Reading the Classics discussion

Once I finish NN, I will have only The Old Curiosity Shop, Martin Chuzzlewitt, and Barnaby Rudge to read in order to complete my goal. Of course, then I can start over... After all, it has been 50 years since I read Tale of Two Cities.

Sounds like a nice project.

There are many books that I know I read in the distant past but I would be hard pressed to tell anything about them.

What do you think of NN so far?

On Tuesday, I finished A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft. I gave it 4*s. It was well reasoned and wisely stuck to the argument that keeping women ignorant is ignorant and both men and women would benefit from educating women.

Wednesday and Thursday, I read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) by Harriet Ann Jacobs. I gave it 3*s because I questioned the credibility of some of the events.

Today, Friday, I read Passing (1929) by Nella Larsen. I give it 4.5*s. It is amazing. Larsen elucidates the social-constructed-ness and ambiguities of racial identity.

Next, I plan to read Invisible Man (1952) by Ralph Ellison to give me more insight into Black perspectives of 1950s America.

I've been reviewing books for my school library lately, and just finished "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. One of my all-time favorite books is "The Great Good Thing" by Roderick Townley. I absolutely love the fresh perspective on book characters! So I thought I would enjoy this as well for the same reason, but perhaps it was less fairy tale-like and too violent for my taste. I struggled to make myself finish the book. I know a lot of people would enjoy it, though.

You are an ambitious reader. Thanks for your comments. I added Passing and the The Invisible Man to my "want to read list"

Lorri wrote: "On Tuesday, I finished A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) by Mary Wollstonecraft. I gave it 4*s. It was well reasoned and wisely stuck to the argument that keeping women ignorant is ignora..."

L_Gail wrote: "Sounds like a nice project.

There are many books that I know I read in the distant past but I would be hard pressed to tell anything about them.

What do you think of NN so far?"

Tina wrote: "I've been reviewing books for my school library lately, and just finished "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. One of my all-time favorite books is "The Great G..."

The Great Good Thing is interesting. I had never heard of it.

Danyel wrote: "And then there were none"

I only just noticed this thread and missed your post. I've never read "And then there were none" but I have been reading an occasional Agatha Christie mystery. I only started reading mysteries - any mysteries - since I retired. I got quite hooked on them for a while but I am starting to burn out a little. However, I am still working my way through the Agatha Christie "CLASSIC MYSTERIES" !!

I have just started "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" which is supposed to be one of her best.

L_Gail wrote: "You are an ambitious reader. Thanks for your comments. I added Passing and the The Invisible Man to my "want to read list"

Lorri wrote: "On Tuesday, I finished A Vindication of the Rights of Woman..."

Replying to L_Gail, NN is not as engaging at David Copperfield, or Our Mutual Friend. But, in the end, it is still a product of Dickens' genius. So it is filled with colorful characters and great comedic vignettes.

It turns out that, in my humble opinion, Invisible Man (1952) is a work of absurd existentialist modernism with violence and a menacing political agenda/message/manifesto. I dislike all of these things and, after about 30 pages, decided not to finish it.

So, I started reading Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and the Civil Rights Struggle of the 1950s and 1960s: A Brief History with Documents. Although this is not a classic, the documents include MLK’s 1963 Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which is. I am pairing this book with Nic Stone's 2017 YA novel Dear Martin because I would like to teach them together.

Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually, my roots are really and truly Caucasian my MTDNA Haplogroup is H1u1. I read the Seven Daughters of Eve and could not wait until I could get tested.)

Back to the topic at hand, the events described in “Stride toward Freedom” is the history of my youth too, and a complex history it is. I thought MLK was very generous in his comments of whites in Montgomery. In general racism is very complex even when slavery is not in the historical mix.

I have been working on genealogy in my retirement. All the lines of my family have been in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi since the early 1800’s. There are some slave owning ancestors but no large estates with large numbers of slaves. I try to work out what the relationships must have been like but it is all speculation.

I have no African Autosomal DNA, but I have found mixed race 3rd and 4th cousins. I do think the real stories are complex. Well enough of that.

At any rate I appreciate your book thoughts and recommendations.

I am currently reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte and I just love it.

I'd love to read Emma by Jane Austen - do any of you recommend it?

L_Gail wrote: "Tina wrote: "I've been reviewing books for my school library lately, and just finished "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke. I thought I would enjoy it more than I did. One of my all-time favorite books is..."

"The Great Good Thing" is such a great read! It tells the story of a character within the story - such a fun perspective!
What happens when a character doesn't want to follow the script? What happens to the characters when no one reads a book anymore? I often read this story aloud to my older elementary students, and wait with anticipation for the moment they realize who the narrator is.

Maybe I will try it, Tina!

L_Gail wrote: "Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually, my roots are ..."
Hello from Minnesota. I am eleven years younger than you and also interested in genealogy. My Mom's side came to Minnesota from Sweden in the 1880-90s. My Dad's side came to America from England and one branch can be traced to the Mayflower. I was taught that we are all humans and the only us/them binary was Christian/Nonchristian but now I reject all binaries.

Since February is Black History Month, I made that my reading theme-of-the-month. After finishing Dear Martin, I read Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Secret Life of Bees. Both are excellent and along with Passing they expose the illusion of racial difference and underscore the importance of individuality.

Today I am starting A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota and will finish this month and begin Middle School March with Forge and Ashes.

I'm new to this thread and I've found it enjoyable to look back over the posts to see what people have said about the books they've read. Right now I'm reading "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Green. I've also made a few lists on different list sites of some of the classic novels I've read, 304 to date. It's interesting that I have only 47 five star reads on Goodreads, but many fours. Happy reading everyone.

“The Power and the Glory” by Green is a very interesting book. I’ve read a number of Graham Green books and I think this one is the best.

I just started “Crawford” by Elizabeth Gaskell. The only other book I’ve read by her was “North and South” which I enjoyed very much.

I recently finished North and South. It was rather like P&P.

I'm currently reading Gone With The Wind, Mitchell's huge historical fiction. Never expected to see something so blatantly racist and false.

L_Gail wrote: "I just started “Crawford” by Elizabeth Gaskell. The only other book I’ve read by her was “North and South” which I enjoyed very much."

I love Gaskell's North and South and Wives and Daughters. I am reading the gothic this year and plan to read her Gothic Tales (9 tales). (I am preparing to reread Northanger Abbey.) Next year, I plan to read Gaskell's three titles used in making the Cranford series: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr. Harrison’s Confessions.

Happy reading!

Thanks for mentioning the three set about CrAnford. I was not aware there was more than one book.

I just finished When You Trap A Tiger, by Tae Keller. It won a 2021 Newbery Award. Now I am reading The Tuscan Child, by Rhys Bowen, and The Silk Road: A New History of the World, by Peter Frankopan. Also, with my grandson, I have been reading a Magic Treehouse book, Leprechaun in Late Winter, by Mary Pope Osborne, and The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis.

Lorri wrote: "L_Gail wrote: "Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually..."

Lorri wrote: "L_Gail wrote: "Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually..."

L_Gail wrote: "Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually, my roots are ..."

Lorri wrote: "L_Gail wrote: "Well, I will rethink Invisible Man

I’ve read MLKing’s “Stride toward Freedom” which I really appreciated.

I was born at Montgomery Alabama in 1949. I am Caucasian. (Aside: Actually..."

My husband's father was Swedish and his mother Norwegian and in Minnesota. I am doing their genealogy.

I am also doing genealogy and really enjoying it. Did you attend the virtual Rootstech Connect? last week

I am reading 'Villette' and 'David Copperfield'. I actually have a group on Goodreads called Classics. Here is a link to it:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

I just finished The House in the Cerulean Sea, a fantasy, and it was wonderful. The perfect mental getaway.

Please give my group a go!

Hi Florence,

I have looked at your classics group and thought it complimented this group. I hesitated to join your classics group because it is so easy to over commit to online groups. I am not sure I have time for both.

That said, here are some of my thoughts. Keep in mind that I am old, an old fuddy duddy.

1 I started using the internet before there was a World Wide Web much less web browsers and many other things.

2 I ran discussion groups starting before there was a World Wide Web and many other things taken for granted today.

3 my experience is that there is an unspoken rule. The rule is that a leader of one group does advertise their group on another’s group without asking permission to do so. You did not say you had permission so I assume not.

4 my initial silence was a stunned silence.

5 does anyone follow these rules anymore- internet etiquette?? I don’t know.

At any rate, you have a nice group. Enjoy.

Regards
Linda

Classics (50 years and older) I’ve read this year, so far:

January (Pre-Victorian and Georgianuary 1714-1837)
- Hamlet 1600 Shakespeare
- The Vicar of Wakefield 1766 Oliver Goldsmith (Irish)
- She Stoops to Conquer; Or, The Mistakes of a Night: A Comedy 1773 Goldsmith play
- The Vampyre; A Tale 1819 Polidori
- Mysteries of Udolpho 1794 Ann Radcliffe
- “The Battle of the Books” 1704 Jonathan Swift
- “An Argument Over the Abolishing of Christianity” 1708 Swift
- A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft

February (Black American)
- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 1861 Harriet Ann Jacobs
- Passing 1929 Nella Larsen (Harlem Renaissance)
- Their Eyes Were Watching God 1937 Zora Neale Hurston (Harlem Renaissance author)

March (Middle School)
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 1967 (9-12) E. L. Konigsburg
- Heidi 1881 (10+) Johanna Spyri (Swiss)
- The Red Badge of Courage 1895 (11+) Stephen Crane
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond 1958 (10+) Elizabeth George Speare
- The Crucible 1953 4-act play by Arthur Miller
- Gothic Tales: Disappearances, The Old Nurses Story, The Squire’s Story, The Poor Clare, The Doom of the Griffiths, Lois the Witch, The Crooked Branch, Curious if True, and The Grey Woman 1851-1861 Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
- Agnes Grey 1847 Anne Brontë

April (Gothic)
- The Castle of Otranto 1764 1st Gothic Horace Walpole (British)
- Castle of Wolfenbach 1793 Eliza Parsons (British)
- The Necromancer; or, the Tale of the Black Forest 1794 folktales by Ludwig Flammenberg aka. Carl Friedrich Kahlert (Polish) translated from German and novelized by Peter Teuthold
- “The Fall of the House of Usher” 1839 and “The Gold-Bug” 1843 Edgar Allan Poe
- C. Auguste Dupin Collection (Ill.): Murders in the Rue Morgue 1841, Mystery of Marie Rogét 1842, Purloined Letter 1844 Edgar Allan Poe (American)
- The Midnight Bell 1798 one of the greatest of all gothics Francis Lathom (Dutch)
- Washington Square 1880 Henry James

May (1900-1950)
- The Phantom of the Opera 1909 Gaston Leroux (French)
- “Metamorphosis” 1915 Franz Kafka (Bohemian)
- O Pioneers! 1913 Willa Sibert Cather (American)
- Some Imagist Poets: An Anthology 1915 Richard Aldington, H.D., John Gould Fletcher, F.S. Flint, D.H. Lawrence, Amy Lowell (British and American)

and still reading!

That is quite a list Lorri !!

I like that you read "Heidi". I will add that to me quick reads list.

One we have in common for this year (other that this ones read in this group) is
The Castle of Otranto 1764 1st Gothic Horace Walpole (British)

One I read a year or two ago and particularly liked was
The Vicar of Wakefield 1766 Oliver Goldsmith (Irish)

Has any one of these been a particular favorite?

L_Gail wrote: "That is quite a list Lorri !!

I like that you read "Heidi". I will add that to me quick reads list.

One we have in common for this year (other that this ones read in this group) is
The Castle of..."

I recommend this illustrated version of Heidi https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20781 because the translation is very good.

I really liked The Vicar of Wakefield, too, and see how it influenced Jane Austen.

Particular favorites:
-A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 1792 Mary Wollstonecraft
surprised me. It isn't shrill and she outreasons some of the best philosophers of her time. Also, most of her arguments still hold up.
-Passing It is a very short masterpiece about race, culture, community, and family. I would love to teach this book!
-The Red Badge of Courage not only holds up but remains a wonderful exploration of courage, masculinity, and war.
-The Crucible is a timely reminder of the dangers of witch-hunting and mass hysteria.
- Agnes Grey 1847 Anne Brontë surprised me by not being Gothic, and I loved and identified with the heroine.
-C. Auguste Dupin Collection (Illustrated) Edgar Allan Poe. These are the first detective stories. They predate Sherlock by more than 40 years and act as a template for Doyle and other crime writers.

And I am still working out my thoughts and responses to Washington Square.

Titles I read in May for a 1900-1950 Readathon:

- The Phantom of the Opera 1909 Gaston Leroux (French)
- “Metamorphosis” 1915 Franz Kafka (Bohemian)
- O Pioneers! 1913 Willa Sibert Cather (American)
- Some Imagist Poets: An Anthology 1915 Richard Aldington, H.D., John Gould Fletcher, F.S. Flint, D.H. Lawrence, Amy Lowell (British and American)
- To the Last Salute: Memories of an Austrian U-Boat Commander 1935 Georg Von Trapp (Austrian) translated by Elizabeth M Campbell 2007
- Siddhartha 1922 Hermann Hesse (Swiss)
- A Room of One’s Own 1929 Virginia Woolf (British)
- Vera 1921 Elizabeth von Arnim (Australian British)
- And then There Were None 1939 Agatha Christie (British)
- The Pearl 1947 John Steinbeck (American)
- The House of Mirth 1905 Edith Wharton (American)
- The Grand Sophy 1950 Georgette Heyer (British)
- “The Machine Stops” 1909 E M Forster (British)
- “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” 1936 Ernest Hemingway (American)

A nice selection in your challenge reads Lori.

I am reading “the Little House at Arlington” by Anthony Trollope. It is another story about a “bounder” who can’t make up his mind which woman to exploit by marrying her.

I am enjoying the novel, but Anthony Trollope almost never fails to engage me with his insights, quiet humor, and general ability to tell a story well.

L_Gail wrote: "A nice selection in your challenge reads Lori.

I am reading “the Little House at Arlington” by Anthony Trollope. It is another story about a “bounder” who can’t make up his mind which woman to ex..."

Virginia Wolff's essay on women and fiction was a 5-star read even though it is written in a Modernist style.

I am interested in reading Trollope and plan to start his Barsetshire series late this fall or next year. My Victorian TBR is huge!

Classics I read in June:

- A Doll’s House 1879 Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian)
- Wake Not the Dead 1823 Ludwig Tieck (German)
- Clermont, A Tale Regina Maria Roche (Irish)
- Orphan of the Rhine Eleanor Sleath (British)
- The Canterville Ghost 1887 Oscar Wilde (British)
- Horrid Mysteries of the Marquis de Grosse 1796 Carl Grosse translated by Peter Will (German)

Lorri wrote: "Classics I read in June:

- A Doll’s House 1879 Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian)
- Wake Not the Dead 1823 Ludwig Tieck (German)
- Clermont, A Tale Regina Maria Roche (Irish)
- Orphan of the Rhine Eleanor S..."

Heck of a list, Lorri!

I am rereading Pere Goriot, by Honore de Balzac. I really enjoy this writing style and the reflections on morality in a materialistic world.

Titles I read in July, most of the essays "count" as classics, too.

July: Jane Austen July or Jane Goes Gothic!
- The Mysterious Warning, A German Tale 1796 Eliza Parsons
- The Italian: or the Confessional of the Black Penitents 1797 Ann Radcliffe the ninth and final book I read this year from The Complete Northanger Horrid Novel Collection (9 Books of Gothic Romance and Horror)
- Northanger Abbey 1817 Jane Austen
- A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh 1871
- From Delphi Complete Works of Jane Austen (Ill): “Three Essays on Jane Austen” by Virginia Woolf and “To Jane Austen” by Andrew Lang
- The Female Quixote; or, The Adventures of Arabella 1752 by Charlotte Lennox (Scottish).
- The Monk: A Romance by M.G. Lewis (British) 1796
- From A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen 2009 edited by Susannah Carson: Forward by Harold Bloom, Introduction Susannah Carson, “Why We Read Jane Austen” Susanna Clarke, “The Radiance of Jane Austen” Eudora Welty, “Six Reasons to Read Jane Austen” Rebecca Mead, “Jane Austen: The Six Novels” EM Forster, “A Life Among the Manuscripts” Brian Southam, “Reading Northanger Abbey” Susannah Carson

I just read Passing and loved it. It explores the tension between advancing oneself and advancing the group ( “lifting the race” as it was known then, in the 1920s). It also illustrates the precariousness of women’s place in society. Both concerns seem equally present today. Very well written.

