn't describe emotions or motivations, just behaviour. There are no heroes. Only people who want to live. Sometimes it's shocking, some parts made me cry, but it's totally worth reading.
I recommend it for everyone who's interested in Holocaust and concentration camps.

I decided its about time I started reading more classics so yesterday I started reading
by Emily Bronte.

Pretty cover on that Ellie.

Oh, I love Wuthering Heights!

I dislike Wuthering Heights...but love Jane Eyre.

Anyone feel work gets in the way of reading a good book? Currently reading Crime and Punishment but it's slow going, not because it's not interesting but because of that place that pays the bills getting in the way.
Crime and Punishment

I've just finished reading tonight and now I'm about to start .

Nicolle wrote: "Pretty cover on that Ellie."

Isn't it? I love it. I hate the way most classics have really awful covers. I think more people would read classics if the covers were more appealing.

I've just finished by R. Scott Bakker.
One of the most intriguing fantasy novels I've come across (and this being one of my favourite genres). It's engaging, philosophical and brilliantly written. I hope the rest of the series is comparable.

Ellie wrote: "Nicolle wrote: "Pretty cover on that Ellie."

Isn't it? I love it. I hate the way most classics have really awful covers. I think more people would read classics if the covers were more appealing."

I really like most Penguin covers actually. I think publishers are getting the message.

Ellie wrote: "Nicolle wrote: "Pretty cover on that Ellie."

Isn't it? I love it. I hate the way most classics have really awful covers. I think more people would read classics if the covers were more appealing."

I agree, many people do judge books by their covers!

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice – Laurie King
4****

When we first meet Mary Russell, she is a 15-year-old orphan, walking the Sussex Downs near her farm in England. She nearly trips over (now retired) Sherlock Holmes. Mary quickly impresses him with her intelligence and a friendship begins. It isn’t long before there is a “minor” case in the area, which Mary helps solve, and this cements their relationship and increases Holmes’s interest in taking her on formally as his apprentice.

This is a clever and interesting take-off on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works featuring Holmes and Dr Watson. Unlike Watson, Mary is close to Holmes’s equal in deductive reasoning and powers of observation. She is quick witted, intelligent, assertive, a good actress, and physically strong and agile. If I had any complaint with Doyle’s Sherlock it was his superior attitude, but seen through Mary’s eyes, I can more easily tolerate his “all-knowing” persona. It helps that in his “old age” Holmes misses a clue or two which Mary catches and points out to him. Way to go, Mary!

My only regret is that I waited so long to get to this book. I look forward to more of this series.

I'm currently reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

I'm currently reading "Dead poles of Siberia" and so far I think it's a great book

On to by R Scott Bakker.

This one is a little simpler compared to the expansive style of the first book in the trilogy, but that's arguably because the threads of the story are coming together. Still very well written and well worth picking up.

Holly wrote: "I'm currently reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins."

Let us know it turn out :)
I'm more than half way done with The Picture of Dorian Gray and I love it!

I finished by Janet Evanovich last night and now I've started by John Steinbeck.

I just started reading the new Bonhoeffer biography by Metaxas. So far it is really catching and I have to force myself to stop reading! I hope it will stay that way. We have been talking about him, his theology and his role in the resistance during WWII in Germany in class, since I thought him to be interesting to know more about I ordered the book.

Just started The Poisonwood Bible. Though it isn't a classic, I have heard many people say that it should/will be in the future.

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water – Michael Dorris
2**

Dorris braids a single story told in reverse chronological order, from three unique perspectives. Rayona, her mother Christine, and grandmother Aunt Ida each take a turn relaying events that shape these three generations of Native American women.

It’s a great premise for a literary work. However, I don’t think Dorris succeeds in his execution. Because they are both portrayed as so unfeeling and irresponsible, I had a hard time caring about Christine or Aunt Ida, though I did begin to empathize with Ida in part three. HERE is a story I really want to know more about. But Dorris ends the book abruptly …

I’m left feeling very dissatisfied, and almost as if I wasted my time reading this. It gets 2 stars from me – I can’t think of anyone to whom I’d recommend this book.

