Reading the Classics discussion

Alana wrote: "Re-read Sense and Sensibility for another group. My review:

This was the first published of Jane Austen's novels and it sets the tone for her wonderful career. While many of her character types wi..."

You're such a good reviewer!

Lol, thanks! Only when I actually give it time. There are lots of books I read that I give a rather halfhearted review so that anyone who actually cares about my recommendations has a general idea of how I felt about it, but any that are worthwhile I try to really give a lot of thought to. Took me days to figure out how I wanted to review The Poisonwood Bible; it was so excellent I really wanted to do it justice.

Just finished North & South by Gaskell and absolutely loved it. Reading Mary Barton right now in another group. It appears I'm on a Gaskell streak!

Lobstergirl wrote: "The Stranger's Child. So far I'm loving it."
Great book!

Stephanie wrote: "Just finished North & South by Gaskell and absolutely loved it. Reading Mary Barton right now in another group. It appears I'm on a Gaskell streak!"

Gaskell recently came under my radar, and I am hoping to read some of her works soon!

Sarah wrote: Gaskell recently came under m..."

That's very exciting - hope you enjoy doing so!

Talking about Gaskell - shame nobody seconded my suggestion of Cranford for the February read ;) *whistles innocently*

Phil wrote: "Cami wrote: "I am now reading Emma, by Jane Austen...and it's interesting that there's a teen flick of the ninety's totally inspired on it!"

***

'Clueless' (the teen flick, that isn't a teen flic..."

Clueless was a lot of fun. I love the Gwyneth Paltrow version, but was surprised at how different it was once I read the book. Also enjoyed the Kate Beckinsale version.

I just started A cast of stones by patrick carr, a medieval book to be published next month.

Just started reading Eat Pray Love earlier this evening, and absolutely loving it so far! I'm so surprised about the number of 1 and 2 star ratings for this book. I don't think Liz comes across as pathetic at all. Only on page 40. Looking forward to reading more!

A hundred pages into Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, because the teachers at my Catholic high school almost died when they saw me reading a book entitled 'The Satanic Verses' in my free periods. I'm also a couple of chapters into The Grapes of Wrath, upon the recommendation of my English teacher (rather forceful recommendation, he bought the book for me and told me I had to read it!)

I just finished Trainspotting, and gave into childhood whimsy by devouring The Little Prince in a single night. Right now my reading time is torn between The Scarlet Letter, Jane Eyre and Shelock Holmes' The Valley of Fear.

Phil wrote: "Talking about Gaskell - shame nobody seconded my suggestion of Cranford for the February read ;) *whistles innocently*"

I just finished watching the BBC interpretation of Cranford yesterday :) I think what I love about Gaskell is that her writing is very close to reality. A friend of mine also commented that she could almost be right there in the room with you telling you a story...

The BBC's Cranford was one of the highlights of the television year.

The meditations of Marcus Aurelius

The Return by Joseph Conrad. It's more a short story than anything else.

I have just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray. Loved it! Big fan of Oscar Wilde! I am about to start Cloudstreet which has been on my to-read list for a while, and 206 Bones for something a bit light and quick. Big fan of Bones the TV show and yet never read one of Kathy Reichs' books!

by Charles Dickens

I'm trying to read Shirley by Charlotte Bronte, but it's tough going. Very boring. Has anyone else here read it? I'm on chapter five. Does it get better? I'd rather be investing my time on something else if it doesn't!

B.B. wrote: "I'm trying to read Shirley by Charlotte Bronte, but it's tough going. Very boring. Has anyone else here read it? I'm on chapter five. Does it get better? I'd rather be investing my time on somethin..."

I was afraid of that. It's the next read in the Victorians! group and I really don't want to invest in 600+ pages if it's not that good. It didn't sound great when I read what it was about. I may skip it.

Stephanie wrote: "Just finished North & South by Gaskell and absolutely loved it. Reading Mary Barton right now in another group. It appears I'm on a Gaskell streak!"

I have both of those and I haven't gotten around to them. I must push them higher up on my tbr list. I'm glad that they're so good. Is Mary Barton as good as North and South so far?

Cynthia wrote: "I have both of those and I haven't gotten around to them. I must push them higher up on my tbr list. I'm glad that they're so good. Is Mary Barton as good as North and South so far?"

I felt that it took a little longer to "get into", but it seems to be moving a little smoother now. I'm halfway through, so much can happen in the portion that's left. I'd be curious to know how you like them when you read them...

Cynthia and BB - if you can find the unpublished preface that Charlotte Bronte wrote for Shirley, you should read it. It's a hoot. Basically, it's a response to a Quarterly Review paper on Jane Eyre and, still written in the guise of Currer Bell, basically rips the reviewer to shreds in the cattiest, most sarcastic and most personal way. After the deaths in short order that year of both sisters and her brother, Charlotte wasn't taking any shit from anybody :). Her publishers refused to print the preface, suggesting she write a eulogy to her sisters instead - the book was eventually published with no preface at all.

O my goodness that sounds wonderful and hilarious! I may have to pick that book up for that alone!

That would be fun to look for. What a riot.

I have been reading by Virginia Woolf

While we're on the topic of Charlotte Brontë, has anyone read Villette? I'm currently about 20 pages in, so in no position to judge, but with the amount of books on my to read list I don't want to spend all that time reading a book that isn't very good (also, being a great lover of JE I don't want to see my view of Charlotte Brontë tainted). And Phil, that review formed a major part of an essay I wrote on manifestations of Charlotte's personality in her works, basically just a stream of invective laced through with blatant hatred and very snide undertones. It's brilliant!

*that preface, sorry. Don't know where my mind was on that one

Rachael wrote: "While we're on the topic of Charlotte Brontë, has anyone read Villette? I'm currently about 20 pages in, so in no position to judge, but with the amount of books on my to read list I don't want to ..."

I have read this one a number of years ago so my memory is a bit cloudy, but I remember it being similar to Jane Eyre (young/old relationships). I also remember a lot of French excerpts (being that I am not fluent it was a bit frustrating). However, I would not consider it a waste of time. In fact I would read it again. I don't think it will taint your image of Bronte, but my favorite is still Jane Eyre!

I am now reading The Hobbit. I read it a long time ago, but decided to take it up again before watching the movie! :)

I'm currently reading a (don't judge me) a Harlequin Superromance by an author called Liz Talley. I like it so far, but I actually met her in person and she signed my book. She was very kind and she is a good writer.
Anyway, I'll be reading Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes quite soon.

I am brand new to this group and am an avid reader; I also listen to audiobook from LibriVox (because of a shoulder problem which hurts when I read), which is where I started on the classics (last fall)!

I just finished listening to Pride and Prejudice as well as Great Expectations. However, currently, I'm reading The Water Is Wide: A Memoir, which I am quite enjoying!

Denise wrote: "I enjoyed Dorian Gray so much that I joined a gothic novel reading group, too. So I'm starting a book called The Monk. I don't know if I'll like the genre, but it's worth a try. I also checked out ..."

It took me a while to get used to audiobooks, but finally got the hang of it after a few nights. I only use LibriVox, because it's free, and there are some phenomenal readers, which makes all the difference in the world.

Rachael wrote: "has anyone read Villette? "

I loved Villette. I agree with Stephanie that there was way too much French, but I liked it better than JE anyhow! It's much more low key, though.

Thanks for your opinions, I'll definitely stick with it then. I sort of like the inclusion of all of the French, since I'm trying to improve my fluency, but for someone who didn't speak much French or didn't particularly feel like thinking too hard, I can see how it would be frustrating.

Halfway through Cloud Atlas - and it's good. One of those clever readable books, like Name of the Rose or History of the World in 10 and a Half Chapters that come up every so often and make people who don't normally read literary fiction feel clever. To someone who normally reads Dan Brown it must seem like James Joyce, whereas it's more like Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveller" if it had been written by JOhn Irving.

Just finished The House in Paris. Really good.

Just finished The Mystery of the Yellow Room.

my brief comments

Started Sentimental Education last night. I'm enjoying it so far.

Have any of you read Cormac McCarthy's The Road I went to read several mixed reviews on this book, and I'm pretty sure that if I'm hating it now, I'm going to despise it later, so I think I will be putting this one down after a record ten pages. I NEVER do that, which should tell you how much I'm disliking it thus far. Please let me know if I'm making a horrible mistake.

I tried reading The Road once too, with the same reaction. I quit after a few pages and never regreted it. It's one of those rare books that I just couldn't get through.

The Road was on my "not for me" shelf for a long time. I gave it another try recently, but put it back on that shelf again after the first 25 pages or so. Too bleak!

The Road was a 5-star read for me. Yes, it was incredibly bleak, and also scary, but I don't think a reader's goal should be to eliminate all bleakness.

I don't have a problem with bleakness, but repetitive, dull writing does not work well for me. I have to REALLY be in the mood and prepared for that.

The Road was a book that stayed with me for a long time after I read it. Yes it is bleak but it was very thought provoking. I like books that make me think and wonder what I would do in a similar situation. I kept thinking about the choice the man had to make and even at the end I wasn't sure that he had made the right one.

It stayed with me a long time too. Some books you just can't get out of your head; it was one of them.

Lobstergirl wrote: "The Road was a 5-star read for me. Yes, it was incredibly bleak, and also scary, but I don't think a reader's goal should be to eliminate all bleakness."

It's not about eliminating all bleakness from my reading. I gave the book two chances and found it just wasn't for me.

Just finished The Shadow Line, now I'm rereading All Quiet on the Western Front.

I just did a re-read of Pride & Prejudice for a book club. With all of my being I want to rise above the majority, not be taken in by the whims of thousands of gullible women and not submits to the charms of this book, only giving it a four-star rating. Alas, I cannot. I picked this one as my "bedtime, something easy to put me to sleep" reading, and ending up listening to it practically all in one day. The writing is so engaging, the characters so believable and the story so engrossing that I simply could not put it down.

I thought to myself, "Well, if I must give it five stars, I must give creditable reason for doing so." Thus, here is my answer; the Bennett family is so captivating because every single one of us can envision one of its members in our own family. There is the outrageous mother who is so wishy-washy and fully focused on her own desires, to the neglect and outright indulgence of her children. Then we have the older sister, sweet, shy and often misunderstood simply because she is wise and does not wear all of her emotions on her sleeve. The bookish, yet unafraid to speak her mind, modern yet conscientious heroine who, despite her poor position, looks rather down her nose at her more wealthy neighbors, thinking that they in turn peer down their noses at her, how many of us could not relate to? Then there is Mary, who has very little going for her and often makes a joke of herself in public. The two youngest are the truest teenagers that cause nothing but anguish for the rest of the more mild household. Their father is a balance of propriety and indulgence, sometimes holding firm, other times allowing his wife her own ridiculousness.

The gentlemen are equally well presented. There is the rich yet shy gentleman who relies heavily on his friend's influence. There are the snobby sisters that think they are worth more to humanity than their more humble neighbors. The rich man who appears proud until the details of his life are sufficiently flushed out slowly becomes more amiable as the story goes on. Let's not forget, of course, the most outrageous character of all, the cousin who is completely prideful in his humility and spends most of the novel being a tattletale!

These wonderful characters, instead of becoming overwhelming and clashing horribly, are instead put together in such a way to create a smoothly flowing story of love, hate, forgiveness and civility that has rarely been matched. Yes, I am a woman and have so issues with admitting to my own bias for this particular novel, but it has so much to offer as a commentary on life in general that it has indeed earned the credit it has received not only for a romance but for a story of the class system and a character study. It's one I go back to again and again with no less enjoyment than the first time I read it years ago.

I just finished Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert. I loved it!

my review