Elizabeth wrote: "I just read Passing and loved it. It explores the tension between advancing oneself and advancing the group ( “lifting the race” as it was known then, in the 1920s). It also illustrates the precari..."

I loved Passing and plan to read Nella Larsen's 4 other stories.

I’m currently reading through the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. Disney made an animated adaptation called the Black Cauldron (very loosely based on the first and second books in the series) in the 1980s that almost ruined the company. It’s a classic of children’s literature. Completely underrated today in my opinion. I’ve read through the first two books and am flying through the third one. They are great fun.

A READING ASSIGNMENT - AND BOOK REPORT

well since we are in LIMBO - here is the assignment -

CLASSIC - Short Story - out there in many editions

Read - To Build a Fire by Jack London

The assignment - Read this story when night temperatures drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 1 degrees C where you live. If you live south of the equator, or somewhere it never freezes, then just read it ! and report back after Dec 1.

You have 4 weeks to write a half page book report. Don't worry about spoilers. There is only two outcomes, fire lit or fire not lit.

Current and upcoming classics reads:

Shaketember (YouTube): reading 4 Shakspearian plays with Zoom discussions every Saturday:
- Othello ~ September 4
- The Tempest ~ September 11
- Henry IV, part 1 ~ September 18
- The Winter's Tale ~ September 25

The Bronte Project (Goodreads): Reading all major Bronte works this year.
- Jane Eyre ~ September
- Wuthering Heights ~ October

Victober (Goodreads and YouTube): Read Victorian Literature from English, Irish, Welch, and Scottish authors published from 1837-1901
- All of October

In August I read romance novels including E.M. Forster's A Room with a View. Forster critiques English social customs, class, religion, family, and "the marriage game."

My September classics TBR includes the four William Shakespeare plays mentioned above and John Steinbeck's East of Eden.

`A Room with a View is one of my favorites.

I was thinking previously that East of Eden might be a good group read.

The YouTube Shaketember sounds great.

I took a FutureLearn course a number of years ago, something like, Shakespeare and his world was the Title.

We read several plays and Othello and The Tempest were two of the ones we covered. I liked both of the plays. Othello is such a psychological thriller.

As for Viktober, it will be interesting to see what you pick.

One of my all time favorites from the era is "Lorna Doone". The romance seemed silly to me but the picture of rural country life was wonderful.

I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the harvest and the culture of the harvest. There are songs of the harvest that are lovely. The whole social life described in the book is a treasure I think.

I never suggested it for a group read ( I don't think ) because i don't think it will appeal to everyone.

I will confirm East of Eden is fantastic. I read it earlier in the summer. The characters are unforgettable.

East of Eden was one of my core book choices for this year and I am excited to start it. Of the Shakespeare plays, the only reread for me will be Henry the IV, part I.

The prompts for Victober Victorian Literature (UK 1837-1901):
#1 read a sensation novel
#2 read a text set in the city, countryside, or both
#3 read a text with a female protagonist
#4 read a novel popular during the Victorian Age or now
#5 Bonus: listen to an audio recording of a text or read a portion of a text aloud since Victorians often read texts aloud to each other
#6 Month-long Readalong: Gothic Tales by Mrs. Gaskell

Lorri wrote:
#1 read a sensation novel

Unless you count Robert Louis Stephenson (some do, some don't), Wilkie Collins remains my favorite sensation author, although all I've read by him is The Woman in White and The Moonstone.

"#3 read a text with a female protagonist"

Strongly recommend Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Aurora Leigh for that. Finally got around to reading it this year and thought it terrific.