I finished reading by John Steinbeck last night and this morning I've started by Kathy Reichs.

Room – Emma Donoghue
Audio book performed by Michal Friedman, Ellen Archer, Suzanne Toren & Robert Petkoff
4****

Five-year-old Jack and his Ma have lived his entire life in Room, held captive by and dependent upon “Old Nick.” Sounds horrific. But to Jack this is normal. He and Ma play games, clean Room, do Phys Ed, watch TV, make toys, and read books. What is inside Room is real. What is outside is not.

In Jack, Donoghue has created a child narrator that equals Scout Finch. He is observant, curious, maddening, creative, innocent, stubborn, scared and brave (“scave”). Things we are all exposed to early on and never question confuse and scare him. Yet he has an amazing empathy and ability to discern others feelings.

If you’re looking for an exploration of the kidnapping and rape, find a different book. Room is about Jack and how he manages to cope given his extremely limited environment during his early life. It’s about learning to explore the world outside of ourselves. It’s about being “scave.”

The audio book is performed by four voice artists. Michal Friedman does an exceptional job of voicing Jack, though I’ll admit I was close to irritation a few times because of that high-pitched child’s voice.

Last night I finished by Kathy Reichs and I've started reading by Jodi Picoult this morning.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

1.) Jane Eyre, to the dismay of my English teacher. She expects me to be in British Literature for my senior year in high school. My friends, who aren't as interested in literature, would feel better if I read the book with them and provided analytically humorous commentary. Plus, I've always wanted to get around to reading it.

In the class that I'm actually enrolled in, we will soon be starting...

2.) The Great Gatsby

The Girl Who Married a Lion - Alexander McCall Smith
3***

This is a collection of fables, legends and myths from Southern Africa, especially Zimbabwe and Botswana. Regardless of their origin, the lessons taught in these traditional stories are universal in that they explore emotions common to all humankind – greed, envy, pride, ambition, love, kindness, generosity.

I found them interesting, but I got bored. I missed the humor and “lilt of the language’ present in Smith’s #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I guess I had expected to find more his signature style in his telling of these stories. I’m sure I would be similarly bored by a steady diet of Aesop’s fables; in an oral tradition you would hear only one or two stories at a time, not 30+ in one sitting.

Othello - William Shakespeare
4****

This is perhaps Shakespeare’s darkest play – featuring characters that are flawed and damaged, but which completely captivate us. Our title character – Othello, the Moor - is a highly regarded general. As the play opens he has recently eloped with the lovely Desdemona, to the consternation of her father and others who were hopeful suitors. Egged on by Iago (one of literature’s most reviled villains), they accuse Othello of somehow bewitching Desdemona, but the couple successfully convinces everyone that their love is true and pure.

Iago is a true sociopath. Rules do not apply to him, and duplicity is second nature to him. His oily manner convinces everyone that he has only their own best interests at heart while he plants seeds of doubt everywhere, ensuring that everyone becomes suspicious and disheartened. Iago uses the other characters as his pawns some sort of game he plays for his own benefit. He particularly targets Othello, recognizes the chink in his armor is his relationship with Desdemona, and manages to turn this noble general into a homicidal, emotional wreck.

I do wonder how Othello, Cassio, and Roderigo (among others) can be so easily swayed by Iago. Othello, in particular, should be able to see through this smarmy false friend. I’m completely perplexed by Emilia’s role in this tragedy. How can she abet her husband’s evil plans? Is she really so clueless?

Shakespeare writes a true psychological drama, exploring the darkest human emotion and motivation.

Just finished Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, very thought provoking. looking forward to joining my first group read in May with Fahrenheit 451. In the meantime i'm reading The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde.